NBA · 1 year ago

5 NBA Teams To Fade After the All-Star Break

John Canady

Host · Writer

5) Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors started the season off strong and quickly raised eyebrows as fans thought general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. might have finally put a contending team around Stephen Curry again. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse when the Warriors began to trend in the wrong direction and stack more losses than wins. Ahead of the deadline, the team made a move to land disgruntled star Jimmy Butler in hopes that another star alongside Curry could help them capitalize on the championship window they still have. And while Golden State has looked better with Butler alongside Curry, it's difficult to envision a team led by two stars over 35 running the table, especially considering where they stack up against the top Western Conference teams.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +4800

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1) New York Knicks
The New York Knicks currently sit in the third seed in the Eastern Conference after entering the season as a top contender. New York has shown flashes of how good they can be when firing on all cylinders, but they've struggled this season to do that against the top teams in the league. With an 11-12 record against teams above .500, it's hard to trust the Knicks heading into the postseason, even with Jalen Brunson putting together monster performances on a nightly basis.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +1300

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2) Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets elected to stay put at the NBA trade deadline as they sat atop the Western Conference in their second season under Ime Udoka. Despite their early success, the Rockets have seemingly fallen back down to earth with a 3-7 record in their last ten games before the All-Star break. Their lack of experience and current talent on the roster can only take them so far.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +6000
3) Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers entered the season with high expectations after making a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. However, after a rough start to the season, many people lost faith in Rick Carlisle's young team until they finally seemed to return to their winning ways since 2025 began. Currently sitting in the No. 4 seed in the East, the Pacers are in a position to make a run in the postseason, but against top contenders like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, it would be hard to put any stock on a deep run for Indiana.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +12000
4) Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves fell three games shy of an NBA Finals appearance last season, which led to a blockbuster trade in the offseason in efforts to finally get the team over the hump. Unfortunately, those moves that the team's front office thought could get them over the hump have seemed to hinder the team more than anything. As of late, the Timberwolves have slowly begun to stack wins again, but they still don't seem to be anywhere near the level of play they were at this time last year. And with such different personnel, it's hard to think they will return to that level this season.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +5000
5) Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors started the season off strong and quickly raised eyebrows as fans thought general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. might have finally put a contending team around Stephen Curry again. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse when the Warriors began to trend in the wrong direction and stack more losses than wins. Ahead of the deadline, the team made a move to land disgruntled star Jimmy Butler in hopes that another star alongside Curry could help them capitalize on the championship window they still have. And while Golden State has looked better with Butler alongside Curry, it's difficult to envision a team led by two stars over 35 running the table, especially considering where they stack up against the top Western Conference teams.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +4800

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1) New York Knicks
The New York Knicks currently sit in the third seed in the Eastern Conference after entering the season as a top contender. New York has shown flashes of how good they can be when firing on all cylinders, but they've struggled this season to do that against the top teams in the league. With an 11-12 record against teams above .500, it's hard to trust the Knicks heading into the postseason, even with Jalen Brunson putting together monster performances on a nightly basis.

Odds to Win the NBA Finals: +1300

Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

5 NBA Teams To Fade After the All-Star Break

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