Andy Bailey Featured Columnist IV

Kevork Djansezian/ The leaves are changing colors. Football is back. The MLB playoffs are just about here. It's fall, the most wonderful sports season of the year, and that means the NBA is back, too.
After the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets held media days last week, the rest of the league introduced their 2024-25 teams to the world on Monday.
Training camps, preseason games and the regular season, which starts on October 22, are next.
Before we check those items off the calendar, though, let's take a stroll around the league by defining each team's media day with just one word.

Atlanta Hawks: Return

Kevin C. Cox/ It's safe to say the Dejounte Murray-Trae Young experiment was a failure. The Atlanta Hawks never quite figured out the division of labor between the two, and after just two seasons, they rerouted Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.
That means the Hawks are on the verge of returning to the offensive philosophy that drove the organization prior to Murray's arrival. More specifically, they're pivoting back to Trae-ball.
General manager Landry Fields talked about the importance of having players who move without the ball, a pretty transparent nod to the fact that Young is often handling. And the roster he's building clearly fits the three-time All-Star better than those of recent seasons.
No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and De'Andre Hunter can make up a sort of positionless, switchable forward group that can help cover for his defensive shortcomings while also spacing the floor for his drives. Clint Capela is still around, and his rim-running will be crucial in Young-led pick-and-rolls.
Ultimately, the ceiling will probably be determined by how good Risacher and Johnson become, but the identity is once again clear: This is Trae Young's team, especially on offense.

Boston Celtics: Expectation

Maddie Malhotra/ Fresh off winning the 2024 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics somehow enter this season with plenty to prove.
Jaylen Brown felt snubbed by Team USA in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. Then, Jayson Tatum, who watched Brown lift both the Eastern Conference Finals and Finals MVP, spent most of that Olympic tournament on the bench.
That might lead us to pick something like "revenge," "remind" or "proof" for our one-word description, but head coach Joe Mazzulla had something better in mind.
"We want to win a championship every single year," he told reporters. "That's the goal, that's the standard, that's the expectation."
For a leader of a franchise with 18 NBA championships, that's a reasonable statement, especially since the front office just brought back the entire rotation that won it all in 2024.
These Celtics had the fourth-highest total point differential of all time (when you include the postseason) and went 16-3 in the playoffs.
Whether they have some extra motivation to prove something or not, and even in an NBA that's as talent-rich as it's ever been, Boston truly can to win it all in 2025.

Brooklyn Nets: Remember

Michelle Farsi/ There could be a fair bit of eye-rolling in reaction to this one.
Since the close of the 2020-21 campaign, which ended with Ben Simmons infamously passing up a wide-open, late-game layup in the playoffs against the Hawks, he has appeared in just 57 of a possible 246 games.
And in those 57 appearances, he's averaged 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists, while shooting 43.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Simmons is, by far, the Brooklyn Nets' highest-paid player, but he's understandably been written off by most fans and media.
And after sending Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks and reacquiring control of their 2025 first-round pick this past summer, the Nets tanking in 2024-25 has felt like a foregone conclusion.
But Simmons has been fully cleared to participate in training camp with no restrictions. And on media day, he created some online buzz in an interview with the YES Network.
If the 28-year-old is indeed that "good basketball player" again, the Nets' season could go a couple ways.
With pre-injury Simmons facilitating for a roster that includes multiple competent veterans, including Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nicolas Claxton, and a volume scorer in Cam Thomas, Brooklyn might finish the season closer to 10th than 15th in the East.
With Cooper Flagg set to enter the draft next summer, that's not necessarily a good thing.
So, the other potential outcome for a reminder season from Simmons is that he rehabs his trade value enough for some other team to take a shot on him in the final year of his deal.
Of course, continued decline is a possibility, too. For now, though, as is often the case during media day, it's fine to be optimistic.

Charlotte Hornets: Braces

Grant Halverson/ This one's maybe a little off the wall, but it shouldn't be too difficult to see how we got to it.
"Braces" is basically just a stand-in for LaMelo Ball's health, something that has been shaky, to say the least, throughout his career.
Thanks in large part to multiple ankle injuries, the 23-year-old has appeared in just 58 games over the last two seasons.
Even with last season's breakout from Brandon Miller, Ball is still the lead playmaker and a face of the franchise, and it's impossible to establish much of an identity when a player that important misses that much time.
If he can stay on the floor, we'll have a better idea of what kind of team Charlotte has. If not, the Hornets will just keep toiling away in mediocrity.
And it sounds like Ball is aware of how important his availability is.
"I feel good and ready to play," he told reporters. "They got me in ankle braces. So, doing that."
If they keep him upright, Charlotte has one of the most exciting young backcourts in the league with Ball and Miller. And the latter appears eager to prove that.
"I think he's the best playmaker," Miller said . "He's going to help us and lead. Without him, it'd be different. But it's a new year, and I see him doing great things this year."

Chicago Bulls: Available

Michael Reaves/ Last season, DeMar DeRozan and Coby White were tied for the Chicago Bulls lead in assists per 75 possessions at 5.3 .
In 2024-25, following the acquisition of Josh Giddey and recovery of Lonzo Ball, Chicago now has two of the league's most pass-happy playmakers. They're 21st and 28th, respectively, in career assists per 75 possessions among active players .
And while that should be exciting for Bulls fans, the addition of both guards to the rotation might also bring some trepidation.
Ball missed most of 2021-22 (his first season in Chicago) and all of the following two years. Giddey ruptured a ligament this offseason.
But the word from both on media is that they'll be available on opening night.
Ball will be on a minutes restriction and won't play back-to-backs, but it'll just be nice to see him in action again. Giddey said he could probably play now and expects to be available for Chicago's first game.
If both can stay on the floor and the Bulls are unable to find takers for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević in rebuilding trades, this team might even be in the play-in hunt again.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Continuity

Nick Cammett/ Most of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2023-24 rotation is back for this season, and that includes the entire starting five of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Jarrett Allen.
Certainly, a trade can come out of nowhere in the NBA, but Cleveland seems content with the hire of head coach Kenny Atkinson being its biggest change.
And in a league that seems to be perpetually turning rosters over, continuity could prove to be one of the Cavs' biggest strengths.
The four stars (or fringe stars) have two years of experience with each other under their belts. And the leader of the group sounds happy to be where he is.
"It's good to have a media day where we're not talking about where I'm going next," Mitchell told reporters.
Again, things can change quickly. But while plenty of other teams will take some time to figure out how to play with each other, Cavs players should already have a secondhand with each other that gives them a leg up on the competition.

Dallas Mavericks: Klay

Photos by Glenn James/NBAE via The three most important players on the Dallas Mavericks are Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and probably Dereck Lively II.
But all three were on the team last season. There isn't much left to learn about Luka, Kyrie and how they play together. There's plenty of development on the way for Lively, but we've had a year to get to know him, too.
That's probably why Klay Thompson's first media day in a jersey other than the Golden State Warriors' is what generated the most buzz from Dallas' training camp tipoff.
He's certainly not the prime version of himself anymore, particularly on the defensive end. But if Thompson can continue to shoot the three the way he has over his three seasons since returning from injury (9.7 attempts per game, with a 39.7 three-point percentage), he could be a game-changer for the Mavs.
And in his new setting, those three-pointers should be even easier to come by.
"Playing with Luka the past few days in the pick-and-roll has been like the best I've ever seen," the 34-year-old told reporters .
The all-world playmaker can manipulate defenses in a way just about no one else can, and that will have Thompson open on the perimeter several times per game. And the moment he's available for a good look, Luka is likely to find him.

Denver Nuggets: Leadership

Matthew Stockman/ Russell Westbrook obviously isn't the player he was when he averaged a triple-double over the course of , but it was pretty clear on media day that he's aware of that.
When asked about his role, Westbrook, head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth avoided calling him the backup point guard. They didn't really say anything about what to expect from him, in terms of numbers or production.
What they did talk about, especially Westbrook, was leadership.
The 35-year-old has spent most of his career (maybe even all of it) as his teams' most intense competitor. And while that sometimes led to overcommitting on defense or ill-advised shot attempts, it also led to an MVP and tons of regular-season wins.
He's now trying to impart the importance of that competitive spirit on his new team and in what should be a pretty narrowly defined role.
Even if he doesn't play a ton or get as many shots as he has at previous stops, Westbrook can be example of how to work hard and just flat-out fight. The latter is a quality this team never quite replaced after Bruce Brown left.
Between Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., there's a ton of talent on this roster. Westbrook can bring some of the missing intangibles. He genuinely seems more excited to do that than pile up points, rebounds and assists.

Detroit Pistons: Organized

Gregory Shamus/ Since the start of the 2009-10 season, the Detroit Pistons have won just 35.9 percent of their games. That winning percentage is dead-last in the league, by a pretty wide margin, over that span.
And after a decade and a half of that level of ineptitude, Detroit somehow hit a new low in 2023-24, breaking the franchise record for losses in a season at 68.
During Monty Williams' one season at the helm, everything about the Pistons felt out of control. The rotation, Cade Cunningham's development and the offensive approach all felt rudderless.
So, the Pistons spent the offseason hiring J.B. Bickerstaff and bringing in a number of veterans who might be able to stabilize things.
"His groups are always going to play together," incoming forward Tobias Harris said of Bickerstaff-led teams. "They're always going to be organized."
And having Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. should help on that front.
If those three and Bickerstaff can help Detroit be more competitive, it should help the development of players such as Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren too.
They're still the focus, but it's time to give them a little more direction.

Golden State Warriors: Tense

Ezra Shaw/ The closing years of NBA dynasties can often be drama-filled and uncomfortable. And while you might argue that the Golden State Warriors dynasty is already over, they gave us some end-of-an-era awkwardness anyway.
When Draymond Green was told that people are "worried" about him, he had a tense exchange with the reporter who brought it up.
Green has been around for the duration of this Warriors run. And he may be tired of many of the same reporters asking him many of the same questions, but this particular discussion was fair.
The 34-year-old was suspended on separate occasions for choking Rudy Gobert and smacking Jusuf Nurkić. The Warriors went 32-21 in the games in which he played last season. That's a 50-win pace, but going 14-15 in the other 29 games kept Golden State out of the playoffs.
So, it's safe to assume the Warriors might be better this season if the four-time All-Star can avoid suspension. They were plus-6.2 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor with Stephen Curry.
If he and his teammates want to contend for one more title, Green is going to have to bring more stability to the organization than he has in the past.

Houston Rockets: Playoffs

David L. Nemec/NBAE via After going 41-41 and finishing five games shy of the Play-In Tournament in 2023-24, multiple Houston Rockets players identified the playoffs as their goal heading into this season.
And for a team that might have as many as seven rotation players on rookie contracts, that probably seems overly ambitious.
But it's in play for this group.
Alperen Şengün is a fringe All-Star and one of the best passing bigs in the league. Jabari Smith Jr. has shown flashes of star upside as a three-and-D forward who can also play some 5. Jalen Green has, at times, looked like an explosive wing scorer.
Squint, and those three almost look like a lesser version of the Jokić-MPJ-Murray trio that won the title in 2023.
Now that they've been supplemented with some solid veterans such as Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams, the Rockets can make a real push for the postseason.

Indiana Pacers: Doubt

Justin Casterline/ It should be noted from the outset, use of the word "doubt" isn't coming from the Indiana Pacers' perspective.
By all accounts, coach Rick Carlisle and stars such as Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner seem confident in what they have for 2024-25.
There is, however, a fair amount of doubt from fans and media regarding this group's ability to get all the way back to the conference finals.
And for professional athletes, that's exactly the kind of reaction or analysis that can be used as fuel.
When discussing his motivations for this upcoming season, Haliburton put that external doubt at the top of the list.

Los Angeles Clippers: Leftovers

When Paul George left the Los Angeles Clippers for the Philadelphia 76ers, his old team really had no meaningful way of replacing him.
L.A. was over the salary cap, with or without George, so it had to piece together a supporting cast for James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the leftovers with minimum contracts and cap exceptions.
That means several players will have more offensive responsibility than they've had in the past, especially since Leonard's availability is so often up in the air (we recently learned he underwent another knee procedure this offseason).
The most important remaining Clipper may well be Harden, who alluded to a return to the sort of ball-dominant offense he played with the Rockets.
If he's anywhere near the level he was playing at five years ago, L.A. has a chance to make the playoffs, even if Leonard is limited to fewer than 65 games.
But Harden is now 35. And the kind of workload he once handled may no longer be in the cards.
Ultimately, we may look back on 2024-25 as sort of a stopgap year between Clippers eras.

Los Angeles Lakers: Joy

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Whether non-Los Angeles Lakers fans like it or not, and regardless of how much of an on-court impact Bronny James has on the season, he's going to be one of the biggest stories of 2024-25.
He's the son of one of the top 3-5 players in NBA history and the league's all-time leading scorer. And now, he's on his father's team.
Even if they don't throw many passes to each other in Bronny's first season, it's undeniably cool for a dad to be able to play with his son on their sport's biggest stage.
And on media day, the elder James described the situation about as simply and succinctly as he could, calling the opportunity to play with his son a source of "pure joy."

Memphis Grizzlies: Comeback

Justin Ford/ A suspension and shoulder injury limited Ja Morant to just nine games in 2023-24. Injuries kept Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane off the floor for much of the season, too.
And a losing campaign not unexpectedly followed.
Memphis went 27-55, secured a top-10 pick that became incoming starting center Zach Edey and appears ready to reenter the playoff picture right away.
Morant, Bane and Smart are healthy. Edey and Morant have been working on their chemistry this summer.
And the pictures emerging from media of those four and Jaren Jackson Jr. make it easy to buy this starting five's chance to bounce back.

Miami Heat: Focused

Carmen Mandato/ After showing up to 2022's media day with dreadlocks, Jimmy Butler raised the bar in 2023 with an emo haircut and a nose ring.
The reaction to both unexpected looks generated enough buzz to have fans wondering this fall:
Thanks to some travel issues in his return from Europe, Butler was late to Monday's event. But when the arrived, he was all business.
On the verge of what could be a contract year (he has a player option for 2025-26), the 35-year-old showed up looking like he does for most Miami Heat games.
"I'm here," he told reporters. "No shenanigans."
Not that shenanigans were typical from Butler during on-floor action, but if his appearance on Monday (tardiness aside) forecasts a more serious approach to the regular season, Miami could be in the mix for another deep playoff run.

Milwaukee Bucks: Overlooked

Gary Dineen/NBAE via Since the Milwaukee Bucks won the title in 2021, they've been knocked out of the playoffs in the second round once and the first round twice.
Khris Middleton is coming off an offseason in which he had surgeries on both ankles. Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard are 36 and 34, respectively. On media day, Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters that he and Lillard didn't get together for any on-court work this past summer.
Throw all of the above together, and it's understandable that plenty of fans and pundits seem to have moved on from Milwaukee.
And based on the quotes coming from the Bucks on Monday, they're aware of that narrative.
Head coach Doc Rivers said : "We all pay attention to it."
Giannis added : "I think we've always been overlooked."
There may be some truth to that, but Milwaukee has given plenty of reason to do that since it won the championship.
And given the age and health of some of this team's stars and most important players, the Bucks may not have many chances left to prove doubters wrong.
They certainly can. On raw talent alone, Milwaukee should be considered one of the East's best teams. Signing players such as Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr. on minimum deals should help, too.
After three years of disappointments, though, the Bucks actually need to us why they should still be considered top-tier contenders.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Onward

For the first time since 2014-15, the Minnesota Timberwolves will start a season without Karl-Anthony Towns.
The big man who's second in franchise history in career wins over replacement player is headed to the New York Knicks, and his former teammates had to answer plenty of questions about his departure.
But the mood on media day wasn't somber. There's often at least a hint of sadness when a longtime teammate leaves, but the Timberwolves appeared ready to move into this next era led by Anthony Edwards.
Edwards himself expressed optimism that Julius Randle, who came over alongside Donte DiVincenzo in the KAT trade, will be able to produce like he did for the Knicks.
And he added: "We just want to win."
It seems simple enough, and Minnesota has the talent to do it, even without the No. 1 pick from the 2015 draft.

New Orleans Pelicans: Small-Ball

OK, sure. I cheated a little with this one, but describing the New Orleans Pelicans simply as "small" didn't feel quite right, even if there was plenty of discussion about the team's center rotation (or lack of one).
Vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters that New Orleans could overcome that deficiency by playing to its strengths. He also mentioned having the right talent on the wings allows a team to play without a big.
Head coach Willie Green added to the discussion, saying he's not committed to starting a traditional center.
So, while Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi are on the roster, it's easy to wonder if the Pelicans will just lean into their strength and start Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson.
That lineup could get hammered on the boards. The lack of old-school rim protection would be a concern, too. But it would have the potential to outrun a lot of opponents, put points up in a hurry and switch all over the floor on defense.
That's a group that can win on versatility, in spite of the pretty obvious drawbacks that come with it.

New York Knicks: Coy

Dustin Satloff/ The biggest recent news involving the New York Knicks is obviously their acquisition of All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick.
Understandably, the media asked the organization's head coach and biggest star about it, but since the trade isn't quite official at the league level, both had to play coy.
When asked directly about it in three separate questions, Tom Thibodeau replied , "Can't comment on it," "Can't comment on it," and "Nice try."
Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were both a bit more forthcoming. And even if no one could officially talk about their new teammate, there was a general air of confidence coming from the team.
After a breakout campaign led by MVP candidate Jalen Brunson, New York added two big-time contributors in Bridges and Towns, giving the Knicks a starting five that can rival any in the East.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Excitement

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via With one of the youngest rosters in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder had the No. 1 seed in the West in 2023-24. Running it back or resting on their laurels would have been easily justifiable.
Instead, they traded Giddey for one of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Alex Caruso, and they signed Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
As a result of their aggressive offseason, OKC is not only a trendy pick to represent the West in the Finals, but it's generating a level of excitement the organization likely hasn't seen since Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were there.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst was in attendance at media day, and local media personalities were noting that attendance was up at today's event.
With a beefed-up supporting cast, an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and developing stars in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have one of the most exciting rosters in the league.
And the increased fan and media attention reflects that.

Orlando Magic: Goals

David L. Nemec/NBAE via Like the Rockets, the Orlando Magic feature an exciting young roster that already overachieved a little in 2023-24. Their two best players are both on their rookie contracts (though Franz Wagner has a big extension kicking in for 2025-26).
Generally moving up almost seems like a foregone conclusion, but that isn't keeping Paolo Banchero from setting lofty goals that will push him anyway.
The 21-year-old told reporters his goal as a rookie was to win Rookie of the Year. Check. He wanted to make an All-Star team in Year 2. Check.
Now, as Banchero enters his third campaign, he's publicly sharing a goal to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Given the presence of the Celtics, Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, that could be tough to pull off, but Orlando has already outperformed a few other trend lines since Wagner and Banchero arrived.

Philadelphia 76ers: Slim

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via There were plenty of new faces in town for Philadelphia 76ers media day, including the third member of the league's latest big three.
With Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and now Paul George, Philadelphia is absolutely in the mix to legitimately contend for the 2025 championship.
But even if Maxey takes another step forward and George can turn the clock back a couple years in his new setting, nothing will matter if Embiid is out or hampered in the spring and summer.
Every year, his health is crucial, and it appears he's become aware of that.
After being slowed by wear and tear or identifiable injuries in several postseasons (most recently, he was hampered by a recovering knee and Bell's palsy in 2024), the 30-year-old showed up to camp in better shape this fall.
And while there may be some concern that he won't be able to run people over quite like he has in the past, his footwork and craft have long been every bit as important as his strength. Those traits aren't going anywhere. And if he's a half-step quicker, that should help make up for a little less heft, too.
Ultimately, if this means Embiid will be healthier than he typically is when the playoffs start, Philadelphians will be thrilled.

Phoenix Suns: Bud

Christian Petersen/ Landing both Tyus Jones and Monte Morris on minimum contracts was an absolute coup for the Phoenix Suns. Mason Plumlee will be an upgrade at the backup 5 spot.
But the players who really drove on-court success in 2023-24 are all back. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić and Bradley Beal make up that team's top five in wins over replacement player. They all spoke at media day and will be fixtures of the rotation in 2024-25.
So, in all likelihood, the biggest change that could take the Suns from a mild disappointment to a bona fide title contender is new coach Mike Budenholzer.
The 55-year-old comes from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree. He authored one of recent history's most dynamic offenses with the 2014-15 Hawks, and he won a title in 2021 with the Bucks.
Over the years, he's been one of the league's best coaches, particularly at getting teams to add up to more than the sum of their parts.
And if Bud can figure out how to play Durant, Booker and Beal within a more team-oriented philosophy and with less of the "your turn, my turn" approach they took last season, the Suns are good enough to win it all.

Portland Trail Blazers: Confidence

Steph Chambers/ Victor Wembanyama eventually became the pretty obvious No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, but in the early portion of that class' scouting window, there was some buzz about Scoot Henderson being its best player.
That faded over the course of his second campaign in the G League, but he was still the third overall pick last summer.
Then, the hype subsided even more after Henderson averaged almost as many shots (12.9) as points (14.0) and had a worrisome 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio as an NBA rookie.
But the Portland Trail Blazers don't appear ready to jump ship (nor should they be). And the 20-year-old himself is still high on his potential.
"I want to be one of the greatest point guards to ever play, and [I'm going to] stand by that," Henderson told reporters. "I still got that confidence in myself to go out there and perform. I feel like I'm even more confident now with the year I have under my belt."
Portland traded Damian Lillard, one of the greatest players in franchise history, in part to turn the team over to Henderson. And though he struggled in his first NBA campaign, there's still an expectation for him to meaningfully replace Dame.
That will take better shooting, decision-making and other quantifiable skills. But that confidence Henderson possesses is crucial too.

Sacramento Kings: Energized

Rocky Widner/NBAE via In today's NBA, when players are seemingly changing teams every month from June to February, things can start to feel a little stale pretty quickly.
The De'Aaron Fox-Domantas Sabonis pairing has only existed for two-and-a-half seasons, but it already seemed like it may have hit its ceiling with a 2023 playoff appearance that ended in the first round.
That might sound ridiculous to say of a duo whose players are 26 and 28, respectively. But that's just the nature of the modern NBA.
Cue the offseason addition of DeMar DeRozan, whose presence on this team seems to have sent a jolt through the organization and its fanbase.
The 35-year-old came up in just about every interview on media day, and the refrain from everyone was about the same: The Sacramento Kings are excited to play with him.
Of course, whether that excitement leads to playoff appearances remains to be seen. But just infusing this group with an All-Star talent, even at his age, has rejuvenated the franchise.

San Antonio Spurs: Gains

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via While 76ers fans should be excited that Joel Embiid is dropping weight, another superstar center is smartly going the opposite direction.
According to The Athletic's Law Murray , Victor Wembanyama is being listed at 235 pounds this season. In 2023-24, he was just 210.
His slender frame wasn't much of an issue last year, as he played at an All-NBA level and ran away with Rookie of the Year. But if there was one fairly easily identifiable weakness, it was, well, his weakness.
Veteran NBA big men are, for the most part, pretty darn strong. Some of the league's best centers are pushing 300 pounds. And that weight difference sometimes made it difficult for Wembanyama to stand up opposing bigs who were trying to back him down at the post.
Seeing the 20-year-old knocked off balance when he had the ball was a fairly regular occurrence too.
It obviously wasn't a big enough deal to derail his season or anything, but 25 extra pounds of muscle could bump his production closer to MVP-ish numbers.
And if you add that to competent point guard play from Chris Paul, another solid three-and-D season from Devin Vassell, leadership and floor spacing from Harrison Barnes and incremental improvement from the rest of the young core, the Spurs might contend for a spot in the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors: Rebuilding

Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via For the first 10 years (2013-14 through 2022-23) of the Toronto Raptors' Masai Ujiri era, they won 61.3 percent of their games. Only the Warriors had a higher winning percentage over that span.
And while the team certainly reinvented itself during that decade, it never went through the kind of full-scale teardown we've come to associate with the word "rebuilding" in the NBA.
Then, Toronto won just 25 games last season. The Raptors are officially in a rebuild, and Ujiri told the media on Monday that it wasn't over yet.
When asked about expectations for 2024-25, he said: "I would use the word rebuilding."
So, while Raptors fans have some reason for optimism thanks to young players such as Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, they can expect plenty more losses this season.

Utah Jazz: Youth

Dylan Goodman/NBAE via Even after the last couple years ranging from bad to mediocre, the Utah Jazz rank third in the NBA in winning percentage over the last 30 years.
However, they won just 68 total games in 2023-24 and 2022-23, and the current roster isn't likely to reverse that trend, which is honestly fine.
Combing through interviews at Utah's 2024 media day, you couldn't help but notice just how young this team is. There are three first-round picks from 2023 who could be in the rotation. Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams, all picked this past summer, could play too.
Some of the few veterans left, like Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, are candidates to be traded before February (Lauri Markkanen can't be traded because of how late he signed an extension).
If all of that leads to a good shot at Cooper Flagg in the draft, great. It's just an unusual team for an organization that has been so consistently good over the years.

Washington Wizards: Transition

Monica Schipper/ Like several other teams detailed to this point, the Washington Wizards should be angling toward improved lottery odds in 2025.
That means losses are actually good. And while the veterans in attendance for media day were all saying the right things, it was hard to listen to their comments without thinking they may not be long for D.C.
Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valančiūnas definitely don't fit the timeline of a rebuilding team. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole probably don't, either. And Washington should be canvassing the league from now until the deadline to see if anyone's willing to give up some real value for any of the above.
It may be painful in the short term, but players such as Bilal Coulibaly, Alexandre Sarr and Bub Carrington need on-court developmental reps.
And again, the losses that would come from playing those younger Wizards heavy minutes could lead to a bona fide star in a year.

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