After 4 lengthy months, the eightieth NBA season begins tonight. Basketball can be on virtually on a regular basis till June.Â
Final yr, we noticed the dominance of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on full show. We noticed numerous Achilles accidents, the emergence of younger gamers, and a few groups endure disappointments.
The NBA is arguably the toughest league to foretell due to the 82-game grind, plus a further two months of postseason play. With that stated, we’re going to attempt to predict it in any case. Listed below are three predictions for the 2025-2026 NBA season.
3) The Cavs, Knicks, and Magic all win a minimum of 50 video games
The East is in dire straits. The Celtics are usually not going to have Jayson Tatum for a lot of the season, and the Pacers received’t have Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season. The Sixers are an absolute wildcard as a result of we don’t know who can be wholesome.
The Bucks are a multitude and can have the Giannis Antetokounmpo commerce drama hanging over their heads the entire yr. That leaves Cleveland, New York, and Orlando because the Bonafide high contenders within the convention.
The Cavs went wire-to-wire final season because the one seed, successful 64 video games. They did flame out within the playoffs, however it is a good common season group at least. Particularly since their total core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen is again.Â
New York made the convention finals final yr, and return their duo of Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Cities. In addition they have a brand new head coach in Mike Brown, and extra general depth. This is likely one of the extra full groups within the league.
Orlando upgraded considerably after they acquired Desmond Bane. Add him to 2 of the most effective younger gamers within the league in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, plus a stifling protection, and you’ve got one of many extra frisky and enjoyable groups within the NBA.Â
These three groups are the clear class of the convention, and in a weak East, anticipate them to take full benefit.
2) Anthony Edwards breaks the American MVP drought
The final time an American participant received MVP was James Harden in 2018. With Tatum probably lacking a lot of the yr, Edwards is the most effective guess for the drought to finish, and that might occur this season.
Edwards was phenomenal all throughout the board. He averaged a career-high 28 factors per recreation, six rebounds, and 5 assists. He shot a career-best 39.5 p.c from three and led the league in whole threes made (320). He was capable of information Minnesota by way of a sluggish begin to the yr, and led them again to the convention finals.Â
Edwards had an up-and-down sequence in opposition to OKC, however there isn’t a doubt that he is likely one of the 5 finest gamers in basketball. With an offseason spent engaged on his mid-range and submit up recreation, the 2 largest weaknesses in his arsenal, anticipate Ant-Man to come back for blood this yr, culminating in his first MVP.
1. The Denver Nuggets will win the NBA championship
Many on the OKC Thunder have admitted that their hardest sequence throughout their championship run was in opposition to the Denver Nuggets. Regardless of coping with a number of accidents to their finest gamers, Denver gave OKC all they may deal with. They fell quick in seven video games, however after a extremely profitable offseason, the Nuggets are set to be the category of the West once more.
They swapped out the unstable and inconsistent Michael Porter Jr. for the extra dependable three-and-D wing Cam Johnson. They introduced again Bruce Brown and added extra capturing in Tim Hardaway Jr. In addition they traded for Jonas Valanciunas, who would be the finest backup heart Nikola Jokic has ever had.Â
Denver is deeper, and have among the best beginning fives within the league in Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Jokic. They’ll arguably go ten or 11 gamers deep now with Brown, Hardaway Jr., Valanciunas, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, and DaRon Holmes. They’ve choices.
Gone are the times of scraping collectively a unit to outlive the non-Jokic minutes. Gone are the times of working out of fuel within the playoffs as a result of they didn’t have sufficient our bodies. The Nuggets pushed the champs to the brink and anticipate them to recover from the hump in a loaded West.