Oct. 12, 2026 by Ethan Hammer (‘30)
The new NBA season is right around the corner, and it is going to be very entertaining. Early superstar’s legacies are coming to end, it is LeBron’s last season, and Curry and Durant probably only have a couple of years left in them. Last season was very trade forward with some influential trades including LeBron James and Jalen Brown to the 76ers, Paul George to the Celtics, Ja Morant to the Trailblazers, and LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves.
Before the season begins, most fans are expecting the 76ers to dominate the Eastern Conference. Their starting five is very good and they will all most likely become Hall of Famers. And yes, I do think if they all stay healthy they should be at the top of the East Coast. Although the East Coast had the best team last year in the NBA championship, the Knicks, there are many competitive teams. So even if the 76ers don’t play well in 10 games, it will have a heavy impact on their defense ranking in the East Coast. The Celtics definitely had a loss when they traded the MVP caliber player Jalen Brown for Paul George. The Celtics were always competing at the top of the East Coast for the past 5 years. But with Jalen Brown traded, they will not be as dominant. This leaves an opening for new, young teams like the Cavaliers, Pacers, and Pistons. The Pacers can be a real contender in the East Coast when they have Tyrese Haliburton back and healthy. They were in Game 7 of the 2025 finals when the Pacers’ star player Tyrese Haliburton tore his right achilles, which led him to miss the whole 2026 season. With the overall top position in the East Coast, I’m predicting that it’ll be the Knicks who will win. They’re coming off an amazing finals run against the Spurs. They should be right back at the top of the East Coast with the same team staying together.
In the Western Conference most of the teams have stayed the same. But with LaMelo Ball going to the Timberwolves, I think that they have the ability to be at the top of the West Conference. The Timberwolves already have a top 10 NBA player, Antony Edwards, and adding all-star LaMelo Ball will make the team electric and fun to watch with Ant’s and LeMelo’s dynamic play style. The same contenders as last year will still be at the top, the Spurs, Nuggets and Rockets. Also, it will be interesting to watch the Trailblazers this year. With the addition of Ja Morant they could maybe make the playoffs. With the loss of LeBron, the Lakers will definitely feel the impact and have less weapons. The Warriors, who have aging Curry, are good on paper but with injuries it makes it hard for them to be a contender and to make a deep playoff run.
Overall, if everything goes how I see it, I see the 76ers and the Timberwolves in the finals with the 76ers winning. The 76ers do have the best team on paper but with the NBA it is very unpredictable because of injuries and different team chemistry. This season is going to be very fun to watch so I encourage everyone to check it out, because it’s a great feeling to see the team you like and support win! Those are my predictions for the 2026-2027 NBA season, I’m excited to watch to see if I’m right!