5 Dark Horse Teams Who Can Compete in the NBA this Season
The wait for the start of the 2024/25 NBA season is now measured in days rather than weeks or months, and by this stage, we have a good idea of who the main contenders are - at least on paper. But while the spotlight is on Boston, New York, and Oklahoma, we know - as with every season - there are going to be some dark horse candidates that will come to the fore. Sure, every franchise is poured over for strengths and weaknesses before the season begins, so we might say nothing truly surprises in the internet age. Yet, we think we can pick some that will beat the odds and the pundits predictions nevertheless.
What is a dark horse team? For our purposes here, we are looking at any teams outside of the eight favorites for the Championship in the NBA odds. Why eight? Because there is a big gap between those eight teams odds and everyone else in the league. For clarity, the eight teams with odds of +1200 or lower are the Bucks, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, 76ers, Knicks, Thunder, and Celtics. Anyone else winning the Championship would be considered a major shock.
That said, we don't think these teams will win it all, but they do have something about them, and we think they can show that in the upcoming 2024/25 season:
Orlando Magic
At odds of +5000 or above, few think Orlando will win a first NBA Championship in the franchise's history. Yet, it's clear something exciting is being built in Orlando, and they proved last season that they could mix it up with some of the best. There are some big roadblocks in getting through the Eastern Conference Playoffs - Celtics, Knicks, Sixers - but this is a young team with several stars of the future. We love the way Paulo Banchero has blossomed, too, and he will have plenty of help this time around. They look like a great shout for a Playoff run.
Memphis Grizzlies
How to turn around a 27-55 season? Get your main stars fit and healthy. The 2023/24 Grizzlies suffered a historically bad run of injuries - setting NBA records along the way. While those injuries to key players at key times hurt, there was also a sense of underachievement when star men were on the court. Here's the thing: The Grizzlies need a historic turnaround to get back into the elite, so the hope is that Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, and others can stay healthy and prove that last season was a blip. We think they might.
LA Lakers
Hmmm. The Lakers join a clutch of teams - The Suns, Warriors, Grizzlies, Heat (see below), about whom you can tell the sportsbooks really aren't sure what they are going to get. You can see that reflected in the Lakers' preseason odds, which vary wildly from sportsbook to sportsbook. We have seen some pundits suggest that they are one trade away from greatness, but we wouldn’t go that far. Lebron , D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Anthony Davis look like the preferred starting five, and guess what? The Lakers went 18-6 when that quintet started last season. They have issues, but they could surprise the naysayers this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Here's the thing: You can find the Cavs at odds of +6600 for an unlikely NBA Championship. They won't win it all, but that price is much too high for a Playoff-caliber team. Our main reservation is that the Cavaliers need to see players improve. Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarret Allen, and Evan Mobley must all address their individual flaws if the Cavs are to be serious. Like the Grizzlies, they had health problems - while not on the same scale – last season. But now there are no excuses.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings join the Cavaliers on big odds, and they may be worth backing in the team win over/under and Playoff qualification markets. The DeMar DeRozan trade instantly makes them better in our view, and we are fairly sure that the Kings can add a few wins to last season’s 46-36 total and avoid the Play-Ins. Like the Orlando Magic, they are a team to watch, a team to ruffle a few feathers and a team that might do something unexpectedly special.
