Every NBA team comes into the new season with plans for how to better reach their goals. Not all of them manage to execute.
A month into the regular season, it's time to look at how well teams have executed some of their most important strategies. In some cases, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers' undefeated start or the Golden State Warriors riding a deep rotation to one of the Western Conference's best records, it's clear things are working out. But some teams still haven't seen their early-season priorities take off.
The Milwaukee Bucks are scraping to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks are off to slow starts after their preseason blockbuster trade.
And the Philadelphia 76ers, who are falling behind in the East race, might jeopardize their ability to follow through on a plan to manage Joel Embiid and Paul George with an eye toward the postseason.
Let's break down the numbers and grade how well several of the NBA's top teams are handling what they prioritized coming into the 2024-25 season.
Jump to a team:
CLE | DAL | DEN | GS | LAL
MIL | MIN | NY | PHI | SA
Cleveland Cavaliers: Getting the big four to work together
Grade: A
