The league's best teams often teeter on a knife's edge, thriving thanks to continuity but in a constant state of fragility, which explains the current state of the weakened Eastern Conference. The two favorites, who meet in a made-for-television opener Wednesday in New York, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks (7 p.m. ET on ESPN), are in this place because of the consistency of their rosters and misfortune of fellow contenders.
Unfortunately for the Houston Rockets and their passionate fans, they're probably going to be without former Raptors standout and current veteran point guard Fred VanVleet for the whole 2025-26 season. He tore his ACL during offseason training, which is a tough blow considering the season start is just around the corner. Now, I think in the grand scheme of sports injuries, when you hear "sprained" or "bruised," maybe there's a little more of a silver lining.
Tyler Herro's injury could conceivably torpedo the Miami Heat's season before it even starts. But it won't. At the very least, they have a better shot of surviving his absence. And it's all thanks to the Norman Powell trade. Everybody already agreed the Heat's acquisition of the 32-year-old guard was a heist. They sent out two players who didn't factor into their short-term or bigger-picture plans, Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson, for someone who churned out a borderline All-Star campaign last season. That is highway robbery at its most absurd possible level.