The All-Star Weekend has come and gone, heralding the business end of the 2024-2025 NBA season. Teams have their eyes fixed on making a competitive push before the playoffs. The top-ranked squads will look to continue their dominance, while others try to come back from a disappointing first half. Among the teams looking for resurgence, the #7 seed in the East and the #9 seed in the West are the ones to look out for, predicted Kevin Garnett.
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On a recent edition of KG Certified, the 15-time All-Star first made a case for the Orlando Magic. KG pointed out that the team has been “hurt for so long”, dealing with injuries since the fall.
KG believes the Magic can go all guns blazing in the East now. “I think you’re gonna see an Orlando team that’s healthy. I think that they are going to make a major push,” KG said, before speaking about the team to look out for from the West.
KG was even more excited about his pick, the Golden State Warriors. He explained that Steph Curry is finding his groove again after winning MVP in front of the Bay Area fans at the All-Star game. He also claimed that the Dubs are feeling a “surge of energy” that was previously absent from their play before the break.
KG also brought up the bold statement made by Draymond Green that the Dubs are going to win it all.
“I don’t know if you all saw but Draymond threw out there that they were gonna win the NBA Championship this year, so he’s seeing something that’s revived not only him, but the rest of his teammates,” said Garnett.
Here is a look at the teams KG picked. We try to assess their potential to make a splash in the run-up to the playoffs.
Orlando Magic
The Magic were 27-29 before the All-Star break and now stand at 28-30 after a road win against the Atlanta Hawks and a loss at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. They were without Mo Wagner or Jalen Suggs in their recent loss, a sign that they have not escaped the injury bug yet.
They still hold the 7th seed in the East despite their woes, meaning they would qualify for the play-in if things remain the same. That’s most likely this team’s ceiling.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have been playing inspiring ball for the Magic. Both stars have been averaging well over 20 PPG and constantly contributing on the offensive side. But it’s the fundamentals of the game that the Magic need to clean up.
The squad missed 10 free throws and gave up 15 offensive rebounds in the loss to the Grizzlies, not to mention a severe timeout miscommunication that proved to be the dagger. The talented Magic is unlikely to surpass any of the top 4 seeds even if they survive the play-in.
Golden State Warriors
The Dubs are, however, an entirely different story. They were 28-27 before the break — and are coming off an impressive win over the Sacramento Kings, a game where four Warriors players dropped over 20 points. Interestingly enough, Jimmy Butler was not one of them.
But there’s no doubt that the Butler trade has infused new energy into the squad. At 29-27, they now prepare to host an Anthony Davis-less Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, and a welcome home party for Klay Thompson.
The Warriors seemed lifeless in the first half of the season, with most of the weight falling onto Curry’s shoulders. Following the acquisition of Butler, they are now one of the league’s hottest teams and even getting solid minutes from pickups like Kevin Knox, who had a sensational debut in the Dubs’ victory over the Kings.
If they stay hot, they can potentially make a push for the 6th seed and ensure themselves another opportunity for ring #5.
