The Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic, and that by itself keeps the door cracked open. But it doesn’t mean Denver gets to treat the title picture like it’s frozen in place.
Logan Struck of NBA On SI argues the bigger mistake would be assuming Jokic gives the Nuggets an endless championship runway. Jokic is 31 and still one of the league’s elite players, but Denver hasn’t been back to the Western Conference finals since winning it all in 2023. After a first-round playoff exit, the Nuggets largely ran it back, with restricted free agent Peyton Watson still unresolved.
There’s no shortage of talent on the roster. Jamal Murray remains Jokic’s co-star, Aaron Gordon still fits perfectly next to him, and Cameron Johnson plus Christian Braun give Denver more useful pieces around the core. The real question is whether that group is enough to get through younger Western teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio in a seven-game series.
Struck also pointed to Jokic’s contract situation. He has passed on extension opportunities in each of the last two summers, though the logic is obvious enough: waiting could set him up for a much bigger payday.
Even so, the larger reality doesn’t change. Jokic’s prime isn’t something Denver can count on forever, and at some point, patience starts to look a lot like risk.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, is in a different kind of spot. The Thunder didn’t bring in Thomas Sorber or draft Aday Mara as direct replacements for Isaiah Hartenstein, but they may have made life a lot easier for him.
Ivan White of Thunder On SI notes that the Thunder now have a lot more size after Sorber returned from a torn ACL and Mara joined the mix. That should help take some of the load off Hartenstein, who was limited by calf issues to 47 games last season.
Hartenstein still matters plenty. He averaged 24.2 minutes and remains a key piece of Oklahoma City’s championship hopes. But with Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Sorber and Mara all available, the Thunder shouldn’t have to rely on him nearly as much over the course of the 82-game season.
That depth also opens the door for more two-big lineups. For Oklahoma City, that’s the upside of having options: Hartenstein can stay important without having to carry the whole thing every night.
In Orlando, the mandate is even simpler. A new coach means a new standard.
Austin Dobbins of Magic On SI asked several writers what success should look like in Sean Sweeney’s first season, and the answer kept coming back to the same thing: the Magic need real playoff progress. Orlando has been bounced in the first round three straight years, including last season’s collapse after taking a 3-1 lead against Detroit.
Dobbins said Sweeney should be expected to win a playoff series while helping build a better offense around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane. Matt Hanifan also pointed to getting past the first round, while Jeremy Brener wrote that anything short of a playoff-series win would make it hard to call the season a success.
Ethan Skolnick offered a slightly different benchmark, saying a top-six finish would count as progress in a crowded Eastern Conference, with the playoff matchup then shaping what expectations should be after that.
Different measurements, same message: Orlando didn’t change coaches just to stay where it is.
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For Magic fans, the memories probably drifted to his early coaching days in Orlando and the Heart and Hustle team that helped define that era. Rivers also made clear that his success was never about him alone, crediting the collective effort of the people he worked with as a central part of the journey, a fitting note for a franchise that still remembers how that team played and what it meant. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Face One Defining Test As New Season Schedule Arrives
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The bigger question is how that growth holds up against a stronger Eastern Conference and the uncertainty that comes with a first-time head coach guiding the group. Some around the team see a slight step forward as possible, but the schedule will quickly show whether this group can turn its continuity and talent into something more than another promising season. [Read more 🡒]