Win totals for all 30 NBA teams

Expect a season full of dogfights

BY DAVID THORPE

The Celtics, behind the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are looking like the cream of the Eastern Conference. MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES

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Just published: A podcast where David and Jarod discuss his projections—and Victor Wembanyama. 

And mark your calendars for 7pm ET/4pm PT tomorrow, Tuesday, NBA opening night. Our whole TrueHoop crew will be part of Substack’s NBA Opening Night Watch-Along, along with Tom Haberstroh of The Finder, Katie Heindl of Basketball Feelings, and Jared Dubin of Last Night in Basketball. The Lakers will be playing the champion Nuggets, and then the night owls can stay up to watch Kevin Durant’s Suns take on Stephen Curry’s Warriors.

Here’s how to join us:

1. Download the Substack app and turn on push notifications: Download the app

2. Register for the event: Register here

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[Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article came up 28 total wins short because, well, math is hard. That discrepancy has been remedied.]

The NBA has more superstars, stars, and potential stars than ever before. It’s truly a golden age for talent. And thanks to strict financial penalties for high-spending teams, that talent is spread across the league.

There are very few bad teams. In fact, only the Trail Blazers look to be worse than they were a year ago. That means more dogfights on a nightly basis and what might be the tightest playoff race in NBA history. Of course, new mandates on load management also cloud the April forecast. 

Thus, projected-win totals are down across the board, and “drama” will be the catchword for the 2023-2024 season.

Eastern Conference win totals

Boston Celtics: 50 wins

Questions will persist until we see this entire new group play together for a while. One thing we know for sure: As a tandem, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been incredibly successful. That’s a very firm footing to start the season. Adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis gives the Celtics four potential All-Stars and a leg up in the East.