NBA 2024 preview – a closer look at all NBA teams

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With all 30 teams gearing up for the new NBA season we give you a brief breakdown of all of them and our opinion regarding their chances to impress this season. We’ve already made our NBA hot takes for this season. Here we cover all NBA teams.

1. Boston Celtics – was it smart to part ways with Smart?

After 6 years of being the heart and soul of the team, Marcus Smart was traded this offseason. The Celtics replaced him with ex-Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday but still, we think Smart’s departure has opened a major gulf in the squad.

It was exactly Smart that dragged the Celtics through tough times and without his leadership, we think the Celtics will take a step back this season.

Our win-loss prediction: 48-34

2. Brooklyn Nets – can Ben rise from the ashes?

In the space of just 12 turbulent months, the Nets parted ways with all of James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Now the squad is full of bright young talent and Mikal Bridges to lead the charge. There is also Cam Johnson, plus a few very good rotation options so the Nets look solid for a push towards a playoff spot.

The big enigma will be Ben Simmons. After several very rough years the once All-Star point guard seems ready to shine again. Not burdened by the presence of superstars anymore and given the free reign of the point guard position we expect this to be a bounce-back season for Ben.

Our win-loss prediction: 42-40

3. New York Knicks – will it get worse?

After a largely better-than-expected last season and keeping the core of the squad the same the hype around the Knicks is loud right now. However, we think the unrealistically effective offensive rebounding that got them to 47 regular-season wins last year can’t be replicated this campaign either.

Also, we take into consideration that Jalen Brunson’s two main co-stars RJ Barrett and Julius Randle are two of the most inefficient attacking players in the league for the past few years. Both of them will need to take huge leaps forward in their development for the Knicks to do very well and we just can’t see this happening.

Our win-loss prediction: 41-41

4. Philadelphia 76ers – who can help Joel?

It has been a disturbing offseason for the 76ers. James Harden still tries to force his way out of the team, so many unknowns are yet to be resolved. Also, Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP is not happy that he is not getting the support he believes is needed to challenge for a title.

All these off-the-court factors hint at a rocky ride ahead for the Sixers and we can’t see them getting to 50 wins this season.

Our win-loss prediction: 46-36

5. Toronto Raptors – season of change lies ahead

The Raptors missed the playoffs last season and all things considered this summer we think they’ve gotten weaker so they are in danger of missing out even the play-in this year. Losing their effective point guard Van Vleet was painful. There is still a possibility for Pascal Siakam to be moved too, if this happens we don’t see Toronto getting even 30 wins.

Dennis Schroder has joined and he is a useful point guard but nothing more than that. The Raptors had major problems shooting from distance last season and in Van Vleet they lost their best shooter from beyond the arc so further problems in that area can be expected.

Our win-loss prediction: 33-49

6. Milwaukee Bucks – it’s Dame-time!

After having the best win-loss record of the regular season last year the Bucks crashed out of the playoffs shamefully in round 1. The reaction to that was to trade point guard Jrue Holiday and bring in Damian Lillard to join forces with the fully fit Khris Middleton and Giannis Antentokoumpo. So, backing the Bucks to have the best record of the regular season again this year seems logical to us.

The Bucks had 58 wins last term. They might stay below that mark but 50+ wins seem inevitable return for them with Dame joining the Milwaukee party.

Our win-loss prediction: 56-26

7. Cleveland Cavaliers – are they proper contenders?

The Cavaliers had a decent regular season last year but then they crashed out of the playoffs at the first hurdle. Still, in year 2 of Donovan Mitchell being at Cleveland the confidence is high that the Cavs can do even better this term.

This is also backed by the smart moves the Cavs front office made in the summer. Max Struss and Georges Niang joined the roster and both are seen as very useful role players who can be effective both as starters and when coming off the bench. It seems Cleveland are in for another solid regular season. Can they challenge after that though?

Our win-loss prediction: 47-35

8. Indiana Pacers – can they be the big surprise in the East?

The Pacers did better than expected last season despite staying out of the playoffs in the end. This was mainly due to the injury suffered by the star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Keeping the main playmaker of the team healthy will be vital for Indiana this season.

Indiana also added the versatile Bruce Brown to their roster in the summer. Fresh from lifting the title with Denver Brown brings grit, passion and confidence with him. The impressive Bennedict Mathurin should have even better numbers than during his rookie year.

Taking all that into account we think the Pacers could be getting into the playoffs.

Our win-loss prediction: 44-38

9. Chicago Bulls – will Lonzo be balling this season?

The Bulls needed to make decisive moves in the summer to improve their roster. They didn’t and we think this will be costly. Keeping LaVine, DeRozen and Vucevic means Chicago will try one more time to do it with the same weapons.

LaVine should be balling again, but the other two have been hot and cold for the past two years and this is not enough to give the Bulls the wins they need to be proper contenders for a top 6 finish.

The big difference maker we think is called Lonzo Ball. Right before he got injured in the 2021-22 season the Chicago Bulls sat top of the Eastern Conference. Since, his injury they have been a below .500 team. Ball sat the entire last season and he starts the new campaign still on the injury list. However, hopes are that come late November he might start getting involved again. If he comes back this prediction might look silly. We just don’t trust Lonzo enough to think he can play 50-60 games.

Our win-loss prediction: 34-48

10. Detroit Pistons – can Monty be the answer?

This will be the first year of the Monty Williams era in charge of the Detroit Pistons. The plan is clear and this season it will be all about developing the many young players in the squad and finding which of them can be real stars in years to come.

Even if the star playmaker Cunningham stays fit for most of the season, he failed to do so last year, we don’t think the Pistons can hope for more than 20+ wins. The goal will be to develop the squad as best as possible before another high draft pick is added to the mix next summer.

Our win-loss prediction: 22-60

11. Miami Heat – do the old dogs have new tricks?

Well, we all saw what happens when you underestimate the Miami Heat. The beaten Finalists from last season failed to sing their big goal, Dame Lillard. This must have hurt, especially with the Heat freeing space and capital for that move by allowing important role players Max Struss and Gave Vincent to leave.

Despite, these 3 hits the Heat can still lean on Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo with the organisation staying solid as ever. We think Nikola Jovic will have a very strong second season as an NBA player. Also, the Heat have proven many times they are the best franchise when it comes to identifying talent among undrafted players.

Our win-loss prediction: 49-33

12. Atlanta Hawks – can Trae finally come true in Georgia?

The Hawks seem determined to continue trusting Trae Young and Dejounte Murray as the stars of the team. The two failed to impress much last season, the Hawks were only plus 1.6 per 100 possessions, when the two played together.

We think losing John Collins will hurt the Hawks in the long term. When Trae starts to fall into his moody phases as he always does during a season Collins was the player to assume the leadership role. With him gone and Trae Young still as unpredictable as a teenager we think the Hawks will struggle this season.

Our win-loss prediction: 39-43

13. Charlotte Hornets – can the group stay healthy?

The Hornets are one of the hardest teams to predict right now. Their most reliable player Miles Bridges is back after missing an entire season due to legal issues. There is no way to know what shape and form he will show.

The rest of the squad can’t be trusted much for staying healthy. None of Rozier, Ball or Hayward played more than 60 games last season. We don’t think they will be able to stay healthy this season either and that’s why our prediction for the Hornets is on the pessimistic note.

Our win-loss prediction: 31-51

14. Orlando Magic – could this be the year?

The Magic were above .500 for the last 57 games of the previous season. Now, with the core of the team intact the Rookie of the Year in 2023 Paolo Banchero a year wiser, the Wagner brothers full of confidence after winning the FIBA World Cup with Germany and all the other very good pieces in the squad we have good feeling for the Magic.

With a bit of luck and if they can realise their full potential they could be knocking on the door of the playoffs this season.

Our win-loss prediction: 42-40

15. Washington Wizards – Poole’s in the house!

The Wizards parted ways with Bradley Beal but managed to add the young talent Jordan Poole. Tyus Jones is also a good addition to the squad. However, the Wizards remain very light everywhere else and they are clearly going to use this year to try and create some cohesion while waiting for a high lottery pick next summer. Watch out for Poole shooting at will every game.

Our win-loss prediction: 24-58

16. Denver Nuggets – will there be more gold nuggets for the champs?

The defending champions from Denver are ready to try and do it again. The only notable departure this offseason was that of Bruce Brown. This will free more minutes for the impressive last year in his rookie season Christian Braun so we don’t think the Nuggets are weaker.

Denver won’t be chasing top spot in the Conference as they believe that come playoff time if their starting 5 are healthy they can beat anyone. With Jamal Murray usually not putting that great numbers during the regular season we can see the Nuggets go around the 50-win mark.

Our win-loss prediction: 51-31

17. Minnesota Timberwolves – is it now or never for this group?

The Timberwolves had issues adjusting to the new Gobert-Towns partnership last season and yet they reached the playoffs and even pushed the Nuggets to 5 games.

We think after all the video has been analysed and proper talks have been done with the two bigs Ruddy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns will be much more efficient at both ends of the floor this season. We also think Anthony Edwards will have a great 2023-24 campaign and that’s why we can see the Timberwolves going for 48 wins, or even 50 with a bit of luck.

Our win-loss prediction: 48-34

18. Oklahoma City Thunder – the rise of the youngsters is coming!

The Thunder have Chet Holmgren back! After missing the entire first season since being drafted Holmgren will be a very useful addition to the team. We can see the tall centre having a great campaign.

Adding him to the mix of very talented youngsters makes us think that the Thunder can improve slightly on their 40-42 record from last season. The West is stuffed with good teams though and having so many young players on the court with limited experience could prove a disadvantage often come clutch time.

Our win-loss prediction: 41-41

19. Utah Jazz – another year in the wilderness?

Many see the Utah Jazz as a potential playoff contender, we don’t! Despite having some good players in their roster and the newest All-Star Lauri Markkanen we don’t fancy Utah’s chances in what is a tough Western Conference.

The Jazz will struggle to be as efficient offensively as they were last season when many of their players hot well above their career average. This we think will have devastating consequences as one thing Utah are poor at is defending. This is why we don’t see them get to even 30 wins.

Our win-loss prediction: 24-58

20. Portland Trail Blazers – what next?

The decade-long Dame Lillard presence in Portland ended this summer and the Trail Blazers are preparing for a painful campaign with no more than a handful of wins. Portland are likely to trade Jerami Grant too soon. This will leave them with only a few decent players and lots of unknowns.

The rebuilt button has been pressed already so this year will be all about developing young talents Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe while waiting for a high lottery pick next summer.

Our win-loss prediction: 15-67

21. Golden State Warriors – can they do it one final time?

The Warriors traded away Poole and added veteran Chris Paul to their ranks. With so much experience in the squad trying to win the title seems logical. However, the bodies of most of those 30+ years old athletes are tired and battered.

This will see many of them missing games during the regular season and despite the playoff spot not likely to be under threat we can see the Warriors struggle to finish top 4.

Our win-loss prediction: 46-36

22. Los Angeles Lakers – who’s the oldest of them all?

LeBron James will be the oldest player in the NBA this season. Add this fact to the unreliable health of Anthony Davies and we can sense trouble in LA. When healthy and playing hard the Lakers can beat almost any team. However, that late in LeBron’s career and with AD still as unreliable as anything we think the Lakers will struggle again.

Our win-loss prediction: 42-40

23. Los Angeles Clippers – how to keep Kawhi and PG healthy?

The Clippers are aggressively trying to sign James Harden and if they manage to do that we can see them go for 50 or more wins. Even without him, the Clippers look very good on paper. An excellent coach, a revived Russel Westbrook at the point and improved health, according to the team’s doctors, for both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are all inspiring news.

How many matches Kawhi and PG13 can play is a different matter. If they can each play 60+ games then watch out for the Clippers. If they can’t Westbrook can do only so much to carry the burden.

Our win-loss prediction: 48-34

24. Phoenix Sun – is this the superteam?

The Phoenix Suns are going for their first title this season and they need it now! The signing of Bradley Beal to join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is a clear message that the Suns are in a win-now mentality.

The big worry we have is the durability of those 3 mentioned above. The Suns can win any regular-season match with just two of them playing that’s why we see them as favourites to win the West. However, with the rest of the squad lacking quality any of the big three missing 30-40 games will be devastating. All three have a history of injuries so watch out for those health reports when the Suns start playing.

Our win-loss prediction: 54-28

25. Sacramento Kings – can they do even better?

The Kings returned to the playoffs last season after a long wait. They are determined to do it again and we think they’ll make the playoffs even if they don’t reach the 48 wins they got last season. The squad is big and this is vital during the regular season when the Kings are one of the few teams in the league that can rely on 9-10 top-class players in any given match.

De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis remain the key figures. They are both raving about the new arrival Sasha Vezenkov. With him in the mix, the Kings have even more weapons with which to hurt teams.

Our win-loss prediction: 46-36

26. Dallas Mavericks – will it work this time around?

After missing out on the playoffs last year Dallas Mavericks are expected to bounce back strong in 2023-24. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are predicted to be an unstoppable playmaking duo. What’s more important with Irving now committing long-term and having a proper preseason with the Mavs Doncic could be getting proper rest.

The Mavs also made some very good moves. Adding sharpshooters like Seth Curry and Grant Williams that can also defend, plus drafting 2 talented bigs makes us think that Dallas could do great things this year.

Our win-loss prediction: 49-33

27. New Orleans Pelicans – what if Zion stays healthy?

The Pelicans have one issue alone – keep Zion Williamson healthy. New Orleans looked on fire early last season when Zion was healthy but once he got down once more the season derailed.

Zion Williamson transforms the Pelicans when he is on the court. He averaged only 28.5 games per campaign so far in his career. However, it seems Zion has finally lost a lot of weight this summer. He looks healthy and fit now. So, if the talented group of players around him can rely on Zion to lead the charge for most of the season watch out for the Pelicans rising.

Our win-loss prediction: 44-38

28. Memphis Grizzlies – are the ‘bad’ bunch ready for revenge?

The Grizzlies will be without the suspended Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season. Still, many times in the past the Grizzlies have shown they can still a high percentage of games even without him.

Adding to the mix Marcus Smart was a great move from the Grizzlies. Being tough and causing havoc in defence is expected to be their trademark now the last two Defensive Player of the Year winners are in the same team – Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane is another excellent two-way player and the Grizzlies look very impressive to us to challenge for the top spot in the West.

Our win-loss prediction: 52-30

29. Houston Rockets – new faces galore!

Despite finding themselves a great new head coach and adding experienced free agents Fred Van Vleet and Dillon Brooks to their young core of players the Houston Rockets will still struggle to compete in the loaded Western Conference.

We can see the Rockets doing slightly better. We can imagine Dillon Brooks being a bull on the defensive end after his fiasco last season in the playoffs against LeBron. Yet, we don’t think any of the youngsters can improve that much this season to move the needle to 30 or more wins.

Our win-loss prediction: 28-54

30. San Antonio Spurs – it’s Wemby-time!

The Spurs got the superstar they wanted in the number one Draft pick Victor Wembanyama. This “generational talent” as he was labelled will need time to grow though and we can see him and his young teammates Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell using this season to learn and prepare for better things in years to come.

Our win-loss prediction: 25-57

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