With Game 1s in the books, we make the case for -- and against -- each of the playoff teams to win the 2025 NBA title.

It’s still way too early to know who will add “big game player” to their narrative this season, but we’ve got a few early candidates.

The Wild were 21-10-4 before his prolonged time on the shelf and 3-1-0 upon his return in April. Matt Boldy stepped up in his teammate's absence and ended up leading the team in goals (27), assists (46) and points (73), but it's a much better team with both of them rather than one.