The highlight of the previous week for any die-hard — not that you need to be a fan of Bruce Willis as lone ranger cop or anything — has to be the ad for the upcoming 75th anniversary of the league. It featured some upcoming stars like Devin Booker, Zion Williamson; alongside some proven veterans like LeBron James, Kevin Durant to go with legends like Julius Erving and Manu Ginobili. Did I forget to mention that the multi-talented Michael Jordan was the lead actor — no, not that Jordan, the one with the "B" in his name.
Like the ad showed, Adam Silver and the rest of the NBA Front Office are good at generating excitement around the league and this season already promises to be the most exciting one yet, both on and off the court. From Kyrie Irving’s controversial stance against taking the vaccine — which could keep him out for the season — to Ben Simmons’ surprise return to training camp — I really thought he was going to sit it out…I guess no one wants to lose money, except Kyrie, obviously — down to the City of Angels where the Lakers seem to be picking up every basketball player on three legs (aging) — C’mon LeBron!! Stop creating super teams…LOL— the 2021-22 season is expected to be filled with a host of highlights. But until that first tip-off comes Tuesday, here’s our season preview.
The Contenders
Brooklyn Nets
Prior to Kyrie Irving making himself the face of the somewhat ridiculous fight against Covid-19 vaccination, the Nets were odds-on favourites to win the 2021-2022 NBA championship. However, the current absence of the former Boston Celtics’ point guard means the so-called “Big Three” in Brooklyn has a void to fill but bet against Kevin Durant and James Harden at your own peril.
The Brooklyn Nets were a foot away from making it to the Eastern Conference finals last season, after Durant’s last-second shot in regular time in Game 7 of the playoff semis against the Milwaukee Bucks was judged to be a two-point shot rather than a three-pointer. Steve Nash’s men eventually lost in overtime but showed us a hint of what could have been had players like Harden and Irving been fit during the playoffs.
Kevin Durant made his case as the best player in the league during the playoffs last season and whether the Kyrie saga is resolved early or not, his combination with James Harden, coupled with the presence of players like Blake Griffin, Paul Milsap, Patty, Mills, and LaMarcus Aldridge means the Nets are definitely contenders for the crown.
Los Angeles Lakers
After winning the 2019-20 NBA championship in the bubble, many expected the Lakers to challenge for last season’s crown, with some suggesting they could even do a three-peat —that was at least before the head of injuries erred its ugly face once again and the defending champions were ousted in the first round of the playoffs last season.
The Lakers picked up Russell Westbrook via trade, before deciding to sign veterans like DeAndre Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Rajon Rondo, making them one of the oldest teams in the league — I’m surprised they haven’t called J.R. Smith and Jamal Crawford. It remains to be seen if these veterans would stand the test of 82 games and the rigors of the playoffs but the major dilemma coach Frank Vogel faces would be finding the perfect system for LeBron and Westbrook, as both players are ball-dominant and probably not the best at catch-and-shoot scenarios.
Injuries are most likely to be the Achilles heel of the Lakers this season, but should they find a way to keep Anthony Davis and the rest of the crew fit, the “old men” in Purple & Gold will take some stopping.
Milwaukee Bucks
A host of pundits might point to the injury issues that plagued the Brooklyn Nets —and even the Phoenix Suns in the finals — as to why the Bucks won the NBA championship last season, but believe me when I say Giannis Antetokoumpo and the rest of the crew don’t care one bit.
The Bucks won their first title in almost 50 years last June, following a 4-2 series victory over the Suns in the finals in June. Mike Buldenhozer’s side has no major additions to their roster, but retain the services of Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday to go along with the core of their championship-winning side.
Defending their crown this year might be a tough task but the Bucks might just be the biggest beneficiary of the Kyrie Irving drama, especially in the battle for the eastern conference.
Los Angeles Clippers
Perhaps in a different year or a different time zone, I would have Steve Ballmer’s personally owned, money-spinning franchise as “pretenders”. However, following a good 2020-21 campaign that saw the Clippers reach the western conference finals in the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George looking like the superstar we see during the regular seasons, I can only expect things to get better.
Ty Lue’s men still have a gaping hole to fill at the point guard, as both Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe are yet to show they can lead a team to a championship from the “1” position. With trades always a viable option, the noisy neighbours of the Lakers could fix that problem as the season proceeds, which would provide Kawhi and Paul George the necessary support in their quest to hand the Clippers their first-ever NBA title.
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is coming off a 2020-21 campaign that saw him end the season as the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) despite the absence of co-partner in crime, Jamal Murray. The Nuggets handed the $200 million max contract —incentives based— to Michael Porter Jr. during the off-season, which is a testament to the growth of the young man and his potential ceiling. And with Jamal Murray returning to the line-up, Mike Malone still on the bench as head coach, along with the veteran additions like Jeff Green and Austin Rivers —did I also forget to mention the high altitude — the Nuggets can go one step further than last season’s exit at the semis of the playoffs.
The Pretenders
Golden State Warriors
This is probably going to be the most controversial opinion in this preview, as I’m certain some fans of the Warriors are already sharpening their pencils to come at me — sorry, not sorry — but I don’t see the 2015 champions as contenders this year.
The Warriors are expected to have a fit Klay Thompson available at some point this season and when you add that to a line-up that already includes Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and James Wiseman, they have enough to be major players in the western conference, but not contenders.
The absence of a Kevin Durant type of player means the San Francisco-based franchise isn’t as invincible as they once were. And for those screaming that they won the title without him in 2015, having a bench that included players like Mo Speights, Shaun Livingston, David Lee, Leandro Barbosa, and a younger version of Andre Iguodala helped in that regard. The Warriors lack the experience and quality a bench would offer a contending team, but stranger things have happened. A few injuries to key players of their opponents could see their luck change and perhaps, Klay Thompson might return to the floor as the player of old, following a two-year absence —but I wouldn’t raise my hopes.
Miami Heat
The old, wily fox Pat Riley is probably wondering why he didn’t give up Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson during trade talks for James Harden as the Miami Heat failed to hit the heights of the 2019-20 season last time out, rolling over in four games to eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks.
The 2020 NBA finalists picked up Kyle Lowry, Markieff Morris, and P.J. Tucker during the off-season whilst retaining the services of the injured Victor Oladipo but all these might not be enough to challenge either of the Bucks or the Nets. A lot will be expected from the duo of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler if the team from “Wade County” is to be successful come playoff time.
Phoenix Suns
The decision to trade for Chris Paul before the start of the 2020-21 season lifted the Suns from lottery merchants to contenders, as they made their first NBA final appearance in almost two decades. Monty Williams has the core of his team from last season to choose from this time around, but with the Western conference already looking more challenging than the battle of the bastards in Game of Thrones, it’s hard to see them winning the conference this season.
Philadelphia 76ers
An unexpected sigh comes out of me just as I type this name. The Sixers are frustrating, not just to their fans, but to the rest of the basketball world (pundit and other fans alike). On paper, they look like they’ve enough to compete for the title but translating it on the floor is a different thing. And there’s also the drama of Ben Simmons to deal with as the 6’10 point-guard has made his feelings clear he wants no part of the team this season following criticism from the fans during the playoffs last season.
Doc Rivers was brought in at the start of last season to transform the 76ers into contenders but something remains obvious, the duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons just doesn’t work. The team suffered a surprising and disappointing semi-final exit at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks during the playoffs last season, and with things still looking the way they are, it’s hard to see any step forward for the Sixers this season.
We’re here to participate...
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls, on paper, are widely considered the most improved team in the league following the off-season acquisition of players like DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso to join up with the talented duo of Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic. The six-time champions have failed to make it to the playoffs since Jimmy Butler, Dwayne Wade, and Rajon Rondo failed at creating their own iteration of a “Big Three” back in the 2016-17 season.
The minimum requirement for head coach Billy Donovan this season would be making the playoffs, but even that in itself isn’t a given and the Bulls might find themselves in a scrap, thanks to the presence of good teams in the eastern conference.
San Antonio Spurs
I had an online argument with a Spurs fan who believes the team is on the up. Yeah, sure, they have got a few talented players, they won’t throw in the towel and decide to tank the season —it’s not just in their DNA— but as a massive fan of the team myself, I know we don’t have enough to be pretenders nor contenders.
Following 22 seasons of constantly making the playoffs, the Spurs have missed out in the last two seasons and it’s hard to see their fortunes changing. Perhaps it’s time for the Alamo-based basketball team to unintentionally lose games so as to begin the inevitable rebuild.
New York Knicks
There was pandemonium outside the Madison Square Garden when the Knicks made it to the playoffs last season, and it only went up a notch following their first playoff victory in almost eight years during their 4-1 series loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks made great strides of improvement last season and with the addition of Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, and the expected improvement of R.J Barrett, Tom Thibodeau’s side has enough to return to the playoffs, shake a few hands, give us a Spike Lee meme, and return home.
Portland Trailblazers
While the world has come to notice that the duo of Simmons and Embiid in Philly doesn’t work, we seem to be blind towards a not too dissimilar problem in Portland. Damian Lillard and C.J McCollum have been the starting back-court pair for the Blazers since 2016 and only have a western conference final appearance to show for it.
It’s quite simple from where I stand unless Chauncey Billups —the newly appointed head coach of the Trailblazers— has some ace up his sleeve this season, general manager Neil Olshey will have to trade one of McCollum or Lillard, or the latter demands a trade to a team that can fulfil his championship ambitions.
Back to the lottery…
Minnesota Timberwolves
The only reason the Timberwolves didn’t pick a player during the lottery round of this year’s NBA draft was because they had traded the pick to the Golden State Warriors during the D’Angelo Russell trade. Chris Finch’s side have been a perennially bad team and another reason why constantly drafting high up in the lottery won’t make you better.
The Wolves have a young core but have somehow failed to make it work since Jimmy Butler left the team during the 2018-19 season. Did I forget to mention they currently have no general manager? I’m pretty sure they need one to handle a possible trade request from star player Karl-Anthony Towns, should the team stink up the joint this season.
Orlando Magic
After trading away Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier before the trade deadline last season, the Orlando Magic decided a rebuild was in order but what no one told them —or what they failed to tell themselves— was even “Trust the Process” took a long time.
The Magic drafted college champion Jalen Suggs from Gonzaga University as the fifth overall pick in the draft, as they looked to add their young core of Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, and Mo Bamba. However, they just lack the talent and experience to be playoff contenders and might be returning to the lottery next year —someone please inform the scouting department on time, thank you.
Houston Rockets
It wasn’t long ago when many were arguing that the Houston Rockets would have won the 2018 NBA championship had Chris Paul not gotten injured in Game 6 of the western conference finals of the playoffs. Those were good times for fans of the 1994 and 1995 champions, as those memories suddenly seem distant and the chance of success looking dim by the day.
The Rockets drafted Jalen Green with the second pick of the 2021 NBA draft and have opted for a full rebuild which could have been made easier had they picked up Ben Simmons when the Philadelphia 76ers offered him up during trade talks for James Harden. Owner Tilman Fertitta vetoed the trade with Philly to spite —according to reports— former general manager Daryl Morey, who left to set up shop as president of basketball operations with the 76ers —I’m sure his ego will enjoy drafting in the lottery next year.
Detroit Pistons
Every young player wants to be drafted number one overall and suddenly thrown into the deep end as the saviour of a franchise but no one tells them the pressure it entails and that’s a situation Cade Cunningham finds himself in after being drafted first overall by the Detroit Pistons in June.
Like its sister team in the NFL, the Pistons are just a bad team from top to bottom and despite having Dwayne Casey on the bench as head coach, it looks like a season of struggle ahead for the former three-time champions and one that could see them return to the lottery.
Honorable Mentions
Utah Jazz (Pretenders)
Boston Celtics (Pretenders)
Charlotte Hornets (Participants)
Sacramento Kings (Participants)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Lottery)
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