Three Teams Who Need to Come Out Firing After All-Star Break
As the NBA All-Star break fades in the rearview mirror, the final stretch of the regular season comes into focus. With roughly 30 games left, teams on the playoff bubble or those underperforming must shift into high gear. For some, it's about salvaging a disappointing season; for others, it's about securing a favorable postseason position. With the pressure mounting, a few teams find themselves in must-win mode from here on out. Let’s look at three squads that need to come out desperate, firing on all cylinders, if they want to turn their season around.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic sit at 27-29, a record that falls below their expectations even for such a young squad. They burst out of the gates to start the season, looking like a legitimate playoff contender. However, injuries to key players like Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jalen Suggs derailed their momentum. While their return to the lineup brings hope, the Magic’s offense has been a significant issue, plagued by turnovers and a lack of consistent shooting. One bright spot is the return of Suggs, their best perimeter defender and one of their more reliable shooters. This should help stabilize both ends of the floor. With its full lineup back, Orlando should set its sights on climbing the standings and contending for the fourth or fifth seed, similar to where it finished last season. However, it must clean up its offensive struggles and recapture the energy that made it so dangerous early on.
Sacramento Kings
At 28-27, the Sacramento Kings find themselves in the thick of the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff race, where every game carries significant implications. With so many teams bunched together, a short winning streak could propel them up the standings, while a rough patch could push them toward the Play-In Tournament. The Kings have done well against teams in their tier but have struggled to take down elite squads and, surprisingly, some bottom-feeders. Offensively, they’re still trying to build chemistry with their new pieces, and interim head coach Doug Christie has the challenge of getting them back to doing the little things defensively, which helped fuel their success last season. The goal should be to secure at least the sixth seed and avoid the play-in, but with the West being as unforgiving as ever, they’ll need to lock in quickly. Every possession, every defensive stop, and every win will matter down the stretch.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks shook the NBA landscape by trading Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, signaling an aggressive win-now approach. With Kyrie Irving playing at an elite level and Christie making an immediate impact, Dallas has improved much in recent weeks. However, their most significant acquisition, Davis, played just one game before suffering a groin injury, leaving the Mavericks in a tough spot. Compounding the issue, second-year center Dereck Lively II was already sidelined, and now their other big man, Daniel Gafford, is also out. Dallas knew the risks when they traded for AD, but their recent injury luck has been brutal. If they can’t get healthy soon and make a run, the optics of dealing a top-three player in the league for a team stuck in the play-in—or worse, missing the playoffs would be disastrous. The pressure is on for the Mavericks to weather the storm and prove their blockbuster gamble was worth it.
With around 30 games left, the Magic, Kings, and Mavericks are in different situations but share a common urgency: they must step up now. Orlando must clean up its offensive struggles and recapture its early-season form to climb the East standings. Sacramento has to tighten up defensively and build offensive chemistry to avoid the playoffs in a brutal Western Conference. Meanwhile, Dallas is banking on its stars getting healthy in time to justify its all-in trade and make a deep playoff push. For these teams, every game from here on out carries extra weight. The pressure is on whether it’s securing a higher seed, avoiding the play-in, or simply proving they belong among the league’s elite. The season's final stretch will reveal whether they can rise to the challenge or fall short when it matters most.
