2 Words to Describe Every NBA Team with 2 Months Left
There are a million and one different words you could use to describe the 2024-25 NBA season.
We won't be nearly that verbose.
With two months left in the campaign, we're choosing just two words to describe each of the 30 franchises.
Ideally, those two words will succinctly sum things up, but don't worry, we'll explain each selection as we proceed. Let's go. (See what we did there?)
Atlanta Hawks: Temporarily Trapped
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There's an alternate universe in which Atlanta might be leading the tanking race. There might be another in which the Hawks have fully catered toward Trae Young and are doing everything in their power to construct a contender around him.
In our reality, though, Atlanta has simply accepted that treading water is the only option available. Tanking is off the table, because the Hawks ceded control of their next three first-round picks. Contending isn't doable either because of an overall lack of high-end talent. At least the front office isn't sacrificing long-term assets for minor but ultimately meaningless present upgrades.
The Hawks do have more of a future-focused feel to them, thanks to a budding young core (sadly missing Jalen Johnson for this season's remainder) and some financially driven deadline dealing. They won't fully shift things forward until they figure out what to do with Young, though. There's probably a Trae-for-assets trade coming at some point, but since Atlanta wouldn't benefit from bottoming out, there's no reason to rush such a significant move.
Boston Celtics: On Course
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Boston's title run last season featured wire-to-wire domination. This go-round hasn't quite had that. While the Shamrocks remain plenty dominant, the standings show two teams with better records heading into intermission (Cleveland and Oklahoma City).
And that's fine. The Celtics aren't chasing regular-season glory. They're aiming to become the Association's first repeat champs since the Stephen Curry-Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors.
There could be a bit of pacing in other words, and if there is, look out. Despite perhaps not always having the pedal floored, they're still boasting a .700-plus winning percentage and top-five efficiency ranks on offense (fourth) and defense (fifth). This remains the team to beat, even if the standings don't necessarily reflect that.
Brooklyn Nets: Problematically Feisty
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Remember when the Nets were so frisky out of the gate (9-10 to start the season) that they threatened to derail their own tank job? Or how the front office worked to get things back on track with December subtractions of scoring guard Dennis Schröder and Swiss Army knife stopper Dorian Finney-Smith?
That seemingly worked, as Brooklyn went on to lose 22 of its next 27 games, but the Nets are suddenly feeling frisky again. They entered intermission with six wins in their last seven outings, including triumphs over the Rockets, Heat and 76ers.
That surely makes things more enjoyable in the locker room, and this feels like an encouraging sign for first-year head coach Jordi Fernández. But the Nets remember how loaded this draft class is, right? Is a play-in tournament push really worth plaguing their own draft lottery odds? The players and coaches might think so, but the Brooklyn brass must be worried about potentially losing out on a blue-chipper.
Charlotte Hornets: No Buzz
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The Hornets probably headed into this season hoping to get their hands on one of the top prospects in the upcoming draft. That part of the plan seems successful, since Charlotte is one of only four teams with a .250-or-worse winning percentage.
That might be the only part of the plan that's working, though.
LaMelo Ball's battles with the injury bug are ongoing, Brandon Miller's shooting rates were down before wrist surgery cut his campaign short and building-block big man Mark Williams was sent packing at the deadline only to return to Charlotte after failing his physical in L.A. You'd love to see some developmental success stories with a roster this young, but signs of encouragement are hard to spot.
Chicago Bulls: Not Enough
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The Bulls have half-stepped into an inevitable rebuild, but the franchise fire sale typically seen in a top-to-bottom overhaul hasn't happened. Chicago shipped out Zach LaVine at the deadline, but inexplicably held onto 34-year-old Nikola Vučević. It also apparently turned down a first-round pick to keep and extend 27-year-old Lonzo Ball.
As The Athletic's John Hollinger observed, "12 of the Bulls' players are signed for next season." So, barring a dramatic increase in the organization's volume of roster-reshaping activities, this might continue to be who Chicago is: not nearly good enough to contend, but not bad enough to bottom out.
Maybe the Bulls just can't figure out how to power down the treadmill of mediocrity? It's baffling roster management at this point, even if things are slightly more future-focused than they've been in recent seasons.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Fully Arrived
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The Cavaliers were on trade watch over the summer, but their ongoing commitment to their core four could not have panned out any better. Whether it's new coach Kenny Atkinson, improved chemistry from more time together or the surge in outside shooting, something has Cleveland rocking like never before.
The Cavs' .815 winning percentage is their best in franchise history. Their plus-10.4 net rating is the league's second-best. They pass history's standard for a full-fledged contender by having top-10 efficiency ranks on offense (first) and defense (eighth).
Cleveland still must prove that this success can carry over into the postseason, where it has been previously tripped up by logistical issues with this roster (undersized in the backcourt, no shooting up front). At this point, though, everything feels sustainable. The Cavaliers are firmly in the championship mix.
Dallas Mavericks: Self-made Mess
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When the Mavs made a push into last season's NBA Finals, it felt like the first of many championship cracks they'd get during the prime years of Luka Dončić. Less than 12 months later, the franchise face was gone.
Dallas' front office is free to handle its roster how it sees fit, and maybe its concerns with committing supermax-money to Dončić could prove prescient down the line. None of that changes the fact the Mavs moved a 25-year-old on a first-ballot, Hall-of-Fame track for an oft-injured 31-year-old Anthony Davis, a three-and-D role player in Max Christie and a single first-round pick.
That's bad business. Setting aside the public relations disaster that has already become, Dallas simply didn't get nearly enough value for such a coveted trade asset. Multiple teams could've obliterated what the Mavs took back in return. To not even consider those options and instead commit to a win-right-now roster that isn't the league's best is baffling, and that's being polite.
Denver Nuggets: Heating Up
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The Nuggets have the planet's best player in three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, and that alone gets them a mention in any championship conversation. Those mentions may have lacked conviction a few months back, though, when Denver wobbled out to a 16-13 start.
No one should be naysaying the Nuggets now. Not when they've gone a blistering 20-6 with a plus-9.8 net rating ever since and entered the All-Star break on an eight-game winning streak.
There are still some concerns with Denver's defense and depth, but this offense might be potent enough to cover for both. Jokić is essentially averaging 30 points and 10 assists, and his sidekick, Jamal Murray, just popped off for 55 points. No playoff defense will want to tussle with this attack.
Detroit Pistons: Foundation Laid
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When Detroit turned roughly $60 million in cap space last summer into solid-but-uninspiring veterans like Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., it felt like the Pistons might be chasing a play-in tournament cameo. And while that could still be where this group ends up, there's been enough rebuilding progress made to envision much brighter days ahead.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has summoned some needed defensive tenacity. The veteran sharpshooters have helped balance the floor spacing. Most importantly, though, this young core has blossomed in a way that has laid the foundation for future growth.
Cade Cunningham's All-Star ascension is the headline development, but Detroit has also coaxed more consistent impact out of Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. And don't forget the quantity-plus-quality strides Jaden Ivey was making before a fractured fibula forced him off the floor.
Golden State Warriors: Second Option
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A prolonged search for Stephen Curry's costar ultimately landed with the Warriors brokering a deadline blockbuster deal for Jimmy Butler. It may have been a marriage of convenience—if not of desperation—as neither was the other's first choice, but it nevertheless filled that void.
Perhaps this pairing won't endure long-term, but things have started on a positive note. The Warriors are 3-1 with Butler on the roster, and the three victories were decided by an average of 14 points.
Butler has eased the creation burden on Curry while providing the Warriors with a bona fide finisher who can punish mismatches and quickly fill out his free-throw punch card (40 attempts in four games). It's tough to gauge where Golden State's ceiling sits, but this club is playing with more purpose and conviction than it has all season.
Houston Rockets: Phase 2.5
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Does this count as two words? It does if you hyphenate two-and-a-half.
It feels fitting, too, since the Rockets have clearly progressed from last season's launch of Phase 2, a culture-creating campaign in which coach Ime Udoka unleashed a chaos-creating defense and cultivated the growth of Houston's young players. This season has seen a big enough spike to consider it the next half-step of the process, with the Rockets traveling from the fringes of the play-in race to the Western Conference's top four.
There probably still needs to be a Phase 3 progression at some point, likely keyed by a consolidation deal for an established star. For now, though, the development looks almost wholly encouraging—save for the 2-7 skid this squad stumbled through heading into the All-Star break.
Indiana Pacers: Tracking Tyrese
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The Pacers made a bold move for Pascal Siakam last season in an attempt to gain entry into the Association's elite tier. And while they wound up trekking to the conference finals, they never quite flashed championship potential.
This season has seen more of the same, which is good and bad. They remain plenty competitive, but they also appear to have perhaps plateaued. The one thing that could snap them out of this would be a return to form from Tyrese Haliburton, who had superstar-esque moments in last season's first half but has struggled to sustain that level ever since.
He is usually solid—or one step above—but this team needs him to be special. If he isn't, then the Pacers aren't.
Los Angeles Clippers: Defying Expectations
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Paul George's departure in free agency threatened to sink the Clippers. And it very well may have torpedoed whatever championship chances they once had.
The sky clearly isn't falling, though, despite oddsmakers fearing it might. L.A. had an over/under win total of just 40.5. It went into All-Star break with 31 victories already. And that's with Kawhi Leonard handling only a part-time role to this point (15 outings, 26 minutes per night).
James Harden's efficiency has taken a big hit, but he's still piling up volume production. Norman Powell is firmly in the Most Improved Player award race. Tyronn Lue is coaching his tail off. This defense has really tightened the screws (second in efficiency), and it could grow even stingier with newcomer Ben Simmons. The Clippers aren't quite great, but they are legitimately good, and that's enough to qualify as a pleasant surprise.
Los Angeles Lakers: Exceptional Exceptionalism
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How do the Lakers keep doing this? Just when you think the proud Purple and Gold are done having superstars fall in their laps, suddenly the Mavericks decide that Luka Dončić is not merely expendable but actually gettable at the bargain price of Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick (quite possibly made a lot less valuable if Dončić sticks around).
"In addition to somehow parlaying Anthony Davis’ 30s into Dončić’s 20s, Dončić should be a magnet for other aspiring free agents, the trade creates more cap room for L.A. in 2026 and the Lakers reset the clock on an aging roster," The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote. "That it cost them a swap of Maxes (Christie for Kleber) is unfortunate but massively secondary."
The Lakers now not only have their post-LeBron James plans figured out, they happen to have one of the hoops world's most intriguing futures. They may take a step back for now—their center rotation is abysmal following the nixed trade for Mark Williams—but that's worth it for the huge leaps now possible in their near-future.
Miami Heat: Now What?
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The Heat boxed themselves into a corner with the Jimmy Butler debacle, and while one could argue that finding any resolution was a win, the return underwhelmed. Andrew Wiggins is solid, but several tiers behind Butler at his best, plus Wiggins might still be on the books for the all-important 2026 offseason. Kyle Anderson is a fringe-rotation role player, and Davion Mitchell is a one-way player.
That plus a first-round pick that could land in the late teens (or even early 20s if the Dubs heat up) feels pretty underwhelming for someone who delivered the kind of magical moments Butler authored during some of Miami's longer-than-expected playoff runs.
The Heat still have an All-Star in Tyler Herro, a near-star in Bam Adebayo and an ascending rookie in Kel'el Ware. Hope is certainly not lost, but overall this is an average team with middling assets and some still unsolved puzzles on the offensive end.
Memphis Grizzlies: Right There
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Ja Morant's return had a chance to get the Grizzlies back to contending position, and that's pretty much how things have played out. The electric point guard still has the occasional run-in with the injury bug, but Memphis will be the definition of a tough out come playoff time.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a certified star, Desmond Bane ranks favorably among the league's best third options and the rotation deepened with the draft investments in Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells. Misfiring on Marcus Smart was an unfortunate setback, but the Grizzlies were wise to cut their losses at the deadline and gain some financial flexibility.
Memphis isn't all-caps ELITE on either end, but its fifth-ranked offense and seventh-ranked defense are balanced in ways befitting a deep postseason run.
Milwaukee Bucks: Need Kuzma
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It speaks to Milwaukee's top-heavy nature and limited mobility that a desperate deadline deal for Kyle Kuzma—a support player having an awful season—feels incredibly meaningful to this group's success. If the Bucks don't feel his impact, they might be drawing dead in the deeper stages of the postseason.
It can't be all doom-and-gloom with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, of course, and Damian Lillard's second season in Milwaukee has looked a lot smoother than his first. Andre Jackson Jr. panning out feels sneakily important, too, especially considering that MarJon Beauchamp did not.
Still, if your fate rests in the hands of Kuzma, there's probably a cap on how high you can climb. While no one wants to go into a playoff battle against the Giannis-Dame duo, it's up to the Bucks role players to prove this team is more than just its two stars.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Clutch Problems
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The Timberwolves can be equal parts fun and frustrating. They can beat or be beaten by anyone. Just before the All-Star break, they lost to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less, Damian Lillard-less Bucks, then scored the most lopsided win over the Thunder one night later.
There is some consistent inconsistency at play, and their performance in major moments is at least partly to blame. They are seemingly always locked in nail-biters (league-high 17 games decided by one score) and can be shaky under pressure. Only four teams—none holding even play-in position—have a worse net rating in the clutch (minus-9.8).
They need some late-game alternatives to Anthony Edwards needing to do everything. It would sure help if Julius Randle found a way to fit in however the front office thought he would.
New Orleans Pelicans: Cursed
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OK, so this is breaking the two-word rule, but "cursed" felt more appropriate than "totally bleeped." And how else could you describe what keeps happening to the Pelicans? Zion Williamson can't stay healthy. Brandon Ingram was always dealing with something during his time there. Dejounte Murray lasted just 31 games there before tearing his Achilles.
"That organization's cursed," Hawks swingman and former Pelican Dyson Daniels told The Stein Line's Jake Fischer. "Every year there's something new. ... There's something down in that water down there or something. They got hamstrings. They got knees. They got concussions and stuff as well. They get everything down there."
What shifts New Orleans from unfortunate to cosmically doomed is the fact this group can never stay healthy long enough to get a read on its full potential. Would a clean bill of health cure all that ills this club? Who knows, because we never see it.
New York Knicks: Legitimate Threat
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The Knicks have twice as many wins as losses, play in the league's marquee market and still sort of feel like a sleeping giant. How is that possible? We'll explain.
This team is an offensive juggernaut. Only the Cavaliers have been more efficient on the game's glamour end. New York is net-shredding in ways you'd expect from a team with bucket-getters like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
What most wouldn't expect from a Tom Thibodeau-coached team, though, is its 18th-ranking in defensive efficiency. That's not a good number, obviously, but it feels infinitely improvable given Thibodeau's coaching acumen, the defensive abilities of the OG Anunoby-Mikal Bridges wing tandem and the impending return of bouncy rim protector Mitchell Robinson. That combination could easily make this club a defensive force come playoff time, and that's a scary thought considering all the damage this offense is doing.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Already Accelerated
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The Thunder have sat atop a mountain of trade assets for several seasons now, which has had the hoops world wondering when they might attempt a full-scale acceleration with a blockbuster trade. But maybe such substantial change was never needed.
Oklahoma City has managed to organically grow a championship contender. This roster starts with an MVP candidate (arguably MVP front-runner) in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and boasts enviable depth everywhere. Jalen Williams is a rock-solid second option, Chet Holmgren feels like an overqualified wild card and there are defensive stoppers all around them.
Experience will remain a question mark until this young bunch steps back under the bright lights, but that might be it for concerns. The Thunder have this season's sixth-best offense and stingiest defense. Their plus-12.9 average scoring margin is the best in NBA history by a comfortable margin. Things are fully fast-forwarded.
Orlando Magic: Same Issues
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This season's Magic bear a striking resemblance to last season's squad. And that's not really a compliment.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner remain one of the top forward tandems in the NBA, but they still lack proper scoring support around them. There aren't enough buckets coming from the backcourt and not nearly enough triples being supplied by anyone.
No teams average fewer threes (11.1) or shoot a worse percentage from the perimeter (30.6). That's a damning double-whammy in the modern NBA, making it hard to fathom that this front office didn't make a move for a perimeter scorer at the deadline. Particularly when there was such an obvious target up for grabs.
Philadelphia 76ers: Red Alert
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This was supposed to be the season in which the 76ers finally made good on their championship potential. That was the entire motivation behind giving Paul George a four-year, $212 million contract last summer to slot him alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Philly hasn't felt farther from the title chase in years. The plan was only going to work if the three stayed healthy and played up to their potential, and the Sixers are seeing failing marks on both fronts.
Philly's presumed Big Three have made just 13 appearances together. What might be even more troubling—since this club made itself top-heavy in order to fit those three in the budget—is that the Sixers have gone just 7-6 in those contests. While Maxey has leveled up, Embiid and George are backtracking in worrisome ways. Collectively, the twosome averaged better than 57 points last season; this year, that figure has fallen to just 41.
Phoenix Suns: Experiment Over
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This is Kevin Durant's third season alongside Devin Booker in Phoenix and their second alongside Bradley Beal. This should, in theory, be when everything is coming together, yet the Suns are coming apart at the stitches. Had the campaign closed at intermission, they would've been denied even a play-in spot.
Oh, and those Durant trade talks that dominated all the pre-deadline chatter? They're only going to get louder over the offseason.
This is the most expensive roster in the NBA and perhaps its biggest disappointment (the Sixers are in that mix, too). Barring some stretch-run magic, huge changes could be coming to this club, and given its glaring lack of assets, that means subtractions—not additions.
Portland Trail Blazers: Passing Time
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That's a harsh characterization of what the Blazers are doing, but it's also accurate. While one can argue Portland should've went down the rebuilding path a lot sooner, the fact remains this franchise is only a season-and-a-half into its post-Damian Lillard era.
A number of place-holding veterans remain on the roster. So do at least a handful of young players who won't be with this team long-term. The Blazers might generously envision five building blocks on the roster: Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. That's probably it for keepers, and that's assuming every member of the quintet is actually regarded as such.
Portland could stand to rehome some veterans, but that's only possible if those players have actual trade value. The loss column could use more entries, too, to prop up the draft lottery odds, but it's understandable that lame-duck coach Chauncey Billups is doing what he can to push things the opposite direction. Patience is a must, in other words, because the very basis of the Blazers' rebuilding plan lacks clarity.
Sacramento Kings: Lowered Ceiling
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It doesn't seem that long ago when Sacramento was igniting beams and lighting up the scoreboard while pushing to become the league's next breakout team. A 48-win breakout in 2022-23 failed to produce a series win, though, and last season's squad failed to capture a playoff spot.
This year's group has seen further decline, which already cost coach Mike Brown his job and perhaps contributed to De'Aaron Fox's trade request. The Kings did a decent job of replacing his production with Zach LaVine, although reuniting him with DeMar DeRozan feels unlikely to overwhelm the West when the pair struggled to make noise out East.
Granted, the two weren't working with Domantas Sabonis then, but those are three by-definition stars without a superstar among them. They're also three fairly ball-dominant players, which makes the roster's lack of a natural point guard concerning.
San Antonio Spurs: First Chapter
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The Spurs essentially spent all of Victor Wembanyama's rookie season in experimentation mode. This campaign has been more about seeing how he reacts to having more established support around him, first through the offseason additions of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, then with the deadline deal for De'Aaron Fox.
It's been a generally positive process, but a lot more work is needed. And that's OK. This rotation still features a ton of 25-and-under talent, and San Antonio still possesses more than enough assets to make at least another major trade or two as it gains clarity about what this group needs to compete at the highest level.
There's a temptation to fast-track this team toward contention because Wembanyama's ability is all-encompassing, but the Spurs are still learning the right ways to handle their 21-year-old centerpiece. There's no reason to rush, even if it'd be nice to get him a taste of some kind of postseason play.
Toronto Raptors: Locked In
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Toronto has five players set to collect more than $19 million next season. Four will make over $27 million, and three will take home salaries north of $32 million.
Those are the kinds of salary allotments you might normally associate with a top-shelf contender. The Raptors...uh...are not that. They're playing more like a tanker (17-38), which is probably the right move since they arguably need more high-end talent.
Clearly, though, they believe in this core, which was expanded to include the acquired-and-extended Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline. There is some obvious overlap between him, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, and not a lot of shooting from building blocks not named Immanuel Quickley. There is talent here, at least, but Toronto is pot-committed to a nucleus that needs plenty of development to rise above mediocrity.
Utah Jazz: Future Obsessed
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The Jazz are playing this season for the next one. Or maybe the one after that. While they didn't blow up their roster at the deadline and still have a handful of veterans in the rotation, this is unashamed tanking. Even Lauri Markkanen's expanded shot diet—which has sapped his shooting rates—has been reshaped with both eyes on the future.
"I think that he's taken that challenge really well in terms of trying to generate those threes off the catch, and we've slowly dripped in some of the iso stuff around the elbow and the free-throw line," Jazz coach Will Hardy told reporters. "I think he's handled it great, because there have been moments where maybe he's not making as many as he's used to or as he would like, but he recognizes that big picture, this is what's best for him and for us going forward."
If everything goes according to plan, Utah's perpetually climbing loss column will deliver one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft, and that player will pair with Markkanen to make the Jazz competitive sooner than later. Even if the development doesn't happen quite that fast, though, Utah has clearly decided this campaign is best spent trying to capture one of the top prizes in this year's talent grab.
Washington Wizards: Rolling Tank
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Only 36 teams in NBA history have produced a winning percentage south of .200. The 2023-24 Wizards were one of them (.183), and the 2024-25 iteration has managed to lower the bar (.167).
In the backward world of tanking, though, this is maybe a job well done? It's tough to say that with much conviction when there aren't major developmental success stories on the roster—does Jordan Poole's bounce-back count?—but Washington should have some of the strongest lottery odds for a seemingly loaded draft.
Ideally, the Wizards could pair that prospect with a few building blocks already on the roster, but the jury remains out on their most important young players. It's fair to covet more growth from Bilal Couliably and Alex Sarr, but all on-court results are tricky to evaluate when a franchise is willing and easier to lose large.
Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com.
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