Just because the NBA is in mid-season doesn’t mean it’s too early to explain how the 2024-25 season will play out.
And while there have been a few surprises, the Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged on track to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. OKC has MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams emerging as stars, and the Thunder have done this impressively for the most part without Chet Holmgren.
In the East, it’s the amazing Cleveland Cavaliers that Kenny Atkinson raced past the field in his first season as coach.
2024-25 NBA Season Winners and Losers, Midway Points:
(All stats up to Wednesday morning)
Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder
The NBA’s two best teams, the Cavs in the East and the Lightning in the West, are the only teams with single-digit loss totals. Cleveland and Oklahoma City are not only the only teams with winning percentages above .700, but they are also the only teams to crack .800. The similarities don’t stop there. Both embody team basketball, sharing and protecting the ball. The Cavaliers lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.23), while the Thunder are second (2.17).
Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons
Last season, Detroit won 14 games and had the worst record in the NBA. This year, at midseason, the Pistons have already won a total of eight games and are locked in a battle with the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat. Causing the turnaround was Cade Cunningham, who is playing like an All-Star and has career-high averages in points, assists, and rebounds.
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After a slow start, Denver Nuggets are surging
On December 7, the Nuggets lost to a Wizards team, entering the night with two wins and a 16-game winning streak. Denver fell to 11-10 at that point. Since then, the Nuggets are 16-6, and their offensive efficiency has been the catalyst for the turnaround. Not only did Nikola Jokić stand out, averaging 30.1 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game, but Jamal Murray returned after a summer in which he struggled with the Canadian national team. In fact, Jokic has reduced his scoring, allowing his supporting cast to step up. Denver’s 3-point stroke is also solid, giving them much more versatility on offense.
The New York Knicks took a chance and it paid off
New York’s front office decided to be aggressive and burden Jalen Brunson to sustain the team’s offense in the second half of the postseason. The trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Town was a stroke of genius. Machi is having a career year and his range allows for excellent spacing and gives his teammates opportunities to attack the rim. Towns also has a career average in rebounds, 13.9 per game, tying Domanta’s Sabonis and Jokic for the league lead. The Knicks (29-16) are third in the East and have the best team in a long time.
The Los Angeles Clippers persevered without Kawhi Leonard. Can he stay on the floor?
Los Angeles endured missing Kawhi Leonard for 35 games, compiling a 19-16 record without him, thanks in large part to a jump in production from Norman Powell. (Two of the games he missed came while spending time with his family in the LA area fires. He missed Wednesday’s game due to managing a knee injury.) The Clippers… They aren’t rushing Leonard back from offseason knee surgery. It’s rational and calculated. They need him for a postseason run. Leonard isn’t anywhere near his typical career average, but he’s also played far fewer minutes. However, until Thursday morning, LA was 4-2 in games in which Leonard played. He stabilizes the defense and takes attention away from other scorers. The Clippers did a tough job. Now they have to find a way to put him on the floor.
The young Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies have arrived
These teams have extremely athletic players, top-10 defenses, and tacticians all over the floor, as coaches extract potential from young rosters. They are also competing for the No. 2 seed behind the Thunder.
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The window to win has completely closed for the Golden State Warriors
Klay Thompson’s departure over the offseason was just the start. The Warriors, who derailed after starting the season 12-3, look older, slower and in need of a savior. The problem is that while Stephen Curry is still an easy-to-ignite sharpshooter, this team won’t be able to move past that flaw. Curry, who turned 37 in March, hasn’t been able to finish at the rim like he has in the past. Golden State lacks an interior presence, struggles to convert two-point field goals, and has 84.76% of its salary cap tied up with four players, according to Spotrac.com: Curry ( 39.66%), Andrew Wiggins (18.69%), Draymond Green (17.15%) and Dennis Schröder (9.26%). Schröder is the only expiring deal. It is possible to miss the play-in window.
Miami Heat address dysfunction
Half the season from the historic run to the finals has been removed and the heat is stagnant. The Jimmy Butler era seems to be heading towards an inevitable end, with Miami’s offense seemingly stuck in the early 2000s. Miami has some nice, young productions. Rookie center Kel Elware has shown more flashes over the past five games, but last season’s trade for Terry Rozier was a flop and the Heat look to be little more than a play-in team. There is no clear identity.
mike brown
Just 1.5 seasons after Mike Brown became the first unanimous winner of the NBA Coach of the Year Award, the Kings fired him on December 27th. Sacramento started 13-18 for Brown. Contract extension in July. Brown is an experienced coach with a proven track record, so he should latch on elsewhere, at least as an assistant. Nevertheless, his exile in Sacramento felt reactionary and rash.
The Big Three Experiment in Philadelphia
The 76ers (15-27) are in a very high position to contend for a play-in, but it’s clear that the big three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George has failed. Embiid has appeared in just 13 games, raising concerns about his availability. At times, George appeared to be slowed by age, not deserving of the four-year, $222 million deal he signed in June. The Sixers have lost seven straight. This is the latest blowout against the Nuggets that Philadelphia was unable to defend.
Washington Wizards are late again
Washington is four games short as the only team in the NBA not to reach double-digit wins by the midway point. The Wizards are on an 11-game winning streak, the second longest this season. They tied the franchise record for most consecutive losses (set last season) with 16. Kyle Kuzma’s value has plummeted.
Follow NBA reporter Lorenzo Reyes on social media @lorenzogreyes