Order On the Court
Top NBA teams continue to add firepower–who will be the favorite to win it all?
As the 2022-2023 NBA season rolls around, there are a plethora of championship favorites. These picks are juxtaposed against teams in the midst of rebuilding and even some struggling with an identity crisis in regards to their futures.
The question on the minds of basketball fans everywhere: can a season champion already be predicted? The Golden State Warriors could go back-to-back with championship wins, destroying competition once again this season. Then again, another team like the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers could rise above and claim their first championship title in decades.
The Warriors brought back almost all stars and rotational players from their 2022 championship team. This is great for their continuity and chemistry in an attempt to offset the loss of Gary Payton II to the Portland Trail Blazers. However, unlike previous years, the Warriors are facing internal conflict between players before official play has begun. Jordan Poole and Draymond Green got into a fight during practice, escalating to a physical altercation between the players. Having conflict of that intensity during practice spells trouble for the unity of the team, especially since the details were leaked to the public soon after via TMZ.
Last week, Poole agreed to a four-year,123 million dollar extension with Golden State that will keep him with the Warriors for the foreseeable future. Similarly, two-way forward Andrew Wiggins signed a four-year, 109 million dollar extension. These new contracts mean that the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Poole will be around for at least a few more years.
The Warriors will have to contend with all opponents hoping to take them off the championship pedestal. They’ll face fierce competition from the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. The Western Conference looks to be a buzzsaw like usual. There are no nights off in the West and teams will have to bring their A-game, especially if they want to avoid anything lower than the sixth seed in the play-in-tournament.
The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks will be the favorites coming out of the East.
Younger teams will also be looking to prove themselves and elevate their standard of play as they build for the future. This list includes the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder, among others.
The Santa Clara community will certainly be keeping track of Jalen Williams in his rookie season for the Thunder as he looks to build up the Bronco name on the biggest stage. Williams averaged 14.4 points per game in the Thunder preseason and even had a double-double against Ra’anana Maccabi Ra’anana of the Israeli National League, with 15 points and 13 assists.
Jalen Williams, nicknamed J Dub after entering the NBA, made his debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. He came off the bench and immediately contributed with a step back jump shot on NBA all star Karl Anthony Towns. He also hit a three pointer and had a great lob assist to Darius Bazley before catching an elbow from Jaden McDaniels in the second quarter and missing the rest of the game with an eye injury. Williams is certainly ready to seize the moment, and anticipation is high as Bronco fans and Thunder fans alike look forward to seeing what he can do against legends like LeBron James, Klay Thompson and Paul George.