1 Thing That Could Implode Every Team's 2025-26 NBA Season
October is a time for unbridled optimism in the NBA world.
So, let us apologize in advance for raining on everyone's preseason parades.
It's just that hoops history has often reminded us that things are rarely as good as they seem. Any number of factors could lead to a disastrous season—some foreseeable, others completely out of nowhere.
While we can't predict unexpected curveballs, we can (and shall!) spotlight potential problems that could send every team spiraling during the upcoming campaign.
Atlanta Hawks: The Frontcourt Falls Apart
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While the Hawks have enough on-paper talent to potentially make noise in the wide-open East, there are availability concerns that could turn that talent into a soggy, crumbled mess.
Kristaps Porziņģis has cleared the 60-game mark once since 2016-17, Onyeka Okongwu has made 55 appearances or fewer in three of his five NBA seasons and Jalen Johnson played just 36 games last season before being shut down by shoulder surgery.
And since Atlanta isn't exactly flush with frontcourt reinforcements behind them, setbacks like all three have experienced in the recent past could effectively clip the Hawks' wings.
Boston Celtics: The Ball Sticks on Offense
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While the Celtics have tended to play a stickier brand of basketball than many other contenders, that wasn't as concerning when they had a top-shelf isolation player in Jayson Tatum. But with the star swingman sidelined indefinitely following a torn Achilles suffered in May, Boston's isolation game could lack its typical punch.
In theory, the Celtics could attack this issue with a greater commitment toward moving the basketball, but where are the ball-movers who will make that happen? Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons and Payton Pritchard all play with a score-first mentality, and Derrick White is more of a complementary passer than a primary one.
Tack on the subtractions of on-court connectors like Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, and this offense may wind up being problematically stagnant.
Brooklyn Nets: The Roster Redundancies
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As surprising as it was to see the Nets keep and spend all five of their first-round picks this summer, it was even more jarring to see how many of those selections were spent on playmakers. Three were invested in point guards (Egor Dёmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf) and a fourth was used on a jumbo passer (Danny Wolf).
It's one thing to seek out better ball movement, but this feels like Brooklyn is setting itself up for a lot of hot-potato possessions where passes are zipped between players who aren't looking to score. Unless, of course, it lands with either of Cam Thomas or Michael Porter Jr., who could fight for primary scoring duties while seldom looking in anyone else's direction.
Throw in a handful of non-shooting bigs and some athletic energizers with questionable offensive talents, and it feels like the Nets have way too many players who fill the same niche roles and not nearly enough who do multiple things at an above-average level.
Charlotte Hornets: Not Enough LaMelo
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The return of a healthy Brandon Miller and arrival of No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel should give the Hornets a bit of buzz back. What will ultimately determine whether they have any sting, though, is the availability of franchise centerpiece LaMelo Ball.
Forget about his highlight reel-friendly play style or massive social-media following. He is the most creative scorer and passer on this roster, and neither category is particularly close.
He's also someone who has topped 51 games in just one of his first five NBA seasons. If he can't do a (much) better job of avoiding the injury bug, Charlotte will struggle to be even an afterthought in the play-in race.
Chicago Bulls: Turnover Trouble
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While the best version of the young (though not young enough) Bulls should play fast and loose, they too often veer into reckless territory. Without established veterans like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, they tumbled from third to 15th in turnover percentage last season, and early indications from this preseason suggest more turnover trouble is coming.
"This has been a problem in training camp every single day," Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters after his team committed 26 turnovers in its preseason opener. "Every day it's been a problem, and we show up, we talk about it, but we've got to get it cleared up because to me they're putting forth a really good effort, but you can't overcome that."
Chicago is short on proven scorers, so it has to value every possession. Keep giving the ball away at this rate, and the Bulls won't even reach their typical level of mediocrity.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Running Out of Gas
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The Cavaliers seemed to make a major breakthrough last season, pushing their win total up to 64 (second-most in franchise history) and flashing championship-level two-way efficiency. Unfortunately, they started breaking down ahead of their postseason test and wound up getting knocked out of the conference semis for the second year in a row.
Nothing Cleveland can do during the regular season will answer the biggest question about this core: whether it's a viable contender as currently constructed. If the Cavs empty the gas tank again, though, they'll deny themselves the opportunity to take that assessment.
They're built to go as far as Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen can carry them. If those players are as hobbled as they were in the last playoff run—Mobley and Garland missed time, while Mitchell was clearly impacted by an ankle ailment—that won't be any farther than it has been.
Dallas Mavericks: An Unshared Rock
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With Anthony Davis around for the whole offseason, top pick Cooper Flagg added to the equation and a rotation that should run deep whenever Kyrie Irving makes it back from his ACL recovery, the Mavs will bring an interesting collection of puzzle pieces into this campaign.
But will they ever find their Lebowskian rug that ties everything together?
D'Angelo Russell can get a little too shot-happy, and honestly, passing isn't the sharpest tool in Irving's arsenal, either. Flagg's playmaking should help, but it'd be asking a lot to expect a rookie non-point guard to solve a potential passing problem on a team with championship aspirations.
Denver Nuggets: Leaky Defense
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The Nuggets' offense is always going to hum with three-time MVP Nikola Jokić at its epicenter. If they can't field an average defense, though, they'll struggle to seriously impact the championship race.
When they did have their title breakthrough in 2022-23, they were a respectable 15th in defensive efficiency. They slipped back to 21st this past season, and the depth pieces they added this summer (Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas) offer no obvious solutions to this issue.
Could this offense be so spectacular that it offsets the defensive deficiencies? Look, you never want to say never when a player of Jokić's caliber is involved, but it's hard to see anyone capturing the crown while saddled by a bottom-third unit on either end of the floor.
Detroit Pistons: The Spacing Collapses
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Two things helped the Pistons engineer a 30-win turnaround last season, and they go hand-in-hand: better offensive spacing and Cade Cunningham's superstar ascension.
Detroit wasn't a great outside shooting team, to be clear, but it wasn't atrocious (20th in makes, 17th in percentage). Defenses had to at least pay attention the Pistons' perimeter shooters, and that gave Cunningham enough room to operate at an All-NBA level.
Unfortunately, the perimeter marksmen most responsible for that are no longer around (Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.), so the Pistons have to hope they can either squeeze more out of their incumbents or find enough from newcomers like Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert to cover that void. If not, Cunningham could be looking at a lot of claustrophobic possessions.
Golden State Warriors: Lack of Athleticism
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The Warriors won't often lose battles of basketball IQ or veteran guile. When games are determined by sheer feats of physical abilities, though, that's when things could get dicey for the Dubs.
For as well as things clicked upon Jimmy Butler's deadline addition, they looked a bit old and slow at times after his arrival. Adding 30-somethings Al Horford and Seth Curry in free agency won't change that. And while they managed to ultimately re-sign explosive swingman Jonathan Kuminga, it sure sounds like he could be gone as soon as he becomes trade-eligible in mid-January.
There are younger, more athletic teams all over the Association, and some of them rank among the Western Conference's top contenders. Savvy and smarts can help overcome some of that deficit, but there's no real way to fully hide athletic limitations.
Houston Rockets: No Fill-in For Fred VanVleet
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Fred VanVleet's ACL didn't automatically sink the Rockets' season, but it clearly put them in a bind. While they could rush to the trade market in search of a replacement, that probably isn't possible until at least mid-December when the trade-eligible player pool expands. And even then, there's no guarantee Houston will find what it needs.
So, Houston, at least initially, figures to try filling this void in-house, which isn't the worst strategy when it recently invested top-five picks in Amen Thompson (No. 4 in 2023) and Reed Sheppard (No. 3 in 2024).
Then again, Thompson's glaring limitations as a shooter have proved impossible to hide when he isn't able to attack in transition, and Sheppard wasn't deemed rotation-ready as a rookie. So, while this may not be a certainty, there's still a possibility that VanVleet's unfortunate injury did, in fact, topple the Rockets before they ever even made it off the launch pad.
Indiana Pacers: Backtracking on Both Ends
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While it was obviously surprising to see the Pacers push their way to the NBA Finals last season, they had quietly assembled a deep, well-rounded roster. History holds that teams typically need top-10 efficiency ratings on both ends to contend, and while Indy didn't technically clear that threshold, it came pretty close (ninth on offense, 14th on defense).
Of course, the Pacers weren't operating with much margin for error, which made their comeback-fueled postseason run that much more improbable.
Unfortunately, whatever margin for error Indiana had then, it won't carry into this season. Not when the most important players on offense (Tyrese Haliburton, out with a torn Achilles) and defense (Myles Turner, signed with Milwaukee) from that team won't be a part of this one. If the Pacers are even marginally worse on both sides of the floor, they'll teeter into mediocrity in a hurry.
Los Angeles Clippers: They Show Their Age
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James Harden, who turned 36 in August, had his worst field-goal percentage since his rookie year last season. Kawhi Leonard, who turned 34 in June, has played 157 of 328 possible games over the past four seasons. As far as franchise foundations go, this might be the flimsiest you'll find among all championship-hopefuls.
It may have made sense, then, for L.A. to load up on young, energetic, fresh legs around them. This front office went the opposite direction, though, and grew even older over the offseason, adding 32-year-old Bradley Beal, 37-year-old Brook Lopez and 40-year-old Chris Paul.
Admittedly, the Clippers may have expanded their talent base, but this roster is—trying to put this politely—more seasoned than most, so you worry about things like decline and durability. Maybe L.A. dials back the clock and has all of these players looking like the old versions of themselves, or maybe this group just looks old.
Los Angeles Lakers: Disastrous Defense
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Paint a mental picture of the ideal components for a dominant defense in the modern NBA. Did your collection of players look anything like the one pictured above?
Of course not. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have never been mistaken for super-stingy stoppers. And with LeBron James' 41st birthday fast approaching, he might have to go into energy-conservation mode on the defensive end more often than not.
Maybe if the Lakers were loaded with lockdown defenders around them, they could be solid stoppers. Maybe. Since they're far from that, it's all too easy to worry about how generous this defense might be. L.A. could win a lot of nightly races to 120-plus points, but that hardly feels like a successful championship formula.
Memphis Grizzlies: An Overburdened Ja Morant
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The Grizzlies may not have quite as much win-right-now pressure after this summer's Desmond Bane blockbuster, but with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in what should be the heart of their primes (both 26), the organization's objective is still to win pretty darn soon.
So, who soaks up all the stats left behind by Desmond Bane? Can newcomers Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and Cedric Coward (this year's No. 11 pick) pick up all of the slack, or will Bane's absence force Morant to try hitting another gear?
If the answer is the latter, that's a pretty pressing concern, since there are already worries over whether Morant, who's two seasons removed from his last All-Star appearance and three removed from his only All-NBA honor, can get his groove back. He's had a hard enough time holding up as it is—177 games played the past four seasons combined—and Memphis might now be asking more of him than ever.
Miami Heat: A Disconnected Offense
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The Heat have fielded a bottom-third offense in three consecutive seasons, fighting everything from availability issues and inconsistent shooting to half-court issues centered around the absence of a go-to scorer. One consistent hurdle, though, has been the lack of a high-end playmaker.
And the worry is this season could be even less connected than most.
There are a good amount of moving parts on this roster, and plenty of players trying to prove their worth: whether that's extension-eligible players like Norman Powell and Tyler Herro or up-and-comers like Nikola Jović and Kel'el Ware. A pass-first point guard could bring this roster together, but Miami probably doesn't have that, especially if Kasparas Jakučionis looks as overwhelmed as he did this summer and Davion Mitchell fails to sustain his post-deadline surge.
Milwaukee Bucks: An Unconvinced Giannis
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If the Bucks want to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to quiet all the trade speculation, they can. They just have to show them they are capable of assembling a championship-quality roster around him.
"I've said this many times: I want to be in a situation that I can win," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. ... I'm locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seventh months I change my mind, I think that's human, too."
The onus is on the Bucks to play at a tile-winning level, and that's just hard to envision with the supporting cast they've given Antetokounmpo. Gone are past sidekicks Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard, and in their place now resides Myles Turner, a 10-year veteran with career averages of 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Their Prospects Aren't Ready
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The Wolves obviously have a win-now window, as they've competed in each of the past two Western Conference finals. For a team in this position, though, they've grown pretty reliant on younger, largely unproven players.
With Mike Conley's decline unlikely to slow down during his age-38 season, Minnesota needs Rob Dillingham to solidify the point guard spot. And the wing vacancy created by Nickeil Alexander-Walker's departure in free agency figures to be covered by some combination of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark.
All three were rookies last season. None saw even 550 minutes of regular-season action. If they aren't ready for rotation roles, Minnesota's season could become a top-heavy mess.
New Orleans Pelicans: Not Enough Zion
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While every club is obviously in danger of being undone by injury issues, some clubs feel much more vulnerable than others. The Pelicans might be the most obvious example, as they've basically been negatively impacted by medical maladies in every season of the Zion Williamson era.
The injury bug has bitten other players around him—Dejounte Murray is still working his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in late January—but the bouncy big man has been its favorite target. In six NBA seasons, he has made more than 30 appearances only twice.
There are, at least, promising reports on his conditioning, and he's acing the eye test on that front. Still, an injury history like his isn't forgotten after one promising offseason. And if his old problems pop back up, the Pelicans are cooked.
New York Knicks: Old Offensive Habits Don't Break
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New Knicks coach Mike Brown has championed a change in offensive philosophy that would make his team faster, less ball-dominant and, ultimately, less reliant on star guard Jalen Brunson. All of that sounds new, exciting and maybe even better for New York's playoff hopes.
We're in October, though. Every coach is preaching the importance of pace and player movement. And if the Knicks stumble through some growing pains now, they can chalk it up to the changes being made and move on without any real damage done.
If the system isn't operating how it should when the games start to matter, though, maybe New York's old offensive habits prove too hard to break. Remember, the old system elevated Jalen Brunson—the franchise centerpiece—to an All-NBA level. If he isn't as productive, and his teammates aren't picking up the slack, this championship-or-bust club can only stomach growing pains for so long.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Recent History
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Internally, there really aren't glaring worries with the Thunder. With all due respect to Dillon Jones (who was shipped off to the Washington Wizards this offseason), they're essentially running back a roster that just punctuated a 68-win, record-setting regular season with a world title. Moreover, the bulk of this rotation is comprised by players who are young enough to think they've yet to reach their prime.
Externally, there aren't major issues, either. Sure, there are other talented teams around the Association, but no one else can match their blend of high-end talent and overwhelming depth.
To find the real challenge for the Thunder, then, you have to consult the history books. You know, the ones that show how this league last crowned a repeat champion in 2017-18. Defending the throne is hard. Oklahoma City might be up to this daunting task anyway, but it'll have to buck this trend to prove that.
Orlando Magic: Another Shooting Shortage
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Last season, the Magic had the league's second-best defensive efficiency—and a negative net rating. That's maybe the best snapshot description of the struggles encountered by their 27th-ranked attack, which ranked dead last in both three-point makes and three-point percentage.
That's why this front office felt it had to pay a fortune for Desmond Bane. However, struggles of this magnitude are rarely, if ever, solved by one player, let alone one who's still awaiting his first All-Star selection.
Orlando should be better from range, but it could improve and still be near the bottom of the league. If this offense can't breathe, then the Magic's biggest dreams won't come close to materializing.
Philadelphia 76ers: Injury Problems Persist
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The Sixers haven't completed their preseason slate yet, and they're already at the point of updating existing injury news. And the updates, at least those pertaining to Joel Embiid and Paul George, aren't really updates at all. Both players lack timetables for their return.
That's obviously an issue. Last season's 58-loss debacle is an all too clear encapsulation of how bad things can get if the Sixers' stars aren't right.
Hopefully, Philly doesn't go down that same road, because this roster still makes plenty of sense on paper. For those hoping that everything would finally break just right in the City of Brotherly Love, though, things are already off to an ominous start.
Phoenix Suns: Booker-or-Bust Offense
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While some other teams spent summer surrounding their stars with strong complementary pieces, the Suns just tasked theirs with perhaps the heaviest workload of his career. And that's saying a lot, since that star, Devin Booker, already has the 11th-highest career usage rate among active players (minimum 5,000 minutes).
Yet, based on current personnel, it seems like the Suns are set to task him with being both their primary scorer and their top table-setter. Maybe former No. 2 pick Jalen Green has something to say about that, but he's been erratic as a scorer and ineffective as a playmaker (career 3.4 assists against 2.4 turnovers).
This looks like a Booker-or-bust offense, and opposing defenses can see that and will accordingly do everything in their power to contain him. So, he's not merely carrying a massive burden, he'll be running through defensive gauntlets while doing it.
Portland Trail Blazers: Competing Timelines
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The Blazers, perhaps buoyed by their competitive showing in the second half (13-14 after the All-Star break), sent signals this summer about their desire to take the next step. And maybe that's a welcome development for a fanbase that just sat through four consecutive losing seasons, but it's hardly a foolproof plan when a big chunk of this roster is still finding its footing.
The Blazers have plenty of young players still working to establish their identities, like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan and rookie first-rounder Yang Hansen. Yet, they also have a handful of veterans up against a tight competitive window, like Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III and newcomer Jrue Holiday (plus Damian Lillard, although apparently not this season).
Big-picture, it would make sense for Portland to keep prioritizing the development of its young talent wherever possible. If that's the plan, though, why bring in Holiday and not ship out Grant and Williams?
Sacramento Kings: Offense Can't Offset Defensive Generosity
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The Kings should be pretty good on offense. Unfortunately, they probably need to dominate that end to compensate for what figures to be some unsightly play at the other.
That feels like too tall a task for this team.
In last season's second half—after it had added Zach LaVine alongside Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan—Sacramento was pretty good on offense (12th in efficiency) and pretty bad on defense (22nd). The makeup of this roster will make it tricky to find better balance, so the Kings will be constantly trying to win games on the offensive end alone and lacking the firepower to do so.
San Antonio Spurs: Puzzle Pieces Don't Align Around Wemby
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This could be the season in which Victor Wembanyama forces his way into the best-player-on-the-planet discussion. And yet, that might not have a huge impact on this league's balance of power, because this roster hardly caters to his strengths.
He might be unstoppable in a properly spaced offense, but in the frontcourt, he'll find little to no shooting help from the likes of Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan or Luke Kornet. And in the backcourt, it could be a lot of your-turn, my-turn attacking from ball-dominant, shaky-shooting guards in De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.
Maybe the Spurs, who are stuck in a wholly uncharacteristic six-year playoff drought, feel they're still in the rebuilding stage of stockpiling talent wherever they can find it. But if Wembanyama is ready to start rubbing elbows with the league's elites, San Antonio might have to quickly think a lot less about individual talent and a lot more about whether that talent meshes with its transcendent star.
Toronto Raptors: Offensive Inefficiency
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The Raptors, who've fielded a bottom-seven offense each of the past two seasons, may have made a savvy move when they landed Brandon Ingram for cheap in February. Yet, the addition of his scoring punch and secondary playmaking will really only matter if he has enough room to operate.
And it's hard to see how Toronto will provide that.
He doesn't shoot threes at a high volume and might be most comfortable (and potent) in the midrange. Unfortunately, that's also where RJ Barrett does his best work. If that wasn't worrisome enough, spacing is already at a premium, since Scottie Barnes is a shaky shooter, and Jakob Poeltl's offensive range doesn't extend far beyond the restricted area.
Utah Jazz: No Building Blocks
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With the Jazz unabashedly tanking their way toward the 2026 draft, their prospects should have the ultimate green light to develop at their own pace.
What happens, though, if none of them look ready for the spotlight? Ace Bailey, this year's No. 5 pick, clearly has the highest ceiling of the group, but he also has the widest range of possible career outcomes among this year's top prospects. It wasn't that long ago when Keyonte George felt like the most valued member of this young core, but Utah's subsequent drafting of Isaiah Collier and Walter Clayton Jr. suggests this front office is less than convinced about George's long-term prospects.
Utah might be fully focused on its next blue-chipper, but it needs multiple players to eventually build around. If the Jazz don't find at least a few they're comfortable with, this top-to-bottom rebuild will already be behind schedule. One would also assume this perpetually growing pile of losses will eventually convince Lauri Markkanen (the current centerpiece) and the organization to rethink their partnership.
Washington Wizards: No Scoring Punch
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Despite being the sixth player selected in June, Tre Johnson might have the best chance of any rookie to lead his team in scoring. And that has far more to do with the lack of offense around him than it does anything in his scouting report.
Unless the Wizards decide to run their offense through veteran salary-fillers CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, their focal-point duties are entirely up for grabs. Their highest-scoring returning player is sophomore big man Alex Sarr, who averaged 13 points on 39.4/30.8/67.9 shooting as a rookie.
Washington was objectively abysmal on offense last season: 30th in efficiency, 29th in true shooting, 27th in assist-to-turnover ratio. Unless Johnson hits the ground sprinting at Olympic speeds, or sizable steps are taken by multiple members of this young nucleus, this offense might have even less oomph this time around.
