Another NBA season is underway and this one looks like a wide open race. There is so much parity in the league now that 10-12 teams may actually have a chance at winning a title this season. Here is a preview and predictions for the upcoming season. Celebrate everyone, basketball is back!
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Final Standings: Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, Toronto, New York
This is the opportunity for the Philadelphia Sixers to prove that this Joel Embiid and James Harden combination can work. With two of the best players in the world and an above average supporting cast, Philadelphia should be one of the Eastern Conferences’ best teams. Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker, Matisse Thybulle, and Montrezl Harrell should provide some good balance of offensive output and defensive toughness. Embiid will likely be an MVP candidate again. It will be figuring out how Harden fits into the Sixers equation to really determine how good this team can be.
The Ime Udoka controversy and suspension has taken what should’ve been an extremely promising Boston Celtics’ season and really muddied up expectations. The core returns with Jayson Tatum having moments in last season’s playoff run where he demonstrated the ability to be “the guy” of the next generation of basketball stars. Not saying he will be, but Tatum has moments where he looks like he could challenge Luka Doncic as the next best player. Unfortunately with the distraction of a coach being suspended but not let go and losing the guy who coached them to the finals, it’s hard to imagine this Boston team can recapture the magic they had last season.
Maybe the most dysfunctional team considering it features a Kevin Durant who wanted out of Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving who is one of the NBA’s all time most erratic personalities, and Ben Simmons who if anyone said they were convinced he will play on opening night they would be lying. If, and this is a big if, everything goes right and both Irving and Simmons are bought in, the Nets could be one of the best teams in the East.
Pascal Siakam is the star player in Toronto, but he doesn’t need to be the highest scorer each night to ensure the Raptors win. Few teams in the NBA have more depth throughout their lineup. Siakam is joined by Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Scottie Barnes, and OG Anunoby. This Raptors team is long, balanced, and athletic. It likely won’t happen, but no one should be shocked if Nick Nurse can get this team to being a top four seed in the East.
The New York Knicks had a disappointing 2021-22 season after returning to the playoffs the season prior. Julius Randle didn’t have the magic he had two seasons ago and his contract now looks pretty hefty. Jalen Brunson was the big free agency prize this offseason, but is that really a good thing for New York? Brunson is a very nice guard and looked great in the playoffs last season, but can he really push the Knicks back into the playoff picture? It seems unlikely.
Central Division
Final Standings: Milwaukee, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Indiana
Barring a Khris Middleton injury, it’s very likely the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Boston Celtics last season on their way to second straight NBA Finals appearance. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a unicorn two way player and Middleton’s calm demeanor/ability to take over games at random moments is the perfect type of Robin to The Greek Freak’s Batman. Jrue Holiday continues to be the backcourt difference maker he was brought in to be. The acquisition of Joe Ingles should work out perfect as he fits into a support cast of Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, George Hill, and Serge Ibaka.
Cleveland ended up falling short of the playoffs last season with back to back losses in the play-in tournament. That being said, the Cavaliers team of last season showed great growth and they now add Donovan Mitchell to the mix. Michell will join a team that already has Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley with a year of NBA experience under his belt. Kevin Love is the “old timer” on this team and should help stretch the floor. Caris LeVert also played well in 19 games after being traded to Cleveland last season. This Cleveland team should make the playoffs without even needing the play-in tournament.
Chicago made big moves prior to last season, but unfortunately lingering injuries to Lonzo Ball rarely allowed them to play at full strength. The Bulls will remain without Ball for at least the first several weeks of the season after he had knee surgery at the end of September. They will return DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach Lavine. The Bulls will be able to put up points. DeRozan was the NBA’s midrange king last season with an unbelievably successful jumper throughout the entire season. Colby White is nice, but doesn’t provide the playmaking and defense that Ball would bring to the table. The Goran Dragic acquisition could be huge dividends until Lonzo makes his return to the Windy City.
One of the youngest and most exciting teams this season could be the Detroit Pistons. Basketball fans should be drooling at what the potential of a Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey could be. Saddiq Bey is in his third season and should provide scoring at the forward position. Bojan Bogdanovic was acquired by the Pistons and should provide additional outside shooting. Nerlens Noel could also be an underrated addition for a team that needs some much improvement on defense. If the Jalen Duren pick works out, the Pistons could be well on their way to have one of the league’s best young cores.
The first order of business for the Indiana Pacers should be to see if they can get anything of value for soon to be unrestricted free agent Myles Turner. The Eastern Conference has plenty of talent and the Pacers are not included in that. Indiana needs to start building their team around guys like Tyrese Halliburton, Chris Duarte, and Jalen Smith. Buddy Hield has another season after this one on his deal, but he also seems like a guy a potential contender could use for outside shooting. Indiana, it’s time to cash in while you can.
Southeast Division
Final Standings: Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, Orlando
Miami is a team built for the regular season as they showed last season on their way to the Eastern Conference’s best record. Jimmy Butler is the team alpha, but Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, and Tyler Herro provided plenty of their own ingredients as the Heat depend less on one singular individual than maybe any playoff team in the NBA. It will be tough for the Heat to earn the conference’s number one seed again, but the Southeast Division should remain in their hands.
Atlanta acquiring Dejounte Murray was one of the big moves of the NBA summer. Time will tell how Murray and Trae Young play off one another, but they could become one of the NBA’s most dynamic backcourts. This Hawks team should be a playoff team, no excuses. They have lost Kevin Huerter, but still have John Collins, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter. If I’m a Hawks fan, my expectations should be a floor of a lower seeded playoff team and a ceiling of returning to the Conference Finals. Whether Atlanta succeeds in reaching those expectations, we shall see.
LaMelo Ball is very good, but he is going to have to take another step in his game if he hopes to carry the Charlotte Hornets this year. The Hornets are without Miles Bridges now that he has legal issues to deal with. The roster also didn’t improve which is a recipe to not succeed in the NBA. The Hornets better hope rookie Mark Williams is the real deal if they hope to even return to the play-in tournament.
Bradley Beal will open his first season of a new five year deal still on the Washington Wizards and on one of the worst rosters in the NBA. Kristaps Porzingis looked better in Washington than he did in Dallas, but this is a team that likely won’t be competing for any form of playoff berth. The biggest question will continue to be how long until Beal starts wanting out?
Paulo Banchero will be the focus in Orlando after the Magic selected him over Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith. Banchero will join a young core that includes 2021 draft picks Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. Unless Banchero breaks out right away, Orlando will likely return to being a top five or six lottery team.
Western Conference
Northwest Division
Final Standings: Minnesota, Denver, Portland, Oklahoma City, Utah
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a huge splash move during the summer by selling the farm to acquire Rudy Gobert. It’s hard to see the cost being anything but steep although the difference Gobert will bring to the defensive side of the ball could be invaluable. It’s uncertain how exactly Gobert will fit in offensively, but assuming Karl Anthony-Towns continues to be one of the NBA’s most dynamic big men and if Anthony Edwards can take that big third year leap to super stardom, Minnesota could be a top four seed in the west. Jaden McDaniels may also be primed for a big third season. Minnesota winning the Northwest will be determined on how well the KAT-Gobert relationship works and how much of a big man advantage they provide.
Nikola Jokic will finally get some much needed fire power around him again in Denver. The Nuggets will happy to return Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. as big time weapons to join the two-time MVP. Bruce Brown is a nice, versatile addition from the offseason. Jokic will once again be an MVP caliber player. If Murray and MPJ return from injury to their former or even better versions of themselves, Denver may have more upside than just about any team in the Western Conference.
“Dame Time” is back in Portland after an injury cut his 2021-22 season short. With no more CJ McCollum, Lilliard’s new #2 will be Jerami Grant, who was acquired during the offseason. Jusuf Turkic will continue to be a solid big man presence until he is inevitably injured again. Anfernee Simons could have a breakout year after essentially becoming “the guy” once McCollum was traded and Lilliard was out last season. Credit goes to Dame for what he can do for this team, but it seems like a play-in game birth is the ceiling for the Blazers this season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took a major hit by losing second overall draft pick Chet Holmgren for the entire season before it even began, but should still be one of the most exciting teams in the league thanks to their already promising young crop of talent. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lugentz Dort, and Josh Giddey will return, but the Thunder also have two additional rookies drafted in the first round after Holmgren in Jalen Williams and Ousmane Dieng. With already so many prospective players and more to come with plenty of future draft stock, the Thunder should make a jump in wins this season.
There may not be a team in the NBA attempting to win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes more than the Utah Jazz. Utah cashed in on Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades this offseason. The Jazz acquired some nice players like Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton, and Malik Beasley, but most of their trade compensation came in an unbelievable amount of draft picks. This team will be bad, but they’ve given themselves a real opportunity to start over and return to relevancy in a matter of a couple seasons.
Pacific Division
Final Standings: Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State, Phoenix, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento
The Los Angeles Clippers should be able to match up with anyone and have a true chance of claiming the Pacific Division Title. Kawhi Leonard will return as one of the NBA’s best two way players. John Wall will be on a relevant team for the first time in years and should be a very good scorer/facilitator that Leonard and Paul George haven’t had during their time in LA. Norman Powell and Reggie Jackson should be spark plugs for the Clippers offense. Defensively, the Clippers should match up well with anyone, especially with a big body like Ivica Zubac returning in the middle. If the Clippers can get a full season of good health, they could be a legitimate NBA Title contender.
Aside from the recent Draymond Green/Jordan Poole turmoil, Golden State should feel extremely confident they can return right back to the NBA Finals. The core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green return again. Thompson gets a full offseason of health for the first time in years. Poole just earned a big contract so the Warriors are clearly confident in what he brings to the table. Donte DiVincenzo may prove to be one of the league’s underrated offseason signings. Not to mention Golden State also will return Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, two 2021 first round picks that were rarely needed last year and have a season of development that could prove valuable. There’s no reason the Warriors shouldn’t be favored to win the whole thing again.
The Phoenix Suns won 64 games in the regular season last year and many of us are questioning whether their title window has closed. It may seem ridiculous, but the concern for Chris Paul’s age and playing long NBA seasons seems legitimate. There’s also the whole Deandre Ayton and Monty Williams not speaking to one another during the offseason thing. Ayton looks like he hates his job as much as Peter Gibbons in Office Space during recent interviews. The reality is the Suns are a very good team and their roster will match up man for man against anyone, but where other teams improved, the Suns stayed the same. It’s hard to see another 64 win season in 2022-23.
The Russell Westbrook experiment didn’t work out for the Los Angeles Lakers last season and he returns again, but a team with Westbrook, Lebron James, and Anthony Davis should make the playoffs regardless of how bad team chemistry is. The return of Dennis Schroder and acquisition of Patrick Beverley should give the Lakers some defensive toughness in the backcourt. It feels like if the Lakers are going to show a huge improvement this season it will be because a healthy Anthony Davis is the focal point. Until the Lakers prove they can overcome the Westbrook situation, this is a borderline playoff team.
The Sacramento Kings will likely be the clear bottomfeeder in the Pacific, but should be one of the more enjoyable teams to watch in the NBA. It looks like the Kings made a good draft selection with Keegan Murray. Kevin Huerter feels like a role player for a good team. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox will continue to be the top two options, but if the Kings truly end up with a star in Murray, they already have some very good talent around him.
Southwest Division
Final Standings: Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
Memphis caught the whole league off guard last season, but that won’t be the case this season. It shouldn’t matter with them returning their entire core and being led by superstar guard Ja Morant. The rest of the Grizzlies cast includes Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke, Dillion Brooks, Zaire Williams, and Tyus Jones. This team is still very young, but so very talented. They also have gained a veteran presence in Danny Green. Memphis should be a heavy favorite in the Southwest.
The New Orleans Pelicans looked much better after the CJ McCollum acquisition last season, earning a playoff spot. McCollum returns with Brandon Ingram, but the biggest addition for the Pelicans is the return of Zion Williamson (and a much more skinny version at that). Williamson has struggled to stay healthy in the league since drafted, but when healthy has been a dominating scoring and rebounding force. Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado showed they belonged in the league last season and should be key contributors. New Orleans will have its hands full in the loaded West, but has a chance at the playoffs.
The big question for the Dallas Mavericks is whether Christian Wood will be enough of an addition to help relieve Luka Doncic and take off some of the heavy load the star carries. The hope is that Wood is a much more successful second option than Kristaps Porzingis was. As great as Luka is, there is likely no team in the league who is more at risk due to one singular injury than if Doncic goes down. Even with no more Jalen Brunson, Doncic is talented enough that he makes an otherwise lackluster looking roster look pretty good. If Luka is out for any time, the Mavs will have a hard time wading in the water until he can return.
The Houston Rockets would be the worst team in the division if not for the San Antonio Spurs existing. The biggest hope for Rockets’ fans is that second year player Jalen Green continues to develop and shows the potential to be a team leading star. The West is too strong, but any big progress for Green should be a big positive for Houston. Even better would be if Green and third overall pick Jabari Smith show signs that they could be a duo that gets the Rockets back to relevancy.
The highest paid player on the San Antonio Spurs roster is Doug McDermott. Do we need to say any more? Even the greatness of Gregg Popovich can’t salvage this season.
NBA Awards
Sixth Man of the Year: Jordan Poole, Golden State
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota
Rookie of the Year: Keegan Murray, Sacramento
Coach of the Year: Chris Finch, Minnesota
Most Valuable Player: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia
Playoff Seeds (including play-in tournament seeds)
Eastern Conference
1. Milwaukee
2. Philadelphia
3. Miami
4. Boston
5. Cleveland
6. Brooklyn
7. Chicago
8. Toronto
9. Atlanta
10. Detroit
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Clippers
2. Golden State
3. Memphis
4. Phoenix
5. Minnesota
6. Denver
7. New Orleans
8. Los Angeles Lakers
9. Dallas
10. Portland
NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Clippers
NBA Champion: Milwaukee Bucks