Thanksgiving isn’t a basketball holiday. It’s actually the opposite. We eat turkey and watch football with nary an NBA game in sight. The league takes the day off and cedes it to the NFL, giving its teams and players a well-deserved day off for feasting and reflection.
So, with no actual basketball to look forward to on Thursday, we’ll have to find some other way to embrace the holiday spirit. With that in mind, let’s find something for all 30 NBA teams, no matter how good or bad, to be thankful for.
Has Zaccharie Risacher been an especially strong No. 1 pick so far? No. He’s shown promise, but he’s clearly still a long-term project. Remember, though, the Hawks jumped all the way from the Play-In Tournament to No. 1 to get him. For a team with very little to be excited about so far this season, having a possibly foundational young player in place of a late lottery pick means quite a bit. The Hawks have a long way to go, but they can be thankful the bit of luck they got last May.
Let’s take a look at how the Celtics landed their six best players:
The rest of the NBA has no one but themselves to blame. They built the juggernaut they’re struggling so hard to beat. The Celtics can be thankful for their incompetence.
Brooklyn Nets: Their incredible new coach
In the grand scheme of things, this season has gotten off to the wrong sort of start for Brooklyn. The Nets traded a mountain of draft capital for their own 2025 and 2026 first-round picks back. That’s the sort of thing you do when you intend to lose as many games as humanly possible to maximize your return on investment. Jordi Fernandez has been so good that the Nets, now 8-10, might be able to avoid the lottery entirely and reach the postseason. That may not be what Brooklyn envisioned for this season, but landing a coach capable of flirting with a .500 record despite leading a roster designed to lose is a pretty nice silver lining.
LaMelo Ball played only 58 total games over the last two seasons, but he’s been healthy this season, and the results have been spectacular. Ball is scoring 31 points per game, up more than seven points from his career-high. He would be just the 15th player this century to hit that mark if he does so all year, and his 14 predecessors are all on Hall of Fame trajectories. The Hornets haven’t had a star of that caliber in decades, and as long as Ball’s ankles hold up, he’s on track to join that very exclusive club.
The entire basketball world lambasted the Bulls when they traded Alex Caruso, one of the NBA’s best defenders and the sort of versatile wing that every contender badly needs, for Josh Giddey, a player who couldn’t even stay on the floor in the postseason for Oklahoma City. That criticism has thus far been proven right. The Bulls have struggled mightily during Giddey’s minutes and mostly treaded water without him. It’s hard to be a franchise cornerstone when you can’t defend and nobody guards you behind the arc, but fortunately, the Bulls at least had the foresight not to extend him after the trade. That decision probably saved them a bundle.
It’s hard to find anything to be too upset about when you’re 17-1. Everything is going right in Cleveland right now. The offense. The defense. The mascot. The weather. Pick a Cavaliers player out of a hat and, in all likelihood, they’re thankful they have him.
Dallas Mavericks: The season doesn’t end in winter
We do this every year in Dallas. Last year’s Mavericks hung around .500 until they took off after the trade deadline. The 2022 Western Conference finals team split its first 38 games. If the Mavericks panicked every time they started slow they’d have traded Luka Doncic by now. So no, don’t worry about the uneven 10-8 start. They’ll right the ship and start ripping off victories shortly.
Denver Nuggets: The best player in the world
The entire conceit of this team was a bit ridiculous. The general manager or less went into the offseason thinking, “OK, what if we let one of our starters leave for nothing, replace him internally with three unproven youngsters and then sign a former MVP that has become a pariah for three of his last four teams, things will be fine, right?” No! They shouldn’t be! This shouldn’t be working. But the Nuggets have the only player in the world who could make it work. You get to do ridiculous things when you have Nikola Jokic. He’s holding this franchise together with duct tape and glue at this point.
Detroit Pistons: Their owner’s willingness to spend
The surprising competence of the Detroit Pistons thus far this season has been a damning indictment of the coaching Monty Williams did a year ago. The roster isn’t all that different. There are a handful of new veteran shooters, and the youngsters are a year older, but otherwise? This is the group that lost 28 games in a row. With a standard NBA coach, they’re a pretty normal NBA team. They don’t randomly pull former lottery pick Jaden Ivey out of the rotation. No, they empower him as a scorer, and sure enough, it’s paid off with a big third-year leap and a buzzer-beater on Monday. Most owners wouldn’t have willing to eat five years and a historic salary to get rid of Williams only a year after hiring him.
Tom Gores made a difficult decision, but the outcome has been positive. Coming into the season, there were concerns about the Warriors being too deep, with too many players vying for minutes and shots. However, their depth has been a key factor in their success this season. Even when faced with injuries, the Warriors have been able to rely on their bench players to step up and contribute. The Rockets have found success with their bench duo, the Terror Twins, who have brought a new energy and defensive mindset to the team. Siakam has been a crucial player for the Pacers, helping to keep them competitive despite other struggles. The Clippers’ surprising defensive success can be attributed to the contributions of players like Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn. The Lakers’ hiring of a podcaster as head coach has paid off in terms of schematic improvements. The Grizzlies’ depth from last season has been a key factor in their success this year. The Heat’s decision not to trade for Damian Lillard has allowed them to develop their young players and maintain flexibility for the future. The Bucks have benefited from being in the weaker Eastern Conference, allowing them to stay competitive despite underlying issues. Minnesota is facing challenges, but Anthony Edwards has been a bright spot for the team. The Pelicans have struggled, but the focus on the Saints has provided some distraction from their woes. The frustration with the Pelicans in the city will eventually be expressed, but for now, they are getting some cover from a football team that has always been dominant in the city. The positive things happening in New York can be attributed to Jalen Brunson leaving money on the table in his contract extension. The Knicks are thriving because their best player made a financial sacrifice.
The Clippers have continuously benefited from the trade with the Thunder, giving them Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. The Magic’s offense has improved significantly this season thanks to Franz Wagner’s improved shooting. The Philadelphia 76ers have rookie sensation Jared McCain to thank for their success, as he fell to them at No. 16 in the draft.
The Suns were able to sign Tyus Jones for the minimum due to the league’s financial constraints. The Celtics’ depth has allowed players like Dalano Banton to flourish elsewhere. Keon Ellis has been a standout defender for the Kings, providing them with a defensive boost. The Spurs owe their lottery luck for players like Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama.
The Raptors have already conveyed the pick they traded for Jakob Poeltl, which hasn’t hurt them much yet. The Jazz are undergoing a rebuild, with ownership showing patience as they navigate through a rough season. The Wizards are embracing their lack of expectations and are allowing their young lineup to gain experience despite their struggles. The young athletes are encouraged to experiment without fear of criticism because the expectations are not high. This freedom will lead to future success.