The race is wide open for the NBA title at the start of the 2022-2023 season.
Many teams are serious contenders for an NBA title and some dark horses are expected to rise during the season.
Leading the pack of title contenders are the Golden State Warriors, whose key objective is to bring back all of the stars and supporting roster that helped them win their eighth NBA title in franchise history.
This week, fans will see the results of a strong off-season for all 30 teams in the NBA.
This off-season saw many high-caliber players move from one team to another via free agency and trade. Among some of the big trades were the Cleveland Cavaliers receiving shooting guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, the Minnesota Timberwolves receiving center Rudy Gobert from Utah, and young, elite center Christian Wood being sent from the Houston Rockets to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Warriors are favorites to potentially repeat according to many analysts, but the race for the title is so wide open that many teams from their own division may eclipse them.
One team that immediately comes to mind from the Pacific Division are the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers brought back the majority of their key players through new deals, and their two star players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George came back healthy.
One of the biggest moves they made this off-season was adding free agent point guard John Wall, who spent the last two seasons with the Houston Rockets. Under the direction of Leonard -- who missed all last season to recover from an ACL injury he suffered in the 2021 NBA Playoffs --, George and a stacked team full of players that can play night-in and night-out, the Clippers are all-in to win their first NBA title in franchise history.
The Suns, the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks have also made huge strides toward an NBA title. Phoenix looks to bounce back from losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Divisional round after making it to the finals the season before. While they have the potential to be elite with young playmakers, chemistry concerns and the age of point age Chris Paul are serious factors.
Boston has an elite roster of young playmakers led by Jason Tatum, Jason Brown and Marcus Smart. These three players led the Celtics to the NBA Finals this past postseason. The Celtics will be without their head coach for the entire season after he violated the team's code of conduct. The Mavericks looked to continue Luka Doncic's elite offensive production and leadership with a more talented and focused team.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the biggest threat in the Eastern Conference after recovering all their key players from injury this past off-season. Power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo should be a serious contender for the NBA MVP title as he looks to lead his team a second league title in three years.
Other teams in the East to watch are the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Both have the talent to make a serious run for an NBA title but their players' chemistry on and off the court could derail the teams.
These are the Camden News' predictions for the 2022-2023 NBA season:
East
1. Milwaukee Bucks
2. Boston Celtics
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Brooklyn Nets
6. Miami Heat
7. Toronto Raptors
8. Chicago Bulls
Out Of Playoffs:
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. New York Knicks
11. Indiana Pacers
12. Charlotte Hornets
13. Detroit Pistons
14. Washington Wizards
15. Orlando Magic
West
1. Golden State Warriors
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Denver Nuggets
6. Phoenix Suns
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
Out Of Playoffs:
9. Los Angeles Lakers
10. Sacramento Kings
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Houston Rockets
13. Utah Jazz
14. Oklahoma City Thunder
15. San Antonio Spurs
MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Coach of the Year: Ty Lue (Los Angeles Clippers)
Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Rookie of the Year: Jaden Ivey (Detriot Pistons)
6th Man of the Year: Jordan Poole (Golden State Warriors)
Most Improved Player: Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers)
NBA Championship: Los Angeles Clippers over Milwaukee Bucks