Predictions and Projections: How the 2025 NBA Season Could Play Out

by Jake Lax, October 22, 2025

Source: AP Photo

The NBA season has just tipped off, and it’s shaping up to be another thrilling year of basketball. Over the next six to seven months, the league promises plenty of storylines and competition. In the Western Conference, the talent runs deep from top to bottom, with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder leading the charge in their quest to repeat. OKC is anchored by reigning league and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 32.7 points per game last season. With one of the deepest rosters in the NBA and nearly their entire championship core returning, the Thunder are well-positioned to remain atop the West once again.

Competing with the Thunder for the top spot in the West will be the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Rockets, and Lakers. Both the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves saw their playoff runs end at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. Denver pushed the defending champs to a hard-fought seven-game series in the Western Conference Semifinals, while Minnesota fell in five games during the Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets have already won a championship with the great core group of players they have right now in Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and all-time great Nikola Jokic. The big move they made this offseason was to trade Michael Porter Jr to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, hoping he’ll provide a better fit in their lineup.

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves will be one of the league’s best teams again this year, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they took the 1 seed in the West. Edwards should continue to make big strides this season and be one of the league’s finalists for MVP. The Houston Rockets made the biggest move of the offseason, acquiring NBA legend Kevin Durant to add to their young and explosive core. With Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson developing into great players, the addition of Kevin Durant should help Houston be at the top of the Western Conference standings headed into the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this season as the duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic will be together for the entire season. The trade that still shocks many to this day, sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, set up the Lakers for a post-LeBron era, but also with one of the league’s best players. With the offense running through Luka and LeBron James expected to miss the first month of the season, expect them to start slow, but be ready to compete for the playoffs.

Western Conference Predictions: 1. Timberwolves 2. Thunder 3. Nuggets 4. Rockets 5. Lakers 6. Clippers 7. Mavericks 8. Spurs

Last year’s Eastern Conference Champions, the Indiana Pacers, will be without their star player Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season, as he suffered a torn achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season. Haliburton won’t be the only star missing the season due to an achilles tear, as Jayson Tatum will be sidelined for the Celtics, leaving the Eastern Conference wide open this year.

There are plenty of contenders for the top spot; however, I see either the Orlando Magic or the New York Knicks taking the 1 seed this season. The Knicks were within two games of the NBA finals last season, losing to the Pacers in six. They return a very deep roster, led by Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns. This team is poised to make a run to the finals. The Knicks also bring in a new head coach, Mike Brown, to try to lift them over the hump in the playoffs. The Orlando Magic is still a very young team, but one that fits very well on paper. Led by All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, they should be one of the best teams in the weak East.

The other contenders in the East are the Cavaliers, 76ers, Celtics, and Pacers. While Indiana and Boston will struggle without Haliburton and Tatum, they both have enough talent and coaching to lead them to the playoffs. The Cavaliers finished first in the East last season and have brought back most of their team, led by superstar guard Donovan Mitchell. As for the Philadelphia 76ers, they were without Joel Embiid for most of last season, forcing them to miss the playoffs. With all the help around Embiid, a healthy season for the 76ers should lead them to a top seed in the East.

Eastern Conference Predictions: 1. Magic 2. Knicks 3. 76ers 4. Cavaliers 5. Pistons 6. Bucks 7. Pacers 8. Celtics

As for the MVP of the league this year, I’ve got it coming down to Anthony Edwards, SGA, and Victor Wembanyama. With the team record playing a factor in voters’ fatigue, it’ll end up being Anthony Edwards winning his first MVP award. At the end of the season, I see two teams with enough star power reaching the NBA Finals: the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. With LeBron, Luka, and the Lakers finding their chemistry and bringing Los Angeles their 18th title.