Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Flax
The 2022-2023 NBA season is now two weeks into session. This means that it is a good time to check where every team stands going into the season. Will Nikola Jokic repeat as MVP? Will Lebron James be able to bring the Lakers to the playoffs? We will see the answers to these questions and others in the coming months.
Jason Flax is a senior at The Field School and is an avid NBA fan. Jason has looked at every team’s record from the previous season and their offseason additions. Here is where he believes each of them stand going into the season.
- Milwaukee Bucks
If not for injuries last year, the Bucks would have almost certainly won the championship. 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to expand his game, and the backcourt duo of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday complement each other with a stellar mix of offense and defense.
The Bucks can do it all. Their offense is elite– with a perfect mix of dunks, mid-range shots, and three pointers. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bucks have an exceptional and coordinated defense in the interior and on the perimeter. Barring any major injuries, Milwaukee should be in contention for another title this year.
- Golden State Warriors
A few months ago, Golden State would have been at the top of the list. The defending champion Warriors kept most of their roster from last season, and most importantly their core of Steph, Klay, Draymond, and Wiggins. The team also had some addition by subtraction. While the losses of Gary Payton II, Otto Porter, and Juan Toscano-Anderson will hurt, their absence will ultimately give more opportunity to the young core of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman. Even if the young players don’t pan out, any team with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green is bound to compete for a title.
The Warriors are currently in the best position a sports team can be in. They are at the top of the league and set up to win now, but also have a bright future ahead with lots of young players. Everybody was wondering how the Warriors would prepare for a future after Steph Curry, and the Warriors are beautifully executing a smart long-term strategy.
However, there is some instability forming on the team. A few days ago, Draymond Green and Jordan Poole got into an altercation during practice, most likely over future contracts. The Warriors don’t have enough money to pay everyone, and that means that someone won’t be on the team next season. This shouldn’t impact the team’s on-court performance, but having bad team chemistry can easily break apart a championship contender.
- Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing for the Clippers in the 2020-2021 NBA season
This year’s roster is the best Clippers team of all time. Like past Clippers teams, the one defining aspect of the roster is depth. They have 12 legitimate rotation-level players. However, unlike past Clippers teams, this team has true depth at every position. For any situation, the Clippers have a solid player to substitute in. Playmaking? Reggie Jackson. 3-Point Scoring? Luke Kennard. Defense? Nic Batum. If you name it, the Clippers have a player to do it.
The only issue is that depth doesn’t win championships. If the Clippers want to win, it will have to come from their stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Kahwi has not played in a year due to injury, and Paul George notoriously plays worse in the playoffs. Despite this, many are choosing to believe in the Clippers this year (this writer included).
- Boston Celtics
Boston made the finals last year, and their team is on an upward trajectory. Similar to the Clippers, Boston has amazing depth and a star duo. Absolutely nobody would be surprised if the Celtics make the finals again. But, there are some notable issues with the Celtics. Not least of which is how Jayson Tatum fell apart in the finals– having an unreliable star player is not a recipe for success. Also, the suspension of head coach Ime Udoka will greatly impact the team chemistry. The Celtics are in a great position to win right now, but cracks in the organization are starting to form.
- Phoenix Suns
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Suns are confusing this year. For the past two seasons, the Suns have fielded some terrific teams. After adding Chris Paul, they have made the conference finals two years in a row, and went to the Finals in 2021. All signs point to the Suns continued dominance.
On the flip side, Chris Paul isn’t getting any younger, and the team’s collapse in the playoffs last season will definitely impact their morale. How they will respond to the complete embarrassment of last year’s playoffs will determine this season. If the Suns come back looking for revenge, there is no doubt that they will go far this year. But if they lose confidence and fold under pressure, the Suns could easily find themselves going into a rebuild in the next few seasons.
- Denver Nuggets
Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray are both coming back from injury, and they should make an amazing trio with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. With the amazing offseason Denver had, they now also boast a formidable bench lineup.
The only reason that the Nuggets aren’t ranked higher is because of uncertainty. As with any team coming back from injury, expectations have to be lower. However, Jokic and his passing skills will keep the team above water, and almost guarantee that the Nuggets make the playoffs in some form.
- Philadelphia 76ers
Philly lives, and dies, by James Harden. The former MVP flopped (both literally and
figuratively) last playoffs, and Harden’s play this season will determine how far Philly goes. If last season’s failings were due to his injury, then a well-rested Harden should push the 76ers over the top. However, if Harden’s age is finally catching up to him, this could be the beginning of the end for James Harden’s illustrious career.
Even if Harden doesn’t meet expectations this season, perennial MVP contender Joel Embiid and future all-star Tyrese Maxey will keep the 76ers in playoff contention.
- Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have arrived on the scene. After a short rebuild, franchise cornerstone Ja Morant is pushing Memphis into the upper echelon of NBA teams. From stellar 3-point shooter Desmond Bane, to lockdown defender Jaren Jackson Jr– the Grizzlies have lots of depth.
This young squad has some playoff experience under their belt and higher expectations than ever. Despite these massive improvements, Memphis is still in an extremely strong western conference. Jaren Jackson Jr’s health will determine if the Grizzlies can take the next step to being a true title contender.
- Miami Heat
There is no doubting the Heat. Like the Warriors, they are a championship organization. From manager Pat Riley, to coach Erik Spoelstra, to All-Star Jimmy Butler, to veteran Udonis Haslem, everyone in Miami is on the same page. The team has also sneakily put together a great run in the past three seasons, making the Finals once and the Conference finals twice.
There is one issue, however. Their roster is OLD. Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry are both well into their 30’s, and the massive workload that Butler has taken on will inevitably catch up with him. Kyle Lowry has also been battling injuries lately.
We’ll just have to see what happens. Miami will most likely be in the playoffs, but don’t be surprised if they underperform this season.
- Brooklyn Nets
After KD requested a trade earlier this summer, the Nets’ odds of winning the finals tanked. There was a very real possibility that they would lose both of their franchise cornerstones of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
However, Durant and the team seem to have settled their differences. Brooklyn will be walking into this season with yet another stacked roster, now adding All-Star Ben Simmons into the mix. But, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and things outside of basketball are showing smoke. Things are clearly not working well behind the scenes, and off-court drama can easily dismantle a star-studded team. KD asked for both the coach and general manager to be fired, and that isn’t a statement that will be taken lightly. Coach Steve Nash is going to have to pull off a miracle if the Nets want to contend.
If all goes well, Brooklyn could be hoisting the finals trophy next June. If it doesn’t, Brooklyn could become a complete dumpster fire and return to the bottom of the league.