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Predictions for the 2022-23 NBA Season

NBA | Graphic by Arden Reimer | The Wright State Guardian


Basketball on behalf of the National Basketball Association is back, which seems like the perfect opportunity to give some predictions for the season ahead. 

Most likely to win…

Defensive Player of the Year:

The old saying goes that “defense wins championship,” which is a worthy sentiment, even if the winner of this award will not be a champion by the end of the season. With that being said, Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray could have a great case for the award by season’s end. 

According to Basketball Reference, the six-year guard averaged two steals per game last season, and according to Stat Muse, Murray led the league in total steals, swiping the ball 138 times last year. The defensive instincts that Murray brings to the floor are special and will surely give the opposition fits on offense.

Most Improved Player:

The Minnesota Timberwolves traded away future draft picks this offseason to acquire center Rudy Gobert. Paired with Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt, Gobert and the Timberwolves are hoping to be a legitimate title contender. 

If the Timberwolves have a shot at these expectations, third-year player Anthony Edwards will, at the very least, need to become an All-Star this season. 

After an incredible series of games in the first round of last year’s playoffs, Edwards will need to build off that success for the Timberwolves to make a run at the championship, which would also net the guard Most Improved Player of the Year honors.

Rookie of the Year:

Paolo Banchero has already shown in one game that the league has a new star on the horizon. Banchero is six-foot-10 with the ball handle of a guard who attacks the rim with aggression. There is no excuse, outside of an unforeseen injury, why Banchero would not walk away with the Rookie of the Year hardware.

Most Valuable Player:

The NBA is full of great players, too many to attempt to name here. Nikola Jokic has won the award in back-to-back seasons, but that streak ends this year.

Luka Doncic has been one of the best young players in the league ever since the Dallas Mavericks drafted the forward in 2018. To put it as simply as possible, Doncic will win Most Valuable Player this season.

Doncic has unlimited range on offense and can bully defenders in the post. The footwork of the Slovenian hooper is also a problem to be reckoned with, alongside elite passing skills and technique as well. Doncic is an offensive powerhouse who has been knocking on the MVP door for a few years now, but the knocks stop here.

The NBA Championship:

The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions, and while there are a countless number of teams that could take the crown from the team, the Championship parade will run through San Francisco again next summer.

An honorable mention would be the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have depth, which the team proved last season after appearing in the play-in tournament without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for most of the season. 

Now at full strength, the Clippers are looking to take the league by storm, and let us not get started on the acquisition of former number one pick John Wall, who will surely bring back the lob-city vibes in Los Angeles.

Predicted Playoff Standings: 

Eastern Conference:

1. Philadelphia 76ers

2. Brooklyn Nets

3. Milwaukee Bucks

4. Boston Celtics

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

6. Toronto Raptors

7. Atlanta Hawks

8. Chicago Bulls 

Western Conference:

1. Golden State Warriors

2. Los Angeles Clippers

3. New Orleans Pelicans

4. Dallas Mavericks

5. Phoenix Suns

6. Memphis Grizzlies

7. Minnesota Timberwolves

8. Denver Nuggets


Trey Brown

News Editor

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