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2026 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

Robert Flom — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:00:04 +0000

213hoops.com
2026 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

My NBA preview for the 2026 season will conclude with the Pacific Division, which should be one of the strongest in the league.

Los Angeles Clippers

Additions: John Collins, Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, Chris Paul, Yanic Konan Niederhauser (30^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Norman Powell, Amir Coffey, Drew Eubanks, Ben Simmons, Patty Mills

Other: Re-signed James Harden

Outlook: It’s been a while since we’ve written or talked about the Clippers as an actual basketball team, as all discussion around the team for the past few weeks has been related to the Kawhi Leonard-Steve Ballmer-Aspiration story. After examining every other team’s depth chart for this exercise, it really does stand out how incredible the Clippers’ depth is. The Clippers go 11 deep in actual, good NBA rotation players, which is pretty much unheard of in the modern NBA. The Clippers’ biggest issue, once more, is age, as Harden, Kawhi, Brook, Batum, and CP3 are all in their mid to late 30s with Beal, Bogi, and Dunn in their early 30s. That makes age-related decline and injury woes more likely for the Clippers than other teams. Of course, depth makes it so that even if one or two players get injured the Clippers should weather the storm, but the Clippers are certainly precarious in that regard. On the court, there would be related worries about athleticism and ability to keep up with younger teams. I think the Clippers should once again be an excellent regular season squad, but I am skeptical about them making a long playoff run.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year predicted 43-39, actually 50-32)

Los Angeles Lakers

Additions: De’Andre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, Adou Thiero (36th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Dorian Finney-Smith, Jordan Goodwin, Shake Milton, Trey Jemison

Other: Signed Luka Doncic to a max extension, re-signed Jaxson Hayes

Outlook: The Lakers will have Luka Doncic, one of the best floor-raising players in the entire NBA, on their roster for a full season. They still have LeBron James and Austin Reaves. JJ Redick acquitted himself quite well in his coaching debut last year. The Lakers did a solid job in rounding out the roster with competent veterans who make sense around their stars. So why am I not higher on this team? Well, for as good as Luka is, historically his teams have been better in the postseason than in the regular season. LeBron was still awesome last year, but he’s one year older and he consistently misses games nowadays. I love Marcus Smart, but he has not been particularly healthy or effective the past two seasons. Ayton should be solid enough on both sides of the ball, but relying on him for heavy-duty center minutes with the backups being Hayes and small-ball with Jarred Vanderbilt is not super encouraging. On the whole, I think the Lakers will be quite good, and if they get to the playoffs healthy will be a fearsome opponent.

Prediction: 50-32 (Last year predicted 42-40, actually 50-32)

Golden State Warriors

Additions: Al Horford (predicted), De’Anthony Melton (predicted)

Subtractions: Kevon Looney, Lindy Waters III, Kevin Knox

Other: Jonathan Kuminga is still in restricted free agency, predicted to re-sign Gary Payton II

Outlook: The Warriors are nearly impossible to predict this season, as they currently just have 10 players on their roster (one of which is a two-way) with less than two weeks until training camp begins. The hold up is Jonathan Kuminga, who sits in limbo in restricted free agency, and at this point seems likely to accept the qualifying offer to return for one year. The Warriors have other moves lined up, the most notable being the signing of Al Horford, but none of it can be official until the Kuminga business is over. The Warriors have a strong core and some promising young players, but the Kuminga drama seems like it will carry on throughout the season, and that tension plus the age of Steph, Draymond, and Jimmy Butler makes it hard for me to imagine this team as a regular season juggernaut.

Prediction: 46-36 (Last year predicted 44-38, actually 48-34)

Sacramento Kings

Additions: Dennis Schroder, Nique Clifford (24^th pick in 2025 Draft), Maxime Raynaud (42^nd pick in 2025 Draft), Drew Eubanks, Dario Saric

Subtractions: Trey Lyles, Jonas Valanciunas, Jake LaRavia, Markelle Fultz, Jae Crowder, Terence Davis

Other: Re-signed Doug McDermott

Outlook: The Kings seem determined to be as thoroughly middle-of-the-road as possible, bringing in a roster that has some promising young players (Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, Nique Clifford) but is overwhelmingly dominated by floor-raising yet ceiling-limited veterans (Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine). The Kings definitely have talent, and there’s way too much veteran competence for them to be awful. At the same time, there are major fit issues with their key players, defense feels like it will be a major struggle, and the West has gotten better while the Kings have stagnated. The Kings could win anywhere from 32 to 42 games and it wouldn’t surprise me, but this franchise seems on a direct line towards irrelevance once more.

Prediction: 37-45 (Last year predicted 47-35, actually 40-42)

Phoenix Suns

Additions: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach (10^th pick in 2025 Draft), Rasheer Fleming (31^st pick in 2025 Draft), Nigel Hayes-Davis, Jordan Goodwin, Jared Butler

Subtractions: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones, Mason Plumlee, Monte Morris, Bol Bol, TyTy Washington, Vasilije Micic, Cody Martin

Other: Signed Devin Booker to a max extension, replaced Mike Budenholzer with Jordan Ott as head coach, Re-signed Collin Gillespie

Outlook: The Suns have pivoted to a new phase around superstar Devin Booker, and their moves this summer were not all bad. Sure, trading away Kevin Durant hurt – and getting the overpaid, chucking Jalen Green back as one of the centerpieces of that deal hurts just as much. However, I liked the Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming picks in the draft, and the Suns seem to be re-orienting to younger pieces. There are still veterans on this roster, like Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, and the newly arrived Dillon Brooks, but more attention will be on players with upside, like Mark Williams, Ryan Dunn, and their rookies. The Suns will probably be pretty bad but not one of the worst teams in the league, and might even be an entertaining watch. After a couple of years of brutal disappointment, Suns fans could honestly be pleased with that result.

Prediction: 29-53 (Last year predicted 48-34, actually 36-46)

2026 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division
Robert Flom

2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Robert Flom — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:00:15 +0000

213hoops.com
2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

My preview for the 2026 NBA season continues with the Southwest Division, home to several very intriguing teams as well as the Pelicans.

Houston Rockets

Additions: Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, Josh Okogie

Subtractions: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale, Cam Whitmore, Nate Williams Jr.

Other: Re-signed Jae’Sean Tate, Re-signed Aaron Holiday, Re-signed Jeff Green

Outlook: No team in the NBA made a clearer upgrade at a rotation spot than the Rockets, who dumped an inefficient, inconsistent, ball-stopping scorer in Jalen Green for Kevin Durant. The Rockets were an excellent defensive team last year that struggled on offense, and while KD won’t fix that issue himself, his electric scoring and shooting will make a huge difference. The Rockets not only added KD and other veterans, but can count on likely improvements from young players like Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason as well. The Rockets might still be a tad short on ball-handling and playmaking, but they are going to be a nightmare to play against on a nightly basis and should be a monster regular season team.

Prediction: 56-26 (Last year predicted 43-39, actually 52-30)

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Cooper Flagg (1^st pick in 2025 Draft), D’Angelo Russell

Subtractions: Olivier Maxence-Prosper, Kessler Edwards

Other: Extended Kyrie Irving, Extended PJ Washington, Re-signed Daniel Gafford, Re-signed Dante Exum

Outlook: In my opinion, the Mavericks are one of the hardest teams to predict in the entire NBA. This is not just because there’s a looming question of when Kyrie Irving (their best scorer, ballhandler, and playmaker) might return. It’s also because the Mavericks got Cooper Flagg 1^st in the draft, and while Flagg is awesome, rookies are very, very rarely actually “good” in terms of helping teams win games. Flagg has the skillset to be one of those exceptions, as he’s extremely well-rounded and has an NBA body already. If Flagg pops right away, Anthony Davis stays healthy, and Kyrie returns towards the end of the season, the Mavs could be a 50+ win team. There is maybe an equally likely scenario where Davis is injured for long stretches, Flagg goes through typical rookie struggles, and Kyrie either doesn’t return or is only a shell of himself for the last handful of games. Splitting the difference, the Mavs will probably be competent, and I’d guess their record within a few games of .500.

Prediction: 44-38 (Last year predicted 51-31, actually 39-43)

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cedric Coward (11^th pick in 2025 Draft), Jock Landale

Subtractions: Desmond Bane, Luke Kennard, Jay Huff, Lamar Stevens, Marvin Bagley

Other: Signed Jaren Jackson Jr. to a max extension, Re-signed Santi Aldama, Re-signed Cam Spencer

Outlook: After looking like an up-and-coming contender in 2022 and 2023, the Grizzlies backslid in 2024 and then plateaued last year. Accepting that the team was not where it needed to be, the Grizzlies made some massive changes, with their most significant move sending Desmond Bane to Orlando for a large haul of picks. The Grizzlies should still be decent this year – they have Ja Morant (when healthy), Jaren Jackson Jr., and a core of competent veterans with good depth – but the Bane trade was an admission that it was time to reload and plan for the longer term. If all breaks right for the Grizzlies, they’ll probably be a lower-end play-in team.

Prediction: 42-40 (Last year predicted 49-33, actually 48-34)

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Dylan Harper (2^nd pick in 2025 Draft), Carter Bryant (14^th pick in 2025 Draft), Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan McLaughlin, Lindy Waters III

Subtractions: Chris Paul, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham, Charles Bassey

Other: Signed De’Aaron Fox to a max extension, Re-signed Bismack Biyombo

Outlook: The Spurs are in an interesting spot. Victor Wembanyama is the highest-upside young player in the NBA, a virtual lock for Defensive Player of the Year if healthy and a likely All-NBA nominee. Going into his third season, the Spurs should be in no rush. However, they did trade for Fox last season and signed him to a massively overpriced extension this summer. That speeds up the Spurs timetable a little, though Fox is young enough that it doesn’t put them in too much of a rush. Conversely, the Spurs got draft lottery luck, moving up the 2^nd pick and selecting explosive guard Dylan Harper. There are some fit issues with Fox, Harper, and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, but also a lot of talent. If Harper is really good right away, or if other young players besides Wemby take big steps forward, the Spurs could be an actual playoff team, but I think there’s not enough shooting or perimeter defense for them to get there this year.

Prediction: 39-43 (Last year predicted 31-51, actually 34-48)

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Jeremiah Fears (7^th pick in 2025 Draft), Derik Queen (13^th pick in 2025 Draft), Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, Kevon Looney, Jaden Springer, Jalen McDaniels

Subtractions: CJ McCollum, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Javonte Green, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Antonio Reeves, Lester Quinones

Other: Extended Herb Jones

Outlook: The Pelicans were one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA last year, with Dejounte Murray, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram all missing extended time before Ingram was traded at the deadline. The Pelicans further “blew up” their roster of the past few years by moving on from another mainstay, CJ McCollum, and bringing in the younger Poole. However, the Pelicans’ biggest offseason move was trading their first round pick in 2026 to move up 10 picks in the 2025 draft to select Derik Queen. While I like Queen and Fears just fine as prospects, the value of getting Queen was outrageously high even before accounting for Queen’s awful fit with Zion. The Poole, Bey, and Looney pick-ups are all fine enough, but between Zion’s health woes, poor roster fits, and general franchise misery, it’s tough to see the Pelicans being good this year.

Prediction: 27-55 (Last year predicted 46-36, actually 21-61)

2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division
Robert Flom

2026 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Robert Flom — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:00:10 +0000

213hoops.com
2026 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Next up in my 2026 NBA season preview is the Northwest Division, which is probably the strongest division in the entire NBA.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Additions: Thomas Sorber (15^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Dillon Jones

Other: Signed Jalen Williams to a max extension, Signed Chet Holmgren to a max extension, Re-signed Jaylin Williams, Signed Ajay Mitchell to an extension

Outlook: The Thunder are the defending NBA champions. After an insanely dominant regular season, the Thunder had some difficulties in the playoffs, getting taken to the bring by both the Nuggets and Pacers. However, they won nevertheless, and now bring an almost identical roster back for 2026 with almost no downside (Alex Caruso is their only main rotation player over the age of 30) and plenty of upside (Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic, Ajay Mitchell, and more are all candidates for improvement). I don’t think the Thunder will go quite as hard in the regular season now that they’ve proven themselves, but they remain title favorites until we see otherwise.

Prediction: 63-19 (Last year predicted 61-21, actually 68-14)

Denver Nuggets

Additions: Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Subtractions: Michael Porter Jr., Russell Westbrook, Dario Saric, Vlatko Cancar

Other:

Outlook: The Nuggets undoubtedly had one of the better offseasons in the NBA. After a season where young players failed to take steps forward and older players showed their limitations in the playoffs, the Nuggets completely remade their bench. Cam Johnson will be an offensive upgrade over Michael Porter Jr. with more ballhandling and playmaking juice while being less prone to defensive slip-ups. Jonas Valanciunas is on the downside of his career, but he’s still much better than DeAndre Jordan, Zeke Nnaji, or Dario Saric as a backup center. Bruce Brown is a proven with Jokic and Hardaway was a key piece to a good Pistons team in 2025. The Nuggets are definitely better than last year. How much that will translate to regular season wins is a bit more questionable, especially considering how impactful Russell Westbrook was (not joking) last season. So, I think the Nuggets will be a better regular season team, but will be much more dangerous in the playoffs. I have the Thunder over them, but the Nuggets are probably the second-best team in the NBA.

Prediction: 54-28 (Last year predicted 52-30, actually 50-32)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: Joan Beringer (17^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Minott, Luka Garza

Other: Re-signed Julius Randle, Re-signed Naz Reid, Re-signed Joe Ingles

Outlook: The Timberwolves are mostly running back their 2025 roster, which is not a bad play considering that team won nearly 50 games and made the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row. The foundation of the Wolves – Anthony Edwards driving the offense with mostly defensive-minded players around him – has a fairly proven track record of success. The reasons for concern are simple: Mike Conley is 38 and Rudy Gobert is 33, and the Wolves don’t really have replacements for either of their skillsets. At the same time, Ant is still on the upswing, and players like Jaden McDaniels, Terrance Shannon Jr., and Rob Dillingham could all take steps forward. I think the Wolves will be very good, but I’d be a bit surprised if they made the WCF for a third consecutive year.

Prediction: 47-35 (Last year predicted 51-31, actually 49-33)

Portland Trailblazers

Additions: Jrue Holiday, Yang Hansen (16^th pick in 2025 Draft), Damian Lillard, Blake Wesley

Subtractions: Anfernee Simons, DeAndre Ayton, Jabari Walker

Other:

Outlook: The Blazers are in an interesting spot. They haven’t been good in years, and most of their key players (Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, Yang Hansen) are young. However, there is still clear pressure on the front office to be more competitive, especially after a strong second half of the 2025 season. To that point, the Blazers added Jrue Holiday as a defensive ace and backcourt complement to Henderson and Sharpe as well as brought in franchise legend Lillard as a mentor (he’s out for the season with a torn Achilles). Other veterans like Jerami Grant, Robert Williams, and Matisse Thybulle are all still lingering on the roster as well. Thus, it seems likely that the Blazers will be fairly competent but also somewhat likely that they won’t be a true playoff competitor. If a couple of their young guys take further steps (especially one of Scoot or Sharpe) the Blazers could make a leap into the mid-40s in wins, but I think that might need another year.

Prediction: 38-44 (Last year predicted 26-56, actually 36-46)

Utah Jazz

Additions: Ace Bailey (5^th pick in 2025 Draft), Walter Clayton Jr. (18^th pick in 2025 Draft), Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Kevin Love, Jusuf Nurkic

Subtractions: John Collins, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Johnny Juzang, Jaden Springer

Other:

Outlook: The Jazz were one of the worst teams in the NBA last year and project as a similar caliber squad this season. In fact, the Jazz actually got rid of a couple of productive veterans (Collins, Sexton) and replaced them with rookies or washed up older guys, so their roster is actually possibly worse this year. The reason I’m betting that the Jazz stay around the same win total is that at least one or two of their young guys will probably improve enough to help the team, and the tanking might not be as shameless as last year. Still, the Jazz are going to be very, very bad in their quest to get a top 3 pick in the loaded 2026 draft.

Prediction: 18-64 (Last year predicted 27-55, actually 17-65)

2026 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division
Robert Flom

2026 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

Robert Flom — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:00:17 +0000

213hoops.com
2026 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

My preview of the 2026 NBA season continues with the confusing Atlantic Division, home of some of the NBA’s most stories franchises.

New York Knicks

Additions: Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson

Subtractions: Cam Payne, Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet, Delon Wright

Other: Replaced Tom Thibodeau as head coach with Mike Brown Extended Mikal Bridges for four years

Outlook: The Knicks maybe slightly disappointed in the regular season last year, but more than made up for it in the playoffs by making their first Eastern Conference Finals since the 1990s. The Knicks are returning their top-seven rotation players and adding a competent forward in Yabusele along with what will probably be an overused depth piece in Clarkson. The Knicks are thin – one injury trims a very good 8.5 man rotation to a somewhat shakier 7.5 in a hurry – but the top of their rotation is talented, fits well, and in their collective primes. It’s tough to see the Knicks not finishing as a top-three team in the East next year, and they’re right there with the Cavs in terms of winning the Conference outright. Could this be the year the Knicks finally break through? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Prediction: 52-30 (Last year 51-31, predicted 53-29)

Philadelphia 76ers

Additions: VJ Edgecombe (3^rd pick in 2025 Draft), Trendon Watford, Johni Broome (35^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Guerschon Yabusele, Ricky Council IV, Jeff Dowtin Jr., Jared Butler

Other: Quentin Grimes is still hanging in restricted free agency limbo, Re-signed Kyle Lowry, Re-signed Justin Edwards, Re-signed Eric Gordon

Outlook: I have no idea what to do with the Sixers – but neither does anyone else. They won just 24 games last year in a campaign that went about as badly as possible. Even with the Sixers’ bad luck, there is bound to be some regression: Maxey, PG, and Joel Embiid will all probably play more games (52, 41, and 19 respectively last year), Jared McCain likely won’t get a season-ending injury after 1.5 months, and the team’s spirit will be less broken. Still, it’s also impossible to predict them as being a true contender like everyone thought they would be last year, not after Embiid’s injuries and Paul George’s steady decline. I thus forecast them to be somewhere in the middle, a team that might look quite good on certain nights when Embiid is in the lineup and PG is healthy, but will also have stretches without key guys where young players and washed vets will have to play far too many minutes. At the very least, Maxey, McCain, and Edgecombe are three youngsters to be excited about.

Prediction: 42-40 (Last year 24-58, predicted 51-31)

Boston Celtics

Additions: Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Josh Minott, Luka Garza, Hugo Gonzalez (28^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, Torrey Craig

Other:

Outlook: This might seem like a very low wins projection for the heavyweight Boston Celtics, but have you taken a look at their depth chart? Neemias Queta and Chris Boucher might well be starting for them in the frontcourt on opening night, and if not them, it’s going to include someone from the Josh Minott, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman pupu platter. Yes, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser are still around from their championship team. And yes, Joe Mazzulla is a good coach. That’s why I think the Celtics are going to be mediocre instead of outright awful – a real feat considering their macabre frontcourt.

Prediction: 38-44 (Last year 61-21, predicted 58-24)

Toronto Raptors

Additions: Collin Murray-Boyles (10^th pick in 2025 Draft), Sandro Mamukelashvili

Subtractions: Chris Boucher, Colin Castleton, Jared Rhoden

Other: Extended Jakob Poltl for three years, Re-signed Garrett Temple

Outlook: I’m not sure what the Raptors have been doing over the past three years, but I don’t like any of it. Their projected starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram (acquired last season but did not play), Scottie Barnes, and Poltl has a lot of talent, but is an awful fit with poor spacing and too many guys who need the ball in their hands. Add in the unfortunate fact that every single one of those players is overpaid (extending Poltl for an additional three years to carry him through his age 35 season might have been the most inexplicable move of the summer) and you have a mess. The Raptors have too much veteran competence to be truly bad, but not enough high-end talent to be very good, and none of their younger players seem like high-upside swing pieces (I did love the Collin Murray-Boyles pick, however). The Raptors might be better than this, but I’m betting against their fit and in favor of either younger, hungrier squads or more put-together teams that have better chemistry.

Prediction: 35-47 (Last year 30-52, predicted 32-50)

Brooklyn Nets

Additions: Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Haywood Highsmith, Egor Demin (8^th pick in 2025 Draft), Nolan Traore (19^th pick in 2025 Draft), Drake Powell (22^nd pick in 2025 Draft), Ben Saraf (26^th pick in 2025 Draft), Danny Wolf (27^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell, Trendon Watford, Maxwell Lewis, Tosan Evbuomwan, Cui Yongxi, Jaylen Martin

Other: Re-signed Cam Thomas, Re-signed Day’Ron Sharpe, Re-signed Ziaire Williams

Outlook: The Nets are one of the easiest teams to predict heading into this season – they are going to be very, very bad. Jordi Fernandez is a good coach, and the Nets have just enough veteran competence – Porter Jr., Mann, Highsmith, and Nic Claxton – to not be historically bad. Add in a record-breaking five first round draft picks and you have a team that might actually be fun to watch, but will probably be bottom-five on both ends of the court. Of their youngsters, I’m most intrigued by Traore and Wolf, but we will see how the prospects shake out over the course of their rookie seasons. If any of them look like future stars, the Nets’ future would get a whole lot brighter.

Prediction: 21-61 (Last year 24-58, predicted 20-62)

2026 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division
Robert Flom

2026 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Robert Flom — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:00:43 +0000

213hoops.com
2026 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

The next division in my 2026 NBA preview is the Central Division, probably the strongest overall division in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr., Tyrese Proctor (49^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Ty Jerome, Isaac Okoro, Tristan Thompson

Other: Re-signed Sam Merrill

Outlook: The Cavaliers have had three straight impressive regular seasons followed by playoff disappointments, marring the Donovan Mitchell era to this point. Still, after winning the East last season (in the regular season) by a wide margin, the Cavs (probably smartly) decided to not adjust their roster much, bringing back largely the same team. Lonzo is a good upside swing compared to the limited Okoro, but losing Ty Jerome (the best backup guard in the NBA last year) hurts. The Cavs have an incredible top four, a solid supporting cast, and a very good head coach. They are a lock to be a top team in the East barring injury disaster, and this is their best chance yet to make a deep playoff run considering the injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton. Maybe they finally break through.

Prediction: 58-24 (Last year predicted 51-31, actually 64-18)

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, Chaz Lanier (37th pick in 2025 Draft), Javonte Green

Subtractions: Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr., Simone Fontecchio

Other: Re-signed Paul Reed

Outlook: I was more off on the Pistons last year than any other team – after years of being too high on them, I went low, and was resoundingly wrong. In fact, the Pistons were probably the best story in the NBA last year after the championship-winning Thunder, winning an incredible 30 more games than the prior season. The Pistons did lose some of the key pieces to their playoff push, especially Malik Beasley, who was the second-best shooter in the league last year, but did bring in a couple helpful veterans in LeVert and Robinson. More importantly, the Pistons have one of the best young cores in the NBA: star ballhandler Cade Cunningham, athletic freak Jalen Duren, defensive whiz Ausar Thompson, secondary scorer Jaden Ivey, and energetic swing man Ron Holland are just the best of the bunch. In an Eastern Conference with only three true playoff locks, there’s no reason the Pistons can’t be a top-four seed this year given some internal improvement – and I think they will be.

Prediction: 49-33 (Last year predicted 20-62, actually 44-38)

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Myles Turner, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Subtractions: Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton

Other: Re-signed Bobby Portis, Re-signed Gary Trent Jr., Re-signed Ryan Rollins, Re-signed Taurean Prince, Re-signed Kevin Porter Jr., Re-signed Jericho Sims, Re-signed Chris Livingston

Outlook: The Bucks were one of the three teams (along with the Pacers and Celtics) that were devastated by torn Achilles to star players in the playoffs. Unlike the other teams, the Bucks jettisoned their injured star, waiving and stretching Damian Lillard’s contract to clear cap space to sign Myles Turner. It was a bold move for a team that seemed completely without options to really improve, and Turner is an excellent fit as a Brook Lopez replacement. However, the Bucks really didn’t sign anyone to replace Dame himself, and it’s tough to see a similar Bucks roster to last season win as many games considering the drop-off from Dame to Cole Anthony or Kevin Porter Jr. A healthy Giannis plus a deep-ish roster of veterans is enough for a low-level playoff berth, but not much more – the Bucks’ second-best player is Turner, and their third is one of Bobby Portis or Gary Trent Jr., who are sixth-man level talents. Unless one or two of the Bucks’ precious few young guys really make strides, this is a team with a limited ceiling.

Prediction: 43-39 (Last year predicted 52-30, actually 48-34)

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Jay Huff, Kam Jones (38^th pick in 2025 Draft)

Subtractions: Tyrese Haliburton (out with Achilles tear), Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant

Other: Re-signed Isaiah Jackson, Re-signed James Wiseman

Outlook: The Pacers were one game away from winning the NBA Championship. Unfortunately for them, Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals, they subsequently lost to the Thunder, and now their short-term future is in doubt. Letting Myles Turner walk might be a smart play in the long-term, but it hurts in the medium-future, forcing the Pacers to replace the two most important spots in the starting lineup. Pascal Siakam is a star-level player, Andrew Nembhard is good and can continue to improve, and Rick Carlisle is a top-tier coach – the Pacers will certainly be competent. But without Haliburton on offense and Turner on defense, it’s tough to see them being more than a play-in squad, maybe a low-tier playoff team at the absolute best. Their best bet is that young guys like Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker seize the opportunity for minutes and step up in a big way.

Prediction: 40-42 (Last year predicted 48-34, actually 50-32)

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Noa Essengue (11^th pick in 2025 Draft), Isaac Okoro

Subtractions: Lonzo Ball, Talen Horton-Tucker

Other: None

Outlook: The Bulls continue to flounder in no-mans land. Rather than accepting the writing on the wall and going into a tank in a good 2025 draft, the Bulls fought their way to yet another play-in berth and inevitable loss before the playoffs proper. I like the Noa Essengue pick, and Matas Buzelis showed quite a bit of promise last year down the stretch of the season. Outside of that, the Bulls’ roster is pretty grim, especially if they cave to Josh Giddey and overpay him in restricted free agency (I believe almost none of his stretch run play is legitimate). There’s enough talent to keep the Bulls out of the cellar, but not enough for them to be even a remote threat in the Eastern Conference. Maybe they finally trade Nikola Vucevic and Coby White and embrace the tank, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Prediction: 30-52 (Last year predicted 28-54, actually 39-43)

2026 NBA Season Preview: Central Division
Robert Flom

2025 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

Robert Flom — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 14:00:43 +0000

213hoops.com
2025 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

My preview of the 2025 NBA season concludes with a look at the Pacific Division, home to five teams that all want to make the playoffs.

Phoenix Suns

Additions: Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro (40^th pick in 2024 Draft), Ryan Dunn (28^th pick in 2024 Draft), Collin Gillespie (two-way), TyTy Washington (two-way), Jalen Bridges (two-way)

Subtractions: Eric Gordon, Nassir Little, Drew Eubanks, David Roddy, Udoka Azubuike, Isaiah Thomas, Theo Maledon

Other: Added Mike Budenholzer as head coach to replace Frank Vogel, Re-signed Royce O’Neale to 4 year $44M deal, Re-signed Josh Okogie to 2 year $16M deal, Re-signed Bol Bol, Re-signed Damion Lee

Outlook: The Suns are another team I’m conflicted on. They were disappointing last season, coming in as a projected title contender but finishing 6^th in the West before getting swept in the first round. They had a nice offseason, bringing in quality talent on the minimum and adding real potential rotation guys in the draft in Dunn and Ighodaro. However, the Suns actually got rather lucky health-wise last year, with Kevin Durant (aged 35) playing 75 games, his most since 2019, Jusuf Nurkic appearing in 76, his most since 2018, and Devin Booker playing in a reasonable 68, around his average. Bradley Beal was the only major Suns player to miss large chunks of the season, playing just 53 games – but he’d also played in just 50, 40, 60, and 57 games over the prior four years. The Suns’ best hope of really improving is the hiring of Mike Budenholzer as coach. Bud is a regular season coach par excellence and if he can get the Suns really clicking on offense maybe they can make a deep playoff run. But I just don’t buy their defense, rebounding, or size in the postseason, so while I have some stock for the regular season, that’s all I’m holding right now.

Prediction: 48-34 (Last year predicted 53-29, actually 49-33)

Sacramento Kings

Additions: DeMar DeRozan, Jalen McDaniels, Devin Carter (13^th pick in 2024 Draft), Orlando Robinson, Jordan McLaughlin, Isaac Jones (two-way), Isaiah Crawford (two-way)

Subtractions: Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, JaVale McGee, Kessler Edwards

Other: Re-Signed Malik Monk to 4 year $78M deal, Re-signed Alex Len

Outlook: It might seem crazy to have a team whose two best players are Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox ahead of teams with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But that’s what I’m doing! They are a younger star duo, are generally more durable, and provide a reasonable floor even if they lack the upside of the other divisional pairings. While DeMar DeRozan is also older, he has been historically sturdy and available throughout his career, and is another regular season floor-raiser. Add in a fairly solid supporting cast and you get a team that should finish roughly where they’ve finished the past couple years, even with the bottom of the Western Conference improving for the most part. I still don’t think the Kings have much of a playoff ceiling, but I just think they’re a safe bet to win at least 45 games.

Prediction: 47-35 (Last year predicted 48-34, actually 46-36)

Golden State Warriors

Additions: De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III, Reece Beekman (two-way), Daeqwon Plowden (two-way)

Subtractions: Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Dario Saric, Cory Joseph, Jerome Robinson, Usman Garuba

Other: Signed Steph Curry to a 1 year $61M extension

Outlook: A lot of NBA writers have praised the Warriors for their offseason. And, based on the moves they made, I can see why. A healthy De’Anthony Melton (big if) might be flat-out better than current Klay Thompson, and Hield offers most of what Thompson does now on offense anyways. Kyle Anderson is a terrific fit with the Warriors free-flowing and pass-heavy scheme, and will bring needed defense and rebounding. However, the Warriors are still trying to thread the needle, building their core of young guys – Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Moses Moody – around their core of Steph Curry and Draymond Green. And while I like all of those young guys well enough, none of them is close to star-level yet, which means that if Curry (36) or Green (34) slip from their superstar-level impacts on offense and defense respectively, I don’t know if the Warriors have enough to make up the gap, even with more veteran talent and better depth than last year. I think it all evens out, and they are relatively similar to last year’s squad.

Prediction: 44-38 (Last year predicted 45-37, actually 46-36)

Los Angeles Clippers

Additions: Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nic Batum, Mo Bamba, Kevin Porter Jr., Cam Christie (44^th pick in 2024 Draft), Trentyn Flowers (two-way)

Subtractions: Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Daniel Theis, Mason Plumlee, Brandon Boston Jr., Xavier Moon, Moussa Diabate

Other: Re-signed James Harden to a 2 year $70M deal, Signed Ivica Zubac to a 3 year $58.6M extension

Outlook: I write and talk about the Clippers a lot, so I don’t think I need to go in-depth here. While I think Paul George is generally overrated by NBA media pundits (James Harden was better and more impactful than him last season and you’d never think that listening to NBA shows or podcasts), losing him for nothing is still a major blow. The Clippers loaded up with defense-first players, and there’s every reason to believe their defense will be quite stout. On offense… well, in games when Kawhi Leonard plays they’ll probably be fine. But all indications are that Kawhi will be sitting more this season for “load management” (honestly a good thing considering the ending to his last two seasons), and in games when he doesn’t play, it will have to be the Harden show or a loss. Harden was mostly great last year, but he undoubtedly wore down over the course of the season, is well into his mid-30s, and doesn’t have a ton of help on offense. I do just think the Clippers could use more firepower to be a sure-fire postseason team.

Prediction: 43-39 (Last year predicted 46-36, actually 51-31)

Los Angeles Lakers

Additions: Dalton Knecht (17^th pick in 2024 Draft), Bronny James (55^th pick in 2024 Draft), Christian Koloko (two-way), Armel Traore (two-way)

Subtractions: Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, Skylar Mays, Dylan Windler

Other: Signed JJ Redick as head coach to replace Darvin Ham, Re-signed LeBron James to a 2 year $104M deal

Outlook: Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but I’m down on the Lakers this year. They barely changed their roster from last year, adding a few young guys in place of replacement level vets, and were a 47-win team last season in a weaker conference. Not only that, but the 2024 Lakers got 82 games from Austin Reaves, 71 games from 39-year-old LeBron James (most since 2018), and 76 games from the injury-prone Anthony Davis (most in his career, and most by far since he played 75 back in 2018). In short, despite injuries to some role players (Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt most notably), the Lakers had good injury luck last season. It’s unlikely that LeBron, AD, and Reaves play 229 games between them again in 2025, and if that number dips significantly, well, the Lakers will be in trouble. They have enough talent to be competitive, but I could see them out of the play-in entirely, and hey, what’s preseason previews for if not being bold sometimes.

Prediction: 42-40 (Last year predicted 47-35, actually 47-35)

2025 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division
Robert Flom

2025 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Robert Flom — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:00:36 +0000

213hoops.com
2025 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

My preview of the 2025 NBA season continues with a look at the Southwest Division, home of the NBA Champion runner-up Dallas Mavericks and several other teams angling for deep playoff runs.

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kessler Edwards (two-way)

Subtractions: Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Greg Brown III

Other: Re-signed Markieff Morris

Outlook: The Mavs got all the way to the NBA Finals last year from the 5^th seed, a blazing run that ended in a Celtics’ buzzsaw. The Mavs did not sit on their laurels, instead swapping out most of their wing room in the offseason. I’m relatively agnostic on most of their moves – Klay is a better offensive player than any they had last year, but Jones is the best defender of the group. Overall, it’s probably a slight upgrade. The Mavs are really counting on a full year of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington, acquired midseason, alongside further development from second-year player Dereck Lively II, to keep their squad moving forward this year. Those are solid bets, but the real reason for Mavs optimism is of course the continued presence of Luka Doncic, a top-five player in the NBA and a single-handed floor raiser for competitive basketball. The Mavs will be very good, though I am a bit hesitant to say they should be favorites to win the West again.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year predicted 46-36, actually 50-32)

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Zach Edey (10^th pick in 2024 Draft), Jaylen Wells (39^th pick in 2024 Draft), Cam Spencer (two-way), Jay Huff (two-way)

Subtractions: Ziaire Williams, Trey Jemison, Lamar Stevens

Other:

Outlook: The Grizzlies were the team I was most wrong on last year. Star guard Ja Morant only played nine games between suspension and injury, and the rest of the roster was ravaged by various injuries as well. But the Grizzlies are healthy going into this season, and were a regular season wins machine with fairly similar rosters in 2022 and 2023. The big unknown is Zach Edey, one of the most decorated college players in modern history and the Grizzlies’ new starting center. Edey is a dominant force down low, but his ability to play pick and roll defense at the NBA level is a question. If he’s a positive presence inside for the Grizz, they have a very strong starting unit, solid depth (though not as good as a couple years ago), and star talent in Ja, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane. I think the Grizzlies will have a potent regular season, but their ability to go deep in the playoffs might come down to Edey as well as further development from Ja. I’m a tad skeptical, but the Grizzlies could definitely surprise me.

Prediction: 49-33 (Last year predicted 50-32, actually 27-55)

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Dejounte Murray, Yves Missi (21^st pick in 2024 Draft), Daniel Theis, Antonio Reeves (47^th pick in 2024 Draft), Karlo Matkovic, Trey Jamison, Jamal Cain (two-way)

Subtractions: Jonas Valanciunas, Naji Marshall, Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller, E.J. Liddell

Other:

Outlook: I’m really not sure what to do with the Pelicans. They were pretty good last year, are a fairly young team that can continue to grow internally, and added some talent in the offseason. However, I just don’t think their talent fits. With Valanciunas and Nance gone, the Pelicans don’t have a starting level center unless Missi is good enough right away – a lot to ask of a rookie. Dejounte Murray is a nice player (albeit overrated in my opinion), but he and Brandon Ingram operate from similar spots on the floor and have relatively similar strengths and weaknesses. Is a Murray-Herb Jones-Ingram-Trey Murphy-Zion Williamson starting lineup capable of getting stops or rebounding? If you sub in a center for one of the wings, will they have enough shooting? The Pelicans have talent and their depth is solid, but they really need to make some sort of roster consolidation move for me to feel good about them being anything more than a play-in team again.

Prediction: 46-36 (Last year predicted 44-38, actually 49-33)

Houston Rockets

Additions: Reed Sheppard (3^rd pick in 2024 Draft), Jack McVeigh (two-way), N’Faly Dante (two-way)

Subtractions: Reggie Bullock, Nate Hinton, Boban Marjanovic

Other: Re-signed Aaron Holiday

Outlook: The Rockets, are, incredibly, bringing back their top 12 players in minutes played from their 2024 roster. They are thus counting almost entirely on internal development to bring them from 11^th place to the play-in race. And there is reason for optimism – Alperen Sengun is on an All-Star trajectory, Jabari Smith Jr. took a big step forward in his second season, and Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore had promising rookie campaigns. Between those guys, Jalen Green, Tari Eason, and rookie Reed Sheppard (my top prospect in the 2024 Draft), the Rockets have plenty of avenues for upside. If a couple of their young cadre of prospects have breakthroughs to stardom the Rockets could really surge into the postseason mix. As it is though, I think they might still be one year away. But they are getting close.

Prediction: 43-39 (Last year predicted 28-54, actually 41-41)

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle (4^th pick in 2024 Draft), Harrison Ingram (two-way)

Subtractions: Cedi Osman, Dom Barlow, Devonte’ Graham

Other: Re-signed Charles Bassey, Re-signed Sandro Mamukelashvili

Outlook: The Spurs are keeping their rebuild on a fairly slow trajectory, but are clearly hoping to take a step forward this year. One of the Spurs’ biggest issues last season was incompetent point guard play, so adding Chris Paul, even in the twilight of his career, will help with stabilizing the offense and keeping the trains running on time. The Spurs were also a very bad shooting team last year, so Harrison Barnes, even though he’s also in the downswing of his career, will help space the floor and provide more veteran competence. But really, the Spurs are just hoping that Victor Wembanyama, after an insane rookie season, will reach another level in his second year, and go from fringe All-Star to All-NBA. It’s within his reach, as the young Frenchman might already be the best defender and rim-running threat in the league. If other young players like Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Tre Jones can take steps forward too, maybe the Spurs could be frisky in the play-in race. But they are likely still too young and too impotent on offense to really make much noise in the West this year.

Prediction: 31-51 (Last year predicted 26-56, actually 22-60)

2025 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division
Robert Flom

2025 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Robert Flom — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 14:00:55 +0000

213hoops.com
2025 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

My preview of the 2025 NBA season continues with the Northwest Division, which might have the three best teams and the two worst teams in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Additions: Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Nikola Topic (11^th pick of 2024 Draft), Dillon Jones (26^th pick of 2024 Draft), Ajay Mitchell (two-way), Alex Ducas (two-way)

Subtractions: Josh Giddey, Gordon Hayward, Mike Muscala, Lindy Waters III, Bismack Biyombo, Olivier Sarr

Other: Re-signed Isaiah Joe to a 4 year $48M deal, Re-signed Aaron Wiggins to a 5 year $47M deal

Outlook: The Thunder, coming off a breakout season where they won the Western Conference (in the regular season) and got to Game 6 of the second round, did not sit on their laurels. Instead, they went out and fixed their weaknesses, moving on from Josh Giddey (virtually unplayable in the playoffs) for a proven 3 and D guard in Alex Caruso and signing Isaiah Hartenstein to add more size and toughness in the frontcourt. The Thunder are deep, young, have great chemistry, are led by one of the NBA’s best young coaches in Mark Daigneault, and have a perennial MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They are going to win a vast majority of their regular season games, and will be a real threat to win the Conference. And that’s not even including potential steps forward from young guys like Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace. The final cherry on top is that the Thunder have a million picks still, enabling them to make moves during the season too. They’re coming for the title.

Prediction: 61-21 (Last year predicted 43-39, actually 57-25)

Denver Nuggets

Additions: Russell Westbrook, Dario Saric, Da’Ron Holmes (22^nd pick in 2024 Draft), Trey Alexander (two-way), Spencer Jones (two-way), PJ Hall (two-way)

Subtractions: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Reggie Jackson, Justin Holiday, Collin Gillespie, Jay Huff, Braxton Key

Other: Signed Jamal Murray to a 4 year $208M extension, Re-signed DeAndre Jordan

Outlook: The Nuggets had a pretty bad summer, losing starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for nothing, dumping Reggie Jackson’s small-ish contract at the cost of three second-round picks, and losing first-round rookie Da’Ron Holmes for the season due to a knee injury suffered in Summer League. I still have them winning over 50 games for two reasons: Nikola Jokic and altitude. The Nuggets have a very high floor with Jokic, the best player in the NBA, on their team, and they will always win a ton of games at home. Combine that with what should still be a pretty good starting five even with Christian Braun or Julian Strawther replacing KCP and a solid head coach in Michael Malone and you have a regular season wins machine. Still, it’s tough to see this team winning four playoff series with their shaky depth (especially in the frontcourt) barring breakout seasons from multiple of Braun, Strawther, or Peyton Watson. It’s tough to count out Jokic, but they have gone down a step from two years ago.

Prediction: 52-30 (Last year predicted 54-28, actually 57-25)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: Rob Dillingham (8^th pick of 2024 Draft), Terrence Shannon Jr. (23^rd pick of 2024 Draft), Joe Ingles, PJ Dozier, Jesse Edwards (two-way)

Subtractions: Kyle Anderson, Monte Morris, Josh Minott, Jordan McLaughlin, TJ Warren

Other: Re-signed Luka Garza

Outlook: The Wolves had a breakthrough last season, making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history behind a league-best defense and a rising star in Anthony Edwards. They are likely to be very good again this year with a similar combination. The upside for the Wolves is simple: that Edwards, already a terrific player, will truly rise to superstar-level in impact. They have other avenues to upside, like Jaden McDaniels taking a leap, or rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. having strong debut seasons. But I do think that between Kyle Anderson leaving, Mike Conley being 37 years old with no clear replacement (its too early to expect Dillingham to step into that role), and Rudy Gobert being 32, there’s more downside than upside here. The Wolves might still make a deep playoff run, and I do think their regular season floor is high, but they could prove me wrong either way. A very interesting team to watch.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year predicted 45-37, actually 56-26)

Utah Jazz

Additions: Cody Williams (10^th pick in 2024 Draft), Isaiah Collier (29^th pick in 2024 Draft), Kyle Filipowski (32^nd pick in 2024 Draft), Patty Mills, Svi Mykhailiuk, Drew Eubanks, Oscar Tshiebwe (two-way)

Subtractions: Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Omer Yurtseven, Luka Samanic, Jason Preston, Kenneth Lofton Jr., Micah Potter

Other: Signed Lauri Markkanen to a 5 year $238M extension

Outlook: The Jazz are finally leaning into a tank, having moved on from a great deal of their veterans over the past two years. They did sign Lauri Markkanen to a massive extension, which is a bit of an odd move – he’s not good enough to be the best player on a great team and loses a lot of his value on this new deal – unless they think he’ll still be movable next summer. The rest of the vets remaining on the roster – Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins – appear to be available, and will probably get moved during the season. Keyonte George had a promising rookie season and Taylor Hendricks had some flashes towards the end of his, but outside of Markkanen there are no sure things on this roster. I have them ahead of the Blazers because of Lauri and the vast gap in coaching between Will Hardy (awesome) and Chauncey Billups (abysmal), but it’s very possible the Jazz are worse than this and head straight to the bottom of the lottery.

Prediction: 27-55 (Last year predicted 33-49, actually 31-51)

Portland Trailblazers

Additions: Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan (7^th pick in 2024 Draft), Bryce McGowens (two-way)

Subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon, Ibou Badji, Moses Brown

Other:

Outlook: The Blazers actually made some moves I liked this summer, including drafting Donovan Clingan (maybe the highest floor prospect in the draft) at 7 and trading for Deni Avdija (competent starting wing who is still young). Unfortunately, their roster still doesn’t have a ton of veteran talent, and a lot of the talent they do have doesn’t fit together. The Blazers have three centers who need playing time in Clingan, DeAndre Ayton, and Robert Williams III – yet those guys can’t play together at all. Similarly, their three talented perimeter youngsters, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons, are all incompatible on the court. Maybe a trade – Simons, one of Ayton or Williams, and Jerami Grant – could clear up the roster a bit, but right now it’s messy. And in the Western Conference, a young roster with a lot of overlap won’t win much, even with a good bit of raw upside and some competent vets.

Prediction: 26-56 (Last year predicted 27-55, actually 21-61)

2025 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division
Robert Flom

2025 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

Robert Flom — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:00:48 +0000

213hoops.com
2025 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

My preview of the 2025 NBA season continues with the Atlantic Division, home of the defending champion Boston Celtics and two other hopeful contenders in the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Boston Celtics

Additions: Baylor Scheiermann (30^th pick in 2024 Draft), Anton Watson (two-way)

Subtractions: Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk

Other: Signed Jayson Tatum to a 5 year $315M extension, Signed Derrick White to 4 year $126M extension, Signed Sam Hauser to a 4 year $45M extension, Re-signed Xavier Tillman, Re-signed Luke Kornet, Re-signed Neemias Queta

Outlook: There’s not a ton to say about the defending NBA champs. The Celtics brought almost their whole team back, losing some third-stringers and adding a couple replacements via the draft. They were the best team in the NBA last year, by far, winning the most games in the regular season and then going 16-3 in the postseason with a massive margin of victory. Kristaps Porzingis’ injury and the age of Al Horford and Jrue Holiday could result in the Celtics being somewhat worse this season, but the rest of their rotation is in their prime and remarkably injury-free. They have to be title favorites right now, even with a stronger Eastern Conference.

Prediction: 58-26 (Last year 64-18, predicted 52-30)

New York Knicks

Additions: Mikal Bridges, Cam Payne, Keita Bates-Diop, Pacome Dadiet (25^th pick in 2024 Draft), Tyler Kolek (34^th pick in 2024 Draft), Kevin McCullar Jr. (two-way), Ariel Hukporti (two-way)

Subtractions: Isaiah Hartenstein, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Ryan Arcidiacono

Other: Signed Jalen Brunson to 4 year $156M extension, Re-signed OG Anunoby to 5 year $212M deal, Re-signed Precious Achiuwa

Outlook: The Knicks finished second in the East in the regular season last year and were one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals. That did not stop them from making a massive trade for Mikal Bridges, going all in on the Villanova squad alongside Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. The Knicks should be very good in the regular season, as they have solid depth at most positions and a coach in Tom Thibodeau who excels at grinding out wins. I’m slightly less high on them in the playoffs, mostly because their center rotation is not great, and becomes downright bad if the injury-prone Mitchell Robinson were to miss time. There’s also the Julius Randle question – he’s not a great fit with Brunson and the new Knicks roster, but probably has more value to the Knicks than other teams. If the Knicks can flip him for a better fitting player, I’d probably like their roster a bit more. Still, the Knicks could absolutely win the East this season.

Prediction: 53-29 (Last year 50-32, predicted 47-35)

Philadelphia 76ers

Additions: Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Guerschon Yabusele, Jared McCain (16^th pick in 2024 Draft), Adem Bona (42^nd pick in 2024 Draft), David Jones (two-way), Justin Edwards (two-way)

Subtractions: Tobias Harris, Nic Batum, De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, Robert Covington, Paul Reed, Cam Payne, Mo Bamba

Other: Re-signed Kelly Oubre, Re-signed Kyle Lowry, Re-signed KJ Martin

Outlook: I don’t think any team re-did their roster as much as the Sixers, who are bringing only six players total (and four rotation players) back from last year’s roster. The big addition is, of course, Paul George, who slots perfectly between Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid as a big wing who will add shooting, perimeter defense, creation, and firepower. But the Sixers didn’t stop at PG, bringing in multiple other strong depth pieces including Caleb Martin (their presumed starter at PF), Andre Drummond (one of the best backup centers in the NBA), and Kelly Oubre and Kyle Lowry (key players from the prior season). The Sixers’ wing depth is still a little shaky, and Embiid and PG both have injury issues, but they are more prepared for a deep playoff run than they have been since the 2019 team with Jimmy Butler, and should have enough talent to withstand a regular season injury to Embiid. This is the Sixers’ big chance.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year 47-35, predicted 49-33)

Toronto Raptors

Additions: Davion Mitchell, Ja’Kobe Walter (19^th pick in 2024 Draft), Jonathan Mogbo (31^st pick in 2024 Draft), Jamal Shead (45^th pick in 2024 Draft), Ulrich Chomche (two-way)

Subtractions: Jalen McDaniels, Kira Lewis Jr., Mo Gueye, Jordan Nwora

Other: Signed Scottie Barnes to 5 year $225M extension, Re-signed Immanuel Quickley to 5 year $175M deal

Outlook: The Raptors were yet another team that barely made moves in free agency, instead changing their roster primarily through the draft. While I was not a huge fan of Walter, the Mogbo pick was a good one, and Shead and Chomche are interesting too. Still, the heavy emphasis on young guys suggest the Raptors are not aiming for the postseason this year. Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley were both signed to massive new contracts, locking them in as the Raptors core, and while I like both players, I don’t know if they are the basis for a really good team. The Raptors do still have some competent vets around those two – Kelly Olynyk, Jakob Poeltl, and Bruce Brown – and in a miserable bottom half of the Eastern Conference that might be enough to squeak into the last spot in the play-in.

Prediction: 32-50 (Last year 25-57, predicted 37-45)

Brooklyn Nets

Additions: Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Ziaire Williams

Subtractions: Mikal Bridges, Dennis Smith Jr., Lonnie Walker, Keita-Bates Diop

Other: Signed Nic Claxton to a 4 year $100M deal, Re-signed Trendon Watford, Re-signed Keon Johnson

Outlook: The Nets finally embraced the tank this summer, moving off Mikal Bridges and reclaiming control of their drafting in the next two seasons in the process. Perhaps no team but the Wizards is embracing the tank as hard as the Nets, who have not picked at the top of the lottery since Derrick Favors in 2010. The Nets do still have some veteran talent on their roster, but its not enough to make them competitive, and players like Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith will probably get moved sooner than later anyway. The Nets will be very bad this season, the question is how bad. Maybe they drop into the teens in wins, but I think they’ll have just enough competence to hit 20.

Prediction: 20-62 (Last year 32-50, predicted 34-48)

2025 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division
Robert Flom

2025 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Robert Flom — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:00:56 +0000

213hoops.com
2025 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

The next division in my preview of the 2025 NBA season is the Central Division, home of several likely playoff teams as well as one of the clearest bottom feeders in the league.

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Delon Wright, AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith, Stanley Umude (two-way)

Subtractions: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jae Crowder, Danilo Gallinari, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Other:

Outlook: This might seem too high for the Bucks. After all, they are an older team that won just 49 games last year and might face further age-related slippage from Brook Lopez, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton. However, I think Trent, Prince, and Wright are upgrades on the vets they are replacing. More importantly, after a season of chaos, the Bucks will have more stability this year – I expect Dame in particular to have a better season than last year. But really, my thinking the Bucks will crack 50 wins again is mostly just because they still have Giannis, aged 29, who remains a clear top 5 player in the NBA and the single best floor raiser after Jokic. As long as Giannis is mostly healthy, and the Bucks have a decent supporting cast around him, they will win a lot of games and be a tough out in the playoffs. The question is just if he can stay healthy after some postseason injuries the past two years.

Prediction: 52-30 (Last year predicted 52-30, actually 49-33)

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: Jaylon Tyson (20^th pick in 2024 Draft), Luke Travers (two-way)

Subtractions: Isaac Okoro (still RFA), Tristan Thompson, Marcus Morris

Other: Extended Donovan Mitchell for 3 years $150M, Extended Evan Mobley for 5 years $224M, Extended Jarrett Allen for 3 years $91M, Hired Kenny Atkinson as head coach to replace JB Bickerstaff

Outlook: I don’t think any teams in the NBA made fewer roster changes than the Cavs. This is especially since their biggest free agent, Isaac Okoro, is likely to be retained, and is hanging in the wind due to the difficulties of restricted free agency. If they bring back Okoro, they will have lost just two fringe rotation players from last year. The Cavs still had a huge summer, extending superstar Donovan Mitchell for the rest of his prime alongside starting center Jarrett Allen and giving a rookie scale supermax to rising defensive beast Evan Mobley. There are still questions about Allen’s fit with Mobley, and Darius Garland’s with Mitchell, but the Cavs are immensely talented and Kenny Atkinson will probably be an upgrade at head coach. I don’t know if they could beat healthy Celtics, Knicks, or Sixers’ teams in the playoffs, but with a few lucky breaks they could make a deep run. And, in the regular season, while their Big 4 has fit issues together, their duplicativeness makes them more injury-proof than other teams.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year predicted 52-30, actually 48-34)

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Johnny Furphy (35^th pick in the 2024 Draft), James Wiseman, Cole Swider, Tristan Newton (two-way), Enrique Freeman (two-way)

Subtractions: Jalen Smith, Doug McDermott, Kendall Brown, Jordan Nwora, Oscar Tshiebwe, Isaiah Wong

Other: Re-Signed Pascal Siakam to 4 year $189.5M deal, Re-Signed Obi Toppin to 4 year $60M deal, Extended Andrew Nembhard for 3 years $59M, Extended TJ McConnell for 4 years $45M, Re-Signed James Johnson

Outlook: The Pacers were one of the most fun stories of last season, coming from somewhat out of nowhere to win 48 games and make it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, like many teams before them that made unexpected deep playoff runs with a heavy luck component, the Pacers decided to double down on their roster, bringing nearly everyone of importance back and paying a ton of money to their own free agents and in extensions. The Pacers should still be good – they have a lot of talent and an emerging superstar in Tyrese Haliburton – but their defense remains a huge question mark. Their regular season bonafides are not in question, but I’d be very surprised if they made it back to the Conference Finals barring a huge breakout from one of their young players.

Prediction: 48-34 (Last year predicted 41-41, actually 47-35)

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis (11^th pick in 2024 Draft), Jalen Smith, Chris Duarte, Kenneth Lofton Jr., DJ Steward (two-way)

Subtractions: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond, Javonte Green, Terry Taylor

Other: Signed Patrick Williams to a 5 year $90M contract extension

Outlook: The Bulls had one of the worst offseasons of any team in the NBA, trading DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso at far below the value they could have gotten if they’d moved them last deadline or last summer and losing Andre Drummond for nothing. They barely got anything for DeRozan, and acquired Giddey for Caruso – with no picks attached. A year or two ago this would have been a fine return for Caruso, but considering the weaknesses in Giddey’s game that have been exposed over the last couple years, their faith in him as a franchise centerpiece is probably misplaced. The Bulls still have too much talent – with Zach LaVine, Nik Vucevic, and Coby White all still on the roster – to truly tank, but not enough to win. If they kept their roster all year I’d predict them winning a few more games than this, but I suspect they move even more of their veterans at some point. Things are grim in Chicago.

Prediction: 28-54 (Last year predicted 38-44, actually 39-43)

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Ron Holland (5^th pick in 2024 Draft), Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, Paul Reed, Wendell Moore, Bobi Klintman (37^th pick in 2024 Draft), Daniss Jenkins (two-way)

Subtractions: Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Troy Brown Jr., Malachi Flynn, Joe Harris, Buddy Boeheim, Kevin Knox, Shake Milton

Other: Hired JB Bickerstaff as new head coach replacing Monty Williams, Signed Cade Cunningham to 5 year $224M max extension, Re-Signed Simone Fontecchio

Outlook: I have been too high on the Pistons for two seasons in a row. No more. Even though I think JB Bickerstaff is a solid hire as head coach, and I liked Ron Holland in the draft, the Pistons are still a mess as a roster. Paying Tobias Harris $26M per year in 2024 is baffling, and he’s not even a good fit with the Pistons’ key young guys. Cade Cunningham has shown real flashes, and Ausar Thompson is a special defensive prospect, but the Pistons still don’t have enough shooting or creation around them. Maybe in a couple years this Pistons team could finally get out of the lottery, but they just don’t have enough established NBA talent to be competitive this year.

Prediction: 20-62 (Last year predicted 28-54, actually 14-68)

2025 NBA Season Preview: Central Division
Robert Flom