Once the regular season starts again in October, there will be a significant focus on team power rankings. The prevalence of power rankings will continue through the regular season. With the offseason and free agency behind them, it’s time to start thinking about which NBA teams have the best chance of winning the championship in the 2022-23 season.
While on-court performance is the most important aspect, other considerations such as playstyle, the broadcast experience, the game venues, and promising young players are also considered. With all these in mind, let’s see which teams have emerged as serious title challengers and why that is the case.
Golden State Warriors
James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody, all recent lottery picks with solid potential, will get more playing time for the Warriors this season. Their efforts to simultaneously contend today and prepare for the future are impressive. The team’s Odds to Win NBA Championship were improving as their next generation of superstars reached maturity and got ready to tackle the court in the upcoming seasons.
When it came to the playoffs, Golden State made it seem simple by never having to go more than six games in any postseason series. The team is bringing back everyone besides Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II this season. Those are two significant losses to their bench, but the team was able to make up by acquiring athletic guard Donte DiVincenzo and seasoned forward JaMychal Green.
With Andrew Wiggins continuing to improve, especially on defense, and Steph Curry still going strong, this team has a great shot at making another strong playoff run.
Boston Celtics
Despite a strong showing in the NBA Finals, Boston was ultimately defeated by the Golden State Warriors, one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. They blew a 2-1 lead against the Warriors going into Game 4 at home, but they’re ready to make up for lost time this season. With the acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon, the Celtics have the sharp, two-way point guard they’ve been lacking and have made one of the most significant off-season transactions.
The Boston Celtics look like they will have the best defense in the NBA, and if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to improve, their offense might be right there with it.
Memphis Grizzlies
For Memphis, signing superstar point guard Ja Morant to a max deal for five years was the most significant off-season transaction. Acquiring a new contract for his backup, Tyus Jones, was also a big thing. Next year, it will be interesting to see how much of a difference it makes without Kyle Anderson, a key player in their frontcourt rotation.
Last year, the Grizzlies started the game stronger than any other team in the NBA, besting their opponents by an average of 2.4 points in the first six minutes of the first quarter. The Grizzlies have defied expectations for three consecutive seasons because of their lineup of NBA veterans.
After making the playoffs last year, they might be ready to take another step forward this time.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns finished their most successful regular season in the franchise’s history. There was little doubt among NBA circles that the Suns would make it to the championships again, especially considering how weak the Western Conference looked entering the postseason.
After losing a 3-2 series lead to the feisty Dallas Mavericks, the Suns find themselves in the same scenario as last season, only with a more dissatisfied Ayton and a bit older Chris Paul.
LA Clippers
This season, the Clippers are stacked with shooters and versatile players on defense. As Kawhi Leonard missed last season with an ACL injury, the Clippers had to wait until this year to make a serious playoff push. Additionally, by re-signing Amir Coffey and Nicolas Batum, extending Ivica Zubac with a raise, and acquiring John Wall, the Clippers have assembled one of the most valuable rosters in the history of the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks had one of the league’s top trios in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. Still, they were eliminated by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs after Middleton was injured. Still, they made it to seven games.
The Milwaukee Bucks are collecting almost their entire roster this season, re-signing Bobby Portis, Wesley Matthews, Pat Connaughton, and Jevon Carter. Although the Bucks are getting on in years, they still have a shot at a repeat championship owing to the growing power of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Final Thoughts
It won’t be long until the 2022-23 NBA season begins. Following a wacky offseason that saw many significant deals and trade demands involving superstar players, the championship competition looks fierce. At this moment, many teams are confident about their future campaign. With our guide to the best teams to watch in 2022-23, we hope you know what to expect from them on the court.
