NBA Analysis · April 12, 2026
By HooperClass · April 12, 2026 · 9 min read · NBA
Today is April 12, 2026. The NBA regular season is officially over. 82 games per team, 1,230 games in total, and a season that delivered more drama, more records, more surprises and more heartbreak than almost any in recent memory. Before the Play-In tips off Tuesday, let’s take a full look at everything this season gave us — the good, the bad, and what comes next.
✅ The Positives
The OKC Thunder Are a Dynasty in the Making
The defending champions finished 62-16 — the best record in the NBA for the second consecutive season. They started 24-1, tying the Warriors’ all-time best 25-game start. They went 29-1 against Eastern Conference opponents, the best conference record in NBA history. They had 54 double-digit wins, also a new all-time record. This team is young, deep, defensively elite, and led by the best player in the world. They are the standard.
The Rookie Class Was Spectacular
This was one of the best rookie classes in years. Cooper Flagg averaged 20.3 points and showed he is going to be a generational talent. Kon Knueppel broke the all-time rookie record for three-pointers made (265), led the entire NBA in that category, averaged 18.7 points on 43% from three, and helped turn the Charlotte Hornets into a playoff team. On April 3rd, Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points, at just 19 years and 103 days old. Two ex-Duke teammates, two legitimate ROY candidates, one unforgettable debate.
LeBron James at 41: Still Making History
LeBron James continued to defy every law of human biology this season. In February, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, at 41 years and 44 days old — breaking Karl Malone’s record. On March 1st, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored after the age of 40. On March 30th, he broke his own record for oldest triple-double with another one. On April 1st, he surpassed Kareem again — this time for most combined regular season and playoff wins, with 1,229. LeBron James is 41 years old and is still rewriting the history books. Let that sink in.
The Hawks Reinvention
Nobody expected Atlanta to be relevant after trading Trae Young in January. They finished 45-35, ninth in the East with a 10-game winning streak — the longest active streak in the league at the time. Jalen Johnson emerged as a legitimate franchise cornerstone. A team that looked dead in January finished the season fighting for a playoff spot. One of the best stories of the year.
Victor Wembanyama Is Otherworldly
The San Antonio Spurs have quietly become a playoff team. Wembanyama leads the league in blocks at 3.1 per game — in just 29.2 minutes. His defensive impact has transformed a franchise that was No. 25 in defensive rating last season into a genuine contender. He is the most unique player in NBA history and he’s only getting started.
❌ The Negatives
Tanking Reached a New Low
We covered this extensively at HooperClass: eight teams, 44 consecutive combined losses, coaches pulling healthy starters in the fourth quarter. The Utah Jazz were fined $500,000. The Indiana Pacers were fined $100,000. Nothing changed. The 2026 Draft has three generational prospects and a third of the league spent the season trying to lose. It was the most embarrassing tanking race in NBA history, and Adam Silver’s response was a parking ticket. The system is broken.
Luka Dončić’s Injury — The Cruelest Timing in Sports
He averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists on 47.6% shooting. In March alone he averaged 37.5 points in a 15-2 run. He was having one of the best individual seasons in NBA history. Then, on April 2nd, he planted his left leg against Jalen Williams and everything changed. Grade 2 hamstring strain. Out for the regular season. Playoff status uncertain. MVP eligibility in jeopardy. One play. One moment. The cruelest ending to one of the best individual seasons anyone has seen in years.
The Mavericks Wasted Cooper Flagg
The No. 1 overall pick averaged 20.3 points and showed he is going to be a superstar. His team finished with one of the worst records in the league. Kyrie Irving missed the season with an ACL. Anthony Davis was traded for practically nothing. Flagg was asked to play out of position for months. Dallas handed a generational talent the worst possible situation and nearly squandered the opportunity. The Mavs had better figure things out fast before Flagg starts looking for the exit.
Injuries Dominated the Narrative
Kyrie Irving, Nikola Jokić (partially), Victor Wembanyama (early), Luka Dončić — the injury list this season was brutal. The 65-game eligibility rule for awards became a talking point multiple times. It’s a rule that needs revisiting. Players are being penalised for missing games for personal reasons — like the birth of a child — in a system that doesn’t account for extraordinary circumstances.
🏆 The Awards — Who’s Winning What
| Award | Favourite | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Victor Wembanyama |
| DPOY | Victor Wembanyama | Chet Holmgren |
| ROY | Kon Knueppel / Cooper Flagg | Too close to call |
| Coach of the Year | Joe Mazzulla | Mitch Johnson (SA) |
| NBA Cup | New York Knicks | San Antonio Spurs |
The MVP race is settled. SGA gets his second consecutive award. He led the league in clutch points, posted career-best shooting numbers, and did it all on the best team in the NBA. Wembanyama was the best defensive player on the planet and has a legitimate case — but 90% of expert voters have SGA as their pick.
The ROY race is the most compelling in years. Knueppel broke the all-time rookie three-point record and finished leading the entire NBA. Flagg scored 96 points over his last two games of the season and made an extraordinary closing argument. It may come down to a single vote. Either way, both deserve the trophy.
📜 Records Broken This Season
- ▸OKC Thunder — Most double-digit wins in a season (54). Best conference record ever (29-1 vs East).
- ▸LeBron James — Oldest triple-double (41 years), most points after age 40, most combined wins in NBA history (1,229).
- ▸Cooper Flagg — Youngest player to score 50 points (19 years, 103 days).
- ▸Kon Knueppel — Most three-pointers by a rookie in NBA history (265). Fewest games to make 200 threes (58 games).
- ▸SGA — Most consecutive road games scoring 20+ points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain (59 games).
- ▸Nikola Jokić — Second player ever to average a triple-double in consecutive seasons, after Russell Westbrook.
- ▸Luka Dončić — Most points ever allowed by the Miami Heat franchise (60). New Lakers single-season 3PT record.
🎯 HooperClass Take: The Play-In
The Play-In tips off Tuesday April 14th — and it might be the most chaotic in the tournament’s history. Here’s what we’re watching:
In the East, the Atlanta Hawks are the most dangerous Play-In team. They won 10 straight. Jalen Johnson is playing the best basketball of his life. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Don’t sleep on Atlanta — a team that enters the Play-In on a hot streak is exactly the kind of team that ruins someone’s postseason.
In the West, the Golden State Warriors are in the Play-In — which tells you everything about how the West has evolved. Steph Curry is still Steph Curry, and a one-game elimination format gives veterans an edge. Don’t count out Golden State.
The 2025-26 NBA regular season is over. It was one for the history books. Now the real fun begins. Playoffs start April 18th. And if this season taught us anything — expect the unexpected. 🏀
💬 Your Take
Who wins ROY — Flagg or Knueppel? Which Play-In team shocks everyone? Drop your take in the comments.