The NBA season is well underway and the superstars of the league are getting ready to make sure they show up for their teams. After all, NBA superstars have the most pressure to perform and their performances will dictate how the season ends for their teams. We crown an NBA champion every year and there are stand-out performers for every team until that point.
- Honorable Mention
- Golden State Warriors
- 10. Washington Wizards
- 9. Utah Jazz
- 8. Boston Celtics
- 7. Minnesota Timberwolves
- 6. Dallas Mavericks
- 5. New Orleans Pelicans
- 4. Philadelphia 76ers
- 3. Portland Trail Blazers
- 2. Brooklyn Nets
- 1. Los Angeles Lakers
- Next
- J.J. Redick Says Players From The 50s, 60s, And 70s Couldn’t Play In Today’s NBA: “Kevin Love Is Better Than 99% Of The Power Forwards On The NBA’s Top 75 List.”
- Shannon Sharpe Says Playing With Russell Westbrook Is The Most Difficult Task Of LeBron James’ Life: “Harder Than Building Up The Courage To Ask Savannah To Go On A Date.”
- “LeBron James Never Sacrificed”: NBA Journalist Drops Truth Bomb About Lakers Star
- Steph Curry Would Have A Higher Three-Point Percentage Than Ray Allen Even If He Missed His Next 500 Threes
- Russell Westbrook Has The Most Triple-Doubles With 10 Turnovers Since 1985
But that doesn’t mean teams are devoid of pressure either. Some teams have more pressure than others to perform, or they risk being marginalized as an organization under the weight of expectation. As a result, it is time to rank the top ten teams with the most pressure in the 2021-2022 NBA season.
Honorable Mention
Golden State Warriors
The way the Golden State Warriors have been playing so far, they are truly a dark horse for making the Western Conference Finals. Kevin Durant is no longer on the roster, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are. Key role players such as Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are also on the roster although they are slightly older without the same impact they showed in the 2015 season.
But make no mistake, Stephen Curry is playing like the MVP of the league and the Warriors have a great chance to make the Western Conference Finals. They play like a team and have the best offensive system in the league right now, 2 facts that are not shared by other top contending teams. The Warriors do not share the same pressure as other top contenders, but they have their own fair share because of the greatness of Stephen Curry.
10. Washington Wizards
After losing Russell Westbrook and keeping Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards were not expected to do much. But bringing in the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Spencer Dinwiddie means this roster is actually quite good. So far, the Wizards have started with a 4-1 record and look like a playoff team in the East.
The main reason the Wizards have pressure is because of Bradley Beal, one of the best scorers in the NBA and a legitimate offensive superstar. If the Wizards don’t win enough games and make the playoffs convincingly, Bradley Beal could request a trade that could ultimately shut down Washington’s chances of being a playoff team for the foreseeable future.
9. Utah Jazz
Anytime a team finishes first in the Western Conference, expectations will be high for them the following season and that is what is happening with the Utah Jazz. Donovan Mitchell is expected to be in the MVP race this year, and Rudy Gobert must maintain his Defensive Player of the Year capabilities. Fans want to know if last season’s seeding was a fluke, and the Jazz have a chance to show them that it wasn’t.
While the Jazz are often overlooked when discussing the best teams in the NBA, Donovan Mitchell has a chance to take his level higher and lead this team to a possible Western Conference Finals berth. The road won’t be easy and the team is still relatively young, but they have the talent and the coaching to get the job done so the pressure will follow them.
8. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics blew the chance to sign multiple superstar players including Anthony Davis and Paul George after failing to part ways with their valuable trade assets. As a result, the Celtics are expected to be playoff contenders every year with their core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While the Celtics realistically have a slim chance of winning it all, they should at least be a threat to make the Eastern Conference Finals.
The pressure is mainly on the Boston Celtics organization for failing to put together a package for an All-Star of Davis’s or George’s caliber. Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal could be available this season, so if the time comes where they request a trade, Boston should be one of the first names to put forward a package or risk pressure from their own fans.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are finally looking like a playoff team this year. Karl-Anthony Towns is performing to his usual standard, D’Angelo Russell seems back to his best, and Anthony Edwards is a budding All-Star. With one of the best trios in the NBA, the Timberwolves should absolutely make the playoffs and start showing signs of progress.
If Minnesota cannot maintain their level of play so far, the star trio will receive their fair share of the blame and so will the organization. We already saw how a bonafide All-Star in Jimmy Butler could not flourish in Minnesota, so failure this season could lend itself to massive changes within the team.
6. Dallas Mavericks
Rick Carlisle leaving the Dallas Mavericks franchise was shocking, to say the least. Carlisle helped deliver the first and only championship to the Dallas Mavericks organization and had a chance to help Luka Doncic reach MVP status this year. But without their legendary head coach, the Mavericks have their own expectations with Jason Kidd stepping in.
Nobody knows how well the Dallas Mavericks will play under Kidd because the team has only played three games so far. Luka is expected to become an MVP candidate this season, so there will be pressure on him despite his young age. There will be more pressure on Kristaps Porzingis after his putrid showing in the postseason last year. If Dallas cannot proceed past the first round, there will be questions asked about the organization and the roster as a whole.
5. New Orleans Pelicans
Nobody knows what has been going wrong with the New Orleans Pelicans. They have started off the season 1-4 and do not look like a team that has made any progress since acquiring Zion Williamson in the draft. Speaking of Zion, the superstar big man is reportedly over 300 lbs and is reportedly unsettled with the Pelicans organization. With Zion presumably unhappy, New Orleans has a massive issue on its hands.
The Pelicans should have been a playoff team last year with both Zion and Brandon Ingram playing like All-Stars, but letting Lonzo Ball go and lacking any conviction in their play so far this season is causing pressure on Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, David Griffin. Unless Zion gets into shape and starts winning games for his team, the Pelicans could be in deep trouble.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is having a rough start to the season because Ben Simmons has caused a ton of drama on and off the court. Without their starting point guard and All-Star defensive cog, the 76ers have started the season 3-2. Joel Embiid is still one of the best players in the NBA, but a single superstar cannot achieve his city’s championship aspirations in today’s game.
The 76ers must find a way to solve the Ben Simmons fiasco because having him sit without playing or getting traded means Joel Embiid will ultimately be left on his own. Without disrespect to Tobias Harris, there is not a single player capable of replacing what Ben Simmons brings to the 76ers squad on both ends of the court, and head coach Doc Rivers knows that.
3. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are under incredible pressure because of Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard is arguably one of the greatest point guards of his generation, but he has not been able to find success other than his 2019 Western Conference Finals berth. Damian Lillard might be the most likely player to be traded (other than Ben Simmons) because a player of his greatness should not be getting bounced in the first round every season.
The Portland Trail Blazers must grab one of the top six seeds in the West and at least progress past the first round to avoid pressure from their franchise player. Chauncey Billups was a legendary point guard in his own right, but he is a rookie coach that has a lot of expectations around him which constitutes high pressure for him and his team.
2. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets would probably be number one if Kyrie Irving was going to play, but without him, they fall to a distinct second. There are still no excuses for the Nets because Kevin Durant and James Harden are regarded as top-50 players in their own right. Durant might be the best player in the NBA right now, so the pressure will always be on him.
But James Harden has an equal share of pressure because there are doubts about the player’s ability to perform in the postseason given his history. The Beard is a special offensive player but recent rule changes have caused Harden a headache in trying to perform up to his usual production. Once James Harden becomes acclimated with the new rules, he and Kevin Durant will be responsible for leading the Brooklyn Nets to the NBA Finals or risk the judgemental wrath of the entire media and NBA fans.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
No team is under more pressure than the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James has lived under that pressure for the majority of his career, but the rest of the team also have a ton of eyes on them. Anthony Davis made the top-75 players of all-time list and for many people, he was undeserving. Davis is a once-in-a-generation talent but his inability to stay healthy has been an issue plaguing his career. Russell Westbrook might be the most scrutinized player in the NBA right now because, despite his triple-doubles, winning has not always followed him wherever he has gone.
The Lakers have 3 superstars on the squad that each has their own pressure, and have a significant core of unproven role players including Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, and Kent Bazemore among others. The remaining parts of the team are veterans, but their age could catch up to them. The Lakers have zero excuses to not make the Finals, barring injury, and that is why they have the most pressure.
