A Bucks Resurgence, Cavs/Thunder Dominance, City of Brotherly Despair and Zion Oh Zion
Hello, everyone. It’s Brogan LaRose back for another “NBA In Review” featuring some older and newer storylines taking place. I will go over the following: the Milwaukee Bucks finally getting on the right track and now the fourth seed in the East, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominating their respective conferences, the Philadelphia 76ers continuing to play below expectations, and the drama-fest that has occurred with Zion Williamson. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.
Bucks Resurgence
The last time I talked about the Bucks, they were below .500, struggling to get into a rhythm and searching for answers to their early-season struggles. Now, Milwaukee looks to be behind these struggles and starting to make an impact in the East. With Milwaukee winning the 2nd ever NBA Cup, this certainly quieted the doubters calling for changes in the organization. As of recent, the Bucks have won their last eight out of their last nine games with convincing wins against conference foes Orlando (twice), Toronto, and Philadelphia. The duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have certainly played up to their expectations, with Antetokounmpo averaging 32 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists per contest, while Lillard is putting up an efficient 25 points per game on a nightly basis. The Bucks are in a way better spot than early in the season, as they are 4th in the Eastern Conference. There still is time to get even higher up in the standings, and we will see how the Bucks handle the 2nd half of the 2024-2025 season.
Cavs/Thunder Dominance
The Cavaliers and the Thunder have given us some special things to watch over the duration of the season. Both teams are at the top of the Eastern Conference, with the Cavs holding a record of 36-6 and the Thunder having a record of 35-7. Recently, both squads faced off in two hyped-up matchups on Jan. 8 and Jan. 16. It was a split between both sides as Cleveland won the first game 129-122, and OKC won the latter in a blowout of 134-114. Both games also highlighted a very special player now the front-runner to win the 2024-2025 NBA MVP. This is none other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA is having an outstanding season with averages of 32 PPG, 5 RPG, and 6 APG, shooting a very efficient 53% from the field and 90% from the charity stripe. Jalen Williams also has an all-star caliber season, averaging 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He is the second option at the moment. This is even scarier when you think Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein haven’t played a single game together yet, with Hartenstein (who’s back in action) missing games at the start of the season. Holmgren is coming back from a hip injury. The Cavs and the Thunder have made a statement this year, and there is a strong possibility that these games will be a Finals pre-view this coming June.
City of Brotherly Despair
The Philadelphia 76ers… you want to talk about a season of overhype and underdelivering. It’s none other than the 76ers. Currently slated at 15-27 and 11th in the Eastern Conference, 76ers fans are fed up with the current state of the franchise. They are also fed up with some of the players as well. Joel Embiid and Paul George haven’t had the best seasons, and it doesn’t help when you don’t play and load manage during the season. Embiid has only played in 13 games this season, while George has already missed 14.
Furthermore, George is currently averaging the lowest PPG of his career since his third season in Indiana. Yes, injuries have been the culprits of this. However, it is imperative for athletes in the professional scene to keep their bodies as healthy as possible. Everyone is aware of freak injuries also, but to be great, you must be available (may/may not be a segway into my next section). Although there have been some bright spots for the 76ers in Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and Guerschon Yabusele, Philly’s season looks to be nothing but hype after the summer they had. Barring a miracle and a strong run heading into the all-star break, the future looks bleak for the 76ers.
Zion Oh Zion
Oh, my goodness, there is just so much to unpack here. As a big fan of Zion Williamson, I am disappointed to see where Zion is currently in his NBA career. The two-time All-Star has ONLY PLAYED IN 10 GAMES THIS YEAR (sorry for raising my voice). However, as mentioned above, wanting to be great requires being available nightly. Having just come back from injury, one would think that Zion would be ready to go and hit the ground running in his return. Well, you would be wrong. I’m not talking about his production; I’m talking about his status because after coming back from injury, Shams Charania reported that Zion would miss a couple of games early on due to reconditioning load management. I have never even heard of such a term, but to many fans and me, it’s ridiculous at this point. Then, Williamson missed a game with an illness on top of all that while missing games due to reconditioning. His discipline and drive have certainly and rightly been questioned this season. There are concerns from the Pelicans organization about whether or not Zion will be the face of the franchise or if they should just reset and move on from him. The Pelicans are also one of the worst teams in the NBA, with a record of 12-32 with multiple and former All-Stars on their roster. So, the Pelicans and Zion have been an absolute disaster this season, and their future will remain in limbo unless Zion takes care of himself or a trade is made.
That’s all I have for now as the NBA heads into the All-Star break. Thanks for reading.