With the NBA season in its newborn stage, there’s plenty to ponder. Thirty teams look drastically different than they did at this time last year, and with several stars out for the season due to injuries, there’s plenty of room for surprises. The Oklahoma City Thunder might be the reigning champs, but plenty of teams could strip them of that title.
#1 Rockets will be a dark horse in the West
Offseason signings Kevin Durant, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith bolster up an already elite Houston Rockets team. Last season, the Rockets finished second in the West with a 52-30 record. A young and hungry group led by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet rose among the Western ranks and became title contenders.
Despite the hype, they fell short in the first round in a thrilling seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets had talent but lacked playoff experience — something the Warriors had plenty of. General manager Rafael Stone addressed that in the offseason by trading for Durant, a superstar with two championship rings and plenty of postseason experience.
The additions of Capela and Finney-Smith elevate the Rockets even further. Last season they ranked No. 5 in defense (110.3 defensive rating) and allowed just 109.8 points per game(PPG), but they were 13th offensively, averaging 114.3 PPG. The addition of Durant, who averaged 26.6 PPG last season, should tremendously improve their scoring.
The Rockets’ biggest asset is their size, averaging about 6-foot-10. They’re expected to start Durant (6’11”), Sengun (6’11”), Thompson (6’7″), Jabari Smith Jr. (6’11”) and Steven Adams (6’11”) — which would be the tallest lineup in league history. Their size will cause problems for opponents, and if they can bring offensive consistency, they could emerge from the stacked Western Conference.
#2 The Celtics will be a top-three team in the East
Jayson Tatum will miss most of the 2025-26 season with a ruptured right Achilles tendon, suffered late in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. But despite losing their star, the Boston Celtics remain a juggernaut in the East.
After finishing 61-21 and second in the conference last season, it would be foolish to rule them out. Yes, their roster has changed, but they still have 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, sharpshooter Derrick White and new addition Anfernee Simons, who averaged at least 17 PPG in each of the last four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brown will take on the main scoring role after averaging 23 PPG as the second option. Simons will likely be the No. 2 option, and White, coming off a career-high 16.4 PPG, will play a major part in the team’s success.
The Celtics ranked fifth in defense last season (111.1 defensive rating), and that shouldn’t change much since most of their defensive core remains. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has led Boston to a combined 125-22 record (.850) over the last two seasons — the best in the league during that span. If Tatum returns for the postseason, Boston could again be in the title conversation.
#3 The Denver Nuggets will win the West
The Nuggets are the most stacked team in the NBA and arguably have the best depth. They have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic, who has won league MVP three of the last five seasons.
Denver finished fourth in the West last year despite injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. In the postseason they lost in seven games to the eventual champion Thunder in the the Western Conference Finals, and likely would have won if not for those injuries.
This offseason, they traded Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson, signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and acquired Jonas Valanciunas in exchange for Dario Saric. Johnson averaged 18.8 PPG last season — slightly more than Porter Jr. — and brings more durability.
This will be David Adelman’s first full season as head coach after going 10-7 to close last season and leading a deep playoff run despite roster challenges(Injuries). With a healthy and deeper roster, the Nuggets will have an edge to win the Western Conference. Jokic, who averaged 29.6 PPG, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists last season, will again anchor one of the league’s best teams.
#4 New York Knicks will win the East
After a postseason that left them two wins shy of the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks have spring boarded from great to elite. They fired head coach Tom Thibodeau and hired two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown.
The Knicks signed free agents Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele and re-signed two-way star Mikal Bridges. They retained Jalen Brunson (26 PPG), Josh Hart (9.6 rebounds per game as a guard), Karl-Anthony Towns (24.4 PPG), Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby.
Last season, New York ranked ninth in scoring (115.8 PPG) and fifth in offensive rating (118.5). Their bench, however, was the lowest scoring in the league — a weakness they addressed by adding Clarkson (16.2 PPG) and Yabusele (11.0 PPG).
With one of the deepest rosters in the league, the Knicks are arguably the most complete team in the East. If they stay healthy, they should top the conference standings.
#5 The Golden State Warriors are a legitimate title contender
Last season was a tale of two halves for the Golden State Warriors. They started 25-26, sitting 11th in the West, before trading for Jimmy Butler — the spark they needed.
With Butler and Stephen Curry leading the charge, the Warriors went 23-9 to close the season, including 22-5 with both stars in the lineup. They claimed the No. 7 seed and upset Houston in the first round before falling to Minnesota after Curry strained his hamstring in game 1.
Following the trade, the Warriors ranked third in defensive rating and had the league’s third-best record in that stretch.
This offseason, Golden State re-signed Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II, added De’Anthony Melton, Al Horford, and Seth Curry who is currently waived but is expected to be resigned in late November. With nearly their entire roster returning, chemistry will be top notch from the start, which gives them an advantage in the early stages of the season.
Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr have spent 12 seasons together and won four championships, the most recent in 2022. Butler led an eighth-seeded Miami Heat team to the Finals just two years ago, and Horford who won the finals with the Celtics in 2024 also brings more championship experience.
Counting out a team with Curry — the greatest shooter in NBA history — is a mistake. If their younger players like Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Buddy Hield can contribute, the Warriors will be a serious threat to win it all. This team has already proven that they can compete with any one on any given night, so that alone elevates them to contender status.
