Flying out for EuroBasket tomorrow but before that I had some fun with my Western Conference predictions.I’ve got the two teams I followed most closely (Lakers & Mavs) finishing well above Vegas projections. Homer bias or valid points?https://t.co/xVKBI6X2Oi pic.twitter.com/ApyO4N2otG— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) August 26, 2025
FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Houston Rockets
4. Los Angeles Lakers: Last season, every team from third to eighth finished in the 48–50 win range, which shows just how much of a toss-up the next few spots really are. I’ll start with the Lakers, who I expect to finish above the projected 48.5 wins. The additions of Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia make them a better, more balanced team than they were after last season’s Dončić trade, when they still played at nearly a 50-win pace despite a glaring hole in the middle and LeBron James missing significant time. The health of James and Smart will be major swing factors, but if Dončić comes back in MVP form for his redemption season, I believe the Lakers can withstand even those two missing some games. Rob Pelinka held onto his key trade assets over the summer, leaving the door open for the Lakers to add a significant piece during the season and push beyond the 50–52 win range — the baseline I outlined earlier for Dončić-led teams. Until then, Redick will need to re-establish the team’s identity with high-motor players like Smart, LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent — the identity that turned the Lakers into a surprise, hard-playing, always-hustling team in the regular season, but one they moved away from in the playoffs.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Los Angeles Clippers
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Golden State Warriors