NBA Swing: Which Team Faces the Most Pressure This Season?

Read Time:4 Minute, 46 Second

The 2024-25 NBA season is getting closer and closer. In this piece, we take a look at the teams that may have some issues that must be dealt with. Pressure is part of the process in this league, but for some, it may be too much.

Milwaukee Bucks

Since winning the championship in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks have had a continuous spell of bad luck. Numerous injuries have plagued the team not only during the regular season but in the playoffs as well. In the last two seasons, Giannis Antetokounmpo has gotten injured in or heading into the first round of the playoffs, leading to a first-round exit. In his first season with the Bucks, Damian Lillard also got injured in the first round of the playoffs. Antetokounmpo and Lillard are surrounded by several aging veterans including Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, with management lacking several draft picks in the coming years. With Boston atop the Eastern Conference and teams like the New York Knicks stepping up, Milwaukee could fall behind in the standings. If the team fails to make a deep playoff run again, there are questions for the futures of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and the direction of the franchise as a whole.

Los Angeles Lakers

As long as LeBron James is a part of your organization, your team will be under immense pressure. As LeBron nears 40 years old, the pressure is on the Lakers organization now more than ever in the LeBron era. Missing out on numerous big-name free agents this offseason, the Lakers made very few moves. Following the hiring of rookie head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers would draft Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, in addition to re-signing Max Christie. With the Western Conference only getting stronger around them, the Lakers could be seeing themselves in the Play-In Tournament for the third season in a row come April. If the Lakers are sitting near the bottom of the West near the deadline, changes could be expected. Although unlikely, there is always the possibility that LeBron could request a trade, especially with the rumblings of a potential team-up with Stephen Curry. With LeBron in the final stretch of his career, the pressure is on the Lakers to make sure a contender is built around him.

Philadelphia 76ers

Even though they had arguably the best offseason of any team, the amount of pressure has not changed for the Philadelphia 76ers. Year after year, the Sixers have been one of the best regular season teams, only to fall apart in the playoffs. This past season saw Tyrese Maxey step up, especially when Joel Embiid went down with a leg injury. Embiid would return for the playoffs, but the team around him and Maxey was not enough to make it out of the first round. The biggest addition of the offseason would see the Sixers add Paul George, in addition to solid role players including Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin, and Reggie Jackson. While the team looks like it could be one of the best teams in the East, if not the entire league, history shows Embiid and George facing countless injuries and struggling in the playoffs. While a complete teardown of the team is out of the picture, a bad season will see more criticism thrown at Embiid and PG if they collapse deep into the season and playoffs.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are in a bad spot. Unable to make any significant moves due to Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause and the team being deep into the second apron, Phoenix will sink or swim with the roster they have. Kevin Durant is still one of the best players in the world while Devin Booker continues to prove why he is one of the best guards in the league. Bradley Beal has seen a decline in his play with his contract being the main problem looming over the Suns. While the team got the point guard they needed in Tyus Jones, they do not have a lot of depth beyond a few key role players. Last season, the Suns finished sixth in the West, with a similar fate likely happening this season. If the team struggles early on or toward the deadline, the possibility of a Kevin Durant trade is not out of the question. Rumors following the Olympics have suggested the possibility of a future Durant for Karl Anthony-Towns trade to pair Durant with Anthony Edwards.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going down a similar path to the Donovan Mitchell-led Utah Jazz. While the team has looked great in the regular season, the team has fallen apart in the playoffs. The 2022-23 season saw the Cavaliers go out in the first round and the team went out in the second round this past season. Despite reports of a “me or him” situation with Mitchell and Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen receiving heavy criticism for not playing late in the playoffs due to a rib injury, the team remains together following a three-year extension by Mitchell. The team is likely to remain right around the middle of the Eastern Conference while looking like a contender. If things fall apart, this could be the beginning of the end for this iteration of the Cavs. Mitchell could request a trade as many stars have recently done following signing new deals. It is also possible that Garland could request a trade if things start off badly in Cleveland while a player like Allen could be traded in hopes of finding a piece that better aligns with the team’s other stars.