1. MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 57-25
Last season: 49-33, 3rd in Eastern Conference
Last time …
The Bucks reached the second round of the playoffs was 2022, settling for a pair of disappointing first-round exits since then. Milwaukee is also just four seasons removed from a championship.
FanDuel championship odds: +1400
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 23, SG AJ Johnson, Australia
No. 33, PF Tyler Smith, G League Ignite
DEPARTURES: G Malik Beasley, G Patrick Beverley
VETERAN ADDITIONS: G Gary Trent Jr., G Delon Wright, F Taurean Prince
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Pairing Damian Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo seemingly promised big dividends for Milwaukee last season, but the Bucks went home early after falling to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. A calf strain held Antetokounmpo out for the entirety of that series, while Lillard missed two games due to an Achilles issue. Injuries aside, it never really felt like the Bucks fully clicked last season, probably due in part to a coaching change in January. Adrian Griffin was fired, Joe Prunty took over on an interim basis and Doc Rivers was hired soon after. Now Milwaukee is just hoping for stability in 2024-25.
Get to know: G AJ Green
The Bucks are at their best when they surround Antetokounmpo with high-percentage shooters, and Green fits the bill. He has knocked down 41.2 percent of his 274 3-point tries in two seasons (91 games) with Milwaukee, giving the Bucks instant offense off the bench. It won’t happen overnight, but this could be the season that Green passes Pat Connaughton on the depth chart. Poor perimeter shooting has often killed Milwaukee in the playoffs, and perhaps Green is the long-awaited solution.
2. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 49-33
Last season: 48-34, 4th in Eastern Conference
Last time …
Kenny Atkinson coached a team it was the Brooklyn Nets, and he resigned amid a 28-34 season in 2019-20. He then spent time as an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors before the Cavaliers hired him as head coach back in June.
FanDuel championship odds: +4000
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 20, SG Jaylon Tyson, Cal
DEPARTURES: None
VETERAN ADDITIONS: F JT Thor
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Even though Cleveland hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, the Cavaliers showed that they are planning on sticking with their core by signing Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to extensions this offseason. Seeding for the postseason could end up coming down to how healthy Mitchell is. The 28-year-old missed 27 games last season, leaving many wondering what Cleveland’s actual ceiling was. At full strength, the Cavaliers could end up in the mix for a top-three seed in the East, even with a tougher conference here in 2024-25.
Get to know: G/F Caris LeVert
LeVert doesn’t crack the starting lineup because of Cleveland’s top-tier backcourt (Darius Garland and Mitchell), yet he still finished with stellar averages (14.0 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds) a season ago. Don’t be surprised if there’s a Sixth Man of the Year award in LeVert’s future. If the unfortunate situation in which Mitchell gets injured does arise, LeVert is a perfect plug-and-play option that should prevent the Cavaliers from missing a beat.
3. INDIANA PACERS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 45-37
Last season: 47-35, 6th in Eastern Conference
Last time …
A team averaged as many points per game as the Pacers did last season (123.3) was in 1983-84, when the Denver Nuggets put up 123.7 points per contest. That run-and-gun offense took Indiana all the way to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2014.
FanDuel championship odds: +5000
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 35, SG Johnny Furphy, Kansas (acquired from Spurs)
No. 49, SG Tristen Newton, UConn
No. 50, PF Enrique Freeman, Akron
DEPARTURES: F Jalen Smith
VETERAN ADDITIONS: C James Wiseman
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Indiana managed to blow its expectations for last season out of the water, but does it have what it takes to stay relevant in a conference that now has Paul George and Karl-Anthony Towns? Pascal Siakam is back with the Pacers on a four-year deal after joining them in January via trade. He and Tyrese Haliburton provide the star power for Indiana, which doesn’t quite match up with that of teams like the Celtics, Knicks, 76ers and Bucks. Big leaps last season from Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith give the Pacers reason to be optimistic, though.
Get to know: C James Wiseman
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wiseman has yet to truly find his footing in the NBA. He put together a promising rookie season with Golden State but never made the jump you’d like to see from a lottery pick, with the Warriors and Detroit Pistons both somewhat let down by the big man. Maybe a fresh start with a team that should be playoff-bound once again is exactly what Wiseman needs. The 7-footer is still just 23.
4. CHICAGO BULLS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 37-45
Last season: 39-43, 9th in Eastern Conference
Last time …
The Bulls had a top-15 pick in the draft, they went out and took Patrick Williams at No. 4 back in 2020. This time around, Chicago selected Matas Buzelis at No. 11.
FanDuel championship odds: +100000
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 11, SF Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite
DEPARTURES: G/F DeMar DeRozan, G Alex Caruso, C Andre Drummond, F Javonte Green
VETERAN ADDITIONS: G Josh Giddey, F Jalen Smith, G/F Chris Duarte
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It isn’t quite a rebuild, but it certainly isn’t a push for a title, either, for the Bulls, who dealt star DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings back in July. Chicago still has far more talent than a team that’s truly rebuilding, putting it in a state of purgatory — should it start stockpiling picks or work toward something special as the season progresses? Perhaps that decision becomes a bit easier based on how guard Lonzo Ball plays. Ball has not taken the floor since Jan. 14, 2022. The Bulls once looked like a powerhouse with him directing the offense, and maybe it’s not too late for them to rediscover that form.
Get to know: G Josh Giddey
Giddey was the return in a deal that sent Caruso to the Thunder, and he should help get things moving for a Chicago offense that sometimes gets iso-happy when the ball finds Zach LaVine’s hands. Giddey averaged 5.7 assists per game during his three seasons in Oklahoma City. He also established himself as a triple-double threat. With Giddey, Ball and Coby White, the Bulls are going to give teams fits in the backcourt.
5. DETROIT PISTONS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 28-54
Last season: 14-68, 15th in Eastern Conference
Last time …
The Pistons finished anywhere but last in the Central Division was 2019-20. Their downward spiral has gotten worse and worse, with the team failing to win over 20 games in four of the past five seasons.
FanDuel championship odds: +100000
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 5, SF Ron Holland II, G League Ignite
No. 37, SF Bobi Klintman, Australia (acquired from Timberwolves)
DEPARTURES: C James Wiseman, F/C Taj Gibson, G Quentin Grimes
VETERAN ADDITIONS: F Tobias Harris, G Malik Beasley, G/F Tim Hardaway Jr., SG Wendell Moore Jr., C Paul Reed
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For a team that drafts near the top of the board as often as Detroit does, the Pistons have been awful. They finished with the worst record in the entire NBA last season, and one has to wonder when — or if — Detroit will finally start clicking with all its young talent. J.B. Bickerstaff is entering his first season as coach of the Pistons after guiding Cleveland to the postseason two years in a row. Having that type of playoff experience in the building is nice and all, but Detroit needs to focus on hitting the 30-win plateau before even thinking about playing basketball in May.
Get to know: F Ausar Thompson
Thompson, the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft, saw his rookie season end prematurely because of a blood clot. Still, he managed to show that he has the makings of an integral piece of the Pistons’ future through his 63 games (38 starts) in 2023-24, averaging 8.8 points and 6.4 boards. Bickerstaff should be eager to coach the 21-year-old in his sophomore season.