Each year, The Basketball Movement breaks down the movers, shakers, and championship contenders around the NBA.
As usual, the National Basketball Association has had an interesting offseason. Also, as usual, nothing matters until the games begin. Fortunately for hoop heads everywhere, that time is finally upon us once more.
Can the Milwaukee Bucks repeat, or will the Nets reign in Kyrie and become the Eastern Conference champs? Are the Suns the next NBA dynasty, or will LeBron or Steph come storming back to claim the Western Conference throne? Let’s dive in.
Eastern Conference
As of this moment, the Eastern Conference has two teams that seem ready for a title run. The Milwaukee Bucks are the defending champs, and their core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday remain intact. Will the deer be as hungry as last year?
Last season, the Brooklyn Nets were the league’s biggest question mark. This season? The same. The trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving only played six regular-season games together last year and followed it up with injury-plagued playoffs. This year, all eyes are on Kyrie Irving.
Convinced the COVID-19 vaccine is filled with brainwashing nanobots, Irving is currently intelligible to play any games in New York or San Fransisco due to restrictions. Playing for a New York team, you can see the issue. The Nets recently announced that it is all-or-nothing. Irving will be fully with the team or unable to join them at all. Time will tell, but it looks like Irving will miss the 2021-22 NBA season.
Beyond Milwaukee and Brooklyn, several teams may have what it takes, though Miami stands out. The Heat added veteran PG Kyle Lowry while retaining All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as well as Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro. Miami will be one to watch.
How far can Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead the Celtics? After a bit of a disappointing season, Boston will look to rebound, led by their two young stars. Speaking of young stars, the other two potential contenders are Atlanta and New York, who will rely on the continuing development of their young cores.
The Hawks got plenty of experience in last year’s playoffs and are coming back with essentially the same lineup. After getting off to a slow start last season, Trae Young finished strong. However, he will need to take better care of the ball and show continued consistency if the Hawks want to realize their potential.
For the Knicks, Julius Randle returns as the star and has a new running mate in point guard Kemba Walker. If Walker and his backcourt mate Derrick Rose can remain healthy and the young role players like RJ Barrett take strides, they can threaten the top teams.
Ben Simmons seems as likely to remain in Philly as anywhere else now, so the 76ers fate is a bit up in the air. They remain talented but have proven nothing. With Embiid on the floor, though, they can hang with anyone.
Washington lost Westbrook, and Orlando, Detroit, Toronto, and Cleveland are still building. The other interesting teams in the East are Chicago and Charlotte. A healthy LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward keep the Hornets entertaining, if not much of a threat at this time.
As for the Bulls, they added All-Star Nikola Vucevic last season, and he seemed to pair nicely with Zach LaVine. Also, having added DeMar DeRozen, Chicago has a proven core and will be one of the more exciting teams in the East this season. But can they get out of the first round with this squad?
Oh, and the Pacers are still a thing. If Caris LeVert and TJ Warren can get healthy, they will be their typical, uninteresting selves. Sorry, Indy.
Western Conference
Phoenix not only made it to the NBA Finals last year, but they kept their roster intact. Chris Paul may be another year closer to retirement, but Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson now have another year of experience, including their deep playoff run. So, is Phoenix still the team to beat out West?
Until someone proves otherwise, the answer is probably yes. Are there teams that could quickly assert their dominance? Big yes?
The king is looking to retake the throne. LeBron James may require a bit more rest than he used to, but the 36-year-old is as dominant as ever. The team’s core is now almost entirely made up of aging stars with Rajon Rondo, Deandre Jordan, Trevor (not a star) Ariza, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and triple-double machine Russell Westbrook. Hell, Kent Bazemore is 32.
It is no secret that Anthony Davis is the key. When healthy, “The Brow” is one of the most dominant players in the NBA on both ends of the floor. It is also no secret that he struggles with injuries. Interesting as these old fellas may be, they can likely only go as far as Anthony Davis’ health will allow.
Throughout most of the 2020-21 season, the Utah Jazz held the NBA’s best record. We kept them around the top of our rankings for that reason, but we have seen the Jazz perform in the regular season before. The eye test shows us that Rudy Gobert is a dominant pick-and-roll defender and can alter shots at an elite level. Donovan Mitchell is an elite slasher, and much of the roster is built to supplement his strength with three-point shooting. Can the Jazz actually become a contender when it matters, though? Time will tell.
Two seasons without Klay Thompson, two seasons of relative obscurity for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry was back last year, but while his barrages from the parking lot were fun, it did not result in a playoffs appearance. So with Steph, Klay, and Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala back in addition to Andrew Wiggins and a developing James Wiseman… can the Warriors get back to the glory days?
Dubs were dunkin' tonight in L.A. 💪 pic.twitter.com/STcGaG1Iks
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 13, 2021
(Sorry that we have to ask so many questions. It is just that, preview or no, the only thing that can tell us what will happen this season is the players and teams themselves. The game speaks for itself; we are just telling you what to look for!)
With issues similar to Utah’s, the Denver Nuggets are caught between being a great team and having meaningful postseasons to show for it. Nikola Jokic won the MVP award last year but had to beat out hobbled versions of Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant to do it. Nevertheless, “The Joker” had a stellar season, nearly averaging a triple-double from the center position.
With Aaron Gordon signed long-term, Michael Porter Jr. developing into a star, and Jamaal Murray and the deep guard roster behind him, the Nuggets are poised to grow. Do not be surprised to find them atop the Western Conference standings.
From here, there is a bit of a drop-off. This is due partly to the health of Kawhi Leonard. Undergoing surgery in July for a partial ACL tear, “The Klaw” will miss potentially all of the season, leaving Paul George to lead the LA Clippers solo. George has done this with success before with the Pacers, though that was seven years ago now. LA may be scrappy, but they may not be contenders this season.
Dallas and Memphis are two other teams that feel just outside of contention status. Luka Doncic is ready to begin an earnest MVP campaign, but the durability of his running mate Kristaps Porzingis remains an issue. As long as Doncic is around, the Mavs will be tough, but his team must rise to the occasion.
As for the Grizzlies, Ja Morant developed nicely last year but must achieve consistency to lead his young team. Jaren Jackson Jr. is healthy and should be a big help in stabilizing the Grizzlies’ approach.
After some offseason questions, Damian Lillard is still in Portland. With a healthy CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Norman Powell, the Trailblazers are poised for another exciting playoff exit. Sorry, Dame.
The OKC Thunder are still amidst their lengthy rebuild, which at least has more promise than Minnesota, Sacramento, and Houston, though all have a few interesting young players. The Spurs should be just good enough to miss the playoffs again.
Also likely to miss the playoffs, but perhaps more interesting, are the New Orleans Pelicans. With a budding star like Zion Williamson, the Pelicans will be hard-pressed to keep faith afloat. Brandon Ingram and the addition of Jonas Valenciunas will be big pieces, but New Orleans may need to figure things out quickly.
That’s it! This was a long one for what you may be used to seeing on The Basketball Movement blog. That is because writer Wil Harrington is a passionate NBA fan that does his best to keep track of each team. Give a follow on Twitter, but do not expect deep insight. Only retweets of the most unmissable highlights and sarcastic comments about the most boneheaded player news. The NBA is the most entertaining soap opera in the world but also the most dazzling display of basketball brilliance. So tune in and follow along!