Title: NBA Preview: THE 27 PLAYERS WHO WILL DEFINE THE NBA SEASON
Date: October 220, 2026
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: In my latest at Sportsnet, I teamed up with Michael Grange to look at the 27 players who will define the 2026-27 NBA season.
More than ever the NBA might be undefinable.
Once ruled by long-running dynasties anchored by generational stars and where only a handful of franchises ever get a shot at winning the last game of the season, in the NBA’s current iteration seemingly half the league will emerge from the pre-season thinking that — with the right dose of luck — they can be the next champion.
There have been eight different winners in eight season — something that has never happened before — so why not nine in nine?
The league has never been more wide open. Not only has there not been a repeat champion since the 2018 Golden State Warriors, but there hasn’t even been a team that has made the NBA Finals two seasons in a row. That doesn’t mean there aren’t great teams and compelling young stars. It’s just that there are more of them and championship windows seem to open and close so quickly that it’s a wonder the league’s biggest injury issue isn’t broken fingers.
