The Los Angeles Lakers have had a bit of a roller coaster ride this season. They started out as one of the best teams in the entire league after a 10-4 start. JJ Redick was getting a lot of praise for how he was starting out his coaching career.

The 2024-25 NBA season is about a third of the way over and by now, we have started to see who teams are. While there are always some surprises along the way, teams typically start to form their identities toward the end of the calendar year.

The Cavaliers and Thunder weren’t chosen to play on the holiday despite making the conference semifinals last season. Guess Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell aren’t marquee enough, but the NBA can’t overlook their teams next season considering how they’re having the best seasons in the league right now.