The NBA is back! So the predictions are too.
- Brian Haughton JR
- Oct 21, 2022
- 3 min read
The NBA season is finally here! These are some beginning-of-the-season predictions.
Western Conference Champs The Denver Nuggets
After following Nikola Jokic's second consecutive MVP season, the Denver Nuggets are back to full strength. Without Jokic having his co-stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter JR, the MVP and company still were able to win 54 games.
Murray is returning from his ACL injury in April 2021, Porter is returning from his lower back surgery that has sidelined him since November 2021.
All though the team has never made the NBA finals, the last time the big three for Denver played together, they were in the western conference finals. Denver has the depth and the star power to compete with any team in the western conference.
The Eastern Conference Champions The Boston Celtics.
Following their loss to the Golden State Warriors last year in the NBA finals, expect them to make it back there again. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon will make a big difference for this squad. They struggled to take care of the ball in the playoffs last year, and having a guard like Brogdon that looks to get others involved and makes the right decisions will only add to the already deep team.
The duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum has been to the eastern conference finals three times in five years. According to Sports Illustrated, the Celtics have the second-best odds of winning the championship this year behind the Warriors.
Jokic Will Win His Third MVP
The back-to-back MVP has a chance to do something that hasn't been done since Larry Bird in 1986, winning three consecutive MVP awards. Three people in NBA history have three or more MVPs, and if the Denver Nuggets managed to win the first seed in the West, look for him to join such an elite company.
Historically, the MVP award typically goes to the best player on the team with the best record. Derrick Rose's MVP, Stephen Curry's first MVP, and Charles Barkley's MVP are all examples of this. The Nuggets have the opportunity to win the West this year. If Jokic can put up numbers similar to his MVP Seasons (27.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists), it is undoubtedly an attainable achievement for Jokic.
Jordan Poole Wins 6th Man of The Year
With the return of a healthy Klay Thompson, expect Poole to lead the second unit. Eager to prove why he deserved his $140 million extension this off-season, Poole is coming off a season where he averaged a career-high 18.5 points per game. Look for him to make another splash this year with the warriors and even come home with some hardwood.
Bam Adebayo Wins Defensive Player of the Year
Adebayo has finished in fourth place the last two years for defensive player of the year, but this will be the year where he claims the award he feels should have been his. Adebayo tells campers at the Heat’s youth clinic “I should have won it the last two years, and I will win it this year.”
The Miami Heat star center is someone that has been able to guard every position on the floor at an elite level, he currently has the third best odds to win his first Defensive Player of the Year Award
Tyrese Haliburton wins Most Improved Player
After being traded by the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers, Haliburton showed flashes that he could be one of the best passing guards in the league. Haliburton is coming off a season where he averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 assists for the Pacers. The Pacers seem to have given him the keys to the kingdom where the offense will flow through him. The third-year guard has the third-best odds of winning the award this year.
Comments