Mind the Game – The Big NBA Season Preview (2025-26)

Podcast: Mind the Game
Hosts: LeBron James & Steve Nash
Release Date: October 21, 2025
Episode Theme:
A deep-dive strategic season preview for the 2025-26 NBA campaign—spotlighting major offseason trends (notably depth, size, and team construction), under-the-radar contenders, individual team transformations, and what to watch for as the NBA continues to evolve. LeBron and Steve dissect X's & O's, share insights from seasons past, and make sense of front-office moves shaping the new year.

Main Talking Points

1. Lessons from Last Season & Finals Reflections

[01:03–02:35]

• OKC and Indiana set the tone for basketball’s current era: speed, defensive cohesion (OKC), and the organized chaos and pace of Indiana

  • LeBron: “Think about the speed… and the defensive, you know, cohesiveness of OKC. You think about the randomness... but it's not random.”
  • Nash: “OKC scraped by… they scraped by with Tyrese [Haliburton] getting hurt … Jalen Williams was hurt for four months, apparently, and they hid that from us.”

• Injuries to stars (Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Williams, AG) played a pivotal role in how the Finals unfolded, showing how close the margin between a title and elimination can be

• Emerging theme: Success doesn’t come just from stars—depth, adaptable schemes, and resilience are all crucial

2. League-Wide Trends: Depth, Size, and Versatility

[02:35–07:17]

• Double Big Lineups:

  • Houston’s playoff run spotlighted lineups with multiple big men (Shengun & Steven Adams, addition of Capela, and even a “7-foot Kevin Durant”)
    • LeBron: “Such a dying breed in our game, having two bigs out…but those guys complement one another.”
  • Similar intrigue as Cleveland (Allen & Mobley) and Milwaukee (Giannis & Miles Turner) experiment with size

• Personnel Matters Most:

  • Nash: "It's not just having two big guys to take up space. … Chet [Holmgren] spaces the floor, plays, protects the ring. … Hartenstein’s motor, floaters, passing..."
  • Chemistry and complementary skills are the only way “going big” works in today’s league

• Depth Is Here to Stay:

  • More teams now employ a "blender" offense—multiple playmakers, defenders, positionless combinations, versatile wings—enabling full-court pressure and sustained pace for 48 minutes

• Steve Nash on depth:

  • "[Depth] is not going away. … The ability to play Blender, more guys who can make a play, space the floor, make a play on a closeout."

3. Key Team-by-Team Analysis

Houston Rockets

[03:39, 05:32–06:33]

• LeBron: Focused on offensive rebounding (via Steven Adams), added perimeter shooting (KD, Dorian Finney-Smith), and the option to play extremely big
• Nash: Losing a shooter and leader (Fred VanVleet) makes Reed Shepherd and Amen Thompson more crucial as they experiment with lineup sizes

Denver Nuggets

[08:13–09:49]

• Big summer additions: Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas
• Nash: "Is that a double big opportunity with Jokic’s ability to stretch the floor… play five out? Valanciunas, big body, battle tested."
• Losses include Russ, Michael Porter Jr., DeAndre Jordan — but the consensus: Denver diversified and improved bench depth

Minnesota Timberwolves

[09:49–10:56]

• “Going under the radar” despite consecutive conference finals, need young players (Juju, Nas, Dillingham) to step up
• Depth and continued growth from Anthony Edwards (another “ant” year) critical
• LeBron: “Will Rob Dillingham…take some pressure off if Mike Conley doesn’t play a lot?”

Detroit Pistons

[10:56–11:51]

• Lost two key shooters, but look to develop from within: Duran, Nuke Thompson, and Ivey returning from injury
• Akin to OKC: Can internal growth outweigh offseason losses?

Orlando Magic

[13:20–15:46]

• Biggest offseason gain: Desmond Bane—elite shooter and solid second-ball handler
• LeBron: “Three-point shooting means a lot in our league today… adding Desmond Bain, who is a knockdown shooter, also can get into the lane as well, make plays.”
• X-factor: Integrating Paolo, Franz, and Bain into cohesive actions; coaching continuity under “Coach Moles” (Jamal Mosley)
• Health remains a concern—last season was “stop-start” due to injuries

Atlanta Hawks

[15:46–18:43]

• “Very sneaky”: Boosted by return of Jalen Johnson, addition of Alexander-Walker, new shooter Luke Kennard, and Porzingis, who had a huge EuroBasket
• LeBron: “Atlanta has an opportunity to not be in a play-in. … That’s their main goal.”
• Surrounding Trae Young with length, shooting, and defensive upside; will be “fascinating” to watch how they play Blender and stretch the floor

Cleveland Cavaliers

[18:43–22:57]

• Phenomenal regular season swept away by playoff injuries—pressure is now internal to “make the next jump”
• Lonzo Ball acquisition: Adds defense, size, and a high IQ; brings “dirty work” mentality
• LeBron: “Who is that guy that’s going to get them there [to the Finals]? … You gotta have that one guy.”
• Reference to Alex Caruso’s clutch play for OKC as a blueprint for Cleveland’s next step

Dallas Mavericks

[25:08–28:52]

• Stunning summer: Lost Luka, but brought in AD, and lucked into #1 pick (Cooper Flagg)
• Nash: “Usually the number one pick doesn't go to a good team... Cooper's not a primary creator yet, but he’s a Swiss army knife.”
• Flagg doesn’t have to become the man right away—can develop at his pace, like Kawhi early in San Antonio
• Supporting cast (AD, Kyrie, Klay, Max Christie, etc.) and depth: “That coaching staff has a lot to work with… Size, length... very intriguing team.”

4. League Pass Teams & Personal Favorites

[28:52–31:34]

• Must-watch teams: Spurs (Wemby’s leap), Giannis in Milwaukee, Joker, Devin Booker in Phoenix, and “a lot of teams… Detroit, Portland, Utah.”
• LeBron: “I love watching Book… Won a gold medal together. He’s one of my favorite people in the league…”
• Phoenix Suns “league pass team”—despite local TV blackouts, Nash keeps up with them
• Lakers: Always box office

Memorable moment (LeBron, 29:15):
“Wemby is one of those guys…just a special talent. See if they can kind of make a little jump in their franchise.”

On depth and adversity (Nash, 23:13):
“I will. We’re not gonna have a little mini slump… He [Caruso] was guarding Joker on the elbow, like getting elbowed in the head — that's…who’s going to be that guy for Cleveland?”

5. Notable Quotes

• On the “Randomness” of OKC & Indiana:
  LeBron (01:23):
  "You think about the randomness, but we talk. It's not random, but it looks random. And the pace and the depth of Indiana and those teams."

• On League’s Direction:
  Nash (07:45):
  "If this is our team, this is how we want to play. When you guys come into the game, keep the pressure up."

• On Cooper Flagg’s Unique Rookie Spot:
  LeBron (26:33):
  "He doesn’t have to have bad habits. ... He can almost take the Kawhi route. ... When he finally blossoms, we’re gonna be like, wow."

• On Essential Playoff Mindset:
  LeBron (20:14):
  "For them, the regular season is about building habits, playing championship basketball... but we want to gear up towards the playoffs."

Key Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Key Point | |-------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:03–02:35 | Finals Recap & Takeaways | OKC/Indiana style, depth, injuries shaping the outcome | | 02:35–07:17 | NBA Trends: Depth & Big Lineups | Rise of depth/multi-playmaker schemes, Houston/Cleveland/Milwaukee double-big experiments | | 08:13–09:49 | Denver Nuggets Analysis | Offseason moves, “double big” with Jokic & Valanciunas, bench improvement | | 10:56–11:51 | Detroit Pistons Forecast | Internal growth as path forward after losing key shooters | | 13:20–15:46 | Orlando Magic's Next Step | Desmond Bane adds shooting/playmaking, health and chemistry are keys | | 15:46–18:43 | Atlanta Hawks: Sneaky Contenders | Longer, more versatile around Trae, could escape the play-in | | 18:43–22:57 | Cleveland Cavaliers: What’s Next? | Pressure to grow internally, Lonzo’s impact, questioning who is their “glue guy” | | 25:08–28:52 | Dallas Mavericks: Rebuilt, Fascinating | Depth, Cooper Flagg’s unique development opportunity, true versatility | | 28:52–31:34 | League Pass Watch List | Who the hosts will be excited to watch all season—Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Portland, Utah |

Conclusion: The 2025-26 NBA Season Outlook

• Most Pressured Teams: Cleveland (to take next step), Orlando (incorporate talent, improve shooting), Atlanta (escape play-in, optimize new depth)
• Boldest Trends: Depth over top-heavy stardom, revival of “double big” lineups where personnel fits, ever-greater strategic creativity
• Most Intriguing Talent Stories: Cooper Flagg’s pro-ready context, Wemby’s next leap, Giannis and Joker’s continued reign, NBA’s rising defensive versatility
• League Pass Darlings: Suns, Spurs, Hawks, Pistons, Portland, Utah, Lakers

LeBron (31:25): “It'll be a fun year.”