This is the second half of the list, meaning that we're now dealing with the teams that performed better during this early part of the season.
16. UTAH JAZZ (3-4)
The Jazz are bucking the system by first of all going big and secondly starting three Whites - bold moves, albeit ones that have yet to translate to notable winning, though things could be worse. A lot of hope was obviously placed in Ace Bailey, who made all types of noise during the offseason but has yet to make headlines for his on-court production as a pro. So now, I agree with a report I read a couple of days ago, that Sexton is looking like the one who got away. He was traded for Jusuf Nurkic, another big White guy though in his case one whom the Jazz apparently don't need.
17. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (4-3)
The Timberwolves are too talented to be garbage, but it's hard for me to get excited about this team, especially considering that they failed to make upgrades (while concurrently losing a key player) this past offseason. I don't want to use the word fluke, but every time they make the WCF, it's like the other team proves that Minny doesn't belong. Fans may be expecting or hoping that AE's game takes another leap, but I think he's already more or less reached his ceiling, which isn't a bad thing in his case, but you shouldn't expect him to power a team to the Finals in the West. So it's like now, the braintrust has to step up and prove their worth, which will be hard since, to my understanding, the ownership is frugal. Maybe when Anthony does come back, he'd be willing to play more of a secondary, complementary role.
18. NEW YORK KNICKS (4-3)
Generally speaking, the East has always been weak in the post-Jordan NBA. Now arguably the two most-impactful players in the conference, Tatum and Haliburton, are injured, and the Knicks still appear unable to capitalize.
I don't think there's any one person to blame, but if I were to scapegoat somebody, it'd probably be KAT. That's not a dig against Towns but rather the braintrusts he's played for, who never seem able to effectively put a roster around him that can mitigate his shortcomings, or however you want to put it.
NYK was supposed to build on the momentum of last (off)season and come into this one hot and hungry. None of the key dudes on this roster, besides Anunoby, has ever won a ring (I think), and they haven't lost any of their keys pieces from 2024-25. Maybe dudes really did need Thibs to keep a fire lit under their asses. Anyway, I agree with Draymond that, as it currently stands, there really isn't any reason for opponents to fear the Knicks.
19. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (4-3)
Yes, I ranked the Blazers lower on the Power Stinkings than the Knicks. Even devoid of the leadership of Chauncey "X-Ray" Billups, Portland has managed to establish and thus far maintain a non-losing record - something which honestly, I don't remember ever happening when X-Ray was around.
It's been awhile since I heard of Scoot Henderson, and I don't want to call him a bust, but the writing is kinda on the wall. The hype can help, but it can also hurt.
20. MIAMI HEAT (4-3)
The loss of Terry "Lil Chauncey" Rozier stings, but I'm still expecting the Heat to overachieve, maybe even beat the Knicks in the Playoffs. I just noticed that Herro isn't around, and once he does show up, that should be a boost. Miami is currently starting twin towers, but once Tyler returns, maybe Ware, still a work in development, will return to the bench. That'll give the Heat something like two formidable Cs, i.e. a quality(?) 5 on the court at all times, which is a luxury most teams don't have.
21. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (4-3)
The Warriors are still my favorite team to watch, even though I don't know half of the dudes on the roster these days. Steph, you can see some nights he's not as vibrant as in days past, but you have to give it to dude - who's not only aged but has also won like every accolade imaginable - for at least retaining the competitive spirit into his late 30s. If healthy, this is perhaps the one team in the entire West who opponents wouldn't want to run into come postseason.
22. DENVER NUGGETS (4-2)
As far as players are concerned, Bruce Brown returning to the Nuggets, imo, was the feel-good story entering this season. But now looking at his production, he's sorta giving off that Westbrook, too-aggressive-for-his-own-good kinda vibe.
As for Cameron Johnson, he's more or less morphed into Porter Jr. 2.0, which I guess is sorta the plan, but still. There's only so much ball (and space) to go around, and while I've been dogging Porter all these years, maybe he was forced into that mold by the Nuggets' structure.
23. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (5-3)
I like how the Bucks have started this season, as a team with championship pedigree, even though the roster is mediocre. I still wish that Dame experience would've worked out, but it's time to move on already, even if those types of experiments mean your roster may be under par for awhile.
But of course, I'm not dissing anybody. As a professional, you have to be ready even if unexpectedly the spotlight is thrust upon you. It looks like a lot of unknowns will be making names for themselves (across the league) this season. And of course there's Giannis who, even in the age of disgruntled, diva-like, ring-chasing superstars, remains the pride and heart of this small market team. Shit like that can take you far, especially in the East.
24. HOUSTON ROCKET (4-2)
I haven't really been following the Rockets, but I guess, judging by their record, their starting to live up to expectations after a shaky start. In effect, they gained Durant but lost both Jalen Green and VanVleet, and that's besides Dillon Brooks. So the question remains, is this roster actually better than last season? At least now, with KD signing that extension, you'd expect them to keep this cast together for a couple of season rather than doing any(more) rash shuffling.
25. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (5-2)
The Sixers have thus far exceeded expectations as far as I'm concerned. Only those who made the decision actually know why they signed Paul George, as it was questionable from the jump whether he would contribute anything noteworthy on the court. And now PG13 has been reduced to a non-factor, literally, as in the team may not even need him when he finally is playable.
26. DETROIT PISTONS (5-2)
I haven't heard much of the Pistons, and that may be a good thing. Judging by their record, they're the only team in the East who had a notable postseason that has been able to pickup where they left off, and that's despite losing a couple of key role players. All things considered, this may be the top team in the conference to actually fear.
27. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (6-2)
I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much from LAL entering this season, but there are a couple of things to consider. For instance, after utterly failing at roster construction over the past couple of seasons, they somehow managed to nab two of the top three picks from the impressive 2018 Draft. Ayton may never be a Hall of Famer, but he isn't a bum neither, and Los Angeles has always thrived when they had good Cs.
I wonder if LBJ, when he returns, will negatively alter the chemistry this team is building? Sometimes, the team alpha being hurt is good thing, and that may be especially true, all things considered, with the current iteration of Lebron and LAL. Hopefully when he comes back, he'll be more committed to fitting into the established mode (and playing D) rather than point-chucking.
28. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (5-1)
The Spurs have arguably the most domination-able player in the league, who's part of a young, hungry roster with at least one quality vet beside them. There's still though something missing that doesn't make them team feel like contenders. Maybe they're too young, inexperience and unproven.
Idk what the team's financial situation looks like, but if they have considerable dough to spare, San Antonio should be looking to add another vet, a borderline superstar even, sooner rather than later.
29. OKC THUNDER (8-0)
I haven't been overanalyzing this team, who they've been playing against and stuff like that, but I'll admit them going this far undefeated without Jalen Williams is impressive. The Thunder are giving off that 'I know I'm better than you' type of confidence, which is like half the battle type shit. They're not playing like they're trying to repeat; they're playing like they want other teams to prove their better, if so. That may be the SGA factor because remember, at the start of his career no one was expecting him to one day be MVP.
30. CHICAGO BULLS (6-1)
When you look at the Bulls' roster, you know what I mean? There's not a proven allstar among them. Yet here they sit, on top of the East, which is something I would have never predicted, even for a single day, a month ago. In the blink of an eye, Chicago has gone from 'who gives AF' to must-watch. And the reason we must watch, if they maintain this standard, is to try to figure out why they keep winning.
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