The upcoming NBA regular season has the potential to be one of the more exciting ever. It's wild to think how many teams were incentivized to lose in the past. I watched too many Washington Wizards games last season with Anthony Gill playing heavy minutes at center. But it's a new day. Teams that finish in the bottom three are now most likely to get the 10th, 11th, and 12th overall picks. Since there is little benefit to losing, we are in store for one of the more competitive and enjoyable regular seasons of our lifetime. So here is what I'm most excited to watch for each team.

Atlanta Hawks

The defensive lineup of Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Lu Dort, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.

All five are above average defenders. Atlanta had the 15th best offense and the 8th best defense last season. Can they remain an average offense and boost that defense into the top five?

The team has interesting pieces but lacks the top-end talent. I don't think anyone on this roster can be the best player on a championship team. If they can stay healthy and get slight improvements from the young core, they'd have up to $47M in cap space to go find a number one offensive engine.

Lowkey excited: Mouhamed Gueye, a 23-year-old 6'11" forward. I haven't focused on him much, but I will be this season. High steal rate and high block rate, which fits into the team defense improvement I'm focusing on.

Boston Celtics

I love the Jaylen Brown for Paul George trade because it's a fascinating experiment we get to watch play out firsthand. I covered the reasons behind Boston's motives here.

The Celtics were very good during the regular season without Jayson Tatum for most of it, finishing 2nd in offense and 5th in defense, but they did it in a specific way. This was a team designed to get up three pointers, crash the boards, and play defense. Only 23.3% of their attempts came at the rim, the lowest mark in the NBA, and they had the second lowest free throw rate.

Brown was second in the league in drives per game last season behind only Deni Avdija, and he drove almost four times as often as George did. A lot of those drives ended as mid range attempts rather than rim attempts, but he still drew plenty of fouls, and all that pressure he put on the defense leaves with him. George is going to stay along the perimeter more, which increases Boston's three point output. He also arguably improves their defense, or at least their ability to generate turnovers.

Boston, a top five team on the offensive boards last season, also added Mitchell Robinson, the best offensive rebounder in the game.

It's going to be fascinating to see how this season plays out, because the Celtics essentially made their weaknesses weaker while strengthening their strengths. Shoot threes at high volume, crash the offensive glass to clean up misses, and defend at an elite level on the other end. They were already built this way, and now they're leaning into it even harder.

Lowkey excited: The development of Hugo Gonzalez.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are a strange roster, and it comes down to the picks they were working with. Brooklyn had five first round selections in 2025, but almost all of them came in the back half of the round, where the odds of landing a real contributor drop off sharply.

There are a lot of guys here who will not be on the next good Brooklyn playoff team, but there are at least three who could be. I'm most excited to see the development of Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Denim. Noah Clowney is still only 22 and has intrigued me with his versatile defense and hypothetical ability to space the floor on offense. The rest of the roster does not interest me much.

Lowkey excited: I've always liked Josh Minott and want to see if he can grow into a good rotational player.

Charlotte Hornets

How does the Charlotte offense work without LaMelo Ball?

LaMelo Ball was the 10th most impactful offensive player last season per EPM and projects to be 5th this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. It takes around 550 possessions for offensive lineup data to stabilize, where it becomes more real than noise. Of the lineups to reach that sample, Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate were the best offensive lineup in basketball. Ball's on/off splits back it up. He juiced the offense.

Their end of season run wasn't an anomaly either. Their team EPM chart looks like a wheelchair ramp, climbing steadily upward from October on.

And now a reset. Coby White replaces Ball, and I expect a usage bump for Knueppel and Miller. Will they run something more egalitarian, and what does that actually look like? Will their young stars take a leap? I'm excited to find out.

Lowkey excited: As the league gets bigger at center and double big lineups come back into fashion, how do the Hornets survive with 6'10" 210 pound Diabate starting at the five?

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls for the longest time had zero rim protection. Their defensive identity was trying everything possible to stop the ball at the point of attack, which led to some really fun plays when Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball were terrorizing opponents on the perimeter. But the back line was Nikola Vucevic, one of the worst rim protecting centers in the league, and Vooch was often flanked by the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Coby White. If opponents got past the point of attack defender, there was a red carpet waiting to take them right to the rim.

It's a different era now. Caleb Wilson had the fourth highest block rate in Summer League. Matas Buzelis has one of the best block rates among non-centers in the league, in the same range as Jaren Jackson Jr., Scottie Barnes, and Ausar Thompson. And Nic Claxton is a clear upgrade on what Vucevic gave them defensively. A back line of Buzelis, Wilson, and Claxton would be night and day compared to what the Bulls have been, and that's what I'm most excited to see.

Lowkey excited: More Jalen Smith at the four in double big lineups.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Can't wait to watch Donovan Mitchell and James Harden wear down in the playoffs. Just joking, Cavs fans.

What I'm actually looking forward to is whether Evan Mobley can take two steps forward after taking one step back last season. I also think Jarrett Allen is underrated. Bigs that finish efficiently around the rim, rebound at a high level on both ends, and can actually defend are valuable, and Allen does all three.

I don't see Mitchell or Harden improving from here. If the Cavs are going to win the Eastern Conference, it's going to be because Mobley and Allen improved, and that's what I'm keying in on this season.

Lowkey excited: Jaylon Tyson. He's 23 years old and had a pretty good regular season followed by a terrible playoffs. Does he bounce back?

Dallas Mavericks

The battle between Cooper Flagg and Zaccharie Risacher for the best number one overall pick on the team.

In reality there's probably not one big thing here, just a lot of little ones. Obviously the development of Flagg. What does Kyrie Irving look like when he comes back? Is the NBA ready for Morez Johnson Jr.'s motor? And what does all of this look like under Dusty May, a first year NBA coach who was excellent in college?

Lowkey excited: Sergio de Larrea's assist numbers in Summer League.

Denver Nuggets

What Nikola Jokic are we getting? Pre injury he was having one of the best seasons of his career. After it he was still a really good player, but there was a drop-off, and the biggest one may have been his defensive effort in that playoff series against the Wolves. Given Denver's financial constraints and lack of assets, I don't know how they get good enough to be true contenders again unless Jokic returns to being that much better than everyone else.

Lowkey excited: Trevon Brazile. I don't scout a bunch of players for the draft, and I'm typically not thinking about the NBA when I watch college basketball. But there have been three players I knew nothing about who, within three possessions, I instantly thought could play in the NBA. Dalano Banton, Myles Byrd, and Brazile. So I want to see if he can become a rotation player.

Detroit Pistons

Can we please get Cade Cunningham some help? Who is going to run offense besides him and Daniss Jenkins? What if one of them misses time? That's a lot of responsibility being handed to rookie Ebuka Okorie. Detroit traded away Caris LeVert, who I'm not a fan of, but they have a real lack of ball handlers on this team. It's exciting that Cade has ascended to being one of the better players in the league, but what are the Pistons' plans here? Are they going to pay Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson and have them be the second and third highest paid players on the team?

The Pistons have all their own first round picks as well as a surplus of seconds. What are they going to do to improve, or are they going to stand pat and lean into this heliocentric Cade team? Windows can close quickly. Ask the Memphis Grizzlies. Not long ago they were an up and coming team that didn't want to make any big moves, like acquiring OG Anunoby. Now they're rebuilding. And let's not forget, the Pistons were a Franz Wagner injury away from getting bounced in the first round. What is the front office's overall vision? That's what I'm most excited to learn this season.

Lowkey excited: Paul Reed time?

Golden State Warriors

I'm most excited to watch a very entertaining nine versus ten play-in game where Al Horford is making it rain again.

Or perhaps Jimmy Butler's return and whether the Warriors can make the playoffs. I assume if they get there they're a first round exit team, but I just want to watch Steph Curry play meaningful basketball games while we still get the chance.

Lowkey excited: For the Warriors to discover Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth.

Houston Rockets

Can the Rockets finally figure out their half court offense?

Here's where Houston ranked in efficiency by offensive play type last season:

19th | half court
27th | putbacks
16th | transition off live rebounds
6th | transition off steals

They still had the 7th best offense overall because they rebounded a ridiculous 37.6% of their own missed shots. The Rockets are the equivalent of a quarterback saying fuck it, Steven Adams is down there somewhere. But can relying solely on offensive rebounding bring them to the Finals?

Houston is essentially two thirds of the Boston model: defense, offensive rebounding, and shooting. But while the Celtics take 44% of their shots from three, the Rockets are near the bottom of the league at 32%.

Low key excited: For Adams to return from injury. He has such an entertaining personality and I enjoy watching his amazing offensive rebounding skills.

Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton being back, and how they work in Ivica Zubac. How good is this team really?

I did wonder how much flukey shooting propelled them in 2025, yet they made it to Game 7 of the Finals, and who knows what happens if the human anatomy did not consist of the Achilles tendon. I expected that squad to take a step back in 2026, but with Haliburton out I never got to find out. But this season I will learn if 2025 was lightning in a bottle or if they're legit.

Lowkey excited: How the Pacers incorporate Kelly Oubre Jr.

LA Clippers

How good of a shooter can Keaton Wagler be in the NBA? I'm not sure he's ever going to be an offensive engine, but I do expect him to become an elite shooter. So much so that I can't put a ceiling on what level of shooter he becomes.

Lowkey excited: Just what this next iteration of the Clippers becomes and grows into. Or how many draft picks they are about to forfeit.

Los Angeles Lakers

How much can Walker Kessler clean up for the litany of defensive mistakes made by all the offense only players on this team? Kessler's teammates better be buying him every meal, the way a quarterback buys for their offensive line. This Lakers team is going to spring a lot of leaks, and Kessler is the one who has to plug them. I'm most excited to see how their team defense holds up.

Lowkey excited: Watching more Luka magic.

Memphis Grizzlies

Learning how Cam Boozer will fit in the NBA. My read from scouts is high floor, low ceiling. He's an analytical darling with some mocking him at first overall, yet he may lack the athleticism needed to be a superstar. I'm really focused on players who aren't flashy but consistently make the right play, the winning play, versus players who can flash, where the positives are easy for the eye to see and the negatives may be less noticeable. Will be interesting to see how Boozer's career develops.

Lowkey excited: Watching a healthy Zach Edey play. The Grizzlies had a +20 point differential in the 590 possessions Edey played last season. Opponents struggled getting to and finishing at the rim in that small sample.

Miami Heat

Player usage when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the bench and how the offense will operate. Last season the Heat rarely set screens, focusing more on spreading the floor and letting the ball handler beat his defender on an island. How does that change when the bench is Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Simone Fontecchio, and Dru Smith? Coach Spo has his work cut out for him, and I'm excited to see how he tries to optimize a roster this depleted after the Giannis trade.

Lowkey excited: More Myron Gardner minutes.

Milwaukee Bucks

I guess I'll have to focus on 21 year old rookie Brayden Burries and learning what he can do. And the development of Kasparas Jakucionis. He's 20, and while I don't think he can be a guy who runs an offense, I like what he's shown as a three point shooter and as a glue guy, making hustle plays and trying hard on defense. It's going to be a rough season watching all these Bucks games though.

Lowkey excited: The absolute chaos that will ensue by having Kyle Kuzma and Tyler Herro on the same roster.

Minnesota Timberwolves

I am super excited to see how having an elite passer affects this team. Every NBA team typically has at least one starter who assists on 25% or more of their teammates' shots while on the floor, except for the Wolves. Julius Randle had the highest assist rate on the team last season at 22.7%, and 22.8% the year before. Meanwhile Anthony Edwards' assist rate keeps declining year over year, from 24.1% to 20.9% to 17.4%. The idea that Ant could develop into a point guard was slipping away.

Now enter LaMelo Ball, a player with an assist rate routinely pushing 40%, a player who is actively creating buckets for teammates. Minnesota is going from having the lowest assist rate of any team's best playmaker to having one of the highest. Which comes back to how this unlocks Edwards, who has really weaponized his shooting with back to back 40% seasons from three. Now the Wolves have a point guard who can set him up. How much better can Edwards get with someone who can create for him?

Lowkey excited: How does this front court work? I assume the Wolves have to make a trade. They are so heavy on guards. Although this postseason the Thunder, Spurs, and Knicks had exactly one rotation player between them standing 6'8" to 6'11" (Jaylin Williams). And while I don't think the power forward spot will be devalued as much as the small shooting guard has, it's something I'm starting to pay attention to. Anywho, I assume the Wolves make a trade for more four and five depth. It would be nice if they still had Luka Garza and Josh Minott.

Hoop Informatics

New Orleans Pelicans

How many more DMV players can they get on the team?

This one is relatively simple though. I'm watching the development of Jeremiah Fears, and how the front office starts remaking this roster by testing the trade market for Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and Herb Jones to start focusing on bringing in future assets.

Lowkey excited: DeAndre Jordan minutes.

New York Knicks

The Knicks changed their offense in the playoffs. They found themselves down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round (remember playoff CJ McCollum?). Karl-Anthony Towns had a 14.2% assist rate in the regular season, but in the playoffs that jumped to 22.8% as New York put the ball in his hands more to create offense.

The defense really stepped up too. They had the 10th best defense in the regular season and the best defense in the playoffs. Opponents went from shooting 36.6% from three against New York in the regular season to only 31.9% in the playoffs, the lowest mark of anyone in the postseason.

So what is this Knicks team? Same question I have about the Pacers. Was it lightning in a bottle or is it real? Is the new run-it-through-KAT offense going to terrorize the league this year? Will the defense keep up its playoff run, or did shooting luck make a very good team look like a juggernaut?

Lowkey excited: For more Knicks fans outside the arena content. I love those bing bong videos. I can't imagine how much shit New Yorkers are going to talk now.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Will the real Chet Holmgren please stand up? The last time we saw him on the court was a 33 minute Game 7 performance in which he took two total field goal attempts. He didn't make an impact in the Western Conference Finals. Now, I'm going to put more weight on what we know about Holmgren historically as one of the better players in the game. But I am excited to see how he responds in his age-24 season.

Lowkey excited: Anytime Alex Caruso is on the court. He is an absolute joy to watch and one of my favorite players of all time.

Orlando Magic

Same as every year. Will the Orlando Magic finally have a top 15 offense? They haven't managed it since Stan Van Gundy was coaching Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. Can new Head Coach Sean Sweeney finally get this team over the hump?

Lowkey excited: To watch more Wendell Carter Jr. clutch fourth quarter rebounds.

Philadelphia 76ers

How do they perform defensively? They were the 17th best defense last season and lost Paul George, who is a good defender. LeBron James is in his forties and is often more focused on leaking out in transition than playing defense, styling his game after Bill Murray on most possessions. Joel Embiid's defense has fallen off and he isn't a mobile defender. Tyrese Maxey is a small guard. Jaylen Brown is an overrated defender. VJ Edgecombe is capable but entering his age-21 season. How is this team going to defend at a high level?

Lowkey excited: How they utilize Dean Wade, who is a great complementary player who doesn't need the ball and can defend.

Phoenix Suns

How many more Michigan State players will they trade for?

Whether Khaman Maluach or Rasheer Fleming can develop into anything is likely what I’ll be watching for.

Lowkey excited: Dillon Brooks defending LeBron James.

Portland Trail Blazers

How do they incorporate all these guards? Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe. It's going to be interesting to see how the minutes get distributed. Also excited for Micah Nori, who I think is a really good coach.

Lowkey excited: Dame Time.

Sacramento Kings

Ok, because it's the Kangz, how bad are they going to be? Will they give Darius Acuff Jr. the keys, and how much of a disaster will it be? This team is so bad and also so expensive. They likely have the worst owner in basketball. Also potentially the worst head coach in basketball. They are a dumpster fire other teams' fans get to watch and say, at least we aren't the Kings. I'm most excited for the Kings to be able to climb out of their current iteration and start building the next one.

Lowkey excited: All the energy that is being saved by never having to light the beam.

San Antonio Spurs

Dylan Harper. That's it. I could have just stopped right there.

Is he going to be sixth man again? He's too good. The ball needs to be put in his hands. His finishing ability at the rim is mesmerizing. He was the second most impactful player on the Spurs in the playoffs as a rookie who had just turned 20! And he can't take a back seat to De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle again this season. He needs more reps on the ball in pick and roll so he can handle even more in the playoffs.

So what I'll be watching is how Mitch Johnson uses him.

Lowkey excited: Watching Carter Bryant's defense.

Toronto Raptors

Kawhi-Scottie-CMB lineups. Hook it straight into my veins.

As of this writing we still don't know if Kawhi Leonard will be traded to the Raptors, given everything going on with the Clippers and his backdoor compensation. But I hope he ends up in the north. I was really excited about what Scottie Barnes and Colin Murray-Boyles showed in the playoffs, and adding Leonard to the mix makes me take Toronto seriously for the first time in a while.

Lowkey excited: The development of Ja'Kobe Walter. A young player who can defend well, and adding him to those Leonard-Barnes-CMB lineups is going to be so much fun to watch defensively.

Utah Jazz

I have so many questions. Just how good is Keyonte George? Can he get to competent on defense? How good of a rookie season will Darryn Peterson have? Wild to think this is Lauri Markkanen's fifth season with the Jazz. Is Jaren Jackson Jr. worth $50 million? Don't forget Utah has Ace Bailey. And Jusuf Nurkic is the starting center?

The Jazz are exciting because they have all these pieces, and we finally get to learn how they fit together on a team that's actually trying to win.

Lowkey excited: Let Will Hardy cook.

Washington Wizards

I had to erase and start over, because instead of what I was excited for I was just ranting about Trae Young and Anthony Davis being on this team, and about acquiring Deandre Ayton for the youth to model their work ethic around.

Obviously with the Wizards it's all about the young guys. How will these players perform when the team is actually trying to win? Washington played with such a lack of structure last season. Incentivized to lose games, they let players freelance all over the court. Who can play team basketball? Who can make winning plays?

Lowkey excited: To watch more of future sixth man of the year Will Riley.

What Are You Excited About?

Let us know in the comments what you're most excited to watch for your favorite team. What should the rest of us be looking for when we watch them this season?