The Spurs ended last season with a 34-48 record & missed the playoffs. Now Victor Wembanyama coming back after a health scare he looks more poised training with NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon & Kavin Garnett during the offseason. Now they have a potential elite cast of Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle & No. 2 pick Dylan Harper. The roster has more balance now of young guards, a top big man and role players to challenge as a playoff contender. Expectations are much higher securing a playoff spot will require consistency & avoiding long losing stretches to remain in competition with a stacked West.

When you think of the Golden State Warriors you think of the star power, experience & Championship mentality. Steph Curry remains the engine of the offense & one of the top shooters in NBA history. Jimmy Butler was acquired in February of 2025 & helped rejuvenate the team since his arrival the Warriors went 23-8 in that stretch. Draymond Green being the enforcer & anchor of the Warriors defense now has some help with Al Horford who is a champion and also provides some defensive help. Many of the core players are over 35 (Curry, Green, Horford, Butler) and the Western Conference remains loaded with younger teams, deeper and more athletic. Will the older Warriors core be able to keep pace in a 7 plus game playoff series?

The Charlotte Hornets finished last season with just 19 wins and finished 14th in the East. The Hornets young core of rising talent of LaMelo Ball running the show, and Brandon Miller is developing into a legit second option. Charlotte added some more shooters & shot creators something that was a weak spot for this roster. They drafted Kon Knueppel out of Duke to help provide the floor spacing with his shooting. Injuries with LaMelo Ball these last few years & other key players has derailed them from be a playoff contending team. They'll need major leaps from the young players & consistency to turn into a playoff team.