2021-22 NBA Season Preview

BASKETBALL. The NBA season is back and by all accounts, the accounts being me, it should be a fun season. A lot of early crazy storylines already hitting NBA Twitter and I can’t imagine the many more crazy news stories we see throughout this NBA season. It’s going to be a fun season of basketball and I am here to tell you what’s going to happen. I am going to give my predictions for the worst team in the NBA, players who get traded first, MVP, and obviously, NBA Champions. So let’s get right into those predictions. 

FYI, you can listen to me give my predictions for the 2021-22 NBA season with my co-host, Mail Nivlem, on my podcast Pool Boys.

Worst Team: Washington Wizards
Right off the jump, the Wizards are not a very good team. In my opinion, they are a bottom-tier team, but at this very moment, they are not the worst team. They have one of the better players in the league in Bradley Beal and they’ve done well adding talented players like Kyle Kuzma through the Russell Westbrook trade and signing Spencer Dinwiddie, but that will all change. They are going to have a crappy start to this season and end up moving Bradley Beal. Beal is just starting his huge 2-year extension this season, and I see this as a great opportunity for Washington to trade him. He has a lot of trade value as he is not a free agent after this season. Trading Beal will make the Wizards the worst team in the NBA, but it is the move the Wizards should make.

Most Improved: Detroit Pistons
Now there are plenty of teams that can get their award. The Chicago Bulls made a lot of big moves signing DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, along with others, but I think the Pistons will be the most improved team. I think Cade Cunningham is going to be an absolute star in the NBA, and he’s going to show that off in his rookie season. The Pistons have accumulated a lot of good, young, talent and they are going to show that off this season and might open some eyeballs this season. 

Star Player Traded First: Ben Simmons
So there are only two players that will be a part of this as Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving have sent shockwaves this whole offseason. They have both come under scrutiny over the past month and both are now closer and closer to being traded. The reason why I went with Ben Simmons is that I think Kyrie has a lot of supporters in Brooklyn, mostly named Kevin Durant. I think KD is going to protect Kyrie from being traded and will stay on the team until he is either vaccinated or the Nets finally let him play away games. Ben Simmons on the other hand has zero supporters. We all saw what happened yesterday as Joel Emiid called him out during a press conference after their practice. Philadelphia is salivating at what they could get for Ben Simmons but will need to wait a little bit longer until this news cycle passes. 

Conference Predictions: 

Eastern Conference:

So let’s start at the top. I decided to give the Nets the #1 spot and even without Kyrie, they are a good team. They still have two former MVPs in KD and James Harden. It’s a pretty deadly combo and even after yesterday’s blowout loss to the defending champs, I still think the Nets will get the #1 spot. At #3 I have the Chicago Bulls and I think they will have a great season. Like I said earlier they made a lot of big moves this offseason adding DeRozan and Ball to pair with LeVine and Vucevic. The Bulls will be a really good team and will computer for a top spot in a less than stellar Eastern Conference. Finally, on the East, I do have the Pistons competing in the play-in game. I do think they have the talent to be good enough for that spot and I do think they will be the #8 seed. 

Western Conference:

Now onto the west, it’s really hard to ever go against LeBron James and the Lakers. I know last year was a shitty season for LA, but hopefully, the injury bug does not hit them hard this season and they will be back where they are supposed to be. I also think the Warriors will be back where we all think they should be. They have Klay Thompson playing for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals. They’ve been without the 2nd best shooter in the NBA for 2 seasons, and he is going to show how important he truly is to this Golden State squad. Next, we have the Suns being put at the #5 spot and I think that might be overrating them. As a Phoenix Suns supporter, it hurts me to say that but giving Chris Paul that contract will hurt them. It was way too much money to give a 36-year old. Finally, I have the Trail Blazers barely making the play-in game. I think the Trail Blazers are going to regress mightily and not make the playoffs. 

MVP: Steph Curry
Call me a basic bitch, but I think Curry will go back to his old form now that the Warriors have another dangerous shooter on their team. Without Klay, all the opposing defense had to do was double team, Steph Curry. Now Klay will add a new threat to the team and Curry will go back to where he was a few years prior. 

Coach of the Year: Billy Donovan
Not shocking, especially where I have the Bulls placed in the East, but Billy Donovan is going to win this award for the first time in his career. 

NBA Conference Games: 

Eastern Conference: #2 Bucks defeat #1 Nets
Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks will go back to where they were last season as they will have a pretty easy ride to the NBA Finals. They will get to play one of the 4 teams I have playing in the play-in who are not the best and will be able to move past a young Bulls team with ease. Then the Eastern Conference Finals. I think Milwaukee will be able to get by all because of Giannis’ talent, but it will be a close one. 

Western Conference: #1 Lakers defeat #3 Warriors
LeBron v.  the Golden Stated Warriors, a tale as old as time. For the first time, we will see the two play outside the NBA Finals during the playoffs. Let’s start with the Warriors, I’ve been sucking them off all, blog and I guess it finally ends here, but they will go back to the Western Conference Final. The Warriors will start their NBA Playoffs against the Mavericks and in my opinion, I see that as easy competition. Outside of Luka and Frank Ntlikina, the Mavs don’t have much on their roster. They wll then move on to the Clippers and if the past continues to tell the truth, the Warriors should be able to move on n hilarious fashion, but then comes the juggernaut. The Lakers are the superior team in my mind and they will be able to steamroll past the Warriors. 

NBA Finals: #1 Lakers defeat #2 Bucks
To end the blog here is my NBA Finals prediction. It’s hard to go against LeBron in any situation. He is my GOAT, and he will continue his historic career this season by winning his 5th NBA championship. It will not come easily because Giannis is that good, but the Lakers will take control of the most NBA Championship record. 

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