26. Detroit Pistons
For a while, I firmly believed that the Detroit Pistons would be a dark horse to crash the Play-In Tournament party in the Eastern Conference. However, when I looked at the rest of the landscape out East, I realized that’s probably unfair.
Nevertheless, the Pistons have a strong young core in Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren. They should be interesting to watch this season.
25. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are another team with a talented core. But, they still feel like they’re at least a couple of years away from competing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. What I want to see from the Rockets this season is growth from their young guards, Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, and the emergence of one more young player.
Maybe that ends up being rookie Jabari Smith or perhaps it’s Alperen Sengun, who is expected to have a bigger role for the team this season.