1. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Predicted 2024-25 record: 62-20
Last season: 57-25, 1st in NBA Western Conference. Lost 4-2 to Dallas Mavericks in conference semifinals.
Last time … the Thunder won 60 games in a season was 2012-13, when Kevin Durant helped Oklahoma City post a 60-22 record. The franchise had three other seasons with 60-plus wins, but all of them took place when it was known as the Seattle SuperSonics, including a 64-18 record in 1995-96.
FanDuel championship odds: +650
Roster roll call
Draft pick:
No. 12, PG Nikola Topic, Serbia
DEPARTURES: F Gordon Hayward, F Josh Giddey, G Lindy Waters III, C Bismack Biyombo
VETERAN ADDITIONS: C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Alex Caruso
Big picture
Some teams have star power, some teams have great depth, and only a few teams can say that they have both of those things. One of those teams is Oklahoma City, which is led by one of the best players on the planet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Teammate Chet Holmgren has the ability to be a difference-maker on both ends of the floor, and Jalen Williams is an underrated star who averaged 19.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last season. The Thunder are a legitimate contender to win a championship.
Get to know: G Cason Wallace
It would be hard to describe Williams as a breakout player after his quiet but stellar campaign a season ago, so the best bet here is to tout Wallace. He entered the league as the No. 10 overall pick out of Kentucky last season, and he averaged 6.8 points while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Wallace is in a great spot to build upon those numbers in a relatively low-pressure situation as his highly talented teammates take up most of the spotlight.
2. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Predicted 2024-25 record: 54-28
Last season: 56-26, 3rd in Western Conference.
Last time … the Timberwolves last made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons came when they made appeared in the postseason eight straight seasons from 1996-2004, when the late Flip Saunders was coach and Kevin Garnett was the star player. Minnesota has made each of the last three postseasons.
FanDuel championship odds: +1000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 8, G Rob Dillingham, Kentucky (acquired from Spurs)
No. 27, F Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
No. 37, F Bobi Klintman, Australia
DEPARTURES: F Karl-Anthony Towns, F Kyle Anderson, G Monte Morris, G Jordan McLaughlin
VETERAN ADDITIONS: F Julius Randle, G Donte DiVincenzo, G Joe Ingles, G PJ Dozier
Big picture
The Timberwolves announced themselves as a title contender last season when they knocked off the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks bounced the Timberwolves the following round in the Western Conference finals, however. Minnesota is ready to make another deep playoff run with a shuffled lineup that includes Randle and DiVincenzo but no longer features longtime face of the franchise in Towns. Look for Naz Reid to take on a more prominent role in Towns’ absence this season.
Get to know: G Rob Dillingham
The easy pick would be Reid, but he already experienced a breakout performance last season while Towns was out injured. So let’s turn our attention to Dillingham, a young but talented rookie who will be able to develop at his own speed while watching a mentor in Mike Conley Jr. in the backcourt. Dillingham can fill up the net, and the Timberwolves could use some offensive firepower during the regular season, so look for the first-round pick to get a chance to pad the stat sheet on nights when Conley rests.
3. DENVER NUGGETS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 52-30
Last season: 57-25, 2nd in Western Conference
Last time … the Nuggets played without star center Nikola Jokic was during the 2014-15 season. Jokic is back for his 10th season with the Nuggets, and he shows no signs of slowing down after averaging 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists over his first nine years in the league. But Jokic turns 30 this season, and it might be time for Denver to consider being smart with his playing time to keep him fresh for the postseason.
FanDuel championship odds: +1100
Roster roll call
Draft pick:
No. 22, PF DaRon Holmes II, Dayton (acquired from Suns)
DEPARTURES: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Justin Holiday, G Reggie Jackson
VETERAN ADDITIONS: G Russell Westbrook, F/C Dario Saric
Big picture
The Nuggets won a title two seasons ago, but last season they lost in the Western Conference semifinals against a Timberwolves team that they did not match up well against. This season could come down to matchups, too, as Jokic and Jamal Murray figure to put Denver in a good spot to make a run at a championship. Michael Porter Jr. has put on weight and hopes to take on more physical opponents this season, and Westbrook will try to renew Denver’s competitive fire as a veteran bench player.
Get to know: G/F Julian Strawther
The Gonzaga product averaged 4.5 points on 36.9 percent shooting in 50 games off the bench last season. But Strawther has the build and the talent to improve, and he could get a bigger opportunity after Caldwell-Pope left via free agency to sign with the Orlando Magic. Denver needs scoring, and Strawther will have a chance to step up and fill the void.
4. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 28-54
Last season: 21-61, 15th in NBA Western Conference.
Last time … the Trail Blazers went at least four years without making the playoffs was from 2003-04 to 2007-08, when players such as Brandon Roy struggled to overcome injury and inconsistency to make it to the postseason. Portland should be better than last season but likely is headed toward its fourth straight year with no playoff appearance. It’s tough enough to try to rebuild a team into a long-term contender, but the ultra-competitive Western Conference makes it almost an impossible feat in Portland.
FanDuel championship odds: +100000
Roster roll call
Draft pick:
No. 7, C Donovan Clingan, UConn
DEPARTURES: G Malcolm Brogdon
VETERAN ADDITIONS: F Deni Avdija, G Devonte’ Graham
Big picture
The Trail Blazers bit the bullet and traded Damian Lillard a season ago, and the results were not particularly encouraging for Portland. In year two of the post-Lillard era, the Trail Blazers hope to find their footing with a talented core of young players. Clingan could clog up the middle on defense for Portland, and Avdija will have a chance to improve his game after Portland rescued him from the Washington Wizards via trade.
Get to know: G Shaedon Sharpe
The Canadian has endured an up-and-down first two seasons in the NBA, but he still is just 21 years old and has a chance to develop into an impact player. He averaged 9.9 points as a rookie and 15.9 points in his sophomore campaign, but his shooting percentage dropped to 40.6 percent overall and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. If Sharpe is able to improve upon those numbers, he could emerge as one of the top scoring options on a Portland team that should be better this season.
5. UTAH JAZZ
Predicted 2024-25 record: 21-61
Last season: 31-51, 12th in Western Conference.
Last time …
The Jazz won fewer than 25 games was the 1979-80 campaign, when Adrian Dantley led a club that went 24-58 with 28 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. A slightly aging star named Pete Maravich ranked second that season at 17.1 points per game. This season could be similar, as Lauri Markkanen leads a team that almost certainly will finish at or near the bottom of the Western Conference.
FanDuel championship odds: +100000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 10, F Cody Williams, Colorado
No. 29, G Isaiah Collier, Southern California
No. 32, F/C Kyle Filipowski, Duke
DEPARTURES: G Kris Dunn, C Omer Yurtseven
VETERAN ADDITIONS: F Drew Eubanks, G Patty Mills, G Svi Mykhailiuk
Big picture
The Jazz continue to fall from relevance after a respectable era that featured Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt and Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt. The next wave of Utah basketball could be led by Markkanen, who signed an extension and seems to enjoy his role as the face of the Jazz franchise. Utah has a few intriguing young players and likely will add another top draft pick next summer as it looks to rebuild.
Get to know: C Walker Kessler
Nobody doubts Kessler’s impact on the defensive end, where he averaged 2.4 blocks per game last season and continued to establish himself as one of the league’s prominent rim protectors. The question is whether Kessler can unlock his abilities on the offensive end. If he can, look out because he could blossom as a top two-way big. Kessler averaged 8.1 points and 7.5 rebounds as a second-year player last season.
–Field Level Media
