Prediction of the NBA Landscape After the All-Star Break: Lakers Rising, Mavericks Missing the Playoffs, Suns and 76ers Missing the Play-In Tournament

The All-Star break has ended, and now it’s time for teams to get back into the rhythm of the NBA. With only about 2 months left, the regular season is nearing its end, and this is the moment for teams to accelerate toward their goals. After the blockbuster trades at the trade deadline, the strength of many teams has shifted significantly, leading to potential changes in the standings of both the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Join Sporting News in making predictions about the race in the Eastern and Western Conferences during the final stretch of the 2024/25 regular season.

Predictions for the Final Outcomes of the Lakers, Mavericks, 76ers, and Suns

The Lakers will have home-court advantage in the playoffs.

The Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference, just one game behind the Rockets. However, Houston has been struggling with a 3-7 record in their last 10 games, while the Lakers are steadily improving with a 7-3 record. It’s highly likely that the two teams will swap positions by the end of the season, and the Luka Doncic trade is just one of the reasons for this.

Doncic is off to a slow start with the Lakers. However, that’s understandable as he has just returned from an injury and is still adjusting to his new team. But Doncic won’t take long to adapt. He and LeBron James are incredibly smart players and will soon figure out how to play effectively together.

Before Doncic joined, the Lakers had an 11-2 record. The Lakers’ defense has improved significantly in recent times. Previously, they were ranked 24th out of 30 in defense. But now, under coach JJ Redick, they are one of the top 4 defenses in the league.

A major driving force behind that improvement is the change on the bench. Dorian Finney-Smith hasn’t gotten as much attention as Doncic, but his defensive ability is incredibly valuable. The departure of D’Angelo Russell has also been beneficial for the Lakers. Additionally, defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt has finally returned from injury.

However, the Lakers also had to send Anthony Davis—the team’s best defender—to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the deal for Doncic. The Lakers’ interior defensive pressure will certainly decrease, but with the offensive firepower Doncic brings, it’s a price the Lakers are willing to pay.

The big question for the Lakers is whether they can maintain that strong defensive quality without Davis. In the playoffs, it could be an issue, but during the regular season, the Lakers might not face significant obstacles.

The Mavericks will miss the playoffs.

The Mavericks took a risky gamble by trading their number one star and the future of the team, Luka Doncic, to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. The Mavericks are now forced to find a way to win an NBA championship within the next 1-2 years, as time is no longer on their side. Stars like Davis and Kyrie Irving are both aging and won’t remain at their peak for much longer.

However, after just one game, Davis got injured again and will be sidelined for several weeks. Worse still, Daniel Gafford is not expected to return until early April due to an MCL tear, and Dereck Lively II is still out with a broken leg. Although, in theory, the Mavericks have a deep and talented roster of big men, in reality, they are currently forced to play Kessler Edwards, who is only 2.06m tall, at the center position.

The Mavericks have signed Moses Brown to a 10-day contract. Dwight Powell may return soon. However, the impact these players can make is not significant. Although Irving is performing well as the primary scorer and Christie is playing better than expected, the Mavericks’ chances this season remain very slim.

The Mavericks are currently ranked 8th in the Western Conference, a position that requires them to play in the Play-In tournament. The Suns and Warriors could overtake the Mavericks at any time if they hit top form.

The Mavericks may drop to 9th or 10th place by the end of the season, putting them at a disadvantage in the Play-In tournament. Their chances of advancing through the Play-In are not high. Even if they exceed expectations and make it through, whether they face the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets, the Mavericks’ chances of moving further are still very slim.

The Suns will miss the Play-In.

The race for Play-In spots in the Western Conference is extremely intense. The gap between the 7th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and the 11th-seeded Phoenix Suns is only four wins. Among the teams Wolves, Mavs, Kings, Warriors, and Suns, one team will likely miss the Play-In. And that is most likely the Suns.

The Suns have a 3-7 record in their last 10 games before the All-Star break. They might excuse this by pointing to the fact that their star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal couldn’t play, but even when all three were on the court, the Suns’ performance wasn’t much better. This is why Beal has been moved to play off the bench, and the situation could get even worse.

Durant doesn’t seem happy about being involved in trade discussions during the season. Many rumors suggest that Durant might leave the Suns next summer.

The lingering issue for the Suns since the beginning of the season remains unresolved. They lack a quality center. And now, everything has spiraled out of the Suns’ control.

The Sixers will miss the Play-In.

In contrast to the intense competition in the West, the Eastern Conference has a much clearer separation. In fact, teams in the lower half of the standings are not even enthusiastic about participating in the Play-In, as they know they don’t have the ability to compete.

On January 1st, the Chicago Bulls rose to 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Since then, they traded away their number one star, recorded a 7-15 record, yet still managed to maintain their position.

The 76ers were expected to overtake the Bulls, but they are still far behind. Paul George is taking painkillers and playing very poorly. Joel Embiid will need knee surgery at some point. Essentially, this season has slipped away from the 76ers.

The 76ers are still trying to win games, but they’re not good enough to do so. Their stars are in poor physical condition and unable to help the team be competitive, not even for a Play-In spot.