LOS ANGELES.- The NBA raises the curtain on its 81st season on Tuesday with powerful contenders for the throne held by the New York Knicksteams called to surprise and others subjected to enormous pressure from day one.
This is the traffic light for the four franchises that start green towards the ring, the covered ones and those that carry the failures of previous years.
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Celebrations of the Knicks’ first title in half a century culminate with the raising of the championship flag at the Madison Square Garden on the opening day on Tuesday.
From the initial jump of the duel against the Philadelphia 76ers, New Yorkers face a mountain of challenges to be the first to revalidate the ring since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
While the Knicks have maintained the same backbone, led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Townsthe Sixers have been the big protagonists of the market and are expected in the fight for their first championship in four decades.
Philadelphia struck the first blow by taking Jaylen Brown figure of the Boston Celticsand later won the close bid for the services of LeBron James.
At almost 42 years old, “King” James is the icing on the cake of the NBA’s most luxurious quintet, which he will make up with Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the young man VJ Edgecombe.
The San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder They also have more than enough credentials to return to the Finals.
After a failed first attempt against the Knicks last June, the young phenomenon Victor Wembanyama He doesn’t want to wait any longer to inaugurate a trophy case that promises to be too small.
Oklahoma City, in command of the double MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderwill try to draw lessons from their playoff loss to the Spurs to retake the throne they reached in 2025.
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Two notable signings, the return of a star and the maturity of a consolidated block threaten to shake up the league’s hierarchies this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpotwo-time MVP and champion in 2021, fulfilled his wish to leave the Milwaukee Bucks and disembarked in the Miami Heatautomatically becoming one of the teams to follow very closely.
The other big contract, involved in enormous controversy, is that of Kawhi Leonard for the Toronto Raptors. The veteran forward is back in the franchise that he guided to the title in 2019 after the tumultuous end of his time in the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard, who must form a fearsome duo with the All-Star Scottie Barnes He emerged practically unscathed from the scandal over the covert payments that the Los Angeles franchise gave him for years, which violated salary cap regulations.
The Indiana Pacerswith its leader Tyrese Haliburton Back after a blank season due to injury, they want to once again be the disruptive team that reached the runners-up spot in 2025.
This trio of franchises will have to make their way in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conferenceled last year by the reborn Detroit Pistons. Although they fell early in the playoffs, the Pistons optimistically face the second round with the same group led by Cade Cunningham.
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For different reasons, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers They start the course with numerous pending accounts.
The Nuggets fear that a fourth straight year of frustration will boost their superstar, Nikola Jokicto follow Antetokounmpo’s example and demand the transfer.
Denver only has the novelty of the veteran DeMar DeRozan due to their lack of cap space, a malady that also plagues the aging Warriors.
Stephen Curry At 38 years old, he faces another campaign with a gloomy prognosis due to the lack of reinforcements and the injuries of Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis.
In Los Angeles, Luka Doncic He will assume absolute command of the Lakers for the first time after LeBron’s departure. Several of the Slovenian’s demands have been met from the offices, with the signings of an intimidating center, Walker Kessler and various shooters like Quentin Grimes and Collin Sextonbut the Los Angeles arsenal pales in comparison to that of the giants of the West.
The Cavaliers of Donovan Mitchellfor their part, redoubled their commitment to James Harden despite the shipwreck of the veteran shooting guard in the last playoffs.
The arrival of the eaves Peyton Watsonsnatched from the Nuggets, and Mario Hezonjaback to the NBA since Real Madrid, Hopes are uncertain for a team with the obligation to reach the Finals.
