The 2022-2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) season is just getting underway. After this past offseason and most recent NBA playoffs, there have been some interesting storylines that have developed that may define this season. Here are a few that I found particularly intriguing.
Are the Boston Celtics ready to be the best in the league?
After reaching the NBA Finals last year, the Celtics looked like one of the best teams in the league. They started the season relatively slow but went on an incredible run to save the season. Their defense significantly improved with great defensive play from guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams III. The offense was steadily maintained by forwards Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum, so going into the playoffs they looked to be a true contender to win the finals. Although they played well overall, they could not handle the Golden State Warriors’ offense, and ultimately lost the series 2-4. Now what? In the offseason, rumors circled regarding a trade for Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. This trade would have included Brown going to the Nets. There were mixed reactions because some people did not want to ruin the core of the team, while others wanted one of the greatest scorers of all time. In the end, no trade was made, but it did make people think about what was next for the Celtics. Are they ready to contend every year? Their core is relatively young but has tons of talent. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka recently got suspended by the Celtics, so that may throw a wrench in their plans. But overall are we going to see this team continue to perform like they did at the end of last season? Or are we going to see Boston regret not trading for Durant in the offseason?
What is going on with the Warriors?
The Warriors are the NBA champions. After beating Boston in the NBA Finals last year, they looked ready to make another run again. Their dynasty was back. Then there were rumors about another Durant trade. Was this championship-winning team really going to break up to bring Durant back? The Nets rescinded the trades before that could even have a chance at becoming a reality. Then forward Draymond Green punched guard Jordan Poole during a practice. The two players were arguing and Green punched Poole in the face. Shortly later, Poole was given a four-year $123 million extension. So, the team stayed together after all the drama. Even though on the surface everything seems okay, is everything really okay? How can you continue to play with a guy that punched you in the face?
The Nets experiment take four
In 2019 the Nets signed both Durant and guard Kyrie Irving, two of the best players in the NBA. They were truly forming a super team. Year one of that super team didn’t work because Durant was mostly injured. Year two didn’t work because Irving didn’t want to get vaccinated. Then in year three, the Nets were done messing around and traded for All-Star guard James Harden. The team should have been one of the best teams ever assembled. But then everything again fell apart. Irving continued to have troubles and Harden just wasn’t great. So, the Nets gave up and traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. Simmons didn’t play for the entire 2021-2022 season and the Nets continued to not win. They got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Celtics. What happens now? The team’s big three now consists of Irving, Durant and Simmons. A full season of these three players without any interruptions should be good, right? Durant was almost traded in the offseason so maybe the Nets don’t think so. They didn’t end up trading him so there is some faith, but is this the last chance for the super team? Did the Nets make another trade mistake?
Young teams becoming the best teams
The NBA is getting better and better with each year. This is because the players from college and elsewhere are just better, so the NBA overall is getting more competitive. A few young teams are looking to make legitimate pushes for the playoffs as their young players develop. Teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons look like they are truly ready to compete with the best of the best. The Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell in the offseason and now looked primed to be good for a long time. Led by recently drafted forward Evan Mobley, guard Darius Garland and Mitchell, the team has the potential to be one of the best in the league. The Pistons also look primed to make a jump. After drafting guard Cade Cunningham last year, the team already looked substantially better. Now they add guard Jaden Ivey and center Jalen Duren, and all of a sudden they are even better.
What’s going on with the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook?
The entire offseason all everyone heard about the Lakers was, “What are they going to do with Westbrook?” Westbrook is one of the best point guards of the past decade. He has averaged triple-doubles for an entire season and even won the Most Valuable Player award in 2017 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then he was traded all over the place. He went to the Houston Rockets, then to the Washington Wizards and finally to the Lakers. A team consisting of Lebron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook should be good right? Last year they were actually terrible. Westbrook clearly was not a good fit for the team. His lack of perimeter shooting made it difficult to play him at the same time as James and Davis. So going into the offseason everyone was calling for him to be traded. The issue was that Westbrook’s contract is terrible. He is getting paid over $40 million a year. So, in the end the Lakers kept him. Now new questions come up. Is he coming off the bench? Is he even going to play? Who knows? The Lakers are in a strange spot with James getting older and the team not being great since their championship in 2020. So, they might want to figure things out sooner rather than later.
Luca Dončić is the best offensive player in the NBA
After watching the playoffs last year, I have come to the conclusion that Dončić is the best offensive player in the NBA. He carried the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals because he was so impossible to guard. Through the seven games he played in the playoffs, he averaged 35.7 points, 10.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds a game. That is absolutely absurd. When you watch him play you can see how he can shoot from anywhere. He can drive by anyone, and he can make the right pass to set up his teammates to score. Dončić has been great since he entered the league, but in the playoffs, we saw a whole different side. He is definitely a candidate to be the best player overall by the end of the season.
Is Zion Williamson healthy?
Zion Williamson at Duke University was one of the most fun players I have ever watched in college basketball. He was a human highlight reel. His dunks were crazy, and his blocks looked superhuman. It was obvious that he was the best player in his draft class, and of course he got drafted number one overall in the 2019 draft class by the New Orleans Pelicans. Due to injuries, Williamson sat out part of his first year in the NBA, but when he played his first game, it was evident that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with. In just 12 minutes, he scored 22 points while shooting 72.7% from the field. The rest of the season was similar. When he did play, he was incredible. The key though was him actually playing, and this continued for the next couple of years. Williamson continued to get injured and there were rising concerns about his weight. His weight was concerning because everyone was worried whether or not he was going to lose some of that explosiveness. This year though, it looks like he is in much better shape. He apparently lost around 24 pounds during his rehabilitation process. Williamson said, “My focus over the summer was just to get back to playing shape, playing condition and honing my craft as usual. I feel like I’m at my best right now. I feel like I’m moving faster, jumping higher, I feel great.” If Williamson can finally stay healthy, the Pelicans might be one of the best teams in the NBA.
