The Challengers to Boston’s Throne in the East
While the Golden State Warriors are one of the favourites to return to the NBA Finals next year, it doesn’t mean the Warriors’ path will be without a challenge. Last season the Boston Celtics even took a brief 2-1 series lead before it evaporated.
With the 2022 offseason officially in the rearview mirror and the preseason underway, let’s take a look at who could emerge from the East and try to dethrone Golden State this season.
A Healthy Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks finished with a 51-31 record last season. They beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round before falling to the Celtics in the East semis. Part of the reason why the Bucks lost was the absence of Khris Middleton.
Middleton, a three-time All-Star, injured his knee in the Chicago series and missed the remainder of the postseason.
It didn’t help that Middleton’s figures dropped during the 2022 playoffs. After averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.4 rebounds during the regular season, those numbers dipped to 14.5 points in the two games he played against Chicago in the first round.
That’s why it’s important to emphasize the word “healthy” if we’re to tag the Bucks as challengers to the throne. We can expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to do Giannis things after averaging 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists (all three are playoff career-highs) in the 2022 postseason.
With a healthy Middleton, who could play either the small forward or shooting guard position, the Bucks would have a reliable source of points outside of Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday.
Middleton’s status for the start of the 2022-2023 season currently remains up in the air though it’s expected he makes a full recovery sooner rather than later.
Embiid-Harden Co-Existing in Philly
In the 21 games Joel Embiid played alongside James Harden for the Philadelphia 76ers so far, the Sixers went 14-7.
Embiid emerged as an MVP finalist last season after averaging 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.7 blocks. He also shot 37.1% from the three-point line. However, those numbers dropped to 23.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game during the 2022 playoffs. The result: the Sixers received the boot in the East semis.
It didn’t help Philly that James Harden “vanished” in the playoffs.
After an ugly break-up with the Brooklyn Nets, Harden still put up decent numbers during the remainder of the regular season before those numbers went into freefall in the playoffs (18p/8a/5r). This led to Embiid remarking that the Harden they saw in last season’s playoffs was more of Harden as a playmaker.
With all that now in the past, Harden is attempting to regain his All-Star form, and even took less money in his new contract as a gesture of good faith. The Sixers now have a full season ahead with the Embiid-Harden duo. If this dynamic combo can find a way to co-exist without Harden sacrificing his scoring, they could make a case as challengers.
The front office will however still have some work ahead of them as they attempt to build a better supporting cast around their stars.
An Almost Intact Miami Heat
The Miami Heat didn’t make any significant off-season moves this year. They were in the running to get Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. They were even among the teams linked to Kevin Durant before Durant and the Brooklyn Nets made up. But that doesn’t mean the Heat won’t need to retool though.
Jimmy Butler will continue to be the alpha dog for the offense. However, Miami needs to get more scoring help for Butler. Tyler Herro struggled in the playoffs after putting on a show in the Orlando bubble two years ago. He just shot 22.9% from the three-point line in the 2022 postseason.
Bam Adebayo’s lack of a consistent jump shot remains a problem against bigger frontlines. But one major talking point for Miami is Kyle Lowry. Lowry is 36 years old and missed 19 games last season due to injuries.
Miami is still loaded with experienced veterans. They’re also a free agent/trade target destination, meaning if there’s any major in season shake ups they’ll likely be in the mix. If they can stay afloat in the stacked East standings and remain healthy, they could dethrone the Celtics, and possibly the Warriors as well.
Dark Horse: The Kyrie-KD Nets
While there’s no assurance the Kyrie-KD duo will remain in Brooklyn until playoff time, there’s no denying that the Nets could be a dark horse in the East.
Assuming the Nets set their off-court issues aside, the dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant would be lethal to any defenders. Sprinkle in the wildcard that is Ben Simmons, and the blueprint is there for them to be contenders in the East.
Brooklyn’s biggest obstacle is within its own locker room. How far they ultimately go will be determined by whether or not Steve Nash & Co. can keep egos in check, and get everyone to buy into their system in 2022-23.
No small task…
-Iggy Gonzales
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