5 Bold Predictions for the 2022-23 NBA Season

The NBA season tips off tonight, and it could be one of the best seasons yet. The NBA will welcome back multiple superstars from injury, highlighted by Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, and Anthony Davis. There is parity throughout the league, and each conference is up for grabs. Last season, did anybody expect the Celtics to make the Finals on January 8 when they were 29-31? If you did, you would be considered "bold".

So let's get into my five bold predictions for the upcoming NBA season.

1. The Boston Celtics finish as the Sixth seed in the eastern conference

The Boston Celtics have had quite the up-and-down offseason. On July 9, the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, a 2023 first-round pick, and two other players. Brogdon, the 2016 Rookie of the Year, is a tremendous addition to the Celtics' depth, as he likely will serve as the team's sixth man. They also signed veteran forward Danilo Gallinari to add to their already deep bench.

However, on September 2, new addition Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL playing for Italy in the FIBA World Cup. Then, maybe the biggest news of the offseason occurred on September 23 when the Boston Celtics announced the year-long suspension of head coach Ime Udoka due to team policy violations. The announcement came as a shock to the entire NBA world, as Udoka looked like one of the brightest young coaches in the league during the previous season.

These two factors, along with the fact the East has gotten considerably better with Cleveland's addition of Donovan Mitchell and Atlanta's addition of Dejounte Murray, are why I believe the Celtics finish sixth behind Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Miami, Atlanta, and Brooklyn.

2. Ja morant wins his first mvp award

Ja Morant broke onto the scene in a big way last season, averaging 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. He led the Memphis Grizzlies to a 56-26 regular season record, good for the second seed in the Western Conference. Morant shot a career-best 49 percent from the field and a career-best 35 percent from three. The scary thing is he is only 22 years old and getting better every day.

Morant is perfectly positioned for an MVP run, as he is the far-and-away superstar for the Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss at least the first month of the season, and this will give Morant the spotlight he needs to begin his MVP campaign.

3. The charlotte hornets finish with the 3rd worst record in the eastern conference

The Charlotte Hornets' offseason was extremely underwhelming. They made absolutely zero moves to improve their roster. To make matters worse, their star forward, Miles Bridges, was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children.

Furthermore, All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball is expected to miss the start of the season. With Ball out, will they turn to Gordon Hayward? With the East drastically improved, the Hornets should consider tanking and praying to Victor Wembanyama, asking him to save them.

4. The Philadelphia 76ers Win the Eastern Conference

This is the season. This is the year the 76ers finally put it together and become the Eastern Conference's representative in the 2023 NBA Finals. In the offseason, they added veterans PJ Tucker, Daniel House, and Montrezl Harrell. Established veterans are exactly what the 76ers have lacked in recent years. Tucker is a force on the defensive end, as he is coming off a successful 2021-22 campaign in Miami.

At the forefront is superstar Joel Embiid, who is, quite frankly, the most unstoppable big man since Shaq. He finished second in MVP voting last season, and there is a fair argument to be made that he should have won. They also boast 10-time All-Star James Harden and one of the best young players in the game in Tyrese Maxey. This team has scoring, defense, and a strong veteran presence. They will take the East crown in 2023.

5. the los angeles clippers win their first title in franchise history

The Clippers have it all. They have superstar(s), incredible depth, and a great coach to put it all together. Now fully healthy, this Clippers team will take off and win the West by a wide margin. They added veteran point guard John Wall in the offseason to hopefully bring some stability to the backup point guard role. Their bench also includes breakout players like Terance Mann, Norman Powell, and Brandon Boston Jr..

However, the Clippers are led by their superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Both are coming off injuries in the last season and will be motivated to show the world they can win together. The talent on this team is off the charts, and I have full confidence that Tyronn Lue can put the correct pieces in the correct places.

Clippers over the 76ers in six.