NBA · 1 year ago

5 Bold Predictions to Spark the Rest of the NBA Season

John Canady

Host · Writer

The Kings miss the postseason
The Kings entered this season with so much promise after their showing in the first round of last year’s playoffs. And while the team isn’t having a terrible season, sitting with a 31-23 record at the break, they’re hovering in the middle of a play-in spot where they could be in position to fight for their chance at the postseason. With the steep competition in the West, the last thing Sacramento wants to do is enter the play-in tournament in a do-or-die game against teams led by Stephen Curry, LeBron James, or Luka Doncic. If the Kings don’t find a way to clinch a seed in the top six of the Western Conference, I can see Mike Brown’s squad missing the postseason altogether.
5 Bold Predictions to Spark the Rest of the NBA Season
The second half of the NBA season is approaching quickly. As the postseason lurks right around the corner, playoff seeding will start to take shape. Moving forward, each game becomes increasingly important, and the sense of urgency around the league is set to increase. That said, here are five bold predictions for the final stretch of the regular season.
The Warriors make a second half run
The Warriors ended the first half of the season with an 8-2 record in their last ten games. Golden State opted to make no moves at the deadline aside from offloading Cory Joseph’s salary and ultimately chose to make a playoff push with the core they had. And while many didn’t agree with that decision, Steve Kerr is making Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s decision look good. With Jonathan Kuminga taking a step in Draymond Green’s absence and Klay Thompson lighting it up off the bench in their final game before the break, the Dubs could be finding a winning formula. At 27-26, the Warriors sit in the tenth seed, but with Stephen Curry leading the way, a play-in spot is a worst-case scenario for them. All they need is a chance, and Curry gives them that nightly. I predict Golden State’s championship experience helps them figure it out in the second half, and the team clinches a spot in the postseason.
The Knicks make a push for the No. 2 seed in the East
New York made headlines throughout the season and during the trade deadline. The Knicks haven’t been shy about pulling the trigger on a trade, and through the course of the first half of the year, Tom Thibodeau and company added talent to help the team attempt to get over the hump. The Knicks have the supporting cast to compete with any team in a seven-game series, with the likes of OG Anunoby, Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Precious Achiuwa. And with Julius Randle returning from injury soon, New York can push for a top seed in the East. Only four games behind the Cavaliers for the No. 2 seed, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks could capitalize on any mistake Cleveland and Milwaukee make.
The Pacers make noise in the East
Indiana has put together quite an impressive season in just year three of the Tyrese Haliburton era. The Pacers sit as the sixth seed in the East and have managed to win games over some of the top teams ahead of them, including the Celtics and the Bucks. With Haliburton and Pascal Siakam building chemistry alongside Myles Turner and their supporting cast, the team will have a chance to put Indiana back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. With a brilliant coach in Rick Carlisle and a young roster at his disposal, I see the Pacers making some noise in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee continues to struggle
The Bucks made a surprise move amid the season when they fired their head coach, Adrian Griffin, despite sitting in the second seed in the East. Following their move to dismiss Griffin, Milwaukee brought in Doc Rivers, hoping the experienced coach would help the team rise to the championship level of play they thought was missing. However, plans haven’t gone accordingly for the Bucks, as they started their tenure under Rivers 3-7 heading into the break. With new faces and personalities on the team, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo will have less than 30 games to figure their issues out in hopes of making a championship run. However, coming off a first-round exit and the inconsistency the team played with throughout the first portion of the year, I don’t have high hopes for the Bucks despite the star power on their team.
The Kings miss the postseason
The Kings entered this season with so much promise after their showing in the first round of last year’s playoffs. And while the team isn’t having a terrible season, sitting with a 31-23 record at the break, they’re hovering in the middle of a play-in spot where they could be in position to fight for their chance at the postseason. With the steep competition in the West, the last thing Sacramento wants to do is enter the play-in tournament in a do-or-die game against teams led by Stephen Curry, LeBron James, or Luka Doncic. If the Kings don’t find a way to clinch a seed in the top six of the Western Conference, I can see Mike Brown’s squad missing the postseason altogether.
5 Bold Predictions to Spark the Rest of the NBA Season
The second half of the NBA season is approaching quickly. As the postseason lurks right around the corner, playoff seeding will start to take shape. Moving forward, each game becomes increasingly important, and the sense of urgency around the league is set to increase. That said, here are five bold predictions for the final stretch of the regular season.

5 Bold Predictions to Spark the Rest of the NBA Season

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