The NBA offseason is winding down, and the 2025-26 campaign is beginning to take shape.
Training camps open in just over a month, and teams are finalising their rotations following a summer of trades, injuries, and high-profile draft picks.
With the NBA schedule released and expectations building, it is a good moment to pause and assess where the top teams stand.
Instead of deep previews, one telling statistic can often explain a team’s situation better than a lengthy breakdown.
Whether it highlights roster continuity, offensive efficiency, or playoff shortcomings, the numbers show the fine margins between championship contention and disappointment.
Here are the defining stats for eight of last season’s best teams, and what they reveal heading into 2025-26.
Nikola Jokic looking for MVP award with Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic’s dominance keeps pushing him into historic company. He already sits seventh in all-time MVP award shares after three wins and two runner-up finishes in the past five years.
With another top-tier season, he could leap Bill Russell and Magic Johnson on the list, chasing only LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
For Denver, it is not just about team success but Jokic’s continued march toward all-time greatness.
Cleveland Cavaliers eyeing improved win rate
The Cavaliers have been elite in the regular season with Donovan Mitchell, boasting a 66% win rate across three years.
Yet in the playoffs, they are just 11-15, a 42% win rate. Regular-season dominance has not translated into postseason success, and after another second-round exit, Cleveland faces the same question as the Bucks did a few years ago: can this group win when it matters most?
Oklahoma City Thunder’s continuity in the squad
Continuity is the Thunder’s greatest strength. After winning the title last season, they return 99.2% of their playoff minutes.
No contender is running it back more fully. With young stars gaining experience and proven chemistry across the roster, Oklahoma City has the best shot at becoming the league’s first repeat champion in nearly a decade.
Anthony Edwards’ rise at Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards continues his rise, but history shows the Timberwolves need him to hit a new level. The past 21 NBA champions all had a first-team All-NBA player leading the charge.
Edwards has made the second team twice but has not yet broken into the top five. If he makes that leap, Minnesota could finally turn back-to-back conference finals losses into a championship push.
New York Knicks’ workload
New York’s starting five logged 940 minutes together, the most in the NBA. Despite that massive workload, their plus-3.2 net rating was below average for a high-minute lineup.
In the playoffs, the group was even worse, posting a minus-6.2. Under new coach Mike Brown, the Knicks must find balance, either by staggering minutes or improving their efficiency, if they want to reach the Finals.
Golden State Warriors combining offence and defence
The Warriors’ offence collapsed when Steph Curry rested last season, but the arrival of Jimmy Butler stabilised things.
With Butler on the floor and Curry off, Golden State posted a 47th percentile offence not elite, but good enough when paired with strong defence.
The key this year is keeping both stars healthy, as postseason injuries again exposed how fragile their margin is.
Milwaukee Bucks eyeing play-off series improvement
Since winning the 2021 championship, the Bucks have just one playoff series victory. Injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton have hurt, but excuses will not cut it anymore.
Milwaukee’s gamble on expensive veteran contracts is about delivering postseason success now, before the window fully closes.
Boston Celtics rebuilding from lost minutes
Boston’s frontcourt overhaul is drastic. Last postseason, 99.5% of the team’s centre minutes went to Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet. All three are gone.
Their replacements, Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher, and Xavier Tillman, are clear downgrades. Combine that with Jayson Tatum’s injury absence, and Boston faces a transitional season.
Stats never tell the whole story, but they spotlight the biggest questions each contender faces. The Thunder look unbeatable on paper, the Nuggets lean on Jokic’s historic brilliance, and teams like the Cavs and Knicks must prove they can back up regular-season numbers when the lights are brightest.