NBA 2022-23 Regular Season Preview
Ryan D’Amico
Staff Writer
Every National Basketball Association (NBA) season comes with many new changes to teams like players you’d never expect to move, new coaches, and new jerseys. This season is looking to be one of the most jammed packed and most entertaining years in the NBA recently with multiple championship contenders. Each conference is stacked full of teams that will be fighting to make the playoffs and playoff tournament.
There are many teams to look out for this 2022-2023 NBA season from both conferences. Teams in the Western Conference like the Golden State Warriors, coming off a championship, the New Orleans Pelicans with the comeback of Zion Williamson and the excellent surrounding team, the Los Angeles Clippers with Kawhi Leonard coming back off an ACL injury, the Memphis Grizzlies with their young talent after a good run last season, the Dallas Mavericks with star Luka Doncic, and the Minnesota Timberwolves with an amazing young core putting every team to work. And that’s just some of the teams in the Western Conference, there are still many more who will be playoff contenders and maybe even championship contenders.
Jumping into the Eastern Conference there are many comeback teams and already contending teams coming back ready for the season. There are many young teams ready to contend for the top spot and many experienced teams ready to do it again. Teams in the Eastern Conference like the Cleveland Cavaliers with the addition of Donovan Mitchell with their already amazing young core, the Philadelphia 76ers with James Harden back healthy and Joel Embiid with their many teams are struggling too, such as the Los Angeles Lakers making very little changes to what they really needed. LeBron James is getting older, and Anthony Davis is coming off his multiple injuries since they won the championship in 2020. They needed to surround the team in shooters but added very little of that in the offseason. Other teams like the Portland Trail Blazers with star Damian Lillard still not having a star number two. The Blazers haven’t been a bad team in the recent years just they haven’t had enough to push them over the edge for a title shot, and this offseason with Dame not playing a lot last year they never really pushed for a second star to Dame. But they have a good young core who is becoming great.
But many other teams made upgrades to the roster to become even better and to see how they go along with their already star players. Teams like the Timberwolves, the Cavs and the Hawks all added another great, All Star caliber player to their roster. The Timberwolves added All-Star and multiple time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. Adding some great defense to a young upcoming team who will make a good push this season. The Cavs added superstar Donovan Mitchell to their roster alongside Garland, Garrett, and their breakout rookie of last year Evan Mobley. Looking to push even farther into the playoff realm than last year. The Hawks added Dejounte Murray to the lineup behind their star Trae Young along with their all-star caliber big man John Collins.
Contact Ryan at ryan.damico@shu.edu