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Where will the Bulls finish? Sam Smith's 2023-24 NBA Standings Predictions – NBA.com
It looks like the NBA revealed who it wants to win this season’s championship.
At least certainly which conference.
Because the NBA season begins Tuesday night with the traditional doubleheader that usually features the championship team hosting for its ring presentation. And then a game from the opposite conference.
The NBA champion Denver Nuggets — the way basketball tournaments go these days at least the NBA winner can no longer call itself the world champion — host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game. Sure, that’s marquee.
But then instead of getting the Eastern Conference finals matchup everyone expects of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, the last round of drinks is the latest of the super teams, the Phoenix Suns with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, visiting the Golden State Warriors of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Sixth Man candidate Chris Paul.
Hey, over here! We’re still a conference! Even if our last Finals representative was a play-in team that believes it’s a 40-game season. What in the name of Bill Russell, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird is going on here?
And so begins NBA 2023-24 with an entire conference having a chip on its shoulder.
The NBA and the networks are ready to go West, and I get it young men since we’re getting ready to go inside. If the race to the championship — and, of course, the NBA Cup — aren’t the biggest stories, it’s also in the Western Conference with rookie Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. The 7-foot-5 phenom from France has come to the NBA with the most promotion and attention since LeBron James and an apparent directive to broadcasters to gush at least four times a game that they’ve ‘Never Seen Anything Like That Before!’
And we haven’t even gotten to Zion yet. Assuming we finally will.
Did I mention LeBron’s back?
Hey, the Eastern Conference has it’s stories, too, but it’s mostly been if James Harden is happy, why he’s not and if you can call your boss a liar and then get paid $35 million to stay home and eventually get what you want.
Oh yeah, and we’ve got Dame. And if he thinks Portland was dark all winter, wait until he sees Cudahy near the practice facility in December. Dame Time is in the house. It would have been nice five years ago before, you know, he played 87 regular season games the last two seasons.
So it’s time. Jokić is making a run for his third MVP that everyone now says should be his fourth. Giannis looks like he’s no longer threatening his last run. Embiid is reigning MVP, but is it Luka’s time? The East does have FIBA World Champion Germany MVP Dennis Schröder. It doesn’t look like the NBA got the memo on America first.
So Tuesday is the first day of the rest of our lives. The NBA is back!
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum probably is the East favorite among the MVP candidates. Jaylen Brown got the big contract. We get to ask a lot how many games Kristaps Porziņģis will play and Jrue Holiday has gone from most underrated to most overrated. So there are some ifs, but they addressed their size issue from the post season and the conference doesn’t seem as formidable with KD, Kyrie, Beal and probably soon Harden heading West.
2. Milwaukee Bucks. I didn’t, either, understand top assistant Terry Stotts bolting last week. After all, he once coached there so he knows what’s coming off the lake. And Giannis surprisingly isn’t sailing away. The Heat said they really didn’t want to give up Haywood Highsmith for him, anyway. The Bucks were worried when Giannis said he wasn’t signing an extension yet. So get with Damian Lillard. It cost them Jrue Holiday, but Giannis was so alone in the playoffs last season. Seeing him shoot those jumpers was ugly. Now he’s staying longterm. Hey, a lot of people do like brats. Their Achilles is they have enough guys the age of the Achilles being a potential issue. So the window really is small with Lillard, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez squared in their 30s. But they do generally take the regular season more seriously than most.
3. Philadelphia 76ers. I know everyone is predicting doom with Harden’s latest tantrum. It’s also conventional wisdom the 76ers will suffer without him, though not my wisdom. Now that the NBA stopped calling his fake fouls, his Globetrotters dribbling act has worn thin. And he’s not a good three-point shooter. Nick Nurse is a team-oriented coach who should free Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey gets to play. Like Jerry Krause used to say, it’s addition by subtraction.
4. New York Knicks. Even if things don’t go well, they at least can have Villanova reunions. It seems like a Thibodeau type of group, somewhat less talented than their effort suggests. The question mark in the mix is Julius Randle and whether he’ll float around outside or fight inside. They can also claim continuity, and significant size advantages with Robinson and Hartenstein.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re also at a turning point even if they don’t seem to know it. Donovan Mitchell never really wanted to go there. He’s never said much, but if they take a step back things could change. They have a top backcourt with Darius Garland, and Max Strus’ addition addressed a shooting need. But that much celebrated front court also seems much overrated and too often outplayed. If this is not a do-it season for them they might have had it.
6. Atlanta Hawks. It’s seemed like they’ve mostly needed some organization and an edge. And perhaps that’s new coach Quin Snyder. Another of those guys for whom it’s time is Trae Young. They finally moved off the what-does-he-actually-do John Collins. They’ve got a lot of scoring and physical possibilities with Onyeka Okongwu and another of those feisty Villanova guys in Saddiq Bey. Time to make a move?
7. Chicago Bulls. There’s been much discussion about a last dance with DeMar DeRozan entering a final season and Nikola Vučević saying during the summer it’s their time to show. They haven’t changed much from last season with some role playing additions, but their guys play their roles. They’ll take the regular season more seriously than most and compete, which enables you to steal some games. Zach LaVine looks like he can score as easily as anyone in the NBA and could have a big time season.
8. Toronto Raptors. A new coach and bye bye to Fred VanVleet and most believed it was a signal of a breakup or fracture of some sort. But they stayed together and maintain a difficult group of long, languorous (in a good way) athletes to play. Schröder was a nice pickup and most underrated candidate.
9. Indiana Pacers. Haven’t they traded Buddy Hield and Myles Turner yet? Those two have been in rumors the longest and then it seems least. They’ve been accumulating good young guys for a while now and they may be ready to begin the breakout. And watch out for Obi Toppin when they play the Knicks.
10. Miami Heat. Losing Max Strus and Gabe Vincent and replacing them with rumors about acquiring Lillard doesn’t get you far. They’re the poster guys for not taking the regular season seriously after they didn’t and got to the Finals. Told ya, they winked. You know Jimmy Butler could care less about that new 65 games bar for awards. And Kyle Lowry isn’t in contention. Now they do have to get there, so Tyler Herro better take it seriously. And it looks like he will.
11. Orlando Magic. They might be one season behind the Pacers. They’ve been accumulating a lot of good looking young players, but they don’t seem to have much direction about what to do with them. It probably will take adding some veterans. Hey, did you hear Hield and Turner could be available?
12. Brooklyn Nets. I’m still a Ben Simmons believer, believe it or not. They no longer have much potential without KD and Kyrie, but everyone probably will be happier. Bring back Steve Nash? Mikal Bridges can be a breakout player from 3 and D that he was supposed to be, and if pressure was the issue for Ben there shouldn’t be much anymore.
13. Washington Wizards. To paraphrase Casey Stengel with the original Amazin’ Mets, Can’t anyone here pass this ball? Jordan Poole’s shooting. And so is Kyle Kuzma. Hey Gafford, get that rebound and pass it back!
14. Detroit Pistons. Is Cade Cunningham still eligible for rookie of the year? I can’t recall the guy actually ever playing a game. Monty Williams got paid big, and he’s got a humpty dumpty project with a lot of pieces that need to go together. It’s a test for the value of lottery picks as they have the most who have been traded recently.
15. Charlotte Hornets. You can’t blame Jordan anymore. We whine here in Chicago about sports teams, but how about their two professional teams, sort of, teams. I know, NASCAR. There is LaMelo, so there is something to watch. Poor Gordon Hayward finally is on the last year of his deal. Get your buyout candidates ready.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Phoenix Suns. Last of the super teams? The NBA’s new labor deal and salary cap limitations are working to end that era. So it probably takes one of those superfans with disposable millions like the Suns new owner. Probably good friends with the Mets owner. There’s a lot of frailty with Durant and Beal in recent years. I do like the Nurkić deal since nobody was letting Ayton shoot, anyway. Oh right, there’s no point guard. Booker? I don’t think so. And that’s my winner choice in a really loaded West. Which also suggests I really have no idea.
2. Golden State Warriors. The Bulls did pretty good at last dance time. This is supposed to be it or close for these guys, but they sure still put the point up. With Chris Paul and his matador defensive game now there it should be pinball nights with the scoreboards blinking wildly. But it’s a scoring league and they still do it as well as anyone with the amazing Steph.
3. Denver Nuggets. If they have the motivation to show everyone they weren’t a fluke, they probably do move up and run the table. Jamal Murray finally looks fully recovered and really good, though Michael Porter Jr. never is… recovered. Jokić remains a serous competitor, but the sense is they ease him more toward the end of the season since everyone who voted for Embiid now is apologizing to him. How far can Julian Strawther carry them?
4. Los Angeles Lakers. I know he’s no Jordan, but this LeBron guy is pretty remarkable. Twenty years now, and as great as Kareem was he was playing in a rocking chair by that time. They made a good run late last season when everyone fixed their boo-boos, and they really remade the roster the right way. Talk about the four r’s. It’s supposedly another breakout for AD. Assuming there’s not another breakdown.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves. I still can’t figure out the Gobert trade, and it hasn’t worked. But you may have noticed that Anthony Edwards is on the way to being a superstar. With Naz Reid they’ve got the best backup big man and may be one of those teams that if you don’t check your rear view mirror they are past you.
6. Sacramento Kings. No one still is taking them seriously or believes last season. But they are another team which can really score, and tells you just how good the West is since the general agreement will be they aren’t good enough to get a first round home court. They’re are a little small, but maybe they are Warriors east.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder. And they’ve still got everyone’s draft picks. Chet Holgrem is everyone’s rookie of the year choice if the Spurs don’t let Wembanyama play the 65 games. The total weight of their starting five might not match (insert name here so I don’t get in trouble), but they play with style and are close to legitimate since they have a star who just needs initials, SGA.
8. Los Angeles Clippers. It seems a bit much, but they supposedly are hiring truant officers from the LA school district to see if Kawhi and Paul George are willing to come to class. And they want James Harden? Every season they supposedly are deep and contenders and then everyone gets to claim what a great job Tyronn Lue did despite it all. Huh?
9. Utah Jazz. Talk about all the great one/two punches, like Michael and Scottie, and Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn. They’re back and they’re in the Wasatch. The Bulls kids seem to have found a home, and Lauri seems to be everything we never thought he was. Few in the NBA attack the rim like Lauri does. Our Lauri? They still really don’t have a team there, but they do have talent and draft picks. And Danny Ainge knows how to trade.
10. Dallas Mavericks. That’s right, I think Kyrie will do something. I don’t get how Luka keeps ending up in the MVP conversations with such bad teams. Haven’t they seen what Kyrie is capable of? They traded a lot of guys who can do things for Kyrie, and wait until he gets a load of how Luka hangs onto the ball. Or Luka sees what Kyrie does with it. Should be entertaining, though.
11. New Orleans Pelicans. I’m not a fan of Missouri, but Zion has to show me. I read all the stuff about how he’s matured and is serious and we do hope he is healthy because he’s eyes-wide-open to watch. But it’s probably time to do something with all those Bucks picks they still have.
12. Memphis Grizzlies. No Ja for at least 25 games and now no Steven Adams this season and you know Jaren Jackson already has two fouls. This could be a recovery season for them to take a step back and just enjoy Derrick Rose for a season.
13. San Antonio Spurs. Wemban-mania! It’s everywhere as he’ll be probably the biggest individual attraction, and I do mean big. The Spurs actually have some other interesting players. Not that anyone will say or that anyone will be watching them. They are going to score points as you recount your Wemby moments.
14. Houston Rockets. This has been the wild bunch team, but should be a lot more stable with Fred VanVleet and former Boston coach Ime Udoka. Which also suggests how deep the West could be as they’re not an easy opponent and still down here.
15. Portland Trailblazers. Former All-Star in Jerami Grant who still can score, former No. 1 overall pick in Deandre Ayton. And a lot of blazing young guns including featured rookie Scott Henderson. And they’re last? Has anyone mentioned the Western Conference looks tough?
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