Figure 1 NBA fans are already getting excited about the new season
It probably doesn’t feel that long – even for seasoned NBA fans – that the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in five to win the franchise’s 18th championship, the most in the history of the game. But with the NBA Draft and all the major trades in the books, we can now really start to look forward to next season.
There may be a few more months until the first tip-off but NBA fans are getting excited about the return to action – and the leading sports betting apps are already making their own predictions about how the season will go.
Boston looks set to be on the verge of creating a new dynasty and becoming the superpower of the NBA. But there have already been some very interesting moves over the offseason and there are few teams that could cause a surprise in 2024-25. Here’s our very early look at the new season and which teams you should be paying extra special attention to.
Boston Celtics
Where else to start but with the current NBA champions? The Celtics have been one of the best teams in the league for a few years now but finally won that 18th title last season. Incredibly, that was the first time Boston had triumphed since 2008 – that’s a long time to wait to finally become the most successful team of all time.
Most pundits now think that the Celtics can go for back-to-back titles and there are a lot of reasons why that might be the case. All the big players are back for a team that only lost three playoff games last season. This is a big-time team – and the one that everyone will have to beat to win a championship.
Oklahoma City Thunder
There are a number of other teams that can boast of having a good offseason but none can really rival OKC. This was already a franchise that was home to a stable of good players and one that snatched the number one seed berth for last season’s playoffs. But the Thunder has now made another leap forward.
The acquisition of Isaiah Hartenstein from the New York Knicks fills probably the only gap on the skillset chart – rebounds – and brings in a player who was a big part of the Knicks’ revival last year. Alex Caruso is also a great addition to the roster, so OKC should do better with their playoff position in 2025.
New York Knicks
We’re not sure if there is a team fan base in the NBA that is more desperate for a championship than the New York Knicks. It has now been over 50 years since the franchise could celebrate and many of the performances in recent years suggested that it might have been another 50 until the next title win.
But Tom Thibodeau can realistically hope to challenge the Celtics next season now. Jalen Brunson has been a revelation since coming in from Dallas and only injuries arguably ended a run at the finals last season. Adding Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby means that the Knicks will compete once again this year.
Dallas Mavericks
After navigating a tough playoff run, beating the Clippers, OKC, and the Timberwolves, only to lose in just five games to the Celtics in the finals was a major disappointment for the Mavs last season. Now it remains to be seen whether the franchise can raise itself up again to challenge.
Obviously, any team with Luka Doncic will do pretty well, at least, in the regular season. But keeping Kyrie Irving can be as frustrating on defense as it is exciting on offense. The addition of Klay Thompson could be the move that pushes the team forward but his history of injuries is a worry.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers haven’t made it to the Eastern Conference finals since 2001 and have a nasty habit of exiting the playoffs at the semifinals stage. With all the talent that has been on the roster in recent years, not even having the chance to play for a championship has to be classed as a failure.
Now Paul George has been brought in from the Clippers and fans will be eagerly anticipating just how good he will be alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Keeping those three fit and healthy might be a problem but advancing past the first round of the playoffs next season is an absolute must.
Denver Nuggets
With Nikola Jokic, considered by most to be the best player in the NBA, the Nuggets are always going to be in with a shout of another championship. But the team that won the 2023 title, losing only four playoff games along the way, does not exist any more and it could be a struggle next year.
Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a major disappointment after the way he contributed to that championship success. Out too is Reggie Jackson, who was a part of the first-ever six-team transaction in the NBA. It could be that Jokic has to somehow play even better this season for Denver to be successful.
Figure 2 Lakers fans might have little to get excited about
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers lost their record for most NBA championships in June when the Celtics pulled ahead with that devastating series win over the Mavs. But there could be worse to come, as the only reason we have included them here is the prospect of LeBron playing on the same team as his son, Bronny.
The King had apparently considered retiring after last year but wants to play on the same court as Bronny before hanging up his sneakers. That could be the only thing Lakers fans have to enjoy this year, as even the prospect of squeezing into a play-in tournament berth seems touch and go.
