The 2024-2025 NBA season has reached the business end now that the All-Star break is over. Teams have their eyes fixed on making a competitive push before the playoffs. Some top-ranked squads will look to continue their dominance, while others try to come back from a disappointing first half. Kevin Garnett recently predicted that the #7 seed in the East and the #9 seed in the West would be the two teams to look out for in this part of the season.
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On a recent edition of KG Certified, the 15-time All-Star was asked to name the franchises he thought would be able to bounce back and make a competitive postseason run. Garnett made cases for the Orlando Magic and the Golden State Warriors.
Talking about the Magic, KG pointed out that the team has been “hurt for so long”, they have been dealing with injuries since the fall. KG believes that they can “make a major push” in the East finally now that their roster is healthy.
“I think you’re gonna see an Orlando team that’s healthy. I think that they are going to make a major push,” KG stated.
Garnett was even more excited about the 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 gonna 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.”
So let’s take a look at both teams KG pointed out.
The Orlando Magic
The Magic were 27-29 before the All-Star break and now stand at 28-30 after a road win against the Hawks and a loss at home against the Grizzlies. They were without Mo Wagner or Jalen Suggs in their recent loss, which is proof that the injury bug has not escaped them yet.
They still hold the 7th seed spot despite their woes, meaning they would qualify for the play-in if things stay 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 basketball that the Magic need to clean up.
Their squad missed 10 free throws and gave up 15 offensive rebounds in their loss to the Grizzlies, not to mention a severe timeout miscommunication that was the dagger. The talented Magic will not surpass any of the top 4 seeds even if they survive the play-in.
Golden State Warriors
The Dubs are an entirely different story, however. They were 28-27 prior to 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 David-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.
