2024-25 opening night: Experts' picks for East, West and NBA champs
The 2024-25 NBA season is officially here!
The Boston Celtics begin their quest for back-to-back titles against the New York Knicks to kick off the NBA season (7:30 p.m. ET). After a dominant run through the playoffs, the Celtics enter this season as the favorites, but the depth of competition in the league won’t make it easy for Boston to repeat.
The Knicks’ busy offseason, which included bringing in Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, has title hopes high in New York, while the Philadelphia 76ers signed Paul George this offseason to maximize the prime of 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid. Will either contender have enough star power to dethrone the Celtics in the Eastern Conference race?
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder will try to build off of a memorable 2023-24 campaign during which they became the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history. And OKC didn’t stand pat, adding key players in Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to bolster one of the deepest rosters in the league. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who face the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night (10 p.m. ET), also are among teams with eyes on the Larry O’Brien Trophy after Anthony Edwards took a giant leap last season. And despite the talent at the top of the conference, the Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets could all make noise in the crowded West race.
Will it be Oklahoma City-Boston in the Finals? Which other teams could crash the party? And which are most likely to be involved in trades? Our NBA experts make their picks.
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Eastern Conference finals picks
Kendra Andrews: Celtics over Knicks in 6
Tim Bontemps: Celtics over 76ers in 6
Jamal Collier: 76ers over Celtics in 7
Chris Herring: Celtics over Knicks in 6
Baxter Holmes: Celtics over Knicks in 7
Tim MacMahon: Celtics over Bucks in 6
Bobby Marks: Celtics over Knicks in 6
Dave McMenamin: Celtics over Knicks in 6
Kevin Pelton: Celtics over 76ers in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Celtics over Sixers in 7
André Snellings: Celtics over 76ers in 7
Marc Spears: Celtics over Knicks in 6
Michael Wright: Celtics over Bucks in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks over Celtics in 7
Final tally (East champs): Celtics 12, Knicks 1, 76ers 1
Western Conference finals picks
Andrews: Thunder over Mavericks in 6
Bontemps: Thunder over Nuggets in 6
Collier: Thunder over Mavericks in 6
Herring: Thunder over Wolves in 7
Holmes: Thunder over Timberwolves in 7
MacMahon: Thunder over Mavericks in 7
Marks: Suns over Thunder in 7
McMenamin: Timberwolves over Thunder in 6
Pelton: Thunder over Suns in 6
Shelburne: Thunder over Nuggets in 7
Snellings: Timberwolves over Thunder in 6
Spears: Thunder over Suns in 7
Wright: Thunder over Mavericks in 7
Youngmisuk: Thunder over Nuggets in 7
Final tally (West champs): Thunder 11, Timberwolves 2, Suns 1
NBA Finals picks
Andrews: Celtics over Thunder in 6
Bontemps: Celtics over Thunder in 6
Collier: 76ers over Thunder in 6
Herring: Celtics over Thunder in 6
Holmes: Celtics over Thunder in 7
MacMahon: Celtics over Thunder in 7
Marks: Celtics over Suns in 6
McMenamin: Celtics over Wolves in 5
Pelton: Thunder over Celtics in 7
Shelburne: Celtics over Thunder in 7
Snellings: Timberwolves over Celtics in 7
Spears: Celtics over Thunder in 5
Wright: Celtics over Thunder in 6
Youngmisuk: Knicks over Thunder in 7
Final tally (NBA champs): Celtics 10, Thunder 1, 76ers 1, Knicks 1, Timberwolves 1
BONUS! The team most likely to be active in the trade market is the _______
Andrews: Heat
Bontemps: 76ers
Collier: Heat
Holmes: Lakers
Herring: Lakers
MacMahon: Jazz
Marks: Warriors
McMenamin: Heat
Pelton: Pelicans
Shelburne: Warriors
Snellings: Bulls
Spears: Warriors
Wright: Lakers
Youngmisuk: Bucks
Final tally: Heat 3, Lakers 3, Warriors 3, Bucks 1, Bulls 1, Jazz 1, Pelicans 1, 76ers 1
