Five NBA contenders and two pretenders
Two pretenders Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić can make any team competitive, but that’s exactly what makes evaluating Denver difficult.
Key points
- Two familiar contenders still have some convincing to do.
- Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The NBA season is barely underway, but it’s already fairly easy to separate teams with legit championship potential from those that look better on paper.
- We’re buying stock in five teams, including one that has emerged as a particularly interesting threat in the Western Conference.
Five contenders San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs have the top centerpiece in the league.
Additional details
- Donovan Mitchell and James Harden give them two accomplished offensive creators, but they both need the ball to be effective.
- Injuries have changed the outlook for some contenders, while a few unexpected teams are making early statements.
- Luke Doncic is playing at an MVP level, Walker Kessler gives them a legitimate rim protector, and Austin Reaves continues to emerge as a high-level offensive player.
- De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper give San Antonio multiple playmakers, while veterans Tobias Harris and Harrison Barnes provide much-needed experience.
- They need consistent secondary scoring, dependable perimeter defense, and enough depth to survive a playoff series, and they haven’t proven they have all three.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
Advertisement
Every article behind this summary — 1 article from 1 outlet
Get stories like this in your inbox.
Subscribe — it's freeOne free email at 6am — your topics, deduplicated, five minutes. No account, no paywall.