Every NBA Team's Biggest Question Down the Stretch
With NBA All-Star Weekend behind us, all eyes of the hoops world now fall on the stretch run of the 2022-23 season.
All minds, meanwhile, now tussle with the big-picture questions facing every team.
What must happen for the heavyweights to feel good about their championship chances? How should the bottom-feeders bide their time before the draft lottery rewards one lucky team with Victor Wembanyama (and another with Scoot Henderson)? How can teams trapped in the middle class find their way out?
Those inquiries and many more will move to the forefront as the Association races through the remainder of this 82-game marathon.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Is the defense broken beyond repair?
The Atlanta Hawks had a number of reasons for adding Dejounte Murray last summer—upping their All-Star count, easing the shot-creation burden on Trae Young—but the biggest was bringing their defense up to championship level.
Consider that itch unscratched. Atlanta landed 26th in defensive efficiency last season and only climbed to 21st before the All-Star break.
History says teams need a top-10 defense to contend for the crown, meaning this is nowhere close to a contender as currently constructed. So, what needs to happen to make that jump?
The Hawks are trying a coaching change again—Nate McMillan was fired Tuesday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski—but can they simply scheme and hustle their way to a more competent defense? Or is a Trae-led team destined to perennially disappoint on the defensive end?
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
Will Robert Williams III be there when we need him?
The full-strength Boston Celtics are the Association's best team. How can we objectively make such a subjective-sounding statement? Because Boston has rarely been full-strength this season. Its starting five from last year's NBA Finals has logged all of 29 minutes together, and the C's still have the league's best record and highest net rating.
Maybe that means the Shamrocks are deep enough to cover for an absence of one of its regulars, but their banner-raising formula almost certainly includes dynamic defender Robert Williams III creating all kinds of chaos.
Williams, who shaves a rotation-best 5.8 points per 100 possessions off Boston's defensive rating, has struggled to stay on the floor, and his health issues predate this season. This is his fifth year in the NBA, and he's yet to clear the 200-game mark for his career. If the Celtics can't rely on him when they need him most, then they'll need a better insurance plan than Mike Muscala and Luke Kornet.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
Is there any hope of getting Ben Simmons going?
Just last season, the Brooklyn Nets had three cornerstone talents in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Now, with all due respect to Mikal Bridges, they have none, which boggles the mind when their roster includes a 26-year-old with three All-Star selections on his resume.
The problem is said 26-year-old is Ben Simmons, or whatever is left of him. He was a franchise floor general in the not-so-distant past, but now he's a 6'10", 240-pound enigma. Brooklyn added him at the 2022 trade deadline and still doesn't know what it has or how use him.
"Trying to figure out what lineup fits around Ben, what position fits for Ben, how we can make him look good at every opportunity," Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said, per Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. "That's the goal and I'm still trying to figure that out."
Theoretically, this revamped Nets roster fits around Simmons. It has a bunch of long, lanky defenders who can get out in the open court and spread the floor on offense. None of that matters, though, as long as Simmons keeps playing like he's allergic to the basket and afraid of the free-throw line.
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
Do we have any building blocks besides LaMelo Ball?
The Charlotte Hornets should be in an enviable position, since they have a 21-year-old centerpiece in LaMelo Ball. But what if that's all they have?
Terry Rozier is fine. Same goes for Gordon Hayward, when he isn't stuck on the sidelines. Kelly Oubre Jr. and P.J. Washington are free-agents-to-be (restricted in Washington's case) and tricky to price. Mark Williams hasn't played enough to establish an identity. James Bouknight and Kai Jones, two top-20 picks in 2021, need rapid rebounds to avoid the bust label.
Charlotte can feel confident in knowing it's moving forward with Ball, but the remainder of this season will help it determine who else (if anyone) is worth bringing along for the ride.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
What should we chase, the playoffs or the top-four protected pick we owe Orlando?
Does anyone think that the Chicago Bulls, who carried a six-game losing streak into the break, were a Patrick Beverley away from turning things around? Didn't think so.
Not to dunk on the Windy City native as he heads back home, but the Bulls have problems that a 34-year-old Beverley can't fix. They have managed to lift their defense inside of the top 10, but their bottom-third offense has canceled that out and then some.
What's the goal here? The Bulls say it isn't mediocrity, but they'll need wins and help just to lock up a play-in tournament invite.
They can't count on Lonzo Ball, who's out for the season, and that's crushing since they've looked fatally flawed ever since losing him to a meniscus tear in January 2022. They're squeezing nearly 70 points per game out of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević and losing the minutes that trio shares by 0.6 points per 100 possessions.
Do they feel pot-committed to chasing the playoffs and giving this group even a glimmer of hope to rewrite what's been this tragic tale of a season? Or is it time to shift all focus forward, embrace the loss column and pray that's enough to keep their top-four protected pick away from the Orlando Magic?
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
Do we have enough offense to compete with the elites?
Statistically speaking, the Cleveland Cavaliers have enough to compete for a championship. They're the proud owners of the stingiest defense, and their offensive efficiency is 10th-best in the league.
The eye test, though, isn't convinced they have the firepower to pull this off.
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are net-shredders, sure, but they play with a pair of non-shooting bigs (Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) and a question mark at small forward. Isaac Okoro isn't a complete zero on offense, but opposing defenses will make him prove that every single night. Swapping him out for Caris LeVert strips Cleveland of its best perimeter stopper.
The Cavs have navigated around these issues so far, but it's fair to wonder whether they'll be able to against postseason defenses.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
Is Kyrie Irving a keeper?
The Dallas Mavericks' deal for Kyrie Irving is both their best hope for pairing a second star with Luka Dončić and the league's ultimate boom-or-bust gamble. Irving is a prodigious talent and someone with a history of leaving teams in turmoil.
During the 2021-22 season, he was only available for 29 games after not getting vaccinated against COVID-19, making him ineligible to play home games for the Brooklyn Nets because of New York City's vaccine mandates for indoor arenas.
In November, he served an eight-game suspension after he promoted a movie on social media that contained antisemitic tropes and misinformation, and he initially refused to apologize and disavow antisemitism.
This could go sideways in a hurry.
Maybe he'll help the Mavericks play the kind of brilliant isolation basketball that can dismantle even the best playoff defenses, but it's not too soon to wonder what the long game should be for Dallas.
Irving's contract expires after this season, and while he's a max player by talent, he carries too much risk to fork over max money on a lengthy new deal. The Mavs need to determine how much his on-court ability is worth in dollars and years—then hope Irving agrees with their assessment.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
Do we have enough defense for a title run?
The Denver Nuggets have the West's best record, the MVP front-runner in Nikola Jokić, a back-on-track Jamal Murray (assuming his knee injury doesn't linger) and a tight-fitting supporting cast around them.
This looks like a championship-level juggernaut, but will its defense keep passing the smell test?
The Nuggets don't have a true rim protector, and their point-of-attack coverage can be spotty. Then again, they also have the league's seventh-best defense since the start of December, so they are finding ways to make this work. The question, then, is whether those ways will keep working on basketball's biggest stage.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
What best positions Jaden Ivey for success?
The Pistons have a slew of intriguing prospects on their roster, but two will likely dictate the direction of this franchise: Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Since the former is sidelined for the season's duration by shin surgery, the latter becomes the player to watch down the stretch in Detroit.
Ivey's first NBA campaign has been a mixed bag. There aren't many more productive players in this class—he leads all rookies with 4.6 assists and ranks third with 15.2 points per game—but there are more efficient ones. His 42.0/33.2/72.5 shooting slash underwhelms at each level, and he's averaging fewer than two assists for every turnover (2.8 per game).
He's a 21-year-old on a rebuilding team, so the inefficiencies aren't sounding any alarms. But Detroit should experiment now to see what kind of styles and supporting casts best suit him. The Pistons are only chasing pingpong balls for now, so they have nothing to lose. But that could change next season given Cunningham's return and their surprisingly high expectations.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
When is Stephen Curry coming back, and will he be rusty upon his return?
If the Golden State Warriors have a championship pulse at this point, it's because of Stephen Curry. All other concerns you might have with this club—the declining defense, the inconsistent bench—are rendered moot if Curry can't shake his leg injuries.
It's still too soon to tell when he'll be healthy or when he'll be himself again.
"Ligaments can heal in all different types of timelines," Curry said, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "So there's a window for each checkpoint. After the All-Star break, I will hopefully get back on the court, and then depending on how things go from there, we can key in on a specific date to get back."
Curry's scoring punch, shooting range and off-the-dribble verve are the lifeblood of this offense. If he can't get back to normal sooner rather than later, Golden State's season will flatline.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
How can we get Jabari Smith Jr. on track?
There are few certainties in Space City at this stage of the Rockets' rebuild. Even the players who have flashed the highest ceilings have yet to establish any kind of floor. Can Jalen Green add efficiency to his volume scoring? Will Alperen Şengün's defensive limitations cut into his floor time and prevent his offensive arsenal from shining?
The struggle is different for Jabari Smith Jr. Unlike his aforementioned teammates, he hasn't shown high-level traits that will have analysts drooling over his potential. He might pop off for 20-plus points or cash a handful of triples, but the showings are far too infrequent to project any kind of sustainability.
Harnessing his consistency will be Houston's most critical task down the stretch. The Rockets spent last summer's No. 3 pick on him and surely have visions of his three-ball clearing up attack lanes for Green's and Smith's paint protection, easing some of the concerns for Şengün. Making a long story short(ish), the Rockets would gain all kinds of clarity if they can get Smith to maximize his potential.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
Does the play-in tournament matter to us at all?
For much of the first half, the Indiana Pacers ranked favorably among the season's most pleasant surprises. They won 23 of their first 41 games and appeared to have no worse than a puncher's chance at climbing into the East's top six and heading straight to the postseason—no play-in tournament detour needed.
Then, All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered knee and elbow injuries, and everything unraveled. The situation grew so dire that even his return couldn't stop the bleeding. They went 1-9 without him, but they're only 2-6 since his return.
Is there any hope for stopping this skid and recovering in time to join the play-in tournament race? Or are they better off prioritizing their young players (and draft-lottery odds) now and regrouping for next season?
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
Where does Russell Westbrook fit?
The Los Angeles Clippers' biggest question—will Kawhi Leonard and Paul George stay healthy enough to lead the charge?—can't be answered until the postseason, so the stretch run should instead be spent on finding the best fit for new addition Russell Westbrook.
He could work his way into the starting lineup, per The Athletic's Law Murray, so clearly there are expectations on the Clippers' side of things.
Is the point guard destined to flame out the way he did with L.A.'s other team? The Clippers have more shooters and defenders than the Lakers ever did, so maybe they can better cover up his mistakes. The challenge will be integrating him on the fly and not alienating their other players (namely, Terance Mann) while doing so.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
What's the key to consistency for Anthony Davis?
Earlier this season, it appeared Anthony Davis was finally ready to take the baton from LeBron James. There was a 13-game stretch spanning from mid-November through mid-December in which Davis crashed the best-player-on-the-planet debate with per-game averages of 32.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals.
Incredibly, those numbers were held down by a contest he was forced to exit after only eight minutes because of flu-like symptoms.
That version of Davis is the kind who can guide, or at least help lead, a championship run.
Unfortunately, a foot injury followed that sizzling stretch, and in the 10 games since his return, his averages have tumbled to 22.5 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 0.8 steals. That's a good player, sure, but not someone who can elevate a team with a flawed supporting cast.
It's fine if James leads this group, but Davis can't remain this far behind the King.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
Where can we turn for half-court scoring?
The Bears are a blur. Get the Grizzlies in the open court, and they are trouble. They play at the sixth-fastest pace, average the third-most fast-break points and generate more transition chances than anyone.
So, what's going to happen when the playoffs start, and the basketball gods inevitably shift things down to 0.5x speed?
When everything grinds to a halt, Memphis doesn't really have a counterpunch beyond hoping Ja Morant or Desmond Bane can create something out of nothing. The Grizzlies sit 22nd in half-court offense and 24th in three-point percentage. Offensive boards and takeaways won't be enough to overshadow those numbers.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
Can Kyle Lowry turn a disappointing season around?
The Miami Heat aren't who we thought they were. Well, not if we believed they'd be able to repeat the successes of last season, when they paced the East in wins and weren't ousted until the seventh game of the conference finals.
They've struggled with a lot of things, but maybe none has done more damage than the rapid decline of point guard Kyle Lowry.
The six-time All-Star and Miami's third-highest-paid player has posted some of the worst numbers of his career, including a paltry 12.3 player efficiency rating (league average is 15). It's possible the 36-year-old is simply cooked, but the Heat can only hope that isn't the case. They need his organizational skills at both ends provided he can get healthy and snap out of this funk.
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
Is Khris Middleton himself again?
The Milwaukee Bucks steamrolled into the break with 12 consecutive victories and apparently sidestepped any serious damage with Giannis Antetokounmpo's wrist injury. Assuming that ailment is nothing to worry about, Milwaukee has no major concerns.
It might, though, want a clearer picture of just how Khris Middleton is doing. He missed most of last year's playoffs and the start of this season with an MCL sprain in his left knee. Then, he lost a month-plus to right knee soreness.
He has only suited up 17 times and has averaged just 21.4 minutes in those contests. His per-minute production seems fine, but his 42.1 percent field-goal rate and 28.9 percent three-point mark are well shy of his normal shooting rates. Is he just rusty, or is something holding him back?
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
How will the pieces fit once Karl-Anthony Towns returns?
At some point this season, Karl-Anthony Towns will return from the calf strain that has sidelined him since late November. He might not recognize the team by then.
D'Angelo Russell is out; Mike Conley is in. Anthony Edwards has the keys to the offense—and the franchise as a whole. Rudy Gobert has appeared to be more comfortable. The defense has tightened up.
Minnesota will welcome back Towns, a three-time All-Star, with open arms, but it's up to him to adjust to this team, not vice versa. The Wolves are building an identity, and it falls on Towns to find his fit within it.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
Can Zion Williamson get healthy and stay healthy?
When Zion Williamson hurt his hamstring on Jan. 2, the New Orleans Pelicans had a top-five win total and top-five net rating. They are 7-15 and 25th in net efficiency since, and it's still uncertain when they'll get the bouncy big man back.
They have assembled a formidable roster around him, but he holds their hope of being special. At the time of his injury, he was averaging 26.0 points on 60.8 percent shooting, plus 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 combined steals and blocks.
Injuries have been an unfortunate constant throughout his career, which has spanned four seasons but only featured 114 outings. He gives the team a fighting chance to escape the West when healthy, but if he can't his body right, the Birds might be lucky to escape the play-in.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
What is RJ Barrett's best role—now and in the future?
The New York Knicks have had a season's worth of celebrating on almost every front. Julius Randle got his All-Star groove back, Jalen Brunson has played at an All-Star level and the supporting cast has largely filled in the cracks around them.
Yet, this all reads like another season of stagnation from RJ Barrett, the 6'6" swingman New York snatched up with the No. 3 pick of the 2019 draft. His points have plateaued, his perimeter shot has abandoned him and his defense has come and gone.
At this point, it's not clear where he belongs in the Knicks' pecking order. And that's true of both the stretch run and the seasons beyond it. If New York makes the playoffs, he isn't guaranteed to be a part of its closing lineup, and the belief he'll be a building block for the 'Bockers must be dwindling.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
What would a play-in tournament invitation mean for this core?
This was ostensibly supposed to be another year of mounting losses and prime lottery odds in the Sooner State. The Thunder had other plans (in the year of Victor Wembanyama, no less).
Oklahoma City isn't surprisingly good; it's actually good. The Thunder have the 10th-best net rating and rank above-average on offense and defense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar, Josh Giddey is an ascending talent and the rest of the roster finds its rhythm around them.
You could still argue that a lottery ticket should hold value to the Thunder, though with Chet Holmgren (foot injury) waiting in the wings, OKC's next blue-chip prospect might already be on the roster. You could also make a case, then, for chasing maximum competitiveness, even if that only means grabbing a ticket to the play-in tourney.
It's hard to tell how much that event means for veteran-laden teams, but one with as much youth as the Thunder might appreciate the experience of giving their players any kind of postseason basketball.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
Where does Jonathan Isaac fit with this franchise?
Jonathan Isaac lost two full seasons to a knee injury, but he is now 10 games into his return and looking an awful lot like...well, Jonathan Isaac.
The offensive output isn't there yet, but his defensive energy and activity are exactly as we remember them. He has 12 steals and three blocks in only 108 minutes of action. His length and mobility combo remains top-notch.
Before the injury, he was arguably Orlando's most important player. He obviously is no longer held in that regard, but where does he fit with the Magic now? Does the 25-year-old still belong as a full-fledged member of Orlando's young nucleus, or, if he's able to reestablish his trade value, might it make sense to shop him around for perimeter upgrades?
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
Are we getting what we need from Tyrese Maxey?
The Philadelphia 76ers can't field their most talented lineup without Tyrese Maxey. They might, however, have found a better balance by moving him to the bench in favor of defensive dynamo De'Anthony Melton.
Maxey can be uber-aggressive off the bench and search out shots without stepping on the toes of Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Using Maxey as a super-sixth-man fits in a lot of ways.
Of course, it also means less Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers can trumpet the adage of how "it's not about who starts games, it's about who finishes them" all the want, but they can't argue with the fact that Maxey has lost roughly seven minutes per night since moving to the bench (35.8 as a starter, 28.6 as a sub). Maybe he'll still wind up being the most helpful in this role, but you'd think Philly would want its third-best player on the floor as much as possible.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
Can Chris Paul lead a championship run?
A championship ring would cap what's otherwise been a career for the ages by Chris Paul. The Point God has to like his chances too, since the Suns used the Feb. 9 trade deadline to form the league's latest dynamic duo by bringing Kevin Durant to the desert to suit up alongside Devin Booker.
Now, the 37-year-old Paul just needs to fend off the aging curve long enough to make this championship dream a reality.
"I played with a lot of great players ... [but] probably never two guys of this caliber, as far as Devin and KD," Paul told ESPN's Nick Friedell. "... I know I'm not taking it for granted."
Paul needs to find enough touches to bring the best out of Durant and Booker (and, to a lesser extent, Deandre Ayton), hold his own defensively at one of the league's best positions and supply enough scoring to keep defenses from crowding the Suns' stars.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
How close—or how far—are we to giving Damian Lillard a real chance?
Last summer, the Portland Trail Blazers tacked on another two years and $122 million to Damian Lillard's contract. The agreement was reached just ahead of his 32nd birthday—and mere months after Portland wrapped a 55-loss season.
Clearly, the Blazers think they can quickly construct a contender around him, but they know they haven't done it. And they're determined to add a difference-maker sooner rather than later.
"We're going to be ridiculously aggressive to the point where, once we push our chips all the way in, like, deal to deal, you might say: 'They lost that deal. They gave a lot for that guy,'" Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said, per The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress. "But no, that's just us pushing our chips in. We feel extremely obligated to put a great roster around Damian Lillard."
This stretch run needs to make clear how much work must be done to this roster. Is Jerami Grant a definite keeper? Are Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe off-limits in any trade? Is Jusuf Nurkić still the right center for this team? Those questions and more need answering soon.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
Can we get stops when we need them?
The Sacramento Kings can't let up off the gas pedal until they reach their final destination, but it looks like it's finally happening. They are on course to snap their record-setting playoff drought.
That's assuming, of course, this club isn't done in by its bottom-third defense.
This offense is as electric as they come (second in efficiency), but the Kings need a more viable strategy than simply overwhelming the opposition with a barrage of buckets. That's particularly true if this team's goals extend beyond just reaching the postseason and actually surviving a first-round series.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
How many keepers do we think we have?
The San Antonio Spurs might be wobbling for Wemby, but they are new to this whole rebuilding thing. They were play-in participants just last season, after all.
Their roster reflects this transitional state. They have a few place-holding vets sprinkled between a bunch of prospects of varying pedigrees. Those prospects should be heavily featured down the stretch, both to aid their tanking effort and to help this club figure out what it has in-house.
San Antonio has already identified a few keepers—Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan chief among them—but not nearly enough to establish a nucleus. That's what the remainder of this season should be all about.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
Where are we headed?
The trade deadline put a fork in the road in front of the Toronto Raptors. By adding Jakob Poeltl and doing nothing else, they nudged themselves closer to that fork.
Bringing Poeltl back north of the border scratched an itch on the interior, but it hardly readied this roster for a run at the title.
If that's the route the front office wants to take, it needs to commit to this core this offseason—when Poeltl will become a free agent, and both Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. can do the same—and find ways to address its depth deficiencies around those players.
If the Raptors want to think further ahead, they can plan for a free-agency exodus, shop O.G. Anunoby (and probably Pascal Siakam too) and look to rebuild around reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.
It seemed like Toronto would've definitely picked a direction by now, but the next month-plus will likely make that decision for it.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
How much floor time can we find for the rookies?
Prior to the trade deadline, the Utah Jazz made Lauri Markkanen off-limits, per NBA reporter Marc Stein. That makes sense given the All-Star turn he has taken during his first season in Salt Lake City.
Utah also made rookies Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji untouchable. That mostly makes sense too. Kessler has hit the ground running as a defense-first interior anchor, and Agbaji has shown impressive three-and-D upside.
Where things get a little wonky is the floor time afforded to the freshmen. Despite recent upticks, Kessler and Agbaji are only averaging 21.3 and 15.1 minutes per game, respectively. If these really are core members, those numbers should ramp way up.
Still, Utah has to determine its comfort level with growing pains. The rookies could stumble enough to spoil the Jazz's chances of cracking the play-in tournament. That doesn't feel particularly risky, but Utah has pushed for competitiveness harder than anyone expected.
In a perfect world, the team could play its youth and chase a postseason spot, but the basketball gods could force it to choose one or the other at some point.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
Have we given Bradley Beal enough help?
The Washington Wizards want to build a winner around Bradley Beal. They wouldn't owe him a quarter-billion dollars if they didn't. Doing so has always been a challenge, though, as they have lacked the assets to make major additions.
Still, pairing him with Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porziņģis hasn't been the worst strategy. During the 569 minutes they've logged together, Washington is plus-5.8 points per 100 possessions.
Obviously, the roster needs attention in other areas, but could this trio, with the right supporting cast, compete for a top-four seed? That feels like an ambitious ask with Washington sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, but if the ceiling doesn't stretch that high with all three players in their primes, what's the end game here?
Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass and NBA.com and accurate through the All-Star break. Salary information via Spotrac.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
.jpg?w=600 "Post-Lawrence Trade Mock Draft 📝")
.jpg?w=600 "Bengals Extending Lawrence")
