LeBron James and Stephen Curry could shine in the Play-In Tournament, which begins April 11.
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So, just to be clear: when the Play-In Tournament tips off on April 11, we might see another duel between two of the greatest players ever? A test for the NBA’s newest superstar duo? A deluge of young talent formally introducing itself to the world?
Count us in.
Let’s meet (or re-introduce) the potential Play-In teams out West. There’s a whole bunch of them.
Golden State Warriors
No introduction necessary. Steph is still posting video game numbers (42.8% on 3-pointers, 66% true shooting) and Klay Thompson is on track to becoming the first player not named Curry or Harden to lead the league in threes made since before the first “Avengers” movie debuted.
Golden State ranks first in pace, 3PM, and assists. Basically, any offense with Steph in it can still get cooking. “The Big 3” may be getting older, but we recommend avoiding Golden State in the Play-In if you can. That’s just a shrewd business decision.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors could be primed for a big run in the Play-In Tournament.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards and Kyle Anderson ready to lead the pack in Minnesota.
The vision in Minneapolis is clear. Get buckets from young star Anthony Edwards (24.5 PPG) and big man Karl-Anthony Towns (who just returned from injury) then rely on a fascinating cast of role players to help grind out games when need be.
Speaking of those role guys …
Are you intrigued by a do-it-all, super utility man who will irritate opponents with heady defensive plays (2.1 STL+BLK) and understated but razor-sharp court vision (4.8 APG?) Yes? Then you’re going to love watching Kyle Anderson on a big stage.
Overall, this team is enjoyably unpredictable. Six different players led the Wolves in scoring for at least one game during March.
Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC is playing loose, pressure-free basketball behind their bonafide superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. No one expected coach Mark Diagneault’s crew to be here, and you can tell they take that personally.
OKC ranks fourth in steals. But they don’t just want to take the ball from you — they want to score after they do, as evidenced by their 20.7 points off turnovers per game.
Jalen Williams will dunk on anyone, Jaylin Williams will take a charge from anyone, and Josh Giddey will make a TikTok after dominating an NBA game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are prepared to make some noise in the Play-In Tournament.
Dallas Mavericks
Can Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving craft a Play-In Tournament run for Dallas?
The Mona Lisa probably didn’t look great when da Vinci first started it … but it turned out pretty well! This Mavs team could become something beautiful, too; they have two basketball artists Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, after all. But if a deep playoff run is in the cards, Dallas has to do something about their ninth-worst net rating over the past 15 games.
They might need big performances from some youngsters, too, namely 22-year-old Josh Green — who must play the role of primary wing stopper — and 20-year-old rookie Jaden Hardy, who posted six games of 20-plus points in March.
We refuse to count out Doncic just yet.
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans feels like a wild card. They boast the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating, and the best since the All-Star break. If only they had a generational talent nearing a return to help their 20th-ranked offense. Wait…
With Zion Williamson back soon, can NOLA recapture that early season magic?
They do check off some boxes of a legit contender. Team defense? Check. Players who can heat up quickly? Check. Veteran leadership? Check. 2% Milk? Wait, that’s our grocery list.
Brandon Ingram’s hot streak has come at the right time for the Pelicans.
Los Angeles Lakers
New guys Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and D’Angelo Russell have altered the trajectory of the 2023 Lakers. The trio is bolstering LA’s defensive versatility, three-point shooting, and ball-handling, giving fans in SoCal a lot to dream about. The Austin Reaves Show becoming a regularly scheduled program during March (17.4 points, 5.7 assists) doesn’t hurt, either.
The Lakers get after it defensively, crash the boards (fifth in rebounding since the All-Star break) and get to the line frequently (first in free throw attempts.)
L.A. always had a chance for postseason greatness with LeBron James on the roster. Now the cast around him is stepping up, too.
Austin Reaves (left) and D’Angelo Russell have proven key to the Lakers’ recent success.
Utah Jazz
Lauri Markkanen’s unexpected 25.7 ppg has completely shifted Utah’s outlook on the future.
The present version of the Jazz shoot a lot of threes (fifth in 3-point attempts) and block a lot of shots (5.4 per game.) Stellar rookie Walker Kessler gets 2.4 of those swats on his own.
Utah needs to be nearly perfect from here on out if they want a Play-In spot. But they’ve been defying expectations all year, so why stop now?
Utah’s frontcourt of Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler have been solid all season.
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> Play-In Tournament preview: East full of rich storylines
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