Photo by Ryan, CC-0 on Unsplash
By: Rishi Mistry

The 2024-2025 NBA season is underway, but who are the rising stars and the big disappointments? Here we are with all the information you need for this 2024-2025 NBA season. 

To start off, let’s cover all the fantasy favourites. Obviously Nikola Jokic should be way up there with the man averaging a triple-double this season, which will surely earn a lot of points. Another popular pick is Donovan Mitchell: heis having an amazing season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who only have 3 losses this season. Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Jalen Williams are very powerful pieces on the Oklahoma City Thunder roster, both putting up big numbers to help out their team. On the other hand, Lamelo Ball is having an amazing season averaging 31.1 points per game – an absurd number. Some good centres/power forwards to mention include Domantas Sabonis, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who all average 20+ points with Giannis leading the group with an astonishing 32.9 PPG. This season has also shown some less popular guys who are putting up big numbers. These guys include De’Aaron Fox (27.5 PPG), Jakob Poetl (averaging a double-double), Benedict Mathruin (bench player averaging 18.5 PPG), and rookie Jared McCain (16 PPG). Look out for these guys because they are quality players that aren’t featured on many fantasy teams, and they are very valuable. Moving on to injuries: these are the players you don’t want to pick right now. Joel Embiid, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Zion Williamson, and Klay Thompson are all really great players, but they are injured way too often and will contribute very minimally to your team. 

Moving on from fantasy picks: who are the favourites to win the championship so far? As of right now, the Cleveland Cavaliers look like a very strong team with the best record so far of 18-3. The defending champions, the Boston Celtics, are following right behind the Cavaliers in the current standings, and may be the favorites to win this year again. A young team to recognize is the Oklahoma City Thunder. While their team is young and has little experience in the playoffs, they have a strong squad that will no doubt take them far into the playoffs. One surprise is the Denver Nuggets, who are 13th in the league currently. While they have 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic on their side, the team is struggling, and it is a big surprise to see them this low. As for our Raptors, they aren’t having the best of seasons, but they are a fun team to watch with players like Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poetl, and Canada’s very own RJ Barrett. While it’s still early in the season to tell the championship and MVP favourites, many players still have the chance to make the impression they hoped for; but for now, all we can do is wait and watch. 

Works Cited

  •       Pincus, Eric. “10 Pleasant Surprises from the 2024-25 NBA Season so Far.” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 2 Dec. 2024, bleacherreport.com/articles/10144369-10-pleasant-surprises-from-the-2024-25-nba-season-so-far.