Top five NBA teams to watch in second half of 2025-26 season

Cbssports ranked the NBA's 10 most interesting teams for the second half of the 2025-26 season, placing the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors among the top five teams to watch. The piece highlights key reasons for each pick: the Sixers are riding Joel Embiid, who has scored at least 20 points in his last 13 games and is averaging 28 and 8 since Dec.

12, with Tyrese Maxey leading the offense and Paul George settling into a complementary role (the team holds opponents to 111.1 points per 100 possessions with George on the floor). The Knicks have lost eight of 10 and sit with the 28th-ranked defense; Karl-Anthony Towns is in a shooting slump (rim/mid-range/3-point percentages listed as 60%/37%/35% with a 52.3 eFG%), though veterans Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson provide bright spots.

The Timberwolves rank in the top 10 on both offense and defense, Anthony Edwards is averaging just under 30 points on 50/42 shooting splits and producing exceptional clutch numbers, and the Wolves’ starting five has a +83 point differential.

Key Topics

Sports, Joel Embiid, New York Knicks, Karl-anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards