Oklahoma City Thunder
The last time there was a repeat NBA champion was in the 2017-18 season — the Kevin Durant era in Golden State. Durant’s former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, will be the first to do so since then.
The stats speak for themselves. The Thunder was the second-youngest team to ever win an NBA title behind the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers. They had the biggest total and average margin of victory for a season in NBA history and the highest team defensive rating last season with 107. The Thunder were also the fourth-highest scoring team in the league with 120.5 points per game.
This team was one of the best teams in NBA history last year. The Thunder brought every player back from that team, with the only additions being Georgetown center Thomas Sorber and Northwestern forward Brook Barnhizer in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Think about the core players: reigning MVP and All-NBA, All-Defensive Second Team recipient Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, first-time All-Star Jalen Williams, and one of the league’s best rim protectors, Chet Holmgren.
Then there are two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso and one-time All-Defensive guard Lu Dort. I firmly believe this team will be better this year — statistically or not.
The chemistry grows, the young guys get better, and Gilgeous-Alexander continues to solidify himself as the best guard in the league.
This team is far from its prime. If anything, it’s just the start of one of basketball’s great dynasties.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Thanks to Joakim Noah’s infamous comments on the city, people tend to forget about Cleveland, especially its basketball team. Long gone are the days of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The joyous cry of “Cleveland, this is for you!” is now a
nostalgic echo.
Anything since then has been received with an apathetic shrug, even last season’s 64-18 squad, the Cavaliers’ best regular-season record since the 2008-09 campaign.
Yes, both those squads lost in the conference semifinals, but last years’ group was a shell of its former self, logging win streaks of 15 and 16 games over the regular season. Injuries to Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley hampered coach Kenny Atkinson’s group, as the Cavs fell to the Boston Celtics.
Boston will miss star Jason Tatum with an Achilles injury. Same with fellow Eastern Conference threat Indiana and its focal point of Tyrese Haliburton. The Eastern Conference is up for the taking, and with the Cavs’ three consecutive trips to the postseason, this squad boasts
the experience.
In any potential finals contest, Cleveland will be a matchup nightmare with Mobley, who, while not in the stratosphere of Victor Wembanyama, features similar traits as his San Antonio Spurs counterpart. The 6-foot-11 Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year last season, partially because of Wembanyama’s injury, but still holds superior shooting ability. Averaging a career-high 18.5 points, Mobley shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 37 percent from deep.
Mitchell is already a well-established star from his days in Utah. Jarrett Allen is an elite rim defender. Offseason trade acquisition Lonzo Ball is the veteran point guard presence who can only help Garland return from injury.
As a Chicago Bulls fan, I love Noah, but his words don’t hold up. Cleveland owns not only the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but a basketball team that will top the charts as NBA champs.