Contenders and Pretenders

 

Every NSL season comes with its fair share of twists, turns, and panic trades, but this year feels particularly unpredictable. It’s a long journey as we all know but the 82 games come and go incredibly quickly, rotations constantly shifting, injuries disrupting momentum, and unexpected contenders and pretenders rise among the ranks. Now that the early-season dust has begun to settle, patterns are forming but still unpredictable as anything. Some teams look built to last, while others may have peaked early or are already showing cracks, there is no way Dallas make the playoffs... do they?

 

It’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

 

Eastern Conference

 

 

Pretenders

 

1.    Washington Wizards – Championship Hangover

 

Josh was on cloud nine, now he feels like he is six feet under. One minute you’re holding the trophy, the next you’re wondering how everything fell apart so quickly. The reigning champion has stumbled out of the gates, struggling to regain the form that powered them to last year’s title. Who knew that LeBron was that important to the Wizz... the Wizards simply haven’t clicked but have shown some form of life recently. Do they pull things together? Depends if the King still has enough juice in the tank I would say. The Wizz don’t get to move out of the pretenders category unfortunately – Don’t hate me JV.

 

2.    Cleveland Cavaliers – The Stephen Curry Swing That Hasn’t Paid Off

 

You have to respect boldness, and Shams and his Cavaliers made arguably one of the more recent bold moves swinging for Stephen Curry in a franchise-defining trade. The expectation? Fireworks. The reality? A few sparks, but not enough to light the sky. He still has Scotty working the hardwood but the team doesn’t look too be dazzling at the moment. Can the Chef get and stay healthy? Will Shams have to navigate this all year? Who knows, but I can’t see the Cavs being in the finals this year.

 

3.    Indiana Pacers – Better Than Expected, but please God don’t make the finals.

 

The Indiana Pacers deserve some credit, but I will never look past trading Wemby, ever. They exceeded early expectations despite injuries that could’ve sunk their season before it even began. Yeet is also probably hoping that Cade keeps making jumps in 2K which who knows how long that will take. He loves the attention and bleeds NSL but I cannot see the Pacers making too much noise this year.

 

Contenders

 

1.    New York Knicks – From Cellar to Centre Stage

 

No one saw this coming. How? When? Why? The New York Knicks, who were scraping the bottom of the ladder just a season ago, have rocketed to the top with a vengeance, Smokey teach us your ways. This isn’t by chance either, the roster looks balanced, the stars are performing, and week after week they’ve backing up wins. Smokey being a league favourite GM, I am happy to see the Knicks on the rise, especially as they sit in the Eastern Conference. They look like this could be sustainable and I wouldn’t be surprised if Smokey takes the Big Apple back to centre stage.

 

2.    Milwaukee Bucks – Shai Leads, Bucks Follow

 

The Bucks haven’t missed a beat from last year. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continuing to dominate as one of fantasy basketball’s premier engines. He is another one that should never get traded and God do I wish he donned a Jazz uniform. The Bucks look as polished and dangerous as ever.

 

When your superstar is this reliable and your team chemistry is synced, you’re a contender by default. Milwaukee belongs at the top of the East, and I would not be ruling them out as top dog in the East come June.

 

Western Conference

 

Pretenders

 

1.    Utah Jazz – We F**ken Suck

 

After completing a 3 year tank rebuild, every year the Jazz look good on paper. Every year they have enough talent to be dangerous. And every year… something goes wrong, Joel Embiid goes wrong. Injuries, poor fit, missing chemistry — take your pick. It’s always something with us and we just cannot get it right.

 

Until proven otherwise, Utah remains the classic “pretender disguised as a contender.” The potential is there. The execution isn’t, and with new injuries to Franz Wagner, as well as the consistently plagued duo of Embiid and Porzingis, through in Thybulle – the Jazz have more headaches than we ever signed up for. As much as I’d like to challenge for a ring, we just wont find the juice.

 

2.    Los Angeles Lakers – Wemby please come back.

 

The Lakers continue to hold their breath each week, hoping injuries don’t derail everything… again. On paper, they have enough firepower to compete. But availability is a skill, and their stars simply haven’t been available consistently enough. The Claw, the guy with a few kids and the alien, scary but also a massive headache.

 

Could they heat up and make a run? Sure. Could it all collapse by next Tuesday? Also yes. That volatility is exactly why they land in the pretender pile — too many “ifs,” too little certainty. Justin has made a name for himself like Yeet for being the potential villain of the league, so many people are intrigued to see how the Lakers work out, and their demise might be enjoyed by a few.

 

3.    Dallas Mavericks – Weirdly Good? WTAF

 

If there’s one team breaking everything that makes sense in the world, it’s the Dallas Mavericks. Weirdly good. What the hell has LJ got cooking down in Texas? Surprisingly consistent. Shockingly competitive. No one predicted this — and that’s exactly the problem. Still the hardest man to trade with in the league but seeing the Mavs on the rise is a wild scene. Fun story? Absolutely. True contender? Not buying it.

 

Contenders

 

1.    San Antonio Spurs – They are always good

 

Giannis, that is all.

 

2.    Oklahoma City Thunder – No Longer a Question Mark?

 

People doubted the Thunder, but those doubts are fading fast. This team looks fantastic with Ant leading the helm and guys like Deni and Fox to help along the way. Plenty of depth, pace, and rising stars who have taken the leap. They’re not a cute young team anymore. They’re the real deal. I personally didn’t think it would click this quickly, but this year could definitely be the year for the Thunder. They might be there in June for sure.

 

My Final Say

 

Contenders:

1.    Knicks

2.    Bucks

3.    Spurs

4.    Thunder

 

Pretenders:

1.    Wizards

2.    Cavaliers

3.    Pacers

4.    Jazz

5.    Lakers

6.    Mavericks