Nothing says it is time for the NBA season like fall. The leaves are changing colors, the temperature is dropping, and social media is already buzzing about how big of frauds the Lakers are. Basketball is far and away the most popular sport in the KILTR writing room, so it only makes sense for each resident personality to weigh in on the burning questions of the 2022-2023 NBA season. And- in true KILTR fashion- it is publishing a few days after the start of the season!
Hypothetically speaking, suppose you get your hands on a log-in for NBA League Pass, providing you access to any and every NBA game all season. Which team would you flip to on a random Tuesday at 8:15 and enjoy every minute of it?
Sam (@thesmetcalfe) - The Detroiiiittttttt Pistons. Young, scrappy, high-flying, this team has it all. For anyone following along, they were the winners of the Sam’s NBA fandom sweepstakes (AKA draft Jaden Ivey, gain my allegiance) . Jaden drew me in, and the rest of the team and culture have got me hooked. The Pistons are, in my opinion, the premier young core in the NBA. They’ll be dangerous this year, but give it 2-3 more, and they’ll be downright scary.
PJ (@pdotjdott) - This will not be for everyone, but I am choosing the San Antonio Spurs. At first glance, the roster seems to contend for the basement of the league. That is correct; it is a bad roster. But there are three pieces that stand out to me that I am really excited to watch. For one, I have been a Gregg Popovich admirer forever. Watching Popovich dominate with various rosters growing up was one of my biggest inspirations to enter the field of coaching, so watching him make magic is always a treat. In fact, it is almost more enjoyable to watch him work with a roster of scrappy young players rather than a collection of all-stars. Secondly, Jakob Poeltl is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. His game is fairly limited, but he is so polished at what he does. Poeltl has the art of the rebound down to a science. It is like watching an artist go to work. He is one of the best volume big men in the league and I would not be surprised if he gets traded to a contender at the deadline. Third and finally, I went to middle school with their first round draft pick: Malaki Branham. It was an honor to get cooked by him in middle school, and I cannot wait to see what he does in the Association.
Alex (@alexlawson2001) - I’m going to ignore the Spurs fan inside me screaming to pick Atlanta and go with the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Sorry, Dejounte. Good luck with Trae Young!) Donovan Mitchell replacing Collin Sexton transforms this team from one that might sneak into the play-in game to one I wouldn’t be shocked to see in an Eastern Conference Finals. With Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen policing the paint, this team seems perfectly poised to steal every game played on Wednesday and only shown on Bally Sports. In a top-heavy East, they could easily end up with home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs—and I think their lineup is one that would give the 76ers or Celtics fits in a seven-game series. But, they also could never gel as a unit and flame out sometime in March. Anything is possible in Cleveland. I’m tuning in.
Mica (MicaS1_) - Give me the Kings. Fox and Domas will be the sexiest PnR duo in the league, and they’ve made good adds this year. With the west a bit more open this year than it has been for the past decade, they’ll 100% be in the contest for a playoff spot until the very end of the season. I fully believe that this is the season they break their curse, and I’m willing to go along with the ride here.
Matt (@malespmatt1) - As much as my personal Knicks fandom is telling me to go with New York, I have to agree with Alex and go with the Cavs. The Cavaliers are my dark horse team to win the finals. A starting five of Garland, Mitchell, Okoro, Mobley, and Allen are such a fun team. This team is full of young, energetic guys that can make even a wednesday night game against the Jazz fun(sorry but not sorry Jazz fans). I don’t really want to reiterate points that Alex brought up already so instead I want to talk about the most underrated aspect of this Cleveland team, their depth. There are so many solid bench players on this team like Caris LeVert, Cedi Osman, and Dean Wade as well as great veteran guys like Ricky Rubio and Robin Lopez. When looking at this roster though, I completely forgot for a second that Kevin Love is still on this team. Sure, he may not be the player he was in his prime, but Love is still a guy who can contribute extremely well off the bench for this team and might be my underrated shout for 6th Man of the year if he can remain healthy. This team is SCARY.
Rads (rads619) - I have MSG-Go so I don’t need league pass for the Knicks so the team I would pick would probably be the Bucks. I have always said that my second favorite team is the Bucks because I am a huge fan of Giannis and I have been trying to catch more of their games in general.
Matt - The Bucks also have the best player in the NBA… SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI
Liah (@lisco_2000) - The Cavs or the Grizzlies. Ideally, Cavs/Grizzlies.
Zacq (@ZWCua4ro) - If it was a fully healthy team, 10 times out of 10 I’m going to be a homer and choose OKC. With Chet out, it maybe knocks it down to 7 or 8 times out of 10, with the rest being the Orlando Magic. Their young core seems to be one of the best and brightest in the entire league, and despite how bad they end up being this year, I still feel like they will make those losses entertaining as hell.
In this year’s Tankapalooza Sweepstakes—brought to you by watching French basketball at 6 in the morning and Gatorade—which team are you rooting for? And, as the newly appointed GM of [insert downtrodden NBA team here], which prospect are you taking with pick number one next June?
Sam - I personally am rooting for anybody BUT Utah to win Tankapalooza. The Jazz simply do not deserve it in my eyes. I’ll be pulling for the Thunder (who could also be a sneaky play-in team). The #1 pick is Victor Wenbanyama, end of discussion. There is not another prospect in this draft who does anything he does as well as VIc.
PJ - The position of this question following the previous one is going to make me appear like the biggest undercover Spurs fan, but that is my pick here too. Let’s be real; Victor Wenbanyama is going to be the first pick. It unfortunately does not matter what anyone else does- or even what he does, really. The entire NBA is tantalized by the Frenchman, and for good reason. Thus, there is no better place for a prospect like Wembanyama to be than in San Antonio. He fits in well with their seemingly endless slew of young wings and could easily slot into the starting lineup as the centerpiece. Furthermore, Popovich- and the entire development staff on the Spurs- have done tremendous things with prospects. I think there is a certain risk factor with Wembanyama that not a lot of people are addressing, and landing in San Antonio would greatly minimize that risk factor. Speaking more on that, I am quietly not as high on Wembanyama compared to seemingly the entire basketball community. It is for the same reason I was not a fan of Chet Holmgren; the lack of physicality worries me. Yes, Wembanyama is one of the most skilled prospects the league has ever seen. But the optics about his longevity are not favorable. However, any GM would be instantly fired for passing on someone with his upside, regardless of how awesome Scoot Henderson is.
Alex - First of all, let me say on the record that total teardowns and Hinkie-style tanking are bad for business and don’t even make sense with the new flattened lottery odds. That doesn’t mean NBA teams aren’t already betting the farm for next summer’s prospects. (Aloha, Salt Lake City.) But if I’m being honest, I hope the Pelicans make the playoffs and still get the first pick courtesy of the Lakers’ ineptitude. Zion and Victor on the same team would make the Shaq and Kobe Lakers look like the KG and Ray Allen Nets. (And yes, I’m picking the guy who’s the best draft prospect since Patrick Ewing number one. Don’t overthink it!)
Mica- I must indulge the hater present within me. I think Victor’s a great kid, but the new style of lanky 7+ footers just doesn’t appeal to me. I think he’ll be fine, might even make an all-star team or two, but I simply haven’t seen enough of him to declare him as generational. Instead, give me Scoot. Everything I’ve seen out of this kid I've loved, and I simply think that in the modern league, a do everything combo guard is just a better bet long term. As for the team, give me Charlotte. A LaMelo/Henderson backcourt could be a deadly combo, and regardless of their record, is sure to make them one of the most electric teams in the league.
Rads - I am going to have to agree with Sam and pick literally anyone else other than Utah because they definitely don’t deserve it after this past off season. Yes I hate Danny Ainge and yes I am holding a grudge, sue me. Whoever does get that first pick tho should take Victor…for reasons I should not have to explain.
Matt - You know, I would rather Utah get the first pick than the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are the NBA’s equivalent of the Washington Commanders. The organization is run horribly and theres only one or two players on the team that I can say I like. I hope for comedies sake that Alex is right and the Lakers absolutely implode. It would be one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. As for who is going to be the number one pick, this isn’t even a question to me and it seems like everyone(except mica) agrees, It’s Victor. I’m not even gonna try going in depth here about why. Victor is legit the best prospect I have ever seen(I wasn’t born when LeBron was in high school), and IF he can remain healthy throughout his career, he has the potential to be one of the best players of all time in my opinion. I emphasized if because that really the only thing that it seems could hold Wembanyama back. He’s had injuries in the past and it’s impossible to ignore that, due to his frame and play style, he could be extremely injury prone. I’m not even thinking about potential lineups with Zion, all I’m thinking about is that he’s the best player in this draft.
Liah - I really… do not care about Victor Wembanyama right now. I genuinely could not care any less about the NBA Draft on a yearly basis and I won’t care about Wembanyama until he gets into the league. I think he’s obviously incredibly talented, but there are much better storylines to follow this season. That being said, I’d love it if the Thunder got him, especially since they’ve been trading good players for middle schoolers for almost four years now and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs some help before he rots away in the Great Plains forever.
Zacq - Give me Victor in OKC, no question about it. Giddey, SGA, Dort, J-Dub, and Vic is a certified Finals team by 2026.
It's time for every writers least favorite questions! Who do you think is going to win the MVP Award and who will win the NBA Finals?
Sam - I think we see Giannis reestablish himself as the best player in the league, combined with a top 2 seed in the east. That spells MVP for me. As for the NBA finals, I could see the Clippers beating the Bucks in 6 games.
PJ - Predicting the Most Valuable Player award is not about who is going to put out the best statistical performance weighed against how important they are to their team. The MVP award is about predicting trends and narratives. There is no hotter narrative than Luka Doncic swooping in and preventing both Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo from achieving their third MVP award. Face the facts: no one is ever going to win the award three times in a row unless the selection process is changed dramatically. Moreover, no voter is going to keep the award race between just two players for the fifth year running. The scenes when Luka Doncic gets crowned as the fifth youngest MVP after carrying the Mavericks to home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs are too good for the media to pass up.
As for the finals, I am all in on the Los Angeles Clippers. Their reputation precedes them, yes, but I think this year will be different- as much as that sounds like my famous last words. The retooling they did in last year's throwaway season by acquiring Robert Covington and Norman Powell will pay off this year, thanks to the return of Kawhi Leonard. They also made some really underrated offseason moves, like signing Moses Brown and John Wall. With the latter, it is obvious he is past his prime. But Wall on this team packs more punch, something that recent Clippers teams have desperately lacked. Brown, on the other hand, had a great run of games with the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, becoming a fan favorite for his hustle and reliability. They will beat the 76ers- who are driven by an angry Joel Embiid for being snubbed of the MVP award- in seven games, ending what seems to be a curse placed upon the franchise.
Alex - The 2022-23 Most Valuable Player will be LeBron James. Wait, don’t close your laptop. Hear me out. This Lakers team is bad. Really, really bad. If James can drag this unit as constructed to the playoffs (and he’s the leader of that team—I don’t care how many grainy IG videos of Anthony Davis shooting in an empty gym you have saved on your phone), it would require one Herculean effort on his part. Plus, with the NBA scoring record in tow (coupled with the fact that he should have at least two more MVPs on his bookshelf, if not more), I think it would be a narrative impossible for voters to ignore.
But it’s not all roses for Lakers fans. I think the Celtics will win the Finals this year, a gentleman’s sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies granting them their eighteenth NBA championship, surpassing the Lakers’ measly seventeen rings.
Rads - Give me Giannis as the MVP because let's all be real here he is arguably ONE of the most dominant players in the NBA at the current moment. Notice that I said “ONE OF” not the “ONLY”. As far as the finals go, I feel like we’re going to get another Celtics appearance (bleh) against the Clippers.
Matt - I don’t believe this is truly going to happen but I’ll just throw a curveball here. Give me Jason Tatum. There is so much going on with the Celtics organization at the moment that if Tatum is able to average a little bit more than he did last year and carry the Celtics to the top seed in the east, he can definitely win MVP. Tatum’s a great player but I still think he hasn’t been able to truly take up that superstar role yet. If he’s able to make that leap this year, watch out NBA, because we might have a new dynasty on our hands at TD Garden.
Liah - As much as I’d love Joel Embiid to finally get his much-deserved MVP, I think it’ll probably go to some little point guard somewhere because of how big-man heavy it’s been these past few seasons, which I think means that unfortunately, all signs point to Luka. In terms of a finals matchup, I think we’re looking at a Celtics/Warriors rematch or maybe Celtics/Clippers if they’re as good as old heads around the world seem to think, but ideally I’d love to see … Cavs/Grizzlies. Whatever.
Zacq - I’m going to mix it up a bit by taking Paul George as my MVP this year. If he can stay healthy, and that’s a big if, then I see him being on the same level as his 2017-18 self. If he can mirror that production this year, then he should give the Clippers their first MVP in almost 50 years. As for the Finals, give me Clippers - Sixers in 7 games with yet another Kawhi Leonard game-winning shot as the buzzer sounds, causing all 11 Clippers fans to erupt.
Who’s your pick to win Rookie of the Year?
Sam - Jaden. Ivey. He’s had the physical tools, and through summer league and preseason looked ready to take the lead by storm. He may average 20//7/7 with a couple steals, and as long as he limits turnovers, I don’t see anybody getting in his way. Poison Ivey will have the league scratching their heads watching tape.
PJ - Give me Keegan Murray. He is not the flashy pick, but he slots in nicely on a Sacramento Kings roster that I think is going to surprise some people this year. I am a big fan of Domantas Sabonis and playing next to him in the frontcourt is going to be a huge benefit for Murray. It is a good situation for a player that is transitioning from the hellscape that is Big Ten basketball.
Matt - Completely agree with PJ here. Keegan Murray will not end up being the best player in this draft class but he’s arguably the best day one rookie. The Kings are going to be a painfully average team but If Murray is able to score at a high level, this team could surprise and avoid the play-in game completely.
Alex - Look. The Pacers are going to be really bad this year—with or without Buddy Hield or Myles Turner. I think Bennedict Mathurin might flourish in an offense where he’ll be tasked with creating a lot of points for himself. And his role will only grow as the year goes on. In a year where a lot of teams —especially those who’ve just drafted some strong rookie talents—will play some God-awful basketball, I think Mathurin will consistently be able to perform and succeed.
Rads - It pains me to say it because we were SO CLOSE to getting him but Jaden Ivey will most likely win Rookie of the Year especially after watching him play in the Summer League and preseason.
Liah - Remember when I said I didn’t care about the draft?
Zacq - I think that it will be an insanely close race between Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, and Jabari Smith, with Paolo having a string of insane games at the end of the year to pull into first. Ivey is going to be an insanely good NBA player and is my choice to go down as the best player out of this draft class when it’s all said and done. Smith will be an All-Star by his fourth or fifth season, but Paolo will be the best rookie this year.
…are the Lakers irrevocably bad?
Sam - LeBron + Shooting has been the recipe forever. This roster simply doesn’t have that special something it takes to win a championship. I think we get stories about locker room conflict and questions about coaching, all en route to a low 40 win season. Unless significant changes are made, and soon, Lakers fans better start preemptively coping for the play-in (if even that).
PJ - Anything is possible with Lebron James on the team; I know that better than most in all my years as a Cavaliers fan. That is not me saying Lebron is going to will this team to success. Rather, some moves are going to be made during the season that will tidy the roster up. There is not much maneuvering to do with all of the ugly contracts and the lack of draft picks, but perhaps they will not need to. The hope is that their pickups of guys like Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown, and Juan Toscano Anderson will thrive next to Lebron. The difference between this Lakers team and last year is that these guys have the potential to do so. Of course, there is still the Russell Westbrook conundrum. But that only limits the ceiling of this team. On the floor, this is a team that is going to win games because they have players that other play-in bound teams do not. At their best, they are still not going to make a run in the playoffs. I would call that bad when Lebron is on the roster, but they are not as much of a mess as everyone thinks they are.
Alex - Short answer: no. Are the Lakers one of the worst-constructed teams in the NBA? Yes. Hands-down. Pairing an expensive, ball-dominant Russell Westbrook with LeBron made no sense at the time and looks infinitely worse now. $47 million dollars to ride the pine? Please. But I don’t think they are completely a lost cause. With the two first-round draft picks still in their control, they can salary-dump him for an expiring contract on a rebuilding or re-tooling team. (Yes, they’d be trading middle-schoolers, but if it means salvaging another season of King James, what’s a few more years in purgatory, right?) If the Buddy Hield or Myles Turner deals are no longer on the table from Indiana, they could probably grab Mike Conley and change from Utah. Hell, getting Doug McDermott or Josh Richardson from San Antonio would be an improvement. (Note: I doubt the Spurs would ever willingly trade with Los Angeles, but it’s a possibility! I promise you, Rob Pelinka—they won’t immediately send you to voicemail. This time, anyway…) With a little more shooting, I think this team can go from “would be tanking if they hadn’t bet the farm on Anthony Davis” to “potentially frisky if they sneak into the play-in tournament. Progress?
Rads - The Lakers are the definition of “f*ck it we ball”. Take that as you will.
Mica - the Lakers suck, they will continue to suck, end of story.
Matt - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Lakers, Next question.
Liah - As long as we get another hit tweet lowlights compilation at the end of the season, I’ll be satisfied. I’m also starting to understand why people don’t like Lebron. But seriously, the Lakers have been one of my favorite trainwrecks to watch over the past couple years and I can’t wait to laugh at them even more this season.
Zacq - LeBron will have the greatest individual season by anyone that has ever played in the league aged 35 or older while the Lakers will be 35-47 and miss the play-in round because they lost their last game of the season to the Kings by 2, both points could be traced back to Patrick Beverly getting ejected in the 2nd quarter.
I would be thrown in the Hudson River by Rads and Matt if I didn’t ask a Knicks question. So…is this the first season in the last decade that the Knicks win more than two playoff games?
Sam - Yes. The Knicks should (emphasis SHOULD) grab a middle seed for the playoffs, and I think even make it out of the first round. They’ll win more than two, even if it’s just three.
Rads - Yes, next question.
Mica - The New York Knickerbockers will not win a single play-in game, let alone a playoff game. They are simply not a competitive team unless Randle magically regains his basketball talent which was presumably stolen by the Monstars last year and RJ becomes anything other than one of the least efficient shooters in the league, and even then, they’d still be around mediocre. Even the most generous reading of their talent puts them behind the Celtics, Nets, Sixers, Raptors, Bucks, Heat, and Cavs, and between the Bulls, Hawks, and Knicks… well, let’s just say that I don’t see them as a serious threat in the conference. I encourage my fellow KILTR writers to schedule an emergency eye doctor appointment, because if they truly think the Knicks can succeed this year, they’re seeing something that simply isn’t there. But hey, there’s always next year’s FA class to totally whiff on!
Matt- This really pains me to say it as a Knicks fan but no. Maybe this is because I’m just so used to disappointment but I just don’t see this team winning more than two playoff games. On paper I think this team is a lot better than what people give them credit for but at the end of the day, the Knicks are gonna Knicks. There is going to be some underlying thing that is going to go wrong this season and cause the Knicks to just implode entirely. It’s been this way for years now and until they prove me wrong, I’m always going to be skeptical about my Knicks.
PJ - I want to like the Knicks, I really do. But I just do not think it is possible in the East this year, especially with the way Tom Thibodeau coaches this team. They are going to be figured out after the all star break and have a rough decline that concludes with a disappointing sweep in the first round without the starpower they have desperately been searching for. It is a tale as old as time. There are a lot of diamonds in the rough on this roster (Isaiah Hartenstein is HIM), but they will not get the chance to shine unless Thibodeau runs his players into the ground. This is a real possibility, but he never lets fans force his hand. They willl make it into the playoffs via the play-in courtesy of a Bulls team that just cannot stay healthy, but that is about it.
Alex - …sigh. Do I have to? The Knicks just had an offseason from hell. They managed to make my least favorite move of the summer—erasing all of their cap space to give Jalen Brunson a contract that gives Timofey Mosgov a run for his money. (Pun intended; not sorry.) On the other hand, they didn’t totally mortgage their future by trading way too much to get Donovan Mitchell in orange and blue, which I think was the right call. What that leaves them is a team with good young talent, a few players who will play way more minutes than they should over said young talent (hello, Julius Randle!), but no superstar to write home about. The problem is, that describes a good half of the teams in the East. They should make the playoffs. But even if they do, I don’t really see them stealing two games off of Milwaukee, Boston, or Philadelphia. Sorry, resident KILTR Knicks fans—my answer is no.
Liah - As a Sixers fan/insane person/whatever I am, I’d love to say yes, because I’m a huge fan of things happening that America’s best comedic minds would not be able to come up with in a writer’s room. However, to reiterate what Alex said above, I really don’t see the Knicks stealing *two* games from anyone other than like, maybe the Nets or the Raptors, who are both play-in borderline, or the Charlotte Hornets, who are mostly in prison. So, in short, no.
Zacq - If this was the Eastern Conference of yore, I think that they could take a team to six games in the first round as a six or seven seed, but the East is way too stacked for that to happen. I’m not even sure that the Knicks can get out of the play-in round. So, long-story-short, no, but I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing them prove me wrong.
Filling in for Stephen A. Smith, what’s your NBA hot take for the First Take A-Block to start a 24-hour firestorm?
Alex - I snuck it in earlier, but I think the Grizzlies win the West. Ja Morant is a superhuman—I expect another leap from him. They’re running back pretty much the same roster as last year. They play a brand of defense that can hold the small-ball units in the West, and they can run circles around the Twin Towers playing in the Twin Cities. In such a tight conference, they can make a run to the Finals and not even play Jokic or Curry in the course of three rounds. Plus, imagine the tweets they’d get off if they bounce the Warriors off of their title defense in May!
Sam -If Zion Williamson plays upwards of 60 games, he will be an all-nba first teamer. Also the Pelicans and Clippers have the most dangerous rosters in the league entering this season. Both have 10-11 players I would feel good about playing significant minutes every night.
Rads - the Suns will not win the WCF this season. I feel like these last couple years they get so close to winning the championship that the time for them to actually do it has kinda passed and because it would be so funny.
Matt - I don’t really think the Suns not winning the WCF is necessarily a hot take at this point. All of the court drama with Ayton, Jae Crowder, and Saver is going to hurt this team mentality. Not to mention the bench unit is absolutely TERRIBLE(sorry Dario). The Suns need to make a big move when Ayton is available to be traded or else they are going to fall into a state of limbo where they are a good team, but not good enough to win when it truly matters. I say this as a Suns enjoyer myself but my hot take is actually that the Suns just barely make the playoffs in general. There are just too many question marks with this team to be confident about them.
PJ - There is no way on Earth that the Toronto Raptors win 50 or more games this season. I get it, they are a team that screams regular season success. But the composition of this roster has the telltale signs of a team that will struggle in close games. The lack of an elite first option is going to hold this team back from being contenders. They are going to absolutely mop up teams with piss poor defenses, but the genius of Nick Nurse will only get them so far. I think they will be the top seed in the play-in and absolutely trounce whatever team is unfortunate enough to be the 8th seed, and then give their first round matchup a quick scare. That is where the nice things I can say about the Raptors stop, though.
Liah - 1. Everybody and their mother needs to shut up about the Warriors. 2. I don’t like Luka Doncic 3. I don’t care about the Celtics 4. I think the Hawks might go far this year 5. The Grizzlies could easily win the west 6. The Heat are, dare I say it, underrated 7. The Sixers are either going to win it all with their positively angelic world-changing big three or have another sloppy-floppy-BLOW-IT-UP kinda year with all these random Rockets has-beens they’re bringing in 8. The Cavs could make it to the ECF 9. The Suns are gonna blow it up 10. STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME FEEL BAD FOR DAMIAN LILLARD.
There, are you satisfied?
Zacq - My biggest is probably my MVP pick from earlier. If Paul George stays healthy/playing in at least 60 games, he will be MVP this year.
What big name player could you see a team offloading (potentially to join the Victor Webanyama sweepstakes)?
Sam - I’lll avoid the low hanging fruit (Durant, Jalen Brown, Bradley Beal) and I’m going to go with Damian Lillard. Dame would never run from the grind, but if January rolls around, and the Blazers look like a best case scenario play-in team, the Blazers may decide the grind has won. This would be Portland parting with the greatest Blazer of all time, but hey, we get crazy here at KILTR.
Matt - I really like this take. As much as I’ve been trying to root for Dame to win in Portland, I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Lillard still has a few years left on his prime and if the Blazers are smart in any way, they need to cash out on the whole loyalty project ASAP.
Rads - I could see the Nets offloading Kyrie if his availability becomes an issue again and solely because I want to see the reactions from the media and the general public (aka Twitter) if that happens.
Alex - This take was too hot for First Take, so I’m saving it for here. I think the Nets trade Ben Simmons and Kyrie this winter. Kyrie is a perfect buyout candidate—I think teams would gladly waive-and-stretch Irving given the opportunity (and ample draft compensation). Simmons in Brooklyn seems like a healthier pairing than him in Philadelphia—although anything is probably healthier than WIP callers talking about you 24/7. However, I don’t think this construction of the Nets will work, and Simmons could definitely turn into a few solid role players to pair with Kevin Durant.
This has been a request for the Spurs to trade their first-rounder this year for Simmons. I think Popovich could turn him into a poor man’s Kawhi in the quiet halls of San Antonio and sneak into the playoffs anyway. (And it’s a better use of their time than trying to tank for their next Tim Duncan. The odds are not in their favor.)
PJ - I think the Chicago Bulls are a team that will look to move on from one of their core players if this season is as disappointing as many are predicting. Whether that is Demar DeRozan or Nikola Vucevic, the front office of this team will feel prompted to make a change if they struggle, even if those players are not even playing poorly from an individual lens. That will be the effect of the competitive landscape in the East and the signing of Zach Lavine to a max contract extension.
Liah - Ideally, Anthony Davis, just because it would be really funny. Probably, Rudy Gobert again, which would also be… really funny! In a world where everything made sense and nobody ever made mistakes, it would be Deandre Ayton, who I love, but is a necessary part of the Suns blowing it up. Ben Simmons would also be really funny. I want Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook on a team together and I don’t know what it’ll take to make this happen.
Zacq - I think if the Suns end up sucking monstrously, then Chris Paul will be leaving Phoenix. I also feel like the direction of the league this year could cause for a massive trade deadline, with players like Dame Lillard, Brad Beal, and Jaylen Brown getting shipped out, but I think if the Suns have a stinker of a first 30 games or so, then Chris Paul will be gone.
In one sentence, tell me something you need the world to know this NBA season.
Sam - let yourself overreact to literally everything; it’s more fun.
Rads - The NBA is just one big reality show, so be prepared for chaos.
Alex - San Antonio is making the play-in tournament whether you like it or not.
Matt - This is gonna be fun.
PJ - The Cleveland Cavaliers.
Liah - I am once again ready to laugh my ass off at Nets/Lakers.
Zacq - Victor Wembanyama, you ARE an Oklahoma City Thunder.
Who do you think is going to have a stand-out year?
Sam - I think we see Kawhi come back with a vengeance. Be ready.
On a totally different note, I could see Trevion Williams earning a few MPG (and a new contract) with the Warriors, and look really effective.
Rads - Zion. We haven’t seen a ton from him because of injuries and I really really want to see him have a successful season.
Matt - Gotta agree with Rads and say Zion. People tend to forget just how good he was in his 2nd season before getting injured. He had a historic season putting up ridiculous numbers but noone talked about it because he played on one of the smallest markets in the league. I fully expect Zion to have an absolutely monster season and lead the Pelicans to the playoffs.
Bit of a homer pick though, Sandro Mamukelashvili is going to get a bigger role for the Bucks this year. Mamu was Summer League all-first team and played very well for his country this summer as well. Expect to see more of Mamu!
PJ - Drippy Dean Wade is, quite literally, him. Playing with both Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland is going to do wonders for his volume as a shooter. He is extremely underrated on defense which will even merit consideration for him to be in the endgame lineup. He is going to not just emulate the successes that Lauri Markkanen had in Cleveland last year, but amplify them because he is that good. He has better footwork, better game sense, and better passing. I coined the Drippy Dean moniker back in 2019 when he was but a lowly two way player on the Cavs, and now he is finally going to show the world why that’s his name.
Alex - Jaylen Brown is going to take another leap this year. I know everyone really loves Tatum for MVP, but at times last season, Brown was the best player for the Celtics. I think Brown will be a top-12 NBA player this season. And the Celtics are going to tear up the league.
Liah - L to the O.G.!!! Dude be the O.G.!!!! A-N HE PLAYIN!!!!
Zacq - I think that Russ could possibly have his best season since leaving the Thunder, but if he does, it will have to be off the bench. If he can accept a bench role, whether or not he gets traded from L.A., then he can be, and will be, the 6MOTY.
Any totally out-of-the-blue All Star predictions?
Sam - Gary Trent is him. I’m low on the raptors, but ALWAYS high on GT Jr.
Rads - Not sure if this is out of the blue but I need RJ to get his All-Star this year.
PJ - De’Aaron Fox is going to have a bounce back year and steal a spot in the Western conference backcourt bids. Mike Brown as head coach means this team is going to get serious on the defensive end, which is going to produce many opportunities for arguably the quickest player in the league. Fox is an absolute bullet in the full court, and Brown's defense-first approach is going to utilize that well. I expect him to be locked in on the defensive side of the ball and generate a lot of steals and fast break opportunities, which will inflate his box score numbers and add some appeal to his case.
Alex - Rudy Gobert is not making the All-Star Game. Not even as an alternate. When he’s averaging 8/8/4 like late-career Draymond, he will not be getting any love from voters.
Liah - Tyrese Fuckin’ Maxey.
Matt - Anthony Davis will not make the all-star team.
Zacq - SGA will make the All-Star Game, be the last pick in the ASG draft, and shock everyone by being the ASG MVP.
This is a safe space to get off any slander towards an NBA team.
Rads - I have said this for years and I will say it again - the Bulls are mediocre and will make no serious waves in the playoffs, let alone make a significant championship run. Also, screw the Jazz.
Sam - Utah.
PJ - The Toronto Raptors top guys all rely on the system in place by Nick Nurse. I don’t understand why they continue to get large contracts. Also Mobley should’ve won rookie of the year. Raptors fans, please feel free to discard my opinion as a salty Cavs fan.
Matt - I hate to say it because I feel I should almost pity them but I hate the Charlotte Hornets. As I said previously, the Hornets are the NBA equivalent of the Washington Commanders. There is always a story about the organization and I’m getting sick and tired of it. There needs to be something done about Charlotte because they are a dumpster fire.
Alex - So, the Wizards are going to trot out yet another middling roster around Beal, hoping to sneak into a play-in game. And we the people are just going to let that slide? For the sake of Washington fans, I hope the Capitals play well this winter.
Liah - I truly don’t care about the Warriors and I need everybody to stop telling me I should. Steph’s one of the greatest to ever do it. Everybody else is like, whatever. I really do not care about them and they’re so winningest that no narrative could convince me at this point. P.S., I’m team Jordan Poole, if that still matters.
Zacq - Fuck the Jazz for putting Collin Sexton in hell on Earth. He deserves better. I hope the Jazz go 9-73 just to get the fifth-overall pick and waste it on a shot chucker that averaged 25 PPG on 35% shooting in college that drives them into further mediocrity for years to come.
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