No one word is sufficient to describe the happenings in the N.B.A. over the past six months. From the crowning of an unexpected champion to an off-season of stunning free agency moves, the league has upended so much of what we had come to know to be true.

As a new season begins, we are faced with a new set of truths — the Golden State Warriors could miss the playoffs; the Los Angeles Clippers could win it all — and a need to risk being wrong about everything.

With a nod to the actress Keke Palmer, who blessed us all with the viral phrase “sorry to this man,” we predict who won’t finish the season with his or her current team, who will win major awards like most valuable player, and which will be the one team standing at the end.