The 2025 NBA Champion Will Be...

With the start of the NBA season tomorrow, it's time for a 2025 NBA champion prediction. 

While I'm not a huge fan of trying to predict something that's eight months into the future, I did correctly predict last year's champion. 

A whole slew of things will happen between now and next June, but that has to be a part of the prediction: which rosters can stomach an injury or two, what players will struggle to play well together, etc. 

With that said, here is my pick. 

My Pick

The Minnesota Timberwolves will win the 2025 NBA Championship. 

​Yes, I live in Minneapolis. But no, this is not a homer pick. 

The Wolves will win because they play defense, have a go-to shot-maker in Anthony Edwards, and will space the floor even more with Donte DiVencenzo in the mix. 

Minnesota ran out of gas in last year's Western Conference Finals against Dallas, not entirely unexpected after they surprised Denver. With another year under Edwards' belt and the moves they made in the offseason, this is a well-balanced roster in terms of skill sets and youth. 

I was a fan of the KAT trade. Sure, Julius Randle is injury prone. But, he's a physical, rim-attacking forward that gives them an element that they were missing. KAT is an elite floor spacer: no doubt about that. But, there were times when the Gobert/KAT experiment just felt clunky. 

As an optimist, I'm a Naz Reid believer. He's not KAT; let's not go there. But additional minutes in his direction + the differing skill set of Randle, and you have an interesting proposition. 

I'm also a big fan of DiVencenzo. He's a better athlete that people give him credit for, and he's the perfect sidekick to an attacking counterpart in Edwards. Minnesota lacked scoring punch last year; they certainly have the talent to shore that up. 

Who Won't Win

As challenging as the West once was, I now see a similar bloodbath to get through the East. Boston, Philly, New York, Milwaukee, and Indiana will all vie to represent the conference. 

I still like Boston and believe their core is the best in the NBA. However, in the history of the league, there have only been 13 repeat champions. Tatum, Brown, and Co. have a taste of what it takes, which is certainly valuable. On the flip side, those guys have always been the hunters; now, they're the hunted. 

​Philly has the talent to compete with anybody. The problem is that their literal centerpiece is always hurt. Joel Embiid has said he won't play back to back games this season, and Paul George isn't a spring chicken either. I'm fading Philly. 

The Knicks have continued to ascend and now the Karl Anthony Towns trade makes them serious contenders. New York was decimated by injuries last year, but that also led to opportunities. I don't worry about New York on offense, but their defense is a big question mark for me despite the leadership of Thibs. 

Milwaukee is old and slow, but Damian Lillard almost single handedly took them past Indiana in last year's post season. Can Milwaukee beat the Celtics, 76er's, and/or Knicks on any given night? Of course they can. Can they beat all three in a post-season series, though? I just don't think they have the depth or endurance to do so. 

Indiana has a nice team, and people forget that they had their fair share of injuries last year as well. Look for Indy to be the dark horse of the East. 

Looking at the West, obviously you have to start with OKC, Denver, and Dallas. Beyond those three, I think it's a stretch to call teams like the Suns and Lakers contenders. 

OKC is loaded with talent, but when games are tight, they sure depend heavily on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein are huge for them and add immediate grit and toughness. Jalen Williams is a good player, but he's not there yet in terms of being a legit #2 option. Oddsmakers love the Thunder; I like them slightly less. 

Denver was thoroughly outplayed by Minnesota last year, and it felt like their best players were ready for the season to end. The Nuggets are too good to get embarrassed for a second time. This is a top 3 team in the West and a definite title contender. 

Last, I'm going to fade Dallas for this simple reason: when your best player isn't bought in defensively, your ceiling is limited. Has that changed? Possibly. But watching the NBA Finals last year, you saw a team that just couldn't hold court with other elite offensive players. 

Final Thoughts

The NBA today is quite a bit more balanced than the last several years. 

​According to Oddshark, 8 teams have sub +1400 odds as I write this. 

As a fan, I'm all about more parity, and the upcoming season should feature competitive games night in and night out.