NFL
Written by: Jordan Vitkauskas
With the new NBA season set to begin this Tuesday, it’s time for the 2021-22 NBA Western Conference preview, where we predict how the standings will shake out after another fun offseason of movement and trades.
With the major challenges of COVID, as well as a late-ending Finals behind the league, teams will revert back to the standard 82-game schedule. Opening night begins Tuesday, Oct. 19, with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Brooklyn Nets in the opening contest at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Golden State Warriors battling in Los Angeles against the Lakers at 10 p.m.
Check out the full slate of NBA games for each team this season here.
Western Conference Preview
1. Phoenix Suns (59-23)
Key Offseason Moves: Signed JaVale McGee, traded for Landry Shamet, signed Elfrid Payton
Projected Starting Lineup: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, DeAndre Ayton
Key Reserves: Cam Johnson, Landry Shamet, Cam Payne, JaVale McGee
Storyline: The defending Western Conference Champions return almost their full complement of starters and bench players, along with a key backup center addition in JaVale McGee. Phoenix is a very deep and balanced team, with elite shooters at almost every position. They traded for Landry Shamet to help bolster the second unit and extended him and Mikal Bridges within the last 48 hours, ensuring they are there for the long haul. The strange part of it all is Phoenix’s refusal to give budding star DeAndre Ayton a max rookie extension, something that has irked the 23-year-old big man, and should be monitored moving forward. With that said, Chris Paul is back for year 17, and continues to defy father time as he put up 16 & 9 on 50% shooting last season. Devin Booker dropped 47 points in a closeout game against the Lakers in round one of the playoffs, and had a good-but-not great rest of the postseason, but figures to evolve in year two of playing alongside Paul.
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As for the rest of the cast, the above-mentioned Bridges proved his worth by shooting a career-best 42.5% from 3pt range in 2021, while Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson provide extra depth and shooting on the wing. Backup center was weakest spot for Phoenix, as Dario Saric ended up being the biggest weak link all postseason. Adding McGee, a two-time champion and reliable rebounder will help the Suns tremendously when Ayton sits. Lastly, Cam Payne showed he can no only spell CP3 in spurts, but could go on important scoring binges when the offense is stalling. All together, the Suns should be in a great spot to compete for the top seed once again, although a lengthy injury to Paul or Booker could put that in jeopardy.
2. Utah Jazz (58-24)
Key Offseason Moves: Re-signed Mike Conley, traded for Jared Butler, traded for Eric Paschall
Projected Starting Lineup: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert
Key Reserves: Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gay, Hassan Whiteside
Storyline: New season, same old Utah Jazz (mostly). Utah has failed to make a Conference Finals appearance in each of the past five seasons, despite averaging 49 wins during that span, a number that would’ve been higher if that had played a full 82-game slate last year. They still won a conference-high 52 games in 2021 but ended up falling to a hobbled Clippers squad in six games in the West Semis. For all of his defensive prowess, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert remains largely unplayable in some playoff series, as he can’t stretch the floor on either side of the ball (just look at the Clippers’ highlights against him from June ). Utah just isn’t built to win in the playoffs as only Donovan Mitchell is essentially a guarantee to score consistently in each game. With that said, the Jazz did make a nice bench acquisition in Rudy Gay, and trading Derrick Favors for what is essentially Jared Butler will be a good move long-term. Utah will continue to be a great regular season team, but please don’t spend any money on a bet for them to make/win the Finals.
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3. Los Angeles Lakers (55-27)
Key Offseason Moves: Traded for Russell Westbrook, signed Carmelo Anthony, re-signed Talen Horten-Tucker
Projected Starting Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, LeBron James, Anthony Davis,
Key Reserves: Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, Talen Horten-Tucker, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard
Storyline: Ah we’ve reached arguably the most fascinating/exciting/old team in the league. The Lakers saw their title defense cut short thanks to having under 75 days between game six of the 2020 Finals and the start of the 2021 season, resulting in injuries to Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and COVID protocols with Dennis Schroeder. Davis tried to come back in time for the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns but was hobbled again with the groin issue, as the Suns cruised in six games. There’s little doubt among truly serious NBA fans that if the Lakers had proper time to rest and recover after the bubble, and had a 100% LeBron/Davis for the Suns series, that they would have not only advanced but possibly made it back to the Finals in a weakened West.
Thankfully, general manager Rob Pelinka acted swiftly, trading for Russell Westbrook, not paying Dennis Schroeder a dime (after the guard foolishly turned down a massive contract extension earlier in the year, only to lay a bigger egg than Yoshi in the playoffs), and brought in high-level veteran free agents like Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and more to aid James in his quest for a fifth title. Additionally, Pelinka snagged two absolute bargain deals in Malik Monk (40% 3pt last year in Charlotte) and Kendrick Nunn (15 ppg, 38% 3pt in Miami last season) to help replace the production of KCP, Alex Caruso, and Schroeder. Defense in certain areas, consistent perimeter spacing, and overall health will be the three huge factors for Los Angeles this year, as they have 10 players age 32 or older on the roster.
However, they have immense depth at all positions (something that was a glaring issue in 2021) and have stockpiled veterans who can come in and fill roles without much of a learning curve. Oh, and the James/Davis duo has had five months to rest and re-load for their chance at a second title in three seasons. While it may take the new roster a bit to get going, expect them to be playing their best basketball come April and be one of only a few teams able to truly compete for a title.
4. Golden State Warriors (51-31)
Key Offseason Moves: Signed Andre Iguodala, drafted Jonathan Kuminga, signed Nemanja Bjelica/Otto Porter Jr.
Projected Starting Lineup: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, James Wiseman
Key Reserves: Klay Thompson (until healthy), Juan Toscano-Anderson, Andre Iguodala, Jonathan Kuminga, Nemanja Bjelica
Storyline: The Warriors won less than 40 games last year for just the second time since the 2012-13 season, albeit a marked improvement from the 15-win campaign in 2020. Steph Curry had one of his best seasons yet, winning his second scoring title at 32 points per game while finishing as a top-5 MVP candidate for the fourth time in his illustrious career. Klay Thompson is expected to be back sometime in late December, after missing two full years with a torn ACL/Achilles, and Golden State drafted Jonathan Kuminga/Moses Moody in the top-15 of the 2021 draft, to help give some much-needed depth on the roster. Adding Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica at the forward spots will provide spacing and defensive flexibility for Steve Kerr’s roster.
The growth of James Wiseman will be intriguing to watch, as he battled injuries and adjusting to the NBA system during his rookie year. If he can give Golden State 20-24 good minutes a game at the center spot, it can really unlock some defensive potential for this team. But if Wiseman is unable to stay healthy and earn Kerr’s trust, it could turn out to be a huge draft miss by the front office. With that said, expect another fun year from the Warriors, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can transform into real contenders once Thompson makes his long-awaited return.
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5. Denver Nuggets (50-32)
Key Offseason Moves: Re-signed Aaron Gordon, signed Jeff Green, re-signed Aaron Gordon.
Projected Starting Lineup: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Key Reserves: Fernando Campazzo, Austin Rivers, Jeff Green, JaMychal Green
Storyline: The Nuggets enter the 2022 season with the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, as well as a potential breakout star in Michael Porter Jr. Sadly, they’ll spend most of the year without Jamal Murray (out with a torn ACL), but Monte Morris, Will Barton, and Fernando Campazzo can do enough combined to fill the scoring/playmaking void.
The biggest question will be can Porter Jr. take the next step in becoming a top-30 player in the NBA. He’s shown an exceptional shooting touch (53.2% fg, 43.9% 3pt career marks) in his first two seasons, but needs to build up his playmaking (116 assists in 115 career games), and defense (-1.0 DPBM last year) in order to truly excel alongside Jokic.
Speaking of the Serbian giant, the Joker is coming off his MVP season in which he put up career-highs in points (26.4), assists (8.3), and free throw percentage (86.8%). He’s unstoppable on the offensive end, as he can patiently post-up smaller centers/guards, pass over and around anyone with guard-like precision, and can shoot all the way out to the three-point line (38.8% 3pt last year). It’s no stretch to say he is the best passing big man in league history, and at just age 26, Jokic is smack in the prime of his career. With Murray out, he’ll need to shoulder a little more of the load night-to-night, but he’s more than capable of doing so for head coach Mike Malone. If Murray can make his return sometime in March, and get back in shape quickly, Denver could be an incredibly tough out in the postseason.
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6. Dallas Mavericks (48-34)
Key Offseason Moves: Signed Reggie Bullock, re-signed Tim Hardaway Jr., fired head coach Rick Carlisle
Projected Starting Lineup: Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Kristaps Porzingis, Maxi Kleber
Key Reserves: Trey Burke, Jalen Brunson, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber
Storyline: Is this the year Luka Doncic wins his first MVP award? There’s little doubt around the league that it’s only a matter of time before the Slovenian claims that individual honor, and it’s going to be sooner rather than later. However, he’s going to have to do all the work to keep Dallas in the win column each night, the rest of the roster is… less than inspiring. Re-signing Hardaway Jr. was necessary, but he can’t be trusted in big moments; just like Kristaps Porzingis and his wobbly knees.
Porzingis was thought to be the perfect partner for Doncic when he arrived a few seasons ago, but instead, he’s missed 20+ games in each of the last two years, while complaining about not getting enough touches in the offense. Yet, he refuses to take advantage of mismatches in the post and is your typical soft European big man on the boards. He’s 7’3”, but has yet to average 10 rebounds a game for a single season, and hasn’t reached the 50% mark of his field goals in any year. Besides him, the rest of the roster is a group of spare parts that have some potential (Jalen Brunson), are good at only one thing (Dwight Powell, Reggie Bullock), or don’t have a true position/role in the league (Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber). Oh, and Jason Kidd is back in Dallas where he won the 2011 title, but brings his own personal baggage and shaky coaching record.
With all of that said, I still have Dallas as a six seed because of Doncic and his LeBron-like ability to fill up the stat sheet, make winning play after winning play, and his clutch shot-making. Additionally, the rest of the middling West teams are either too banged up or not ready to make the leap, so Doncic and Co. can jump them over the course of an 82-game season.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (46-36)
Key Offseason Moves: Traded for Eric Bledsoe, re-signed Reggie Jackson, re-signed Nicolas Batum
Projected Starting Lineup: Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac
Key Reserves: Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Justise Winslow, Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka
Storyline: After another disappointing playoff exit (albeit with Kawhi’s ACL injury playing a big factor), the pressure is on once again for the Clippers to prove they can be the better Los Angeles team. With Leonard out until at least March as he recovers from knee surgery, it’ll be up to Paul George to keep the team afloat in the wild west. George actually had his best statistical postseason of his career, averaging close to a double-double (26.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg) while leading the Clippers to the West Finals.
His 41-point (15-20 fg), 13-rebound game five performance against the Suns in the Conference Finals was one of the best playoff moments by any player last season, and his confidence appears to be fully back. George should have a great season, as this roster is constructed similar to his old Pacers teams from 2011-2014. He’s got decent guards in Reggie Jackson/Eric Bledsoe, serviceable big men (Ivica Zubac/Serge Ibaka), and some shooting wins in Marcus Morris Sr, Nicolas Batum, and Luke Kennard. Ty Lue has his hands full in trying to navigate a crowded Western Conference until Leonard returns, but if the Clippers can be in the mix for a playoff spot during the final 10-15 games, Los Angeles could make some noise.
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8. Portland Trail Blazers (44-38)
Key Offseason Moves: Re-signed Norman Powell, signed Ben McLemore, traded for Larry Nance Jr.
Projected Starting Lineup: Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic
Key Reserves: Anfernee Simons, Ben McLemore, Tony Snell, Larry Nance Jr.
Storyline: Portland enters the ninth year of a Damian Lillard / C.J. McCollum backcourt, but this year they have a new coach in first-timer Chauncey “Mr. Big Shot” Billups. Rumors swirled in the offseason about Lillard possibly requesting a trade after a fourth first-round exit in five seasons, but the perennial All-Star has stated he wants to be in Portland… for now. The front office didn’t exactly do a ton in the offseason to entice him to stay long-term, adding only Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, and Tony Snell to a roster devoid of much defense.
The Blazers’ starting lineup will be one of the more explosive offensive ones in the league, boasting two 22-point per game scorers and additional three-point shooting in the form of Norman Powell and Robert Covington. But injury issues plague all five starters historically and Dame/McCollum will continue to get killed on the defensive end against teams like Phoenix, Golden State, Dallas, and more. I just don’t expect much more than a decent regular season, followed by another first-round exit, which could lead to this being Dame’s final season in Portland.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (43-39)
Key Offseason Moves: Traded for Steven Adams, traded for Jarrett Culver, traded for Juancho Hernangomez
Projected Starting Lineup: Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams
Key Reserves: Tyus Jones, De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Brandon Clarke
Storyline: With the recently-extended Jaren Jackson Jr. back healthy and ready to go for the season, the Memphis Grizzlies should make a run at the Play-In tournament (they won their matchups last year before falling to Utah in five hard-fought games). Ja Morant took a leap forward in scoring last year, but the third-year guard saw his efficiency from almost all areas of the floor dip, including a paltry 30.3% clip from beyond the arc that has to improve in order for Memphis to be able to properly space the floor. If he can get that number up to the 35-37% range, it’ll allow him to get into the lane easier as defenders play him tighter. Dillon Brooks is a poor man’s Marcus Smart, but will be out a few weeks with a hand fracture, but once he returns, his infectious hustle and energy will reignite the Grizzlies.
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The weaker spot come at the forward, where Desmond Bane and Kyle Anderson are good-but-not great wings who will have problems against guys like LeBron, Giannis, Durant, etc. But Bane was a steal in last years’ draft and can light it up from deep at over a 43% clip, makin him super valuable to head coach Taylor Jenkins. Jackson Jr. should have a nice bounce-back year after playing in only 11 contests last season, but he’ll need to improve his defense and rebounding (4.7 career rpg) for Memphis to win close games. They may start slow out of the gate without Brooks, but I think the Grizzlies will be a fun and feisty team that could really make a late push into the playoff race come April.
10. New Orleans Pelicans (40-42)
Key Offseason Moves: Traded for Devonte’ Graham, traded for Jonas Valanciunas, re-signed Josh Hart
Projected Starting Lineup: Devonte’ Graham, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas
Key Reserves: Tomas Satoransky, Josh Hart, Naji Marshall, Jaxson Hayes
Storyline: The Pelicans continue to be a mess in their front office, as they lost Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, and Steven Adams, and a protected 2022 first-round pick, while only getting Devonte’ Graham, Tomas Satorasnky, and Jonas Valanciunas in return. In short, New Orleans is going to barely scrape by into the Play-In tournament if they’re lucky. Zion continues to have injury and conditioning issues, although he is an absolute wrecking ball around the rim and is a must-see in transition. But on defense, Williamson has a ton of holes and lapses in focus/positioning, while Brandon Ingram is hardly any better.
Graham will provide better scoring in bursts than Ball did, but is incredibly inefficient shooting, and can’t guard 90% of the guards he will be going up against. Outside of Houston, Minnesota, and Washington, there may not be a worse defensive team in the league. And aside from Detroit, Orlando, and Cleveland, there isn’t a worse front office/ownership group. In short, it’s going to be another long, disappointing season in NOLA. The only reason I’m putting them this high is due to the potential of Ingram and Williamson. After that, it’s a train wreck.
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Teams missing the play-in tournament (in order) – Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder
All stats and notes courtesy of ESPN.com / Basketball-Reference.
