Which NBA Teams Are Under the Most Pressure Heading Into Next Season?

With the 2024 NBA Finals over and the offseason currently underway, many fans must be wondering which NBA teams will be facing the most amount of pressure and scrutiny heading into next season. The majority of the basketball community will know that last season ended with the Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals and winning their 18th championship banner in franchise history.

While every contender that underperformed always has a fair amount of pressure the following season, there are undoubtedly a few teams that will be facing the same more than others. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.

The Milwaukee Bucks have no excuses

Although the Boston Celtics finished the season with the best record in the entire NBA, many experts did not pick them to come out of the Eastern Conference. Several members of the media believed that the pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard would allow the Bucks to get the better of the Celtics. However, injuries deprived the Bucks of the chance to face the Celtics in the playoffs.

Given that the Bucks lost last season or a significantly younger and inexperienced Indiana Pacers, one could argue that they are one of the teams with the most pressure on their shoulders to prove themselves. Injuries are a valid excuse, but not one that can be used consistently.

The Dallas Mavericks will be scrutinized heavily by the NBA world

It is not all that unreasonable to claim that a team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals and loses ends up being under the most pressure. After all, they will be the conference champions and are expected to defend that position. Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is now in that same predicament.

Falling short of making it to the NBA Finals for the second time in a row will be considered a downgrade and a disappointment for the Maverick. All other teams in the West will have done better if they get past the Conference Finals while the Mavs can only do worse unless they repeat their feat.

Tatum and Brown’s Celtics will experience the pressure of trying to build a dynasty

Being the NBA champion is undoubtedly the most pressure-filled position to be in every season. After all, a team that is favored to win almost every matchup has to undergo the process of living up to expectations. Moreover, all the titles since 2019 have been one-time events. Therefore, the Celtics will be feeling the pressure of building a dynasty.

In any case, there are several other teams that lost in the first round of the playoffs such as the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. They will also feel the pressure of trying to avoid a first-round elimination and progress deeper into the playoffs.