The 2023/24 NBA season is hotting up, with the end-of-season playoffs fast approaching. Basketball fans around the globe are eagerly anticipating the showdown for the coveted NBA championship.
Below, we explore the four leading NBA teams likely to vie for glory in the upcoming NBA Finals, from perennial powerhouses to rising stars.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are in a rich vein of form right now. They’ve been putting up better numbers this season than last year, which is an indication of their intent for more NBA silverware. The Celtics are comfortably the best team playing in the Eastern Conference right now. They’re almost certain to be the top seeds heading into the playoffs. They will face one of the Play-In winners first too, giving them a great chance of advancing further through the playoff bracket.
Denver Nuggets
Like the Celtics, the Denver Nuggets are also out in front as the top team in the Western Conference of the 2023-24 NBA season. As the defending champions, Denver have built on last season’s success and now look capable of stepping things up again into the postseason. As the 2023-24 season has elapsed, the likes of Nikola Jokic have come to the fore, as they sense a chance to make back-to-back history.
LA Clippers
On paper, the LA Clippers must surely have a real chance of running deep in the 2023-24 NBA postseason playoffs. They have a star-studded roster, but the big issue for the Clippers is fitness and injuries. The likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are genuine box office stars for the Clippers. However, the reality is that many of their key players have nursed some kind of injury so far this season, meaning they’ve rarely been able to field their full-strength team. If they can keep fit and stick together, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the West in the coming weeks.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks remain the closest challengers to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference. They’ve hit a rich vein of form under Doc Rivers, following the surprise decision to sack Adrian Griffin. Any team with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo – one of the stars of the 2023 FIBA World Cup – and Damian Lillard dictating things will always have a fighter’s chance of going deep into the NBA Finals.
In truth, it does look like it’s Boston’s title to give away right now, but this is no time for any team to count their chickens.
