​The 2026-27 NBA season is set to begin Tuesday.The New York Knicks are the reigning champions, but plenty of teams are capable of snatching the crown away. There are teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in the East. Then there are teams such as the OKC Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets in the West.OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also looking to defend his crown as the two-time reigning MVP. But the field is stacked with competitors such as San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Denver’s Nikola Jokić and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Dončić.In this article, I’ll give my predictions for how the entire season will play out. This includes regular-season standings, awards, All-NBA teams, All-Defensive teams, All-Rookie teams and round-by-round playoff picks.Of course, situations can and will change throughout the course of the season. Injuries will occur, and so will trades. These predictions merely reflect my thoughts on teams and players as of today.With that said, let’s get into it:More: A complete guide on how to watch OKC Thunder in 2026-27 NBA season2026-27 NBA standings predictionsEastern ConferenceNew York Knicks: 54-28Cleveland Cavaliers: 53-29Philadelphia 76ers: 51-31Boston Celtics: 50-32Detroit Pistons: 49-33Indiana Pacers: 47-35Toronto Raptors: 47-35Miami Heat: 44-38Atlanta Hawks: 44-38Orlando Magic: 42-40Washington Wizards: 35-47Charlotte Hornets: 33-49Chicago Bulls: 29-53Brooklyn Nets: 20-62Milwaukee Bucks: 18-64New York is mostly running it back after winning a title, aside from swapping out Mitchell Robinson for Andre Drummond. That continuity should help it to remain the team to beat in the East, even though the field has gotten deeper.My biggest team on the rise is Indiana, which went 19-63 last season but should return to relevance with Tyrese Haliburton back and Ivica Zubac now in the mix. My biggest team on the decline is Milwaukee, which hit the reset button this summer by trading Giannis Antetokounmpo.More: Lu Dort reflects on OKC Thunder legacy as ‘new chapter’ with Atlanta Hawks beginsWestern ConferenceOklahoma City Thunder: 61-21San Antonio Spurs: 61-21Denver Nuggets: 52-30Minnesota Timberwolves: 50-32Houston Rockets: 50-32Los Angeles Lakers: 47-35Utah Jazz: 43-39Phoenix Suns: 42-40Portland Trail Blazers: 42-40Dallas Mavericks: 41-41Golden State Warriors: 33-49Memphis Grizzlies: 25-57New Orleans Pelicans: 25-57Los Angeles Clippers: 24-58Sacramento Kings: 18-64OKC has claimed the top seed in the West for three straight seasons, and it kept that streak alive last year despite being hit hard by injuries. I think it’ll do it again this time around via a series tiebreaker against San Antonio.My biggest team on the rise is Utah, which went 22-60 last season but has bolstered its roster with the recent additions of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Darryn Peterson. My biggest team on the decline is the Los Angeles Clippers, who traded Kawhi Leonard this summer.More: From saving basketball to titl