NBA midseason grades for every East team: Celtics in 'A' tier, Knicks, Cavs, Hawks trying to find footing

Getty Images

The halfway mark of the 2025-26 NBA season is here. Teams are hitting the 41-game mark this week, and we're getting a good sense of where things stand in both conferences. Today, we're breaking down how the 15 Eastern Conference teams have fared so far, relative to preseason expectations.

There have been some pleasant surprises. The Pistons have a firm grip on the No. 1 seed, and the Celtics have been impressive without Jayson Tatum. Some other contenders, like the Knicks, Cavaliers, Magic and Hawks, have all had disappointing stretches through the season's first two-plus months.

So we're here to grade each East team, an exercise we also did in early December at the quarter-season mark. Let's get to it.

Atlanta Hawks: C

Record: 20-22
The basics: 18th in offense, 16th in defense, 18th in net rating (-0.5)
Reason for optimism: Jalen Johnson looks like a bonafide superstar. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having a career year. When Kristaps Porziņģis plays, they're quite good.
Reason for pessimism: Their frontcourt depth is extremely thin and Porziņģis has played in less than half of their games. Zaccharie Risacher has plateaued in his sophomore season. They had to effectively salary dump Trae Young.

The Hawks have been able to tread water through the first half of the season right around the .500 mark, but for a team that had dreams of being a contender in the East this season, fighting for another play-in berth is not where they wanted to be. After a couple years of rumors about his future in Atlanta, Trae Young finally got traded, but rather than getting a haul that could help the Hawks rebuild or reload, they settled for a salary dump with the Wizards for C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert -- although, while not a foundational piece, I do like Kispert as an addition to Atlanta's wing depth.

While it hasn't gone according to plan for the Hawks this season, there are reasons to believe things can get better -- and soon. Jalen Johnson has continued to take strides and should be an All-Star this year. He is playing like the kind of star that can you can build a playoff contender around, and that's a big win for Atlanta as they exit the Trae Young era. Nickeil Alexander-Walker looks like one of the best signings of the offseason, and when they've had their full roster available, they've been quite competitive.

The availability piece is the problem, as Kristaps Porziņģis has only played in 17 games this season and his presence is vital to this roster hitting its potential. Behind Porzingis, the frontcourt is just extremely thin. Onyeka Okongwu has had a tough year and they lack real size down low, which keeps their defense from being as good as it could be given their perimeter talent on that end of the floor. That's why they've been connected to Anthony Davis and other frontcourt trade targets, but it's not clear how aggressive they'll be at the deadline. All told, this hasn't been a disaster year for the Hawks, but it certainly hasn't been what they hoped for. -- Robby Kalland

Boston Celtics: A

Record: 24-15
The basics: 2nd in offense, 15th in defense, 3rd in net rating (+7.1)
Reason for optimism: This is one of the best teams in the league without its best player, who might be coming back this season.
Reason for pessimism: The lack creation outside of Jaylen Brown, size and a strong defense.

So much for the gap year thing. Dropping three of their last four notwithstanding, the Celtics (along with the Suns) have been THE surprise success story of the season. Jaylen Brown is playing MVP-level basketball, and the Celtics, despite no longer employing a stretch-shooting big the caliber of an Al Horford or Kristaps Porziņģis as well as being without Jayson Tatum, continue to turn games into 3-point contests and more times than not it works in their favor. They give up a ton of 3s, but generally they make more.

Are there concerns? Yes. They're pretty small (even though the protect the paint well; they prioritize sliding help defenders down, which is part of the reason they give up so many 3s), and in a playoff setting, if Tatum doesn't come back or isn't able to be very effective when he does, when teams are able to game-plan the ball out of Jaylen Brown's hands, who's going to consistently create? I do fear that the Celtics could end up having to launch a bunch of contested 3s in sort of a Hail Mary attempt to win a playoff series, but I can also see Derrick White clicking his shooting up (it's been an up-and-down season so far) into postseason form. Will they move Anfernee Simons? His ability to create offense could be big in a playoff series. If they go get a center like Ivica Zubac, forget about it; Boston would become the East favorite. Even a guy like Daniel Gafford to pair with Neemias Queta and they wouldn't be far off that status. -- Brad Botkin

Brooklyn Nets: C

Record: 11-27
The basics: 26th in offense, 22nd in defense, 25th in net rating (-4.7)
Reason for optimism: The five guys they drafted in the first round appeared to have overlapping profiles, but they have all shown some unique skills they bring to the table.
Reason for pessimism: Of these five guys they drafted in the first round, only one of them (Egor Dëmin) looks like a for-sure keeper.

What is there really to say here? The Nets are tanking, and through that lens, they're in good position. They actually had the league's best defense for the month of December, showing off a long, super-switchy attack. Egor Dëmin is really starting to shoot it from deep and if you squint you can see an All-Star down the road. If you watch the Nets, there is a connection and growing confidence, and all the young guys have showed bright spots.

The big question with this team is which players are they going to trade? It feels like Michael Porter Jr., who is having a career year, could fetch an intriguing return. What about Cam Thomas? Nic Claxton? In terms of player development, Dëmin looks like the prize he was supposed to be (he went No. 8 in last summer's draft). Jordi Fernandez is a great coach. A culture is coming along. And they're losing, which, let's face it, is the main point of this season. But it's nothing unexpected, and even Dëmin looks more like a potential good player than a franchise guy. -- Brad Botkin

Charlotte Hornets: C-

Record: 14-26
The basics: 11th in offense, 21st in defense, 17th in net rating (-0.4)
Reason for optimism: Kon Knueppel is a legitimate Rookie of the Year contender and they have a winning record when Knueppel, Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball all play.
Reason for pessimism: They're a poor defensive team and lack high-end depth at most positions. Injury concerns remain about LaMelo Ball (and increasingly with Brandon Miller as well).

The Hornets are in a strange spot where they aren't good enough to be in the playoff conversation but aren't bad enough to be in the thick of the tank race. That makes them a bit tough to grade, but given expectations, I think this has been a perfectly solid, yet unspectacular season in Charlotte.

The best news for the Hornets is that Kon Knueppel looks incredible and appears to be pushing Cooper Flagg strongly for Rookie of the Year midway through the season. He's fit well between the other two young stars in Charlotte, and when they've had Ball, Miller and Kneuppel playing they are 10-9 and have a +10.8 net rating with that trio on the floor.

The bad news is the depth beyond those two isn't great, and they struggle some when any of that trio misses time. Given Ball and Miller have both had injury issues the last couple years, it's hard to trust that they'll get an extended run with all three healthy in the back half of the season. Still, for a team that's been bad for a few years, seeing some positive progress is a good thing. It might not be to the level they hoped just yet, but you can at least start to see a vision for how this comes together if they can add more depth and upgrades in the frontcourt. -- Robby Kalland

Chicago Bulls: C

Record: 19-21
The basics: 20th in offense, 26th in defense, 23rd in net rating (-3.6)
Reason for optimism: They might finally embrace a rebuild.
Reason for pessimism: This is looking like another lost season.

The Bulls have multiple five-game winning streaks and multiple losing streaks of at least five games. Against teams with a .500 or better record they're 9-11 and against teams with a record below .500 they're 10-10. They rank 20th in offense and 26th in defense, and are clinging to the final Play-In Tournament spot in the Eastern Conference. In short, another classic Bulls season of the 2020s. Not good enough to make any noise in the playoffs, but not bad enough to get a top draft pick.

This is turning into another lost season for the Bulls, but a recent report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that the organization is at last open to a true rebuild: "Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas finally has realized that this on-the-fly reload he has been trying to pull off since the start of the 2024-25 season isn't viable. Last February, more than a handful of NBA executives said Karnisovas was as open-minded and transparent about trade talks as he has been since taking the job in 2020. That hasn't changed."

If the Bulls can flip some combination of Nikola Vučević, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones for picks and/or prospects, that would at least inject a little hope for the future. -- Jack Maloney

Cleveland Cavaliers: C-

Record: 23-19
The basics: 7th in offense, 14th in defense, 9th in net rating (+2.7)
Reason for optimism: This is largely the same roster that won 64 games last season.
Reason for pessimism: They remain inconsistent and have been bad in clutch games.

The Cavaliers don't stink, but it might actually be less frustrating if they did. Instead, they continue to hover a few games above .500 while alternating impressive wins with confounding losses. What are you supposed to make of a team that's just as liable to beat the Spurs on the road or put up 146 points on the Timberwolves in regulation as they are to lose to the Hornets or the Jazz? It's clearly not a talent issue. After all, this is largely the same roster that won 64 games last season.

Injuries have been a real problem, but that doesn't explain everything. Their core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen was out there together on Monday when they lost at home to the Jazz by double digits and got booed off the floor. The Cavs have been better as of late -- 6-3 in their last nine games -- but remain inconsistent and continue to struggle in clutch games. They are 8-14 in clutch games and 0-3 in games decided by three or fewer points. Only the Mavericks and Pelicans have more clutch losses, and the Hornets are the only other team without a win in three-point games. -- Jack Maloney

Detroit Pistons: A+

Record: 28-10
The basics: 9th in offense, 2nd in defense, 4th in net rating (+6.8)
Reason for optimism: They have one of the best defenses in the league.
Reason for pessimism: Do they have enough 3-point shooting?

The Pistons were never going to keep winning nearly 90% of their games, as they did early on during their 15-2 start, but they've proven that their hot start was no fluke. They remain atop the East with a four-game lead on the Knicks, and are well on their way to securing the No. 1 seed in the conference for the first time since 2007. Their back-to-back wins earlier this month over the Cavaliers and Knicks, the latter by 31 points, were a real statement. They are the only East team in the top 10 in the league in both offensive and defensive rating, and have only lost by double digits twice.

As has been the case for all of the great Pistons teams over the years, this is a defense-first squad. They're second in defensive rating (109.7), second in opponent field goal percentage (44.3%) and second in opponent turnover rate (17.1%). Only the reigning champion Thunder are better in any of those categories. They're super athletic and physical, and aside from Duncan Robinson, there's no one opponents can pick on. This is a championship-caliber defense.

But do they have a championship-caliber offense? That's the big question. Right now, too much responsibility falls to Cade Cunningham, who has either scored or assisted on 1,641 of the Pistons' 4,478 points (36.6%) this season. Cunningham is the only player averaging over 18 points per game and the only one averaging more than 3.3 assists. As a team, the Pistons are 27th in 3-point attempts per game (31.7) and 18th in 3-point percentage (35.2%). Cunningham and their defense might just be so good that it doesn't matter, but will that formula work come playoff time? -- Jack Maloney

NBA title predictions: Expert picks at midseason mark as Nuggets get more love than Thunder

Brad Botkin

Indiana Pacers: D

Record: 9-32
The basics: 30th in offense, 19th in defense, 28th in net rating (-7.6)
Reason for optimism: They're going to add a top pick in the 2026 draft.
Reason for pessimism: Will they be able to out-tank three tanking experts (the Pelicans, Wizards and Kings) down the stretch?

The Pacers' season was effectively over before Thanksgiving, and things haven't gotten better since then. Though they're healthier now, they still have the worst record in the league. Rick Carlisle was stuck on 999 career wins for an entire month during their 13-game losing streak -- the longest in franchise history. He finally got his 1,000th career win on Jan. 8, becoming the 11th coach in NBA history to reach that milestone. The only other active coach on that list is Doc Rivers.

There really isn't much to say about this team. Pascal Siakam has been awesome, but he just doesn't have enough help. All that matters from here on out is finishing with one of the three worst records in the league to guarantee the best odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft and figuring out if any of their young players - Jarace Walker, Johnny Furphy, Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson - can help them next season. -- Jack Maloney

Miami Heat: B-

Record: 21-19
The basics: 21st in offense, 4th in defense, 13th in net rating (+1.4)
Reason for optimism: Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a leading Sixth Man candidate, Norman Powell has continued his stellar play from 2024-25 and Erik Spoelstra is still one of the best in the business at coaching up an elite defense.
Reason for pessimism: They might've peaked early in the season, as the offense has come back to earth dramatically after a red-hot start. Bam Adebayo hasn't been particularly impactful offensively and Tyler Herro hasn't found his All-Star level from a year ago since returning to the lineup.

There's a reason Erik Spoelstra is the longest tenured head coach in major American sports right now, and the Heat are once again in the mix for a playoff spot in the East in spite of some roster limitations. The defense is among the league's best once again, anchored by Bam Adebayo, and that gives them a chance most nights.

The Heat are still No. 1 in the league in pace, but teams have adjusted and they've slipped back to the bottom half of the league. As well as Norman Powell has played, mitigating the absence of Tyler Herro for much of the season, the Heat's lack of high-level facilitators puts a cap on how effective they can be offensively. Adebayo in particular has struggled offensively without a high-end table setter to get him the ball in his spots.

The good news for Miami is they have a fairly high floor due to their commitment on the defensive end. However, there are real questions about whether this team's ceiling is much higher than what we've seen already as currently constructed. They're one of Ja Morant's preferred destinations -- although it's not clear how much of that interest is shared by Miami -- and given their lack of juice at the point guard spot offensively, perhaps that's worth a low-cost swing on a Morant still having star upside. -- Robby Kalland

NBA midseason awards picks: Experts choose MVP, DPOY, Rookie of the Year and more at halfway mark

Brad Botkin

MIlwaukee Bucks: D+

Record: 17-23
The basics: 22nd in offense, 20th in defense, 21st in net rating (-2.9)
Reason for optimism: They still have Giannis.
Reason for pessimism: Giannis can't do everything himself.

The Bucks' 4-1 start feels like a lifetime ago. They're 13-22 since then, with a number of embarrassing results, including a 45-point loss to the Nets, multiple defeats to the Wizards and a total no-show at home on Tuesday against a Timberwolves team that was missing Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. That showing prompted the Fiserv Forum crowd to boo the Bucks off the court at halftime. Giannis Antetokounmpo responded by booing right back after the break and giving the crowd a double thumbs down.

Antetokounmpo has been incredible again, but it hasn't been enough this season. The Bucks have a plus-9.9 net rating when he's on the floor and a minus-10.7 net rating when he sits -- a staggering differential that is the primary reason for the team's inconsistency. In a recent interview with The Athletic, Antetokounmpo said he would never request a trade, which makes it likely he'll remain with the team through the season. However, the Bucks are still going to be active on the trade front as they try to find a move that will boost their playoff chances. Remarkably, they would not even make the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today.-- Jack Maloney

New York Knicks: B-

Record: 25-15
The basics: 4th in offense, 17th in defense, 8th in net rating (+4.0)
Reason for optimism: The Knicks have an elite offense and MVP-caliber closer, a game-changing offensive rebounder and a super strong top seven.
Reason for pessimism: The Brunson-Towns pairing's ability to hold up defensively.

It hasn't been good of late as the Knicks have lost six of their last eight as of this writing. They lost to the Kings on Wednesday after Jalen Brunson left with a tweaked ankle after just five minutes. It speaks to how much Brunson carries this team, which is true of all superstars to varying degrees, but Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't been good enough as a co-star during his worse shooting and most inefficient scoring season since his rookie year.

Still, the Knicks are No. 2 in the East (even though they've done a lot of their damage against bad teams). They're 21-10 when Josh Hart plays and 12-3 when he starts. Deuce McBride is having a sensational season off the bench and this team as a lot of variations it can go with lineup-wise with all the like-sized wings and two bigs. They'll have to overcome what is an abysmal defense with Brunson and Towns on the floor together, but offensively they can outscore anyone on any night. I trust Towns to get it going at some point. I'm thinking they'll make a trade deadline move for some more depth, either for more size to protect against Mitchell Robinson getting hurt or being unplayable as teams intentionally foul him off the court in the playoffs, and/or for a backup point guard (even as much as everyone loves Tyler Kolek). -- Brad Botkin

Orlando Magic: B-

Record: 22-18
The basics: 16th in offense, 12th in defense, 15th in net rating (+1.0)
Reason for optimism: Despite some key absences, they've stayed in the playoff hunt. Anthony Black has taken a leap forward to provide some needed backcourt juice. Desmond Bane has played better after a dreadful start.
Reason for pessimism: Shooting efficiency remains a major concern, particularly from 3-point range. The defense has taken a step back from last year without the offense making the strides they've needed it to. They have a better net rating when Paolo Banchero is off the court.

The Orlando Magic lead the Southeast division, which wouldn't have surprised anyone coming into the year, but they haven't taken the leap into true contention in the East many anticipated they would. This is clearly a good roster with a fairly high floor, thanks to a solid defense and plenty of talent that can navigate absences and injuries to key players.

However, the question in Orlando is what is their true ceiling with this group. Coming into the year, many were projecting them to be a top-four team in the East and be a legitimate contender. That could still happen if they can get Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner back healthy, but nothing has come easy for this Magic team this season.

The offense still has a lot of the same concerns from a year ago, most notably being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. Paolo Banchero has stagnated as a scorer and struggles with efficiency, and there are legitimate questions about whether he can or should be the offensive focal point for the Magic. The defense was their calling card a year ago, but they've slipped from being among the league's elite to merely slightly above average. The good news for Orlando is the emergence of Anthony Black in the guard rotation, as he's filled in admirably for Suggs and gives them a needed level of juice in the backcourt. If they can get their full roster healthy, this is a team that still has the ceiling of a contender. It will require them to figure out how to best run their offense and potentially shuffling some roles, but at the midseason point they've at least kept themselves in the hunt. -- Robby Kalland

Philadelphia 76ers: B

Record: 22-17
The basics: 14th in offense, 11th in defense, 14th in net rating (+1.3)
Reason for optimism: Joel Embiid is back!
Reason for pessimism: The Sixers' health and depth.

Everyone figured the Sixers for a mess this season, and instead they are one of the teams to watch as we reach the season's halfway point; there could really be something happening here. MVP candidate Tyrese Maxey and rookie V.J. Edgecombe, who has been terrific, held this thing together while Joel Embiid and Paul George were out to start the season, and now that Embiid is back to dominating and George has slotted seamlessly into one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league (they're six points better per 100 possessions defensively when George is on the floor, per CTG). Philadelphia has won six of its last nine and two of those losses were by one point each, both in overtime.

NBA Power Rankings: 76ers rising behind rejuvenated Joel Embiid, Pistons hang onto No. 1 spot over Wolves

Brad Botkin

It's still a small sample, but when Maxey, Embiid and George have been on the court together the Sixers have outscored teams by over seven points per 100 possessions in non-garage minutes. Embiid is averaging 27.5 points on 61.5% true-shooting over his last 12 games, and for the season when Embiid had been the primary defender, opponents have shot 10 percentage points worse from inside six feet than they normally, per NBA.com tracking. There isn't a ton of depth on this team, and bless you if you have any faith at all in Embiid staying healthy. But if somehow he does, this is a serious sleeper in the East.. -- Brad Botkin

Toronto Raptors: A

Record: 25-17
The basics: 19th in offense, 5th in defense, 12th in net rating (+1.8)
Reason for optimism: Scottie Barnes might be a top-20 player.
Reason for pessimism: The half-court offense and shooting are weak and Toronto has the sixth-toughest remaining schedule.

If you had the Raptors winning 13 out of 14 games at some point this season and heading into the halfway point of the season as a top-four seed, you're lying. Scottie Barnes is a defensive, break-leading beast who would probably make an All-NBA team if voting happened today. Toronto wants to, and often does, run you out of the gym.

That said, it's a volume thing. The offense isn't that good even in transition; it's just that they get into it so often. If you even kind of take care of the ball against them (easier said than done) and manage to get back on misses at a reasonable level, they're not going to beat you in the half court. Just six teams make fewer 3-pointers per game than the Raptors, who are winning a lot of these games in the bench minutes. To me, that doesn't project that well in playoff series where opponents will be playing their top guys more. I don't think the Raptors are as good as their record. They've played an easy schedule so far. But still, top-four in the conference is top-four in the conference. Great first half for Toronto. Way above expectations. -- Brad Botkin

Washington Wizards: D

Record: 10-29
The basics: 27th in offense, 29th in defense, 30th in net rating (-11.3)
Reason for optimism: Alex Sarr continues to take strides and looks like a quality starting-caliber big man. Tre Johnson is off to a good rookie season and has seen his shooting carry over to the NBA level.
Reason for pessimism: Pretty much everything else.

The Wizards are also tough to grade because, on one hand, the goal this year was to be really bad and get a top pick. So, in a way, mission accomplished. However, it's been pretty bleak in Washington for a couple years and it's just not fun slogging through another season like this if you're a Wizards fan.

The Wizards have seen a couple of their youngsters pop, which offers a glimpse at light at the end of the tunnel. Sarr has been good and you can see the vision for why he went No. 2 overall two years ago. Johnson is shooting it well and appears to have been a solid selection at No. 6 this past draft. If you're a Wizards fan, hope is all you really have right now and at least those two provide some of that.

The Trae Young trade was an interesting swing for Washington, and while we won't see him on the floor until after the All-Star break (at the earliest), I'll be interested to see what he can do to help some of the youngsters late this season once they've locked up a top-five spot in the lottery. Sarr, in particular, should benefit from playing alongside a facilitator like Young, and in an otherwise lost season, getting him that kind of experience alongside a high-level offensive engine would be a plus. -- Robby Kalland