Back the Knicks and Grizzlies as long shots to win the 2025 NBA title

Is it ever too soon to look ahead? Sportsbooks don’t seem to think so, as NBA Championship odds for the upcoming 2024-25 season have already dropped.

Will the Boston Celtics, who are massive +280 favorites to win back-to-back NBA Finals, run the table again, or will it be the seventh consecutive season that a new winner is crowned?

Below are two dark-horse teams that could surprise the NBA next season and bring home a championship. But first, let’s take a look at the odds to win the title.

After a chaotic and injury-riddled regular season, the average fan has forgotten just how impressive the Grizzlies were when healthy. They finished two consecutive seasons as the No. 2 seed in the gauntlet-like Western Conference before falling victim to the injury bug in 2023-24.

The injury pile-up forced several players, including Vince Williams Jr. and G.G. Jackson, into unexpected roles. At the beginning of the season, Williams and Jackson were not in the rotation or expected to be at any point. But when the opportunity came, these two players, in particular, fearlessly embraced the challenge.

In fact, Jackson and Williams put together campaigns strong enough to potentially earn one of them a spot in the starting lineup next season.

Desmond Bane (23.7 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.4 RPG) was also the beneficiary of receiving a substantial amount of experience as the focal point within the Grizzlies offense, giving Memphis three players (Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant) with legitimate primary scoring capabilities.

Memphis also has two former Defensive Players of the Year in Jaren Jackson and Marcus Smart, while G.G. Jackson and Williams also have proven capable of All-NBA-caliber defense. The Grizzlies will be one of the deepest teams in the NBA and will also boast one of the top defenses.

The key for the Grizz will be how they approach the offseason. The biggest need right now is a center who can be a bully on the offensive glass and clear space in the lane for Morant to penetrate off the dribble, similar to the role Steven Adams took on during his time in Memphis.

If Memphis can stay healthy and Taylor Jenkins assembles an efficient half-court offensive attack, the Grizzlies could go all the way.

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Bad injury luck cost the Knicks to lose in seven games to a high-octane Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

New York was without three-time All-Star Julius Randle and sharpshooting forward Bojan Bogdanovic for the entire series. Mitchell Robinson also suffered an ankle injury in Game 1, while 3-and-D wing O.G. Anunoby strained his left hamstring in Game 2. Even Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson were nursing ailments.

A fully healthy Knicks squad could have given Boston a real test in the East, especially with how they were playing at the end of the season and early in the playoffs against the 76ers.

Isaiah Hartenstein proved capable of starting at center, providing rebounding, passing and rim protection. Donte DiVincenzo had his best and most efficient scoring season, while Josh Hart seamlessly fit into his role as a jack of all trades.

With Anunoby in the lineup, the Knicks held a 26-6 overall record, including an astonishing +13.2 net rating in the 23 regular-season games he played for them. If New York can make one more high-impact acquisition, they could contend with any team in the NBA.

The key will be retaining Hartenstein and deciding whether or not Randle fits into the long-term picture. When healthy, the Knicks have one of the deepest benches, so securing one more talented offensive weapon could help them contend for the Eastern Conference crown.

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