![]() It helps that Brandon Ingram is his teammate, and it’ll help more if new center Jonas Valenciunas collects double-doubles and new point guard Devonte’ Graham has a breakout season and develops into a solid No. New Orleans Pelicans: Suddenly, just a few years after drafting him, the goal for the Pelicans is to keep Zion Williamson happy - which will be hard to do if they don’t win. ![]() The Timberwolves and Pelicans are among the teams jostling to rise in the West. If Kawhi makes an unexpected return and reverts to form, pencil the Clippers in as contenders. If he’s done for the season, then it’s the Paul George experience, featuring cameos by Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, Terance Mann and, perhaps, new addition Eric Bledsoe. LA Clippers: Their staying power depends on the recovery of Kawhi Leonard following offseason knee surgery. Much will depend on the durability of Kristaps Porzingis and whether new coach Jason Kidd can coax something extra from a solid-but-unspectacular supporting cast. Although with Luka Doncic not yet reaching his prime, the Mavericks can go deeper in the playoffs. For that to happen, the Warriors will need more than Thompson - namely, a growth spurt from at least one of their young hopefuls (with big man James Wiseman the most likely candidate).ĭallas Mavericks: Dallas is running it back with mainly the same crew that couldn’t escape the 2021 first round. Now we’ll see if he’s back to splashing again with Stephen Curry and can help the team return to the upper crust of the West. That’s swell news for the Warriors, who’ve been in a holding pattern for two seasons without him. Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson is coming back as you may have heard. and Aaron Gordon - both of whom the Nuggets would like more from in 2021-22 - and the core is solid. Denver is in good hands regardless of that because it has reigning Kia MVP Nikola Jokic in the fold. ![]() In order to make a return trip, Phoenix just needs to grow from the experience, lean on Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, and cross its fingers that Chris Paul’s body clock keeps ticking slowly.īreaking down how Golden State will perform with Klay Thompson back this season.ĭenver Nuggets: Will Jamal Murray pick back up where he left off after knee surgery? That could be the difference between Denver merely making the playoffs and reaching the conference finals and beyond, should he return for the final stretch. Phoenix Suns: Not much has changed with the Suns since summer, but when you reach The Finals with a relatively young team, major change isn’t necessary. But they’ll either need to keep hitting those deep shots or learn how to mix in some mid-range buckets to take the next postseason step. Bolstered by Rudy Gobert’s defense, a ton of 3-point shooting and the heroics of Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz bring the ingredients necessary to win 50-plus games and travel deep into spring. Utah Jazz: Last season, the Jazz had the best record in the NBA and are qualified to repeat such a feat. Those two and Anthony Davis bring a diverse skill set that can (and should) overwhelm most challengers. There’s just too much high-level talent here, starting with LeBron James (of course), who welcomes the chance to give the ball-handling chores to Russell Westbrook. Los Angeles Lakers: If they can survive the regular-season marathon and keep their Big Three healthy for the playoffs, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers falling short of The Finals. The Lakers have loaded up on veterans in the offseason, which may prove beneficial to them in 2021-22. So in some ways, a typical season awaits … and so does mystery and drama. On the opposite end of the West are teams either stuck in rebuilding mode or starting that process. > What to expect from all 15 teams in the East this season And this list doesn’t include the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers, who would be instantly transformed if Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard, respectively, are back to normal after dealing with their own injuries. And the Golden State Warriors, who had a chokehold on the conference for a good half-decade, will welcome back Klay Thompson form injuries. The Utah Jazz had the best record in the NBA last season, while the Phoenix Suns are the reigning West champs. ![]() The Los Angeles Lakers did so two seasons ago before injuries derailed them last year. If you ask a handful of teams to describe what will take place this season in the Western Conference, the consensus answer might be the “Wide, Wide West” because of the scope and the teams that’ll make their own argument for winning it. Get NBA League Pass NOW: Stream FREE for 7 days.LeBron James and the Lakers may be primed to rise to the top of the West in 2021-22. ![]()
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