The NBA is back, and Pepe Brasín knows exactly where his attention is focused. The La Tribu contributor used his regular Brasas de Brasín segment to break down the start of the 2026-27 season and name the team he believes is best positioned to win the championship: the San Antonio Spurs. That prediction centers on Victor Wembanyama, who Brasín believes is ready to establish himself as the biggest star in world basketball.

“I think the feeling around the NBA is that this is the San Antonio Spurs’ year,” Brasín said. He linked their title hopes directly to the French star’s development: “This is the year Victor Wembanyama truly reaches superstardom and becomes the best player in the world.”

Wembanyama aiming for it all

Brasín believes the French center is ready to dominate the league in several areas. His prediction goes beyond Wembanyama’s individual performance and also extends to San Antonio’s championship aspirations. “MVP candidate, Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and the top favorites to win the championship,” he said when describing what he expects from the Spurs and their star.

However, the journalist acknowledged that the season itself will ultimately determine whether those expectations are justified. “Fortunately, we have an entire season to find all of that out,” he added. He also highlighted other storylines heading into the new campaign, including LeBron James’ move to a new team, the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks’ title defense.

For Brasín, the NBA has one major strength that explains much of its appeal: “The NBA’s ability to create stories and generate interest is almost endless.”

The NBA’s major problem remains unresolved

It wasn’t all praise. Brasín devoted a significant part of his analysis to tanking, the strategy used by some teams to prioritize their position in the NBA Draft once their chances of competing for meaningful goals begin to fade. “It’s a very serious problem for the NBA,” he said.

His main criticism is aimed at franchises that stop prioritizing wins as the season progresses: “Around January or February, a third of the league decides it doesn’t want to keep playing, that it doesn’t want to keep competing.”

He is also unconvinced by the changes to the draft system designed to combat the practice. “They changed the draft format, quite clumsily in my opinion. I don’t like the changes they’ve made at all,” he said.

Brasín believes spreading the chances of landing the No. 1 pick among more teams does not remove the incentive to lose games. “Competing without actually needing to win games is an aberration and a disaster for the NBA,” he said. And he does not expect the problem to disappear quickly: “Things don’t change overnight. It takes a long time, several years.”

Spain’s new generation looks to make its mark

The start of the season also brings reasons for optimism for Spanish basketball. Brasín highlighted young players such as Aday Mara, Sergio de Larrea and Baba Miller, along with the development of others who already have NBA experience. “Aday Mara is a very intriguing player, very intriguing,” he said of the center, who faces competition from Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Brasín believes potential financial challenges with the Thunder roster could eventually create opportunities for Mara. “I don’t know if it will happen this year, and I don’t know if he’ll get many minutes, but I think the Thunder want Aday Mara to become an important part of their immediate future,” he explained.

He also discussed Hugo González, who could take on a bigger role in Boston, and Santi Aldama, whom he believes could find a place in Dallas. Spanish basketball may still be some way from the era of Pau and Marc Gasol, but Brasín sees encouraging signs: “We’re not where we were two or three years ago when it comes to Spanish basketball.”

With San Antonio among the favorites, a new generation of talent emerging and questions surrounding the league’s competitiveness, Brasín is thrilled to see the NBA return. “I love it. I’m crazy about it,” he said.