NBA Opening Night has finally arrived! The Celtics will be taking on the Sixers and the Warriors will face off against the Lakers. The offseason was an eventful one as always, with many trades that shook the league. Would you trade away your future for one player? We will see if it pays off for some franchises starting this year. Will Joel Embiid finally win MVP
Will the Warriors repeat? Quite a lot to look forward to this season!
MVP:
Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers. (+600)
Embiid has done more than enough these past two years to earn the MVP honors. He has placed second in back-to-back years and is poised and more motivated than ever to claim what’s his. Embiid averaged 30.6 PPG, 11.7 RBG, and 4.2 APG in 68 games played last season. Embiid was the first Center to lead the league in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal and I wouldn’t be surprised if he does it again. A full season with James Harden and a strong supporting cast will be a benefit Embiid in a huge way. The only thing standing in Embiid’s way this year; his health.
Rookie of the Year:
Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic. (+185)
I was surprised the Magic made the correct decision for once. Throughout the draft process including on Draft Day, the Magic were projected to select Jabari Smith Jr. with the #1 pick. Not exactly sure what Vegas saw in Smith Jr. being the projected #1 pick, Banchero is much better and will be to finish his career. Banchero is a lock to win ROY. Banchero can score the ball in many different ways whether it be off the dribble, in the triple threat, in the post, he can do it all. He has shown flashes of his playmaking at Duke and in the NBA Summer League, he will only get better. I don’t like to make comparisons much but I can see flashes of a Jayson Tatum in Paolo Banchero’s game.
Coach of the Year:
Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics. (+1400)
The Boston Celtics started the offseason with great moves, such as signing Danilo Gallinari and trading for Malcolm Brogdon. Celtics fans didn’t have much time to be happy about that as Gallinari tore his ACL and head coach Ime Udoka suspended for the season with a very low chance of ever coaching again. The Celtics’ summer has been nothing but drama and they hope to shake that off with interim coach Joe Mazzulla taking the reigns and some veteran leadership in the locker room. The Boston Celtics are stacked at every position with great team chemistry and Mazzulla has been with the organization since 2019 and was the assistant coach under Udoka last year. The COY award tends to go to the team with the most wins, the Celtics will finish the season with the most wins in the league, leading voters eyes to Mazzulla.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Bam Adebayo, F/C, Miami Heat. (+700)
I originally wanted to go with Robert Williams here, but Williams will be injured for approximatively half the season. Adebayo was a top 3 finalist in last year’s DPOY award despite only playing 56 games. Bam is one of the most versatile defenders in the league and can give anyone trouble on the defensive end. If Adebayo can stay healthy, it’s his award to lose.
Sixth Man of the Year:
Jordan Poole, G, Golden State Warriors. (+400)
Last year, Poole should’ve had a Most Improved Player award alongside his Championship ring but he will add another piece of hardware this year. Fresh off a $140 Million extension with the Warriors, expect Poole to play even heavier minutes off the bench than last year. The extension is just another green light and confidence booster. Poole averaged 18.5 PPG last year off the bench while shooting 36.4% from 3. Those numbers will only go up.
Most Improved Player:
Tyrese Haliburton, G, Indiana Pacers. (+1000)
Haliburton will be playing this season with a chip on his shoulder and is out to show Sacramento what they’re missing out on. In 77 games last season with the Kings and Pacers, Haliburton averaged 15.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 8.2 APG. Haliburton will be a nightly 20-10-5 guy for the Pacers and have them playing much better than expected this season. There is a reason he is the favorite to win this year’s award and (+1000) is a nice value. The Most Improved Player award has become a tough one to predict as of late. Last year’s winner was the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant. It doesn’t make much sense to me as Morant was the 2nd pick in the NBA Draft and was expected to become better and better as time passes. Morant shouldn’t have been eligible to be in the MIP running, his teammate Desmond Bane should’ve. Golden State’s Jordan Poole should’ve won last year’s MIP. I’m sure a lot of people could agree.
NBA Champions:
Golden State Warriors (+700) def. Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games.
The Warriors are going to be even better this season. Lock them in as the #1 seed in the West. Their chemistry is through the roof, they are healthy, key players are locked into contracts, the Dubs are locked and loaded once again. Nobody in the Western Conference stood a chance against them last year. They faced one of the best defensive teams they will ever face as a dynasty in last year’s Boston Celtics and still punished them the same way they punish everybody. Stephen Curry will be playing at an MVP level once again, Klay has a full season under his legs and is as healthy as ever, Andrew Wiggins & Jordan Poole play their roles perfectly and improve ever game. Draymond Green is still one of the best defenders in the NBA, Steve Kerr is the favorite to win Coach of the Year award. We still haven’t seen Steph, Klay and Dray lose a playoff series as a healthy trio since the 2016 NBA Finals. Who is stopping them? Nobody. (Okay maybe injuries).
Conference Standings:
East:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Philadelphia 76ers
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. Miami Heat
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. Toronto Raptors
9. Chicago Bulls
10. Detroit Pistons
11. New York Knicks
12. Orlando Magic
13. Washington Wizards
14. Indiana Pacers
15. Charlotte Hornets
West:
1. Golden State Warriors
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Phoenix Suns
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Los Angeles Lakers
9. New Orleans Pelicans
10. Sacramento Kings
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Houston Rockets
13. San Antonio Spurs
14. Oklahoma City Thunder
15. Utah Jazz
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