Superstar players on new teams and All-Stars sidelined by severe injuries have jumbled expectations, but Oklahoma City remain favourites to win it all when the NBA’s 80th season begins on Tuesday.
The Thunder will raise a championship banner when Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets visit while the Los Angeles Lakers entertain the Golden State Warriors in the other opening-night clash.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the “new goal” was to repeat as winners not doing so “would suck”.
The 27-year-old Canadian guard was last season’s NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP and league scoring leader with 32.7 points a game. The three-time NBA All-Star added 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocked shot a game.
A survey of NBA team general managers had 80 per cent predicting Oklahoma City would repeat as NBA champions, with Cleveland and Denver sharing a distant second on 7 per cent.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are also considered championship contenders. Photo: Getty Images
The executives’ survey had Denver and Houston as the best of the rest in the Western Conference, with Cleveland and New York top in the East.