Now that the offseason is over, it is time to take a look at the season ahead before the ball goes up tonight. The New York Knicks are the defending champions for the first time since 1973. The Thunder and Spurs are picking up right where a seven-game Western Conference Finals left off. And the 76ers and Heat spent the summer acting like the regular season was a formality. There is a lot to get to.
Opening Night at a Glance
All three games on Tuesday, Oct. 20 are on NBC and Peacock.
| Matchup | Time (ET) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Celtics at Pistons | 3 p.m. | Last season’s top two seeds in the East |
| 76ers at Knicks | 7 p.m. | Banner night at the Garden and the new-look Sixers’ debut |
| Thunder at Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | A rematch of the Western Conference Finals |
The Champs: New York Finally Did It
The Knicks beat the Spurs 4-1 in the Finals and will raise their first championship banner in more than 50 years before tipping off against Philadelphia. The best part for Knicks fans: all five starters are back. Mitchell Robinson is the only member of the rotation who left, and they brought in Andre Drummond to help fill that role.
Continuity matters in this league, and New York has more of it than any other contender. The betting markets still have them fourth, which tells you how much the rest of the league changed this summer.
The Sixers Went All In (Yes, Really)
No team made a bigger splash than Philadelphia. LeBron James signed as a free agent, calling it the final chapter of his career. Then the Sixers sent Paul George and draft picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown. Add those two to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and you have the most talented starting group in the East on paper.
The key words are on paper. That is a lot of players who are used to having the ball, and Nick Nurse has to figure out who closes games. Opening night in Madison Square Garden is a fun way to find out.
Miami Has Giannis Now
The other earthquake in the East came from Miami. The Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and future draft picks. Giannis and Bam Adebayo is a frontcourt that will be a nightmare to score on, and Heat culture plus a two-time MVP is a combination I would not want to see in May.
The West Is Still a Two-Team Race
Oklahoma City and San Antonio are the co-favorites, and it is not hard to see why. Last season’s West finals went the distance, and the Spurs won Game 7 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder had to let Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins go for salary reasons, but they still have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is going for his third straight MVP. The question is whether Jalen Williams can finally stay healthy.
The Spurs bring back their whole starting lineup and added Tobias Harris. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are all a year older and a year better. Losing in the Finals has a way of motivating young teams, and that is exactly what this one is.
Behind them, Minnesota and Denver are always in the mix, Toronto made a statement by trading for Kawhi Leonard, and Portland went and got Ja Morant.
The Odds Board
| Team | Title odds |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 24% |
| San Antonio Spurs | 23% |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 11% |
| New York Knicks | 9% |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 8% |
| Miami Heat | 6% |
| Boston Celtics | 5% |
| Denver Nuggets | 4% |
| Toronto Raptors | 4% |
| Detroit Pistons | 3% |
Implied championship probability as of Oct. 19.
Dates Worth Circling
- Jaylen Brown’s return to Boston. His first game back at TD Garden in a Sixers uniform is Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and it is going to be loud.
- Giannis’ return to Milwaukee. Giannis makes his first trip back to Fiserv Forum with the Heat on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2027, one week after Brown’s homecoming. Miami is back in Milwaukee again on Friday, March 12.
- Christmas Day. Heat vs. Celtics headlines the holiday slate.
- Tyrese Haliburton’s comeback. He is back after an Achilles tear that cost him roughly a year and a half, and Indiana added Ivica Zubac to help.
Bold Predictions (Hold Me to These)
I went 0-for-the-Yankees on my baseball picks this fall, so I come into this one humbled. That will not stop me.
- MVP: Victor Wembanyama. Somebody has to stop Shai’s streak, and I think this is the year.
- Surprise team: Toronto. Kawhi in a contract-motivated, playoff-hungry spot is dangerous.
- Biggest letdown: Philadelphia starts slow. Four stars and one ball takes time.
- East Finals: Knicks over Heat.
- West Finals: Spurs over Thunder, again.
- NBA Finals: Spurs over Knicks in a rematch, and San Antonio gets its revenge.
If the Sixers make me eat this one, at least I have a good excuse to visit Philadelphia.
Ready for Tip-Off
I was at Crypto.com Arena during the preseason, and there is nothing like an NBA building on a big night. Tonight there are three of them. Can the Knicks run it back? Can LeBron’s final chapter end with one more ring? Can Wemby take the leap from star to face of the league? There will be many stories to see play out, and after a long summer, I am ready for all of them.
Featured photo: Knicks warmup at Madison Square Garden by Julien Menichini, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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