Teams' To-Do Lists Down the Stretch of the Regular Season | Group Chat

Summary of Teams' To-Do Lists Down the Stretch of the Regular Season | Group Chat

by The Ringer

1h 13m•March 23, 2026
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Overview of Teams' To-Do Lists Down the Stretch of the Regular Season | Group Chat

Rob Mahoney and Kyle (The Ringer) break down what they want to learn during the final ~3 weeks of the NBA regular season. The conversation focuses on which teams still need to prove things heading into the playoffs (Lakers, Cavaliers, Rockets), how injuries/games-played rules are reshaping award races, and the chaotic, tightly packed middle of the Eastern Conference. They close with a mailbag call and some sponsor spots.

Key takeaways

  • The Lakers have surged and look more interesting than earlier in the year, primarily because LeBron has accepted a low-usage, high-connector role and their defense has markedly improved in recent games. The main open question: can they sustain that defense and commitment nightly?
  • The Cavaliers are dangerous on paper but remain a partially unproven playoff unit until Jared Allen and other rotation pieces are reliably available. Cleveland must sort its rotation and decide which role players will matter in a playoff series.
  • The Rockets possess creative upside (and Kevin Durant), but roster construction, spacing, and the Reed Sheppard/start lineup question leave them vulnerable — their ceiling this year looks like making a series interesting, not a deep run.
  • The 65-game minimum for All-NBA/award eligibility is creating strange asterisks: several elite players are already or likely to become ineligible, which will reshuffle All-NBA voting and create opportunities for others (Jamal Murray, Jalen Duren, Chadwick, etc.).
  • The Eastern Conference middle (5–10) is a mess: teams are bunched, injuries/status changes daily, and head-to-head matchups (e.g., Hawks vs. Magic) could decide seeds. Throw-in play-in volatility; hosts want to see up-and-coming teams (Hornets/Hawks) earn postseason clarity.

Team-by-team notes and to-dos

Los Angeles Lakers

  • What’s improved: offense is smart (Luka, Austin Reaves, LeBron operating as elite playmakers/connectors) and defense has dropped opponent PPP from a season ~1.027 to ~0.987 over their recent stretch.
  • Main questions:
    • Sustainability of the defensive leap: is this a short-term effort bump or a new identity?
    • LeBron’s role: he’s playing the lowest usage role of his career and functioning as a unique, high-IQ connector — can he keep buying into that in the playoffs?
    • DeAndre Ayton: has been streaky; public internal monologues/quotes complicate perceptions, but recent versions have fit the team’s needs (rebounding/positional defense).
  • Why it matters: If defense and role synergy hold, the Lakers go from interesting to a legit disruptive matchup in the West.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Strengths: Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland/James Harden-led offense with high ceiling if lineup is healthy.
  • Main constraints:
    • Jared Allen’s availability is pivotal; the team still needs to finalize its playoff rotation and figure who is truly part of it (Strus, Jalen Tyus, Keon Ellis, Sam Merrill, etc.).
    • Defensive communication and accountability (exemplified by Celtics matchups) could expose Cavs in a playoff series.
  • To-do: Get Allen healthy, clarify rotation and which role players are playoff-ready.

Houston Rockets

  • Ongoing debate: who should start — Reed Sheppard vs. other options — and how committed coach Ime Udoka will be to a lineup that includes Sheppard.
  • Structural problems:
    • Losing Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams forced lineup/adaptation issues.
    • Need for spacing/gravitational shooters when playing bigger lineups; Tari Eason’s recent 3PT regression compounds spacing woes.
    • Shai/Alperen/Shai-ish combo has potential but is inconsistent; Shaingun’s shooting dip hurts team flow.
  • Realistic ceiling: make a series competitive but unlikely long playoff run unless spacing/defense stabilize quickly.

All-NBA / awards eligibility

  • The 65-game game-played threshold is reshaping award availability. Multiple stars are or will be ineligible (Giannis, LeBron, Steph, Embiid, Tatum, Butler; Booker currently borderline at 56 games).
  • That creates openings on All-NBA teams for players who otherwise might not get consideration — Jamal Murray, Jalen Duren, Chadwick, Jalen Johnson, even Harden or Evan Mobley could be in play depending on perceptions and late-season pushes.

Eastern Conference middle scramble

  • Teams clustered (Raptors, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Sixers, Magic, etc.) — a few head-to-head games and returns from injury can flip seeding overnight.
  • Key games to watch: Hawks vs. Magic (could decide the 5/6 permutation), head-to-head late-season matchups among those teams.
  • Hosts want to see ascending, fun teams (Hornets, Hawks) earn playoff spots rather than injured or stagnant squads slugging through the play-in (e.g., Sixers/Heat).

Notable quotes & insights

  • “LeBron has turned himself into the greatest of connectors” — his transition into a lower-usage, high-IQ facilitator is a central reason the Lakers are suddenly tougher to scout.
  • “DeAndre Ayton lets us be part of his internal dialogue” — Ayton’s candid comments and visible confidence swings fuel both critique and fascination.
  • Luka as “a gravitational bowling ball on a bedsheet” — a metaphor for how Luka pulls defenses into him and creates advantages for teammates.

What to watch in the final weeks (action items)

  • Lakers: defensive PPP trend (is the ~0.987 sustained?), Ayton’s role/consistency, LeBron’s willingness to stay as a connector when games get tight.
  • Cavs: Jared Allen’s return timeline and how rotation minutes shake out (who becomes expendable in playoff rotations).
  • Rockets: Udoka’s starting lineup decisions (Sheppard usage), Tari Eason’s 3PT regression vs. historical form, Shaingun’s shooting rebound.
  • All-NBA race: monitor Booker's minutes and how many qualifying games he can log; track Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards’ return timelines for award eligibility.
  • Eastern standings: Hawks vs. Magic head-to-head outcome, Hornets’ ability to host a play-in game (home play-in advantage), Sixers’ injury updates (Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey availability).

Final notes

  • The hosts urge listeners to send mailbag questions to ringergroupchat@gmail.com (non-tanking questions encouraged). The final regular-season weeks will deliver lots of answers — and more questions — as teams either solidify identities or leave uncertainties for the playoffs.