NBA Energy Scores: The place all 30 groups stack up at

The 2024-25 NBA common season wraps up Sunday however all eyes might be on Wednesday’s conflict between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET). Luka Doncic returns to Dallas for the primary time following his blockbuster business to the Lakers in February, in what must be a extremely charged setting at American Airways Middle.

Some other key recreation Wednesday is the Sacramento Kings internet hosting the Denver Nuggets (ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET), who’ll be taking the courtroom for the primary time since Tuesday’s firing of Michael Malone as trainer. Denver’s surprising transfer — the second one late-season firing of an NBA trainer — leaves one of the vital most powerful groups within the Western Convention, led by means of MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, with an unsure long term.

Amid that, height playoff contenders are aiming to fasten up their postseason spots, whilst groups on the backside of the standings (significantly the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards) will wait for their destiny for the No. 1 pick out.

Forward of the overall days of the common season, our NBA insiders destroy down whether or not every group met or neglected preseason expectancies in our final version of the season’s Energy Scores.

Observe: Staff scores are in line with the place participants of our panel (ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk and Chris Herring) assume groups belong this season.

Earlier scores: Preseason | Oct. 30 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 13 | Nov. 20 | Nov. 27 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 25 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 8 | Jan. 15 | Jan. 22 | Jan. 29 | Feb. 5 | Feb. 12 | Feb. 26 | March 5 | March 12 | March 19 | March 26 | April 2

A majority of the Western Convention playoff seeding will come all the way down to the final day of the common season Sunday. ESPN

Soar to a group:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS

1. Oklahoma Town Thunder

The Thunder have earned the West’s No. 1 seed for the second one consecutive postseason and may just make it 3 in a row in 2026 with an overly an identical roster after the summer time. Oklahoma Town has 15 gamers below contract for subsequent season, together with level guard Nikola Subject, a lottery pick out who has spent his rookie 12 months getting better from a knee harm. The Thunder will have as many as 3 first-round selections on this 12 months’s draft, however the odds are that the safe selections owed by means of the 76ers and Warmth may not put across this 12 months. — Tim MacMahon

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

It was once a banner 12 months for the Cavs, securing the second-most wins in franchise historical past (and their first 60-win season that did not contain LeBron James) and clinching the No. 1 seed within the East. Underneath first-year trainer Kenny Atkinson — who’ll obtain sturdy attention for Trainer of the 12 months — Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley every had All-Megastar seasons. Now they are going to want a deep postseason run — to the convention finals a minimum of — to validate their luck up to now. — Dave McMenamin

3. Boston Celtics

Boston is true the place it was hoping to be getting into the season: sitting a number of the height spots within the East standings with a wholesome roster and because the favorites to shield its championship name. It is a long way from confident the Celtics will make it via the following two months and win the name, however issues could not have long past a lot better in Boston this season. Jayson Tatum is scoring 26.9 issues in step with recreation and Finals-MVP co-star Jaylen Brown is true at the back of him averaging 22.5. — Tim Bontemps

4. Houston Rockets

The Rockets made just right on their said objective of advancing to the postseason for the primary time because the 2019-20 season and Ime Udoka merits Trainer of the 12 months attention for his position in transferring the tradition in Houston. Along with bringing in veterans similar to Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, Udoka was once adamant in his imaginative and prescient to construct a tricky, bodily group that emphasised protection and hustle. That helped Houston toughen on its 41 wins from final season and surpass the 50-win mark this time. Internally, the Rockets are proud of the advance of younger gamers similar to Jalen Inexperienced, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson. How Houston plays within the playoffs will resolve the path the membership will take this offseason. VanVleet has a group possibility subsequent season ($44.8 million) however a limited new deal would upload flexibility for a franchise teeming with belongings and thinking about whether or not so as to add a big-name famous person. — Michael Wright

5. New York Knicks

Through successful a minimum of 50 video games for the second one consecutive season and completing close to their preseason over/below win overall of 53.5, New York has necessarily met its preseason expectancies to be one of the vital East’s best possible groups. Nevertheless it’d even be honest to really feel as though this new-look staff hasn’t carried out sufficient towards elite pageant. The membership’s 0-9 mark towards Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma Town — the groups with the NBA’s 3 best possible information — raises questions on whether or not the Knicks can also be aggressive past the primary around of the playoffs. — Chris Herring

6. Los Angeles Lakers

The 2024-25 Lakers season might be perpetually identified for L.A.’s vp of basketball operations and normal supervisor, Rob Pelinka, pulling off one of the vital stunning trades in league historical past after obtaining Luka Doncic from the Mavericks. The whole thing else that is going their means might be an advantage. And there was so much within the bonus column: JJ Redick proving himself as a first-year head trainer, Austin Reaves’ persisted construction and LeBron James nonetheless successful the fight towards Father Time as a 40-year-old. — McMenamin

7. Denver Nuggets

Nuggets possession made a seismic exchange on Tuesday by means of parting tactics with each trainer Michael Malone and normal supervisor Calvin Sales space. As an alternative of ready till the tip of the season, possession made the strikes with the hopes that the group may just nonetheless do one thing this postseason amid a profession 12 months from Nikola Jokic. Assets stated a “chilly warfare” were happening between Malone and Sales space, particularly over roster staff with Sales space who prefer that Malone play more youthful position gamers extra. The group now not simplest needed to care for that rift however with key accidents to Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray. With Denver going 11-13 since All-Megastar weekend, intervening time head trainer David Adelman, a well-regarded trainer who has drawn interviews for head training vacancies across the league, takes over. Because the offensive thoughts at the Nuggets’ sideline, Adelman must work out learn how to assist Jokic however, extra importantly, shore up a bottom-10 protection. — Ohm Youngmisuk

8. Indiana Pacers

• 2024-25 document: 48-31

• Earlier score: 8

• Subsequent video games: vs. WAS (April 8), vs. CLE (April 10), vs. ORL (April 11), @ CLE (April 13)

Indiana is final in on locking up the No. 4 seed within the East, a powerful and a success marketing campaign following an look within the Jap Convention finals final season, particularly taking into account the Pacers had been below .500 originally of January. Tyrese Haliburton has gave the look of a celeb in the second one half of of the season and Indiana will most probably have homecourt within the first around of the playoffs, giving them a extra favorable trail towards every other deep run within the postseason. — Jamal Collier

9. LA Clippers

The Clippers got here into the season with the bottom expectancies of the Kawhi Leonard generation. They opened the Intuit Dome with Leonard’s standing as a thriller as he rehabbed his proper knee for the primary couple of months. And with Paul George leaving for Philadelphia in loose company and Russell Westbrook traded to Utah for Kris Dunn and in the end becoming a member of the Nuggets, the Clippers retooled the roster with younger, hard-nosed, defensive-minded gamers. However additionally they employed Jeff Van Gundy as an assistant trainer, which proved to be one of the vital best possible additions within the NBA. Nonetheless, group proprietor Steve Ballmer boasted that they’d be a playoff contender, and Leonard instructed ESPN he can win with this roster. The Clippers sponsored that up with a top-five protection and a veteran core — James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell — that had large seasons. After all, the most important query nonetheless needs to be spoke back within the playoffs — can Leonard keep wholesome when it issues maximum? — Youngmisuk

10. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors opened with a 12-3 get started that raised expectancies considerably in spite of the summer time departure of Klay Thompson. However Golden State then went 13-21, which precipitated the daring business for Jimmy Butler III. That rejuvenated Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced and raised the degrees of position gamers similar to Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Now the Warriors get ready for a run like in 2022, once they final gained the name at the power in their championship revel in and favorable matchups within the postseason. Curry and Inexperienced consider they have got a valid probability at successful a 5th championship as Butler objectives for his first, although that does not happen this postseason. But when “Playoff Jimmy” presentations up, Golden State might be a group no contender will wish to face, particularly within the early rounds. — Youngmisuk

11. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves aspired to stay a championship contender in spite of buying and selling franchise participant Karl-Anthony Cities weeks ahead of the beginning of the season. Up till a up to date second-half season spark, the Wolves appeared anything else however playoff-ready. Minnesota was once on a five-game successful streak ahead of its devastating loss to the Greenbacks on Tuesday however are 14-4 because the get started of March. It hasn’t been the smoothest season, and the Wolves are nonetheless combating to stick out of the Western Convention play-in match however they are gaining momentum on the proper time to offer themselves the most productive probability within the postseason. — Collier

12. Memphis Grizzlies

The playoffs would have supplied the very best proving flooring for the brand new, leading edge offense Memphis finished for lots of the common season. The expectancy was once that the Grizzlies could be much less predictable in an offense that almost eradicated ball displays and dribble handoffs. However the wonder firing of trainer Taylor Jenkins final week driven the Grizzlies in a brand new path of their try to optimize guard Ja Morant below intervening time trainer Tuomas Iisalo. A string of 10 losses in 17 outings from Feb. 23 to March 27 seemed to seal Jenkins’ destiny. Now normal supervisor Zach Kleiman seeks “readability and path” from the group because it closes out the season. Along with most probably carrying out a training seek, Memphis might be eyeing a hefty extension for Jaren Jackson Jr. that might grow to be a supermax. Nonetheless, Memphis is in an high-quality monetary place this offseason to improve the entire roster. — Wright

13. Milwaukee Greenbacks

The Greenbacks entered the season with championship expectancies, however they have not been ready to take care of the highest groups or win persistently sufficient to appear the phase all season. They began 2-8, rebounded to win the NBA Cup in December, however just lately have light to the ground half of of the East playoff standings. General, Milwaukee went 0-9 towards the highest 3 seeds within the East and can want a sturdy ultimate week, particularly of their final two video games towards the Pistons, which can move a ways in deciding which group enters the playoffs because the No. 6 seed. — Collier

14. Detroit Pistons

Regardless of a pricey pair of back-to-back domestic losses that may most probably power the Pistons to comb a home-and-home set with Milwaukee to succeed in the 5th seed, Detroit has smashed expectancies this season. The Pistons have already crushed their over/below win overall by means of 17.5 video games, with 3 to play within the common season. Simply two groups this century have surpassed their overall by means of greater than 20 video games: the 2013-14 Suns (27.5) and the 2009-10 Greenbacks (20.5). To not point out first-time All-Megastar Cade Cunningham has taken an enormous soar ahead in his fourth season that makes him a powerful contender for Maximum Progressed Participant. — Kevin Pelton

15. Orlando Magic

Tuesday’s win over the Hawks method Orlando can clinch the highest seed within the play-in ahead of completing the season Sunday in Atlanta. It is difficult to mention how a lot of the Magic’s slide from the 5th seed within the 2024 postseason to the play-in this season can also be defined by means of accidents. Orlando has performed a blended 54 video games with out main scorers Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, however the Magic are nonetheless under .500 when each play. This might be defined by means of the absence of level guard Jalen Suggs, who is out for the season after present process knee surgical operation. One shiny spot for Orlando: Reserve guard Caleb Houstan has been on a sizzling streak, taking pictures 53% on 3s because the All-Megastar destroy. — Pelton

16. Sacramento Kings

The Suns’ loss on Tuesday locked up a play-in spot for the Kings however Sacramento continues to be enjoying for the appropriate to host the 9-10 recreation, which might fit the place the group completed final 12 months. Expectancies ran upper after Sacramento added loose agent DeMar DeRozan, and trainer Mike Brown took the autumn for his group’s asymmetric get started in December. Issues have not been a lot other below intervening time trainer Doug Christie, which led the Kings to deal famous person De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine ahead of the time limit. A play-in loss may just imply much more adjustments this summer time. — Pelton

17. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs are combating for the appropriate to host the West’s 9/10 play-in recreation, which is not a place they deliberate on occupying after obtaining Anthony Davis and Max Christie within the Luka Doncic business. However accidents have wreaked havoc at the Dallas roster, together with a torn ACL that ended famous person guard Kyrie Irving’s season and can most probably sideline him for a good portion of the 2025-26 season. There’s numerous intrigue across the league about Irving’s contractual state of affairs this summer time. He has a $44 million participant possibility, and a number of other league assets expected ahead of his harm that the Mavs would lock up Irving for 3 years at close to most cash. — MacMahon

18. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks had ridden a couple of excessive moments all over this season’s marketing campaign, together with knocking off the East’s height 3 groups — the Cavs, Celtics and Knicks — en path to achieving the NBA Cup semifinals. However all in all, they have landed again the place they have been for 4 consecutive years now: within the play-in, combating for a place within the playoffs. Their 37 wins, a one-game development from final season, are simply above their 35.5 over/below projection. — Chris Herring

19. Miami Warmth

After enduring the Jimmy Butler III drama for the primary half of of the season, Miami is as soon as once more mired within the play-in for a 3rd instantly postseason. Accepting that fact is why Miami selected to business Butler ahead of the time limit to Golden State. The largest query is what the Warmth will do to take a step ahead subsequent season fairly than stay in the similar place once more. — Bontemps

20. Chicago Bulls

Regardless of claiming to be in a transition section, the Bulls are heading to the East play-in match for the 3rd consecutive season. Chicago isn’t a danger to make a deep playoff run, however a late-season surge from Josh Giddey and Coby White has given the Bulls a semblance of the longer term. However with no famous person and no transparent trail on learn how to gain one, the ceiling at the Bulls nonetheless turns out low for the longer term. — Collier

21. Phoenix Suns

Phoenix got here into the season with an over/below having a bet line of 48.5 wins and can wish to win the overall 3 video games simply to win 38. It’s been a disastrous season for the Suns, who’ve adopted up an NBA Finals run in 2021 by means of firing two coaches (Monty Williams and Frank Vogel) and are falling flat with a 3rd in Mike Budenholzer. A seven-game shedding streak has carried out all however sprint their possibilities of claiming a place within the play-in match, however the larger query stays: What’s going to the group and Kevin Durant do that summer time? — McMenamin

22. Portland Path Blazers

Regardless of successful Sunday, the Blazers had been mathematically eradicated from play-in rivalry. That Portland had one thing to play for via April was once surprising entering the season, and GM Joe Cronin was once rewarded Monday for the group’s efficiency and the advance of younger basis gamers Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara with a multiyear contract extension. The following choice for the Blazers is on trainer Chauncey Billups, who has a group possibility for 2025-26. Sean Highkin of Rose Lawn Record indicated Monday that Portland has but to workout the choice. — Pelton

23. San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio sought after to emphasise the advance of successful conduct all through Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season in order that it might make a valid run on the postseason all through the French phenom’s second-year marketing campaign. A chain of occasions averted the ones lofty expectancies from coming to fruition. Corridor of Status trainer Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke 5 video games into the season that has indefinitely sidelined him, leaving assistant Mitch Johnson in rate. The entrance place of work shrewdly maneuvered to procure fast guard De’Aaron Fox close to the business time limit, however he performed simply 5 video games with Wembanyama ahead of the latter was once shelved for the season because of a blood clot in his proper shoulder. The membership additionally close down Fox in order that he may just go through surgical operation to fix a tendon on his left hand. San Antonio has a lottery pick out and an extra first-rounder within the upcoming draft but additionally faces uncertainty relating to Popovich’s doable go back. — Wright

24. Toronto Raptors

Accidents curtailed Toronto’s possibilities of being a possible play-in group, however by means of touchdown within the height half of of the lottery, the Raptors are situated to in an instant soar again into the playoff image subsequent season. They’re going to additionally be capable to rely on Brandon Ingram, who was once obtained from New Orleans in February however has now not performed since Dec. 7 because of an ankle harm. How excessive this staff’s long-term ceiling is, then again, will come all the way down to the place this 12 months’s draft pick out lands. — Bontemps

25. Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn surpassed its over/below projection of nineteen.5 in early February, a giant signal that the Nets exceeded expectancies. Again in ownership of their very own 2025 draft pick out, the Nets had been extensively anticipated to be in a rebuilding mode. Nonetheless, first-year trainer Jordi Fernandez stored the crowd extremely aggressive in spite of the group buying and selling gamers similar to Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, or even as main scorer Cam Thomas performed in simply 25 video games ahead of exiting for the rest of the season with a left strained hamstring. Now their eyes are set at the lottery as they wait to peer the place they’ll pick out and the way they’ll upload to their younger roster. — Chris Herring

26. Philadelphia 76ers

To mention this season has been a crisis in Philadelphia is a sarcasm. A group that had championship aspirations after obtaining Paul George within the offseason has been out of the playoff image for months. It has struggled such a lot that the unthinkable has came about: The 76ers may just stay their top-six safe choose from conveying to the Thunder, relying on how the pingpong balls fall subsequent month within the lottery. — Bontemps

27. New Orleans Pelicans

Offseason addition Dejounte Murray fractured his left hand in a season-opening win towards Chicago, tipping off what could be a vicious wave of accidents for a group that misplaced 16 of its first 20 video games. The vaunted trio of Murray, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram by no means stepped foot at the courtroom in combination, with Ingram traded to Toronto in February. In all, the Pelicans misplaced Murray, Ingram, Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado sooner or later to both season-ending or extended accidents. The membership additionally close down CJ McCollum for the season. So, believe this a misplaced season for New Orleans — and there is nonetheless a possibility Murray and Murphy will omit the beginning of subsequent season — because it recovers from accidents. New Orleans might be making its first top-five variety within the upcoming draft since taking Williamson in 2019 with the No. 1 pick out. General roster well being and proceeding to construct round Williamson seem to be the Pels’ height priorities within the offseason. — Wright

28. Charlotte Hornets

There surely were not playoff expectancies for this season, however with Charlotte being a complete 10 video games under its preseason over/below of 29.5, it is honest to name this injury-riddled season every other forgettable one for the Hornets. They might be confronted with some tricky questions within the offseason. Leader amongst them: Is 23-year-old LaMelo Ball, who had a career-high utilization charge on career-low taking pictures percentages, nonetheless the participant the franchise needs to construct round? This season marked the 3rd time in his five-year profession that he performed in fewer than 50 video games. — Herring

29. Washington Wizards

The Wizards entered the season with the thrill surrounding the No. 2 pick out in Alex Sarr and fellow first-round selections Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George. However there was once by no means any query that this was once every other 12 months within the development procedure. And with this draft touted as a deep one, Washington’s number one objective was once to proceed to broaden younger development blocks like Bilal Coulibaly, stay including belongings when imaginable and get the very best pick out imaginable within the lottery. In addition they added vets like Khris Middleton and Marcus Good to assist mentor their kids as properly. Shedding 60-plus video games for a moment instantly 12 months is painful. But when Washington wins the lottery or has a top-three pick out, it is going to ease the ache. — Youngmisuk

30. Utah Jazz

After pushing the boundaries of the participant participation coverage all season, the Jazz might be sweating out the result of the draft lottery. Utah, which is projected to be one of the vital 3 groups with the utmost 14% odds for the No. 1 pick out, desperately must land a participant who generally is a franchise centerpiece. The Jazz did not dump any in their veterans ahead of this season’s business time limit, however they’ll have the ones discussions once more this summer time because the franchise operates with a long-term view in thoughts. — MacMahon