The Western Conference challenges the Boston Celtics

It took 16 years to see them at the top again. The Boston Celtics won their 18th championship after beating the Dallas Mavericks in the finals, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers in the all-time series and becoming the league's most successful team after sweeping the Eastern Conference regular season.

This season, the Celtics are the favorites, a status that Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company have earned. But no one will just them the Larry O'Brien trophy without a fight. Several franchises, many of them coming from the west side of the NBA, are going to give them a run for their money.

Western Conference

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder is gearing up for the new season. The descendant of the legendary Seattle SuperSonics is one of the favorites within the Western Conference. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to lead, with the support of Chet Holmgren, among others, the franchise that made it to the playoff semifinals last season.

So will the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minneapolis franchise has lost one of its star players, Karl-Anthony Towns, replacing him with Julius Randle. They have also added Donté DiVincenzo. The Timberwolves will continue to be led by Anthony Edwards, who is expected to be one of the best NBA players of the next decade.

Next up is the Denver Nuggets. The 2023 NBA champions are looking to make it to the finals this season and hope Nikola Jokic will help guide the team. The Dallas Mavericks, who have padded their roster with Klay Thompson, could also make it far. Other teams that could do well are the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers, who have added Bronny James, son of LeBron James, to play together in what will be the King's final season.

Eastern Conference

Apart from the Celtics, in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks will face the reigning champions the most. Now with Towns, the New York Knicks could be one of the best franchises this season. Jalen Brunson still remains on the roster.

The Philadelphia 76ers have an intimidating roster this season. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, etc., have been joined by Paul George. Further down is the Indiana Pacers who surprised fans last season by sneaking into the Eastern Conference Finals. There’s also the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Milwaukee Bucks, who hope to get the best out of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Miami Heat, who are always ready to make a splash.

The big trades and the 'newcomers'

Many players have made headlines during this interseason hiatus for changing teams. Several of them are big stars who have signed substantial contracts. The first example is Klay Thompson, who left the Golden State Warriors, where he won four championships, to play for the Dallas Mavericks, sharing a locker room with other renowned figures such as Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving.

Another noteworthy player is Paul George, who left the Los Angeles Clippers for the Philadelphia 76ers. Other veterans who have changed franchises are DeMar DeRozan, who will defend the Sacramento Kings after playing the last three seasons with the Chicago Bulls; Russell Westbrook, who will play alongside Nikola Jokic for the Denver Nuggets after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers; and Chris Paul, who is hoping to get time on the court with the San Antonio Spurs in what will probably be his last active season.

We can’t forget about former Minnesota Timberwolves player Karl-Anthony Towns. The Dominican-born center moved to the Big Apple, where he will play for the New York Knicks. Dejounte Murray left the Atlanta Hawks, where he was part of an effective offensive duo with Trae Young, to play for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Among the rookies, there are big expectations from the number one draft pick, French Zaccharie Risacher, who will make his NBA debut with the Hawks. In the preseason, Dalton Knecht has stood out with the Los Angeles Lakers (number 17 in the Draft). On the bench section, the Lakers drafted JJ Redick to try to turn the team around. Jordi Fernández, new coach of the Brooklyn Nets, has made history as the first Spanish head coach in NBA history.

NBA Schedule 2024/2025

Now that the preseason has concluded and each of the franchises has fine-tuned their rosters, the regular season will kick off this Tuesday and run through April 13, 2025. In between, the Emirates NBA Cup will be played from Nov. 12 to Dec. 17.

The  All-Star Weekend will be held from February 14 to 16, 2025. This weekend is made up of the All-Star Game, Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Shootout and so on.

The play-in is set for April 15, 2025. The final places for the last phase of the season will be at stake. The playoffs will start four days later, on April 19, and on June 5, 2025 the NBA Finals will begin.