Five Intriguing Teams at the Start of the 2024-25 NBA Season

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As the majority of the league prepares for media day next week, we as basketball fans will have a little appetizer as to what the next season has in store. From old faces in new places to a trending quote from a superstar, the first media availability revives the NBA cycle after a short hiatus in the late summer months. 25 days away from the first tipoff, let's look at some of the most intriguing teams heading into the 78th season of NBA basketball.

1. Philadelphia 76ers

Key Offseason Acquisitions: Paul George, Caleb Martin, Jared McCain, Andre Drummond

2023-24 Record: 47-35

The biggest free-agent move this summer was the 76ers landing nine-time All-Star Paul George. George is coming off his most efficient overall shooting season and is the perfect wing complement to the game's most dominant player, Joel Embiid. "PG" plugs an obvious hole from last year's roster which was perimeter shot creation next to Tyrese Maxey. George's blend of size, skill, and versatility on both ends of the floor make Philadelphia a clear title favorite, so long as health is on their side.

George has become one of the premier shooters in all of basketball. His 243 made threes last year, at a 41.3 percent clip, were good for fifth in the league. Whether off the catch (45.4 in 2024) or off the bounce (35.8 last season), PG-13 gives a below-average three-point club a high-volume, efficient threat from deep. And next to Maxey, George will provide secondary playmaking help after setting career highs in assist percentage the four years before the James Harden trade.

On defense, George was one of the league leaders in steal percentage, deflections, shots contested, and defensive estimated plus-minus, proving he is still a valuable two-way force, especially on a team anchored by Joel Embiid.

Speaking of Embiid, man when this guy is healthy, he is the most dominant player in the game (I hear the groans). Let's be honest, last year's Sixers' season was derailed after Embiid only played in 39 games and hobbled his way to a first-round exit in the playoffs. In the games before his injury, Philadelphia had the seventh-best offense and eighth-best defense, playing like a 61-win team, per Cleaning the Glass. During his two-month absence, the Sixers had a bottom-ten offense and defense, while playing at a 39-win level. Nick Nurse had completely changed the philosophy of how to play around Embiid, so much so that without him, the whole thing fell apart. That's obviously stated when a team loses their best player and the MVP front-runner, but I don't think it can be overstated.

Philly's overreliance on the big man became crystal clear in the first round of the playoffs, where they were 46.6 points better per 100 with him on the floor (and that's on one leg!). That mark cleared every other player easily and made evident the Sixers' need for another creator.

Paul George may not be the safest bet for a team that can't keep their best player healthy, seeing as last year was the only time George eclipsed 56 games in his five-year run with the Clippers. But, if, and that's a big if, the Sixers can stay healthy, they have the third-best talent trio (outside of Oklahoma City and Boston) and are a real threat to the defending champion Celtics.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

Key Offseason Acquisitions: Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso

2023-24 Record: 57-25

What are the chances that the best team in a loaded Western Conference would get a lottery pick to continue building for the future and address current roster issues to become even better than the season before? Well, Thunder general manager Sam Presti did just that and has positioned this team to be the favorites to represent the West in the Finals.

While it's exciting to think about Nikola Topic's Thunder career, he unfortunately won't get to make his debut until after this season. So, let's focus on the two other additions to this squad that take them over the top.

First, the most glaring weakness of this Thunder team last year was on the glass. They ranked 12th in defensive rebounding last season and allowed their opponents to grab the second most offensive rebounds. Enter Isaiah Hartenstein. The former Knick was one of the best defensive rebounders last year (20.1 DRB%) and posted the second-highest defensive estimated plus-minus (3.9), according to Dunks & Threes. Speaking of defensive metrics, Hartenstein's new teammate, Alex Caruso, is a perennial All-Defensive member giving the Thunder the potential to have a historically great defensive team. Caruso ranked second in defensive halfcourt matchups against 2024 All-Stars, according to ESPN Stats and Information, while posting the fifth-highest defensive estimated plus-minus.

The Thunder addressed its most glaring weakness and added to what was already a great roster, but this team will only go as far as its core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. Gilgeous-Alexander has proven to be an MVP-caliber player, but with the departure of Josh Giddey, will Holmgren and Williams be able to take another leap, especially on the playmaking front? Only time will tell, but OKC is a monster waiting to trample the West.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Key Offseason Acquisitions: Chris Paul, Stephon Castle, Harrison Barnes

2023-24 Record: 22-60

After the gold medal game against the U.S., Victor Wembanyama left us all wondering if he could be (if he isn't already) a top-ten player in the world. Truly something we have never seen, Wembanyama is already one of the two most impactful defenders in the game with a limitless ceiling on offense. His rapid progression last season, especially on offense, forced San Antonio to accelerate their timeline. With veteran acquisitions like Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, San Antonio should be a more efficient scoring team, while fifth overall pick Stephon Castle gives Wembanyama a real running mate on both ends of the floor for years to come.

It didn't take long for Wembanyama to become the clear choice for Rookie of the Year. Not only did he have great individual success, such as becoming the first rookie to amass 1,500 points, 250 assists, and 250 blocked shots, but he also positively impacted winning on a bad San Antonio team. Although the team lost the minutes Wembanyama was on the court, without him, they were 6.7 points worse per 100 according to Cleaning the Glass. Most of this impact came on the defensive side of the ball, where Vic made the worst defense in the league when he was off the court a top-10 squad. You can't teach length and height, but where Wembanyama can learn is on offense, which is where The Point God enters.

Although nearly 73 percent of Wembanyama's two's were assisted, he had the sixth-highest usage rate as a rookie. San Antonio lacked elite point guard play to make Wemby's life easier, forcing him to self-generate more looks than necessary. That inefficient shot diet should be trimmed with Paul landing in south Texas. Although advanced in age, Paul is still efficient in the pick-and-roll, generating .93 points per possession according to Synergy. Combine this elite guard play with Wembanyama's catch radius, and we should see a huge spike in not only points but efficiency for the second-year French phenom.

On the more youthful side, San Antonio will have a hungry Castle playing behind one of the best lead guards ever. A point guard in progress, Castle will get to pick Paul's brain as the veteran enters the twilight of his career and he'll play alongside the most destructive defensive player we may ever see. This bodes well for San Antonio's future as Castle will have time to adjust to the speed of the NBA on offense while using his physical frame and athletic abilities on defense. In the long run, Castle and Wembanyama could be one of the most dynamic pick-and-roll pairings on both ends of the floor.

4. Golden State Warriors

Key Offseason Acquisitions: Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton

2023-24 Record: 46-36

With the departure of Steph Curry's splash brother, the Warriors find themselves in a unique position with the aging superstar. After failing to bring in another star-caliber player to help Curry, Golden State will be more reliant on their younger talent to take another step in their development. And after a tumultuous season, highlighted by Draymond Green's suspensions, there are questions about whether or not this team will be competitive, not contenders, in a stacked Western Conference. Does Golden State have enough talent surrounding the best shooter ever? Has the league moved on from the Golden State Dynasty?

Last season, Steph Curry accounted for 22 of the Warriors' 25 highest point totals. Of the remaining three, Klay Thompson had two. With Thompson taking his elite shooting to Dallas, there is a void in point production on a team already lacking such a thing. Even more so, there is a lack of shot creation that has plagued the Warriors since their last title. Golden State is in desperate need of help on the perimeter, and Brandin Podziemski could be the young guy to take up that role.

After an All-Rookie First Team campaign, Podziemski shined as an energy guy off the bench with a reliable three-point shot (38.5 percent). His 5.8 offensive rebound percentage ranked in the 71st percentile across the league, and his 38 drawn charges were first among all players. Now, while those numbers jump off the screen, Podziemski's role as a playmaker was rather small. His usage rate ranked 12th out of all Warriors' players, but his 3.1 assist/turnover ratio shows promise that the Santa Clara product may be ready for more on-ball responsibility. Additionally, even though Podziemski's three-point percentage plummeted as a starter (33.7 in 28 games), overall, his pull-up game from deep gives even more hope that Steve Kerr could place the ball in his hands and get the most out of Stephen Curry.

On the up and up also is Jonathan Kuminga. After a breakout season in his third year, Kuminga provided elite rim pressure and positive defensive contributions after Andrew Wiggins's strange year. A staple of the Warriors' dynasty was having these types of athletic wings who could attack the basket and draw the assignments of opposing teams' best players (think 2015-16 Andre Iguodala and 2022 Andrew Wiggins). For Kuminga, there are still gaps to be filled when it comes to processing the game and accepting the flow of the Warriors' motion offense, but his promise as a twitchy, versatile forward is something Golden State would benefit from. If the shot from distance becomes reliable and Kuminga takes a step in his playmaking, the Warriors could have not only the additional help needed for this upcoming year but a continuation of their championship ways for the future.

5. Sacramento Kings

Key Offseason Acquisitions: DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter

2023-24 Record: 46-36

The most underrated star movement during the offseason was DeMar DeRozan heading out West to California. The six-time All-Star brings his midrange mastery to a team that ranked 25th in attempts from that distance and could use some more on-ball creation. Two seasons ago, the Kings blitzed the league with their run-and-gun style of play that, at the time, was the most efficient in league history (that record was surpassed by three teams this season). However, they were granted the good fortune of health during the 2022-23 season, something they didn't start with last year. Entering this season, the Kings could once again top the league in offensive efficiency by marrying modern-day spacing and movement principles with DeRozan's classic wing-scoring abilities.

The Kings' 13th-ranked offense was still one of the best at getting out in transition. Their utilization of the dribble handoff was also one of the most potent forms of offense, opening up backdoor layups or three-pointers. Both early offense and launching threes (Sacramento was third in three-point attempts) are efficient ways of scoring, but a lack of diversity could limit this team's playoff ceiling. Sacramento ranked 26th in at-rim field goal attempts (shots within five feet) and 25th in midrange attempts, per NBA.com. By signing DeRozan, one of the best high-volume inside-the-arc scorers, who over the last three seasons shot nearly 46 percent from the midrange, Sacramento now has a curveball and changeup to throw at their opponents to keep them off-kilter. Not to mention DeRozan is also a foul magnet, attempting the fifth most free throws per game last year, adding yet another scoring dimension to what is already an advanced Kings' offense.

If Sacramento can stay healthy and maintain an above-average defense, its threat to be a top-ten offense positions it to be in contention for a guaranteed playoff spot.