After literally decades of struggles, false hopes, and leaving people wanting more, the New York Knicks toppled the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals and are now champions. Fans are savoring the sweet taste of victory and adjusting to the concept of supporting the best team in the league.
Some teams seem to win more frequently than others. The Knicks’ path to the Finals was a long one, and some franchises are on their own rocky roads that may not end any time soon.
New York fought hard, and it all paid off, but that won’t be the case for everyone. It’s time to talk about the NBA teams that feel light-years away from contending for a championship ring.
Teams Who Are Still A Ways Away From The NBA Finals
A discussion about teams that won’t be in the Finals soon isn’t complete without mention of the Knicks’ neighbors, the Brooklyn Nets. To call the Nets a poverty franchise is being generous, as they have little to be excited about. There are several promising young players in their lineup, but that only means it’ll be years before they can actually compete. Last year, the front office took an interesting approach to the draft, committing to multiple unproven rookies instead of trading their picks for win-now talent.
There have been rumors of the Nets pursuing someone like Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers. Securing Reaves could certainly improve their offense and generate some buzz, but he won’t be enough to turn them into a force in the playoffs. This is a team that knows it’s going to be sitting toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference for some time.
Next up is the Phoenix Suns. For fans, the current state of the Suns is painful because it feels like they were battling the Milwaukee Bucks for a championship only a few years ago. Things move fast in the NBA, however, and that glorious season feels decades ago. Since then, the Suns agreed to the doomed big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. After the departures of Durant, DeAndre Ayton, Chris Paul, and others, the Suns are a shell of their former selves. Booker is the only remaining member from the crew that went to the Finals back in 2021.
The biggest problem for Phoenix is that they spent so much to acquire Durant and the rest of the roster that they are strapped for cash and assets and probably will be for some time. They will act as a stark reminder to other teams of what can go wrong when plans are haphazard and expensive. The Suns were trending in the right direction, but their roll of the dice came up snake eyes. As many other teams have discovered, Phoenix learned that Durant isn’t a key to instant success. Now they are stuck in limbo and may not move far in the playoffs for years.
The Milwaukee Bucks could best be described as “rudderless” right now. As previously mentioned, they went all the way to the Finals in 2021 and claimed a well-earned championship. Now, the team is basically in shambles. Giannis Antetokounmpo is surely leaving the team soon, which will deliver a devastating, franchise-changing blow. They recently let go of head coach Doc Rivers, and the addition of Myles Turner didn’t help them at all.
This is a team that had a solid, eight-cylinder engine in Antetokounmpo. Without him, they will be utterly lost. If they accept multiple draft picks for Giannis, it means they’re looking into a slow rebuilding process. If they somehow land a few proven vets in the trade, that process could be shorter, but it won’t be brief. The bottom line is that the Bucks are about to enter a dark period, one that will drop them toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Anyone paying attention to the league knew this was coming.
The List Could Be Growing
These aren’t the only NBA franchises in a tough spot right now. The Golden State Warriors, for example, are getting close to a Steph Curry-less future and could plummet because of that. If the Miami Heat miss out on landing Antetokounmpo, they may be doomed to being a Play-In Tournament team for ages. The Los Angeles Clippers looked promising only years ago, but are now directionless with the investigation into Kawhi Leonard looming large.
The NBA is always in a state of change. The Knicks are on top right now, and they will have to fight hard to stay there. A number of teams will be knocking on the door, and an unfortunate few still haven’t made it up the driveway.
