When will teams go good?

The NBA wants to introduce December's fake tournament as a restart, a way for the eliminated clubs to rest and reset ahead of a reliably clear set of expectations. The idea scans, it is hard to look at the current NBA standings and not picture a similar set of rankings four months from this moment. Teams may accurately take stock of what pirate they are approximately 25 games into the season. The league does not mind this, schedules a fake tournament.

If underachievers exist, who are they? For those who've recently lost stride, when will life line up again?

For some players this turnaround is simple, click on the internet box and read your name in trade rumors, exchanged for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not everyone can be Karl-Anthony Towns, though, and the key to ESPN's ear.

This is the only Knicks reference.

TORONTO

This answer is easy, Toronto will be good again when R.J. Barrett returns. Problem is, Barrett's got the sort of bum knee you gotta add platelets to. It could be a spell before we see him again. It could take a spell.

He is undoubtably the straw stirring Toronto's drink, they miss his focus on ball above all, scoring the ball, using the strongest hand and the fastest lane to put the ball in the goal. Formative stuff, from R.J. Barrett.

That's missed, 2-6 since Barrett limped out of the lineup, losses badly seeking R.J.'s hallmarks. There were plenty of clever Raptors plays against the visiting C's on Sunday, but Toronto coulda used its Barrett in the first half in the Boston loss. Or when Brandon Ingram clanged all six fourth quarter looks in an overtime defeat in Charlotte. There was the time Rui Hachimura hit that buzzer-beater against Toronto, rough, the Hornets visited the next night and buzzed Toronto out. Scheduled loss, but giving it up on the home court stinks.

Can't be worried, everything is safe, someone is supervising.

The mood is too convivial to fret. Direct and professional and from a coach who gives media credit for being tired in December, too. Goes a long way with us pushovers.

None of that helps the offense, the worst in the NBA since Barrett went down. Coach Darko Rajakovic's dutiful diligence can't do anything about three-pointers – Toronto doesn't have anyone to make them, is one accurate summation – or the fear that 28-year old Brandon Ingram may not be able to remain as potent toward the end of contests.

Rajakovic speaks like someone certain of a long season, happy to take the hit in December to turn in the hottest February, March and April Toronto's seen since the last decade. That's if Ingram (who wants to work all 82) and Barrett don't trade two-week sabbaticals. It is a win-now year, with Ingram but also before someone else signs Sandro Mamukelashvili in the offseason. Jakob Pöltl alternates strong play with bouts of looking winded, what matters most is that his back hurts throughout and that it very much shows.

We wait for great platelet news: Barrett's condition updates next week. Until then, the aforementioned clever: Jamal Shead tries some derring-do but his attempts at putting dat der do not (36.6 percent from the field) fall. Waiver wire pickup A.J. Lawson (ten points, five boards in 13 minutes) worked well against Boston on Sunday but at the expense of rookie Collin Murray-Boyles' minutes, rectified immediately as Lawson went back to garbage time the next time out against the Knicks.

Nothing matches Barrett's barrel down the lane, but Toronto already banked 15 wins before its break. This is why coach warns of darkness before returning light, the Raptors' rest of 2025 is rather busied. Toronto will feel like it is playing out of Miami.

Five days off before work in Miami on Monday. In Milwaukee on Thursday, in Toronto to host Boston on Saturday, in Brooklyn on Sunday, back to Miami again on Tuesday the 23rd. Each Raptor flies to wherever for Christmas but is required to show up in D.C. on Friday the 26th for a game against the Wizards, followed by three home outings Raptor fans will take to spirits to endure: Golden State, Orlando and Denver all visit before 2025 ends.

They'll be good next year.

CLEVELAND

The win on Friday was nasty business, the Cavs built an eight-point advantage before giving up either a three-pointer or three free throws to everyone on the Wizards during the third quarter. Washington ran up 15 at home before losing all confidence, the Cavs stole an embarrassing 130-126 road victory.

The Cavs improve when the Cavs hit shots, but, who. Who hits? Evan Mobley missed a dunk on Friday.

Cleveland's bench is not happening. Way, way too many minutes go to Dean Wade (who cannot hit) and Thomas Bryant (who just, cannot). Nae'Qwan Tomlin almost looks like he's featured and maybe he should be, considering De'Andre Hunter's 2025-26 campaign thus far – DeAndre airballed but also banked-in a three-pointers on Friday night.

Cleveland acquired Lonzo Ball to save all this, find open looks for everybody, move everyone down a notch in the depth chart. He was a plus-26 in 24 minutes on Friday while missing five of six field goals, classic Lonzo.

It can't all be Jordan Ott. Darius Garland still looks like he's on one foot, Donovan Mitchell looks like he can't believe he's still able to do all this, busting ass in the pivot to ding the Washington Wizards' third quarter lead.

Cleveland (15-11, No. 7 in the East) worked through a back-to-back last weekend, beating a team featuring an ex-Charlotte Bobcat before falling the next night to a basketball club capably led by the best men's college lacrosse player of the last three decades.

This week was supposed to be early Christmas, a few days off before six gifts, opened early because Cleveland has to work on Christmas.

Washington was the first box to open, maybe the easiest bow to untie, and now we don't trust Cleveland with its five future presents: Sunday afternoon in Ohio against Charlotte, in Chicago on Wednesday, back to Cleveland to host Chicago on Friday. Host the Hornets on Monday the 22nd, host the Pelicans on the 23rd.

It is a potential six-game winning streak, batteries included and ready to open if the Cavaliers play nice for Santa, and actually follow through on a three-pointer without grimacing.

Then, the cartoon game on Christmas. Love the cartoon game. Seriously, love it.

Each win may be a struggle, unfit for a club of Cleveland's stature. This won't change until helpers – Garland, Hunter, Ball – grow healthy. And I'm not sure it is the fault of the helpers if all three fail to return to form, each own a series of career-altering setbacks weighing their sleigh.

Players can't catch up on rest but they can grow stronger as the year moves along. This muscle is northern Ohio's best hope.

Beyond the unrepentant thrashing due the Cleveland Browns round about noon on Sunday.

DALLAS

Dereck Lively II is out for the season with an injury sustained when the Mavs' (ex) training staff rushed him back from injury too quickly last season. This means Anthony Davis works a lot more at center and, great, Anthony Davis is amazing at center. Anthony Davis hates center, though, and the Mavs (10-16, No. in the West) might be more interested in racking up lottery balls than driving past the Play-In.

Worse, the Mavs are due for some executive's signature move. As if we can expect a predictable package in return for Anthony Davis, as if the market is only most of the story. We like to find patterns in things but each of these star trade scenarios – Dejounte to Dončić to Bridges to Anthony Davis' third big trade to whatever we do with Giannis – are utterly unique.

Each star's contract extension after the trade, I mean. Those are utterly unique.

It was odd and eerie watching Houston fall in Dallas on Saturday, Davis driving all over the floor, the Mavs making the other team work for once. It was at home on a weekend against the Rockets when Davis fell in his Dallas Maverick debut, feels like two-to-three years ago but was actually in 2025.

Friday's win in Brooklyn, less eerie.

Davis astounds, even now, but I wouldn't want to be on the hook for over $120 million to Anthony Davis over the two seasons past 2025-26.

Trade Lively now that he's owed an extension, the Mavs can't claim they didn't do well with the No. 11 pick, let someone else pay for his expensive return. There is All-Star potential in Dereck, still, but pairing Davis and Lively in any trade might be too much tall for an impatient opposing general manager to ignore.

And something to encourage, especially if this Mavericks executive group currently connives covertly for another top draft pick.

PORTLAND

Portland lost by 23 to New Orleans on Thursday because it is hard to play basketball with zero centers, and because Portland badly needs Matisse Thybulle to return. He's yet to be cleared for practice, not exactly a harbinger of sturdiness to come.

The good stuff? Portland (9-16, No. 12 out West) earns many, many more free throws with the ball out of Anfernee Simons' domineering paws. Tiago Splitter is an absolute head coach, Jerami Grant is an actual NBA player again, and Portland's schedule was tough.

The actual schedule, plus the unexpected part of the year where Portland's ex-head coach was cited by the feds for his curious role in an allegedly rigged high-stakes poker game. This portion of the NBA season is somewhat overlooked and shouldn't be, Tiago took over under impossible scenario.

Tiago may have to sign in at center until Donovan Clingan comes back, but Portland has months to ease toward .500 (before backing off in order to keep its first-round pick, due to Chicago if it falls past No. 14).

NEW ORLEANS

NBA life has not been fair to Derik Queen:

"Like everybody hated me [before the season started]. I played a little bit at the beginning, and the whole media was hating me. And then once I got to that Charlotte game [and had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on Nov. 4], the whole media started liking me.

"[I'm used to] pretty much people not liking me at one moment, then liking me later on in life."

Not fair. On behalf of everyone charged with immediately judging an NBA draft, I apologize. Queen did not deserve the mixing of his personal merits with that of the Pelicans' woebegone ways. We love you, Derik Queen, always have. Even before you began busting dudes with your tasteful moves, we knew you were a big ball of fun:

It's just, the trade. It was a bad trade. Not "draft pick," but "trade." Not Queen, but the bad math behind his ascension.

Consider the blows Derik Queen took, scrolling through every website's draft grades column last June, dragging his screen toward the middle until he sees "New Orleans" and the fat "F" next to the Pelicans' entry, and Derik's name.

Next website, same result. Fail. No NBA rookie, none in history, was met with as many F-rated introductions as Derik Queen. I was around for the occasional so-so review of Rafael Araujo, Toronto's 24-year old rookie center taken with the No. 8 pick in 2004 after blocking 40 shots in 1700 minutes at BYU. People talk themselves into anything but what the Pelicans did last June.

We can't talk ourselves into New Orleans winning this trade even if Queen returns several All-NBA appearances – and he might. New Orleans owns the NBA's second-worst record. Presume the Pelicans' 2026 pick drops in the lottery to No. 6. Or, work with me, accept the Pels finishing the season on an 18-38 tear, New Orleans earning the No. 6 pick.

The math on a No. 6 pick and No. 23 pick for No. 13 selection will never work out, not even if Queen usurps Donovan Mitchell as the best No. 13 pick of the 21st century. Two is better than one, No. 23 pick Asa Newell looked rather lottery-worthy in garbage time earlier this month (though somewhat garbage-y in worthy-time on Friday), 2026's (for our purposes) No. 6 pick should at least compete with Queen's All-Rookie promise.

But the Pels may give Atlanta the first or second pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Say the Pels win another 18, this only means the chances at the top selection dip from 14 percent to eight percent. There is no escaping this return, Atlanta will pluck its peach.

Don't excuse this front office, it hired three rotation rookies (Queen and Jeramiah Fears and 24-year old Micah Peavy) but gave up an unprotected first-round pick as if NOLA were a win-now club. NOLA never was, no capable NBAnik would spot Zion Williamson's best shape and Dejounte Murray's best efforts at an Achilles return and presume the pair would combine for franchise-correcting help in 2025-26. But Jordan Poole was brought in to support such a turnaround, as was Saddiq Bey's return from ACL tear.

Tough collection, says one side of the glass, but the bottom of the mug reminds of the tough schedule already behind the 2025-26 Pelicans. The 2026 pick won't ever make sense, but the Pels can play well and perform with energy in front of what remains a fun home crowd, even in its half-full setting.

Poole (only now returning to full stride) isn't bluffing, this energy exists via screen:

WHY DO THEY STAY IN THE MIDDLE

Philly. Why does Philly stay in the middle.

Ask Paul George, speaking like he's filling space on a podcast while discussing Joel Embiid:

“That’s why the game is percentages. Nobody is making 100 percent of their shots. And, very rarely, is anyone missing 100 percent of their shots. It’s just part of the game.”

This is Philly, 14-10 and No. 5 in its East. If the plan behind Embiid's schedule pays off (two days' rest before each game), the Sixers should grow defensive capability as the year moves along. Embiid looked fantastic on Friday, not fully himself, but a force on each end.

The process is stultifying, but we're a month ahead of half the season.

This jive about OKC earning a "lottery pick" from Philly, nah. The Sixers battle shaky opponents (Toronto, Cleveland) for that No. 6 seed and only require another twenty-odd wins to pass into the Play-In in the East. That's why the game is percentages.

WHEN DO THEY GO GREAT?

DENVER

Only worked 10 games at home so far this season.

HOUSTON

Same.

These two brutes have 32 home dates to frighten with. Not a number to take the Thunder down, but certainly enough to dig in at No. 2 and No. 3

FRIDAY BLIPS

Will Riley, four interesting games in a row for Washington, doesn't turn 20 until February.

Asa Newell shot a corner three from one corner of the court to the other, the ball uninterrupted by goal along its way.

These are the old 76ers players I saw wearing Sixer uniforms on Friday: Aaron McKie (but it was Paul George wearing No. 8), Samuel Dalembert (but it was Andre Drummond wearing No. 1). Here are the ones I looked up: Eric Snow (but it was Jared McCain wearing No. 20) and, I'm sorry Joel Embiid, but your No. 21 is in the same font as the number once worn by Larry Hughes.

Stop fouling Jaylen Wells on three-point attempts, five of those whistles so far in 2025-26.

Nobody follows through on a layup like Kevin Love. Like he's unfurling a 25-footer. Puts his elbow under it and drops the flanger until it flushes.

TO CATCH THE WIND

Let this music move you.

Thanks for reading!

NEXT: When do they become bad?