2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 12)

DENVER NUGGETS (2) vs OKC THUNDER (2)

This, dear readers, is what you call a series - not a semifinals' matchup where one team is making a mockery of their opponent, i.e. Indiana v Cleveland.

My main criticism of Denver's performance in Game 4 is, why didn't they play Westbrook down the stretch?  Besides injuries, for the past couple of season this team has suffered from what I would refer to as a lack of energy.  The biggest concern when KCP left was, how would Braun fit into the starting role?  He seems to have adjusted marvelously, better than expected even.  But playing him down the stretch of a close game like this instead of Westbrook, like I don't see the logic.

Remember that all five of Denver's current starters were on that 2023 championship team.  So maybe it can be argued that they aren't really hungry like that.  They're not feening, like Westbrook or maybe OKC.  But perhaps this is all part of that conspiracy against Russell that I mentioned in the last post.

 INDIANA PACERS (3) vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1)

It's now getting the point where I'm like, maybe the Pacers really are just better than the Cavs.  Indiana also dominated Cleveland during the regular season.  Maybe it isn't that they're "better" per se but more like that one team who for whatever reason the Cavs can't beat.  Even the Jordan Bulls and the Shaq + Kobe Lakers had issues like that, but I think, you know, the NBA was more on their side.

Remember that Spida, a couple of those seasons he was in Utah they had the best regular season record also but then flunked in the Playoffs.  I've been theorizing, for years, that the powers-that-be have something against the Cavs.  But "41-point halftime lead" and shit like that, damn.  It's embarrassing, especially when you're the 1 seed.

So imagine you're a Knicks' fan, and you pay who knows how many dollars to attend Game 4 @ MSG, only to have your day ruined, like your team not even compete.  On the other hand, you're a Pacers' fan, pay the same amount of money maybe to attend Game 4 @ the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and, along with thousands of other revelers, have the time of your life.  Shit is real in the NBA, like on a financial level.

If Mitchell can't play in Game 5, that may be a good thing for Cleveland, in that it would make them focus more on the interior, with those bigs being the one advantage or factor they have that most other teams don't.  But on the low, with rotation players like Turner, Toppin and Siakim, the Pacers are actually one of the taller teams also.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: ORLANDO MAGIC

Mentioning KCP made me think of the easily-forgettable Orlando Magic.  Going after Kentavious last offseason was a brilliant move, if they would have complimented it by also edifying their frontline.  Oh well.  I couldn't understand how pundits thought that he alone would move the needle (and at the time were even implying that he's a better player than Westbrook!), but anyway, I'm imagining that Cs may be the most coveted position, around the league, this coming offseason.

2024-2025 Offseason Grades (Southeast Division)

ATLANTA HAWKS: F

The Hawks arguably have the most ass-backwards braintrust in the NBA.  Hard to believe that just three or four seasons ago, they were supposed to be the hot, up-and-coming young team in the East.

At the heart of the problem is the fact that Trae Young is not a franchise player, i.e. not being good enough to rationalize actually building a team around.  That's not insult, since 99% of the players in the league aren't of such caliber.  But in order to be a franchise cornerstone, you have to either be exceptional on both offense and defense or, if not much of a defensive player, then out of this world offensively.  Trae has his moments on offense, but he doesn't have the consistency of a Steph, Luka or even a Dame.  The NBA really promoted him around the time he first came into the league.  But it's like the Hawks' braintrust still has yet to realize that he isn't 'the one'.

When they acquired Dejounte Murray a couple of offseasons ago, that was a masterful move.  The compatibility of him and Young was always a question.  But then it was like if you get rid of one or the other, at least you could flip that player for a compatible all-star or a couple of above-average players, with at least one indisputable starter.

What does Atlanta do instead?  They trade Murray for a crop of role players, most notably Larry Nance Jr..  More importantly, I guess in the grand scheme of things, they got a couple of future first-rounders.  And you know, I'm not dissing Larry, Cody or any of the other guys they just scored.  But it's like here and now, role players aren't really the Hawks' problem.  And since they basically lost as many rotation players (if not more) than they've gained over the past couple of years, it's not like the team has gotten any deeper.

The icing on the cake is them choosing Zaccharie Risacher with the no. 1 pick.  I can't see the future and am not going to play myself by saying anything negative about Risacher as a player.  But you know, if you're going to lose, lose big.

No one was expecting a lot of this draft, so if you still opt to keep the number one pick, at least try to choose someone who can make the immediate impact this team needs.  You know what I'm saying?  Pick an Anthony Bennett or some shit.  Swing and miss instead of hoping that the pitcher walks you.

No one wants to hear that 'he may be a future role player' type shit.  If that's the case, that Atlanta has decided to draft a future role player (with the number one pick!), then maybe they should just engage in an outright rebuild and finally let Trae go to an organization that has like a better sense of direction.  And yes, I'm about to beat a dead horse - if they were going to prioritize keeping Young over everyone else, then they never should have traded John Collins, since he played alongside Trae just as good, if not better, than any other player on the roster.

Maybe in the future this will all make sense.  But for now I wouldn't want to be a Hawks' fan, looking forward to another season of  the team being led by Young - who will likely spend considerable time on the injured list - backed by an ever-rotating yet never-actually-improving cast of players.  For instance, might as well move on from De'Andre Hunter already.  Also, since he is a no. 1 pick, let Zaccharie start, even if he is a scrub or whatever.  The Hawks may surprise the world and actually be a winning team.  But if not, then at least try to be exciting and watch-worthy.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS: D

The problem I have with the Hornets is the same as it's been for the past two, three or maybe even four years already.  They're banking on LaMelo Ball, even though he has proven unbankable.

I don't like speaking bad about players' health.  There's few things as frustrating as witnessing a player or team unable to realize its potential due to injury issues.  I would like nothing more than to see Ball + Bridges actually make it to the playoffs.  But, it is what it is.  I don't have a crystal ball saying 'LaMelo will spend significant time on the injury list this coming season'.  But history has proven that's most likely the case.

The issue with these types of players aren't their on-court health per se.  Logic would dictate that yes, it's better to have a player like Ball on your team than not to have him.

The bigger issue is that - oh shit - he's making $200+ mil.  That's money that can be devoted to another superstar or two or even three other really good players who will be healthy enough to participate and make an impact over the long run.

That said, the roster of this team isn't half bad.  Miles Bridges is just as good as any other PF in the East who isn't a reigning all-star.  As for this dude KJ Thompson they just drafted, I didn't hear anything about him from the summer leagues.  But considering that he is a PG, he's probably going to be given ample run.  And that's what the Hornets need to do, have a sans-Ball contingency plan, i.e. being prepared to make the playoffs even if LaMelo potentially misses the entire season.

MIAMI HEAT: D+

The Heat tend to be one of the more-coveted free agent destinations.  So it's kinda surprising that their biggest (and only) acquisition this past summer, outside of the draft, has been Alec Burks.  It's also kinda painful to see Caleb Martin bounce, but he obviously already reached his Miami-based peak a couple of seasons ago.

As for their draft picks, the Heat's first-rounder, Kel'el Ware, represented in Summer League.  That's not surprising, as by this point people actually expect Miami's braintrust to overachieve with whatever hand their dealt.

And for the most part, this remains an impressive roster.  The Heat seem to be loaded at the G and wings while lacking depth upfront, but if Kel'el really does make an immediate impact, I may be wrong.  Also, these kind of lineups with focus more on speed, versatility and shooting are sorta common these days, especially in the East.  And if healthy, i.e. with Butler and Rozier, the Heat's roster is arguably just as impressive at the 1-3 as the Knicks, Sixers and Celtics.

So it's kinda hard to give them an offseason grade.  There's this old saying that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Whether or not Miami is 'broken' is a matter of perspective.  But given that they did have injury issues last postseason, you would at least think they would have gone wild and try to secure at least a borderline star, to mitigate the potential absence of Jimmy or whoever.  But for all we know, if given playing time, Ware may be in the ROY hunt.  Heat rookies are often given a chance, out of the gate, to prove themselves.  So out of all the teams on this list, I wouldn't be surprised if I graded the Heat's offseason to low.

ORLANDO MAGIC: B

I pride myself on not allowing the mainstream media dictate how I feel about teams, but in this case I relented.  That is to say, to be totally honest, I don't really see what the big deal is about Orlando acquiring KCP.  And the reason I say that is because, based on what I seen during the playoffs, their shortcomings weren't in the areas of three-point shooting and perimeter defense, which are his specialties.  Rather, what they seemed to lack was an interior presence, both offensively and defensively.  So I guess the trend of underestimating the need for bigmen continues.  But that said, I gave the Magic a B because the way everyone else is raving about the addition of KCP, then I have to assume that maybe there's something I'm missing.

One of the reasons I was tempted to give Orlando a lower grade is because I can't quite grasp how their braintrust concluded that Franz Wagner is a max player.  It has been pointed out that the only other players of his draft class who scored max extensions, like himself, have been Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes.  Those two may be overrated also, but at least they're unanimously considered to be franchise players, as their respective rosters currently stand.  Meanwhile, Wagner isn't even the alpha on his team.  But, you know, when you're dealing with money and those kinds of things, you know what I'm saying?

Meanwhile Markelle Fultz, who was a starter for the Magic last season - their best in years - remains in free agent limbo.  I guess the idea, if Orlando doesn't re-sign him, is to have KCP more or less fill his role.

If no other team picks up Markelle, it'll be sorta like the merciful end to his confusing career, the conclusion which I guess he didn't have the wherewithal to bring about himself.  But that said, I don't really see why the Magic wouldn't re-sign him, unless it's because of monetary issues, such as making up for overpaying Wagner.  And personally, given this current roster, I'd be surprised if Orlando makes it any further next season than they did last.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: B+

Since writing my last post, Tyus Jones decided to sign with the Suns, which can prove big for Phoenix, if they decide to play the right way.  But that's a story for another day.  Washington meanwhile took that loss.  But they did sign Malcolm Brogdon, who could start in Jones's place and of course is one of the best shooters in the league.

Out of all garbage teams, the Wizards arguably have the most impressive roster.  On the low, Jones aside, they had a pretty impressive offseason.  Besides Brogdon they also scored Jonas Valanciunas, a starting-level European center, who are like the best types these days.  They also picked up Saddiq Bey who, from what I gathered, seemed to be a pretty good fit in Atlanta.  On top of that, they got Alex Sarr in the draft.  He had a really rough Summer League.  But at least, by the looks of things, if Sarr is a bust, the Wizards won't catch the type of flack that the Hawks will if Risacher proves the same.

Meanwhile, Washington still has Kyle Kuzma and, dare I say it, Jordan Poole.  I'm looking forward to Jordan reclaiming his mojo and having a bounce-back season.  Whether or not that's actually possible, without big brother Steph around, remains to be seen.  But at least I take satisfaction in believing that the Warriors must now regret letting him go like that.

CONCLUSION

Of out of the five teams in the Southwest, the biggest addition this offseason is considered to have been the Magic acquiring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, an above-average role player.  Meanwhile, the Wizards scored two or maybe even three of such individuals.  But those moves flew under the radar, since no one is really expecting them to win.

Then, even with the number one pick in the draft, the Hawks look not only as if they failed to improve but may have even gotten worse.  So it's easy to conclude that, on the surface, this division has been the most underwhelming of the 2024 offseason.  And whereas Orlando did make a little bit noise last postseason, Miami, if healthy, remains the team to beat.   However, if Poole rediscovers his shot or the Wizards are somehow able to mesh otherwise, look out for Washington.

2024-2025 Offseason Grades (Northwest Division)

DENVER NUGGETS: A

I like to refer to Russell Westbrook as "the ScapeGOAT".  Pound-for-pound, he's perhaps the best player in NBA history in terms of overall skillset.  Yet every time a team he's on underperforms, it's Russell's fault.  That was even true after KD bounced on the Thunder even though, all things considered, there was no way they were going to win a championship after that.

I have a lot of respect for KCP.  He's obviously one of the better role players when it comes to palpably contributing.  But him being better than Russell Westbrook?  C'mon, man.

The Nuggets are a team which, besides Jamal Murray, tends to appear too lethargic at times.  Ideally, the energetic Westbrook will be able to mitigate that.

Dario Saric is also an underrated player.  And as for Christian Braun, at least now he'll really get a chance to prove himself, you know, like over the long term.  So I'm feeling what Denver has done this offseason.  If nothing else, they will give fans a slightly different look.  And you know, sometimes when you lose like they did in the postseason, trying to evolve is preferable to standing pat while key free agents bounce.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: D

Minnesota tore my heart out during the postseason, going that far and then losing to the Mavericks, even though the Wolves had the height and also arguably the depth advantage.

The issue, imo, is that Minny needs a faster, and let's say younger starting PG.  I'm pretty confident that Conley, back in his heyday, would have been able to more or less contain Luka (as best as anyone could), and he did have impact moments against Dallas here and there.  But what did Minnesota do instead of upgrading at the 1, or even overall for that matter?  Practically nothing in terms of offseason additions, at least not anything in terms of actually being a better team than they were last season, considering most notably that Kyle Anderson has bounced.

Seemingly, they're banking on the progression of Anthony Edwards, which isn't a bad thing considering his talent, athleticism, age and societal standing.  But let's just say that he seemed out it at certain points during the WCF.  So whatever it was that may have been bothering him, I hope that they focus more on that than, you know, making him practice more.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: A

I like Josh Giddey, if for no other than him being one of the more pleasant NBA players to look at.  But it became blatantly obvious during the postseason that his style of play doesn't mesh particularly well with the Thunder as a whole.  Or let me say that they don't really need him per se if SGA is healthy.  At times, during long stints on the court, Josh wasn't doing jacksh*t.  So replacing him with Caruso, who's effective off the ball, totally made sense.

More importantly, OKC needed help in the middle.  In most seasons, someone like Chet Holmgren would have prolly won ROY.  But it also seemed obvious that, you know, you don't want his skinnyass to be forced to bang downlow throughout an entire game.  So bringing in Hartenstein, the type of effective big who won't take the ball out of the hand of scorers, also makes sense.

And with that OKC, a team that was already in position to contend for a championship, had arguably the best offseason.  The only reason I didn't give them an A+ is because I don't want to get my hopes up too high to later eat my words, like I did last season.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: C

In a manner of speaking the Blazers traded Damian Lillard, one of the best scorers ever, for Scoot Henderson, a young, unproven PG.  One thing I admire, after Henderson's less-than-stellar rookie campaign, is that at least Portland has remained committed to his development without changing direction.

Scoot is getting his chance, from the jump, to either prove a star or a bust.  None of that Markelle Fultz sideline sh*t.  But at the end of the day, if he does fail to impress, I'm not going to blame it on him, because they should've never thrown a suspect rookie PG in the fire like that to begin with.

If you can't be competitive as an NBA team, then at least be entertaining.  And the addition of Clingan, you know, he was like the second most-popular rookie in the draft and moreover plays a position that won't overlap with Scoot.

Also, it's not like Portland has a bad roster.  I would say that talent-wise, it's good enough to make the playoffs by default if they were in the East.  But potential lack of overall compatibility and talent being overly concentrated at certain positions seem to be other issues this team may have to contend with.

UTAH JAZZ: F

Remember a couple of seasons ago when the Jazz were overachieving but then proceeded to like intentionally tank?  This is why you don't do things like that.  There's no guarantee that once you develop a losing culture, you'll be able to overcome it.

That's not the reason I'm giving them an F though.  It's more because of these Markkanen trade rumors.  If those are true then, coupled with their less-than-impressive roster, it's like Utah have totally lost their direction or conviction from a couple of seasons ago.

I understand that rebuilding, if that's what Jazz is actually doing, usually takes time.  I also understand that they may be compelled to tank in hopes of landing Cooper Flagg, who's not only White (Utah's favorite color) but furthermore an actual American.  Like when is the last time a White American player generated such buzz?  But damn, in terms of last season and presumably this forthcoming one, what a way to let the fans down, especially for a braintrust led by Danny Ainge.

CONCLUSION

There really isn't much reason not to believe that OKC will once again be the best team in this division.  Their biggest deficiency last season was lack of size, to the point that they were prolly fortunate not to have faced Minnesota or Denver in the playoffs.  But now all of a sudden, they have one of the biggest frontcourts in the league.

NBA Offseason Power Stinkings (Northwest Division)

It's that time of the year again when we go about predicting who's going to succeed and who's going to suck during the upcoming season.  And for the first time since who knows when, there may be a champion coming out of the Northwest Division.  But instead of harping on the more competitive teams first, since this is the Power Stinkings we'll rather start with:

1.  Utah Jazz

Within the blink of an eye, the Utah Jazz went from perennial (regular-season) contenders and one of the more-admirable braintrusts in the NBA to now looking like they don't what the hell they're doing.  Deciding to engage in a full rebuild wouldn't look like that bad of a decision if not for the fact that just the week prior to making Donovan Mitchell available, they were rather sounding like the plan was to build around him.  Perhaps the lot of them have been incepted.  So now it's like so long as Mitchell is out dangling on the market the Jazz aren't making any progress, as in being out actually shopping for players who complement his skillset.  And since this team has been so good throughout the last few years or whatever , they didn't even have any draft picks, meaning that once the vets get discouraged/traded, this may well be the worst squad in the NBA.  And the funny thing about it is that their current roster, with Mitchell, may actually be a playoff-bound team if they were committed to staying together.

2. OKC Thunder

I regret not watching the Thunder play more last season because now, with Chet Holmgren, this is supposed to be a team on the rise or at least one that's now more entertaining.  Even last season they were pretty entertaining with Shai and Dort and them, but I have yet to see Giddey play.  Either way, Holmgren doesn't look like a player that's going to come in and have an immediately profound impact.  So dudes may be better than they were last year and put up good fights now and then (when their stars aren't hurt).  And if they remain healthy I wouldn't be totally surprised if OKC made the Playoffs, considering how thin the West is looking at the moment.

3.  Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers have my hard-earned braintrust respect.  And it isn't only about what they did this offseason by getting Payton II and Grant but also the fact that they've been competitive for like a solid decade now.

And this is how you build a team around an injured, aging, loyal superstar like Lillard.  If Kobe had this kind of roster around him during his latter seasons, the Lakers would have still been making the playoffs.  Like no one is predicting that the Blazers are going to win a championship.  But at least Damian won't be stuck on a garbage team like some of the other older perennial all-stars.  And as much as I like CJ McCollum, if this were vintage Lillard playing alongside Payton, a player who complements his skillset better, I'd probably be predicting contender right now.

2.  Denver Nuggets

Last season I was convinced that, if the Nuggets were fully healthy, they were the best team in the NBA.  This season I'm convinced that they'll never be fully healthy.  Maybe they will for stints, and hopefully that'll be around playoff time.  One thing I will give them credit for though is that landing Caldwell-Pope, imo, was one of the smarter moves of this offseason.  Kentavious may never be an all-star, but he is someone who should complement this roster well or better than some of those dudes who were around last season.  But like I don't see why the Nuggets didn't hold on to DeMarcus Cousins.

1.  Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves, for the first time in franchise history to my remembrance, have the best starting 5 in the NBA.  There shouldn't even be any debate about that.  So I agree with KAT that now, it is like championship or bust.  In fact the Wolves looked good during last season's playoffs also, to the point that I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Grizzlies having been recipients of some favoritism.  

There are certain things that have to be hashed out, and this is a roster that could definitely benefit from a good jump-shooting Whiteboy (which are kinda rare in the NBA these days) or a PG that doesn't shoot (who they kinda just got rid of in recently Beverly).  But Gobert + KAT has to be the most-potent twin towers the league has seen since Robinson + Duncan.

CONCLUSION

I would say that at least four of the NBA's six division have at least two contenders amongst their ranks.  But with the Nuggets and Timberwolves, the Northwest has to be the most top-heavy - if the Nuggets are healthy.  And hopefully, we'll finally be able to see Jokic + Murray + Porter compete.