Rashad McCants recently weighed in and shared his personal opinion on three teams with the potential to win an NBA championship this upcoming season. With the long offseason currently underway, teams across the league have been making changes to their roster with the hopes of getting closer to winning a title.
Although McCants was unable to win a championship during his time in the NBA, he did win the NCAA championship with the North Carolina Tar Heels during his junior year. The former Minnesota Timberwolves star undoubtedly knows a great deal on what it takes to establish and follow through with a “championship blueprint.”
While it is safe to say that every team across the league is doing its best to obtain the same, fans should still wonder which teams McCants believes have this “championship blueprint” heading into the 2025 NBA season.
Which NBA Teams Does Rashad McCants Believe Are on the Right Path?
All the franchises employ their own unique strategy to contend for an NBA championship. While some tend to draft or acquire a generational talent and eventually build around that star, others also make trades to form “superteams” and attempt to win titles utilizing sheer star talent.
During a recent interview, McCants opined that the most important criteria towards winning a championship would be if the players on the team embraced their roles and did what had to be done for the success of the team.
“The role players, the expendables, the glue guys who are a part of the championship aspirations have always to me been the formula. Even the college guys…These guys know their positions, they’re willing to adapt to their roles and when they thrive, they don’t hold punches for what they do for their team.
McCants then went on to specifically credit three teams that have such players on their roster, “You get the glue guys like the Alex Carusos, the Pascal Siakams … guys who are crafty and can go in and be hard-hat, blue-collar guys. Then you have the leadership of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson paving the way … There are teams that have that specific model.”
Given that both the Pacers and OKC Thunder managed to make the NBA Finals with their teams centered around Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander, there is no arguing with McCants’ stance. However, one can wonder if the New York Knicks should be included in this list.
After all, the Knicks have been eliminated by the Pacers for two straight postseasons. However, fans should keep in mind that the East is “wide open.” Stars such as Haliburton and Jayson Tatum are expected to miss the majority of next season.
There is no way to tell if Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be able to establish themselves as the No. 1 seed in the East once again. And, over in Milwaukee, the new frontcourt tandem of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner might not fully mesh.
This means that there is a small window of opportunity for Jalen Brunson and the Knicks to make a title run. Fans are left wondering if they truly have the championship blueprint that McCants discussed.
