Darren & Vic's Takes: 2025-26 NBA Season Preview

Published: Thursday, October 9, 2025

by Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa

With the 2025-26 NBA season just two weeks away, Darren & Vic’s Takes returns for another season as well. In this article, the two preview the top teams of each conference in preparation for another year of basketball.

Darren’s Eastern Conference Preview

Last year, the Eastern Conference playoffs proved to be unpredictable, partially due to superstars Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton each suffering season-ending injuries. However, in a conference viewed as somewhat weaker than the West, some new faces rose to the top of the conference and look to remain in contention this season.

Right at the top, the Knicks and Cavaliers likely remain in the top three. After a historical run to their first conference finals in 25 years, New York solidified their position as a true contender. In the offseason, they hired new head coach Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau, whom fans seemed to grow complacent with.

They also addressed key necessities, specifically in bolstering their bench. They signed several veterans to provide much needed depth, including former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, Malcolm Brogdon, and Guerschon Yabusele.

Along with the Knicks, the Cavaliers will likely find themselves back at the top this season. They have not made many changes over the offseason, however, in another year with head coach Kenny Atkinson leading the charge, this team is primed for a deep playoff run.

Barring their usual misfortune with health, an unpopular pick for a possible contender in the upcoming season is the Philadelphia 76ers.

When healthy, it is undeniable that Joel Embiid is one of the most dominant players in the league. Philadelphia also has a fairly deep roster with great guard play, and three-point shooting that should keep them competitive. Expect rookie V.J Edgecomb to be a big factor early on with Jared McCain out to start the year.

Teams like the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and the Detroit Pistons could find themselves in the middle of the conference standings.

Detroit was the sixth seed last season and kept the Knicks on their toes in a competitive first round series. They are a young team in the East attempting to solidify their place with one of the brightest young stars, Cade Cummingham.

The Magic made one of the biggest offseason trades acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and a package of draft picks. Bane is a career 39% three-point shooter and averages 17.8 points per game in his career. He will space the floor for Magic, who were the worst three-point shooting team of last season.

The Hawks made some big moves trading for Kristaps Porzingis and signing Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the offseason to give this young team more shooting and scoring depth.

Lastly, in the play-in range, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are among teams expected to take a step back from last season.

The Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles in the second round of the playoffs. However, they also traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and are expected to witness a fair drop in the standings.

The Bucks were able to retain Giannis Antetokounmpo and shocked the league by acquiring Myles Turner and moving on from Damian Lillard. The new-look Bucks will have much to prove this season as well.

Victor’s Western Conference Preview

The Western Conference brought a lot of surprises last season, and with how the offseason and NBA Draft has gone, it is easy to predict another exciting year from the West.

One team whose success did not shock basketball fans was the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai-Gilgeous Alexander led the way for OKC, having an ideal season. The guard won League MVP, Finals MVP, and the NBA Scoring Title all in the same season.

The Thunder did not make many moves to shake up their roster this offseason, but were able to draft a talented prospect in Thomas Sorber from the Georgetown Hoyas. He will miss this season due to injury, but when he returns, he could contribute significant minutes on an already deep roster. A repeat championship for the Thunder would not be much of a surprise this season.

In terms of last season’s surprises, however, one team that surprised me was the Minnesota Timberwolves. It is clear that they have a massive star in Anthony Edwards, one of the emerging talents in the league. But it can not be a one-man show.

The Timberwolves run deep, as they have Julius Randle, who in my opinion is still in his prime. Additionally, Jaden McDaniels is amongst the best defenders in the league right now. Minnesota also has Naz Reid, Dante Divincenzo, Mike Conley, and of course the four-time defensive player of the year in Rudy Gobert. Fans should not be surprised if they have another deep playoff run this season.

Another surprise team for me was the Sacramento Kings, who now have Zach Lavine to add to the already strong duo of DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. This trio could create a problem for opponents.

Sacramento is my sleeper team going into this season, as they finished ninth in the West last season, but with their talented supporting cast in Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and now veteran Dennis Schroeder, they could rise in the Western Conference Standings.

A final team that surprised me last season was the Dallas Mavericks. With one of the best rosters on paper heading into this season, the Mavs could be a force to be reckoned with.

Last season was full of adversity for Dallas, with the key being Kyrie Irving’s late ACL tear that will now keep him out for the start of the upcoming season as well. However, Dallas was able to beat the odds and win the NBA Draft Lottery, selecting phenom Cooper Flagg with the number one overall pick.

Even with the stunning mid-season relocation of Luka Doncic, the Mavericks have a deep, stacked roster. When Irving returns to join the tandem of Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg, Dallas looks to be a top contender in the West.

Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu, victor.lisboa@student.shu.edu 

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