What Every NBA Team Playing for the Lottery Can Still Accomplish This Season
As the NBA's play-in race takes shape, most of the middle-tier teams in both conferences are still hoping to win enough games to fight their way in. There are only a handful of teams that are actively playing for the lottery, which is what the play-in system was designed to discourage.
The New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings are the fringe teams in the Western Conference that are battling for the 10th and final spot in the play-in, while out East the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards are fighting to overtake the Charlotte Hornets or Atlanta Hawks for that spot.
The other six teams, mostly the bottom ones in each conference, aren't going to be there and don't have any intention of being there. But that doesn't mean the teams bottoming out don't have anything to play for.
Here's what each is hoping to get out of the final stretch of this season.
Detroit Pistons: Determining Marvin Bagley's Long-Term Fit
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As the Pistons' rebuild continues, general manager Troy Weaver took a flier on 2018 No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III at the deadline.
Bagley had a largely disappointing three-plus years in Sacramento and made it known he was unhappy with his role there. The trade to Detroit represented a fresh start for him and a free look for the organization at a big man who may still have some upside.
He has played well at the beginning of his time in Detroit, scoring 16 points in a win over Cleveland and 14 in a loss to Boston. He's currently dealing with an ankle injury that has sidelined him for the last two games, but it doesn't look to be a major issue, so he'll still have six weeks to prove himself.
Depending on how the rest of the season goes, the Pistons will have a decision to make about whether they want to re-sign him in the offseason. He will be a restricted free agent, meaning they can match any offer another team makes, but if they feel he's a part of their future, they could move quickly to get something done at a reasonable number.
For both sides, this is a test run to see if it's a partnership that makes sense long term.
Houston Rockets: The Continued Development of Jalen Green
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No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green has had a largely forgettable rookie season, but his play has improved greatly in recent weeks.
His shooting in particular has gotten a lot more consistent—he shot 38.6 percent from three-point range in the month of February after being below 30 percent for much of the rest of the year. His turnovers are also significantly down from where they were earlier in the season.
These early struggles were to be expected. Very few rookies make a positive impact right away, and that's especially true of high-usage guards like Green.
But the past month has been encouraging, and the deadline-day acquisition of veteran point guard Dennis Schroder has proved to be a nice fit next to him in the backcourt.
If Green can build on this progress and end his rookie season on a high note, the Rockets can have something to feel good about in what has otherwise been a dreadful season.
Indiana Pacers: Reshaping the Offense Around Tyrese Haliburton
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The Pacers traded All-Star center Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento for a package including second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton in one of the biggest moves of the trade deadline. As Indiana looks to pivot and go younger, Haliburton will be one of its cornerstone players for years to come.
For this half-season stretch, head coach Rick Carlisle should look to unleash Haliburton and develop his connection with backcourt partner Malcolm Brogdon.
The Pacers might trade Brogdon and big man Myles Turner this summer, or they could stick around for whatever the next phase of the rebuild looks like. Either way, Haliburton is going to be an integral piece, and they'll have an opportunity here to get an extended look at him in a Pacers uniform.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Ending the Year Healthy
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The Thunder have an intriguing group of young players, but they haven't been able to keep them all on the floor at the same time.
Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played in only 47 games last season and recently missed 10 straight games with a sprained ankle. Their most recent lottery pick, guard Josh Giddey, just suffered a hip injury with no timetable for a return. Forward Luguentz Dort has also missed time recently with a shoulder injury.
These absences will undoubtedly help with Oklahoma City's pursuit of a high lottery pick, but eventually, these players need to actually play together for an extended period of time. Before the season is over, they'll hopefully get everyone on the floor at the same time and be able to see what they have.
Orlando Magic: The Reintroduction of Markelle Fultz
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Markelle Fultz made his season debut Monday against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. The 2017 No. 1 overall pick, who went through a bizarre series of injuries and shooting struggles before being traded to Orlando at the 2019 deadline, hadn't played since suffering a torn ACL eight games into last season.
Before the injury, the Magic had signed Fultz to a three-year, $50 million extension. Despite the disappointing start to his career, that signaled they viewed him as a long-term building block.
For the remainder of this season, the Magic should give Fultz plenty of runway to work his way back into shape and mesh with a team that looks far different than the last time he played—including lottery picks Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony. He played 16 minutes in his first game back, but that number should gradually increase throughout the rest of the year.
Fultz had started to turn a corner and find his confidence before he suffered the knee injury last season. Hopefully, the rest of this one will provide a low-pressure environment for him to get back up to speed and hit the ground running at training camp this fall.
Portland Trail Blazers: Maximizing Damian Lillard's Gap Year
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The Blazers entered the year with playoff aspirations, but things quickly went sideways with dramatic organizational changes and a string of disappointing losses. Damian Lillard then underwent abdominal surgery, which will likely sideline him for the rest of the season.
The deadline-week trades of CJ McCollum, Robert Covington and Norman Powell signaled a short-term rebuild, with the plan being to maximize their draft position while Lillard recovers with an eye on returning to the playoffs next season. An unexpected four-game winning streak before the All-Star break wasn't part of the plan, but the subsequent decision to shut down starting center Jusuf Nurkic should go a long way toward helping with that goal.
Lillard continues to be fully bought-in to this plan, but this will be a big summer for the organization. What interim general manager Joe Cronin (or the eventual full-time hire—a search is still ongoing) does to retool around Lillard will determine how the rest of his prime years go.
Keeping their first-round pick, which they owe to Chicago if it falls outside the lottery, is integral to this plan. They'll likely do whatever they must to make sure that happens.
