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

NBA teams that just missed the cut

New Orleans Pelicans

It may be a bit surprising that the New Orleans Pelicans nearly got the nod. The only real variable that is holding this team back is the fact that I don't necessarily feel as if they have two superstars on the roster. You can make the argument for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, but I'm simply not there yet. That said, the Pelicans do have a top 10 defensive rating and net rating at the NBA All-Star Break.

If the Pelicans' offensive can play catch-up down the stretch, there's a very real chance the Pelicans could emerge as a potential dark horse to pull off a first-round upset in the Western Conference playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks don't have a top-10 offense, defense, or net rating. They're not even ranked in the top 6 of the Western Conference standings at the moment. However, they're just one game out of the 5th seed and four games out of the 3rd seed. They also have two clear-cut superstars on their roster with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

Even though they haven't been able to put it together in the regular season thus far, if they get hot in the postseason, this is a star duo that can make some noise.