Five bold predictions for 2024-25 NBA season

The 2024-25 NBA season is going to be unpredictable.

We’ve already seen one All-NBA player traded for another — Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — before training camps even opened. This season feels wide open, with more contending teams entering the season than we have seen in a long time. Ultimately, this season may follow form, and Boston will repeat as champions, but the path to that moment will be long and winding.

Let’s try to predict the unpredictable — here are five bold predictions for the coming NBA season.

Klay Thompson will be Dallas’ sixth man by the All-Star break

Klay Thompson chose Dallas as a free-agent destination for several reasons: playing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, changing the narrative around him, and the chance to start. The Mavericks reportedly told Thompson he would start for them and that makes sense, he brings valued floor spacing and shooting. Last season, teams would leave Derrick Jones Jr. alone in the corner and dare him to beat them, nobody is doing that with Thompson.

However, Thompson is not the defender he once was — he was a minus defender last season — and that could be an issue next to Doncic and Irving. It would put a lot of pressure on second-year center Derrick Lively II to clean things up around the rim.

However, the Mavericks also landed wing Naji Marshall as a free agent this summer. While he’s not as big and sexy a name as Thompson, Marshall is a quality defender who made a leap last season and shot 38.7% from 3 and 42% on corner 3s. If Marshall can continue to shoot 3s at that rate, he’s a better fit next to Doncic and Irving.

By the All-Star break it will be clear Dallas is just better with Marshall starting and Thompson playing 20+ minutes a night off the bench. Jason Kidd will sit down and have the tough conversation. But, if it’s what is best for a team with aspirations of returning to the NBA Finals and taking one more step, Kidd will do it.

New York Knicks will finish regular season with best record in East

Boston is the team to beat in the East and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they won 60 games or more again this…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-bold-predictions-2024-25-144544420.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-30 14:45:44

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