We're in the middle of the NBA playoff season, and the 2024 title race feels relatively wide open. Denver and Boston are the clear favorites, but they're free to play below. Everyone has an opinion on which team has a realistic strategy to defeat the dominant teams. I share my thoughts below.
Teams you won't see: The Lakers will likely need to win two play-in games to face the Nuggets in the first round. The same goes for the Warriors. The Clippers have been borderline sluggish due to their post-All-Star slump and the departure of Kawhi Leonard, making people forget just how great the Clippers were for most of this season, but they're a Hall of Famer. -This is a high-profile team with three Hall of Hall honors. farmers. No one sleeps on it. Same goes for the Suns, and I'm adamant that they're not going anywhere meaningful this postseason.
The Timberwolves, Thunder and Bucks join Denver and Boston. Top 5 title candidates last week. (It already feels stupid to put the Bucks on that list.)
The Sixers could be called a sleeper with Joel Embiid back, but even if they were able to do this, Embiid would immediately return to the lineup and lead the charge for the Finals, even though he was never eliminated from the second round in the first place. I'm too cynical to say that I can. He's the most rested he's ever been heading into the postseason. The Miami Heat are the very definition of a sleeper, but I'm going to make the mistake I make every year and just say they're not good enough.
With that said, here are the three teams I think are the biggest sleepers for the upcoming postseason. Let's go.
The news that Julius Randle will miss the playoffs took the air out of New York's balloon. There's an instinct to let go of big names, big teams, and the highest expectations for what was starting to feel like the arrival of a dream season. It's not that fast.
Yes, the Knicks had won 12 of 14 games before Randle's injury, but they were barely a .500 team (17-15) after Randle left. However, OG Anunoby only appeared in six of 32 games, and the Knicks won five of those games.
With Anunoby back and Jalen Brunson firmly established as one of the league's most reliable shot creators, New York has the four most important characteristics of its roster, even without Randle: Superstar. With 48 minutes of elite rim protection from individual scorer Isaiah Hartenstein, and the return of Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby has the defensive versatility to take on the highest scoring tasks himself and, of course, can shoot.
The Knicks are a top 10 team in making at least 13 3-pointers per game. Donte DiVincenzo has a certified Kevin Harlan flamethrower all season. Branson is 40% from deep. Anunoby is a plus shooter. Miles McBride is similar, winning over 41% from deep. Bojan Bogdanovic has struggled since being traded to New York, but things could change quickly and the space he creates is still real.
Randle's shot creation will be missed. There is perhaps no more valuable tool in your postseason kit. That being said, the Knicks have a real path to the conference finals. When play begins Thursday, they will face Indiana in the first round and either Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Miami in the second round. Most importantly, Boston is on the other side of the standings.
Now, if the Knicks make it to the conference finals against the Celtics, that road will be over. This season's record against Boston is 0 wins and 4 losses. But who knows…maybe the Celtics will be upset by Miami, Philadelphia, or Cleveland (if they even get Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley back) (fired regardless).
It's unlikely, but by avoiding Boston for as long as possible, the Knicks at least have some hope of an upset, and looking at how both teams have played this season, New York could beat the Bucks if they met. You have the right to believe. Up. If you make it to the conference finals, you're the favorite to win. And the Knicks have a real path to getting there.
It's getting harder and harder to call the Mavericks sleepers as they continue to play like one of the best teams in the league. Dallas has won 16 of its last 18 games. During that span, they have the league's best defensive rating, fourth-best offensive rating, and second-best net rating.
Still, if the playoffs started today, the Mavericks wouldn't even have home court advantage in the first round. It constitutes a sleeper.
Not only are they playing, but the road to Dallas looks rocky. They'll likely face the Clippers, a title contender with a healthy Kawhi Leonard, in the first round, and if they can get through that, they'll likely be given a second-round matchup against Denver, which was all but deadlocked. It will be done. No. 1 seed Wednesday.
I don't think anyone can beat the Nuggets, but I want to give Dallas a chance like no other. Luka Doncic is literally one of the best players in postseason history, but not enough people talk about the incredible season Kyrie Irving had. Irving is a viable postseason asset and a No. 2 option who can take over games in a big way. In a postseason setting, shot creation takes precedence over just about everything else.
Beyond that, the moves Dallas made at the deadline took their playoff chances to another level. Assuming Derek Lively II returns by the start of the playoffs, the Mavs will have 48 minutes of rim rolling and protection with the addition of Daniel Gafford. PJ Washington could change the defensive calculus and become a major X-factor on every open three he stands in thanks to Luka's very deep drives and kicks and the resulting ball rotation. Irving is also getting a lot of attention.
If Minnesota had beaten Denver on Wednesday, I would have felt a lot better about the Mavericks being in a position to avoid the Nuggets until the conference finals. But even with a potential second-round game against the defending champions looming and a very tough first-round series against the Clippers, the Mavericks are as dangerous as any seed outside of the top four at this point.
There was a time this season when virtually everyone saw New Orleans as a sleeper candidate. Three weeks ago, they were knocking on the door for a No. 4 seed, but then an injury to Brandon Ingram and the .500 record (5-5) they've posted since then greatly dampened their overall enthusiasm. .
But Ingram intends to return, and if New Orleans can simply avoid the No. 8 seed by staying at the No. 6 seed or winning the first play-in game to take the No. You will be able to stand your ground. Bracket's from Denver.
From there, it's a conference final for a high-pressure team with top depth, two top shot makers in CJ McCollum and Ingram, and Zion Williamson with an unstoppable downhill force once he clicks. Advancement seems quite possible.
pretty All but Williamson could be classified as shooters., creating space for Williamson to bulldoze. Herb Jones, one of the best defenders in the league, is shooting 41% from deep. Trey Murphy III is a high-capacity logo launcher. McCollum adapted to the heavy usage of Williamson and Ingram by extending his famously brilliant midrange game beyond the arc and making more off-the-catch hits.
But when New Orleans needs it, McCollum can go get buckets as consistently as anyone. This is a valuable ace in the sleeve of a team that doesn't have to rely too heavily on individual creation, as was often the case during McCollum's time in Portland.
If New Orleans is going to make a run, Ingram will need to be at his best as soon as he returns, and Zion will need to play like a superstar. he showed he can do it. With the ball in New Orleans' hands as something of a de facto point guard, when he makes quick decisions and gets off the ground to the rim before the team can protect him, he's absolutely perfect as a paint scorer and their playmaker. dominant. gravity. He still plays defense.
With most teams cutting back on their rotations in the playoffs, New Orleans can have a big impact on games with Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall on the bench. They're in Energizer Bunny mode the whole time they're on the floor. I believe Alvarado can and will play at least one game in the playoffs. Overall, New Orleans' depth could shake up the series. You can go big with Jonas Valanciunas or go small with Larry Nance. Options is the word, and there are more options than ever in New Orleans. Please keep an eye on this team.
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