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About a week or two before the NBA season, fans start to get nervous when teams aren’t performing well or failing to live up to the expectations placed on them.
We’ve seen teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers put things into a higher gear, returning to some of the best teams in the league after a slow start, so this is too early to give up on the season. Too much.
Around the midpoint of the season is the time to really start assessing a team’s chances of success, and things are pretty tight across the NBA right now.
Aside from the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, the other 26 teams in the NBA seem to have good reasons for making the playoffs, but some teams are more likely than others. in a favorable position.
Check out the NBA Panic Meter and fans of the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns should be concerned given their teams’ recent struggles and overall lack of success. It’s time to see if there is a
Miami Heat Panic Rating: 5
The Miami Heat are the epitome of an inconsistent franchise this season, but a big reason they’re currently 21-20 and in play-in tournament position is not just because of their talent in the Eastern Conference this season. Overall health of the team.
Jimmy Butler is out 14 games, Duncan Robinson is out 13 games, Tyler Herro is out 9 games and Victor Oladipo is still trying to hit the ground running. Needless to say, Gabe Vincent has dealt with knee injuries all season, and both Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry are now suffering heavily.
Looking at Miami’s entire roster, there is no doubt that they are a very talented team, especially on the defensive side of the floor, but they are not healthy.
That’s a minor concern moving forward into the second half of the 2022-23 season, but overall, there’s absolutely no reason to worry about the Miami Heat.
They’re an experienced team that knows what it takes to win the playoffs, and it was only a season ago that they made their second NBA Finals appearance since 2020.
Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the league, and assuming they are healthy by the end of the season, the Heat will be a team to reckon with.
The interesting part is Pat Riley and the Miami front office will decide what to do before the trade deadline. With Duncan Robinson’s future still in question and Kyle Lowry struggling to find a footing last year, the Heat could inquire about stars like Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal.
However, the Miami Heat are unlikely to hit big at this point, so you should expect the current group to be a roster contending for a playoff spot in the second half of the season.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen what the Heat can do in the second half of the season. That’s why we need to be vigilant about their panic meters.
Atlanta Hawks Panic Rating: 7
Looking at the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks are in trouble simply because they have a lot of internal issues to work out.
Not only did they have to deal with the drama of Cam Reddish being unhappy with the Organization last season, but John Collins also expressed his frustration a season ago, prompting the Hawks to trade him. He continues to be a player who is happy to discuss rumors of.
How do you think Collins feels now that this information has been released? Clearly he will be open to a change of circumstances, but the mood surrounding the Hawks at the moment does not seem positive and this roster has Many players seem to have their own agenda simply because there is no true leader – the voice of reason in the locker room.
Trae Young is a sensational talent and an All-Star in his own right, as is Dejounte Murray, but they were both young guards in this league who were forced to lead their teams. Known for
There are no seasoned veterans in Atlanta. They have the fifth-worst points differential in the Eastern Conference for him, just 9-12 against teams with . 500-plus records so far this season.
Again, nothing stands out about how this Hawks roster stands now. It seems that it was a desperate move to try to patch the cracks.
If you ask me, it looks like the Hawks are on a downward trajectory and headed for some kind of rebuilding, but anything is possible before the trade deadline!
Toronto Raptors Panic Rating: 8
Another team that is really struggling to find a foothold in the Eastern Conference is the Toronto Raptors.
After winning their only championship in 2019, the Raptors are expected to take a step back as a franchise and players like Kawhi Leonard are expected to leave. He had problems with all kinds of injuries.
The organization hasn’t won a playoff series since 2020 and currently doesn’t really have a production outside of a core of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Scotty Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr.
Many teams across the league are keeping an eye on the Raptors as they are very likely to move around before the trade deadline.
Reducing overall labor costs and getting a draft pick right away seems like a high-value idea for many of the Toronto front office, and it’s got players like Anunoby and Trent Jr. on the move. There is likely to be. Needless to say, the Raptors will need some available cap space heading into the offseason to negotiate new contracts with Fred VanVleet and Scotty Barnes down the road.
At this rate, Toronto is lucky enough to enter a play-in tournament and earn a real playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Their starting five can compete with any other team in the league, but they can’t play the full 48 minutes of every game, and as a result the Raptors have a very slim chance of winning a playoff series. Become.
Change is on the horizon in Toronto, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they missed the playoffs entirely this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves Panic Rating: 8
The move to trade Rudy Gobert in the offseason and pair him with Karl-Anthony Towns was deemed as ridiculous as it was a great move by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Looking back over a 40-game first-year trade with Gobert in Minnesota, it’s hard to see where the Timberwolves’ brilliance lies.
With Rudy Gobert not playing at the level the Timberwolves expected and Karl-Anthony Towns out since Nov. 28 with a calf injury, Minnesota has been very average overall this season. is.
Obviously, things will change when Towns returns in the coming weeks, but by then it will be too late and will this really make a difference to Gobert’s impact?
If you ask me, 1st round 4 picks, 1 pick exchange, giving up key players like Malik Beasley and Jared Vanderbilt for players who are great shot blockers who really struggle offensively. was not a good move at all.
Maybe I’m wrong with the grand scheme of things and a few seasons ahead.This trade would be great for the Timberwolves.Sell assets like D’Angelo Russell and Kyle Anderson at the trade deadline. , to make up for lost future value.
If you’re a Timberwolves fan, there’s definitely reason to panic, especially considering how bright the future looked before the season.
Phoenix Suns Panic Rating: 9
What do you think of the Phoenix Suns?
Their recent struggles are decidedly hard to judge given that they’ve lacked the likes of Devin Booker, Cameron Johnson, and Cameron Payne, but the Sons’ identity is really Devin Booker.
Without him, they’re just a competitive play-in tournament team. Even with him, they have struggled to keep their footing against some of the best teams in the league this season.
The Suns are just 3-5 against teams currently in the top three in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, and with Jae Crowder out, the Suns have a huge hole to fill on the wing. I’m holding
The Suns also seem to have some internal struggles going on, especially with Deandre Ayton and his desire to stay in Phoenix long-term.
The Suns will clearly be better off than their current 20-21 record when Booker returns, but the trade deadline is crucial for this organization.
Crowder will need to move to gain value soon, and the likelihood of moving other assets like Dario Surik and Cam Johnson could immediately impact the Suns’ chances of returning to the NBA Finals. Adding some other high level talent probably wouldn’t be crazy.
Their championship window is small and ends quickly. As such, the Suns should take advantage of opportunities whenever possible.
The next five weeks will determine what the future holds for Phoenix.
Make sure to catch up on the latest episodes of fast break podcast Hosted by Fastbreak itself Brett Siegel!
streaming Apple podcasts When Spotify, fast break podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, information, rumors, and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Stay tuned for new episodes every Friday.
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