2026 NBA Season

[Velvet78]

Charlotte has started another great winning streak after two losses. Tonight they added Dallas to that streak, winning the game 117-90. This victory moved them up to 9th place in the Eastern Conference. There are still many games to go. If they continue in this form, they could finish even higher in the standings. They could even reach the Conference Finals.

Charlotte plays very good basketball as a team. They are a young team and their success deserves much praise.

Hornets really won their last 5 games. Those wins were are all against teams at the same level or below though but still a good work by them of course!

However I wouldn't go that far to say that they can qualify for the conference finals. That's too much for them for now.

Playoffs is different than regular season. I don't think they can eliminate any of top 4 teams from their conference.  

[Stavri]

it’s hard to understand people who claim the Lakers were better without Lebron. But there are a lot of people saying this nowadays.
Lebron missed 18 games and played in 43. without him, their record was 11-7 (61%). with him it was 26-17 (60%).
And in most of those losses, they were missing key starters, most notably Austin Reaves.
And Lakers is currently 6th in the West trailing just 1 or 2 games behind the Nuggets, Wolves, and Rockets. of course a championship will be tough but if they get the right matchup, why not...

[Maslate]

it’s hard to understand people who claim the Lakers were better without Lebron. But there are a lot of people saying this nowadays.
Lebron missed 18 games and played in 43. without him, their record was 11-7 (61%). with him it was 26-17 (60%).
And in most of those losses, they were missing key starters, most notably Austin Reaves.
And Lakers is currently 6th in the West trailing just 1 or 2 games behind the Nuggets, Wolves, and Rockets. of course a championship will be tough but if they get the right matchup, why not...

Just understand the frustration though.
I mean LeBron James isn’t the same player he used to be, that part is obvious, but the Lakers are still better with him on the floor.

Sometimes fans expect too much and forget that LeBron is already a legend, and he’s still playing at a high level at this age which is honestly rare in the league. The explosiveness might not be the same, but he still brings a lot to the team. His biggest edge now is experience, especially in the playoffs. That’s something the Lakers really need if they make it there, and it looks likely since they’re sitting around the top 6 right now. When the playoffs start, having someone like LeBron who has been through so many deep runs still matters a lot.

[LogitechMouse]

it’s hard to understand people who claim the Lakers were better without Lebron. But there are a lot of people saying this nowadays.
Lebron missed 18 games and played in 43. without him, their record was 11-7 (61%). with him it was 26-17 (60%).
And in most of those losses, they were missing key starters, most notably Austin Reaves.
And Lakers is currently 6th in the West trailing just 1 or 2 games behind the Nuggets, Wolves, and Rockets. of course a championship will be tough but if they get the right matchup, why not...

With the percentage that you've shared, that just shows that the Lakers are fine with or without him. They aren't better without him. The Lakers are basically the same with or without him.

I don't know if there are some who will claim that they said that, but I don't think that the Lakers are worse without him. It's just that, the Lakers as a whole are very bad on defense and that includes Lebron. Well, they're 15th on points allowed which is at the middle, but when you have Luka and Lebron that's bad on defense and you have a center that's dysfunctional, and can't fulfill his role (Ayton), the defense as a team really will collapse and when playoff comes, the team with the worse defense will be punished, and I don't think that the Lakers will win against any other top team in the West. Thunder? No. Spurs? They might be young and inexperienced, but they will not lose to the Lakers. Nuggets? I can't see it as well. Maybe they have a chance against either Minnesota and Houston, but... a slim chance.

They're at the 6th spot, but they're not safe. They're only 2 games above Phoenix so they can still be a play-in team especially with how they're playing right now. It's good that they're on a 3-game winning streak currently, and I hope that they will maintain that momentum until the end of the regular season.

[Beparanf]

Charlotte has started another great winning streak after two losses. Tonight they added Dallas to that streak, winning the game 117-90. This victory moved them up to 9th place in the Eastern Conference. There are still many games to go. If they continue in this form, they could finish even higher in the standings. They could even reach the Conference Finals.

Charlotte plays very good basketball as a team. They are a young team and their success deserves much praise.

Hornets really won their last 5 games. Those wins were are all against teams at the same level or below though but still a good work by them of course!

However I wouldn't go that far to say that they can qualify for the conference finals. That's too much for them for now.

Playoffs is different than regular season. I don't think they can eliminate any of top 4 teams from their conference.  

Pacers was the same underdog last year which no one ever thought they will reach the NBA finals considering how tough their opponent on the east. But they beat the odds and dominate even the top team due to their awesome clutch 3point shots.

NBA playoffs is indeed different but most of the time choking happened on top teams.

I’m looking forward for Hornets do the Pacers run last year.

[OgNasty]

I’m looking forward for Hornets do the Pacers run last year.

I am not sure that will happen but they are the most exciting team in the NBA right now. I feel like the OKC and Indiana runs last year were a fluke. I’m hoping this year the playoffs return to watching a legitimate superstar dominate the competition.  I do not want to see SGA playing in the Finals again.

[rbynxx]

Charlotte has started another great winning streak after two losses. Tonight they added Dallas to that streak, winning the game 117-90. This victory moved them up to 9th place in the Eastern Conference. There are still many games to go. If they continue in this form, they could finish even higher in the standings. They could even reach the Conference Finals.

Charlotte plays very good basketball as a team. They are a young team and their success deserves much praise.

Hornets really won their last 5 games. Those wins were are all against teams at the same level or below though but still a good work by them of course!

However I wouldn't go that far to say that they can qualify for the conference finals. That's too much for them for now.

Playoffs is different than regular season. I don't think they can eliminate any of top 4 teams from their conference.  

Pacers was the same underdog last year which no one ever thought they will reach the NBA finals considering how tough their opponent on the east. But they beat the odds and dominate even the top team due to their awesome clutch 3point shots.

NBA playoffs is indeed different but most of the time choking happened on top teams.

I’m looking forward for Hornets do the Pacers run last year.

Looking forward to that, been tailing them for awhile now and damn it's good. Yeah, as they say ball is round and they really play good basketball, they've got what they needed offense and defense and what's more interesting about this Hornets team is that they're hungry, young and the athlecism is definitely top-notch. Watching the game later with a top tier team like Celtics and I guess they'll battle this one out and maybe it will be a tough matchup for them considering how good this team also especially with defense but I think they can manage.

They are probably the dark horse in the East.

[xzone]

Alpi 32, KD 30, Amen 22, Reed 19 points. I wish they could play like this against serious opponents too, not just against tanking teams like the Wizards. Rockets don't seem willing to give up 3rd place. Timberwolves and Nuggets also want that spot. What happened during the All-Star break doesn't seem to have affected the team much. After the break they went 5-2. They keep winning at home and they still have many home games left in the remaining schedule. I think they'll finish the Western Conference in 3rd place. In that case, they will play against the Spurs to reach the Conference finals. Considering how Alpi locked down Wemby in regular season, their chances of reaching the Conference finals will be higher than finishing in 4th place.

I thought the team's dynamics would be disrupted after returning from the All-Star break. Alpi not getting the recognition he deserved and Durant's comments weren't pleasant at all; I thought it would have a very negative impact on the team. It's great that they weren't affected by it.
If the Rockets continue like this, I have no doubt they will be successful in the playoffs; if they can reach the conference finals, they'll become legends

[jakdanyel]

After losing to Thunder and Timberwolves both Nuggets are down to the 5th place in the conference... This is quite a disappointment for me honestly while we are getting close to the end of regular season.

But the main reason behind this is that they have been dealing with serious injury problems for a long time! Despite Jokic's return they are still not the same Nuggets we know. I hope they get better until playoffs.

[Jostern]

Charlotte has started another great winning streak after two losses. Tonight they added Dallas to that streak, winning the game 117-90. This victory moved them up to 9th place in the Eastern Conference. There are still many games to go. If they continue in this form, they could finish even higher in the standings. They could even reach the Conference Finals.

Charlotte plays very good basketball as a team. They are a young team and their success deserves much praise.

Hornets really won their last 5 games. Those wins were are all against teams at the same level or below though but still a good work by them of course!

However I wouldn't go that far to say that they can qualify for the conference finals. That's too much for them for now.

Playoffs is different than regular season. I don't think they can eliminate any of top 4 teams from their conference.  

Well never say never, I still think Hornets are playing a good game in their recent games and it been obviously a good performance in their last five games they have been in excellent form and a good performance.

I think they can qualify for the conference finals if they can keep playing well, and staying healthy and having good fitness and I also think is all about the team being in a good shape and form that is what will help them very much to have a good season.

And I also think they can possibly make it to the playoffs as well, and it’s about being motivated and having a good performance each and every week games, this Hornets teams reminds of the the Milwaukee Bucks team when they won the championship.

[OgNasty]

After losing to Thunder and Timberwolves both Nuggets are down to the 5th place in the conference... This is quite a disappointment for me honestly while we are getting close to the end of regular season.

But the main reason behind this is that they have been dealing with serious injury problems for a long time! Despite Jokic's return they are still not the same Nuggets we know. I hope they get better until playoffs.

They will never be as good as they were. Salary demands gutted that team of what made them special… Their dual monster wings that were insanely athletic and could shoot the three. Jokic is good, but he isn’t good enough to carry a team to the finals the way someone like Giannis or even Luka could.

[stadus]

Thought New York would beat OKC since they were leading after the 3rd quarter, but looks like the situation changed in the 4th. OKC made a good run and now with less than a minute left they’re up by 5 points, so it looks like they’re going to take this one. Another low scoring game too. The New York Knicks have really turned into more of a defensive team lately, but sadly they'll likely loss this game.

[Oasisman]

it’s hard to understand people who claim the Lakers were better without Lebron. But there are a lot of people saying this nowadays.
Lebron missed 18 games and played in 43. without him, their record was 11-7 (61%). with him it was 26-17 (60%).
And in most of those losses, they were missing key starters, most notably Austin Reaves.
And Lakers is currently 6th in the West trailing just 1 or 2 games behind the Nuggets, Wolves, and Rockets. of course a championship will be tough but if they get the right matchup, why not...

I too, will have to agree that the Lakers should be better off without him. I mean, he can still contribute offensively, but not much on the other end. With Luka, Reaves, and LeBron on the same floor, they're weak defensively. Without Marcus Smart's defensive presence, they would be much weaker than they are currently defensively. The main reason why they're at the safe playoff spot is that they have a very good offensive firepower. There were several occasions where Luka kept complaining and did not get back to defense, and that will surely put them in a bad 4-5 situation. Most of the time, the opponent scored.
At this point, I don't think Luka, Bron, and Reaves big 3 will work. They struggle against teams above .500.  I'm still not convinced they're gonna beat any Western teams in the top 5 in a 7-game series.

[Fredomago]

Thought New York would beat OKC since they were leading after the 3rd quarter, but looks like the situation changed in the 4th. OKC made a good run and now with less than a minute left they’re up by 5 points, so it looks like they’re going to take this one. Another low scoring game too. The New York Knicks have really turned into more of a defensive team lately, but sadly they'll likely loss this game.

They've got their good run at the start of the 2nd half till the end of 3rd quarter but OKC managed to push back and overrun them during the last quarter which is very crucial, New york shows decent system but OKC have the firepower to complete the chase in winning the game, another win and now OKC got 4 straight to keep that distance from the Spurs owning the top spot both from the west and the overall ranking.

[Cointxz]

Thought New York would beat OKC since they were leading after the 3rd quarter, but looks like the situation changed in the 4th. OKC made a good run and now with less than a minute left they’re up by 5 points, so it looks like they’re going to take this one. Another low scoring game too. The New York Knicks have really turned into more of a defensive team lately, but sadly they'll likely loss this game.

They've got their good run at the start of the 2nd half till the end of 3rd quarter but OKC managed to push back and overrun them during the last quarter which is very crucial, New york shows decent system but OKC have the firepower to complete the chase in winning the game, another win and now OKC got 4 straight to keep that distance from the Spurs owning the top spot both from the west and the overall ranking.

OKC with SGA is a beast even though they still don’t have the complete starter line-up.

Player like Chet and Dort step up if needed since they trust SGA that will do most of the work unlike without SGA which they are always missing crucial shots.

Knicks has a chance to make the game extended. I though Brunson will make that clutch 3 points shot.

[Gabbylee]

After losing to Thunder and Timberwolves both Nuggets are down to the 5th place in the conference... This is quite a disappointment for me honestly while we are getting close to the end of regular season.

But the main reason behind this is that they have been dealing with serious injury problems for a long time! Despite Jokic's return they are still not the same Nuggets we know. I hope they get better until playoffs.

Jokic is always going to produce numbers, but can the other players actually step up when it is crucial. You have a player dropping boards and dimes and also making shots, the least other players can do is to stay ready, which is what is Denver Nuggets issue.

[Dave1]

Alpi 32, KD 30, Amen 22, Reed 19 points. I wish they could play like this against serious opponents too, not just against tanking teams like the Wizards. Rockets don't seem willing to give up 3rd place. Timberwolves and Nuggets also want that spot. What happened during the All-Star break doesn't seem to have affected the team much. After the break they went 5-2. They keep winning at home and they still have many home games left in the remaining schedule. I think they'll finish the Western Conference in 3rd place. In that case, they will play against the Spurs to reach the Conference finals. Considering how Alpi locked down Wemby in regular season, their chances of reaching the Conference finals will be higher than finishing in 4th place.

Lol, but yeah, I do hope that the Rockets will be consistent in winning, not just beating teams who is below their tier like you mentioned. Because when they face a good team, they seems to choke and then you can see in their body language on how they frustrated they are and seem to be pointing the finger on someone, whether it's KD or Sengun or even their coach.

They really have to be consistent, I know it's hard for teams right now specially in the second half of the season, as the bruise and wear and tear might be showing specially for KD who are in his late 30's. But still they will have to win games to assure themselves of a playoff spot and not push themselves to go the play-in for added games.

[emrecemsan]

Thunder beat Knicks by only 3 points last night. Actually they led the game nearly the whole time and had a 15-point lead at a point as well. But still the ending was pretty close!

Was this performance a message by Chet to Wemby?    He played with 6 three pointers in this game, what a play! Him and SGA carried Thunder to the win in this. By the way SGA still gets such silly fouls. Sad to see it...

[Beparanf]

Charlotte has started another great winning streak after two losses. Tonight they added Dallas to that streak, winning the game 117-90. This victory moved them up to 9th place in the Eastern Conference. There are still many games to go. If they continue in this form, they could finish even higher in the standings. They could even reach the Conference Finals.

Charlotte plays very good basketball as a team. They are a young team and their success deserves much praise.

Hornets really won their last 5 games. Those wins were are all against teams at the same level or below though but still a good work by them of course!

However I wouldn't go that far to say that they can qualify for the conference finals. That's too much for them for now.

Playoffs is different than regular season. I don't think they can eliminate any of top 4 teams from their conference.  

Pacers was the same underdog last year which no one ever thought they will reach the NBA finals considering how tough their opponent on the east. But they beat the odds and dominate even the top team due to their awesome clutch 3point shots.

NBA playoffs is indeed different but most of the time choking happened on top teams.

I’m looking forward for Hornets do the Pacers run last year.

Looking forward to that, been tailing them for awhile now and damn it's good. Yeah, as they say ball is round and they really play good basketball, they've got what they needed offense and defense and what's more interesting about this Hornets team is that they're hungry, young and the athlecism is definitely top-notch. Watching the game later with a top tier team like Celtics and I guess they'll battle this one out and maybe it will be a tough matchup for them considering how good this team also especially with defense but I think they can manage.

They are probably the dark horse in the East.

Totally agree on this that’s why I saw too the potential with them like the Pacers achieved last year. A team like Hornets that full of young talent hungry for NBA finals will surely evolve during the playoffs.

I just hope they manage to survive now the qualification since the play-in tournament is a different situation due to the limited matches to acquire spots. I’m comfortable with Hornets on a series match.

[sana54210]

Hornets really won their last 5 games. Those wins were are all against teams at the same level or below though but still a good work by them of course!

However I wouldn't go that far to say that they can qualify for the conference finals. That's too much for them for now.

Playoffs is different than regular season. I don't think they can eliminate any of top 4 teams from their conference.  

I agree, they look like a team that will either lose in the first round, or if they are lucky maybe the second round but that's about it. Glad to see finally MJ is becoming a decent owner, he owned the team for so long and still sucked every single year. Hornets needs to do a better job and we could maybe see them finally do something.

I never understood teams that NEVER has any good period, like for 10-20 years they all fail, how could that be? Like I get few bad years, every team has few bad years, they rebuild and get better, but being not a title contender for 20+ years is wild, you must have at least one season where you are decent. In any case, this isn't that year for Hornets but they could probably get there if they keep it up.