The NBA kicked off its 2025-26 season on Tuesday, and I’m thrilled that basketball is finally back. This league is overflowing with incredible talent among all 30 teams, and it feels as though a new champion will yet again be crowned. The Oklahoma City Thunder may be favored to repeat as champions, but don’t count out the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers or Denver Nuggets. There has not been a repeat NBA champion since 2018, and that should continue this season.
Key acquisitions were made this offseason, and young players are due to break out across the league, meaning this season will be uber-entertaining and shocking from all angles. This may be a hot take, but I believe a new champion will take the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy from the Thunder. Award races will surprise, and several teams will outperform expectations.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will finish top five in MVP voting. This may sound crazy to casual fans, but the vision is clear. As a 24-year-old last season, Cunningham averaged 26 points, six rebounds and nine assists per game. He earned All-Star and All-NBA honors while leading the Pistons to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs despite an abysmal 14-68 record the year prior.
The young, exciting Pistons will remain a threat, and their alpha dog Cunningham could realistically crack 30 points and 10 assists per game to compete for both MVP and the scoring title.
The Los Angeles Clippers are being underrated; however, I think they will win 50+ games and finish top-four in the stacked Western Conference. L.A. has hilariously earned the nickname “The Unction,” and rightfully so. This roster added several aging players who could be on their last laps, but that is no reason to discredit its potential.
At the helm, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac are All-Star caliber players, and the Clippers run deep with talent from top to bottom. The clock is ticking on their championship window, but new acquisitions Chris Paul and Brook Lopez bring valuable experience with quality play still left in the tank. They, among several others, will prosper in their given roles while providing winning DNA.
Deni Avdija will earn his first All-Star selection this season. Avdija cemented himself at the forefront of the Portland Trail Blazers’ loaded young core last season, as he averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game in the second half of the 2024-25 season.
The potential is unleashed, meaning he is now primed for a full-on breakout. Standing at 6 feet, 9 inches with an all-around skillset, Avdija has all the tools necessary to impose mismatches and be a star in this league. He will elevate his game to perform all season at the level we saw in the second half of last season, become an All-Star and could even push the Trail Blazers to a competitive status in the Western Conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ talent and contending potential are being discredited due to past disappointing, injury-plagued seasons. However, I think they will finish as a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference, so long as injuries do not completely shut down their stars again.
The 76ers have a real shot to make noise, with Paul George and 2023 MVP Joel Embiid hopeful for healthy bounceback seasons, All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey running the show and sharpshooters Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain on the perimeter. Add third overall draft pick VJ Edgecombe, a serious contender to take home the Rookie of the Year award, and this roster shapes up very nicely to compete in a weaker Eastern Conference.
The 2025-26 NBA season will provide no shortage of marquee matchups and nail-biter playoff races for fans to look forward to. All 82 games promise to deliver peak competition, and this is the most excited I’ve personally ever been for an NBA season. Fingers crossed that my hot takes don’t end up haunting me, but for the next eight months, I will be thoroughly enjoying every second of NBA basketball.
Jack Muldowney is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Jack Muldowney about their column? Email/tweet them at jm760224@ohio.edu or @JackMuldowney1.
