Gotterdammerung's 2025-26 Season Preview!

[Gotterdammerung]

1. New York Knicks

The Knicks dumped Thibodeau after he dragged them to relevance? Typical case of a front office mistaking boredom for boldness. Brunson’s a pitbull in a guard’s body, but not the kind who wins titles. Towns? Empty calories. Soft defense wrapped in box-score flash.

The East’s a weak pond: Celtics fading, Cavaliers overrated, and Pacers rebuilding. By process of elimination, not greatness, the Knicks might sneak through. Firing Thibs was stupid, but if Mike Brown keeps them tough, they might trip over the finish line anyway.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Kenny Atkinson’s 64-win debut looked shiny until the Cavs got steamrolled again in the second round. This team’s got the resume: Mitchell the scorer, Mobley the stopper, Garland the playmaker, Allen the finisher. But when the games turn mean, they fold. Three straight postseasons, three straight beatdowns.

They play soft, lose focus, and hide behind excuses. Injuries? Every contender deals with them. Ty Jerome’s gone, and they’re gambling on Lonzo Ball’s glass knees to fix their defense. Good luck with that.

On paper, they look elite. On the court, they look like pretenders. The Knicks would rough them up in six — maybe five.

3. Orlando Magic

The Magic were climbing fast until injuries tripped them midstride. Now they’re healthy and armed with Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. Two pros who actually know how to win possessions. Banchero’s built like a tank and plays like he knows it. Wagner’s smooth but tougher than he looks. And Suggs brings edge, if his knee holds.

Their defense is elite, like true, old-school stingy. But their offense? A rock fight. Dead last in threes made and threes hit. Bane’s shooting will help, but unless the rest of this roster learns to hit open shots, they’ll keep grinding games into 1990s sludge.

Tough, disciplined, and dangerous, but not quite scary. A contender on paper, a spoiler in reality.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis keeps putting up video game numbers, but one man can’t carry a roster built on nostalgia. The front office finally admitted Lillard was a defensive turnstile with a bad wheel. So cutting him loose was mercy, not loss. Myles Turner gives them fresher legs, rim protection, and fewer excuses.

Coach Doc still talks like he’s coaching the ’08 Celtics, but at least this version of the Bucks can guard again. Kuzma needs to score without freelancing, and Portis has to stay clean and mean.

They’re not flashy, but they’re tougher and younger. Giannis will drag them into the fight. But whether Doc can stop them from tripping over themselves once they get there is another story.

[Gotterdammerung]

5. Detroit Pistons

Coach Bickerstaff walked in from the Cavaliers’ scrap heap and turned the Pistons into a team that actually guards somebody. From 14 wins to 44?? That ain't luck, that’s structure.

Cade Cunningham’s the real deal: big, poised, and efficient. He’s the kind of lead guard who makes his teammates look smarter than they are. The problem is, the front office swapped steady role guys for question marks. Beasley’s shooting and durability are gone, replaced by LeVert’s inconsistency, Robinson’s matador defense, and Green’s forgettable everything.

Still, youth and grit can cover a lot of front-office blunders, especially in this watered-down East. The Pistons won’t scare anyone yet, but they’ll bloody a few noses on the way up.

6. Atlanta Hawks

Any team built around Trae Young is playing with a glass ceiling. Flashy numbers, hollow wins. That’s been the same old story for seven years. One playoff run doesn’t make him a winner.

Porzingis brings size but not durability, and Alexander-Walker’s solid but not a savior. The Hawks’ defense was a turnstile last season, and these additions are more patchwork than cure.

Sure, in this flimsy East they might flirt with a top-four seed, but come playoff time, they’ll fold faster than Trae after a hard trap. Same show, same ending.

7. Philadelphia 76ers

Ifs and maybes never ever win series. Embiid’s calendar says MVP, his durability says maybe. Paul George hasn’t seen 70 games since dial-up, and Maxey’s availability is a coin flip. The “Process” still processes second-round exits. In a gutted East they’ll scrape enough wins to sneak in, then remember who they are: a regular-season tease with postseason allergies.

8. Miami Heat
Spoelstra keeps squeezing wins out of thin air, but even alchemy has limits. Without Butler’s edge, this roster’s all grit, no killer. Herro’s hurt again, Wiggins is fine but forgettable, and Bam can anchor a defense but not an offense.

They’ll scrap, they’ll defend, they’ll punch above their weight... and still lose to teams with real stars. In this league, effort only gets you so far. The Heat run on fumes, not fire.

[Gotterdammerung]

Western Conference

1. OKC Thunder

Championships hangovers are real. Just ask any would-be dynasty ever since the KD GSW. But this Thunder team isn't built on fumes or luck. Shai Gilgeous Alexander is a 2 way killer just entering his prime & he plays every game like he's got something to prove. 30 ppg, steady playmaking & relentless defense. That's a franchise cornerstone, not a stat padder.

J-Dub turned into the perfect wingman. Versatile, unselfish, & tough. The kid filled every box on the stat sheet & didn't blink under Finals pressure. Lettuce be Reality: this was no tank job miracle. They already had Shai before the so-called rebuild. Philly tanked for fool's gold whereas OKC tanked with a plan.

Hartenstein finally gave them a spine inside. Caruso added grit & IQ of a true vet. They're deep, disciplined & hungry. The kind of defending champs who will actually defend something. The only true threats are health & human nature. Stay sharp, mean & the Thunder could old this decade.

2. Denver Nuggets
The champs had to crawl past the Nuggets & that said plenty. Even shorthanded the Nuggs took OKC to 7, powered by the Joker's brilliance & duct tape depth. Now they've patched up the cracks with real rotation pieces: Cam Johnson's shooting, Valanciunas' muscle, Hardaway spacing & Bruce Bowen's defense first attitude. Losing MPJr & Westbrook is addiction by subtraction.

Jokic keeps rewriting the laws of basketball. A center averaging a triple double like it's morning coffee? Jeez. The best offensive hub since Larry Bird, if not all-time. Murray just needs to stay upright & Gordon has to bring his dirty work & D.

Healthy & deeper, the Nuggs got all the tools to reclaim the throne. With the Joker at the controls, the only thing stopping them is the injury report.

3. Houston Rockets
The Rockets went all-in on nostalgia. They traded youth & picks for 37 year old KD. He can still score with surgical precision: 27 per night on video game efficiency but his legs & calendar aren't teammates anymore. If he stays upright, he gives the Rockets half-court ID they never had.

Sengun is the real engine here: crafty, tough & improving every year. Amen Thompson is already elite defensively but now he's gotta run the show with JVV's knee on ice. that's a huge ask for a 2nd year guard.

This team will be fun, competitive & occassionally impressive. But banking on KD health & young guards for playoff stability is like trusting a paper bridge in a rainstorm. Dangerous upside, shaky foundation.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards turned into a 3 point machine last year. Great for highlights, but not so great for the Wolves' balance. When your best rim attacker starts living behind the arc, something is off. Ant can bury jumpers but his real gift is detonating defenses, not joining them from deep.

2 straight trips to the West Finals, 2 straight 5 game exits. that's progress with no payoff. Meanwhile OKC is younger. Nuggets are smarter & the Rockets just got KD. And here's the Wolves, same roster, same ceiling.

Running it back sounds noble but in this league it is code for standing still. They are good but not getting better fast enough.

[Gotterdammerung]

5. Golden State Warriors
The Butler trade gave the GSW a pulse & a personality again. He dragged them from mediocrity to respectability but his act has a short shelf life. Ask any of his ex teams.

Curry's skilled but he's slowing down. At 38 hamstrings don't heal, they haunt. Draymond's bark is louder than his bite now. The dynasty's shine has faded into stubborn nostalgia. Kuminga is still a mystery. Coach Kerr's patience is thin & the front office is still chasing ghosts.

They'll win enough to matter but not enough to threaten. The glory days are long gone & the clock is louder than the crowd.

6. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers spent the last decade selling nostalgia disguised as contention with ESPN running the infomercial. One bubble title in 7 years is a poor return on the LBJ experiment. Now the curtain's come down on the LeBron-AD era. Doncic is the new engine & the Lakers belong to him, whether LBJ admits it or not.

Doncic can score, create, carry a franchise, but he can't cover for age, injuries or apathy. Ayton looks good on paper until you remember he's allergic to contact & consistency. And Reddick is still more podcaster than Coach. Extending his contract feels more like a LBJ loyalty bonus than a basketball decision.

If Doncic & LBJ stay healthy, 50 wins is possible. But in the playoffs where schemes tighten & weaknesses glow under the spotlight, the lakers will be exposed again. Another 1st round exit dressed up as "progress."

7. San Antonio Spurs
No more patience. No more tanking alibis. The Spurs have real players now. Wemby is already a franchise anchor. Fox brings All-Star steadiness & Castle looks like another draft steal. That trio alone should end the playoff drought.

But youth still means bad shots, soft boards & lazy rotations. Wemby will erase a lot of mistakes but not every single one of them. If Fox keeps the offense organized & the kids grow up quickly, they'll crack 40 wins & sneak into the playoffs.

They aren't a contender yet, not by a long shot, but at least the Spurs are done pretending losing builds character.

8. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs are built on maybes & medical reports. Maybe AD stays healthy. Maybe Cooper Flagg's as good as advertised. Maybe Russell remembers how to run an offense. But counting on Kyrie & maybe in a sentence is how teams end up in the lottery.

AD is still a force when healthy but 50 games seems to be his limit. Flagg has talent & poise but rookies almost never move the needle right away. Klay's jumper has lost its sting & Russell's inconsistency remains undefeated.

They have size, skill & a coach's nightmare worth of uncertainty. With a little luck, they'll flirt with .500.

Bad luck? In Dallas, bad luck is tradition, & they'll be watching the playoffs from the couch.

[Yes or No]

Any preview that doesn't emphasize Victor Wembanyama is gay.

[FultzNationRISE]

It's a nice preview, hopefully you've found some more active boards to post it on as well.

[Wally450]

Good stuff. You don't think the Celtics can overcome the loss of Tatum this season and still make the playoffs?

[Gotterdammerung]

Any preview that doesn't emphasize Victor Wembanyama is gay.

Lazy. If the only insight one can offer about basketball is a grade school insult, they've already benched themselves from serious discussion. Try film study before you talk hoops.

[Gotterdammerung]

It's a nice preview, hopefully you've found some more active boards to post it on as well.

Thanks but I prefer board where folks actually talk basketball, not just count post totals.

[Gotterdammerung]

Good stuff. You don't think the Celtics can overcome the loss of Tatum this season and still make the playoffs?

Well let's be honest. No team loses Tatum, Holiday, Porz and Al Horford then still calls itself a contender with a straight face.

Jaylen Brown is one hell of a player. He is tough, physical & fearless. But asking him to carry this stripped down roster is like asking a pick up truck to haul a freight train. Nope.

The Celts' D was elite cuz of structure & personnel. Now both of them are gone. W/o Tatum's gravity or Holiday's perimeter clamps & Horford's brains on the back line, they'll bleed points. Brown cannot guard 5 positions & drop 30 per night.

Simons will get his numbers. Empty calorie buckets on the wrong end of shootouts. He will stretch the floor but shrink their stops.

Celts will play hard, talk about "culture" but in reality this is a proud team entering a long cold reset.

[Yes or No]

Lazy. If the only insight one can offer about basketball is a grade school insult, they've already benched themselves from serious discussion. Try film study before you talk hoops.

Well you will soon see why he's the only player on the only team that is going to matter either starting within 2 years tops.

Also you're gay.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Well let's be honest. No team loses Tatum, Holiday, Porz and Al Horford then still calls itself a contender with a straight face.

Jaylen Brown is one hell of a player. He is tough, physical & fearless. But asking him to carry this stripped down roster is like asking a pick up truck to haul a freight train. Nope.

The Celts' D was elite cuz of structure & personnel. Now both of them are gone. W/o Tatum's gravity or Holiday's perimeter clamps & Horford's brains on the back line, they'll bleed points. Brown cannot guard 5 positions & drop 30 per night.

Simons will get his numbers. Empty calorie buckets on the wrong end of shootouts. He will stretch the floor but shrink their stops.

Celts will play hard, talk about "culture" but in reality this is a proud team entering a long cold reset.

The players lost are definitely reason to count them out of title contention but you may be overrating the strength of some of these other EC teams to say for sure that there will be 8 better. I fully acknowledge that the remaining healthy players have a lot to prove, so counting them out isn't unreasonable, but Brown, White and Pritchard are a solide base for the offense and Simons is the only rotation player with below-average defense. They can hover around .500, maybe a few games under but also quite possibly a few games over.

[Xiao Yao You]

Certainly in the playoff mix in a shit east

[Gotterdammerung]

The players lost are definitely reason to count them out of title contention but you may be overrating the strength of some of these other EC teams to say for sure that there will be 8 better. I fully acknowledge that the remaining healthy players have a lot to prove, so counting them out isn't unreasonable, but Brown, White and Pritchard are a solide base for the offense and Simons is the only rotation player with below-average defense. They can hover around .500, maybe a few games under but also quite possibly a few games over.

A fair, measured take, and characteristic of Real Men Wear Green, but still misses the big picture.

Brown, White & Pritchard as a solid base sure sounds nice till you realize every opposing scout circles them as a defensive downgrade from last year's core.

Brown is an elite slasher but not a true creator.
White is steady but not a floor tilter.
Pritchard is a microwave scorer but no stabilizer.
W/o Tatum bending defenses or Horford manning the back line this team turns from predator to prey.

Simons can score but "only one minus defender" is already 1 too many when other 4 guys can't erase his mistakes.

0.500 record feels optimistic once the grind starts & opponents exploit every weak rotation.

[Gotterdammerung]

Certainly in the playoff mix in a shit east

Sure, sure, in the mix the same way a car with 3 flat tires is still technically on the road.