Which NBA stars have the most to prove in the 2026-2027 season?

It is late September and NBA training camp is less than two weeks away. Like with any new season in sports, expectations are high and low for each franchise in the league. Star players usually feel the brunt of the expectations as the new season begins. Expectations among players usually hits hardest among players who have yet to win their first championship. With that said, it is time to analyze which NBA stars face the highest expectations as the NBA training camp begins. Starting with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and Western Conference Finals MVP, Victor Wembanyama. Wemby enters the 2026-2027 season as arguably the favorite to win the NBA MVP regular season award, if he can stay healthy during a full season. Wembanyama will compete with other MVP favorites, including the reigning back-to-back regular season MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 3x Nikola Jokić. He will also focus on leading his San Antonio Spurs back to the NBA Finals, with a chance at redemption, after losing the 2026 NBA Finals to the New York Knicks in 5 games. Anthony Edwards is in a similar position as Victor Wembanyama. He is best positioned to put himself in the MVP conversation, as he leads the Minnesota Timberwolves back to the NBA Playoffs. While individual accolades will benefit Edwards, getting past the Western Conference is his main goal for next season. Edwards and the Timberwolves have lost in the Western Conference twice in the last three years and will aim to take a step forward, after losing in the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs. Luka Dončić is another ringless star who has a lot to prove as he enters his third season as a Los Angeles Lakers player. Luka will play his first season as a Laker without future Hall of Famer, LeBron James by his side. Luka Dončić has always been in the MVP conversation but has always struggled to stay healthy during an entire NBA season. Health will be a huge factor for Doncic’s season as he missed the Lakers' entire 2026 playoff run due to a grade 2 hamstring strain. Luka Dončić has yet to contribute to a Lakers playoff series win since his arrival back in early 2025. Luka’s season will be determined based on health and leading the Lakers on a deep playoff run for the first time in his tenure. Next there's Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference. Cade will focus on getting the Pistons back into the playoffs for a third straight season with the goal of winning more than one playoff series. The Detroit Pistons won 60 games last season and lost in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons were the No. 1 seed and were unable to make it into the Eastern Conference Finals. Advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals will be a huge accomplishment for Cunningham and the Pistons, as they had not made it there since 2008. Cunningham must also aim to get his teammates more involved on offense as he tried to single-handedly cary the Pistons past the Cavaliers in the 2026 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Lastly, as an honorable mention, there is the reigning Rookie of the Year, Cooper Flagg. Flagg enters the 2026-2027 season with the goal of becoming an All-Star for the first time in his second season in the NBA. He hopes to avoid any type of sophomore slump and, most importantly, lead the Dallas Mavericks back to the NBA playoffs for the first time since the team’s NBA Finals appearance in 2024. Leading the Mavericks back to the playoffs won't be easy but for a player of Flagg’s caliber, it is very possible. Flagg is only 19 years old and has shown great flashes of stardom at such a young age. He will have a lot to prove in year 2 as the training camp begins. So which NBA stars have the most to prove entering the 2026-2027 season? Can these stars take steps further into their NBA careers? Success in the NBA is often measured based on the number of championship rings. The new season has yet to start, but expectations could not be any higher for these young NBA stars.​