NBA 2024-25 Predictions: Luka for MVP? And will the Knicks win it all? | N.B.A

What I’m most looking forward to…

I can’t wait to see it what Anthony Edwards looks like after his first taste of playoff success and a summer of drawing inspiration from playing alongside his heroes. Since he is the Wolves’ only No. 1 pick following the departure of Karl-Anthony Towns, the key to the franchise now lies with him. He’s primed for a real breakout season. CDL

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry trying to channel Tom Brady. While the trio are still performing at a high level and showing no signs of retiring, a new generation of stars is emerging. Similar to Brady’s final seasons with Tampa Bay, LeBron, KD and Steph will challenge younger NBA stars to prove their reign is over. AS

In the second half of last season, the NBA appeared to have moved to no longer allow ticky-tack fouls to let the players play physically. Referees could swallow their whistles. I grew up in the 1990s era of basketball where the final scores were sometimes in the 60s. And while we don’t need to go back to this, I hope the league focuses more on physical play and stops allowing players like James Harden to trick referees into calling 10,000 fouls per game. YU

Biggest off-season development…

The most exciting trade this summer was definitely the Towns/Julius Randle swap between New York and Minnesota, but I’m personally most intrigued by it First Big trade the Knicks made this summer: Acquisition of Mikail Bridges from neighboring Brooklyn. Bridges is exactly what the Knicks have been missing, and they are now well-positioned to give Boston a chance. CDL

New hope for the Knicks. Since 1973, Knicks fans have entered most seasons with unreasonable expectations of winning the title. This season that dream could come true. With Jalen Brunson playing at an All-NBA level, the Knicks’ offseason additions of Bridges and Towns put them in prime position to dethrone the Celtics. AS

The most exciting were Paul George to Philly and Towns to New York. And while I’m more interested in the latter than the former, what’s the basketball nerd in me? the most I’m looking forward to seeing them the entrances in Oklahoma City. Winning a championship often requires making the right moves on the sidelines, and the Thunder’s acquisition of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein was a coup. YU

The surprise package will be…

This has been discussed too many times by the diehards to be a “surprise,” but the basketball viewing public has largely forgotten about it Memphis Grizzlies. And that’s a mistake, because Ja Morant is on a revenge tour, GG Jackson had a breakout season, and Dillon Brooks has been replaced by the equally sharp but more mature Marcus Smart. Memphis will be a surefire playoff team. CDL

The return of the Grizzlies and Morants. It’s easy to forget that before Morant’s off-field mishaps and season-ending injury, the Grizzlies were the No. 2 seed in the West. If Morant gets back to top form and avoids off-court shenanigans, the Grizzlies have enough to make a strong playoff run. AS

The Orlando magic will get off to a roughly 20-5 start and people will be wondering if they are a title contender. And even if that ultimately isn’t the case, the team will be the darlings of the NBA and one of the most attractive destinations for potentially disgruntled stars like Giannis. YU

The LeBron James-Bronny James connection is…

Really, really cool, but causes a lot of exaggerated hand-wringing. The younger James will likely spend most (if not all) of his season in the G-League. This amount of excitement over a late second-round pick is outsized. CDL

A moment to be cherished because it might not happen again. The rarity of a father-son duo in the NBA will make it a must-see event for the first time in the regular season. But the critics won’t be kind as Bronny endures his rookie learning curve. AS

Cute, nice, historic. But ultimately it won’t matter in terms of the end goal. I hope Bronny is well. I hope he gets time to develop. Debating nepotism is pointless in this case, it’s just not that important when it comes to the actual games. However, if JJ Redick can turn Bronny into a player, it will be impressive. YU

A bold prediction…

Denver could be in more trouble than many think. They’ve lost some key supporting cast and in comes Russell Westbrook, whose honeymoon is notoriously short. The rest of the West has gotten better around them, and it will take a Herculean effort from Nikola Jokić to ensure they don’t do worse than they have in years. CDL

The Lakers will struggle to make the playoffs. LeBron and Anthony Davis will continue to put up All-NBA numbers, but the Lakers won’t beat the Warriors for the final playoff spot. The result would be that Redick’s first season as head coach of the Lakers would also be his last – a possibility he jokingly admitted. AS

Jimmy Butler is traded. His time has just expired. He’s known for his acrimonious exits, and the Heat don’t want to give him much money as they begin to retire and he approaches his late 30s. If they struggle this season, they will take calls and someone will be desperate enough to sign Butler for a good package. YU

MVP

NBA Awards voters tend to have a bit of a sadistic streak. That said, they like candidates to have a tough path to MVP glory – a few narrow losses on the way to victory are generally rewarded. Luka Doncicaccording to these and several other key figures, are due. I suspect he’ll finally get it this year. CDL

Anthony Edwards After the Timberwolves’ Western Conference finals run and his impressive play at the Paris Olympics with Team USA, he has proven he is ready to be the new face of the league. Without Towns, Edwards’ offensive numbers will increase significantly as he leads the Wolves to a top three finish in the West. Ant Man’s leap to superstardom will be undeniable in 2024/25. AS

Luka Doncic. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum will stake their claim, but it’s just time for the Slovenian. The Mavs should be great and Luka is the eye of their attack. SGA is a quieter player and Tatum is surrounded by a great team. So they will finish in the top five along with Joker and Brunson. YU

Eastern Conference playoff teams

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers. CDL

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat. AS

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat. YU

Western Conference playoff teams

Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors. CDL

Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors. AS

Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers. YU

Eastern Conference Finals

New York Knicks over Boston Celtics. CDL

Boston Celtics over New York Knicks. AS

New York Knicks over Boston Celtics. YU

Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder over Minnesota Timberwolves. CDL

Minnesota Timberwolves over Oklahoma City Thunder. AS

Oklahoma City Thunder over Dallas Mavericks. YU

NBA Finals

New York Knicks – Oklahoma City Thunder 4:3. Admittedly, there’s something self-evident about saying that the New York Knicks will finally break through and win the championship, but they have newly discovered top talent and have maintained their excellent core from last year. They have a lot of playoff experience, great offensive and defensive talent and a real star in Jalen Brunson. The Thunder are formidable and will be outstanding, which is why I have them coming from a crowded West. But it’s still a year until they lift the trophy. CDL

Boston Celtics – Minnesota Timberwolves 4:2. In the NBA Finals there will be a showdown between Edwards’ Timberwolves and the Celtics led by Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Edwards has the skills and toughness to make the Celtics uncomfortable every second. But the Timberwolves will ultimately be outclassed by the strength of the Celtics and the star power of Tatum, Brown, Holiday and Porzingis. The Celtics become the first back-to-back NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors. AS

Boston Celtics 4-3 Oklahoma City Thunder. The NBA is deep and full of talent this year. That means the regular season and playoffs will be grueling. But at the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences sit two teams with even more depth and talent. Boston and OKC are just above that. And while their rivals, the new-look Knicks and reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks, will push them, it won’t be enough. In total there will be a series of seven games, including the final. But Boston will win back to back. YU