Final Report Card Grades for Every 2022-23 NBA Team

We did it.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season is officially in the books, and each of the league's 30 teams have provided plenty of material for grades.

Record alone isn't enough. To provide a fair evaluation, you have to look at wins and losses, point differential, preseason expectations, transactions, individual performance and, of course, plenty of subjectivity.

With all of the above (and maybe a little more) tossed into the equation, it was easy to assign a letter grade from the traditional A-F scale to all 30 teams.

Record: 41-41
Net Rating: +0.1

Nothing screams mediocrity quite like the unique streak the Atlanta Hawks engineered this season.

Being that close to .500 for over a third of the season basically begs for a C, but there are a few positive indicators that earn them the plus sign after it.

First of all, the starting lineup of Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins and Clint Capela was statistically strong. And though it didn't look like a home run right away, there's reason to believe Young and Murray can coexist.

The former hung on to most of the playmaking responsibility, while the latter proved capable of covering for some of Young's defensive shortcomings.

Elsewhere around the roster, Capela had another solid campaign as a rim-runner and protector. Bogdan Bogdanović and the recently acquired Saddiq Bey had their moments off the bench, but John Collins and De'Andre Hunter, at best, plateaued getting used to the presence of another ball-dominant guard.

Most Valuable Hawk: Trae Young

Despite shooting 47.6 percent on twos and 33.5 percent on threes, Trae still led his team in points (26.2) and assists (10.2) per game. And for the fourth year in a row, Atlanta's point differential was better with him on the floor.

Record: 57-25
Net Rating: +6.7

Considering the turmoil the Boston Celtics faced this past offseason, when their coach was suspended for all of 2022-23 for multiple violations of team policy, their performance throughout this season deserves high marks.

And maybe, even without the abrupt coaching change, they might've done enough to earn the grade above.

The Celtics had the best net rating in the NBA for the overwhelming majority of the season, and only the Cleveland Cavaliers threatened their perch there a handful of times.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum once again looked like perhaps the game's best wing combination, and the players around them did their jobs all year.

Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart form a trio that can cause problems for just about any backcourt on both ends of the floor. And Al Horford, Robert Williams III and Grant Williams are versatile enough to allow Boston to play big or small. Even deep bench pieces like Sam Hauser, Mike Muscala and Blake Griffin might end up making a difference in a playoff series.

Most Valuable Celtic: Jayson Tatum

Tatum averaged a franchise record 30.1 points, while trailing only Nikola Jokić in estimated wins (the cumulative version of Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus, one of the most trusted catch-all metrics in basketball).

Record: 45-37
Net Rating: +1.1

The spectacular failure of the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era of the Brooklyn Nets has to be included in any analysis of this team.

Given the level of talent they had, and the sacrifices the team made to acquire and build around them, having to pull the plug midseason feels like a failure.

But given the lack of leverage Brooklyn seemed to have around the trade deadline, the team and assets the Nets emerged with are impressive.

Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson and Royce O'Neale give the Nets one of the game's most intriguing forward groups, thanks to its ability to switch all over the floor on defense and light it up from three on the other end.

Bookending three of those forwards with Spencer Dinwiddie and Nic Claxton makes sense too.

Of course, Ben Simmons remains a huge question mark, but he was acquired during the 2021-22 season. And while the handling of Simmons maybe could've been better in 2022-23, we'll spare the team any deductions for whatever may have happened with him this year.

Most Valuable Player: Mikal Bridges

After the midseason trade that landed him in Brooklyn, Bridges averaged 26.1 points and 2.5 threes, while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. He doesn't have the same ceiling as KD or Kyrie, but Bridges gives the Nets a borderline star.

Record: 27-55
Net Rating: -6.3

If someone had told you before the season that LaMelo Ball would only appear in 36 games, you might've predicted a record around the one above for the Charlotte Hornets.

And by that logic, it's tempting to give them a passing grade.

But below-average seasons (at least according to box plus/minus) from veterans Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward are also a big part of the winning percentage.

At the very least, playing better might've built up some more trade value and allowed the organization to lean even harder into a rebuild.

Instead, the Hornets toiled away at some level below mediocre throughout Ball's injury-riddled campaign.

Most Valuable Hornet: LaMalo Ball

Even with only 36 appearances to his name, Ball led the team in estimated wins and averaged 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 4.0 threes.

Record: 40-42
Net Rating: +1.3

Given the amount of money the Chicago Bulls are paying Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević (nearly $90 million this season), a sub-.500 record feels like a borderline disaster.

They get a bit of a pass for their fourth-highest-paid player, Lonzo Ball, missing the entire campaign, but that doesn't entirely eliminate the disappointment.

Given that level of talent at the top of the roster, Chicago shouldn't have been scratching and crawling for a play-in spot all the way to the end of the season.

Having a bottom-10 offense with those three feels almost impossible too, but that's where the Bulls wound up.

And even when it became clear that this core probably wouldn't be able to compete for a title, the front office failed to unload anyone in a move geared toward the future.

Most Valuable Bull: DeMar DeRozan

The Most ValuBull, if you will, is actually a pretty tough call. There may be cases for each of the top three scorers, and LaVine and DeRozan were somehow tied for the team lead in estimated wins. The tiebreaker here will be DeRozan's edge in net rating swing (the difference between the team's net points per 100 possessions when a given player is on or off the floor).

Record: 51-31
Net Rating: +5.6

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, but they were really the only team that ever posed a threat to the Boston Celtics' first-place position on the net rating leaderboard. And they finished the season with the league's best defense.

Pulling off that second feat while starting a backcourt of two 6'1" guards is no small accomplishment, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen deserve plenty of credit for that. Donovan Mitchell recommitting himself to that end of the floor helped too.

His willingness to defer to new teammate and 2022 All-Star Darius Garland also deserves a mention. All year, those two complemented each other on offense, with Mitchell often taking over as a scorer and Garland never having to relent control as a playmaker.

Most Valuable Cavalier: Donovan Mitchell

The Cavaliers are another team with multiple worthy candidates for this space, but Mitchell edges out Garland thanks to his sizable advantage in both points per game (28.3 to 21.6) and true shooting percentage (61.4 to 58.7).

Record: 38-44
Net Rating: -0.2

Stretching the limits of this exercise a bit, let's look back on some of the events that preceded the Dallas Mavericks' 2022-23 campaign.

Shortly after destroying the Phoenix Suns in Games 6 and 7 of the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals, Dallas let Jalen Brunson go to the New York Knicks for nothing (botched negotiations there stretch even further back in time, but we won't go there). The front office then traded for Christian Wood, only to have Jason Kidd mess with his role all season. And in a moment of desperation, the Mavs traded a first-round pick, their best three-and-D wing (Dorian Finney-Smith) and a starting guard (Spencer Dinwiddie) for Kyrie Irving.

A couple of months later, they were tanking games in such a blatant and brazen fashion that the league has opened up in an investigation into the team's efforts to keep its pick (which is top-10 protected).

To bungle a season this thoroughly with a generational talent like Luka Dončić seems almost impossible, but the Mavericks somehow managed to do it.

Most Valuable Maverick: Luka Dončić

Despite the Mavericks missing all forms of the postseason and the team finishing with a sub-.500 record, they had a point differential around that of a 48-win team when Luka was on the floor. For some bizarre reason, they played him for one quarter of his final appearance of the season, and he still averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists.

Record: 53-29
Net Rating: +3.3

Nothing sums up the Denver Nuggets' 2022-23 quite like DNVR's Adam Mares did during the team's late-season loss to the Utah Jazz, who were sitting the bulk of their rotation players.

Denver moved to 46-19 on March 6 and has gone 7-10 since then. Not exactly a confidence-inspiring run as the Nuggets enter the postseason with a healthy supporting cast for Nikola Jokić for the first time since 2020.

For stretches of the season, like the one referenced by Mares, the starting lineup seemed perfectly engineered to dominate (the bench has generally been awful all year). Jamal Murray showed flashes of the ceiling he hit in the bubble. Michael Porter Jr. was living up to the "6'10" Klay Thompson" comparisons. Aaron Gordon seemed to have embraced more of a bully-ball style that was juicing his scoring efficiency. And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looked like the ideal, gap-filling three-and-D wing.

But losses like the one to Utah, or the Houston Rockets earlier this month, or the San Antonio Spurs in March, shouldn't happen to teams with this much talent.

And despite finishing first in the Western Conference (and holding down that spot since December), Denver misses out on an A because of its insistence on taking its foot off the pedal.

Most Valuable Nugget: Nikola Jokić

Jokić darn-near averaged a 24-point triple-double with a 70-plus true shooting percentage. That alone is absurd, and it puts this campaign up there with the absolute best of all time.

But he also leads the NBA in the bulk of the internet's catch-all metrics, and the Nuggets outscore their opponents at a higher rate with Jokić on the floor than the Philadelphia 76ers do with Joel Embiid or the Milwaukee Bucks do with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Statistically, Jokić wasn't just the Most Valuable Nugget, he's still the most valuable player in basketball (though it looks like he won't win the award for a third straight year).

Record: 17-65
Net Rating: -7.9

The Detroit Pistons had the worst record in the NBA, but that doesn't quite explain their D-.

Perhaps sportsbooks may have overestimated them before the campaign started, but their preseason over/under was 29.5 wins. They missed their mark by more than the Dallas Mavericks missed theirs.

Not cashing in on the value of Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks at the trade deadline feels like a big miss too (though offseason deals could prove that take wrong).

They don't quite fail, though. And that's because they lost Cade Cunningham after he played just 12 games. And a handful of young players, like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and even Killian Hayes, did show off some upside.

Most Valuable Piston: Bojan Bogdanović

Before injuries (and quite possibly, the intent to secure their draft lottery odds) cut Bogdanović's season short, he averaged 21.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 threes, while shooting 41.1 percent from deep.

He was almost certainly good enough to garner some interest from other teams around the league, which is something the rebuilding Pistons should revisit this offseason.

Record: 44-38
Net Rating: +1.7

The Golden State Warriors had one of the strangest and most difficult to explain home-and-road splits in recent memory. They went 33-8 at the Chase Center, while going a dismal 11-30 away from their friendly confines.

That alone makes it tough to give the Warriors any better than a C, but overestimating a young core that included James Wiseman (now a Detroit Piston), Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole (who had a way-below-average effective field-goal percentage) didn't help either.

There are still reasons for optimism, though. With Andrew Wiggins ramping back up ahead of the playoffs, Golden State could have one of the best lineups in basketball back in action soon.

Even with all the struggles on the road, the Warriors were utterly dominant this season when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney were all on the floor.

Most Valuable Warrior: Stephen Curry

Thanks to injuries, Curry was fifth on the Warriors in total minutes, but he was their overwhelming leader in estimated wins and averaged 29.4 points, 6.3 assists and 4.9 threes, while shooting 42.7 percent from deep.

Record: 22-60
Net Rating: -8.1

Like the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets weren't facing much in the way of expectations this season, but they still managed to fall short of their preseason over/under of 23.5 wins.

And with little discernible improvement from the team from the beginning to end of 2022-23, head coach Stephen Silas is out.

But the Rockets weren't that much worse than most thought they'd be, and there are still reasons for optimism with several individual players.

Kevin Porter Jr. shot the ball well and showed an increasing willingness and ability to be a lead playmaker. Jalen Green showed the upside of a No. 1 scorer. Jabari Smith Jr. was solid on defense for a young player. If his three-point shot comes along, he can fill the other side of the three-and-D equation. And center Alperen Şengün looks like a potential All-Star.

Most Valuable Rocket: Alperen Şengün

In just his second season, 20-year-old Şengün averaged 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 28.9 minutes.

Playing more through him going forward could alleviate a lot of pressure from KPJ and Green and start something of a facsimile of the Nuggets' attack with Jokić.

Record: 35-47
Net Rating: -3.3

The Indiana Pacers are another team that smashed their preseason over/under, and when they had their starting lineup together, they were in the hunt for a playoff (or at least play-in) spot.

When Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Myles Turner were all on the floor, the Pacers were plus-4.9 points per 100 possessions.

With the combination of playmaking (from Haliburton), rim protection (from Turner) and shooting (from all three), that trio was able to compete with just about anybody, and some of their supporting cast had solid moments too.

He eventually cooled off quite a bit, but rookie Bennedict Mathurin averaged 19.1 points and shot 41.7 percent from three in his first 20 games. Andrew Nembhard, another first-year player, had six double-figure assist games. Even Aaron Nesmith, who struggled to find consistency with his shot as a Boston Celtic, showed hints of three-and-D upside as a starter for the Pacers.

Most Valuable Pacer: Tyrese Haliburton

It almost seemed to fly under the radar, since he sat a decent number of games with injuries over the back half of the season, but Haliburton averaged 20.7 points, 10.4 assists and 2.9 threes, while shooting 57.2 percent on twos, 40.0 percent on threes and 87.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Prior to this season, no one in NBA history had had a 20-10 season with shooting splits at least as good as those.

Record: 44-38
Net Rating: +0.5

The Los Angeles Clippers didn't even come close to their preseason over/under, and for much of the regular season, they seemed determined to prove the regular season meaningless.

With the amount of rest days given to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, it was tough for the Clippers to ever generate much chemistry, and those two have played fewer than 500 possessions with Russell Westbrook.

At moments, though, the Clippers still looked like one of the deepest title contenders in the league. Nicolas Batum shot 39.1 percent from three, Norman Powell averaged 17.0 points and shot 39.7 percent from three, Ivica Zubac nearly averaged a double-double and Terance Mann looked like a real option as a nominal point guard prior to Westbrook's arrival.

All of their midseason acquisitions (Mason Plumlee, Eric Gordon and Bones Hyland) look like they could have a real impact on a deep playoff run too.

Most Valuable Clipper: Kawhi Leonard

Leonard only played in 52 games, but he's looked like one of the best players in basketball over his last 34. In that stretch, he's averaging 27.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 threes and 1.6 steals, while shooting 46.8 percent from deep.

And if that version of Leonard is around for the playoffs, and George gets healthy, L.A. is capable of a deep run.

Record: 43-39
Net Rating: +0.7

The Los Angeles Lakers looked dead in the water as recently as mid-February when a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers dropped them to 26-32, but a remade supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped turn things around and secure an above-.500 record.

The sample size is minuscule, but L.A. looks like a bona fide title contender when LeBron and AD are on the floor with D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt. Russell and Reaves provide the kind of floor spacing the Lakers were severely lacking before the trade deadline, and Vanderbilt spares Davis from plenty of dirty work.

Of course, Reaves was around before the moves were made, but his breakout coincided with the arrival of the new additions. Since the deadline, Reaves is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 free throws, 5.0 assists and 1.5 threes, while shooting 45.6 percent from deep.

If the Lakers have that lineup intact and get even minimal contributions from reserves like Rui Hachimura, Malik Beasley, Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Schröder, they might be able to make a deep postseason run.

Of course, we can't just ignore the pre-deadline portion of the Lakers season, when they were legitimately bad, which is why they remain among the Cs.

Most Valuable Laker: LeBron James

You could actually go with either Davis or LeBron here, but we'll settle on the latter because of his responsibility as the team's lead playmaker.

In his age-38 season, LeBron remarkably averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.2 threes. Those marks rank first, sixth, fourth and first all time for an age-38 (or older) season.

Record: 51-31
Net Rating: +4.0

Despite having each of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke available for fewer than 65 games, the Memphis Grizzlies cleared their preseason over/under and posed a real threat to the Denver Nuggets' position in first place.

On the year, Morant, Bane, Jackson and Adams played just over 300 possessions together, but Memphis still managed to win 51 games thanks in large part to its depth.

The absence of Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton was felt early in the season, but Tyus Jones, John Konchar, Xavier Tillman Sr., Luke Kennard (acquired midseason) and Santi Aldama eventually rose to their collective task.

And even with Adams and Clarke out for the entire postseason, the Grizzlies are dangerous enough to make a run at title contention.

Most Valuable Grizzly: Ja Morant

There's an argument for JJJ here, especially when you consider that Morant may have had the worst shooting season of his career, but the point guard's ability to put pressure on the paint undoubtedly made life easier for any Grizzly who shared the floor with him.

For the season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the only guard who averaged more points per game in the paint than Ja.

Record: 44-38
Net Rating: -0.5

Another team that fell well shy of expectations, the Miami Heat struggled to shoot straight all season (they were bottom-10 in the league in effective field-goal percentage).

But they still managed to carve out an identity with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, all of whom averaged 20-plus points per game.

When those three were on the floor, Miami was plus-8.3 points per 100 possessions with a 94th percentile defense. Add Caleb Martin to the mix, and the net rating climbs to plus-10.6.

The Heat just couldn't get quite enough shooting from the rest of the roster to supplement those starters.

Most Valuable Heat Player: Jimmy Butler

Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid and Damian Lillard were the only players in the league who topped Butler's estimated plus-minus this season.

On the season, Butler averaged 22.9 points, 7.4 free throws, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals and just 1.6 turnovers.

Among the 469 seasons since 1967-68 with a 25-plus usage percentage and a 25-plus assist percentage, Butler has the lowest turnover percentage.

Record: 58-24
Net Rating: +3.4

The Milwaukee Bucks may have finished the season fifth in net rating, but having the best record in the league gives them an automatic A+.

They were predictably dominant when they had their most important players on the floor too. Milwaukee was a whopping plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez were on the floor this season.

And they had seven other players finish with at least 500 minutes and an above-replacement-level box plus/minus: Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Grayson Allen, Jevon Carter, Joe Ingles, Pat Connaughton and George Hill (who's no longer with the team).

Most Valuable Buck: Giannis Antetokounmpo

This may seem like a no-brainer (and really, it is), but Holiday and Lopez both deserve at least a shout out in this space. Giannis only appeared in 63 games this season, and the Bucks were still a solid plus-6.1 points per 100 possessions when those two played without the two-time MVP. That mark is the result of the leadership and defensive focus of Holiday and Lopez.

But there's a reason that net rating jumps so dramatically by adding just one player, and it's that Giannis is still very much an MVP-caliber player. His scoring efficiency and steal and block rates were all well below the absurd standards he's created for himself, but Antetokounmpo is still a one-man wrecking crew in the paint and the game's most dangerous point forward.

Record: 42-40
Net Rating: +0.2

Most fans and analysts experienced a bit of sticker shock when they saw what the Minnesota Timberwolves gave up for Rudy Gobert, who often becomes the target of hyper-specific playoff scheming.

Many of those detractors still assumed the team would be more than fine in the regular season, though. That's why the preseason over/under was set at a strong 49.5 wins.

But with Karl-Anthony Towns missing well over half the season with an injury and D'Angelo Russell seemingly unwilling to get on the same page with Gobert, Minnesota was the picture of mediocrity for most of this campaign.

Then on the last night of the season, when Rudy Gobert punched Kyle Anderson in a huddle and Jaden McDaniels broke his hand and ended his season by punching a wall, it was the picture of chaos.

Things were looking up before Sunday's meltdown too. When Gobert shared the floor with Russell's replacement, Mike Conley, the Timberwolves were a solid plus-5.0 points per 100 possessions. And when you add KAT and Anthony Edwards to that mix, the net rating climbs to a massive plus-14.7 (though the sample size is too small for big takeaways).

Most Valuable Timberwolf: Anthony Edwards

Even with the disastrous last day of the season, Minnesota's future should be bright as long as Edwards is around.

His stat line of 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals would be impressive for just about anyone in the league, and he's only 21 years old.

Record: 42-40
Net Rating: +1.9

It's tough to fault the New Orleans Pelicans for Zion Williamson's lack of availability. He only played 29 games this season. Sad as it is to say, he might just be an injury-prone player.

And while the Pelicans had a point differential around that of a 59-win team with Zion on the floor, New Orleans simply couldn't count on that in 2022-23.

Having Brandon Ingram available for fewer than 50 games certainly hurt too. And frankly, finishing with an above-.500 record while facing that much bad luck on the injury front is an accomplishment in itself.

Players like CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Larry Nance Jr., Jonas Valančiūnas, Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado deserve all kinds of kudos for pulling that off.

Most Valuable Pelican: CJ McCollum

The Pelicans acquired McCollum last season with the hope of having him as a third option and table-setter for Zion and Ingram, but he stepped up in the absence of both in 2022-23.

McCollum averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 2.8 threes, while shooting 38.9 percent from three.

New Orleans had a positive point differential when McCollum was on the floor without both of Ingram and Zion, which feels like a monumental feat.

Record: 47-35
Net Rating: +2.8

The New York Knicks smashed preseason expectations, thanks in large part to the arrival and All-Star-caliber play of Jalen Brunson (more on that in a bit).

Julius Randle's return to his 2020-21 form (when he made an All-NBA team) also had a lot to do with threatening 50 wins. And continued ascension for Quentin Grimes, Mitchell Robinson and Immanuel Quickley was huge.

If there's cause for concern, it probably revolves around RJ Barrett, who was below replacement level (according to box plus/minus) as a player and for the fourth time in four seasons scored with way below-average efficiency.

But he's still just 22 years old. There's time for him to develop as a shooter and decision-maker, and it looks like New York has a good enough core to win as he figures out NBA basketball.

Most Valuable Knick: Jalen Brunson

Everyone has rightfully spent much of the season lambasting the Dallas Mavericks for letting Brunson go, but few outside of the point guard's circle of influence could've seen this coming.

Brunson went from 16.3 points, 4.8 assists and 1.2 threes, with a 37.3 three-point percentage in 2021-22 to 24.0 points, 6.2 assists and 2.0 threes, with a 41.6 three-point percentage in his first season with the Knicks.

Record: 40-42
Net Rating: +1.0

The Oklahoma City Thunder annihilated their preseason over/under of 23.5 wins and spent the bulk of 2022-23 in the hunt for postseason play.

That success is largely attributable to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's All-NBA-level play, but he didn't do this on his own.

OKC brings one of the game's most unique and intriguing combinations of size and playmaking with SGA (6'6"), Josh Giddey (6'8") and Jalen Williams (6'5"), who had assist percentages of 25.7, 30.0 and 15.4, respectively.

The Thunder were particularly dangerous when that trio shared the floor with just one high-level floor spacer. When any one of those three were on the floor with Isaiah Joe (who shot 40.9 percent from deep), OKC was plus-3.9 points per 100 possessions (a much better mark than the team's overall plus-0.4).

Most Valuable Thunder Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander put up Michael Jordan-like numbers this season. No, really.

He just joined Jordan, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as the only players in NBA history to average at least 30 points, five assists, one block and one steal per game. And if you sort that list of seasons by true shooting percentage, SGA is first.

Record: 34-48
Net Rating: -2.3

A 5-20 start pretty much doomed any hopes the Orlando Magic may have had of getting into the postseason, but they've quietly been a solid to straight-up good team since then.

And a number of individual players have been better than expected (a big part of why Orlando smashed its preseason over/under).

Markelle Fultz suddenly looks like a floor-raising point guar who can make teammates better and get to the paint at will. Despite abysmal shooting marks, Paolo Banchero has shown No. 1 scorer upside. And Wendell Carter Jr. looks like an ideal gap-filling center who can defend and space the floor.

With another lottery pick and perhaps a bench strengthened over the offseason, the Magic could make a real push for a playoff berth as early as next season.

Most Valuable Magic Player: Franz Wagner

As the season's leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Banchero understandably got most of the attention headed Orlando's way, but Franz Wagner was quietly among the NBA's best forwards in 2022-23.

If you sort every player in the league by the average of their ranks in 10 catch-all metrics, Wagner finished in the top 50, with averages of 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Record: 54-28
Net Rating: +4.4

Considering the fact that they only got 66 games from Joel Embiid (fewer than last season), the Philadelphia 76ers clearing their preseason over/under and finishing with 54 wins is impressive.

And James Harden deserves a ton of credit for that.

Harden finished the season in the top 10 of Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("based on a model built using previous voting results") and averaged 21.0 points, 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 threes. The 76ers had a positive point differential when Harden played without Embiid.

Of course, those two superstars aren't the only players responsible for Philadelphia's strong campaign.

Tyrese Maxey averaged 20.3 points. Tobias Harris hit 38.9 percent of his threes, and De'Anthony Melton provided Matisse Thybulle-like defense without sacrificing the team's offense (he shot 39.0 percent from deep).

Since his arrival in Philadelphia in 2020, executive Daryl Morey has seemingly pushed all the right buttons, and the 76ers are now in position to make a real run at a championship.

Most Valuable 76er: Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid averaged a league-leading 33.1 points, and his true shooting percentage was 7.4 points above the league average.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the only player in league history with a season in which he exceeded both Embiid's per-game scoring average and his relative true shooting percentage (he had a plus-9.9 in 1971-72).

Record: 45-37
Net Rating: +2.2

On January 16, the Phoenix Suns lost a game to the Memphis Grizzlies that moved them to 21-24 on the season. After the Dallas Mavericks knocked them out of the playoffs earlier than expected in 2022, it looked like the Suns might miss the postseason altogether in 2023.

But the Suns got back on track ahead of the trade deadline, new governor Mat Ishbia took over the team and the front office swung a deal for Kevin Durant that now has them locked in as the betting favorite to represent the West in the Finals.

The sample size is small, but Phoenix is plus-17.1 points per 100 possessions when Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul are all on the floor.

If those three are healthy, and the Suns get even marginal contributions from Deandre Ayton, Torrey Craig, Josh Okogie and the rest of the supporting cast, the Suns could absolutely win it all.

Most Valuable Sun: Devin Booker

KD has had a better season than Booker, but he's only played eight games with Phoenix, and over three quarters of his wins over replacement player came as a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Booker, on the other hand, missed plenty of time with injuries, but he had a huge campaign. He averaged 27.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.1 threes. And the Suns were plus-5.9 points per 100 possessions with Booker on the floor (compared to minus-3.0 without him).

Record: 33-49
Net Rating: -4.0

For the second season in a row, the Portland Trail Blazers decided to pull the plug with weeks to go in an effort to improve their lottery odds. That's obviously far from an ideal outcome for Damian Lillard's age-31 and age-32 seasons.

There were at least moments of competence, though. When Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkić were all on the floor, Portland was plus-2.1 points per 100 possessions.

And after the team stopped pushing for a playoff berth, rookie Shaedon Sharpe gave fans plenty of reasons for hope. Over his last nine games, Sharpe averaged 23.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 threes, while shooting 37.8 percent from deep.

Most Valuable Trail Blazer: Damian Lillard

Despite the team falling short of its preseason over/under and Lillard only appearing in 58 games, the Trail Blazers legend had an individual campaign to remember.

He averaged a career-high 32.2 points, registered a league-high 15 40-point games and dropped 71 on the Houston Rockets on February 26.

Record: 48-34
Net Rating: +2.6

The Sacramento Kings' preseason over/under was 34.5 wins, and they passed that mark way back on February 26, while spending most of the season in second or third place in the West.

With their top two of Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox in place since last season's trade deadline, Sacramento spent the offseason adding shooting to flank that duo. And Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray more than checked that box.

Veteran Harrison Barnes helped on that front too. And the starting lineup that featured him, Fox, Sabonis, Murray and Huerter led all NBA lineups in total possessions played and was a big part of the Kings leading the league in offense.

Most Valuable King: Domantas Sabonis

You certainly wouldn't get much pushback for picking De'Aaron Fox here. He averaged 25.0 points and 6.1 assists, and he looks like a lock to win the NBA's first Clutch Player of the Year Award.

But Domantas Sabonis became the offensive hub of the Kings this season and led the team in both assists and rebounds per game. He also trails only Nikola Jokić in total triple-doubles this season. And Sacramento's net rating was 4.2 points better with Sabonis on the floor.

Record: 22-60
Net Rating: -9.9

The San Antonio Spurs finished within striking distance of their preseason over/under, but they still fall shy of a C thanks to posting the league's worst net rating.

It wasn't all bad for the Spurs this season, though.

Keldon Johnson averaged 22.0 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 threes. Devin Vassell averaged 18.5 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 threes, while shooting 38.7 percent from deep. Jeremy Sochan looks capable of developing into a defensive menace. And Zach Collins averaged 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 threes, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks after Jakob Poeltl was traded.

If San Antonio emerges from this season with Victor Wembanyama or some other high-end prospect, it could be in pretty good shape for the future.

Most Valuable Spur: Tre Jones

This selection might come as a bit of a surprise for a player who averaged 12.9 points, but Tre Jones' 6.6 assists per game led the Spurs. And among players who appeared in at least 40 games, he was 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Perhaps most importantly, when the steady-handed floor general was on the floor, the Spurs had a point differential around that of a 23-win team, which sounds bad, until you see that they played more like a 13-win team without Jones.

Record: 41-41
Net Rating: +1.5

The Toronto Raptors fell well shy of their preseason over/under and eventually had to cut bait on the positionless basketball experiment, but that recalibration helped them secure a berth in the play-in tournament.

Toronto was plus-8.5 points per 100 possessions when Jakob Poeltl, the more traditional center acquired at the trade deadline, was on the floor.

And while players like Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby still give Toronto the option to play smaller, more modern lineups, the ability to matchup with opponents who deploy bigger 5s has been key.

Unfortunately, a lack of shooting has been a problem for pretty much any Raptors lineup. The team finished the season with a bottom-three effective field-goal percentage.

Most Valuable Raptor: Pascal Siakam

There's at least an argument for Fred VanVleet here. He led Toronto in assists and threes per game, and it was significantly better when he was on the floor.

But Siakam's continued evolution into a bona fide point forward gives him the edge. Despite below-average efficiency as a scorer, Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

Record: 37-45
Net Rating: -0.7

At some point, the Utah Jazz seemingly took their foot off the gas, but they were in the mix for a playoff spot for much of the season. Not bad at all for a team that entered the season with a 23.5-win over/under.

The far-better-than-expected season wasn't the product of any one player either. Lauri Markkanen was an All-Star starter (more on him in a bit), Walker Kessler ranked in the 87th percentile in estimated plus-minus, Kelly Olynyk played like a solid glue guy, Jordan Clarkson showed more as a playmaker than he ever has before, and young guards Talen Horton-Tucker and Ochai Agbaji looked like potential long-term starters.

On the season, Utah was plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions when THT, Agbaji, Markkanen and Kessler were all on the floor.

And when you add the massive hauls of picks the Jazz got for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this past offseason, it's hard to imagine the start of this rebuild going much better.

Most Valuable Jazz Player: Lauri Markkanen

Markkanen's emergence as a bona fide star was one of the stories of the season. And it came as a result of one of the game's most unique offensive arsenals.

Markkanen averaged 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 threes while shooting 58.5 percent on twos and 39.1 percent on threes. And when he was on the floor, Utah had a point differential around that of a 50-win team.

Record: 35-47
Net Rating: -1.2

The Washington Wizards finished right around where they were expected to, which doesn't sound too bad when you consider that Bradley Beal only played in 50 games, and Kristaps Porziņģis and Kyle Kuzma both finished below 70.

Lack of availability was probably baked into that prediction, though, given the histories of Beal and Porziņģis.

Still when both the stars were playing, the Wizards were actually pretty tough. On the year, Washington was plus-6.3 points per 100 possessions when Monte Morris, Beal, Kuzma and Porziņģis were all on the floor. The mark climbs to plus-14.2 when you round out the lineup with Deni Avdija, but the sample size is probably too small for sweeping analysis.

With Avdija showing signs of life as a defensive specialist and Corey Kispert shooting 42.4 percent from deep, there's reason for optimism about the team's future too.

Most Valuable Wizard: Kristaps Porziņģis

It may have flown under the radar because of the team's mediocrity, but Porziņģis may have had the best season of his career (or at least since he was an All-Star for the New York Knicks in 2017-18).

He averaged a career-high 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, a career-high 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 38.5 percent from deep.

All season, this spot in the power rankings was occupied by a "stat of the week," many of which focused on the offensive explosion throughout the league.

Few, if any, capture just how much different this season was better than the 40-point game tally.

With three more 40-point performances on the season's final day, the 2022-23 total finished at an all-time record 203.

That's well in excess of the previous mark of 142 set in 1961-62, but even that doesn't quite do it justice. Only 13 players reached the threshold in 1961-62 (Wilt Chamberlain did it 63 times). Fifty-seven players got there this season.

And while it's more than reasonable to point out the proliferation of three-point attempts and the rule changes that have made scoring easier, 2022-23 was also a demonstration of just how deep the league's talent pool is.

More than ever before, seemingly any given team on any given night can give us a ridiculous performance. Tons of players can get buckets at all three levels and score in a variety of ways. The paint isn't the exclusive territory of the bigs. And pull-ups, isolations and pick-and-roll ball-handling are increasingly common among wings, forwards and even centers.

There's never been more skill in the NBA than there is right now.