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

The dark horse contenders

Indiana Pacers

To be quite honest, I was shocked when I ran the formula and saw the Indiana Pacers qualify as a team that could potentially win the championship this season. But I suppose all the math changed for the Pacers when they acquired Pascal Siakam just before the NBA Trade Deadline. In addition to a star duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam, the Pacers have one of the best offenses in the league.

With a star duo and the second-best offensive rating in the league, the Pacers are going to be one of those teams that no team will want to face in a seven-game series when the playoffs roll around. They won't win the title this season but they're going to be a headache to deal with and, if they draw the right first-round opponent, they can certainly pull off a playoff upset.

Philadelphia 76ers

Even though the injury to Joel Embiid throws a wrench in the short-term outlook for the Philadelphia 76ers, this is still a team that qualifies as a potential dark-horse contender. And if Embiid returns, the Sixers become an even bigger - and more legitimate - in the Eastern Conference.

In addition to Tyrese Maxey, Embiid, and Buddy Hield, the Sixers have a top-10 offense and net rating. Their defensive rating also just falls outside the top 10. If it wasn't for the injury to Embiid, the Sixers would be a lot higher on this list. But because of that uncertainty, the Sixers can't be categorized as more than a dark horse threat.