The 2025-26 National Basketball Association season is finally here after a long offseason that felt like forever, and we’re here to talk about it. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the championship last year, but will they repeat? How will teams with injured stars like the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers deal with losing their best players? Will Nikola Jokic get his revenge and take back the MVP award? We will answer all these questions in our discussion about teams in the NBA, playoff predictions, award races and more.
Eastern Conference:
Top Eight Teams in the Standings Last Year
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a strong 2024-2025 season, until disaster struck. Guard Darius Garland, power forward Evan Mobley and guard Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers’ three superstars, suffered injuries that led them to lose in the second round of the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers in only five games. They are sticking with an almost identical roster to last year, and their hope is to exceed the expectations of being a team that can’t make it past the second round. Will this happen? Doubtful. They are running it back with almost the same roster, which means they don’t have much room for change compared to last year.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics had a very similar last season to that of the Cavs. Their season went very well, and they were able to finish as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Late in the season, Jayson Tatum, their star player, was asked, “is playoff Jayson a thing?” Tatum responded, “nah, playoff Jayson is not a thing,” and this sure was proven. Tatum tore his achilles, and the Knicks knocked Boston out in six games. Without the Boston “super star” this season, the Celtics are not on track to have as much success as their fans would like.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks really grew as a team last year and are ready to come back even better this season. The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999. Now, they have a new coach, Mike Brown, who should be a decent addition to the organization. Although their previous coach, Tom Thibodeau, brought the team together, his rotations were simply not spread out enough in order for the Knicks to become a championship team. Will the new additions of guard Jordan Clarkson and Brown bring the Knicks the championship that they constantly fall short of? We truly believe that there is a great chance at the Knicks finally making it out of the East and hopefully even winning the championship.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers were an incredibly underrated team throughout last season. No one expected them to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cavaliers and then the Knicks. No one understood how much depth they had; their team contained so many players that their coach, Rick Carlisle, could rely on, including Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin. After their star, Haliburton, was voted “most overrated player” by NBA players, he decided to prove them wrong and bring his team to the NBA Finals. Sadly, after Haliburton’s run, he tore his Achilles, and now will likely miss all of this season. The Indiana Pacers’ season could go any way, and it’s almost impossible to predict their outcome, but we believe they will miss the playoffs.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks could have a very interesting season. The Bucks’ front court is looking very solid, containing star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma. Their back court, however, seems a little bit questionable, with Kevin Porter Jr., a solid point guard, AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. Unless Antetokounmpo can really put the team on his back, general manager Chad Buchanan can make some outstanding trades, or a Cinderella story happens, we do not see how this team can have success.
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are ready to compete this season. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson may just be the next big thing. Last season, the Pistons managed to have a decent season but were eliminated in the first round by the Knicks. Only two years ago the Detroit Pistons had one of the worst records of all time: 17-65. Last year, they brought that record all the way up to a respectable 44-38. This team just keeps improving. Cunningham, Duren and Thompson’s chemistry and skill have grown so much in very little time. We do not see how they could be worse than a top-five team in the East this season.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic lost in the first round of the playoffs last year as the eighth seed against the Cavaliers. Their star player, Paolo Banchero, is expected to have an incredible season and maybe even turn the Magic into a top-five team in the Eastern Conference. Surrounded by Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, the Magic could have a decent run this season, but we do not see them doing anything spectacular.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks do not have much going for them beginning this season. Their organization made a few good decisions during the off season, including picking up Kristaps Porzingis, who will either play like prime Dirk Nowitzki or like 40-year-old Al Horford. Porzingis is a great player, but his inconsistency makes him a liability. Point guard Trae Young should have another impressive season. Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels have shown great potential, but will they fulfill their upside? We will see.
Western Conference Preview:
Top Eight Teams in the Standings Last Year
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are coming off a title win, and their roster is back to try to repeat. Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, amazing support from star big man Chet Holmgren and star wing Jalen Williams, along with the best defense in the NBA, they look to be poised for another deep playoff run, entering the season as the favorite for the championship. They are our pick for the best team in the league right now and should focus on making sure everyone stays healthy.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets made a bold move in the offseason by trading for veteran Kevin Durant. They needed a star to lead the offense after their first-round exit against the Warriors last year, and now they have a title-contending team with young, tall and defensive-minded pieces surrounding Durant. Young athletic wing Amen Thompson and a miniature version of Nikola Jokic in Alperen Sengun, along with Durant, should lead this team to an easy top-five playoff spot in the West. The goal should be a conference finals appearance, which is possible but difficult. We don’t think that they will make it that far with their lack of a true point guard, with wing Thompson running the offense.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have one player who can single-handedly lead a team to the Finals in Luka Dončić, and they have another player who’s been in the Finals ten times and won four: LeBron James. The Lakers have star power with their two offensive powerhouses who will probably lead them to a playoff appearance, but they have concerns with defense, big-men and health. James is dealing with an injury right now, and as he is the oldest player in the NBA, he will probably miss more time this season, along with other Lakers players who have had injury concerns in the past. We think that the Lakers will be a scary team if they can figure out their aforementioned issues, but if they don’t, it will be difficult for them to secure a top-six playoff seed.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have one of the best players in the NBA with Nikola Jokic. He runs the offense and fits in perfectly with the team. Jokic is a triple-double machine, with the best big man passing we have ever seen, great rebounding and top-tier post scoring. The Nuggets have surrounded him with good shooting, a good second option in scoring guard Jamal Murray and a great all-around player in Aaron Gordon, but a mediocre defense. We think Jokic will lead this team to one of the top seeds in the conference and a long playoff run, a year after losing to the champions in seven games in the second round last year.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are a very old team, with veterans like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and more entering the season hoping to give the organization its first championship. Leonard and Harden proved their excellence in the playoffs but still lost in seven games to the Nuggets. They added pieces in the offseason, with guard Chris Paul, center Brook Lopez and forward John Collins, but they are old and could be hurt by injuries. They will still likely make the playoffs, but it could be a challenge with how many good teams are in the conference. We think that they will be a solid team with injury struggles, but they will still be a top-six seed in the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are led by the young superstar Anthony Edwards alongside former Knick Julius Randle and four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert. They made it to the conference finals last year but were quickly defeated in five games against the Thunder. To think about making the finals this year, they need either Edwards to improve even more or someone else to step up. Still, we think that they will be one of the best teams in the conference.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are once again led by the greatest shooter of all time in Stephen Curry, with powerful forward Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green leading the defense. They are a very old team, with four players in their typical starting lineup at least 35 years old. They are still the team with four rings in the last ten years, but it will be a struggle for them to find success amongst the young and talented teams of the Western Conference. This might be their final chance to win the championship with Curry on their roster, and we don’t think this will happen.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have one of the strangest outlooks for this season. They have talent but traded Desmond Bane in the offseason and have struggled with injuries. Led by the athletic guard Ja Morant and defensive anchor Jaren Jackson Jr., on any given night the Grizzlies may look amazing, but if the injuries start piling up like they did last year, they will struggle to even make the play-in tournament with rising teams like the Spurs and Trail Blazers around them.
Top Candidates For Most Valuable Player Prediction: Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo
To start off the NBA season, Wembanyama has not even looked human. In multiple nights, he’s gotten incredibly close to a triple-double, but instead of a traditional triple-double with points, rebounds and assists, Wembanyama nearly finished with double-digit points, rebounds and blocks. We never thought these words would ever leave our mouths;we are aware he is still very young, and we know anything can happen, but if Wembanyama keeps playing like this throughout his career, he will become the greatest player of all time.
Dončić has been nothing short of spectacular. After losing some weight, gaining muscle and bringing his game up, Dončić has reached levels at which no one has ever seen him play. His shooting, handles and passing may just make him the MVP this season. The only thing holding him back is his defense.
Gilgeous-Alexander continues to dominate the league. Some may say that he’s overrated, and others get mad at his foul baiting, but the bottom line is that it works. Everyone knows what he does, but they simply can’t stop it. Until a player learns how to defend Gilgeous-Alexander’s unstoppable moves, we don’t see how he couldn’t be one of the top MVP candidates.
Antetokounmpo has been playing in his own world. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, no one can stop him. Many accuse him of constantly traveling, but until the referees call it, the league is in trouble. Antetokounmpo’s defensive and driving skills excelled incredibly during the offseason, and there is not a player yet to stop him. Injuries have been a bit of an issue for Giannis, but if he can stay healthy, he will definitely be an MVP candidate this season.
Defensive Player of the Year Prediction: Victor Wembanyama
There is not much to say about this. The clear favorite is Wembanyama, who would have easily won it last year if not for the blood clot that put him under the 65-game minimum requirement. Wembanyama is at least 7’5” tall and was training with everyone and everywhere during the offseason, including with monks in China, NBA Hall of Famers like Hakeem Olajuwon and even soccer in Costa Rica. His blocks and overall defensive impact are nearly impossible to beat. This year should be his first out of many Defensive Player of the Year awards, and we’ll be shocked if he doesn’t win it.
Rookie of the Year Prediction: Cooper Flagg
This year there are many talented rookies who’ll have opportunities to shine, but we believe that Cooper Flagg, the first pick out of Duke University, will shine above the rest and win the Rookie of the Year award. His defensive presence, along with his all-around offensive game, is hard to top, but second and third picks Dylan Harper and V.J. Edgecombe could put up a fight. This will be an interesting race to watch.
Our 2025-2026 Playoff Predictions: Nuggets Over Knicks
The Denver Nuggets will come out on top. Assuming Jamal Murray is completely healthy, he and Jokic will be very dominant, as shown so far this season. The New York Knicks have had a bit of a slow start to the season, but they will definitely pick it up. Everyone knows how good this team is, and with the Pacers out of the way, the Knicks will beat the Pistons, just like last year. In the finals, every individual game will go down to the wire, but the Nuggets will unfortunately win it all. Both teams have had a recent change in coaching staff, but the Nuggets team has been playing together for a longer period of time. If someone were to ask me if the Knicks would beat the Nuggets in two years, I would immediately say yes. Sadly, two years is not today, and the Nuggets’s team chemistry simply surpasses the Knicks. That is the difference between the two outstanding teams.
Source: Brackethq.com
Fieldston Student Interviews:
We interviewed two Fieldston students who are big Knicks fans: Sam Pozen (Form III) and Liev Nurick (Form III). We asked both interviewees about their thoughts on the Knicks this season, including how their regular season will go, playoffs and any overall thoughts.
When asked where they’ll stand in the Eastern Conference, Pozen responded with, “They’re gonna finish…fourth [in the Eastern Conference], behind the Bulls, the Bucks and the Cavs.” Pozen believes the Knicks will get taken out in the second round of the playoffs and said that this season will be “disappointing” for the Knicks. Nurick, however, believes that the Knicks will do better and make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. He isn’t too confident in this pick, though. “I just don’t know if this is gonna be the year,” he says. He likes the new coach, Brown, but is scared about whether or not the two stars will perform well when playoff time comes around.
In the finals, Pozen and Nurick both confidently believe that the Thunder will come out on top to repeat as champions.In the MVP race, both students believe that Wembanyama will shine above the rest and take home the trophy. Nurick also lists Dončić as another top candidate. Nurick said that the Spurs will be a contender for the championship this season led by the potential MVP. Both think that Wembanyama will dominate, and Nurick points out his growth from last season to this season thus far, which he believes will progress even further this season. Both consider Wembanyama to be a top player in the NBA, and we will see if he proves them right this season.
