2025-26 NBA Season Tips Off with Two Must-See Games!
by Joseph King
Rockets vs Thunder: can the champions get off to a winning start?
- Rockets projected record: 52-30
- Thunder projected record: 63-19
The Thunder will raise their first banner in the OKC era ahead of tip off in what is sure to be a special moment for the fans in attendance at the Paycom Center. After the ring ceremony is taken care of, they’ll be met with one of the West’s top teams as Houston comes to town for the 2025-26 NBA curtain raiser.
Kevin Durant suits up for the fifth team in his decorated NBA career with the goal of lifting the Rockets from pretenders to real contenders. They surprised the NBA with their regular season results last year, but wound up being bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the seventh-seeded Warriors. This time around, Houston will be expected to secure a top 3 seed in the West and go deep in the postseason.
The signs are there that the Rockets will be able to put together a successful season. They’ve got one of the league’s best defenses, have a proven coach in Ime Udoka and have a deadly duo with Alperen Sengun and Durant.
There’s no organization in the NBA in better shape to dominate the next five years than OKC.
The Thunder have a great chance at building a dynasty over the next half decade. After triumphing over the Pacers in a seven-game NBA Finals last year, many are expecting OKC to go from strength to strength. Of their core, the oldest pieces are reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein at 27 years of age. Lu Dort is 26, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are just 24 and 23, respectively.
OKC posted some historic metrics last year in what will certainly be ranked as one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. Will they post another 60+ win season or will the Thunder suffer from a championship hangover?
Thunder 2024-25 Regular season
| Category | Statistic | All-time rank |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 68-14 | 6th |
| Point differential | +12.9 | 1st |
| Net rating | +12.8 | 2nd |
Lakers vs Warriors: Luka looking to pick up the slack for LeBron-less Lakers
- Lakers projected record: 48-34
- Warriors projected record: 46-36
With LeBron James expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, NBA fans will miss out on the opportunity to see what has been one of the NBA’s all-time greatest rivalries between King James and Chef Curry. It does, however, open the door for Luka Doncic to make a statement with the NBA world watching on.
Much has been made of the “new-look Luka” with the Slovenian superstar slimming down, following a strict diet and adding some muscle in the offseason.
Luka Doncic has never looked fitter in his seven-year NBA career, something that could spell disaster for the Lakers’ opposition this season.
Doncic has entered every season for around the last five years as either the top MVP favourite or in the top 2-3. It’s a bit shocking that the 26-year-old hasn’t won the award at least once when looking at his body of work as a whole. He’s been somewhat unlucky in a sense with Nikola Jokic delivering a few transcendent seasonal performances in recent years.
His opponent, Steph Curry, is a player that has won two MVP awards and is in the conversation for the title of greatest point guard ever. The question now is: can Golden State put together one last hurrah in the next few seasons and see their franchise leading scorer off with a fifth ring?
The Warriors are the second-oldest team by average age in the NBA this season at 27.5, behind only the Clippers. With vets like Jimmy Butler (36), Draymond Green (35), Al Horford (39), and of course, Stephen Curry (37), there’s plenty of experience and championship DNA in the team. This is sure to be a captivating game between two of the most exciting players in the NBA.
