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Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs piled up an East-leading 64 wins in 2024-25.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Download the NBA App<\/a> The Eastern Conference has been the lesser conference (with a losing record against the West) in 23 of the last 26 seasons. It certainly appears that it will be 24 of 27 by April 2026, in part because of three Achilles tears in the 2025 playoffs.<\/p>\n Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton were the primary stars on the best team of the last five years and the defending Eastern Conference champions, respectively. Damian Lillard, meanwhile, was the second star on the team with the best player in the East. All three are out<\/a> for all (or at least most) of next season, and Lillard will be in the Western Conference<\/a> when he eventually returns.<\/p>\n The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks should remain at the top of the conference, while the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic should both be much improved. The Philadelphia 76ers are a complete wildcard, and maybe a younger East team will take a huge step forward (like last season\u2019s Detroit Pistons).<\/p>\n We\u2019re still in July, and some rotation players from good teams are still unsigned<\/a>. But the time is now to take stock of the Eastern Conference, ranking all 15 teams as they stand, with the usual notes and numbers.<\/p>\n For these offseason rankings, we\u2019re looking at each conference separately and we\u2019ll have Western Conference rankings next Monday. All stats refer to the 2024-25 regular season unless otherwise noted. Last week\u2019s rank is based on how team\u2019s finished in the playoffs, Play-In and regular season.<\/p>\n Previously\u2026<\/p>\n OffRtg<\/a>: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank) The league averaged 113.7 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.6 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes last season.<\/p>\n NBA.com\u2019s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man\u2019s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail<\/a> or contact him via threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n #1<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 64-18<\/p>\n OffRtg: 121.0 (1) DefRtg: 111.8 (8) NetRtg: +9.2 (3)<\/p>\n Key additions: Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr.<\/p>\n Key departures: Ty Jerome, Isaac Okoro<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Cavs\u2019 offense scored 7.3 more points per 100 possessions than the league average, the 10th best differential for any team in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. They led the league with nine players<\/a> who shot the league average (36.0%) or better on at least 100 3-point attempts, though they\u2019ve lost two of the nine this Summer.<\/p>\n They saw the league\u2019s biggest jump in player movement, averaging 11.8 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possessions (seventh most), up from 10.3 (29th) in 2023-24. They had the league\u2019s sixth-biggest jump in ball movement and its fourth-biggest jump in pace and saw its fourth-biggest drop in turnover rate.<\/p>\n They outscored the Heat by 122 points, the biggest point differential in NBA playoff history, in their four-game sweep in the first round.<\/p>\n Key question: Can they push the defense into the top five?<\/p>\n The second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs was much different from the first, and while injuries certainly played a part, the Cavs also just weren\u2019t good enough defensively against the Pacers. They ranked last<\/a> in defense in the conference semis, allowing 116.7 points per 100 possessions and unable to keep up with Indiana\u2019s ball and player movement.<\/p>\n The East is seemingly the Cavs\u2019 to lose, but they need to be just a little bit better defensively, both so they can increase their chances of reaching the Finals and because they can\u2019t count on the shooting being so good for a second straight season. Both Ball and Nance should help them on that end of the floor, with the former also able to get them more opportunities in transition. Ball\u2019s 6.4 pass-ahead passes per game over his career rank second (to James Harden\u2019s 6.7) among all players over the last eight years, according to Second Spectrum tracking.<\/p>\n #2<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 51-31<\/p>\n OffRtg: 117.3 (5) DefRtg: 113.3 (13) NetRtg: +4.0 (8)<\/p>\n Key additions: Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele<\/p>\n Key departures: None<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agents: Precious Achiuwa (unsigned), Cam Payne (unsigned)<\/p>\n Coaching change: Tom Thibodeau out, Mike Brown in<\/a><\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Knicks\u2019 starting lineup played 940 minutes, 226 more<\/a> than any other lineup in the league. It outscored opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions, a mark which ranked 18th<\/a> among the 32 lineups that played at least 200 minutes in the regular season. It was outscored by 6.2 per 100<\/a> over 335 minutes in the playoffs.<\/p>\n They ranked second in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (30%) that came from the corners. Mikal Bridges (93) and OG Anunoby (82) ranked second and fourth<\/a> in total corner 3s, respectively.<\/p>\n In each of the last two seasons, the Knicks have ranked last in the percentage of their minutes (3.6% last season) that have come from rookies or second-year players.<\/p>\n Key question: Will the ball move more?<\/p>\n The Knicks have ranked in the bottom seven in ball movement in each of the last five seasons, with Jalen Brunson leading the league<\/a> in time of possession in each of the last two seasons. The Kings ranked in the top three in ball movement in each of Brown\u2019s two full seasons in Sacramento, leading the league<\/a> in efficiency in 2022-23.<\/p>\n New York has bigger issues on defense, and Brown will surely try to elicit better pick-and-roll defense from Karl-Anthony Towns. But the offense did see a bigger-than-average drop-off from the regular season to the playoffs, when the Knicks ranked 13th (of 16 teams) in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (63%) that were off the catch and 15th in the percentage (36%) that were wide open. They had some success with more ball movement during Brunson\u2019s 15-game absence late in the regular season and more movement with him on the floor should get him some easier shots.<\/p>\n #3<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 41-41<\/p>\n OffRtg: 108.9 (27) DefRtg: 109.1 (2) NetRtg: -0.2 (17)<\/p>\n Key additions: Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones<\/p>\n Key departures: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Magic have ranked in the bottom 10 offensively in each of the last 13 seasons. That\u2019s the second-longest streak for any team in the bottom 10 on either end of the floor in the 48 years in which turnovers have been counted, trailing only the Wizards\u2019 16 straight seasons as a bottom-10 offense from 1979-80 (when there were only 22 teams) through 1994-95.<\/p>\n Last season\u2019s Magic were the worst offensive team (they scored 4.7 fewer points per 100 possessions than the league average) to make the playoffs in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. Their 17 games<\/a> of shooting less than 25% from 3-point range were three more than any other team has had in the last eight seasons. They also shot below 25% from beyond the arc in two<\/a> of their five playoff games.<\/p>\n The Magic are the only team that\u2019s ranked in the top three defensively in each of the last two seasons. They had the league\u2019s second-ranked defense<\/a> last season despite ranking last<\/a> in opponent free-throw rate (28.7 attempts per 100 shots from the field).<\/p>\n Key question: Can Franz Wagner fix his shot?<\/p>\n Bane is a terrific addition, and not just because he\u2019s shot 41% from 3-point range over his five-year career. He\u2019s also seen an increase in playmaking duties over the last few seasons, and can take some of the offensive burden off the shoulders of Wagner and Paolo Banchero. The Magic were the only team<\/a> that had two players with a usage rate of 30% or higher last season. Additionally, Banchero also ranked second in isolations per 100 possessions, per Second Spectrum tracking.<\/p>\n Even if he\u2019s creating more catch-and-shoot opportunities for Wagner, Bane can\u2019t fix Wagner\u2019s shot. Since the 2024 All-Star break (and including postseason), Wagner has shot a brutal 137-for-520 (26.3%) on 3-pointers. Last season, he wasn\u2019t any better off the catch (58-for-198, 29.3%<\/a>) than he was off the dribble (44-for-151, 29.1%<\/a>).<\/p>\n If Wagner can get back to around 34% (not even league average) from deep, the Magic can finally climb out of the bottom 10 on offense and be a real threat to the best teams in the league.<\/p>\n #4<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 44-38<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.6 (14) DefRtg: 112.5 (10) NetRtg: +2.1 (12)<\/p>\n Key additions: Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson<\/p>\n Key departures: Dennis Schr\u00f6der, Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Malik Beasley<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Pistons were the first team in the last 17 seasons (since the 2007-08 Celtics) to be at least 5.0 points per 100 possessions better on both ends of the floor<\/a> than they were the season prior.<\/p>\n They had the worst record (11-25) in games played against the 14 teams<\/a> that finished above .500. They had a top-10 defense overall, but ranked 17th defensively (118.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) against the league\u2019s top 10 offenses.<\/p>\n They had the league\u2019s biggest differential between their record when they won the first quarter (34-11<\/a>, .756) and when they lost the first quarter (8-26<\/a>, .235).<\/p>\n Key question: Can they reduce their turnovers and fouls?<\/p>\n Cade Cunningham has made a big leap over the last two seasons, and his team came along for the ride last season. But they beat themselves in the playoffs, turning the ball over too much and committing some bad fouls. Cunningham had the second-highest turnover rate<\/a> (13.8 per 100 possessions) among 20 high-usage players in the playoffs.<\/p>\n The return of Jaden Ivey and the development of Ausar Thompson could give the Pistons another boost. Additional improvement can come in the margins, with obvious room for improvement regarding both turnover rate (where they ranked 21st<\/a> last season) and opponent free throw rate (27th<\/a>).<\/p>\n #5<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 40-42<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.7 (17) DefRtg: 114.8 (18) NetRtg: -1.1 (18)<\/p>\n Key additions: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is<\/p>\n Key departures: Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, Terance Mann, Larry Nance Jr., Georges Niang<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Hawks led the league in shot quality, per Second Spectrum tracking. They took just 6% of their shots from mid-range, the third-lowest rate for any team in the 29 seasons for which we have shot-location data, higher than only that of two seasons (2021-22 and 2018-19) from the Houston Rockets. But it was still their worst offensive season in the last five years.<\/p>\n It was also their best defensive season (1.1 points allowed per 100 possessions more than the league average) in the last four years. They still ranked 28th<\/a> in opponent effective field goal percentage, but were sixth<\/a> in opponent turnover rate and 10th<\/a> in defensive rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n Dyson Daniels averaged 5.9 deflections per game<\/a>, the most (by a wide margin) for any player in the 10 seasons for which we have hustle stats.<\/p>\n Key question: How good can they be defensively?<\/p>\n The Hawks have ranked no higher than 18th defensively in Trae Young\u2019s seven seasons, and have consistently been much better defensively with him off the floor. He\u2019s one of the most important offensive players in the league, but there\u2019s a ceiling on how good a team can be defensively when he\u2019s playing more than 2,000 minutes.<\/p>\n But what\u2019s the ceiling? Can they get into the 11-13 range with the additions of Alexander-Walker and Porzi\u0146\u0123is (both coming from great defensive teams), along with the return of Jalen Johnson? Porzingis should be a terrific complement to Young offensively, the continued development of Johnson remains a huge story, and the offense should return to the top 10.<\/p>\n #6<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 48-34<\/p>\n OffRtg: 115.1 (10) DefRtg: 112.7 (12) NetRtg: +2.4 (11)<\/p>\n Key additions: Myles Turner, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris<\/p>\n Key departures: Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton<\/p>\n Three numbers to know\u2026<\/p>\n The Bucks are one of two teams (the Celtics are the other) that have made the playoffs in each of the last nine seasons, but they\u2019ve been eliminated in the first round in each of the last three.<\/p>\n They ranked last (for the second straight season) in the percentage of their points (21.6%) that came from fast breaks (11.6%, 27th<\/a>) or second chances (10%, 29th). They ranked in the top five in effective field goal percentage, free throw rate and turnover rate, but were last<\/a> (by a wide margin) in offensive rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n The Bucks ranked 28th<\/a> in points in the paint per 100 possessions (44.2), even though Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.4) led all individuals<\/a> who played in at least 35 games by a wide margin.<\/p>\n Key question: How much was Lillard limiting them defensively?<\/p>\n The Bucks were much better in 767 minutes with Antetokounmpo on the floor without Lillard (plus-11.0 points per 100 possessions) than they were in 1,326 minutes with the two stars on the floor together (plus-4.7 per 100<\/a>) last season, and the difference was all about offense (123.5 vs. 115.7 scored per 100). But Lillard\u2019s departure should, overall, give them a chance to return to the top six on defense. Lopez and Turner ranked first and second<\/a>, respectively, in total shots defended at the rim last season (Turner\u2019s success rate was a bit higher).<\/p>\n Offense could be a struggle, especially if the Bucks don\u2019t score on the break or on second chances. Kyle Kuzma was more efficient with the Bucks (true shooting percentage of 52%<\/a>) than he was with the Wizards (46.9%) last season, but still needs to be better. Though they decided to eat the contract of the 35-year-old Lillard, the Bucks are playing for the present as much as any other team, with Anthony and Kevin Porter Jr. (both 25) being the youngest players on the roster who were selected in the first round of the draft.<\/p>\n #7<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 24-58<\/p>\n OffRtg: 111.0 (23) DefRtg: 117.3 (26) NetRtg: -6.3 (25)<\/p>\n Key additions: VJ Edgecombe (No. 3 pick<\/a>), Trendon Watford<\/p>\n Key departure: Guerschon Yabusele<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Quentin Grimes<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Sixers were the only team without a lineup that played at least 100 minutes last season, with their most-used, five-man group playing just 72 total minutes<\/a> over eight games. Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid played just 294 total minutes<\/a> (over 15 games) together, and the Sixers were outscored by 0.5 points per 100 possessions in those minutes.<\/p>\n They saw the league\u2019s second biggest drop-off from 2023-24 in regard to both winning percentage and point differential per 100 possessions. They saw the biggest drop in rebounding percentage, from 49.3% (22nd<\/a>) in \u201923-24 to 47.1% (30th<\/a>) last season.<\/p>\n They ranked 26th defensively and last in shot-quality defense, according to Second Spectrum tracking. But their zone defense (0.96 points allowed per chance) ranked seventh among the 22 teams that played at least 100 possessions of zone, according to Synergy tracking. Only the Heat played more zone than the Sixers (8.7 possessions per game).<\/p>\n Key question: What does George have left?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s envision a 2025-26 season in which Embiid and George are healthy, at least once the latter has recovered from his mid-July knee surgery<\/a>. Then the question is if that tandem can return to how well they played (on separate teams) two seasons ago. That\u2019s when Embiid averaged more than a point per minute and when George registered a career-best true shooting percentage<\/a> of 61.3%.<\/p>\n George had the biggest drop-off (from that 61.3% to 54.3%) among 130 players with at least 500 field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons. And it was about his shooting from outside the paint, as well as his free-throw rate, which fell to a career-low 17 attempts per 100 shots from the field. George is 35 years old with three years and $162 million on his contract, and how well he recovers from last season (and the knee injury) will go a long way in determining how good the Sixers are on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n #8<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 37-45<\/p>\n OffRtg: 112.4 (21) DefRtg: 112.0 (9) NetRtg: +0.4 (16)<\/p>\n Key addition: Norman Powell<\/p>\n Key departures: Duncan Robinson, Kyle Anderson<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Heat are the only team<\/a> ranked in the top 10 defensively in each of the last five seasons (but they had the 19th-ranked defense vs. the top-10 offensive teams last season). They\u2019ve led the league in total zone possessions in each of the last three seasons, playing 50% more zone than any other team in 2024-25, per Synergy tracking.<\/p>\n Their 22 losses (they were 35-22) after leading by double-digits were tied for the most for any team in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. Their 15 losses (they were 30-15<\/a>) when leading after the third quarter were tied for the most for any team in the last 41 years.<\/p>\n They were 37-45 with the point differential of a team that was 43-39, having gone 14-28 (third worst<\/a>) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes and 23-17 otherwise.<\/p>\n Key question: Can they get more inside?<\/p>\n The Heat are one of four teams that have ranked in the bottom 10 offensively in each of the last three seasons. They were also one of only three teams (the Cavs and Thunder were the others) that ended last season with a league-high seven players<\/a> who shot 37% or better on 100 or more 3-point attempts. They lacked inside scoring, ranking 23rd in field goal percentage in the paint, 24th in free throw rate and 27th in offensive rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n Powell (fifth in transition points per game<\/a>) gives the offense more juice, but the Heat need more from their frontline. Bam Adebayo has become more of a jump-shooter over the last two seasons and Jaime Jaquez Jr. took a step backward after a promising rookie season. A Jaquez renaissance or improvement from center Kel\u2019el Ware could give the Heat the offensive boost they need to get back into the top six in the East.<\/p>\n #9<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 50-32<\/p>\n OffRtg: 115.4 (9) DefRtg: 113.3 (14) NetRtg: +2.1 (13)<\/p>\n Key addition: Jay Huff<\/p>\n Key departures: Myles Turner<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Thomas Bryant<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Pacers have ranked in the top five in both ball and player movement in each of the last five seasons. Their 398 passes per 24 minutes of possession last season were the most for any team in the last seven years, per Second Spectrum tracking.<\/p>\n They led the league in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (63%) that were wide open.<\/p>\n In the playoffs, the Pacers scored 17.4 more points per 100 possessions<\/a> with Tyrese Haliburton on the floor (118.7) than they did with him off the floor (101.3). That was the biggest on-off differential on offense among players who advanced past the conference semifinals.<\/p>\n Key question: How well can the system run without Haliburton?<\/a><\/p>\n The ball should be able to continue moving without the Pacers\u2019 star, but he was the main ball-mover. Pascal Siakam should be able to take on a larger load offensively, but his transition game will miss the guy who led the league with 9.2 pass-ahead passes per game. Huff will allow them to play five-out offense, but doesn\u2019t give them as much inside as Turner. (Only 31% of Huff\u2019s shots came in the paint last season.)<\/p>\n Over the regular season and playoffs, the Pacers played just 140 minutes with Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith on the floor without Haliburton, and they were outscored by four points over those 140 minutes, scoring just 105.3 per 100 possessions. This is still a solid team, but the ceiling appears pretty low without their star.<\/p>\n #10<\/p>\n Key addition: Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9 pick<\/a>)<\/p>\n Key departure: None<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Chris Boucher<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Raptors are the only team that has ranked in the bottom 10 in both 3-point percentage<\/a> and 3-point rate<\/a> (3PA\/FGA) in each of the last three seasons. Last season was the second straight season in which they led the league in the percentage of their shots that came in the paint.<\/p>\n Though they shot a lot in the paint, they ranked 25th<\/a> in free-throw rate and were outscored by 3.9 points per game, the league\u2019s worst discrepancy, at the line.<\/p>\n They allowed 109.4 points per 100 possessions (second<\/a>) after the All-Star break, down from 115.8 (26th<\/a>) before the break. That was the league\u2019s best post-break improvement on defense, and it was certainly schedule-related. The Raptors finished 16-3 (allowing 102.5 per 100) vs. the bottom six teams<\/a> in the league and 14-49 (allowing 117.0 per 100) otherwise.<\/p>\n Key question: Does Brandon Ingram fit?<\/p>\n Ingram took 34.5% of his shots<\/a> from 3-point range last season, up from just 22.3% over the previous three seasons. He doesn\u2019t exactly solve the Raptors\u2019 3-point shooting issues, and it\u2019s hard to see him being a great fit alongside Scottie Barnes (who shot 27% from deep<\/a> last season). Both have contract extensions that just kicked in on July 1, with Immanuel Quickley (who missed 49 games last season) also getting paid $32.5 million per year for the next four years.<\/p>\n The Raptors committed a lot of money to a core that hasn\u2019t done much (or played much) together. They were outscored by 11.2 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in just 140 minutes with Quickley, Barnes, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl on the floor together last season. How they integrate Ingram and if he and Barnes can complement each other will be fascinating to see.<\/p>\n #11<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 39-43<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.2 (20) DefRtg: 114.8 (19) NetRtg: -1.6 (20)<\/p>\n Key additions: Noa Essengue (No. 12 pick<\/a>), Isaac Okoro<\/p>\n Key departure: Lonzo Ball<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Josh Giddey<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Bulls saw the league\u2019s biggest jumps in both pace (from 28th<\/a> to second<\/a>) and 3-point rate (from 29th<\/a> to fifth<\/a>) from 2023-24 to \u201924-25. They ranked last<\/a> in time of possession (19.4 minutes per game).<\/p>\n They also saw the league\u2019s second biggest jumps in both ball and player movement, and were the only team to rank in the top three in both last season. Relatedly, they saw the league\u2019s biggest jump in shot quality, according to Second Spectrum tracking.<\/p>\n They were 9.6 points per 100 possessions better after the All-Star break (plus-4.8, 10th<\/a>) than they were before the break (minus-4.8, 23rd<\/a>). That was the biggest post-break improvement for any team in the last 20 years.<\/p>\n Key question: How good is Matas Buzelis?<\/p>\n DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are gone, and Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 is on the last year of his contract. So the Bulls may be ready to move on to the next era, built around Buzelis, Essengue, Giddey and Coby White (a free agent next year).<\/p>\n Buzelis started the final 31 games of last season, averaging 17.6 points per 36 minutes<\/a> on a true shooting percentage of 58.6%<\/a>, up from 15.0 on 55.0% over his first 49 games as a reserve. He also nearly doubled both his assist ratio and deflections per 36 minutes, while (in scoring a career-high 31 points against the Lakers on March 22) showing some flashes<\/a> of serious talent. If those numbers continue on an upward trajectory, the Bulls will have themselves an impactful and versatile 6-foot-10 forward.<\/p>\n #12<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 61-21<\/p>\n OffRtg: 119.5 (2) DefRtg: 110.1 (4) NetRtg: +9.4 (2)<\/p>\n Key additions: Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang<\/p>\n Key departures: Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is, Luke Kornet<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Al Horford<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Celtics are the first team in the 48 seasons in which turnovers have been counted to rank in the top five on both ends of the floor<\/a> in three straight seasons. They\u2019ve been the league\u2019s best team on both offense and defense when combining the numbers from the last five years.<\/p>\n They took 53.6% of their shots<\/a> from 3-point range, the highest rate for any team in the 46 seasons of the 3-point line. They outscored their opponents by 14.7 points per game from 3-point range, more than double the differential of any other team (Cleveland was second at plus-7.3 points per game).<\/p>\n They had all six of their top players (their preferred starters plus Horford) for only 22 (24%) of their 93 games last season.<\/p>\n Key question: What do they have inside?<\/p>\n What talent remains in Boston is all on the perimeter. As things stand, their bigs are Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Xavier Tillman, with Niang probably set to play a lot of minutes at the four. That group is going to struggle matching up with the frontlines of the top six teams in these rankings.<\/p>\n The Celtics could set another record for 3-point rate, creating high variance from game to game and quarter to quarter. But the quality of those looks will certainly go down without Jayson Tatum\u2019s creation<\/a> and with opposing defenses able to help off of pieces of the rotation more than they could in years past. It\u2019s a gap year, but it shouldn\u2019t be a wasted one, with Baylor Scheierman (the 30th pick in last year\u2019s draft) the key young guy who could take advantage of the opportunity that the Celtics\u2019 step backward will provide.<\/p>\n #13<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 19-63<\/p>\n OffRtg: 106.7 (29) DefRtg: 115.7 (24) NetRtg: -9.1 (27)<\/p>\n Key additions: Kon Knueppel (No. 4 pick<\/a>), Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie, Mason Plumlee<\/p>\n Key departures: Mark Williams, Jusuf Nurki\u0107<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n They had the league\u2019s worst initial offense, scoring just 90.2 points per 100 possessions when subtracting second-chance points, having ranked in the bottom four in effective field goal percentage (30th<\/a>), free throw rate (27th<\/a>) and turnover rate (28th<\/a>). But they ranked eighth<\/a> in offensive rebounding percentage (30.8%) and third<\/a> in second-chance points per 100 possessions (16.5).<\/p>\n They were just 3-32 without LaMelo Ball and scored 11.2 more points per 100 possessions<\/a> with him on the floor (112.7) than they did with him off the floor (101.5). That was tied for the fifth biggest on-off differential on offense among 253 players who played at least 1,000 minutes for a single team.<\/p>\n Key question: How good is the backcourt of Ball and Brandon Miller?<\/p>\n The Hornets were improved defensively in Charles Lee\u2019s first season as head coach, seeing the league\u2019s biggest drop in opponent effective field goal percentage, with improvement both in and outside the paint. But they ranked in the bottom three on offense for a third straight season (after somehow ranking eighth<\/a> in 2021-22), with their offensive rebounding prowess keeping them out of the basement on that end of the floor.<\/p>\n The offense was a little better than average (114.1 points scored per 100 possessions) with Ball and Miller on the floor together, but that was just for 466 total minutes across only 20 games. The 6-foot-7 duo (who will be 24 and 23 years old this season, respectively,) has played just 827 minutes together over Miller\u2019s two NBA seasons. (Last season, 321 two-man combinations<\/a> played more than that.) It would be nice if they could, at least, double that total this season so Charlotte can confirm that this is its backcourt future.<\/p>\n #14<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 18-64<\/p>\n OffRtg: 105.8 (30) DefRtg: 118.0 (28) NetRtg: -12.2 (30)<\/p>\n Key additions: CJ McCollum, Tre Johnson (No. 6 pick<\/a>), Cam Whitmore<\/p>\n Key departure: Jordan Poole<\/p>\n Three numbers to know \u2026<\/p>\n The Wizards won three more games<\/a> last season than they did in 2023-24, but were outscored by 12.4 points per game<\/a>, the third-worst point differential in NBA history. Their 25 losses of at least 20 points were one shy of the record set by the 1992-93 Mavs.<\/p>\n They were the first team in the 29 years for which we have play-by-play data to rank in the bottom 10 in each of the four factors<\/a> (effective field goal percentage, free throw rate, turnover rate and rebounding percentage) on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n They got 35% of their minutes from rookies, the league\u2019s highest rate by a wide margin, with Toronto next at 25%.<\/p>\n Key question: Will one of their young guys make a leap?<\/p>\n With their two first-round picks, along with the additions of Whitmore, Malaki Branham and Dillon Jones, the Wizards now have 10 former first-round picks who are still on their rookie deals. McCollum and Khris Middleton are there for veteran support, but this roster remains a long-term project and the Wizards are likely heading for a fifth straight season<\/a> where they rank in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n Alex Sarr is the one with the most potential, and he made some progress in his rookie season, averaging 15.6 points<\/a> after the All-Star break, up from 11.4 before the break. That was a result of a big leap in usage rate (from 20.3% to 27.4%<\/a>) with a small jump in efficiency. More improvement in Year 2 could be in the cards, and that would give the Wizards a more solid foundation to build upon.<\/p>\n #15<\/p>\n 2024-25 record: 26-56<\/p>\n OffRtg: 108.1 (28) DefRtg: 115.4 (23) NetRtg: -7.3 (26)<\/p>\n Key additions: Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Egor Demin (No. 8 pick<\/a>)<\/p>\n Key departures: Cam Johnson, D\u2019Angelo Russell, Trendon Watford<\/p>\n Key outstanding free agent: Cam Thomas<\/p>\n Three numbers to know\u2026<\/p>\n The Nets had a top-10 offense<\/a> through the first six weeks (falling off dramatically after that) and the league\u2019s No. 1 defense<\/a> over a four-week stretch leading into the All-Star break last season. But they finished as one of six teams<\/a> that ranked in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor. Their nine seasons of ranking in the bottom 10 on both ends over the 29 years for which we have play-by-play data is tied (with Atlanta) for the most in the league.<\/p>\n They took 24% of their shots, the league\u2019s highest rate, in the last six seconds of the shot clock, according to Second Spectrum tracking. Their effective field goal percentage of 44.2% in the last six seconds ranked 25th.<\/p>\n They used \u201cblitz\u201d or \u201cshow\u201d coverage on 28% of opponent pick-and-rolls, the league\u2019s highest rate. Relatedly, opponent turnover rate (seventh<\/a>) was the only of the four factors on defense in which they didn\u2019t rank in the bottom eight. But 30% of their opponents\u2019 3-point attempts, the league\u2019s highest rate, came from the corners.<\/p>\n Key question: How much do the rookies play?<\/p>\n Demin could be in the starting backcourt, but the Nets have several veterans who could occupy rotation spots ahead of the other four rookies they selected in the first round of the Draft. Still, they\u2019re obviously hoping for a better pick next year, having re-acquired their own 2026 first rounder (in last year\u2019s deal with Houston) and traded their best player (Johnson).<\/p>\n
\u2022 2025 Free Agent Tracker<\/a>
\u2022 Every reported deal for all 30 teams<\/a><\/p>\n
DefRtg<\/a>: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg<\/a>: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace<\/a>: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612739\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
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