Top Teams to Look Out For in the Second Half of the 2023-24 Season

The Los Angeles Lakers were highly praised for their turnaround in the previous season. The team traded for some key players and retooled their squad. From sitting 13th overall before the second half of the season, LeBron James and the gang steered their way for the 7th seed and then defeated the 2nd seed Memphis Grizzlies, and then defeated the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the semis. That was a majestic playoff run for the ages, and it definitely set the standard in the Western Conference. No one expected the team to become the contender to look out for, which just defines the Lakers' success in the second half of the campaign.

In the same scenario, the Boston Celtics were out of playoff contention in 2022, sitting at 17-19 by January. They initially lingered among the teams hoping for a chance at the Play-In Tournament, and the second half of the season gave them a chance to claw back to secure a playoff spot by finishing the season with a 34-12 push. The team went on to reach the NBA Finals in the same campaign, putting up impressive games down the stretch and even showed why they deserve to be the new team in the Eastern Conference that will lead them in a new era. Eventually, the Warriors defeated them in six games in the Finals.

Make no mistake, the Los Angeles Lakers are well poised for a push in the second half of the 2023-24 season. Many fans are expecting them to pull off the same comeback that they did in their previous campaign. However, there are pressing challenges and issues that will certainly affect their chances of pulling off the comeback, and there are no guarantees that it will be easier than before. For starters, the Lakers did not make any changes in the trade deadline – aside from signing Spencer Dinwiddie.

The Warriors were initially considered to be an elite contender this season with the right mix of veteran stars and young talent. However, rust and frustrations seemed to get the better of them in their games in the first half, and the Warriors were initially in the tanking positions of the Western Conference. Surprisingly enough, a few adjustments in their roster saw them make a return to the Play-In spots before the All-Star break.

Klay Thomspon moving to the bench, Brandin Podziemski thriving as a starter, and Jonathan Kuminga coming up with a resurgent pace is a one-time chance for the team not to waste.

Everyone bats an eye at the Miami Heat right now, but it is easy to forget that they are the defending Eastern Conference champions for a reason. The Heat managed to win four out of their last five games before the All-Star break, and they didn’t even have their full strength on display with injuries to key stars, especially Jimmy Butler. Still, that makes a lot of sense for the Heat to be a team that is expected to make their way into the playoffs. Being an 8th-seeded team last season to make the NBA Finals is a huge feat, and there’s no denying that they are almost in the same position right now.

The Indiana Pacers have made some interesting changes in the trade deadline, adding Pascal Siakam to aid Tyrese Haliburton in his push for the deeper playoff stages. So far, the Pacers are quite safe from the Play-In troubles, but it also means that they need to keep winning big games if they want to stay on the prowl and secure a higher berth in the postseason. After all, they don’t have two massive All-Stars for nothing, and this is the perfect stage for them to pull off a huge performance.

The Pacers are still struggling to find their way around the new roster, but it does seem that the team can get a groove going.

The Thunder are legitimate contenders for a reason. They have already accelerated their plan of making it back into the playoffs, and it seems that there are plenty of points to improve to this already impressive young squad in Oklahoma City. The team finished the first half of the season with an impressive performance, and it does seem that they are able to carry this same pace into the second half of the campaign while also shaking off the wear and tear of the early January games. They have made some lineup changes, which should definitely give them a strong push in the second half.