We’re only two days into the 2026-27 NBA season, and I already have some bold takes that I know are an overreaction. But I mean, the Wizards suddenly look like a playoff team, Paul George apparently turned back the clock by five years, Ty Jerome just scored 45 points like he’s some kind of superstar, and the Warriors might actually be worse than anybody expected.

I know, I know, it’s only one game’s worth of tape, and we’ll probably look back at some of these takes in a few months and laugh at how crazy they were. But that’s the fun part of Opening Night, especially when we’ve spent the entire offseason talking about trades, injuries, and whether these new superteams are actually going to work.

So, after watching the first 14 games of the 2026-27 season, here are five pretty wild predictions that I’m already thinking about. Some might actually happen, others will probably look terrible by Christmas, but hey, we’ve got 80-plus games to figure it out.

1. The Wizards Will Finish Top Six In The Eastern Conference

Look, we knew the Wizards were going to be better after getting Anthony Davis and Trae Young, but I definitely wasn’t expecting them to come out guns blazing. Washington beat the Bucks 128-116 on Wednesday, and AD was an absolute monster in his first game with the franchise, putting up 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals on 11-of-20 shooting. Young added another 20 points and 13 assists, and the two stars already looked so comfortable playing together.

And remember, this is a team that went 17-65 last season, finished dead last in the East, and has won only 50 games over the last three years combined. That’s actually insane when you think about it, because they just added two players who’ve made 13 All-Star teams between them, and suddenly we’re supposed to pretend they’re still one of the worst teams in basketball?

And the craziest part of last night’s 4Q comeback was that they didn’t even have AJ Dybantsa, the first overall pick in this year’s Draft, who missed the opener with an ankle injury. Kyshawn George stepped up with 18 points, Bilal Coulibaly added 11 points and four steals, and Washington suddenly came back from the dead.

Now, going from 17 wins to a top-six seed would be one of the biggest turnarounds we’ve seen in quite some time, and I obviously don’t expect Davis to stay healthy that much. But if he can give Washington something close to 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Young gets back to averaging around 24 points and 10 assists, why couldn’t this team compete with the Magic, Hawks, Pacers, or whoever for a playoff spot?

The East is still pretty competitive, with the Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers, Raptors, Celtics, and Pistons all looking good, so sixth place definitely wouldn’t be easy. But I’m going to throw out a completely ridiculous prediction anyway: Washington finishes 44-38, gets the sixth seed, and Davis makes another All-Star team.

2. Paul George Will Make His 10th NBA All-Star Team

Paul George scoring 38 points in his first Celtics game is already pretty wild considering how his two years with the 76ers went, but doing it on 12-of-21 shooting with seven threes and five steals? Come on. He looked five years younger against the Pistons, broke Boston’s franchise record for points in a debut, and hit three triples in under a minute during the third quarter. That’s definitely not what I expected from a 36-year-old who’d barely been healthy lately.

Of course, the Celtics somehow turned a 22-point lead into a 121-113 loss, and Jayson Tatum went 6-of-23 for just 13 points. George still finished +9, though, so blaming him for that collapse would be ridiculous. If anything, Boston probably owes him an apology after making him do all that work just to lose his first game.

And the crazy part is that PG was still an All-Star just three seasons ago. With the Clippers in 2023-24, he put up 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals on 47.1% from the field and 41.3% from three, playing 74 games. Then came the 76ers nightmare, with only 41 games in 2024-25, another 37 last season, and just 17.3 points per game in 2025-26. But he still made 39.2% of his threes, so at least the shooting never really disappeared.

Now, to make his 10th All-Star team, I think George needs something around 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while playing at least 60 games. The East is loaded with stars, and Tatum will obviously be competing for a spot too, so a few great performances won’t be enough. But I’m going to overreact anyway: PG makes the 2027 All-Star Game, and Brad Stevens gets to laugh at everybody, including me, who spent the entire offseason criticizing the Jaylen Brown trade.

3. Ty Jerome Will Be The NBA’s Biggest Breakout Star

Of all the crazy things we saw on Opening Night, I don’t think anybody had a former backup dropping 45 and breaking a franchise record on their betting apps. But that’s exactly what happened in Memphis, where Ty Jerome absolutely destroyed the Jazz in a 123-103 win with 45 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in only 32 minutes, shooting 17-of-25 from the field and 5-of-10 from three.

He even broke the Grizzlies‘ record for most points in a season opener, previously held by Ja Morant with 44. Pretty funny considering he’s literally replacing Morant as the starting point guard. And you know what’s crazy? Jerome was already putting up some ridiculous numbers last season, finishing with 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 47.4% from the field and 42.0% from three. He only played 15 games because of injuries, though, and was getting just 22.6 minutes a night, so imagine what he could do now that he’s actually starting and getting 30-plus minutes.

Even with the Cavaliers in 2024-25, Jerome was already one of the NBA’s best bench scorers, putting up 12.5 points and 3.4 assists on 51.6% from the field and 43.9% from three, finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. So yeah, the 45-point explosion was insane, but his shooting numbers have been pretty ridiculous for a while now.

And with the Grizzlies rebuilding around Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells, I could easily see Jerome getting enough shots to put up some huge numbers this season. Memphis already moved Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., so it’s not like they’re asking Jerome to lead them to 50 wins or anything.

My overreaction? Jerome finishes with 24.0 points and 7.0 assists, becomes a definite All-Star candidate, and ends up being one of the biggest names available at the trade deadline. Imagine Memphis turning a former backup guard into a 24-point scorer and then getting a first-round pick from a contender for him. Honestly, that would be an incredible asset management play.

4. The Warriors Will Finish Near The Bottom Of The West

Stephen Curry was so offended when he heard people predicting the Warriors would miss the playoffs that he actually got out of his chair in disbelief. Well, after watching Golden State’s season opener, I wonder if he still believes they will make it.

The Warriors got destroyed 127-105 by the Lakers, and their defensive problems were so easy to spot: Walker Kessler finished with 26 points on a perfect 12-of-12 from the field, while the Lakers scored 66 points in the paint. And for a team that already finished 37-45 last season, that’s a pretty concerning way to start another year.

Making things worse, Kristaps Porzingis still hasn’t played because of his ongoing health issues, and ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Golden State is already exploring trades involving him. Jimmy Butler is also recovering from his torn ACL, Moses Moody remains injured, and the Warriors are asking Draymond Green, Gui Santos, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to handle way more responsibility than expected.

Even Curry couldn’t save them against the Lakers. He scored 20 points in the first half but managed only three after halftime, finishing with 23 (although the game was over, in his defense). The 38-year-old was still putting up 26.6 points and 4.7 assists on 39.3% from three last season, but he appeared in just 43 games. And considering Butler played only 38, I’m not sure Golden State can afford another season with so many injuries.

The bigger problem is that the West looks absolutely ridiculous. The Thunder, Nuggets, Spurs, Timberwolves, Rockets, Lakers, and Clippers all seem better on paper, while the Trail Blazers just opened with a 41-point win over the Suns. That’s already eight teams Golden State could struggle to finish ahead of, and those same Suns and Jazz should also be in the fight for a spot.

So here’s my overreaction: the Warriors finish 35-47, land 12th in the West, and miss the playoffs for the second straight season. Curry keeps playing like an All-Star whenever he’s healthy, but the supporting cast never gives him enough help, and Mike Dunleavy eventually has to make some pretty harsh decisions.

And unless Golden State pulls off a major trade, I wouldn’t be surprised if Curry ends up watching the playoffs from home again. At 38, that’s a pretty depressing possibility.

5. The 76ers Will Win The 2027 NBA Championship

Okay, I’m probably going to regret this one the most, but after watching the 76ers beat the defending champion Knicks in their own building, I’m ready to say something completely ridiculous: Philadelphia is winning the championship this season, and LeBron James is getting his fifth ring at 42 years old.

Just look at what the Sixers have now. Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid are somehow sharing a starting lineup, with VJ Edgecombe alongside them. And their first game together was a 106-100 win at Madison Square Garden against the team that swept Philadelphia out of the playoffs last season. That’s quite a way to start, especially after going 45-37 in 2025-26.

The best part? Nobody even had to go crazy. Maxey led the way with 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, Brown added 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, and LeBron finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Embiid went just 4-of-15 from the field for 13 points, but still grabbed 11 rebounds, handed out 6 assists, and blocked 3 shots. Four stars, 74 combined points, and a win over the defending champions without anything close to a perfect offensive night.

And that’s what makes this roster so interesting. Brown and LeBron give the Sixers two more players who can create shots, so everything doesn’t fall on Maxey and Embiid anymore. There’s actually a chance they can survive a bad shooting night from one of their stars.

Philadelphia also showed it could respond when things got uncomfortable. The Knicks led by 10 in the third quarter before the Sixers closed the period on an 11-0 run, with Brown hitting two straight triples, including one at the buzzer. And Maxey wasn’t just scoring, either. He finished with three steals and three blocks, which is a pretty wild defensive line for a 6-foot-2 guard.

The supporting cast isn’t bad, either. Anfernee Simons scored 13 points and hit three triples off the bench, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 10 points. Between that shooting, Brown’s perimeter defense, and Nick Nurse’s championship experience, there’s enough here to imagine a team that can win games in different ways rather than just hoping Embiid scores 35.

Now, obviously, staying healthy is the scary part. Embiid played only 38 games last season, and LeBron is 41. Getting both through four playoff rounds is a huge ask, especially with the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Celtics standing in the way. One October win doesn’t erase those concerns.

But we’re doing overreactions, so here’s mine: the Sixers finish 56-26, grab the East’s third seed, and win the 2027 championship. Maxey leads them in scoring, Brown takes the toughest defensive job, Embiid stays healthy when it counts, and LeBron gets ring No. 5. If that actually happens in his 24th season, at age 42, we’re talking about one of the wildest endings to a superstar career the NBA has ever seen.