NBA Season Tip-Off 2025: Why the Thunder Are Still the Team to Beat
The 2025–26 NBA season tips off with star-studded matchups and major storylines, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder’s title defense, Cooper Flagg eyes Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama chases MVP, and Luka Doncic begins his Lakers era. We discuss it here!
NBA Teams Get Set To Kickoff an Exciting 2025 Season
Photo Credit: Mehaniq via Shutterstock
By: Joshua Martin
After a long offseason, 120 days to be exact, the NBA returns tonight with two marquee matchups featuring MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant and the “Tall Ball” lineup of the Houston Rockets, the greatest shooter off all time Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Luka Doncic of the Lakers who will start the season without Lebron for the first month. As excitement continues to mount on what will be an excellent season, we break down key story lines, player of the year predictions and who will secure the Larry O’Brien trophy. Let's talk ball!
As the 2025 - 26 season tips off, the landscape of the NBA is poised for drama, youth and seismic shifts. According to consensus power rankings, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder remain the clear cut favorite. ESPN projects them at 57.8 wins as the top team entering the season. And honestly, I’m picking the Thunder once again to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Thunder’s core is still loaded, their defence is still top in the league and their youth and depth give them a strong foundation to repeat.
“We do everything together on and off the court. Above all we prioritize winning and enjoy each other’s company.”
Meanwhile, my bold predictions include rookie of the year going to Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama taking the next step to superstardom and earning his first MVP.
Flagg enters the league with sky high expectations and is clearly on the rookie of the year radar. With a solid core of veterans surrounding him, Flagg is in a great position to succeed early on. According to most, this is a stacked rookie class and he is named among the top. I believe his readiness and impact level make him the candidate to watch.
Wembanyama, meanwhile, has been spotlighted in projections as a potential league changer. For example, many outlets list him as a frontrunner for MVP as the game’s next generational two way talent. My prediction is that Wembanyama seizes that leap and consolidates himself as one of the very top stars.
On the other side of the equation, I expect the Los Angeles Lakers, now with Luka Doncic firmly installed in year two as the franchise centerpiece, to make a meaningful leap. His leadership, talent and renewed reputation make this Lakers team better in Year 2 of the Luka era, even if the championship remains just a tad bit out of reach.
Finally, I’m predicting a major shake up involving Giannis Antetokounmpo. With talk swirling about his future, he expressed sentiments to the media.
“I’m locked into this team… But things can change.”
While he hasn’t formally requested a trade, the trade speculation is real. My prediction is a move happens, opening the door for Wembanyama’s ascension and re-ordering of the elite teams and players.
In summation, I expect the Thunder to win it, Flagg to earn ROY, Wembanyama becomes MVP, Lakers get better under Luka and Giannis gets traded. It’s a season of transition, surprise and the next wave stars. Get your popcorn ready!
Check out the opening week’s nationally televised schedule below:
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Damian Lillard Trade Shakes Up NBA Landscape
Portland Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard in a surprising move, shaking up the NBA and sparking anticipation for the upcoming season. We discuss it here!
Former Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard looks on during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Moda Center on April 09, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
By: Joshua Martin
The moment sports fans have begrudgingly been waiting for has finally happened but not to the destination many of us thought. In a surprising move the Portland Trail Blazers finally parted ways with the organization's brightest star, in a 3 team deal that had the entertainment world buzzing.
Camron and Snoop Dogg offered their thoughts as soon as word of the trade began to circulate.
“Going to the East, nephew. Ball out. You got Giannis on your squad now. Ugh! The East just got nasty. Lakers, we know what we gon’ do. But congrats to my nephew, Dame Lillard. Dame Time. Go get yours, nephew.”
The trade officially went down on Wednesday between the Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Phoenix Suns. In exchange for Dame D.O.L.L.A., the Blazers received Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, Toumani Camara along with future draft picks with many believing Holiday will soon be traded. The Suns received Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson, all of whom will join a squad that bolsters a roster featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and their latest addition Bradley Beal. In my opinion all three teams made out well, with Milwaukee instantly becoming title favorites.
Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Photo Cred: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images; Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Lillard joining focus with Giannis Antetokounmpo will mark the first time that two players have joined forces after both averaging 30 points per game the previous season. With arguably the second greatest range shooter of all time paired with the Greek Freak, the upcoming season just got a lot more interesting. It’s very likely the Bucks will snag their second championship in four years.
Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo's points per game last season for the Trail Blazers and Bucks respectively:
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 28, 2023
Dame 👉 32.2 PPG
Greek Freak 👉 31.1 PPG
They are the only players in NBA history to each average 30+ PPG in the previous season & become teammates the next… pic.twitter.com/xAE2sLnc5x
Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers waves goodbye to the Oklahoma City Thunder after hitting a last second 37 foot game winner to end Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals during the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center on April 23, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers defeated the Thunder 118-115. (Dykes/Getty Images)
Damian Lillard leaves Portland after spending his entire NBA career with the organization. Over the past 11 seasons, he powered his squad to eight playoff appearances and one Western Conference Finals appearance during the 2018-2019 season. Dame throughout the years often spoke against jumping ship to join a superteam, opting to remain committed to the Trail Blazers despite not having a real shot at a title.
The athlete/rapper took the on brand approach and addressed the trade in his latest track “Farwell” which dropped immediately after news broke of the trade.
Dame D.O.L.L.A. - Farewell
Dame left it all on the court. Carving out a unique role for himself as an unstoppable efficient range shooter with the ability to facilitate and attack the basket with ease.
In summation, the NBA does an excellent job at remaining in the news cycle year round. This recent deal only intensifies the anticipation for the upcoming season. With the biggest domino finally on the move, even the casual fan can’t help but wonder who’s next? James Harden? Joel Embid? Trae Young? Karl-Anthony Towns? We’ll just have to wait and see.
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NBA MVP Race: Embiid, Jokic, and Giannis All Eye The League's Top Award
As the NBA season draws to a close, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all eyeing the NBA’s MVP Award, but who will claim trophy? We discuss it here!
Left to Right: Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić
By: Joshua Martin
It's always difficult to separate the best from the best. And this year’s MVP race, more than normal, is the closest it's been in quite some time.
The newly minted Michael Jordan Trophy - awarded to the KIA NBA Most Valuable Player, doesn't reflect who is actually the best player in the league but his value to his organization. Which basically means, team context matters, along with impressive counting stats.
As the NBA season draws to a close, There are three MVP-level players who are clearly having MVP-caliber seasons.
I'm not a voter but if I had to place my money on a candidate, I would go with Embiid. The fact that Giannis and Jokic have won MVPs already benefits him greatly in this year’s race.
However, let's do our due diligence and make cases for each of the top three candidates.
1.)Why He Deserves the Trophy
2.)Why He Won't WIn It
We are literally splitting hairs with this one, which often makes debates such as this one quite contentious and fairly complicated. But let’s take it back to the basics, what do your eyes tell you?
1. Joel Embiid
“The Process” has been on a mission this season. It seems as if the 76ers recent playoff disappointments have motivated the big man to take his game to an even higher level.
1.) Embiid has the counting stats - 33.6 ppg 10.3 rbg 1.8 bpg on 55% shooting from the floor.
He leads the league in scoring and is top ten in rebounds, blocks and free throw attempts.
His team at the moment is the third seed in the East and is poised to make a strong playoff push.
He deserves the award because of his overall play. I've never seen a traditional Center with his shooting ability, the Sixers even trust Embiid to hit their technical free throws.
2.) The biggest detraction one could make is body language apparently. On a radio show on Sirius FM Radio, Hall of Fame Coach George Karl had this to say about Embiid.
“I don’t want to bad mouth Embiid because I think he’s really, really good… But he takes too many possessions off. He has lazy body language.” - George Karl
Not sure if body language should be high on the voter’s list of meaningful criteria but when you're having the type of season Embiid is having it can't all be hugs and kisses.
2. Nikola Jokic
1.) “The Joker '' is probably one of the more unique players we've ever seen. Normally when you think of an athlete dominating his or her sport, one would often envision supreme athleticism. This isn't the Joker’s style. The 6 '11 Serbian big man routinely posts video game-like numbers for a Denver Nuggets squad currently sitting atop the Western Conference.
His 24.7 ppg 11.9 rbg 9.9 apg is nothing to sneeze at either. Jokic may be the least disposable player on this list. To put it simply, the Nuggets perform as the best team in the league with Jokic and are the worst team by a mile without him.
2.) Voter fatigue may be the reason Jokic doesn't claim his 3rd consecutive MVP. Something we haven't seen since Larry Bird back in the 80’s. (1984-1986)
Unfortunately, We’ve seen this before. Many fans have grown numb to Jokic’s gaudy stat line. His poor defensive performances against elite competition doesn't help his case either.
Draymond shared his thoughts on the race on his podcast.
“Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo is who I believe the MVP race has come down to. [Nikola Jokic], incredible year, [but] as of late he’s slipped and those guys have continued to ascend. As of late the Denver Nuggets have slipped and those two teams have ascended,” Green said in the latest episode of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
With this being such a tight race, how you finish is definitely more important than how you start. They are currently 5-5 in their last ten games and their once stranglehold on the West has dwindled to a 3 and half game lead.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
1.) “The Greek Freak” checks all the boxes. His stat line is comparable to his contemporaries on this list. He is currently averaging 31.3 ppg 11.9 rbg 5.6 apg and he has the Milwaukee Bucks atop the Eastern Conference. No one plays the game with more effort and energy on both sides of the ball. With the recent slippage of the Nuggets and Embiid’s reputation, Giannis might capture his 3rd MVP.
2.) Familiarity breeds contempt. As in the case with Jokic, we have seen this before. We all know how great Giannis is. To be honest it's not a stretch to call him the best player in the league regardless of numbers or accolades. Our numbness to his dominance exists through no fault of his own. In fact he recently voiced his frustrations with the ever evolving criteria for the MVP trophy.
“Like, I believe — and I know — that people are dominating,” the Bucks forward said, via The Athletic. “So what is the MVP? Is it the guy who scores the most points? Is it the guy who’s the most efficient? Is it the guy who is the most dominant? Is it the guy who is the most valuable? Sometimes, the best player isn’t the most valuable player on the team. Like, I feel like Brook [Lopez] is such a valuable player for our team. Like [the MVP criteria] just f*****g — sorry for my language — it just changes. As I said again, I can’t control that. I can control only how I prepare for the game and try to be ready for the game.”
Hmmm… My thoughts exactly.
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Email: Joshua@247LCTV.com