2025-2026: Around the League

[pepe1991]

11 teams in the East have positive point differentials compared to 9 in the West.

I will say the West is definitely weaker than normal because the Mavs, Kings, Clippers and Grizzlies who were decent teams look like they are going to be fighting for the lottery. I also don't think the Blazers or Suns are good. Warriors are OK, but old.

I don't think the East actually got stronger though, I think fully healthy Cavs are the only near elite team, with the Knicks and Pistons looking very good, but not title level to me (maybe underrating Knicks, but all wins are home wins so IDK). I think we can get in that very good tier if it clicks. I think the Sixers and Heat are actually a bit above average teams, Sixers have more upside to move up if Paul George and Embiid somehow randomly can play real minutes at some point. Not buying Bucks, Bulls and Raptors as much more than average.

West has OKC, Denver emerging as clear title favorites by a MILE. And then you could argue Houston, San Antonio and Minnesota all in that near elite fully healthy Cavs tier. Lakers are OK, but may need to be gifted a star midseason. Then there is a huge drop off, which is abnormal for the West.

You gotta remember with the East there are 3 teams that you get to DESTROY every time you face them to boost net rating. Wiz, Nets and Pacers. I would personally throw the Hornets right in that mix as their 3 wins are.... Wiz, Nets and Jazz lol.

Very good sum up.


I would add that worst points differential in nba history is -15,2.

Current Nets (-15) and Wizards (-15,6) are off to historic starts. But on wrong side of history.

Let's be real. You are some mid team like Bulls.

4 games vs Nets
3 games vs Hornets
4 games vs Pacers
3 games vs Wizards

= 14 easy games , probably 13-ish wins.
For rest of a season you can be .400 win rate team and you will still end up with 41 wins

I didn't count Dallas, Pelicans , Kings and all the trash from West. As long as you beat trash, you are off to a at least 40 wins. Probably winning record based on nothing but beating teams who want to lose.

[basketballRob]

Jokic with 25 in the first quarter.

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[pepe1991]

Jesus Jokić

That said, it's unfair what OKC is doing to competition. They made Warriors look like Wizards and now they made Lakers look like Sparks.

Shai is carving his path toward one of greatest.

Now i'm really confident about my : OKC, Rockets or Nuggets prediction about title, as only actual contenders. Too bad actual finals can't be Nuggets vs OKC, instead of fine dinner, we will get fast food of beatdown regardless who comes from East.

[thelead]

Jesus Jokić

That said, it's unfair what OKC is doing to competition. They made Warriors look like Wizards and now they made Lakers look like Sparks.

Shai is carving his path toward one of greatest.

Now i'm really confident about my : OKC, Rockets or Nuggets prediction about title, as only actual contenders. Too bad actual finals can't be Nuggets vs OKC, instead of fine dinner, we will get fast food of beatdown regardless who comes from East.

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

[pepe1991]

Jesus Jokić

That said, it's unfair what OKC is doing to competition. They made Warriors look like Wizards and now they made Lakers look like Sparks.

Shai is carving his path toward one of greatest.

Now i'm really confident about my : OKC, Rockets or Nuggets prediction about title, as only actual contenders. Too bad actual finals can't be Nuggets vs OKC, instead of fine dinner, we will get fast food of beatdown regardless who comes from East.

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

To be fair, OKC only had 1 person in rotation that ever played that level of basketball before, Caruso, as backup on title winner. All other people were 22-25 years old, with Shai being 26. Basically not a single one of them played deep playoffs before.

Where Siakam not only played in finals before, but won title as second best player. Wanna hear something crazy: Siakam 91 playoff games played.
Shai, Jalen Williams and Holmgren combined = 112

Turner himself played as many playoff games (66) as Holmgren & J Will combined .

They ended up being second youngest title winner of all time. I think they will have easier task defending it in finals, if they get there, than it was last year.

[GelbeWand09]

Jesus Jokić

That said, it's unfair what OKC is doing to competition. They made Warriors look like Wizards and now they made Lakers look like Sparks.

Shai is carving his path toward one of greatest.

Now i'm really confident about my : OKC, Rockets or Nuggets prediction about title, as only actual contenders. Too bad actual finals can't be Nuggets vs OKC, instead of fine dinner, we will get fast food of beatdown regardless who comes from East.

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

To be fair, OKC only had 1 person in rotation that ever played that level of basketball before, Caruso, as backup on title winner. All other people were 22-25 years old, with Shai being 26. Basically not a single one of them played deep playoffs before.

Where Siakam not only played in finals before, but won title as second best player. Wanna hear something crazy: Siakam 91 playoff games played.
Shai, Jalen Williams and Holmgren combined = 112

Turner himself played as many playoff games (66) as Holmgren & J Will combined .

They ended up being second youngest title winner of all time. I think they will have easier task defending it in finals, if they get there, than it was last year.

They getting the Clippers pick next year.

[pepe1991]

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

To be fair, OKC only had 1 person in rotation that ever played that level of basketball before, Caruso, as backup on title winner. All other people were 22-25 years old, with Shai being 26. Basically not a single one of them played deep playoffs before.

Where Siakam not only played in finals before, but won title as second best player. Wanna hear something crazy: Siakam 91 playoff games played.
Shai, Jalen Williams and Holmgren combined = 112

Turner himself played as many playoff games (66) as Holmgren & J Will combined .

They ended up being second youngest title winner of all time. I think they will have easier task defending it in finals, if they get there, than it was last year.

They getting the Clippers pick next year.

3 peat confirmed

[p0peye]

Jesus Jokić

That said, it's unfair what OKC is doing to competition. They made Warriors look like Wizards and now they made Lakers look like Sparks.

Shai is carving his path toward one of greatest.

Now i'm really confident about my : OKC, Rockets or Nuggets prediction about title, as only actual contenders. Too bad actual finals can't be Nuggets vs OKC, instead of fine dinner, we will get fast food of beatdown regardless who comes from East.

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

Decimated Nuggets with no bench could've knocked them out as well. Despite their regular-season record, I would not bet on OKC if they are facing Luka or Jokić in playoffs.

[pepe1991]

Jesus Jokić

That said, it's unfair what OKC is doing to competition. They made Warriors look like Wizards and now they made Lakers look like Sparks.

Shai is carving his path toward one of greatest.

Now i'm really confident about my : OKC, Rockets or Nuggets prediction about title, as only actual contenders. Too bad actual finals can't be Nuggets vs OKC, instead of fine dinner, we will get fast food of beatdown regardless who comes from East.

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

Decimated Nuggets with no bench could've knocked them out as well. Despite their regular-season record, I would not bet on OKC if they are facing Luka or Jokić in playoffs.

Jokić is playing one of greatest seasons of all time.

[drsd]

Jokić is playing one of greatest seasons of all time.

29/11/13.


His current PER is 41.18

For perspective, Jokić's career PER average is 28.68. That is the all time great PER. Above Jordan's 27.91!

[MassimoPayne]

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

Decimated Nuggets with no bench could've knocked them out as well. Despite their regular-season record, I would not bet on OKC if they are facing Luka or Jokić in playoffs.

Jokić is playing one of greatest seasons of all time.

for the 3rd year in a row

[pepe1991]

Decimated Nuggets with no bench could've knocked them out as well. Despite their regular-season record, I would not bet on OKC if they are facing Luka or Jokić in playoffs.

Jokić is playing one of greatest seasons of all time.

for the 3rd year in a row

Gotta get that second chip.

[p0peye]

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

Decimated Nuggets with no bench could've knocked them out as well. Despite their regular-season record, I would not bet on OKC if they are facing Luka or Jokić in playoffs.

Jokić is playing one of greatest seasons of all time.

Totally agree, I started watching more Nuggets games lately because of him. I feel like it's an opportunity to enjoy while it lasts and really wish to go and see them live. Still, while from NBA perspective his All-Time status is rising, his NT record is still relatively weak compared to some other players that played for Yugoslavia or Serbia, which is why he is not as respected back home as he is in NBA.

[Skybox]

Jokić is playing one of greatest seasons of all time.

for the 3rd year in a row

Gotta get that second chip.

Was listening to a pod while walking...he's shooting over 70% from inside the 3pt line (and respectably beyond it)...that's insane and it's not like the guy is just living on catching lobs and open dunks. Arguably the best ever when the dust settles.

[GelbeWand09]

for the 3rd year in a row

Gotta get that second chip.

Was listening to a pod while walking...he's shooting over 70% from inside the 3pt line (and respectably beyond it)...that's insane and it's not like the guy is just living on catching lobs and open dunks. Arguably the best ever when the dust settles.

Most skilled offensive player ever and maybe the best touch.

[MasterGMer]

After Nico is fired at the Mavs, now the trade talk starts with AD and Kyrie.

Imo Nico is just a scapegoat. The ownership agreed upon the Luka trade in Feb and now since Mavs are losing, they fire Nico.

To be honest, even ownership agreed upon Nico's vision.

However, the Dallas is a trainwreck with them under peforming this year. AD is hurt and Kyrie is still injured. Now they want to trade AD? i really think you'd get a Luka back. lol

[basketballRob]

I dunno. I am fully confident in OKC too but Indy did give them a real scare. If Hali doesn't get injured, they might not be the champions right now. The Cavs have the potential to be really good too.

To be fair, OKC only had 1 person in rotation that ever played that level of basketball before, Caruso, as backup on title winner. All other people were 22-25 years old, with Shai being 26. Basically not a single one of them played deep playoffs before.

Where Siakam not only played in finals before, but won title as second best player. Wanna hear something crazy: Siakam 91 playoff games played.
Shai, Jalen Williams and Holmgren combined = 112

Turner himself played as many playoff games (66) as Holmgren & J Will combined .

They ended up being second youngest title winner of all time. I think they will have easier task defending it in finals, if they get there, than it was last year.

They getting the Clippers pick next year.

I just rolled tankathon once, and OKC got the 1st pick.

Memphis will get our pick because we're 12th and the Suns are playing well and are at 20.

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[RookieStar]

Im sad... Bulls came down fast. I remember our Vuc-led team actually went 10-3??? Before dropping off a cliff

[cedric76]

so glad phoenix is playing well

[pepe1991]

so glad phoenix is playing well

They played 10/13 games against teams with negative record. On west ,average amount of games played vs above .500 teams is around 7. They had 3.

In next 13 games, they will be favorites to win in one. Their 5 wins winning streak is built on:
3-8 Clippers ( twice)
2-9 Pelicans
3-9 Dallas
1-11 Pacers


They started last year with 8-1. Best they can hope on West is 9th to 10th seed. But i expect wheels to fall off in near future. Jalen Green injury is always blessing for any team.