Trending Matters: 5 key questions forward of NBA's Christmas Day video games – NBA.com

Within the spirit of the vacation season, NBA.com writers weigh in on what’s forward for the ten groups enjoying on Christmas Day.
NBA.com Workers
Stephen Curry and LeBron James will renew their rivalry on Christmas Day.
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Periodically, NBA.com’s writers will weigh in on key storylines or trending matters across the league.
Boston Celtics. Quick-term, they’re at residence on the vacation and are heavy favorites towards Philadelphia. Lengthy-term, Boston is buzzing alongside, even in dropping three of its final … 9. Each loss has been remoted (no streaks), the Celtics are largely wholesome and their solely actual competitors within the East, Cleveland, has but to show it has endurance that may final into Could. — Steve Aschburner
Boston Celtics. The defending champs enter Christmas Day with the perfect file of the ten groups in motion on the vacation and third finest in your complete NBA. There was no signal of a championship hangover in Boston with Kia MVP candidate Jayson Tatum main the best way and Kia Sixth Man candidate Payton Pritchard making this deep Celtics squad much more harmful. — Brian Martin
Boston Celtics. At first, the defending champs are blessed with good well being. Jayson Tatum is enjoying at an MVP stage. And as a bonus, Payton Pritchard is dropping 3-pointers and giving a much bigger bench enhance than anticipated. — Shaun Powell
Boston Celtics. The champs know who they’re and the best way to win. They’ve performed a comparatively straightforward schedule, there’s going to be some 3-point variability from night time to nighttime, and it could be higher if extra of their 3-point makes an attempt had been generated by paint touches. However they’re wholesome, Payton Pritchard has given them a ton of juice off the bench and no different staff has fewer potential weaknesses or a greater components for achievement on each ends of the ground. — John Schuhmann
The Knicks: Don’t take heed to the minutes speak. Some Knicks followers and media are already wringing their fingers over taskmaster Tom Thibodeau’s heavy use of the staff’s starters. The five-man unit leads the NBA in minutes logged. Thibs doesn’t grind his groups in practices, and the NBA has spent bundles attempting to determine how a load administration sport in November avoids a sprained ankle in February. — Steve Aschburner.
The Nuggets: Don’t waste this season from Nikola Jokić, who has an opportunity to affix Invoice Russell and LeBron James as the only players to win 4 Kia MVPs in a five-season span. After shedding key rotation gamers in free company the previous two summers, the Nuggets must be patrons on the commerce deadline so as to add expertise round Jokić and stay in championship rivalry. — Brian Martin
The Lakers: Preserve LeBron James going previous 40 years previous. Particularly if he’s gonna give this stage of manufacturing. And get him some defensive assist. — Shaun Powell
The Sixers: Resolve to run slightly. The offense has been an actual battle, even in the limited minutes that Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid have been on the ground. The Sixers have been strong defensively and rank second in opponent turnover charge, however are 28th within the share of their possessions (16%) which were in transition. How about turning a few of these steals into early offense? Efficient discipline aim share is lowest within the final six seconds of the shot clock and solely Brooklyn has taken a better share of its photographs within the final six seconds than Philly. — John Schuhmann
Wolves vs. Mavs. What’s to not like a few rematch of the 2024 Western Convention Finals? They met every week into this season (Dallas received at Goal Heart), have this one, then yet one more on Jan. 22. That’s not sufficient for a matchup during which the Mavericks held a 5-4 edge in 9 conferences final season, together with 4-1 within the playoffs. The star energy — Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, Kyrie Irving — calls for an encore and the starvation once more to advance could be palpable. — Steve Aschburner
Lakers vs. Warriors. It’s a nostalgia choose right here, realizing that we don’t have for much longer to see LeBron James and Stephen Curry face off with each other. They’ve 5 playoff sequence of their historical past — 4 coming within the NBA Finals — however there’s nonetheless room for yet one more. — Brian Martin
Sixers vs. Celtics. This might realistically occur assuming Philly grabs one of many previous couple of SoFi Play-In Match spots. A wholesome and recharged Joel Embiid hell-bent on salvaging the season, plus a better-adjusted Paul George may rekindle these traditional Celtics-Sixers clashes of the previous. — Shaun Powell
Sixers vs. Celtics. No two franchises have performed extra video games towards one another (583) over the NBA’s 79 seasons, and Philly-Boston can be fairly compelling relating to the present rosters. Joel Embiid (due to his measurement) and Tyrese Maxey (due to the Boston bigs’ points within the pick-and-roll) present potential matchup points for the champs, whereas Paul George is about nearly as good a defender as you possibly can put in entrance of Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. Throw in some janky zone defenses from Nick Nurse and there will likely be a lot to chew on even when the Celtics are a heavy favourite. — John Schuhmann
Oklahoma Metropolis and Cleveland. The Thunder and the Cavaliers (or a minimum of their family members) may really feel grateful to not work on the vacation this season, however they’d higher get pleasure from it as a result of it’s prone to change. They’re two of essentially the most thrilling and championship-focused groups — brimming with expertise and looking forward to respect — and there’s no cause every can’t be perched atop its respective convention standings a yr from now. — Steve Aschburner
Oklahoma Metropolis and Cleveland. We don’t should look far down the standings to search out two groups worthy of the Christmas Day highlight. We solely want to take a look at the No. 1 spot in each conferences for groups brimming with younger expertise able to contend for titles and the chance to play vacation hoops. — Brian Martin
Oklahoma Metropolis and Orlando. These organically grown groups characterize the following technology of stars regardless of their market measurement. OKC may win a championship subsequent summer season. Orlando will likely be beastly as soon as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner heal. — Shaun Powell
Oklahoma Metropolis and Orlando. The Thunder — the perfect staff within the West with three younger stars and constant vitality — are the simple reply. The Magic have comparable traits and, whereas they at the moment stay restricted offensively, could possibly be a two-way juggernaut by this time subsequent yr with the additional growth of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The previous may very nicely be a future MVP. — John Schuhmann
Denver Nuggets. These guys don’t have sufficient to outlive, not to mention thrive, in an extended postseason run. And no, they haven’t completed proper by Nikola Jokić the previous 18 months in shoring up, by no means thoughts enhancing, the roster round him. Inside growth (Christian Braun, Peyton Watson) is okay, however the Nuggets’ window as a title contender and Jokić’s prime ought to have the Denver entrance workplace on a loudly ticking clock. — Steve Aschburner
Golden State Warriors. The Warriors didn’t wait till February, they began purchasing close to Christmas time with the acquisition of Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn final week. However simply because they began early, doesn’t imply the Warriors ought to be completed making offers. The championship-contending window with Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced will finally shut, however the appropriate strikes this February may maintain the window ajar some time longer. — Brian Martin
Los Angeles Lakers. There are numerous candidates right here because the Nuggets, Wolves, Warriors and Suns may use a shakeup. However none are up towards the clock like Los Angeles, which has property to maneuver. The Lakers are determined to salvage what could possibly be LeBron James’ final yr and wish a 3rd impactful participant within the rotation.
— Shaun Powell
New York Knicks. The Knicks have the best ceiling of the 9 groups exterior of Boston however may want one other piece on the perimeter (anyone greater than the 6-foot-1 Miles McBride) to keep away from having OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart play 46 minutes an evening within the playoffs. The Karl-Anthony Cities addition has labored out in addition to could be anticipated and the Knicks ought to go all-in on 2025. Which means doing all they will to keep away from having their rotation run out of gasoline in a second straight postseason. — John Schuhmann
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