The 2023 NBA season has been The Year of the Middle Class.
We all know the teams at the top of the standings and contenders. But while those three or four teams occasionally steal our attention for MVP debates and occasional marquee games, this season has been all about the glut of teams stuck in the middle.
Entering Friday, only eight teams are guaranteed to finish above .500: the Bucks, Celtics, Nuggets, 76ers, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, Kings and Knicks. That’s it. But there’s also only seven teams guaranteed to finish below .500. With just one week left in the regular season, that leaves a whopping 15 teams stuck in the middle, still trying to find its way.
That includes the defending-champion Warriors (40-37). It includes LeBron’s Lakers (38-38) and, for now, Kevin Durant’s Suns (41-35). It still includes overachievers — the Thunder and Jazz — pushing for a play-in and underachievers like the Clippers, Timberwolves, Pelicans and Mavericks trying to get healthy and make a push.