NBA: Tiering the 6 teams (and a few dark horses) that can win the 2024 championship

Heading into the stretch run, we tier the six teams (and a few dark horses) that can legitimately win the 2024 NBA Championship.

The end of the 2024 NBA All-Star Break is nearly here. That means the push toward the postseason is right around the corner. This is the time when contenders will be holding nothing back as they attempt to prepare themselves for a potential title run. However, not every team in the league has the capability to win the title this season.

In fact, according to a specific formula we've been using to predict champions over the past two years, there are only a handful of teams that can realistically win the title this season.

Since utilizing this formula, the past two NBA champions (Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets) have successfully made this list. For a formula with a perfect batting average, it's pretty safe to say that the 2024 NBA champion is likely going to be on this list.

Before we jump into the teams that just missed the cut on making the list, let's break down the formula once again.

The formula for predicting an NBA Champion

1. A team has two stars and are top 10 in offensive and defensive rating or net rating
2. A team has two superstars and a top 10 offensive rating, a top 10 defensive rating, or a net rating.
3. A team has a top 5 offensive rating and defensive rating, and a top 5 record in the NBA.

If a team meets one or all of these criteria, they have a chance, based on my formula, to win the 2024 NBA Championship. This formula will now give us the only six teams (with a few dark horses) that can win an NBA Championship this season.