Wide Open Championship in 2023
The defending champions aren’t in the top three in the West. Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed 3 straight games due to injury. LeBron James and the Lakers are too good to bottom out, but not good enough to contend. And Memphis’ Ja Morant is dealing with multiple off-court distractions that could land him a long-term suspension.
Meanwhile, teams like the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks are entering the fray for playoff positioning in their respective conferences. For the first time in several years, there are no clear favourites as to who will reach the NBA Finals.
Sure, the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks are currently sitting atop the West and East respectively but each team has their vulnerabilities. The Bucks currently hold the league’s best record (48-19), but inconsistent performances from players not of Greek descent on their roster have led to some very “un-Bucks like” performances in recent weeks.
Meanwhile Denver is riding a 3 game losing streak which includes embarrassing defeats to the Bulls and the lowly Spurs. While both Jokic and Giannis continue to play at MVP levels, their supporting casts have left NBA fans wanting more.
Out west, only three games separate 5th place from 12th place. With so much still to play for down the stretch, the Nuggets won’t be able to coast into the postseason over the final 14 games of the year.
No Clear Favourites
Denver’s Nikola Jokic may be one of the leading MVP candidates this year alongside Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. But regular season hardware won’t make the Nuggets trip to the Finals any easier, as evidenced by how their last two seasons ended prematurely.
Gone are the days when names like LeBron James or Steph Curry were assured of an NBA Finals berth halfway through a season. This time around, Steph Curry just returned from an injury lay-off while LeBron James remains out due to injury without a clear timetable for his return.
Age is also a factor why this season is one of the most unpredictable races in recent memory. Most of the star players in the playoff logjam are either in their mid-30s or approaching the tailend of their careers. While the slew of ageing vets such as Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and more can still bring it when healthy, their availability is less assured than ever before.
Both the Suns and the Celtics have the firepower to go all the way. The Bucks, despite missing the services of the Greek Freak due to a non-COVID-19 illness, have won eight of their past ten games. The Warriors could be a dark horse depending on how Steph Curry’s health holds up, while the Cleveland Cavaliers with Donovan Mitchell will be a tough out against whomever they face.
No matter how you slice it, this year is one of the most unpredictable races to the postseason in recent memory. Even Vegas is having a tough time handicapping the title odds with 9 teams at +1800 or better odds as of this writing.
Boston, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Denver, the Clippers, Philadelphia, Dallas, Memphis and Golden State all have championship aspirations. And perhaps this year more than ever, the NBA title will come down to who remains the healthiest over the final month of the regular season.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.