After last season's bullish and somewhat conventional predictions regarding the NBA, I might be forgiven if I decided to go in the opposite direction by making outlandish foretells ahead of Tuesday night's tip-off. Because let's face it, no one predicted the Los Angeles Lakers wouldn't make it to the playoffs last season, nor would the experts have predicted Kyrie Irving's drama would lead to the Nets' "Big 3" suffering a bitter breakup than that of Destiny's Child and still no title to show for all those made promises.
It's a new season, a new dawn, and of course a new head coach in Sacramento, and with all these comes new hopes and ambition. For some, the end of the last season, and as for others, a drama-filled offseason has ensured the NBA has never been too far away from their thoughts, despite the fact that the NFL season is already six weeks old. From Draymond Green showing off his boxing skills on teammate Jordan Poole to Victor Wembanyama showing off his skills and why there's a race to the bottom for his signature - more on that later, the NBA offseason has been nothing short of drama-filled and exciting. Even the infamous Robert Sarver, the estranged owner of the Phoenix Suns, decided against being left out of the action, as new allegations over racism and workplace misconduct have finally forced the billionaire to put the team up for sale. Did I forget to mention the negatives surrounding suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka? Though, the media frenzy surrounding his unjustifiable actions as head coach last season seemed to be racially motivated or biased at least.
The last summer's free agency period might have been a bit underwhelming, with no notable additions, trades, or departures - other than the Utah Jazz hitting the reset button - however, the return of players like Ben Simmons to the Nets, Pat Beverley joining the Lakers, Zion Williamson's return to full fitness, to mention but a few, should keep fans on the edge of their seats all through what seems to be an exciting season ahead. With that said, let's take a ride through the league to see if the Orlando Magic will be bad enough to get the number one overall pick in the next draft or if the Golden State Warriors can punch their way to another NBA title.
The Contenders...
Golden State Warriors
After a somewhat surprising - yes Warriors fans, your team wasn't the favourite - NBA championship win last season, all eyes turn to the Bay area once again, as Steph Curry and co. begin the new season as one of the favourites to win it all. The Warriors last won back-to-back titles back in 2018 with Kevin Durant and that seemingly unbeatable team, and after signing Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to huge contract extensions this offseason - which takes the team's finances well into the luxury tax - Joe Lacob (owner) and Bob Myers (general manager) will be hoping for a successful title defence. The Warriors made no notable additions to their roster during the offseason but the return of a healthy James Wiseman should offer the team a new dimension and more on both ends of the court. Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green joined the champions as free agents and the experience of both players should serve Steve Kerr's side well come the postseason -not like Curry and Klay need the rims any wider come May.
Boston Celtics
Forget about the Warriors becoming unforeseen champions last season, the Celtics were the biggest surprise last time out, as the Boston-based side reached their first NBA finals in more than a decade despite having a young and relatively inexperienced roster. First-year head coach, Ime Udoka had the team playing a physical, hard-nosed type of defense all through the 2021-22 season, getting past the likes of the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Miami Heat en route to the NBA finals, where they fell in six games against eventual champions Golden State Warriors. The Celtics will be without Ime Udoka for the entirety of this season, due to his suspension following workplace misconduct allegations. Still, with his assistant Joe Mazzulla taking charge of the team and the expected development of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics should be considered contenders. The additions of Blake Griffin and Malcolm Brogdon offer the Celtics more physical and good playmaking options and could prove to be instrumental as the season approaches crunch time.
Milwaukee Bucks
If you've arguably the best player and the most dominant player in the league in Giannis Antetokoumpo, you are always within a shout of winning the title and that's why the Bucks cannot be overlooked in the race for this year's top prize. Mike Budenholzer's side were champions at the end of the 2020-21 season and narrowly lost out to the Celtics in a seven-game series that could have gone either way. And despite the loss of P.J. Tucker, who was the team's go-to player on the defensive side -especially during the playoffs- the addition of Joe Ingles coupled with the retention of Serge Ibaka and Bobby Portis to support the "big 3" of Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday should see the Bucks compete for the title this season.
Phoenix Suns
"It's a bird", no, "it's a plane", no, it's the Suns bottling an all-important Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of last season's playoffs. Devin Booker and the rest of the troops had the best record in the regular season during the last campaign and after losing to the Bucks in the 2021 NBA finals, several experts expected to win the western conference before their second-round Game 7 disastrous exit at the hands of the Mavericks that had the entire NBA community in a massive shock. The Suns return for the 2022-23 season with no major additions or departures -other than the expected departure of their owner- and with Monty Williams still on the bench as head coach, and the majority of the playing squad from last season also returning - including Deandre Ayton and his new contract - the Arizona based team will be looking to show that last season's disappointing ending was a one-off and that they're a force to be reckoned with in the NBA.
Brooklyn Nets
After boldly predicting the Brooklyn Nets as one of the major contenders to win it all last season - I didn't see the Kyrie drama and Harden's departure comin - I feel a little sceptical about having them on my list as contenders again this season but I guess when you've got Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons on your roster, it's difficult to overlook you for the title. The Nets seemed to have overcome a torrid offseason that saw Kevin Durant ask for a trade and Kyrie Irving looking for ways to get to Los Angeles -or any other city where he believes the grass will be greener- to quietly build a roster that head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks insist is more than good enough to compete for the big price. The return of Patty Mills as a free agent and Joe Harris' return to full fitness should offer the Nets more scoring options, while veteran guys like Markieff Morris, T.J. Warren, and Royce O'Neale could turn out to be shrewd additions when the playoffs arrive.
The Pretenders...
Philadephia 76ers
"Finally, Ben Simmons is out of town and Harden could lead us to a title or our first NBA final appearance since 2001", says a very optimistic Sixers fan. However, while wishful thinking is allowed, being objective is the best way to avoid unnecessary heartbreaks. The 76ers added P.J. Tucker and Montrezl Harrell during the offseason to add to an impressive roster that already includes the likes of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and James Harden, and that on paper would rival any team in the east. However, with Doc Rivers still on the bench and the ball in Harden's hand come playoff time, it's hard to see the Sixers going the distance. As both of them have shown the tendency and ability to choke or falter when the ovation is at its loudest.
Denver Nuggets
Even with the presence of back-to-back MVP winner on their roster - Nikola Jokic - it's difficult to see the Nuggets as genuine title contenders. Mike Malone's side boasts a young roster of talented players like Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Bones Hyland to mention but a few and despite the addition of veterans like Ish Smith, DeAndre Jordan, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Jeff Green, the Nuggets simply don't have enough to support Jokic when push comes to shove. And that would count against them in the race to be champions.
Memphis Grizzlies
Young, exciting, and fearless are three of the words I can use to describe the Memphis Grizzlies, especially after an exciting 2021-22 campaign. The Grizzlies finished with the second-best record in the western conference last season and showed no fear when they came up against the Warriors in the playoffs. And even without star player Ja Morant, it took the eventual champions six games to find a way past them, showing the rest of the league that Taylor Jenkins' men are no joke and a team to look out for in the future. However, that future might just not be this season, as the Grizzlies - at least on paper - do not possess what it takes to be title contenders yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Looks like gone are the days of the Cavs being mediocre without LeBron James on the roster, although they failed to make the playoffs - eliminated in the play-in tournament - last season, JB Bickerstaff's men showed massive progress in the face of injuries and adversity. The addition of three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz and the return to full fitness of Caris LeVert to play alongside Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen could see the Cavaliers climb from 9th place in the eastern conference last season to a top four position but not enough to make them contenders.
Los Angeles Clippers
There's properly going to be an uproar in Los Angeles by "Clipper Darrell" and the rest of the hardcore Clippers fans should they find out I only see their team as pretenders and not contenders despite boasting a roster that includes John Wall, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. However, until this team learns to show up during crunch time, they will continue to be regarded as pretenders despite boasting one of the best head coaches in the NBA in Tyrone Lue. The Clippers have made the playoffs twice in three years since Paul George and Kawhi joined the team back in 2019, with no NBA finals to show for the ambition of team owner Steve Balmer. And while the addition of John Wall is a welcome addition, the Clippers might struggle to match the level of their competitors, especially if they continue to struggle when the playoffs arrive.
The Participants...
Los Angeles Lakers
While fans of the Los Angeles Lakers might tell you the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook is enough to lead them into the playoffs or even beyond that, it's hard to see the purple-and-gold as anything other than participants this season. With a new head coach in Darvin Ham, a poorly constructed roster, and the obvious lack of chemistry between Westbrook and the rest of the team, it is hard to see the Lakers as anything other than a play-in tournament team at best. They are good enough to avoid the lottery but certainly not good enough to be a sure bet for the playoffs. Stranger things have happened in the NBA, so this is one to keep an eye out for.
New York Knicks
After the high point of making the playoffs during the 2021-22 NBA season, the fans of the Knicks could be forgiven for thinking the next step for the team is to become title contenders but after a disappointing 11th place finish last season -which saw them miss out on even the play-in tournament- expectations amongst the fans are a bit on the realistic side this season. The Knicks picked up Jalen Brunson in free agency, following his outstanding performances for the Mavericks in the playoffs last season, and will be hoping that the point guard can create a dynamic trio alongside R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle. The Knicks have a decent roster, however, in a constantly improving eastern conference, it's difficult to see Tom Thibodeau's side making the playoffs.
Washington Wizards
The wait for the eagerly anticipated rebuild with the Washington Wizards seems to have taken the backseat again following the mega new contract the team gave to star player Bradley Beal. The shooting guard was tipped by many to join a contender during the offseason but surprised the sports world by putting pen to paper on a five-year $251 million deal. I guess he probably loves the White House so much or the Wizards pulled off a Godfather kind of arrangement with him. The Wizards can also boast of Rui Hachimura and Kristaps Porzingis on their roster but neither have enough to help Beal and the team improve way above last season's 12th-place finish in the eastern conference.
Portland Trailblazers
The biggest test of patience in the NBA if not the entire world of sports seems to be taking place in Portland, with NBA experts and analysts wondering how long Damian Lillard will wait before demanding a trade from a team that's clearly in rebuild mode and with no chance of competing nor contending in the western conference. The addition of Gary Payton II and Jerami Grant, alongside the expected improvement of Anfernee Simons, should add more quality to the roster of the Blazers, however, it's difficult to see how Chauncey Billups' men go from 13th place in the western conference to unseating one of the top eight teams.
The Battle for Wenbanyama...
Not since the 2003 NBA draft - which had LeBron James go number one overall - has there been so much hype and frenzy surrounding who wins the NBA lottery next year, not even Zion Williamson - who went number one in 2019 - generated this much hype, as some NBA teams prepare for the race to the bottom to see who gets to pick Victor Wenbanyama next year. The 18-year-old French professional basketball player is described as a one-in-a-millennium type of talent and every struggling or mediocre NBA team is expected to "tank" for his services. As one NBA veteran journalist put it, "this is going to be one of the greatest tank battles ever, players who are playing well for this "tanking" teams might end up either being traded or benched for the most ridiculous reason". From the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, and Orlando Magic in the eastern conference to the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets in the western conference, every rebuilding or mediocre team with a first-round pick is expected to be in the hunt for the services of the 7 ft 4 in unicorn who plays for the Metropolitans 92 in the LNB Pro A in France. Even the San Antonio Spurs who have a history of being competitive under the stewardship of coach Greg Popovich are expected to be in the tank wars, all of which should make the upcoming season an exciting one.
Other Teams
Toronto Raptors - Pretenders
Chicago Bulls - Pretenders
Atlanta Hawks - Pretenders
Miami Heat - Contenders
New Orleans Pelicans - Pretenders
Minnesota Timberwolves - Pretenders
Charlotte Hornets - Participants
Dallas Mavericks - Pretenders
So ladies and gentlemen, let me know what you think in the comments.
And please tell us your predictions as well and don't forget to follow On About Nothing on Twitter (@onaboutnothing_) and Instagram (@onaboutnothing) for more sports and entertainment. You can also listen to our podcast (On About Nothing) on all platforms.
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