The Celtics won’t have a “down year” like many critics say // Pablo Aizenman, Staff Writer
The Celtics still have superstar Jaylen Brown, the reigning sixth man of the year winner Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. This may not seem like a championship year for the Celtics — they are still a young team full of energy and talent, making this far from a “lost” season, as many have said.
This season, many NBA fans and analysts have written off the Boston Celtics 2025-2026 NBA campaign, but I’m here to argue that this season is far from a throwaway year. While superstar Jayson Tatum may sit on the sideline for the entire season with a torn achilles, the Celtics still made key moves to stay competitive.
Although they did trade away important pieces from their 2024 championship team due to the new salary cap rules — Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet — they made some important acquisitions to keep themselves above ground. Most notably, they dealt Jrue Holiday for 26-year-old guard Anfernee Simons, who averaged roughly 20 points and five assists per game for the Portland Trailblazers over the past three seasons before he was sent to Boston.
The Celtics still have four-time all-star and NBA finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who averaged 22.2 points per game last season; Pritchard, who averaged 14.3 points per game and 3.5 assists per game; and Derrick White, who put up 16.4 points per game and 4.8 assists per game last season. While the Celtics may not win a championship this season, Boston remains an energetic, talented team with the “find-a-way” mentality, making this season far from the rebuilding year many have predicted.
The Wizards will have one of their best seasons of the decade and make the play-in // Julien Holbrook, Staff Writer
Things have been shaky in D.C. ever since John Wall was shipped away to Houston. But, this season, A.J. Johnson fastbreaks and Bub Carrington pick-and-rolls are a sight to behold this season. I predict they will lead the team to at least an appearance in the play-in tournament and maybe even a playoff berth.
Last year, the Washington Wizards relied on both veterans with proven resumes and teenagers with raw natural talent to get them through the season. This juxtaposition of players, as well as a lack of playmakers, ended up producing the worst offense in the league.
They weren’t an outstanding defensive team last year, either, but they did have some standout players. Bilal Coulibaly has everything he needs to become a premier defensive stopper on the wing. Kyshawn George also showed similar signs of defensive prowess while also producing offensively. And Alex Sarr developed exponentially as a rim protector over the course of the season.
At 20 years old, Sarr has the timing and size to block shots and the versatility outside to knock down threes. The other Frenchman, Coulibaly, still has some questions he needs to answer offensively. If the jumper comes around, he could become the next Kawhi Leonard.
The newly acquired Cam Whitmore will also play an important role in the success of the franchise. His mix of tough shot-making and explosive athleticism to get to the rim is a recipe for a 20-plus-points-per-game scorer.
Another newcomer to the Wizards, rookie Tre Johnson, can make almost any shot you can imagine and create whatever look he wants. His size, handle and range make it hard not to think he will become a deadly perimeter threat for years to come.
Washington has the young talent to foster a new identity in D.C., and the veterans in CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton to keep the project on track.
This isn’t a make-or-break season in the team’s development but one that will see a big leap taken since the times of Wall and Bradley Beal.
The Garden of Dreams … Delivers // Sean McQuillan, Staff Writer
If you ask any NBA fan, the Knicks have been the league’s laughingstock for decades. Since their last championship in 1973, they’ve endured heartbreak after heartbreak, disastrous seasons, awful trades, five coaches in six years and bloated contracts. Draft misses like Frank Ntilikina over Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Knox before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became routine, and losing became expected.
The 2000s were supposed to carry over the success of the ’90s, but instead brought two playoff trips, a bloated payroll and some of the ugliest basketball ever played. Then came the 2010s — a full-blown nightmare. Between 2013 and 2019, the Knicks stumbled to a 163–329 record, including a franchise-worst 17–65 season and an 18-game home losing streak inside of Madison Square Garden.
Then, when all was lost, queue Jalen Brunson. The undersized, fearless point guard went from backup in Dallas to New York’s leading star. For the first time in decades, the Knicks have a true 1A option, and hope is back. Oh, and don’t forget the supporting cast. Karl-Anthony Towns is the best shooting big man in the league, OG Anunoby is an elite defender and this team praises grit, grind, hustle and momentum. It is time for a miracle in Manhattan, a party on 7th Avenue, and — why not? A city-wide shutdown, because the New York Knicks have arrived.
Tyrese Maxey will carry the Sixers into the post-Embiid era and be an All-Star starter in 2026 // Karis Mameniskis, Staff Writer
For any Sixers fan, last season was disappointing. Injuries, inconsistent play and the playoffs made it a hard watch. Tyrese Maxey is the silver lining. Maxey is on the rise to become a true NBA star — not just a Philadelphia favorite, but a fully recognized All-Star and one of the top guards in the Eastern Conference for the 2025–26 season.
Last season, Maxey averaged 26.3 points and 6.1 assists per game, joining an elite group of players to score 25 or more points and six or more assists over a full season. The others? MVP names like Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson. That shows Maxey is ready to become one of the league’s premier guards.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid, the longtime face of the Sixers, was limited by ongoing injuries last season, appearing in just 19 games and averaging 23.8 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 assists. With no clear timeline for when Embiid will return to full health, the face of Philadelphia will pass to Maxey.
The trio of Embiid, Paul George and Maxey has the talent to compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. But if injuries happen or the lineup shifts, Maxey has already proven he can carry the franchise.
After earning his first All-Star selection in 2024, Maxey enters his fifth season with a new focus and determination. He’s evolved from a bench player to a starter point guard capable of dictating the game in tight moments.
This season, Tyrese Maxey will average 28 or more points and six assists per game, earn a 2026 starting All-Star selection and be named to the All-NBA Third Team. At this rate, Maxey won’t just become Philadelphia’s next star — he’ll become the face of the post-Embiid era.
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