NBA 2022-2023 Western Conference Preview
Welcome all to my Western Conference preview for the 2022-2023 season. Let’s jump right in and I apologize in advance if I offend any Lakers fans.
Contenders 1-4
Warriors – If Draymond Green is able to keep his head while all those around him are keeping theirs as well, the Warriors should be at or near the top of the conference. Granted they lost some depth when Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II, but Steph and Clay, Draymond and Canadian boy Wiggins should be enough to contend every night. Great, proven coach and a winning organization, the antithesis of Sacmo, round out this outstanding all rounder of a team. If the good things we’re hearing about Wiseman are true, a trip back to the conference finals shouldn’t be a surprise.
Suns – Oh boy, want an ownership mess. Almost everyone knew that Sarver wasn’t going to be a good owner and he has proven them right to the point where he now has to sell the team. Don’t expect that to bother the product on the court much though, or even as much as the loss of Jae Crowder. The biggest on court concern this season is going to be the health of aging superstar Chris Paul. He provides so much to the team that his absence could be devastating to the outcome of their season and at his age, like a west coast earthquake, is way overdue.
Grizzlies – Not a lot of news or action over the offseason as the Grizzlies hope to build on their success from last year with the maturation of their young core. The Griz finished last season with the second best record in the west and Ja Morant reached beyond allstar to near superstar heights. He together with other youngsters Jaren Jackson and Desmond Bane will be mentored by vets Steven Adams and Danny Green to produce a potent offense and defense.
Clippers – Much like their city cousins, the Clippers season will definitely come down to the health and well being of their two great stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Adding John Wall on a thrifty contract adds to their already deep bench which they’ll need. Expect both George and Leonard to miss a significant number of games simply to rest. It is not likely that either star will see 60 regular season games but the strong supporting cast will help the Clippers remain competitive enough to garner a decent playoff spot.
The Rest of the Playoff Teams
Twolves – With an emerging superstar in Anthony Edwards, stalwart quasi star Karl-Anthony Towns, mercurial D’Angelo Russell and new addition, defensive star Rudy Gobert, the Twolves are in win now mode. If these 4 guys and a reasonable supporting cast, reasonable coaching and medical staff can’t make big waves in the West this year, something is rotten in Denmark.
Pelicans – A healthy Zion Williamson? For an entire season…and then the long playoff grind? Sorry, I simply can’t imagine it. His grandma’s cooking is just too good and he’s too good a boy to disappoint her. Honestly, I’d love to see Zion healthy for an entire season. He’d be good for the game but until that happens, he’s a cautionary tale and no more. A modern day Greg Oden. On paper with Zion they look like a team that could make some noise in the playoffs, but that’s like hoping I might still grow six inches at my advanced age. Maybe a playoff team, maybe not.
Nuggets – Finally, current league MVP Nicola Jokic has his old running mate, Jamal Murray, back from long term injury. But just how healthy will he be in his first year back? History suggests it’ll be another year before Jamal is fully 100% on the court so he might not be the secret ingredient Denver has been looking for this past couple of years. Still, expect a playoff spot because Jokic can do almost anything. With a little more depth, Denver could have championship aspirations.a
Mavs – What can’t Luka do? Entering camp in perhaps the best shape of his career, expectations are high for Luka Doncic and the Mavs to make a move up the standings this year. Too bad they lost their second best player in Jalen Brunson and didn’t get the same value in exchange.
The Play-in Teams
Lakers – A great many scribes currently are suggesting that the Lakers are going to be the ‘Best of the Rest’, this season but I can’t be nearly as generous. While the West might not have the prestige and powerhouses of seasons past, there remain more teams interested in making the playoffs than entering the Webenyama sweepstakes. This year’s iteration of the once great team remains tangibly the same as last year. Sure they added Dennis Schroder and Pat Beverly but they lost Talen Horton Tucker in the process and addition of fading yet high maintenance vets at the cost of promising youth does not bode well for this season. LeBron is another year older and his risk of injury has escalated further, Anthony Davis remains as injury prone as always and will definitely miss a significant chunk of the season and Russell Westbrook has forgotten how to shoot jump shots. And still, Management really believes that all this team needs to be successful is to stay healthy, which while seeming reasonable is akin to asking for a hurricane-less hurricane season.
Trailblazers – It’s difficult to see Portland as a threat in the west this year. Damian Lillard is a great player but he’s not as good as he thinks he is and that is the backbone of the problem with Portland. Lillard sees himself as the team instead of simply part of the team. Portland picked up Geremi Grant in the offseason but it’s not going to be enough to get the Blazers into the playoffs this year.
Kings – An interesting young core, the Kings added some low cost vets in the offseason in Mat Dellavedova, Kevin Huerter and Kent Basemore. Looking at the roster reveals a feast of recognizable names including De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and highly touted newcomer Davion Mitchel. But will Sacmo make anything of it? Not if history is any indicator. Something seems broken in Sacramento, it’s where talent goes to die. It can’t be a coincidence that so many promising prospects end up underperforming not just for their time in Sacmo, but in their careers in general. If I was a rookie, it’s the last place I’d want to go.
The Rest of the West – Not this Year!
Spurs – Do they have the greatest coach in NBA history? Probably, but it sure would have been nice if he could win just one championship without Timmy to cement the argument. This offseason the Spurs did nothing much to improve their roster and with the lowest payroll in the NBA the smart money has them headed for the Webenyama sweepstakes which likely dovetails into retirement plans for Coach Pop.
Jazz – Danny Ainge likes putting his stamp on a team and in this case that stamp is a paintbrush. He tore open the windows and set the roster on fire-sale ridding the team of it’s top 3 players for picks and a few interesting pieces that won’t do much this season or for seasons to come. Is Danny really just pushing all in for the Wembanyama sweepstakes?
Rockets – Not a contender for the playoffs again this year, the Rockets will nonetheless be a young, fun team to watch with Jalen Green and Jabari Smith learning the ropes and pushing to carve out their spots in the Association.
Thunder – Finally, with more picks than players and their most recent draft pick savior Chet Holmgren out for the entire season, the Thunder have positioned themselves well to be in the running for the top draft pick and Victor Wembanyama.