The new NBA season is here!: The 5 keys

Today, Tuesday, October 21st, marks the beginning of the 2025/26 NBA season with a clear favorite to defend last year's title: the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Many uncertainties to analyze in a year where injuries have left the East in disarray (Haliburton and Tatum have left Pacers and Celtics orphaned), where the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers should be the favorites. In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers with Luka Doncic (and, in the background, LeBron James) are far from being favorites, and the teams expected to challenge the Thunder are the revamped Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic and the promising Houston Rockets with Kevin Durant. Here are the 10 keys to the season:

1. Can these Thunder be beaten?

Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the last regular season decisively and, despite the youth of the team, claimed an indisputable ring with an unstoppable Shai. There is no doubt that, just as it was the case with the Celtics last year, they are the clear favorites to repeat victory. At first glance, we could think that players like Jaylin Williams, Chet Holmgren, and company should continue to improve with Shai in his prime. They have a deep rotation and enough cap space to address any issues that may arise in February. However, they won against the Nuggets and the Pacers in seven games. They can't let their guard down. 

2. The moment of truth for Luka Doncic

It shouldn't be the year for the Los Angeles Lakers. The roster is shaky and has significant shortcomings as it did last year. But it should be the year for Luka Doncic. After his stellar 2023/24 season last year (beyond the trade and injuries), he saw a decline in his performance. He must bounce back and prove once again that he is one of the top 3 players in the league alongside Shai and Jokic. No more excuses. It will then be up to Pelinka to figure out what to do with LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and company next summer to give the Slovenian a winning team. But he must silence Nico Harrison by dominating the season. No excuses. 

3. Red alert for the Nuggets

Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world. Plain and simple. However, his Nuggets have stumbled in the playoffs in the last two seasons. The championship ring seems increasingly distant, and anything other than reclaiming it will be a failure for them. The good news, at first sight, is that they have a much better team. Or at least a much deeper team to support their leader and help him reach the finals with more rest. They lost to the Thunder in 7 games after a challenging regular season that ended with the dismissal of Michael Malone. It's all on Jokic for the comeback. 

4. Giannis and the Knicks

The East is a desert. An absolute desert. Injuries to Haliburton and Tatum seem to make the Knicks and Cavs the top contenders to reach the Finals. However, they are not reliable teams. In the Cavs, Evan Mobley should finally take a step forward, and in the Knicks, rumors of Giannis Antetokounmpo possibly arriving in February have started the season. Both teams have strong rosters to finish first and second in the regular season without issues. The real challenge will come later. They have failed for two years despite everything and, as of today, they don't seem dependable. Neither can afford to fail. Obviously, what happens with Giannis, the Bucks, the Knicks, or another team could change everything. 

5. Are the Rockets as good as they say?

Many predictions rank the Houston Rockets as the second favorites for the ring behind OKC and ahead of teams like the Nuggets or Knicks. The addition of Kevin Durant has caused a stir, and they undeniably have a great team. However, Fred VanVleet's injury has left them vulnerable at the point guard position, raising a big question around the Texans: can they thrive with such a big team? We'll find out starting today!

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¡Ya está aquí la nueva temporada NBA!: Las 5 claves