A big reason why we love sports is the unpredictability of it all. To some extent, this element can even play a part in the teams we root for. It's no fun to follow the team that you know is going to be really good or bad. We need a little suspense in ourlives.
The 2026-27 NBA season projects to be filled with a handful of these sorts of volatile teams. So, let's take a look at five teams that live up to the "boom-or-bust" description.
Philadelphia 76ers
Is there any team that better fits than this description than the Philadelphia 76ers? Listen to their starting lineup: a former MVP who hasn't played 60+ games since 2023, a soon-to-be 42-year-old, an All-NBA forward who is currently waging a full-scale war against analytics, and sophomore who has to sidetrack his development in order to placate to all these aforementioned pieces.
Tyrese Maxey has become pretty metronomic over the last few years, but outside of him, there are so many variables that could go wrong and mess the whole thing up. However, if this 76ers' tea can stay healthy, it seems like they can match up with anyone.
Indiana Pacers
The last time Tyrese Haliburton was healthy the Indiana Pacers won 50 games and came within one win of the NBA Championship. The problem is that a year has gone by since then, and in the time being, the Pacers lost 63 games and Haliburton didn't play a single game while recovering from a torn Achilles.
Haliburton's back now, and this Pacers' team is arguably better than they were when he was last leading the troops into battle (Ivica Zubac is replacing Myles Turner). If he can pick up where he left off, the Pacers have a chance to make a deep run in the Eastern Conference. However, picking up where you left up after tearing an achilles can be quite the catastrophe.
Minnesota Timberwolves
We actually dug deep into this very topic after the team added Jonathan Kuminga, but just in case you needed a quick reminder of why the Minnesota Timberwolves are very volatile this year, here it is.
The Timberwolves sacrificed their depth in order to increase their high-end upside. This helps raise their ceiling, but also increases the chances that injuries could derail their season. And they also paired a handful of previously controversial personalities together (Kuminga, LaMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards) and are hoping it won't lead to any locker room fiascos.
Portland Trail Blazers
It is easy to understand how the "bust" part applies to the Portland Trail Blazers. Ever since Tom Dundon took over as the Blazers' owner, it seems like a black cloud has been hovering over the organization. Couple that with the implicit drama surrounding Ja Morant, Damian Lillard returning from a torn Achilles, and the looming worries about Yang Hansen, and you have an absolute recipe for disaster.
However, there is also a world where the Blazers are really good. What if Morant rekindle's a version of his old form and proves to be the perfect partner to Deni Avdija? What if Lillard is able to be 80% of himself and embraces being a spark plug off the bench? What if Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, and Hansen take some sizable leaps?
I think the Blazers are in for a long year, but there is a chance that it turns out to be a pretty good one.
Golden State Warriors
Contrary to public opinion, the Golden State Warriors, who missed out on every big name they went after, could be pretty solid next year. Yaxel Lenderborg seems to have been the perfect draft pick, Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos took sneaky leaps last season, Kristaps Porziņģis pairs perfectly with Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry is healthy to start the year (*knocks wood*).
If the Warriors can stay healthy, they will be a thorn in the side of a lot of teams out West. The issue is that they are already not healthy, as Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are rehabbing injuries that undercut their 2025-26 campaign, and the players that are healthy (Porziņģis, Curry, and Green) are all injury risks, too.
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