On October 21st, the 2025-26 NBA Season started. Here’s everything you need to know going into it.
First, the state of the conferences. The Western Conference is an absolute gauntlet, currently home to the defending champions OKC Thunder, up and coming San Antonio Spurs, and the statistically best player in the world in Nikola Jokić. The Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Houston Rockets have adapted to the increased level of competition, and nearly every team in the Western Conference could be contending for the playoffs. It cannot be understated how tough the Western Conference will be, especially considering the parity(1) of the past several years. The Eastern Conference, however, is an entirely different story. The East is wide open, meaning that any team could make it to the finals. There are still some powerhouses, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, but the Boston Celtics, who used to be a 60+ win team, are currently rebuilding, and any team could head to the Finals for the Eastern Conference.
Just like the race for the Finals, the race for Most Valuable Player (MVP) is just as competitive. As far as contenders go, there are four definite possibilities. Nikola Jokić, considered the best player in the world by many due to consistency in putting up triple-doubles(2), will be a contender until he retires. Another contender is the reigning MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If he continues to perform as efficiently as he did last year, a back-to-back win is entirely possible. Giannis Antetokounmpo is another MVP prospect, however, his defense is not what it once was. If he is able to take the Milwaukee Bucks all the way to the playoffs, there is absolutely a chance of him winning MVP. Finally, Luka Dončić has a promising shot at the title. Dončić put up generational numbers in the 23-24 season, but he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last year, putting him in a new system and forcing him to adjust to a new style of play.
Yet another major development for this season is that many key players are injured. Jayson Tatum, the star player for the Boston Celtics, and Tyrese Haliburton, the star player for the Indiana Pacers, tore their Achilles tendon, leaving them both out for a majority of the season. Many other players have had knee, hand, or hamstring injuries. Injuries have messed the Eastern Conference up so much that now, the seeds will likely be radically different than what they were last year.
This season also marks another batch of new players entering the NBA. The rookie class this year looks promising. Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, and Ace Bailey are all incredibly promising picks for Rookie of the Year. Especially Edgecombe and Bailey, given their hopeful preseason performance. Along with the new class, previously active players have been traded to new teams. The Boston Celtics made some big changes, trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, Kristaps Porziņģis to the Atlanta Hawks, and Al Horford to San Francisco’s Golden State Warriors. The LA Lakers made some calculated moves, signing center DeAndre Ayton and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. The Denver Nuggets traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for the much younger Cam Johnson, who fulfills the same 3-point shooting role as Porter but on a cheaper contract. Finally, the Orlando Magic sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four unprotected first-round draft picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for shooting guard Desmond Bane.
The NBA is entering a new era as previous stars of the 2010s are getting older and retiring. LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul are all approaching retirement age, entering their late 30s and early 40s. Additionally, considering the recent consistency of new champions, there’s likely to be a new top dog in the league next year. Many analysts have referred to this era of balanced competition as the ‘Parity Era.’
There’s a lot to understand about basketball. After reading this article, we hope readers feel caught up on the NBA’s storylines and narratives, along with what the league looks like during this unique season. We wish you a wonderful NBA Season and encourage readers to cheer on the Enloe men’s and women’s basketball teams at the Nest!
(1) Parity is the state of being even. In regards to basketball, it refers to the fact that over the past 6 years, 6 different teams have won it all, essentially creating an “even playing field” for all teams in the playoffs.
(2) In basketball, a triple double is when a player puts up double digit numbers in 3 of the main 5 statistical categories, those being points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
