Boston Celtics will raise an 18th banner on Tuesday to mark their glorious triumph in the 2023/24 NBA season and Joe Mazzulla's side are going to take all the beating this season.
But the season's a long and competitive one and a stack of teams have the right credentials to go all the way to the Finals next spring.
Here, Steve Davies picks out one obvious contender plus a couple of other tips which will hopefully make the 2024/25 season a profitable one.
Denver Nuggets to win outright - 10/1
Five of the eight teams who made the Western Conference play-offs last season had 50-plus regular-season wins. A winning percentage of over 50 was needed just to make the play-ins.
It was competitive in 2023/24 and it's going to be every bit as feisty in 2024/25 with only the Clippers set for a backward step, while major improvements are expected in Memphis and San Antonio.
Oklahoma City Thunder are the western flag bearers in outright betting at 7/1 behind the consummate Celtics - 3/1 favourites - but it's Denver Nuggets who are taken to emerge from out west and make the Finals.
Nikola Jokic and his fellow Nuggets look a fair price at 10/1 to go all the way, just as they did in 2023.
Last season they were good, in fact more than good. They went 57-25 to bank a second seeding and after dismantling the Lakers, they were pipped in seven by Minnesota in the Conference semi-finals, losing a freak game seven from an almost impossible position.
That will have smarted and the departure of championship-winning guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a negative, but one that will be forgotten if Christian Braun develops as many presume he will.
Offensively a team with MVP Jokic dishing up around 30 points per game will be a contender, and big-game contributions when it matters from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. make a difference.
Russell Westbrook is an interesting and useful addition into the mix and there is no reason to foresee a backward step from a team who knows how to win the title, run by a player in The Joker who does irresistible at the touch of a button.
Cleveland Cavaliers to win Central Division - 2/1
The East is Boston's to lose with no discernible reason why they won't be as good as last season.
New York Knicks by adding Karl-Anthony Towns and re-signing OG Anunoby have made a statement and coach Tom Thibodeau has definitely restored belief at Madison Square Garden.
The Bucks have Giannis - which pretty much is all that needs to be said - and Philadelphia and Orlando would assume to be nailed on for the top six.
Then there's Cleveland, with a new coach but healthier team and a belief they can improve on last season's 48-34, which left them just a game behind the Bucks in the Central Division.
The Cavs are 2/1 to win the Central this time round and they definitely can bridge that gap if everyone stays fit, Donovan Mitchell delivers again and new head coach Kenny Atkinson runs a happy ship after emerging from under the wing of Steve Kerr at Golden State.
Memphis Grizzlies Top 6 Seed - 20/21
The Grizzlies are 10/23 to make the play-offs but there's a greater reward to be had backing them at 20/21 to finish in the Top Six in the west.
They won 27 games last season having won 51 a season earlier, the big reason being that Ja Morant was awesome two seasons back and barely got on court last season because of a suspension.
Keep your superstar point guard out of the mix and it's not going to be pretty, so expect a dramatic turnaround from the Grizzlies.
Morant has points to prove and, with Desmond Bane, will feature in one of the NBA's most dynamic backcourts, while Marcus Smart is also fit.
Then there's the wildcard, rookie Zach Edey, who has been troubled by an ankle injury in the summer and plays the old-school big man role which has untold potential.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.