The new season is almost here, which means it’s prediction time. 🏀

In this episode, I break down my picks for every major NBA award heading into the 2025–26 season — MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved, and 6th Man of the Year. From established superstars chasing more hardware to rookies looking to make their mark, I dive into who I think will take home each trophy and why.

Who’s your MVP pick this year? Who do you see breaking out? Let’s get into it.

🎙️ Full breakdown inside the podcast
📲 Follow @casualnbafanatic for more NBA debates and analysis

Timestamps:

00:53- MVP (Nikola Jokic)

10:42- ROTY (Cooper Flagg)

20:00- DPOY (Victor Wembanyama)

24:50- MIP (Matas Buzelis)

29:26- 6MOY (Naz Reid)

The 2025–26 NBA season is here, and the storylines are already heating up. From Luka Doncic’s potential comeback campaign, to whether the East really only has two true contenders, to the hype surrounding Cooper Flagg’s rookie year — there’s no shortage of drama. Can OKC repeat their Western dominance? And just how stacked is the West really this season?

In this episode, I break down the 5 biggest storylines you need to watch heading into opening night. I’ll dive into what they mean for teams, players, and the playoff picture, while giving my perspective on which narratives are real and which might be overblown.

🎙️ Full breakdown inside — let’s set the stage for an unforgettable season.

Timestamps:

00:50- Luka Doncic's Resurgence

05:26- New York vs Cleveland

10:00- Cooper Flagg's Rookie Expectations

13:25- Can OKC Repeat as Champs?

18:45- Stacked Western Conference?

We’ve reached the finale of the Top 100 NBA Players list. After weeks of breaking down every tier, today’s episode is all about the very best of the best — the 5 through 1 range.

These are the players who define eras, tilt the floor every night, and carry championship expectations on their shoulders. I dive into what makes each of them great, why they landed in this exact order, and how they separate themselves from the rest of the league.

🎙️ Full breakdown inside the podcast
📲 Follow @casualnbafanatic on Instagram for more NBA analysis and debates

Timestamps:

00:42- Luka Doncic

07:28- Jayson Tatum

11:49- Giannis Antetokounmpo

17:18- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

24:02- Nikola Jokic

Some player comparisons are just impossible to separate — and in this episode, I’m breaking down three of the most polarising debates that came out of my Top 100 NBA Players rankings.

I dive deep into:
👑 LeBron James vs Stephen Curry — Who’s truly the better all-time and still more impactful right now?
📊 Devin Booker vs Cade Cunningham — Proven star vs rising engine of a franchise.
🚀 Paolo Banchero vs Jalen Williams — Which young forward would you build around?

I give my verdicts, explain the reasoning behind my rankings, and set the stage for the Top 5 reveal.

🎙️ Full breakdown in the podcast
📲 Follow @casualnbafanatic on Instagram for more NBA analysis and debates

Timestamps:

00:56- Jalen Williams vs Paolo Banchero

07:03- Cade Cunningham vs Devin Booker

10:44- LeBron James vs Steph Curry

We’re closing in on the very top of the list. In this episode, I reveal my rankings from #10 through #6, a tier loaded with generational legends and a new face breaking into the Top 10 for the first time.

From Stephen Curry’s all-time shooting brilliance, to LeBron James still rewriting the record books in year 22, to Kevin Durant’s case as one of the game’s purest scorers, this stretch is filled with household names who still define today’s NBA.

I also dive into the arrival of a new Top-10 star — and why their leap shakes up the hierarchy going into next season.

🔥 Who’s too high, too low, or perfectly placed?
Tune in for the full breakdown on the CasualNBAFanatic Podcast.

🎧 Follow on Instagram @casualnbafanatic
for graphics, reels, and extended debates.

Timestamps:

00:32- Jalen Brunson

05:36- Kevin Durant

11:22- Anthony Davis

18:05- LeBron James

23:34- Stephen Curry

The countdown is getting serious.
In this episode, I reveal the players ranked 15 through 11 in my 2025 Top 100 NBA list — the stars just one step away from cracking the Top 10.

These are the players that define winning: playoff killers, two-way anchors, and offensive engines that carry entire teams.
Who do you think made it this high? And who might crash the Top 10 next season?

🎙️ Full breakdown inside the podcast
📲 Follow @casualnbafanatic on Instagram for more Top 100 updates

Timestamps:

00:40- #15

05:44- #14

12:44- #13

16:34- #12

20:07- #11

The Western Conference is absolutely loaded heading into the 2025–26 NBA season — but three teams stand out above the rest.

In this episode, I reveal my picks for the Top 3 seeds in the West: the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets. I break down what makes each of these squads so dangerous — from star power and depth to coaching, chemistry, and playoff scalability — and why I believe they’ll lead the pack this season.

Can the young Thunder dominate the regular season again? Will the Nuggets bounce back and reclaim the #1 spot from previous years? And are the Rockets ready to assert themselves as perrenial contenders?

🎙️ Full breakdown inside the podcast
📲 Follow @casualnbafanatic on Instagram for more NBA analysis

Timestamps:

00:15- Oklahoma City Thunder

06:26- Denver Nuggets

12:10- Houston Rockets

The countdown is heating up as we break into the Top 20 of my 2025 NBA player rankings. In this episode, I reveal spots 20 through 16 and take a closer look at what makes these stars special.

From explosive scoring talent to versatile two-way play, these five guys represent the elite tier just outside the NBA’s absolute best. How do they stack up in today’s league, and could any of them crack the Top 10 by next season?

🎙️ Full deep dive in the podcast
📲 Follow on IG: @casualnbafanatic
for highlights & breakdowns

Timestamps:

00:26- Devin Booker

06:12- Pascal Siakam

11:38- Kyrie Irving

16:45- Tyrese Haliburton

22:30- Jalen Williams