It’ll be interesting to see which identity is able to better sustain success once the postseason is here. Throw in the possibility of a rematch in the NBA Finals, and how either team adjusts away from its identity could be the difference between winning it all or being disappointed by season’s end.

Heading into the second half of the season, we project a handful of major awards and look back on some of the highlights and lowlights of the first 40 games.

Shaquille O’Neal predicts the Thunder and Cavaliers will make the 2025 NBA Finals. Both are the #1 seeds in their respective conferences.