Every Team's X-Factor (Southwest Division)

I’ve now had the benefit of watching a few highlights from regular season games, though there’s a couple of teams on this list I still haven’t gotten a look at.  Anyhow, this is the final edition of “Every Team’s X-Factor” and the only entry of the series to be written after the start of the season.  But the goal remains the same, to identify the player who, even if you never heard of dude before or even if he’s a third-stringer, needs to step up to push the squad to another level.  Or another way of looking at it is finding where a depth deficiency in the roster occurs and then figuring out which NBAer on the team can fill that slot.

DALLAS MAVERICKS: ZACCHARIE RISACHER

Kyrie + Flagg = the best 1 + 3 forward combination in the league?  Nico Harrison wasn’t a dumbass after all?

The Mavs have a deep, versatile roster, more or less built for the modern (pre-Wemby) NBA.  But one thing I did notice is they have a lot of Gs, but I haven’t heard of most of them.  So when Irving inevitably goes down, that may be an area of concern.

But in the meantime, I going to with Zaccharie Risacher.  Fun fact: there’s only three teams (I think) with two no.1 picks on their roster - Philly, Washington and… Dallas.  Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much of these dudes.  But beating the two of the top three teams in the West (OKC and Houston) in consecutive games this past week, any way you cut it, says a lot.

Anyhow, Zach is the x-factor because, first of all he’s coming off the bench, and secondly, he can, in theory, play the 2 through 4.  To note, Aldama - yet another tall, lanky, multi-positional dude - will return eventually, I guess, which would then minimize some of Risacher's x-factorness.  This team’s makeup is similar to the Rockets, very F heavy, designed apparently such that most of the scoring comes from the frontcourt.

HOUSTON ROCKETS: STEVEN ADAMS

Indeed, Houston has Thompson starting at the 2, though he’s more like a 3 or small 4.  But still, they have enough depth in the backcourt to weather injuries.

This roster isn’t lacking in any area per se.  But since I’m forced to pick an x-factor, I’m going with Steven Adams.  Why?  He’s the only like big-big on the team.  And the way Houston insists on keeping him around, past his prime, shows that they perceive the value of having someone his size, as wemby insurance presumably.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: SCOTTIE PIPPEN JR.

So as it currently stands, this is the only undefeated team in the league.  Who would’ve thunk it?

I have yet to see these dudes play.  If Ty Jerome, a fukin C-lister, wasn’t playing out of his mind, it’d be easy to just come out and criticize Memphis's rotation.  Dude has made such a name for himself, in just a couple of weeks, that now when I read it, I’m no longer confusing him for a 1970s’ black guy.

If he’s able to sustain it, welcome to both MIP and allstar, Ty.  But as with other pundits, I don’t think that’s particularly likely.

So amongst their other Gs who don’t have much name recognition but need to represent, I’m going with Pippen Jr.  Well actually, he’s the son of an alltime great, which moves you up a grade or two on the celebrity chart by default.  But dude isn’t that popular and also is clearly more than just a nepo baby, having carved out a career for himself and regularly starting for, as it currently stands, the best team in the NBA.

No one saw this coming, but again, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.  But here’s to hoping dudes can maintain.  A formidable team led by a rookie is something the NBA hasn’t had in a long time.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: YVES MISSI

There are some teams, like the Sixers, who are overtalented in a good way.  While others, like the Pelicans, have compatibility issues.

I’m going with this dude Yves Missi, despite not even knowing how he looks, because there’s been headlines over the past couple of weeks pointing to how his injury throws the frontcourt’s balance off.  According to reports, NOP has another C, Derik Queen, who all-around better than Missi but doesn’t fit as well alongside Zion, the alpha.

The Pelicans are one of those teams that you just get tired of all their issues after awhile, because Missi starting, Queen starting, what fukin difference does it make anyway?  Does one or the other starting means they’re actually going to start winning games?  So at least give us a good show, braintrust.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS: JULIAN CHAMPAGNIE

The Spurs haven’t come out the gate red hot, as they're more or less running lineup experiments, as well as waiting to incorporate Harris.  I’m presuming that Tobias will be the starting 4 which, the more I think about it, may be a desired upgrade over Champagnie.

This team, in terms of their rotation players on average, isn’t really that tall.  They just drafted a couple of bigs, who at first I was speculating would get some run.  But considering this is very much a win-now squad, now that I think about it, they probably won’t.

Kornet can play the 4 but is better served in the middle.  So Julian remains the x-factor, as he was last season, if you could read in-between the lines.

Dude needs to learn how to play bigger than his size or his stretch preferences.  He needs to adopt that Malik Rose spirit, if he can, because once Harris goes to bench, or even likely with Harris is on the court, SA appears as if it’ll once again lack an imposing interior presence when Wemby is out on the perimeter.

CONCLUSION

I'm glad that I'm finally finished with this shit.  What's become obvious in pointing out every team's x-factor is that even though a player may fill a very-important need, in terms of being the last man standing at a position that has depth issues, that still doesn't mean he's actually gonna get run.  Coaches have players they trust and those they don't, and there's also injury issues that need to be taken into consideration.  But that said, I'm hoping to do an update to this series circa midseason, then based on having watched each team play out for a few months.

Lebron "Accidentally" Bloodies Edgecombe's Nose

When I saw that Lebron sat out the Sixers’ third game (24 Oct.) of the season, the first thing I thought or at least hoped is that the organization did so intentionally, after that crab shit he did to Edgecombe in the second game (22 Oct.), to minimize the threat of him destroying Philly’s established team chemistry - which btw already existed before he arrived.  You see how they won that third game without James but then lost the fourth one (25 Oct.) with him and without Embiid.  Granted, that was against Milwaukee and Detroit respectively, but you get the point. 

Having to deal with King James’ character brings its fair share of challenges.  I’ve noted that numerous times throughout the years.  And recently, Lebron even publicly acknowledged that himself.

As soon as I saw the headline that Lebron “accidentally” bloodied his own, younger teammate’s nose, I was like ‘oh shit, let me check YouTube’.  And sure enough, if you look at the video, it appears as if “Donatello” intentionally extended his arm into VJ’s face. 

Then, to quell all confusion of whether it was an accident or not, Lebron proceeded to casually walk away, to the other end of the court, as if nothing happened, not even bothering to see is Edgecombe was okay.  And btw, VJ is even younger than Bronny.

So off the top of my head, LBJ is the only player I can think of who has bloodied another player, on court - twice.  Oh, wait a minute.  There’s also that story of D-Wade - aka Lebron’s homey - breaking Kobe’s nose in an allstar, i.e. meaningless game at that.

LEBRON’S PAST INFRACTIONS

Let’s not forget when James “accidentally” bloodied Isiah Stewart.  They’re both big dudes, but Stewart is bigger.  And upon truly realizing what Lebron did and becoming enraged accordingly, he proceeded to totally shrink LBJ.  So in hindsight, maybe the lesson Lebron learned is hey, let me do it to a smaller dude next time.

And let’s not also forget there’s at least one highlight in circulation (which I don't feel like tracking down at the moment) of Lebron dunking on his own teammate, i.e. Kyrie Irving, during his second stint with the Cavs.  These ultra-competitive NBA superstars really are some class acts.  And one of the reasons LBJ will never be ‘greater’ than Jordan is because MJ had a better or more relatable character.

The worst you can say about His Airness, in terms of his on-court personality, is that he took challenges personally.  For all we know most NBA players do, but they aren’t able to back that shit up like Jordan.

Sometimes, he may have gotten into a duffing match with, say, Reggie “Skull & Bones” Miller.  But I can’t say I ever remember MJ ‘accidentally’ elbowing someone in the face.

CONCLUSION

After watching that second game of the season, the way LBJ more or less disrespected VJ and the way the Sixers proceeded to win regardless, I was like ‘oh boy, here we go’.  Granted, none of us knows what goes on behind the scenes.  For all we know, maybe there’s a genuine reason he has some type of dislike for the kid.  But that said, once I saw that, I was thinking it’s only a matter of time before he tries to force Edgecombe out, most likely for a big, since Philly is rich in Gs regardless, fukin j-hole.

So I’m hoping that the Sixers did compel James to sit the next game, to send a message, that they’re not going to tolerate that GM Lebron shit.  Philadelphia may not have a won a championship in recent times, but unlike any other team in the East, if not the entire NBA, as it currently stands they’ve been competitive for like a decade straight.  Can you say the same thing about the squads Lebron have been on?  Once Brown arrived, people were already calling the Sixers contenders, before King James even showed up.

2026-27 NBA Season Predictions

I was hoping to get this post off before the regular season started, but that didn’t happen.  That said, I have yet to watch any regular season games or highlights but have been following headlines on Yahoo and NBC.  And even then, they only focus on a handful of teams, i.e. the most popular.  So the following predictions have not been really influenced by anything that has happened in the regular season thus far and in fact, if anything, have been buttressed by them.  Outside of those handful of teams, I don't know who's won or loss yet.  And the records you see below are from the preseason, not the regular season.

ATLANTA HAWKS (4-1)

There isn’t much to see here.  They may overachieve again, you know, make it to the First Round type shit.  But in the improved EC, it isn’t as likely.

Dudes got bullied out the building last postseason and, instead of bulking up, may have gotten even smaller.  It’s obvious, at least to me, that they aren’t really trying to win or if anything aren’t under any type of win-now pressure.  And it’s all good, if dudes can preserve their health until whenever the roster becomes more formidable.

JALEN JOHNSON

Can once again be an allstar, considering that there really aren’t any other on the roster

BOSTON CELTICS (4-0)

Yes, I was feeling salty about the whole Jaylen Brown thing for awhile.  And based on conventional logic, you wouldn’t expect a team to willingly part ways with its best player and then try to compete for a championship the following season.  So I was like yeah, fuk the Celtics.

But when I really started looking at their roster, I noticed that they had depth across the board and therefore shouldn’t be hastily written off, even tho, you know, I’m not on their dicks like some other pundits.  But Derrick White, who’s arguably their best all-around player, isn’t a spring chicken, nor is the undisputed alpha, Jayson Tatum, nor is Brown’s replacement, Paul George, nor is their biggest free agent acquisition, Mitchell Robinson.  So I mean, yeah.  With that in mind, it’s more understandable why they gave Pritchard that contract.  There’s going to be a lot asked of him.

BROOKLYN NETS (3-1)

The Nets have looked pretty competitive in the preseason, definitely not like pushovers.  The roster lacks starpower but is rich in young dudes who, in theory, should be able to run older teams down.  In fact, they're the youngest team in the NBA.  So let's hope they can at least use that to their advantage.

JULIUS RANDLE

Please try to stay in the post, where you're more needed, like damn already

CHARLOTTE HORNETS (1-3)

I have high hopes for the Hornets.  They have a deep, talented roster, which honestly I can’t remember them possessing since like the 1990s or, you know, last season.

You always hear people talking about ‘the Sixers need to sacrifice, with all their talent’.  That’s truer for Charlotte’s roster, even if they aren't as talented, especially when it comes to the point.  No use letting LaMelo "the Travel Agent" Ball go if you’re just going to replace him with another chuck.

CHICAGO BULLS (3-2)

Damn, I almost forgot about the Bulls, like deadass.  I'm anticipating they'll be a good watch at least.  It's bug like to this day, when this team is mentioned, the first thing to come to mind is Jordan.

And that rookie dude, Caleb Wilson, the one time I did watch him play looked kinda smallish on court.  So I don't know if the onus they're putting on him is really realistic at this point.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1-2)

With teams like the Cavs, who I’ve criticized a lot in recent years, I don’t want to be redundant and sound like I’m bullying.  I’ve already been saying that one of the things they appear to lack is favor from on high, and I recently came across a conspiracy theory, concerning last season’s ECF, which supported that idea.  And you know, if that is the case, I don’t think the Beard is the type of player you bring over to solve it.

Oh well. At least we can say that, roster-wise, Cleveland has done an expeditious job rebounding post-Lebron.  They haven’t remained in obscurity into virtual perpetuity, like the post-Jordan Bulls.  So I’m sure we’re looking at another noteworthy regular season, concluding with another postseason flunking, tho I think this year’s iteration may have a worst record than last.  Peyton Watson may be the type of starting 3 they’ve longed for.  But now, what about the bench?

DALLAS MAVERICKS (1-3)

I think Kyrie is more humble than a lot of people give him credit for, like other proven superstars of his caliber would never agree to play on a roster like this.  I now doubt even Flagg’s status as the next great white hope can save this team, considering the Lakers new makeup.

It's sort of a strange situation like okay, Irving is not on the new timeline.  But concurrently, this team lacks talent compared to competitors and clearly needs him.  I think Adam Silver and them more or less killed tanking, so it isn't as logical to intentionally be garbage anymore.

DENVER NUGGETS (3-2)

I feel sorry for Braun, in that he's entering this season with arguably the worst contract in the league, and that'll be pointed out at every opportunity, of which I'm presuming they'll be many, especially if he remains a starter. DeRozan should definitely, undoubtedly get the call over him, but Denver's braintrust isn't always that wise.  They're the committed types, though at least not as bad as the Warriors.

DETROIT PISTONS (3-1)

A couple of weeks ago when I listed the plethora of contenders in the East, the Pistons sorta slipped my mind.  That Duren situation was a big mess, but it seems that they've since moved on.  I don't know the intricacies of everything, but considering how sharp he looked in the preseason, I'm thinking that maybe dude shoulda just signed for a couple of years, three at most, instead of a whopping five at that price.

Anyway, Detroit does have a couple of advantages over its competitors. Off the top of my head, I'd say they have a higher degree of continuity than any other team in East, besides maybe the Magic.  And unlike any other squad in the entire league, they have an identity which arguably dates back 30+ years.

But still, all things considered, for some reason I can't fully explain, it's easier not to believe in these dudes than to believe in them to win it all.  Playing musical chairs every offseason without noticeably upgrading isn't moving the needle, unless the core develops better than competitors.

JOHN COLLINS

One of the better acquisitions of the entire offseason

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (4-2)

The way I feel about the Warriors, by this point, is that they overbelieve in Curry.  That said, I also felt that way a few years back, i.e. 2022, and they proceeded to win a championship.  And like, if you must have faith in anybody in the NBA, it’d have to be Steph.

But, you know, dude isn’t Lebron.  And even if you’re going to keep him around, okay, at least put him on a roster that’s like respectable without him.

That said, I can totally envision this team making noise if healthy, which is a big if, and I can also understand why they’d pay to keep Draymond around, all things considered.  What I can’t understand tho and why they gave dudes so much money, clearly cognizant of the fact that the rest of the roster needed better fleshing out.

Maybe Lebron snubbing them is like symbolic of how all stars currently feel about GSW, so why not just blow the money?  The Dubs had their dynasty, but they aren't super-popular like the Lakers.

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS

They're now trying to trade him, lol/smh

HOUSTON ROCKETS (2-1)

The Rockets may be lacking size compared to some competitors, but they have everything else, arguably in abundance.  The big question is if a leader can emerge, not a diva or a chuckin’ PG, but someone more level-headed who can run the show and make the pieces fit - potentially Amen Thompson, all things considered.  And see, this is the kind of confusion you have when you already have a promising roster but insist on infusing it with legendary talent that it may not necessarily need.  You know, this ain’t like when dude went to the Dubs.

KEVIN DURANT

Needs to get off his high horse, but that isn’t likely

INDIANA PACERS (1-3)

I’m definitely glad Haliburton is back, but like, I don’t know.  But that said, no one, including me, really believed in this team a couple of seasons ago.  Yet they were on the verge of winning the championship and maybe even blowing OKC out, at home, in Game 7, until Tyrese got hurt.

But now, at least to me, he has sort of that PG13 vibe about him.  Like everytime I’m watching, I’m afraid he’s going to slip over a banana peel or some shit, and there it goes.

LA CLIPPERS (2-1)

One thing you have to give to the Clippers is that at least they have pride (tho, according to a couple Lob City stars, aren't particularly loyal).  And despite having arguably the least-impressive roster in the West, I don’t think they’re going to be anyone’s pushover unless, you know, somewhere along the line they get demoralized.

DARIUS GARLAND

In position to be an allstar yet again

LA LAKERS (2-3)

I’ve been Laker bashing so much these past few years that now I’m gonna chill out.  But just to note, my beef hasn’t been with the players, even GM Lebron per se but really the braintrust, you know, who have more authority and make the actual roster decisions.

That said, as I pointed out a short time ago, well, I won’t really get into it here.  But let’s say that with their new racial and political makeup, LAL is in a position to benefit from even more rigging, if you will, than they have traditionally.

Kessler 12-for-12 in his debut?  Lol.  Okay, he went 10-for-10 in a game last year.  But still, that performance yesterday is kinda shocking, or let's more aptly say convenient.

So I'm expecting them to win more games than their talent and depth imply, and you know, that wouldn't be the first time that's happened to LAL in recent memory.  But maybe, Luka really is that guy(?).

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (3-1)

Well, at least there’s some buzz again.  And they have a promising, up-and-coming roster which, you know, isn’t as newsworthy as it used to be, now that tanking has been outlawed. 

These days, unless you can pull an OKC and overachieve sooner rather than later, a promising lineup is more likely to fall apart after three years than remain intact.  That was even true before, when you look at their team from 2022 for instance.  So here's to hoping that dudes can at least make some noise.

MIAMI HEAT (3-2)

The Heat are one of my sentimental favorites, and yes, I do feel they have enough talent to make the Finals, even with their balance issues.  The onus, in a strange sorta way, is actually on Andrew Wiggins, the man smackdab in the middle of the starting lineup, and that’s actually fitting or karmic, considering he’s the only number one pick on the roster.  So to me, considering his past and all, he's already the scapegoat if things go wrong.

NICK RICHARDS

Another x-factor, if he wants to be

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (2-3)

The Bucks have always been one of the more obscure teams, to the point that now, that championship from a few years back feels increasingly like an anomaly,  I feel kinda sorry for dudes, as I incepted the Dame trade tho am pretty sure I also intimated in the process that they shouldn't get rid of Holiday.  Anyway, that move more or less began the chain of slapping them back down into obscurity.  I was kinda excited about this team before the preseason began but as it currently stands have little to no interest in watching them, you know, unless they're upsetting dudes.

KEL'EL WARE

Let him be the cornerstone instead of trading him

KEVIN PORTER JR.

Surprised he got cut, but they also did the same thing to Cam Thomas (which was less surprising)

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (3-1)

By this point, the elephant in the room is Zion.  And it’s funny how things work out sometimes because at first, it was like he couldn’t stay healthy.  But now, it’s like his health is okay, yet dudes still aren’t winning and don’t seem particularly likely to pull off a miracle.

If he suffers another major injury, it may be time for NOP to cut their losses and let Williamson try his luck elsewhere.  Or, you know, they can keep him around into perpetuity and at least maintain the starpower.

NEW YORK KNICKS (1-4)

All things considered, I understand why NYK decided to run it back.  If it ain’t broke(?), then don’t fix it.

But with Robinson gone, amongst other factors, they may have lost or minimized their wembyproofing.  And those other factors include, oh shit, dudes haven’t gotten any younger.

I’m an Anunoby fan, even before that tip-in, and wouldn’t mind seeing him make allstar.  But he isn’t necessarily aging gracefully in NBA terms.

And to me, that’s the elephant in the room with NYK - their age.  It can be advantageous sometimes against younger teams, if you play bully ball right.  But if, for instance, the powers-that-be did favor them in Game 4, as many people believe (and which I prolly would’ve done also if I were in charge, for like the biggest celebrity crowd in NBA history), they shouldn’t expect to receive that kind of grace two years in a row.

I'd say now that their ace in the hole - i.e. the one who has yet to exhibit his full potential on this roster and the player that really pushes them over the edge, all talent considered - is Mikal Bridges.  So here's to hoping that they'll develop a strategy to give him more room to show out, i.e. force him to be a number one option, if you will.

BRUCE BROWN

Too bad, but you can’t airball a gamewinner during the preseason lol

JAMES WISEMAN

All things considered, greater opportunity now than with the Dubs

OKC THUNDER (1-4)

Last season, to my remembrance, I picked the Thunder to win it all, you know, since Haliburton was hurt.  And, well, at least they made it to Game 7 of the WCF.

But I have to be honest with my conscience and pick them again.  But that said, even the greatest teams have their kryptonite.  The Jordan Bulls really would've had a big problem for instance if somehow they met the Lakers in the 1998 Finals.

OKC’s kryptonite last season, with out without Wemby if I remember correctly, was the Spurs.  But as I said about a month or so ago, I do believe Holmgren will come back more focused after being exposed like that.  Also yes, I do believe that Mara, the rookie, can prove a sound extra layer of wembyproofing, at least in the interior.

I can also envision a couple of teams out East, most specifically the Wizards and Heat, potentially besting the Thunder in the postseason.  But for now, I'm going with OKC as champions.

ORLANDO MAGIC (3-1)

The Magic have kinda grown on me, and I think Vucevic can prove to he one of the most impactful, slept-upon acquisitions of the offseason.  Their talent and depth doesn’t jump off the page, but this core has more or less been together what, even longer than the Pistons?  And they also have the advantage, if you will, of not being under as much pressure as other Eastern Conference teams.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (1-3)

It's hard to really feel confident about the Sixers.  If this were still the smallball era, it'd be easier to say they'd take the East, but it isn't.  So basically when they're up against bigger teams, of which there are quite a few these days, the strategy is apparently going to be outgunning them.  That may work in some instances, but not all.

For instance, Andre "KFC" Drummond was reportedly having a field day against them before "running out of steam".  On the low, he's still one of the better Cs in the league.  That type of size, no man can take from him. But he's on the older side, and others Philly face will have more energy.

Also, even when he isn't GMing, having Lebron presents its own set of unique problems.  We're once again faced with this situation where he's arguably the best passer on the team, while concurrently being the healthiest bigman.  But you can't play the point and the post at the same time(?).

Oh well.  I've always questioned why the Sixers have been so adamant in paying Embiid so much money, considering his persistent injuries.  But the funny thing is, based on the above argument, even with this stacked starting lineup, the onus is very much on him.

VJ EDGECOMBE

Should feast with the attention on everyone else

JOEL EMBIID

Should be looking at this as his last season (as a starter)

PHOENIX SUNS (1-4)

The Suns are sorta the NBA epitome of 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.  This org has adopted the run-and-gun style for more or less 20 years going, even though it's never won them shit.  Oh, wait - they did make the Finals once this century, when they fielded a roster bookended by a traditional PG (CP3) and a traditional big (Ayton).  So yeah, I can kinda understand why the ownership is still salty post-KD.  But if anything, they should be blaming themselves for blowing up that roster to accomodate him.

DEVIN BOOKER

Should start thinking about demanding a trade

JALEN GREEN

Scary, in both a good and bad way, at the point

MARK WILLIAMS

More or less the onus or at least the team's greatest rarity, in terms of size + talent

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (3-1)

This is my sleeper pick of the West, not to make the Finals but to at least finish fourth place, maybe even higher with some luck.  The roster makeup may not be perfect, but I would argue it’s the best or deepest Dame ever experienced in Portland.  And you know, that’s how aged superstars are supposed to go out when they’re loyal to a franchise, with as little onus stress as possible - not stuck on some bottom dweller, like LAL did to Kobe.  Also, having Holiday and Lillard together are what the Bucks were supposed to do instead of getting rid of the former to acquire the latter.

ROBERT WILLIAMS III

Needs to have a renaissance season

SACRAMENTO KINGS (0-5)

Damn, like how are they the only team to lose every preseason game this year?  Fukin Kings.

I was looking forward to watching Ben Simmons reestablish himself and… oh well.  Now, finally, I would agree it’s time for dude to retire from the NBA.

Also, I kinda feel sorry for Acuff Jr. because first of all, I would venture to say that no consensus lottery pick would actually want to go to the Kings. And secondly, dude already has so much Scootish pressure on him, and that isn’t fair with a PG and especially one drafted by such an ass-backwards organization.  This is the kinda team NBAers are supposed to be stuck on when no one else will take them.

ZACH LAVINE

May reestablishes himself as an allstar(?)

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (2-3)

A couple of days ago, the league's GMs or coaches or whatever voted Tobias Harris the biggest acquisition of the offseason.  I don't feel that way.  Did dude even play in the preseason?

My beef isn't with Harris but the fact that the team didn't really need another stretch 4 but rather someone more imposing in the middle.  I was thinking someone more lebronish.  Or even Kawhi, who's smaller than Tobias, would have been preferable in that regard.

Meanwhile their main competition, the Thunder, has gotten bigger.  The Spurs did just draft a few bigs, and I'm presuming that at least one of them is going to get real playing time this season.

That said, if the powers-that-be did gyp them in Game 4 versus the Knicks, then all things considered I think it's safe to say their time will come sooner or later.  And they're like my second-sentimental favorite though more likely, again all things considered, to win than the Wizards.

TORONTO RAPTORS (2-3)

If healthy, honestly I don't see any reason why the Raptors can't take the East, tho the bench is gonna have to step up.  Out of all of the smallish teams out there, they're best suited to take on bigger squads defensively.  That's the Kawhi factor, and they better make things click fast, because dude is aging, and he ain't exactly what you would call an ironman.

UTAH JAZZ (3-1)

Damn, almost forgot about the Jazz.  I did watch them play once during the preseason, and I mean, well...

They have formidable veteran bigs and good diversity.  But the young dudes in the backcourt are going to have to really show out for this to work.  And considering they are the Jazz, one of the most obscure teams in the league outside of a brief run in the 1990s, it's kinda hard to believe in or even remember them.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (2-2)

Go, Wizards!  Remember how these dudes were getting their asses bust last year?  No one is going to be dropping 80pts on them again anytime soon!

They are my sentimental favorites for 2026-27, even more than the Spurs though, all things considered, I wouldn’t bank of them immediately winning it all, whether they have the talent or not.

But here’s a couple of interesting things to think about.  They’re arguably more wembyproof than even OKC.  And AD, if he remains healthy  - which I know is a big if, but still - wouldn't he be like the best C in the East by default?