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The NBA’s Opening Night this year falls on Tuesday, October 19th. It was just over a year ago on October 11th, 2020 that the 2019-20 season ended. The 20-21 season ran its course from December of that year until July 20th, 2021. Three seasons overlapping 373 days. Pretty crazy, huh? Things appear to be getting back to normal though as this season will see a full complement of 82 games. And not to fear, the NBA’s unrivaled grasp on the title of most dramatic league in America is stronger than ever. The title favorites are without the services of their superstar point guard while last year’s number one seed might be forced to trade theirs. And that’s just the Eastern Conference! Here’s a preview of what to expect this year for each team along with some fanciful prognostication.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Kyrie, Kyrie, Kyrie! At least there’s not a lot of Nets fans as I imagine every other team’s fanbase is happy Irving isn’t their particular headache. By now it’s well known that Kyrie Irving is at this time not going to practice or play with the Brooklyn Nets until he gets vaccinated or New York City lifts restrictions. My guess is Kyrie will eventually join the team even if that means getting vaccinated. It’s a great chance to really see if all these athlete antics are a detrimental enough distraction to team success. I think even if Kyrie doesn’t play all year, Brooklyn is going to be a top 3 team in the East while displaying elite shooting.
2. Milwaukee, the defending world champs, need to not fall victim to the famed championship hangover. They got Grayson Allen so they probably won’t. But seriously, the Bucks should be well positioned to give a good defense of their title. And how well they do will be a testament to Giannis’ leadership and dedication.
3. With all due respect to Kyrie, Ben Simmons might be the biggest problem diva in the NBA today. Kyrie’s like a woke 15 year old who just got their mind blown reading Ayn Rand. It’s annoying to listen to but it’s also just a phase (hopefully). Simmons is a 5 year old who didn’t get the Transformers he wanted so now he wants to get emancipated. He’s only at practice now so he doesn’t lose money and is giving every indication he hasn’t budged from his offseason stance of Trade Me! It’s becoming increasingly untenable for Philly. There’s not really one person happy about it, least of all the fans. Rumor has it could be a trade with Sacramento or Golden State but the quicker the Sixers cut ties, the better it seems everyone will be. Even without Simmons, Philly should be middle of the pack in the East.
4. I think the Celtics will do this year what people thought they’d do last year. If that makes sense. They’re bringing in a new coach in Ime Udoka as Brad Stevens replaces Danny Ainge in the front office. They added Dennis Schroder and Al Horford and will rely on some recent draft picks to support their young stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. They may still be a piece away from being an elite contender, but they’re gonna turn some heads this year.
5. Miami added Kyle Lowry in the off season and really want to rebound from a disappointing last year. They’re hoping to actually have Victor Oladipo for more than 4 games this year but his timetable for return is unknown. However Lowry and Jimmy Butler are best friends and aww, isn’t that just so sweet? The East is a little top heavy this year but Miami is firmly in the next tier and nipping at the heels.
6. The Hawks made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year and then proceeded to sign all their young pieces including superstar Trae Young to contract extensions. I’m a little wary about how well a still young team will do this year but Atlanta’s future is bright. And it gets exceedingly brighter if Cam Reddish can make the leap this year.
7. I think the Knicks saw some teams surpass them since their surprising regular season last year. They finished a surprising 4th in the East last year and then flamed out in the 1st round. They didn’t make any substantial offseason moves so doing better this year isn’t likely. But fear not, Knicks fans. I think they’ve got some nice young pieces and are on the cusp, if not after this year then the next of reeling in a superstar (or two) and finally making basketball relevant again in New York.
8. The Bulls are back, baby! They made a splash in the offseason and brought in some interesting pieces and now they’ve got the Windy City hoping for a new Airtime Era. After trading for Magic star Nikola Vucevic last spring, the Bulls signed Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso in the summer. That surrounds budding superstar Zach LaVine with some strong talent and have the Bulls and their fans talking playoffs this year.
9. The Raptors remind me of the Spurs East or the Spurs North if that’s more appropriate. They seem to have a strong culture in place and draft and sign the right players for that culture. It’ll be interesting to see how much of an impact free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. will have but the most exciting player to watch may be 1st round pick Scottie Barnes. If they struck gold on him, that’s a huge step in the right direction.
10. The Pacers are hoping they can stay healthy the whole year and brought in an excellent head coach in Rick Carlisle. The Pacers are a cusp of the playoffs team and could surprise and finish in the middle of the pack.
11. The Hornets are gonna be frisky and fun. They’re still a couple years away from really making waves but just like last year, they’re gonna be in the fight for one of the last few playoff spots. A big part of their future outlook will rest with how rookie James Bouknight and free agent signee Kelly Oubre contribute to the squad.
12. This feels like a figure it out year for the Cavs. They drafted a singular talent in Evan Mobley and now they need to figure out who else should factor into their future plans. They’ll try desperately to trade Kevin Love probably to no avail. They couldn’t come to terms with dynamic guard Collin Sexton on a rookie contract extension leaving his future with the team somewhat in doubt. They did trade for 7’0 Lauri Markkanen and signed 6’11 center Jarrett Allen to a 5 year 100 million dollar contract in the offseason. Just once I hope they play these two with the 7 foot Mobley and the 7’5 Tacko Fall. The addition of savvy veteran point guard Ricky Rubio seems to signal the Cavs might be priming for a playoff run this year but they’re gonna have their work cut out for them. If Mobley makes a special impact and Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro make leaps, they could be feisty.
13. The Magic are gonna be an interesting team. Probably not a good team, but interesting. They have so many wild card players. Guys that have already shown some potential but no one has any idea how they’ll actually fit in the pros or with each other. And I mean...literally...almost every player.
14. Patience is key Pistons fans. All eyes are gonna be on overall Number 1 pick Cade Cunningham but the Pistons have plenty of other young guys that show promise. Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes, and Luka Garza all have some potential that could make Detroit Rock City’s future look bright.
15. The Washington Wizards have Bradley Beal and a few upper tier role players around him. Beal might enjoy being the man all by himself this year after the departure of Russell Westbrook but this team isn’t likely to be very good this year.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. The Lakers are old. Most of their guys are old enough that I could have conversations about music with them and not feel like I’m on TikTok. So the big challenges are going to be first and foremost injuries and health and then of course will they have the energy to last through some intense playoff games. But on the flip side, the Lakers veteran leadership should lead to strong team chemistry and winning close games and the offseason addition of Russell Westbrook adds a killer instinct while taking a major load off LeBron, leaving him fresher for the playoffs where a healthy Lakers should be very hard to beat.
2. Phoenix should not regress this year. They appear to have the coach and veteran leadership to continue to prevail in the West and not let teams “figure them out”. But what is the owner doing about Ayton? The former overall 1st pick who shone like a solar flare in the playoffs last year did not get the max rookie extension that frankly he’s due. If ownership opts to not pay the man, the Suns might see their title window shattered.
3. Golden State, barring a surprise trade, is going to come into this season with a combination of veteran all stars and some young studs. They’ll have perennial MVP contender Steph Curry along with defensive stalwart Draymond Green bringing on rookie Jonathan Kuminga and 2nd year James Wiseman. All while waiting for Klay Thompson to return from injuries that have kept him out for effectively 2 years. They’ve allegedly tried to trade for Ben Simmons which would automatically make them co-favorites in the West but even without adding a star, they’ll soon have 3 of their own plus a lot of depth.
4. Denver was dealt a major blow when they lost Jamal Murray to an ACL tear late last season and they will be without his services as this year begins. It’ll be a chance for Michael Porter Jr. to step into a bigger offensive role and start justifying the 5 year max contract extension he just signed that could net him up to $207 million. But don’t forget, this team also has Aaron Gordon now and for the first time they might have the services of the MVP Jokic, Murray, MPJ, and Gordon at the same time. They’re my dark horse title favorite.
5. Superstars win titles in the NBA. With few exceptions. You’d have to go back to the 2004 Detroit Pistons to find a recent example and before that? Try the 70’s. And as nice as Donovan Mitchell is, he’s still not on that level until he can take a team into even the conference finals. I look at this team and still can’t figure out how they finished 1st in the West last year but until they start losing games, nothing you can do but respect it and expect it.
6. This may be the best defensive squad Damian Lillard has been on and it might make the difference especially with accomplished former champion Chauncey Billups as the new head coach. The Blazers may not be true contenders, but they seem slowly headed in the right direction. If they finish in the top 3, it will most likely be because Damian Lillard is the true MVP.
7. The Clippers fate rests as usual on the injury status of Kawhi Leonard. The return timetable from his injury can be 6-9 months but this is Kawhi we’re talking about. That guy may have sat out a whole extra year as a super precaution against aggravating a previous injury. If Kawhi comes back before spring of next year, the Clippers will fall right back in line as title contenders, perhaps even the best in the West. Regardless, there’s gonna be a lot of pressure on Paul George and he’ll need to be at his best regular season P to ensure the Clips make the playoffs in the vaunted West.
8. The Mavericks didn’t add any stars but they did shore up some good depth and should be a better team this year. But unless Kristaps Porzingis starts playing like a superstar, can the Mavs truly contend in the West? I feel like Luka is good enough to keep them in the playoffs and I suspect Dallas is figuring out a way to get him superstar help. I kinda see a long game here where Mark Cuban may wait out LeBron retiring and the Warriors getting too old.
9. With a full season of Jaren Jackson Jr. the Grizzlies are surely hoping for the playoffs. Jaren Jackson Jr. is good folks and the Grizzlies are building a team around him and Ja Morant. And they’re doing a lot better than whatever the hell it is that New Orleans is doing around Zion Williamson. Having made the playoffs last year, the Grizz are firmly positioning themselves as next in line in the Western Conference.
10. The Kings have an underrated fan base but one that has been seemingly cursed since the Chris Webber days. They have reason this year to be a little excited. It might have actually gotten to their heads a bit as they’re hoping the 76ers trade Ben Simmons to them. If they do end up with him, it will be hard to keep them out of the playoffs but even without him, this is their best chance in years.
11. The Timberwolves have become kind of an afterthought. Just a few years ago many thought it was Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell’s turn to shine (myself included) but it’s been a tough couple years since. But with the addition of the high flying Anthony Edwards the T-Wolves should have the offensive firepower to strongly improve from last year and start making some noise under a new regime.
12. New Orleans appears to have taken a step back. And things don’t seem to be looking optimal regarding the team’s relationship with its franchise star, Zion Williamson. It’s hard to say what GM David Griffin is thinking with the moves made and more and more it seems Zion Williamson may not be happy there. Less than a week ago it was announced the budding superstar would be out indefinitely after offseason right foot surgery. New Orleans first announcing this on Media Day 5 days ago isn’t a good look for the franchise making them seem out of the loop with their prized prospect.
13. This is not your “Pops” Spurs. Gone are the superstars past or present and San Antonio may legitimately be rebuilding. Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker are the main Spurs system guys that developed within the organization and they’ll be surrounded by a motley crew of veterans, projects, and youth. Does Pops have a rebuild left in him? And maybe we see a breakout year from former Ohio State star Keita Bates-Diop?
14. The Thunder seem to be on a slow and steady pace on their rebuild. They may not identify themselves as big time players in free agency so maybe another year of tanking and trying to find a superstar in the draft to add to budding stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort plus promising Aussie rookie Josh Giddey.
15. The Rockets have some exciting young players but they’re gonna be young for a while and that’s gonna be a problem for their record. Rookie and 2nd overall pick in the draft Jalen Green is going to be a revelation to some and may be on an expedited path to superstardom a la Ja Morant but Houston also has Kevin Porter Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr. And who’s not rooting for Ohio State guy and 1st team All Rookie Jae’Sean Tate (Jermaine’s son)?
Conference and Finals Picks
Eastern Conference: Brooklyn over Milwaukee (6)
Western Conference: Lakers over Clippers (7)
Finals: Lakers over Nets (7)
Awards
MVP: Kevin Durant
Defensive Player of the Year: Bam Adebayo
Most Improved Player: Lonzo Ball
6th Man of the Year: Tyrese Haliburton
Rookie of the Year: Jalen Green
Coach of the Year: Ime Udoka