"As has been the case since the dynasty of the Jordan-Pippen Bulls faded at the end of the 1990s, the balance of power is tilted toward the Western franchises. A glance through the 2025-26 version of the NBA shows that it will remain the case for the next year - and the divide between West and East may even be more pronounced than in recent years."
"The Lakers and Nuggets, with their MVP candidates in Jokic and LA's Luka Doncic, will each be a force. But the contenders do not end there. Oklahoma City went to double-overtime with the revamped Rockets in its opener - more on them later - but is expected to be the top team in the NBA as the Thunder attempt to become the first repeat champs since the 2017-18 Warriors."
Golden State opened the season beating the Lakers and then hosted Nikola Jokic's Nuggets, facing two marquee opponents in its first two games. The Warriors will regularly meet top teams as they navigate a brutally strong Western Conference that remains tilted toward West franchises. A starting five of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Al Horford and Jonathan Kuminga would be among the best Eastern units but faces stiffer competition in the West. Coach Steve Kerr emphasized urgency to find the team's best version early. Lakers and Nuggets feature MVP-level stars, while Oklahoma City and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pose major title threats.
Read at The Mercury News
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