The NBA is just now coming off of the All Star break with the first game back from the break coming at 7 p.m. EST, Feb. 19. Teams got a few days to rest up and mentally prepare for the back half of the season. After this break is the perfect time to talk about the teams who actually can win the title this year. Now is a great time to rank the teams who can legitimately win the title this season.
A title contender needs to be capable of winning 16 games against playoff teams. Every team can put people out there who can win a game, but winning in a seven game series means you need to actually be a better team than your opponent, or at least present a matchup problem for opposing teams that can carry the team to four wins. This list will only have the teams that have a feasible opportunity to win the NBA finals.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14)
The Thunder have had some injuries that have significantly hindered their playing ability throughout this season thus far. Whether it is injuries to Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder have struggled to be at full strength this year. That being said, they still have the best defensive rating in the league of 106.3, and the fourth best offensive rating of 117.8. They are the defending champs and still have the MVP favorite in SGA. The Thunder have earned number one contender status, and aren’t going to be losing that anytime soon.
2. Denver Nuggets (35-20)
Nikola Jokic has been the best player in the league for the past five years and he isn’t handing away the belt this season. He is averaging a 29-point triple-double per game and is the engine for the best offense in the league. Jamal Murray has been an amazing Robin to Jokic’s Batman this season, averaging 25.7 points and 7.6 assists per game. Aaron Gordon is having the best statistical season of his career. He is perfect in the dunker spot, but has added an elite ability to stretch the court from the three ball this season. The main thing that separates this year's Nuggets team from last year's is the depth around the edges of the roster. Cameron Johnson, Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Braun have been great bench and role players for this team. Jonas Valanciunas has allowed the team to stay afloat when Jokic needs rest, and Bruce Brown is back in his home in Denver. As a whole the Nuggets have added more bench depth and rejuvenated this roster.
3. Detroit Pistons (40-13)
The Pistons are the only team with a defense that can argue to be better than the Thunders. They are a tough and physical basketball team, led by one of the best point guards in the league in Cade Cunningham. Jalen Duran is one of the best rim protecting big men in the league while also being a great 17 and 10 per game. He is elite in the pick and roll game for Cade. The Pistons are a very young team at its core, but have veterans in Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. They also are a team that accepts no funny business, as seen in the incident against the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 9. The Pistons received meaningful playoff experience last season in the first round against the Knicks. They appear to have learned from their mistakes last year, and look to grow forward.
4. San Antonio Spurs (38-16)
Victor Wembanyama has arrived in his third NBA season and his Spurs team has joined him in this. Wemby averages 24.8 points and 11.1 boards while also being the best defensive player in the league. His unique height and mobility presents the ultimate matchup problem for opposing teams. They might be the most intriguing team in the playoffs due to how teams are going to figure out defensive strategies against Wemby in a seven-game series. De’Aaron Fox has been worth the trade as he averages 19.4 points per game. The main strength of this team is that they have Wemby playing with a bunch of young athletic guards in Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell. The main worry about this team is that they are led by a bunch of players with very little total playoff game experience, so we don’t know how these players will perform under the bright lights of the playoffs.
5. New York Knicks (35-20)
The Knicks made the conference finals last season and fell short, for the second straight season, to the Indiana Pacers. With the Pacers out of the picture this year, Jalen Brunson’s team appears to have a heavier chance to make the NBA Finals this season. Brunson is still an elite superstar point guard in this league, and he is paired up with a lot of other really good players. Karl-Anthony Towns is an elite stretch five for the Knicks that gives them a great ability to stretch the court. Former Hoosier OG Anunoby is one of the best defensive wings and is elevated even more when next to Mikal Bridges who also is one of the best defenders at his position. Josh Hart is one of the best hustle players in the league. Mitchell Robinson is a force on the glass. Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet add some much-needed bench depth for the Knicks. The final piece of Jose Alvarado will probably become a Knicks fans favorite with his relentless style of play. As a whole the Knicks have a ton of playoff experience and have majorly improved their bench depth this season.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (34-21)
The Cavs have been disappointing thus far into the season according to the standard that they set for themselves last season, but they have been trending in the right direction recently. They’ve won nine out of the last 10 games and look to continue that trend. The trade for James Harden gives them a more consistent player than what they had in Darius Garland. Garland couldn’t stay healthy, but Harden is a lot more reliable in that front. Harden will also relieve a lot of the regular season pressure off of Donovan Mitchell, as Harden can create and run the offense, allowing Mitchell to take less mileage before the playoffs. The rest of the roster outside of Harden and Mitchell is full of great depth. Evan Mobley is a defensive force and a great scorer as well. Jarrett Allen is elite in his role at the dunker spot, and is also a great rim protector. The bench depth with Dennis Shroeder, Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Lonzo Ball makes them one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. This is the type of depth that can carry out in a seven game series as long as the top end talent can stay healthy. The main worry for the Cavs comes with the history of Harden in the playoffs. He doesn’t need to be the best player on his team, but he will need to have some games and moments where he will take over for Mitchell.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22)
Anthony Edwards has led his team to two straight Western Conference Finals appearances and they are looking to get over that hump. Julius Randle has been a great second option all season, and had moments in the playoffs last year where he was the best player on the court. Rudy Gobert is one of the best defensive centers and has been for years. He also provides 11 boards per game. Naz Reid gives the T-wolves a different look from Gobert as a stretch big man when the team needs more spacing. The acquisition of Ayo Dosunmo gives Edwards a new guard who can also attack the rim and shoot. Jaden McDaniels is a top five defender in the league and keeps developing as a shooter and scorer. DiVencenzo is one of the best shooters in the league. It seems like Minnesota might’ve finally put a team out there that if Ant takes another step in the playoffs, can go out there and seriously contend for the Finals.
8. Boston Celtics (35-19)
Boston has the second best net rating out of all NBA teams, and it is without superstar Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown has been the story of this team, as he has made it his team, and taken full control of that. Brown is averaging career best numbers of 29.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard have stepped up as a great guard duo that has helped the Celtics keep one of the best offenses in the league. The acquisition of Nikola Vučević is a very intriguing acquisition and has been solid at center so far. The reason that I am giving them the fifth best odds to win the finals is because they have done all of this without Tatum, and it is heavily rumored that Tatum will be making a return to the court this season. If they can get 25 minutes a game from Tatum and he clicks with the chemistry of the team, then that would be great for the odds to win the finals. They have proven that they can win without him, so in theory winning with him should be even easier.
9. Houston Rockets (33-20)
The Rockets have a lot of talent on the roster but there are some off of the court concerns that have me worried. There are lots of rumors of Kevin Durant Twitter burners that have gone viral. These tweets have acted as Durant and shown him bashing his teammates for a lot of different flaws. Durant has been notorious for being very active on Twitter and for being caught with burners in the past. This situation has me worried that the Rockets won’t be able to put it back together. Now when they are clicking as a team the talent is there. Durant is still one of the league's best scorers and can shoot from anywhere. Alpren Sengun is a triple-double threat at center. Amen Thompson is an elite level athlete who gets better every time he plays the game. Jabari Smith Jr. is a great stretch four. Reed Sheppard is a really good shooter at the guard position. The team has top-end talent that clearly could be a team that can go very far in the playoffs, but off the court issues are concerning. They will be a very interesting team to re-evaluate later in the season.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (33-21)
The Lakers have a lot of flaws, especially on the defensive end, but because of Luka Doncic and the experience of LeBron James I cannot eliminate them. A lot would need to go correctly because the defense is a serious concern, but Luka has carried his team to a Finals before, and he could do it again. They can really score the ball with the trio of Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves. Concerns will also arise with the health questions of the team. Reaves had an injury, LeBron had an injury and Luka has had some load management issues. The depth of the Lakers will be challenged significantly if they are to make a run in the playoffs, but if anyone could pull it off it would be the duo of Luka and LeBron.
The NBA playoffs are a tough battle for teams to actually make it through. Winning 16 games against legitimate playoff opponents isn’t an easy task, and that is why there are only 10 teams that can actually win it all this season. The grit and grind style of the playoffs weigh down on opponents, and really start to test a team’s depth and skill. Passing windows close down and shots start to seem harder and harder to make throughout the playoffs. As the stage gets larger, the team truly deserving of winning the finals will arise.
