In the NBA arena, understanding time is never a straightforward process. The past three years have felt like one long year because of the pandemic. And now, Dec. 18 marks the second month of the NBA’s 76th season. But who looks to be the contenders to lift the NBA championship in 2022-23?
According to betting odds, eight teams have a 5% chance of lifting the NBA championship this year. And while a few teams may share a lot of similarities, the league’s makeup never stays the same for two years in a row.
And this season, the NBA odds at pay per head bookies are sure to change after an offseason packed with significant moves and a few elite players returning from injury.
However, the West looks fierce after a subpar season because of significant injuries. This conference produces intriguing matchups every night, from seasoned teams attempting to keep their window open to youthful, athletic teams trying to forge their route to the top. Let’s review the top three teams and forecast how the standings will look in April 2023.
- LA Clippers
This club has more solutions when the going gets challenging than any other version of the Kawhi and PG-led Clippers.
We can all agree that Leonard’s movement and burst look encouraging after 15 months of rehabilitation and time away from competitive basketball.
A projection of 57 wins predicts he’ll play between 55-58 games, missing scheduled back-to-backs and accounting for the usual wear and tear.
The significant number for the Clippers going into this season is 45— that is the minimum amount of games that Leonard and George must play together to have a chance at the top seed.
Although we’ve witnessed top-heavy teams proving to be dominants (KD-Steph Warriors), there hasn’t been an NBA team in the past 20 years that matches the depth of these 2023 Clippers.
You know you’re stacked when Terance Mann and Luke Kennard compete for rotation minutes consistently. And it never matters which point guard the Clippers start between Reggie Jackson and Wall. Both bring something unique to the table.
However, Leonard and George control the ball when it’s closing time, dictating most of the action. The last time Leonard took a year off due to injury, he resurfaced with a vengeance and reminded everyone why they should fear him. We can see similar vibes floating in this season.
- Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is a team I can’t bring myself to worry about going into this season, at least in terms of their ability to win games during the regular season.
The Jae Crowder issue is the only reason I refrained from giving them the top seed for a second straight year.
Despite his shortcomings, Crowder remains a recognized stretch four, giving Chris Paul and Devin Booker more room to maneuver on offense.
He was a dependable senior wing who could handle defensive responsibilities against bulkier forwards, so his absence will be felt on both sides of the court.
For Phoenix to strike the over on their win total of 52.5 and surpass this projection, Mikal Bridges becomes the team’s key contributor.
What the Suns need to concentrate on this season is diversifying their shooting profile. Bridges’ propensity for attacking and drawing contact may be what the team needs to deal with the free throw problem.
If they can attempt more threes, particularly off Ayton’s rim gravity, they might be a foregone conclusion for a top-two seed.
- Denver Nuggets
Denver makes a clear argument for earning the top seed in the West. Even if Milwaukee supporters may argue otherwise, they have what is arguably the best player on the planet.
Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., two starters who played a combined nine games last season, are back.
Also, if the Nuggets decide to employ more switching schemes, one of the best players, Brown, has two years of experience switching to almost any position on defense.
Denver has roughly nine or ten depth players, but injuries are sure to occur on every team due to the lengthy schedule.
During the compressed 72-game schedule in 2021, this team performed at a 54-win clip, and one year later, they are more profound.
Conclusion
We’ve seen the Clippers set incredibly high expectations from the start of the season. Most of their rivals, including the team they’ll have to dethrone, are not taking the Clipper’s threats lightly. But they’re working harder to prove that they dominate the NBA sphere.
