The plane tickets to beaches are booked, the tickets to the Indianapolis cold are also booked, and we have officially reached NBA All-Star Break.
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After a fairly tame trade deadline, every team pretty much looks the way they're going to look for the rest of the season, barring serious injury. The East playoff picture has very few surprises for the most part (looking at you Knicks), in terms of early predictions. Meanwhile, the Western Conference is shaping up to be a bloodbath from the top four, that's ever changing, to the 5th-9th seed that could be a real fight till May.
We got real contenders, a lot of pretenders, and straight up frauds. Let's see where every team lands with a mid-season buy, sell, and hold.
Atlanta Hawks (24-30) 10th East
A big shock to everyone was the Hawks sitting out the trade deadline and deciding to run it back. There were lots of talks about ending the Dejounte Murray/Trae Young experiment after just under two years but they couldn't find the right trade partner. Whether Trae Young is in Atlanta next fall is an even bigger question mark. At best they could possibly still sneak in through the play-in, but do very little damage.
Sell
Boston Celtics (42-12) 1st East (Best Record in NBA)
Just get to the playoffs healthy, dudes. Only three losses at home so far this season, they are easily the most talented team, it just remains to be seen that when things get tough in the 4th quarter can they run any plays at all other than a pickup basketball game offense.
Buy
Brooklyn Nets (21-32) 11th East
Being sellers at the trade deadline tells me they were finally honest with themselves and know who they are, and who they aren't. Still, if you can get four firsts for Mikal Bridges like you've been telling everyone, maybe do it.
Buy (as sellers)
Charlotte Hornets (12-41) 13th East
LOL
Sell
Chicago Bulls (26-28) 9th East
Okay, they very well might make the playoffs, they are still a 89 Honda Prelude that looks in the mirror and sees a Lamborghini. No reason for them to run this roster back, so lets all give a round of applause for the forever 9th seed.
Sell (and boo them for not knowing it)
Cleveland Cavaliers (35-17) 2nd East
Winning nine of their last ten the Cavs look to be for real, especially in a conference that's a little beat up right now. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley coming back from injury also helps a lot.
Buy
Dallas Mavericks (31-23) 7th West
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images
The Mavericks decided to go for it this deadline and got more athletic with the pickups of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. Both are going to give them real minutes in the playoffs. Gafford will be getting some of the easiest dunks he's gotten in his life. Luka and Kyrie are looking more comfortable playing off of each other, making them a tough out in the playoffs.
Buy
Denver Nuggets (36-18) 4th West
The most bored team in the NBA. You have to kill the champs and winning four out of seven against the best player in the world feels real Sisyphean at this point. Doesn't really matter which seed they get and I don't think they care either.
Buy
Detroit Pistons (8-45) Last place everywhere
RIP to the Killian Hayes era.
Sell
Golden State Warriors (26-25) 10th West
You won't know if you can get LeBron James unless you ask, so shout out to Joe Lacob for asking I guess. Ultimately they decided not to do anything at the deadline but they are getting healthy with Chris Paul's return on the way. If they can just rattle off a couple wins and make the Play-In you don't want to be a top seed having to deal with them first.
Buy
Houston Rockets (24-29) 12th West
If Jalen Green could do all the stuff he tries to do, but good, they would be incredible and fun.
Sell
Indiana Pacers (30-25) 6th East
Second best offense in the entire NBA. We will have to see how they hold up when you get fewer possessions in the playoffs. Having an All-NBA guard will be good to have either way.
Buy
Los Angeles Clippers (35-17) 3rd West
Legitimately scary. If they can keep James Harden from getting his summer cooties on them, they can be part of the final two.
Buy
Los Angeles Lakers (29-26) 9th West
When you have LeBron and Anthony Davis you're never really out of a season. Having made the Western Conference Finals as a play-in team last year you get the feeling they think anything can happen if they sneak in. They also refused to make a move at the trade deadline so it's going to be on their With that said, sometimes you have no idea what Darvin Ham is doing.
Hold
Memphis Grizzlies (18-36) 13th West
Like when you see a mugshot of a kid you grew up watching on Disney.
Sell
Miami Heat (29-25) 7th East
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
It's always going to be fun to make fun of #heatculture but if they end up in the finals after going nuclear in May who will honestly be surprised?
Buy (even though I want to sell)
Milwaukee Bucks (35-20) 3rd East
If I woke up from a coma and you told me either they won the championship or lost to the Magic in the first round while Bobby Portis was interim head coach, I would believe either of those things.
Hold
Minnesota Timberwolves (38-16) 1st West
ANTHONY EDWARDS WILL BE A STAR THIS SUMMER!
BUY
New Orleans Pelicans (32-22) 6th West
Used to be sort of the darlings of the league and now they seem like a middle child.
Hold
New York Knicks (33-21) 4th East
THE KNICKS ARE COMING OUT OF THE EAST...is what I would say if everyone didn't get injured within the last two weeks.
Buy
Oklahoma City Thunder (37-17) 2nd West
Big shout out to the new 2022 Grizzlies. I wish the Thunder a better fate.
Buy
Orlando Magic (29-25) 8th East
I love very fun young teams that will probably get swept but have a blast doing it. Unless they play the Bucks, then anything can happen.
Hold
Philadelphia 76ers (32-21) 5th East
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
We all know what's about to happen in three months but no one wants to say it because Philly people will attack us. They know too.
SELL
Phoenix Suns (32-22) 5th West
If fourth quarters didn't exist, possibly the greatest offense we've ever seen. They do exist though, so we will have to see if they can hold off from playing like a middle school basketball team in the 4th quarter this summer. Royce O'Neale was a great pickup for them though.
Buy
Portland Trail Blazers (15-38) 14th West
Jojo restaurant in Portland is very good..that's all i got.
Sell
Sacramento Kings (30-23) 8th West
Not quite the excitement of last season but their are still stretches when they look unstoppable on offense. The Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox all-star snubs might be just what they needed to give them a little push.
Hold
San Antonio Spurs (11-43)
On the bright side, Victor Wembanyama is the real deal and is going to be a star. This is the worst he's ever gonna be. The bad news is he gotta play with dudes that actively shun him or forget he exists.
Sell (the cool kind tho)
Toronto Raptors (19-35) 12th East
In the infancy of the tank, good for them.
Sell
Utah Jazz (26-28) 11th West
In their pre-tanking era. It's on the way they just don't know it yet.
Sell
Washington Wizards (9-44)
Very happy Detroit exists...Pistons will be better by seasons end.
Sell
