By Zach Kram, 2026-06-09 18:45:00
在本NBA赛季开始前，我为每支球队量身定制了30个大胆但务实的预测。现在回过头来看，其中一些预测让我显得未雨绸缪、料事如神。而另一些……就有些一言难尽了。
因此，随着2025-26赛季接近尾声，休赛期日益临近，这正是回顾这些零散预测的好时机。我将对自己的每项预测进行打分，在总结过去的同时，也展望未来，预测2025-26赛季的这些结果将如何影响接下来的2026-27赛季。（在此向戴维·肖恩菲尔德 (David Schoenfield) 致敬，他为ESPN的MLB报道撰写了类似的回顾文章。）
以下球队按评分由高到低排序：
直达特定球队：
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GS
HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MEM
MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NYK
OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX | POR
SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
纽约尼克斯
预测： 尼克斯在常规赛中排名东部第三……但依然打进了总决赛。
评级： A+
完全言中！纽约尼克斯之所以只拿到3号种子，是因为在新任主教练迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 的带领下经历了一些成长的烦恼和状态起伏，但他们随后化身为NBA季后赛历史上数据统计上最具统治力的球队，并凭借一波11连胜挺进总决赛。
展望2026-27赛季： 首先，尼克斯正处于自1973年以来首个总冠军的边缘。然而，考虑到这一预测与下赛季的关系，现在他们已经在布朗麾下完全磨合完毕并展现出极强的战斗力，他们在常规赛的表现很可能会比2025-26赛季更好。无论本届总决赛结果如何，尼克斯下赛季很可能依然是冲出东部的最大热门。
亚特兰大老鹰
预测： 杰伦·约翰逊入选最佳阵容第三阵。
评级： A+
杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson) 是本赛季取得突破性进展的明星球员之一。这位全能前锋场均砍下职业生涯新高的各项数据（场均22.5分、10.3个篮板和7.9次助攻），并取代特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 成为老鹰队内最出色的球员。他轻松入选了最佳阵容第三阵。
展望2026-27赛季： 尽管约翰逊在季后赛中未能复制常规赛的高光表现（场均19.5分、7.7个篮板和5.2次助攻），但这位24岁新星的崛起，为交易走杨之后的老鹰指明了新的方向。在约翰逊的带领下，老鹰下赛季应该依然会是一支季后赛边缘的竞争者。
丹佛掘金
预测： 两名掘金球员入选全明星阵容。
评级： A+
尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 的入选毫无悬念。但众所周知，在本赛季之前，他从未与全明星球员当过队友，而贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 也被广泛认为是未入选过全明星的最强现役球员。我认为这种情况会发生改变，而穆雷证明我是对的：他开局强势，打出了职业生涯最好的常规赛表现，场均得到25.4分，三分球命中数排名联盟第五。他不仅首次入选全明星，还首次获得了最佳阵容的荣誉。
展望2026-27赛季： 更好的常规赛表现并没能延续到季后赛，在首轮爆冷负于明尼苏达森林狼的系列赛中，穆雷的投篮命中率仅为36%。
现在，掘金正在考虑围绕约基奇对轮换阵容进行彻底调整。正如ESPN的沙姆斯·查拉尼亚 (Shams Charania) 上个月报道的那样，他们“预计会听取”关于阵容中除约基奇外其他所有球员的报价。在连续三个季后赛未能闯入分区决赛后，掘金的目标是尽可能在约基奇身边配置更多有天赋的帮手。
多伦多猛龙
预测： 多伦多猛龙获得东部前六席位。
评级： A+
以下是我在10月份对猛龙的评价：“虽然他们的上限看起来不高，但他们的下限比东部其他那些饱受伤病困扰的球队要高得多。”事实也确实如此，尽管他们在季后赛首轮出局，但在那之前，他们拿到了四年来的首次胜率过半，并锁定了东部第5的位置。
展望2026-27赛季： 在确保了较高的下限后，猛龙现在必须想办法提高自己的上限——尽管球队完全有理由辩称，如果布兰登·英格拉姆 (Brandon Ingram) 和伊曼纽尔·奎克利 (Immanuel Quickley) 保持健康，他们已经在季后赛中走得更远了。
密尔沃基雄鹿
预测： 莱恩·罗林斯是雄鹿队最好的后卫。
评级： A
本赛季结束时，只有两名雄鹿球员有资格竞争球队最佳后卫的称号：莱恩·罗林斯 (Ryan Rollins) 在74场比赛中场均得到17.3分和5.6次助攻，真实命中率为58%；而小凯文·波特 (Kevin Porter Jr.) 在38场比赛中场均得到17.4分和7.4次助攻，真实命中率为57%。考虑到罗林斯在出勤率上的巨大优势，将他评为第一是合理的，而就在一年前，他还是雄鹿的一名双向合同球员。
展望2026-27赛季： 如果雄鹿留住扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)，那么罗林斯将是这支争冠球队的关键成员。但如果雄鹿交易走他们的MVP，他们就必须考虑是将23岁的罗林斯作为长期建队基石留下来，还是同样将他交易走。下赛季他的薪资空间占用仅为400万美元，对于任何想要赢球的球队来说，他都是一个极具价值的球员。
达拉斯独行侠
预测： P.J.·华盛顿在独行侠至少半数比赛中首发出场。
评级： A
独行侠在季前赛的前两场比赛中让P.J.·华盛顿 (P.J. Washington) 替补出场，而是让丹吉洛·拉塞尔 (D’Angelo Russell) 和克莱·汤普森 (Klay Thompson) 搭档后场首发。由于独行侠需要在外线提供更强的防守能力，这种局面并没持续太久：华盛顿在揭幕战中便首发出场，整个赛季共首发53次，而汤普森和拉塞尔总共仅首发了11次。
展望2026-27赛季： 在独行侠的前场，华盛顿在球风上与库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 非常契合。现在，关于他在独行侠首发阵容中的位置，唯一的疑问是：他们是留住他以在下赛季争取胜利（届时健康的凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving) 将回归），还是将他交易以换取选秀权或年龄与弗拉格更接近的年轻球员。
明尼苏达森林狼
预测： 迈克·康利失去首发位置。
评级： A
现在回想起来，这个预测还不够大胆：迈克·康利 (Mike Conley) 自2023年加盟森林狼以来，在97%的比赛中都是首发，包括每一场季后赛，但这位38岁的老将显然已经开始淡出他职业生涯的黄金期。这一预测在揭幕战当晚便得到了验证，当时森林狼主教练克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 用迪温琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 顶替康利进入首发阵容——尽管由于森林狼后卫线出现伤病，康利最终还是在季后赛中首发了五场。
展望2026-27赛季： 迪温琴佐的跟腱撕裂在森林狼的后场留下了一个空缺。虽然森林狼可以留住今年夏天成为自由球员的康利，但他们更有可能重新签下自由球员阿约·多苏穆 (Ayo Dosunmu)，并让他在未来担任球队的第五名首发。
底特律活塞
预测： 奥萨尔·汤普森与他的兄弟携手入选最佳防守阵容。
评级： A-
阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson) 在2024-25赛季入选了最佳防守阵容第一阵，但在本赛季的投票中并列第11位，而奥萨尔·汤普森 (Ausar Thompson) 则取代他进入了一阵。这位活塞防守悍将获得了联盟所有外线球员中的最高票数。事实证明，这个预测唯一的瑕疵在于阿门未能蝉联最佳防守阵容。
展望2026-27赛季： 汤普森有资格在今年夏天签署他的第一份续约合同，鉴于他在防守端令人难以置信的优势以及在进攻端的短板，这可能会是一场艰难的谈判。尽管如此，他似乎仍有可能成为活塞的长期核心球员，在这支年轻的竞争者中辅佐凯德·康宁汉姆 (Cade Cunningham)。
克利夫兰骑士
预测： 骑士的防守效率低于联盟平均水平。
评级： A-
骑士的防守效率最终排名联盟第15位，因此他们以极其微弱的优势高于平均水平。但相较于埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley) 职业生涯前四个赛季里球队防守一直保持在联盟前十的表现，这仍然是一个巨大的退步。尽管在技术层面上我预测错了，但我还是给自己打了个近乎满分的分数。
展望2026-27赛季： 在经历了一个虽然打进分区决赛但季后赛胜率过半都未能达到的赛季后，骑士在今年休赛期面临着所有球队中最严峻的建队问题。防守问题在季后赛中继续困扰着他们，在16支球队中防守效率仅排在第12位，而詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden) 和多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell) 组成的后场组合在未来似乎也很难在防守端带来太大改观。
奥兰多魔术
预测： 即使神射手德斯蒙德·贝恩加盟，魔术的三分命中率依然处于联盟倒数前三。
评级： A-
魔术的三分命中率最终排名联盟第27位，这意味着他们是倒数第四，但他们仅比第28名（开拓者）高了不到0.1%：魔术的三分命中率为34.33%，而开拓者为34.26%。这已经非常接近了，如果魔术少投进3个三分球——在整整82场比赛中少进3个——他们的命中率就会跌入倒数前三。
展望2026-27赛季： 显然，德斯蒙德·贝恩 (Desmond Bane) 一个人无法解决魔术的投篮难题。他们需要做出更多改变来改善这一顽疾。也许新任主教练肖恩·斯威尼 (Sean Sweeney) 能够提供帮助，又或者今年夏天另一笔重磅交易能为魔术的阵容带来在现代NBA中赢球所需的平衡。
夏洛特黄蜂
预测： 两名黄蜂球员——康·克努佩尔和赖安·卡尔克布伦纳——入选最佳新秀阵容。
评级： B+
康·克努佩尔 (Kon Knueppel) 全票入选最佳新秀阵容第一阵，而赖安·卡尔克布伦纳 (Ryan Kalkbrenner) 则在最佳新秀第二阵最后一个名额的竞争中屈居次席，在100张选票中获得了43票，这得益于他场均1.5次盖帽和令人惊叹的75%投篮命中率。
展望2026-27赛季： 克努佩尔和卡尔克布伦纳——以及在较小程度上，同为2025届新秀的锡安·詹姆斯 (Sion James)——看起来都是这支崭露头角的黄蜂队的长期建队基石。当然，在三分球命中数领跑全联盟之后，克努佩尔有望成长为一名不折不扣的明星球员。卡尔克布伦纳由于年龄（已经24岁）和移动能力受限，上限可能不会太高，但他至少能成为一名实力不俗的轮换内线。
布鲁克林篮网
预测： 篮网的失误数领跑全联盟。
评级： B+
布鲁克林篮网的失误数位列联盟第二，仅次于开拓者。有趣的是，篮网在失误方面表现得非常“均等”；没有哪位球员场均失误超过2.3次，但通过全队的通力合作，他们还是累积了大量的失误。
展望2026-27赛季： 篮网所有的年轻持球手下赛季都将年长一岁，经验也更加丰富，而且布鲁克林今年夏天可能会有更大规模的动作。篮网在2027年并不掌握自己的首轮选秀权，因此他们有动力在下赛季赢下更多比赛，并大幅减少失误。
印第安纳步行者
预测： 杰伊·赫夫是步行者队最好的中锋。
评级： B
杰伊·赫夫 (Jay Huff) 打出了一个扎实的赛季，场均贡献9.5分和1.9次盖帽，同时在出手量不低的情况下投出了32%的三分命中率。他是步行者唯一打满82场比赛的球员。但他成为印第安纳最好的中锋，在某种程度上只是因为艾赛亚·杰克逊 (Isaiah Jackson) 从跟腱撕裂中复出后无法提供满意的答案。这种几乎是默认的队内最佳状态只持续到了2月份，当时球队意识到需要一个更具长期影响力的内线选择，于是交易来了伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac)。
展望2026-27赛季： 赫夫下赛季的合同仅为极其划算的270万美元，他应该能成为联盟中最出色的替补中锋之一。在步行者一年前打进总决赛的征程中，替补阵容是他们的巨大优势，因此赫夫下赛季可以在这方面提供助力。
费城76人
预测： 76人最终战绩为41胜41负。
评级： B
这一预测的前提是，在过去12个赛季中，76人要么极好，要么极差，但在进入2025-26赛季时，他们看起来平庸了许多。至少这一部分预测是准确的；他们45胜37负的战绩是自2011-12赛季以来最接近50%胜率的一次。但想要拿到不偏不倚的41胜41负还是差了一点。
展望2026-27赛季： 预测76人下赛季的战绩是徒劳的，因为这在很大程度上仍取决于乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 难以预料的出勤率。但随着泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey) 和VJ·艾奇库姆 (VJ Edgecombe) 再经历一个赛季的成长，他们应该能够期待再次拿到胜率过半的战绩。
迈阿密热火
预测： 凯莱尔·韦尔场均贡献15分和10个篮板。
评级： C
凯莱尔·韦尔 (Kel’el Ware) 在新秀赛季场均得到9.3分和7.4个篮板，而在他的第二个赛季，这些数据仅有小幅提升：场均得到11.1分和9.0个篮板。
展望2026-27赛季： 鉴于他的年轻和潜力，如果迈阿密在今年夏天寻求引进明星球员，22岁的韦尔将是极具吸引力的交易筹码。但如果他下赛季仍留在阵中，他能否与阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 兼容依然是一个悬而未决的问题。有时这对双塔组合效果不错，但有时其空间局限性会阻碍高效的进攻，因此热火主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 在过去两个赛季里一直让韦尔在首发和替补之间来回切换。
芝加哥公牛
预测： 约什·吉迪的场均数据接近三双。
评级： C
约什·吉迪 (Josh Giddey) 以13次三双并列联盟三双总数第二。但从他的赛季场均数据来看，虽然他将助攻提升到了场均9.1次（高居NBA第三），但他的篮板球几乎没有变化：本赛季场均8.3个，上赛季场均8.1个。
展望2026-27赛季： 在公牛于交易截止日送走科比·怀特 (Coby White) 和多苏穆之后，吉迪成为了芝加哥当之无愧的头号组织核心——根据马塔斯·布泽利斯 (Matas Buzelis) 的成长进度以及公牛如何使用手中的4号签，他甚至可能成为球队的头号得分手。即便在新管理层的领导下，身边的队友在不断发生变化，吉迪下赛季仍有可能进一步提升自己的个人数据。
插图由 ESPN 提供
新奥尔良鹈鹕
预测： 德里克·奎因极少与蔡恩·威廉森同时在场。
评级： C
从本质上讲我是对的：蔡恩·威廉森 (Zion Williamson) 和德里克·奎因 (Derik Queen) 同时在场的阵容每百回合净负11.0分，这表明这两位技术特点相似的球员无法并肩作战。这是鹈鹕所有共同出场至少400分钟的双人组合中，净效率最差的一对。然而，尽管存在这些困难，这对组合还是共同出场了711分钟，这远远超出了我的预期。
展望2026-27赛季： 厘清如何构建新奥尔良的轮换阵容将是鹈鹕新任主教练贾马尔·莫斯利 (Jamahl Mosley)面临的首要任务之一，他对如何处理高顺位新秀之间不兼容的问题并不陌生。就目前而言，威廉森预计将担任首发，而奎因则出任替补——但对于一个当初花费了大量选秀资产才得到奎因的球队来说，这足够了吗？
金州勇士
预测： 金州勇士在季后赛首轮获得主场优势。
评级： C-
显然，金州勇士最终仅取得了37胜45负的战绩，排名西部第10，距离前四种子相去甚远。其实他们的开局并没有那么糟糕：在1月份吉米·巴特勒 (Jimmy Butler) 遭遇前交叉韧带（ACL）撕裂时，勇士的战绩为25胜19负，距离西部第4仅差3.5个胜场。但他们也从未达到数据分析所预期的那种“黑马争冠者”的姿态。
展望2026-27赛季： 鉴于巴特勒下赛季将缺席相当长一段时间，如果勇士想要在斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 职业生涯的后巅峰期保持竞争力，他们今年夏天需要引入强援。他们会尝试交易来阿德托昆博吗？签下勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James)？还是引入其他明星球员？所有的选择都应该摆在桌面上。
俄克拉荷马城雷霆
预测： 雷霆成为NBA历史上第三支拿到70胜的球队。
评级： D+
在雷霆打出24胜1负的开局后，我几乎准备好提前庆祝这一预测了。但伤病以及常规赛对阵马刺1胜4负的战绩，阻碍了他们真正冲击70胜；即便他们在全明星周末后赢下每一场比赛，最终战绩也只能是68胜14负。
展望2026-27赛季： 除了预测雷霆将获得70胜外，我在本赛季开始前也曾指出，这可能是俄克拉荷马城的巅峰期（至少在常规赛是如此），因为这可能是雷霆在受制于薪资空间、不得不开始清洗功臣之前的最后一个赛季。现在他们已经走到了这个十字路口，在止步分区决赛后，面对空间日益昂贵的阵容，他们必须在今年休赛期面对重大的抉择。
再加上随着新的选秀抽签规则出台，联盟中那些战绩最差的球队在下赛季将没有摆烂的动力，这意味着在2026-27赛季，所谓的“送分场次”将会减少。因此，雷霆下赛季再次冲击70胜的可能性微乎其微。
波特兰开拓者
预测： 开拓者最终防守效率位列联盟前五，而进攻效率处于联盟倒数前五。
评级： D+
开拓者最终进攻效率排名联盟第21位，防守效率排名第12位，因此这两部分预测均未实现。他们在防守端是否有显著提升？确实有。但他们并没有像我预期的那样严重偏科。
展望2026-27赛季： 因跟腱撕裂缺席了整个赛季的达米安·利拉德 (Damian Lillard) 的回归，可能会在提升开拓者进攻的同时削弱其防守，因此开拓者下赛季的表现可能会更加均衡。
不过，虽然开拓者拥有多诺万·克林根 (Donovan Clingan)、朱·霍勒迪 (Jrue Holiday) 和图马尼·卡马拉 (Toumani Camara) 奠定的坚实防守基础，但要想让进攻达到联盟平均水平，仅靠利拉德一人还远远不够——这还需要丹尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija) 的再次飞跃，或者斯库特·亨德森 (Scoot Henderson) 取得实质性的成长。
圣安东尼奥马刺
预测： 维克托·文班亚马将打出NBA自1994年大卫·罗宾逊之后的首个四双，也是有记载历史上的第五个。
评级： D
维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 连续第三个赛季领跑联盟盖帽榜，但他从未在常规赛中单场盖帽上双（尽管他在对阵森林狼的一场季后赛中送出了12次盖帽）。在他唯一一次助攻上双（10次）的比赛中，他仅送出了1次盖帽。
换句话说，虽然文班亚马在单场比赛中拿到两双（得分和篮板上双）多达42次，但要在不依靠抢断的情况下实现四双，至少需要盖帽和助攻总和达到20次，而文班亚马单场这两项数据的最高总和仅为12次（一场比赛8次助攻和4次盖帽，另一场比赛7次助攻和5次盖帽）。
展望2026-27赛季： 文班亚马自身的威慑力可能会成为达成这一成就的阻碍，因为他令人望而生畏的护筐能力意味着对手往往会选择远离篮下，而不是给他送出盖帽的机会。不过，只要他下定决心，很难想象在篮球场上有什么是他无法做到的。几个月后，我大概还会做出这个一模一样的大胆但务实的预测。
休斯顿火箭
预测： 阿尔佩伦·申京在MVP投票中进入前十。
评级： D
阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun) 并没有继续取得进步，而是陷入了瓶颈期。他的表现基本上与前几个赛季持平；他的效率值（PER）在本赛季和上赛季实际上都是21.4。这种级别的表现，再加上火箭仅排在西部第五的平庸战绩，导致他连一张MVP选票都没有拿到。
展望2026-27赛季： 火箭是会选择保持原班人马，寄希望于健康的弗雷德·范弗利特 (Fred VanVleet) 和史蒂文·亚当斯 (Steven Adams)，以及奥萨尔·汤普森和里德·谢泼德 (Reed Sheppard) 的进一步成长，来帮助他们提升在西部竞争中的地位？还是他们认为球队的核心阵容存在根本性问题，从而需要做出更彻底的改变——比如用申京去交易另一位更适合的明星球员？
犹他爵士
预测： 埃斯·贝利将领跑所有新秀的场均得分榜。
评级： D
埃斯·贝利 (Ace Bailey) 在新秀中场均得分排名第五（13.8分），尽管他在进入NBA时以热衷出手而闻名，但他的使用率（21.4%）仅排在第11位，差距明显。
展望2026-27赛季： 在入选最佳新秀阵容第二阵后，贝利将致力于个人能力的提升。但更重要的是，在引进了小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.) 并手握今年选秀大会的2号签之后，爵士将寻求让他融入更高级的团队战术理念，从而实现战绩上的飞跃。
如果杰克逊以及AJ·迪班萨 (AJ Dybantsa) 或达林·彼得森 (Darryn Peterson) 抢占了先机，贝利下赛季可能无法保住首发位置，但如果爵士想要实现重返季后赛的目标，他仍将是一个重要的贡献者。
洛杉矶湖人
预测： 湖人跌入附加赛。
评级： F
这一预测的前提是湖人缺乏阵容深度，但他们在卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 缺席的比赛中取得了10胜8负的不错战绩，并且在奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 和勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 缺阵期间也挺了过来。洛杉矶湖人最终取得了53胜29负的战绩，领先附加赛区多达8个胜场。
展望2026-27赛季： 这对湖人来说是一个至关重要的休赛期，他们必须决定是否续签自由球员里夫斯和詹姆斯——以及合同金额和年限——同时还要处理其他许多轮换球员的去留。
但只要东契奇还在阵中，并且身边配有一定水平的帮手，湖人在可预见的未来就应该能稳居季后赛行列。想要追赶雷霆和马刺会很困难，但将目标锁定在西部第3或第4种子是完全合理的。
LA快船
预测： 伊维察·祖巴茨在年度最佳防守球员（DPOY）投票中进入前三。
评级： F
伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac) 由于仅出战了48场比赛（其中43场代表快船）而失去了评选季后赛奖项的资格，但即便他有资格，也无法参与竞争。这位由快船转投步行者的中锋在攻防两端的表现都明显逊于2024-25赛季，而快船的防守效率也从第3位跌至第21位（仅计算祖巴茨被交易前的时期）。
展望2026-27赛季： 快船下赛季拥有保障合同的内线球员仅有艾赛亚·杰克逊 (Isaiah Jackson) 和二年级新星亚尼克·科南·尼德豪泽 (Yanic Konan Niederhauser)，因此他们显然在寻找祖巴茨替代者方面还有很多工作要做。（尼德豪泽很有潜力，但还没有准备好与科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 搭档并立即赢球。）
与此同时，在印第安纳，随着步行者重新向竞争者行列发起冲击，祖巴茨将成为迈尔斯·特纳 (Myles Turner) 的实际替代者；虽然他的盖帽能力不及特纳，但整体防守更为出色，这在理论上是对步行者长期首发中锋的一次升级。
波士顿凯尔特人
预测： 波士顿凯尔特人在一场常规时间（无加时）的比赛中出手至少70次三分球。
评级： F
凯尔特人单场三分出手数从未超过59次，这甚至低于2024-25赛季的最高纪录，当时在杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 保持健康的情况下，他们曾有四场常规时间的比赛三分出手超过60次。在塔图姆受伤后，凯尔特人非但没有更加依赖三分球的起伏，反而从2024-25赛季的三分出手率领跑全联盟，跌到了本赛季的第四位。
展望2026-27赛季： 只要乔·马祖拉 (Joe Mazzulla) 还是主教练，凯尔特人的三分出手数就应该一直名列联盟前茅，但他们下赛季似乎对丰富自己的进攻手段更感兴趣。
“我们必须弄清楚的事情之一，是如何在篮筐附近施加更大的影响力，”篮球运营总裁布拉德·史蒂文斯 (Brad Stevens) 在凯尔特人首轮爆冷出局后表示。
孟菲斯灰熊
预测： 肯塔维奥斯·考德威尔-波普的三分命中率超过德斯蒙德·贝恩。
评级： F
肯塔维奥斯·考德威尔-波普 (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) 在离开奥兰多后并未迎来反弹，相反，他的下滑速度在加快。他的三分命中率从在掘金的最后一个赛季（2023-24赛季）的41%跌至奥兰多的34%，在孟菲斯更是跌到了仅有32%。与此同时，效力于魔术的贝恩则在外线保持了39%的稳定命中率。
展望2026-27赛季： 预计考德威尔-波普将在今年夏天执行他2160万美元的球员选项；基于他过去两个赛季的表现，他在自由市场上很难拿到这么高的薪水。这位两届总冠军得主在今年2月年满33岁，自离开掘金后，他的场均得分就再未达到两位数。
萨克拉门托国王
预测： 国王将打进附加赛。
评级： F
唉。我本以为凭借进攻端的明星效应，国王能拥有一个相当不错的下限，但多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis) 仅打了19场比赛，扎克·拉文 (Zach LaVine) 也只打了39场。萨克拉门托不仅未能打进附加赛，反而吞下了60场败仗，创下队史单赛季第二差战绩。
展望2026-27赛季： 萨克拉门托可以考虑将2025-26赛季作为全面重建的第一年，从而确保明年也排在积分榜末尾。但选秀抽签规则的改革意味着国王没有动力再次输掉60场比赛，而且理论上球队中最有天赋的球员下赛季都可以回归。仔细琢磨一下，你或许能看到国王在2027年竞争附加赛席位的可行之路。
菲尼克斯太阳
预测： 菲尼克斯太阳排名西部第14位。
评级： F
太阳在失去凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 的情况下，战绩反而提升了9个胜场，并锁定了西部第7。我能不能假装自己原本预测的是太阳打进附加赛，而国王在积分榜垫底，而不是相反？
展望2026-27赛季： 鉴于太阳除了德文·布克 (Devin Booker) 之外依然没有过硬的天赋储备，而且在2032年之前也没有太多选秀资产，他们的上限是否能高出附加赛区还有待观察。但新任主教练乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott) 为这支球队建立了一个更加稳固的下限，因此他们下赛季应该依然能够竞争一个季后赛席位。
华盛顿奇才
预测： 凯姆·惠特莫尔领跑全队得分榜。
评级： F
凯姆·惠特莫尔 (Cam Whitmore) 仅出战了21场比赛，场均得到9.2分，随后因右肩深静脉血栓而赛季报销。他本赛季的总得分在奇才队内仅排在第16位。
展望2026-27赛季： 随着特雷·杨和安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 如今齐聚奇才，再加上他们手握2026年选秀大会的状元签，可以肯定的是，惠特莫尔下赛季也不会在球队得分王的考虑范围之内。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Grading bold 2025-26 season predictions for all 30 NBA teams
Grading bold 2025-26 season predictions for all 30 NBA teams
Before this NBA season began, I made 30 bold but realistic predictions, one for each team. In retrospect, some of them made me look prescient and smart. Others … less so.
So as the 2025-26 season winds down and the offseason approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on those scattered prognoses. I’m grading each of my predictions, looking back, as well as spinning it forward to forecast how these 2025-26 outcomes might influence the 2026-27 season to come. (Hat tip to David Schoenfield, who does this exercise for ESPN’s MLB coverage.)
Teams are organized from best to worst grades below:
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GS
HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MEM
MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NYK
OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX | POR
SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
New York Knicks
The prediction: The Knicks finish third in the East in the regular season … but still reach the Finals.
Grade: A+
Nailed it! New York landed the 3-seed because it struggled through some growing pains and inconsistency under new coach Mike Brown, but it turned into the most statistically dominant team in NBA playoff history and reached the Finals on an 11-game winning streak.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: First things first: The Knicks are on the precipice of their first championship since 1973. Considering this prediction as it relates to next season, however, it’s likely they will fare better in the regular season than they did in 2025-26, now that they’ve fully jelled and flourished under Brown. And regardless of how these Finals finish, the Knicks will likely enter next season as the favorites to emerge from the East once again.
Atlanta Hawks
The prediction: Jalen Johnson makes the All-NBA third team.
Grade: A+
Johnson was one of the breakout stars of the season. The do-it-all forward averaged career highs across the board (22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game) and took over for Trae Young as Atlanta’s best player. He comfortably slotted into the All-NBA third team.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Johnson wasn’t able to replicate those highs in the playoffs (19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game), but the 24-year-old’s emergence gives Atlanta a new direction after trading Young. The Hawks should remain a fringe contender next season, with Johnson leading the way.
Denver Nuggets
The prediction: Two Nuggets make the All-Star team.
Grade: A+
Nikola Jokic was a shoo-in. But he famously had never been teammates with an All-Star before this season, and Jamal Murray was widely regarded as the best active player never to make an All-Star team. I thought that would change, and Murray proved me right: He started strong and turned in the best regular season of his career, averaging 25.4 PPG and ranking fifth in 3-point makes. He not only received his first All-Star nod, but his first All-NBA honor, as well.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: A better regular-season performance didn’t continue into the playoffs, where Murray shot just 36% from the field in a surprising first-round loss to Minnesota.
Now, the Nuggets are considering drastic changes to their rotation around Jokic, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last month that they are “expected to take calls” about every other player on the roster. The goal is to surround Jokic with as much talent as possible, after three consecutive postseasons falling short of the conference finals.
Toronto Raptors
The prediction: Toronto earns a top-six seed.
Grade: A+
Here’s what I wrote about the Raptors in October: “Although their ceiling looks low, their floor is a lot higher than those of the other injury-decimated rosters in the East.” And indeed, they fell in the first round of the playoffs, but not before finishing with their first winning record in four years and landing the 5-seed.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: With a high floor secured, Toronto now must figure out how to raise its ceiling – though the team could reasonably argue it would have already advanced in the playoffs with a healthy Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley.
Milwaukee Bucks
The prediction: Ryan Rollins is the Bucks’ best guard.
Grade: A
Only two Bucks ended the season in contention for the title of the team’s best guard: Rollins averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists across 74 games with 58% true shooting, while Kevin Porter Jr. averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 assists in 38 games with 57% true shooting. Given Rollins’ big advantage in availability, it’s reasonable to rate him as No. 1, just a year after he was a two-way player for Milwaukee.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: If the Bucks retain Giannis Antetokounmpo, then Rollins will be a key player for a team trying to contend. But if the Bucks trade their MVP, they’ll have to consider whether to keep the 23-year-old Rollins as a long-term building block or deal him, too. With a cap hit of just $4 million next year, he would be a very valuable player for a team trying to win.
Dallas Mavericks
The prediction: P.J. Washington starts at least half of Dallas’ games.
Grade: A
Dallas brought Washington off the bench for its first two preseason games, instead starting D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson in the backcourt. That state of affairs didn’t last long as the Mavericks sought more defensive ability on the perimeter: Washington started on opening night and made 53 starts overall, while Thompson and Russell made just 11 starts combined.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Washington is a great stylistic fit next to Cooper Flagg in Dallas’ frontcourt. Now the only question about his place in the Mavericks’ starting lineup is whether they keep him to try to win next season – with a healthy Kyrie Irving back in the fold – or trade him for picks or young players who are closer in age to Flagg.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The prediction: Mike Conley loses his starting spot.
Grade: A
In retrospect, this prediction wasn’t bold enough: Conley had started 97% of his games since joining the Timberwolves in 2023, including every playoff game, but the 38-year-old was clearly aging out of that era of his career. This prediction was clinched on opening night, when Minnesota coach Chris Finch swapped Donte DiVincenzo in for Conley in the starting lineup – though Conley did end up starting five playoff games because of injuries in the Timberwolves’ guard rotation.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: DiVincenzo’s Achilles tear has created an opening in Minnesota’s backcourt. Yet while the Timberwolves could retain Conley, who’s a free agent this summer, they’ll more likely re-sign free agent Ayo Dosunmu and use him as their fifth starter going forward.
Detroit Pistons
The prediction: Ausar Thompson joins his brother on the All-Defensive Team.
Grade: A-
Amen Thompson made the All-Defensive first team in 2024-25, then tied for 11th in the voting this season while Ausar replaced him on the first team. The Pistons’ stopper received the most votes for any perimeter player in the league. The only problem with this prediction, it turned out, was that Amen didn’t repeat as an All-NBA defender.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Thompson is eligible to sign his first contract extension this summer, and it could be a tricky negotiation, given his incredible strengths on defense and deficiencies on the other end. Still, he seems likely to be a core player for Detroit over the long term, flanking Cade Cunningham on a young contender.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The prediction: The Cavaliers finish with a below-average defense.
Grade: A-
The Cavaliers finished 15th in defensive rating, so they were above average by the narrowest of margins. But that still represented a major decline after they had top-10 defenses in the first four seasons of Evan Mobley’s career. I’m giving myself almost full credit, despite the technical loss.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: The Cavaliers face some of the largest team-building questions of any team this offseason, after they compiled a losing playoff record despite making the conference finals. Defensive problems continued to plague them in the postseason, as they ranked 12th in defensive rating out of 16 teams, and a backcourt of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell isn’t likely to improve much on that front going forward.
Orlando Magic
The prediction: Orlando is a bottom-three team in 3-point percentage, even with sharpshooter Desmond Bane joining the rotation.
Grade: A-
The Magic finished 27th in 3-point percentage, meaning they were a bottom-four team, but they beat the 28th-place team (Portland) by less than one-tenth of 1%: Orlando made 34.33% of its 3s, while Portland made 34.26%. That’s close enough that if the Magic had made just three fewer 3-pointers – three total 3s, across 82 games – they would’ve been bottom-three in percentage.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Clearly, Bane didn’t fix the Magic’s shooting woes by himself. They’ll need more to change to improve this persistent weakness. Maybe new coach Sean Sweeney can help, or maybe another blockbuster trade this summer could give Orlando’s roster the right balance it needs to win in the modern NBA.
Charlotte Hornets
The prediction: Two Hornets – Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner – make the All-Rookie Team.
Grade: B+
Knueppel was a unanimous selection for the All-Rookie first team, while Kalkbrenner finished as the runner-up for the last spot on the second team, placing on 43 out of 100 ballots, thanks to his 1.5 blocks per game and eye-popping 75% field goal shooting.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Both Knueppel and Kalkbrenner – and, to a lesser extent, fellow 2025 draftee Sion James – look like long-term building blocks for the budding Hornets.
Knueppel, of course, could develop into a full-on star, after leading the NBA in made 3-pointers. Kalkbrenner might not have the highest ceiling, due to his age (already 24) and limited mobility, but he profiles as a strong rotation big at the very least.
Brooklyn Nets
The prediction: The Nets lead the league in turnovers.
Grade: B+
Brooklyn had the second-most turnovers, just behind the Trail Blazers. Interestingly, the Nets were an equal-opportunity turnover group; no individual player averaged more than 2.3 giveaways per game, but they racked up plenty via a group effort.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: All of the Nets’ young ball handlers will be a year older and more experienced next season, and Brooklyn might have more large-scale moves in store this summer. The Nets don’t control their own first-round pick in 2027, so they’re incentivized to try to win a lot more games – and commit a lot fewer turnovers – next season.
Indiana Pacers
The prediction: Jay Huff is the best Pacers center.
Grade: B
Huff turned in a solid season, averaging 9.5 points and 1.9 blocks per game while making 32% of his 3s on a high volume. He was the only Pacer to play all 82 games. But he was Indiana’s best center – which happened almost by default, because Isaiah Jackson wasn’t the answer in his return from an Achilles tear – only until February, when the team saw the need for a more impactful long-term option and traded for Ivica Zubac.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Huff is under contract for an eminently reasonable $2.7 million, and he should slot in as one of the best backup centers in the league. Indiana’s bench was a huge strength during the team’s Finals run a year ago, so Huff can help with that effort next season.
Philadelphia 76ers
The prediction: The 76ers finish 41-41.
Grade: B
This prediction was premised on the fact that the 76ers had either been very good or very bad in each of the past 12 seasons, but they looked more mediocre entering 2025-26. That part was true, at least; their 45-37 record was their closest to .500 since 2011-12. But a perfectly even 41-41 record was out of reach.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Forecasting the 76ers’ record next season is a fool’s errand, as it’s still so dependent on Joel Embiid’s unpredictable availability. But with another season of development for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, they should expect another winning record.
Miami Heat
The prediction: Kel’el Ware averages 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Grade: C
Ware averaged 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a rookie, and he boosted those figures by only minor amounts in his second season: 11.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Because of his youth and potential, the 22-year-old Ware is a prime trade candidate this summer if Miami goes searching for a star. But if he is still on the roster next season, it remains an open question whether he can fit next to Bam Adebayo.
Sometimes that big duo works, but other times its spacing limitations get in the way of efficient offense, so Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has spent the past two seasons shuffling Ware in and out of the starting lineup.
Chicago Bulls
The prediction: Josh Giddey flirts with averaging a triple-double.
Grade: C
Giddey tied for second in total triple-doubles, with 13. But in terms of his season averages, while he boosted his assists to 9.1 per game – which ranked third in the NBA – his rebounds barely budged: He averaged 8.3 this season and 8.1 last season.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Without Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, whom the Bulls traded at the deadline, Giddey is the clear No. 1 playmaker in Chicago – and he might be the No. 1 scorer, too, depending on Matas Buzelis’ development and what the Bulls do with the No. 4 pick in the draft.
Giddey could boost his individual statistics even more next season, even as the team around him changes under new management.
Illustration by ESPN
New Orleans Pelicans
The prediction: Derik Queen rarely shares the court with Zion Williamson.
Grade: C
I was right in spirit: Lineups with Williamson and Queen together were outscored by 11.0 points per 100 possessions, showing that the two similar players can’t play next to each other. That was the worst net rating for any two-man combination on the Pelicans that played at least 400 minutes.
Despite those difficulties, however, the duo shared the court for 711 minutes, which is far more than I expected.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Figuring out how to structure New Orleans’ rotation will be one of the main tasks for new Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley, who’s no stranger to highly drafted players who aren’t an ideal fit next to each other. As of now, Williamson projects as a starter and Queen as a reserve – but is that enough for a franchise that spent so much draft capital to acquire Queen in the first place?
Golden State Warriors
The prediction: Golden State earns home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Grade: C-
Obviously, Golden State didn’t finish anywhere near a top-four seed, with a 37-45 record that placed 10th in the West. It didn’t start out that bad: The Warriors were 25-19, 3½ games back of the 4-seed, when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January. But they never fulfilled the analytical expectations that they were a sneaky contender this season, either.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: With Butler set to miss a chunk of next season, the Warriors need a major talent infusion this summer if they want to remain competitive in Stephen Curry’s post-peak period. Could they trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Sign LeBron James? Bring in some other star? All options should be on the table.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The prediction: The Thunder become the third 70-win team in NBA history.
Grade: D+
I was almost ready to take a victory lap on this prediction, after the Thunder started 24-1. But injuries and a 1-4 regular-season record against the Spurs prevented them from making a real run at 70 wins; even if they’d won every single game after the All-Star break, they would have finished 68-14.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: In addition to predicting the Thunder would win 70 games, I also suggested before this season that it could be Oklahoma City’s peak, at least in the regular season, because it could be the Thunder’s last before they had to start shedding contributors because of cap constraints. Now they’ve arrived at that juncture, with big offseason questions about an increasingly expensive roster following a loss in the conference finals.
Add in the fact that with the new draft lottery rules, there’s no incentive for the league’s worst teams to tank next season, and fewer “free” wins will be available in 2026-27. There is therefore little chance the Thunder make a run at 70 wins again.
Portland Trail Blazers
The prediction: Portland finishes with a top-five defense and a bottom-five offense.
Grade: D+
The Trail Blazers finished 21st in offensive rating and 12th on defense, so they didn’t fulfill either part of this two-part prediction. Were they better defensively by a meaningful margin? Sure. But they weren’t nearly as lopsided as I anticipated.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Damian Lillard’s return after sitting out the season with an Achilles tear could simultaneously improve Portland’s offense and make its defense worse, so the Trail Blazers will likely be more balanced next season.
Still, while a strong defensive foundation exists with Donovan Clingan, Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara, the offense might need more than just Lillard – say, another big leap forward from Deni Avdija, or meaningful development from Scoot Henderson – to reach league average.
San Antonio Spurs
The prediction: Victor Wembanyama will have the NBA’s first quadruple-double since David Robinson in 1994, and just the fifth in recorded history.
Grade: D
Wembanyama led the league in blocks for the third straight season, but he never reached double-digit blocks in the regular season (though he tallied 12 in a playoff game against Minnesota). In his lone game with 10 assists, he tallied only a single block.
Put another way, while Wembanyama recorded double-digit points and rebounds in the same game 42 times, achieving a quadruple-double without steals requires at least 20 combined blocks and assists, and Wembanyama’s single-game high when combining those stats was 12 (eight assists and four blocks in one game, seven assists and five blocks in another).
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Wembanyama’s own reputation might get in the way of this achievement, as his intimidating rim protection prowess means opposing players often veer away from the basket instead of giving him attempts to block. Still, it’s difficult to imagine anything he can’t accomplish on the basketball court if he sets his mind to it. I’ll probably make this exact same bold but realistic prediction again in a few months.
Houston Rockets
The prediction: Alperen Sengun finishes top-10 in MVP voting.
Grade: D
Rather than continuing to improve, Sengun plateaued. He was basically the same player as he had been in previous seasons; his player efficiency rating (21.4) actually was the same both this season and last. That level of production, combined with the Rockets’ mediocre fifth-place finish in the West, resulted in nary a single MVP vote.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Do the Rockets just run things back, hoping that a healthy Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams and further development from Ausar Thompson and Reed Sheppard propel them higher up the conference hierarchy? Or do they think something is fundamentally wrong with their core, and thus more dramatic changes – like trading Sengun for a different, better-fitting star – should be on offer?
Utah Jazz
The prediction: Ace Bailey will lead all rookies in scoring.
Grade: D
Bailey finished fifth among rookies, with 13.8 PPG, and a distant 11th in usage rate (21.4%) despite his shot-happy reputation entering the NBA.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Bailey will aim for individual improvements after being named to the All-Rookie second team. But more importantly, the Jazz will look for his fit into more advanced team concepts as they take a big leap forward, after adding Jaren Jackson Jr. and the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft.
Bailey might not keep his starting spot next season, if Jackson and either AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson leap him in the pecking order, but he should still be an important contributor if the Jazz achieve their goal of returning to the postseason.
Los Angeles Lakers
The prediction: The Lakers fall to the play-in tournament.
Grade: F
This prediction was premised on the Lakers’ lack of depth, but they went a respectable 10-8 in games Luka Doncic missed and also weathered absences from Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Los Angeles finished 53-29, a comfortable eight wins ahead of play-in territory.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: This is a crucial offseason for the Lakers, who have to decide whether to bring back free agents Reaves and James – and for how much money and how many years – as well as a host of other rotational players.
But as long as Doncic is on the roster and surrounded by a modicum of talent, the Lakers should remain in the playoffs for the foreseeable future. Catching the Thunder and Spurs will be difficult, but slotting into the 3- or 4-seed is a perfectly reasonable goal.
LA Clippers
The prediction: Ivica Zubac finishes in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Grade: F
Zubac was ineligible for postseason awards because he played 48 games (43 with the Clippers), but he wouldn’t have contended, anyway. The Clipper-turned-Pacer was noticeably worse on both ends than he was in 2024-25, and the Clippers fell from third to 21st in defensive rating (counting only the period before Zubac was traded).
Looking ahead to 2026-27: The only Clippers big men under guaranteed contracts next season are Isaiah Jackson and rising sophomore Yanic Konan Niederhauser, so they clearly have some work to do to replace Zubac. (Niederhauser is promising, but not ready to pair with Kawhi Leonard to win right away.)
In Indiana, meanwhile, Zubac will be a de facto replacement for Myles Turner as the Pacers zoom back toward contention; he’s a worse shot blocker than Turner but a superior defender overall, representing a theoretical upgrade over Indiana’s longtime center.
Boston Celtics
The prediction: Boston attempts 70 3-pointers in a non-overtime game.
Grade: F
The Celtics never attempted more than 59 3s in a game, which is actually a smaller high than in 2024-25, when Jayson Tatum was healthy and they took 60-plus in four non-overtime games. Far from relying more on 3-point variance with Tatum injured, the Celtics fell from leading the league in 3-point attempt rate in 2024-25 to ranking fourth in that stat this season.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: The Celtics should always rank among the league leaders in 3-point attempts for as long as Joe Mazzulla is their coach, but they appear more interested in diversifying their offensive approach next season.
“One of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said after the Celtics’ shocking first-round elimination.
Memphis Grizzlies
The prediction: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope outshoots Desmond Bane from 3-point range.
Grade: F
Caldwell-Pope didn’t bounce back outside Orlando; instead, his decline quickened. His 3-point accuracy fell from 41% in his final season in Denver (2023-24) to 34% in Orlando to just 32% in Memphis. For the Magic, meanwhile, Bane stayed steady at 39% from deep.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Expect Caldwell-Pope to exercise his $21.6 million player option this summer; based on his play over the past two seasons, he wouldn’t get nearly so much money on the open market. The two-time champ turned 33 in February and hasn’t averaged double-digit points since leaving Denver.
Sacramento Kings
The prediction: The Kings will make the play-in tournament.
Grade: F
Oy. I thought the Kings had a decently high floor due to their offensive star power, but Domantas Sabonis played just 19 games and Zach LaVine played 39. Far from reaching the play-in tournament, Sacramento finished with 60 losses, the second most in any season in franchise history.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: Sacramento could consider using 2025-26 as the first season of a full-scale rebuild, ensuring it would finish near the bottom of the standings next year, too. But lottery reform means there’s no incentive for the Kings to lose 60 games again, and the team’s most talented players could all theoretically return next season. Squint and you might see a path for the Kings to be competitive for the play-in in 2027.
Phoenix Suns
The prediction: Phoenix finishes 14th in the West.
Grade: F
The Suns lost Kevin Durant and improved by nine wins to claim the West’s 7-seed. Can I pretend I thought Phoenix would make the play-in tournament and Sacramento would finish at the bottom of the standings, instead of the other way around?
Looking ahead to 2026-27: It remains to be seen whether Phoenix’s ceiling is any higher than play-in territory, given that the Suns still don’t have incredible talent reserves beyond Devin Booker, nor do they have much draft capital before 2032. But new coach Jordan Ott established a much sturdier floor for this team, so they should still be in contention for a postseason berth next season.
Washington Wizards
The prediction: Cam Whitmore leads the team in scoring.
Grade: F
Whitmore averaged 9.2 PPG in just 21 games before being sidelined because of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. He finished 16th on the Wizards in total points this season.
Looking ahead to 2026-27: With Trae Young and Anthony Davis on the Wizards now, as well as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, it’s safe to say Whitmore won’t be in consideration to lead the team in scoring next season, either.
By Zach Kram, via ESPN