There are rumors swirling that John Collins could be on the move. As a secondary star, I think the Hawks would benefit from letting Collins go now, at his peak, while bringing in other assets to help Trae. Whether Collins is in Atlanta or not, Young will most likely average his first 30 PPG season along with at least 9 APG. His past 3 seasons have been unreal for a guy who is only turning 24 this summer. ’19-20: 29.6 PPG, 9.3 APG (ALL STAR) : 20-47 ’20-21: 25.3 PPG, 9.4 APG : 41-31 ’21-22: 28.4 PPG, 9.7 APG (ALL STAR) : 43-39
Young’s already been to the Eastern Conference finals in ‘20-21, but with a tougher Eastern Conference between the Bucks, Heat, Celtics, & Nets, the Atlanta front office has to be aggressive in trying to pair Young with that second star in the front-court very soon. Trae does have that Steph Curry-like shooting aspect to his game which will get him into the MVP conversation regardless of the Hawks ‘22-23 finish. But I see them as a 6-8 seed which should be enough to catapult him into the Luka/Giannis/Jokic conversation if he gets that 30 PPG magic number.
2. Jayson Tatum averages the most AST for Boston
Tatum averaged a career high 8 RPG & 4.4 APG this past season. The conference champion Celtics don’t have much cap space to spend in FA & the core of their roster should look similar to this past season. With that being said, I could totally see Tatum averaging close to 6 APG this season, which isn’t that much of a bold prediction when you realize that he averaged 6.2 APG in the playoff run that led his team to the finals.
3. Chicago makes a major move near the deadline
Chicago is in such an interesting spot. Maybe the most peculiar of any team in the Eastern Conference at the moment. They made their first playoff appearance since ‘16-17 last year and lost in the 1st round to the Sixers after having a solid 46-36 record in Billy Donovan’s 2nd season. Between Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Zach Lavine, 18th pick Dalen Terry, & Demar Derozan, the Bulls are overloaded at the guard spots, which in turn, could lead them to trade for a disgruntled big man during the regular season. Whether that is someone like Jakob Poeltl, John Collins, or Gobert, I could totally see Chicago going all in for a blockbuster deal in ‘22-23.
4. Dallas doesn’t reach expectations
Christian Wood can only help out so much. Losing Jalen Brunson in a year where there aren’t many FA options is rough. Luka will be hitting 24 years old this season and in Mark Cuban’s mind, 24/25 is the benchmark number where you have to do whatever it takes to not only keep Luka, but go all in for a ring. Christian Wood is a solid big man option to pair with the future league MVP, however, it won’t be enough to make it back to the conference finals without Brunson. Jaden Hardy was an amazing 2nd round pick and he will have an impact right from the get-go, but Dallas could be looking towards the ‘23-24 offseason before they make their splash in a trade or via free agency.
I’m a Jaden Ivey fan, I’m just not an Ivey lover. My year 1 projection for him is about 15 PPG, 5 RPG, & 3 APG. Those numbers should be enough to propel him onto the All-Rookie 2nd team, but I don’t think he comes close to the ROY conversation that most people have him in right now. His game is too similar to Cade Cunningham coming out of college for him to lead this team in his first season. I could totally see him becoming a 6th man at a certain point during the season. Watch out for a year 2 or 3 jump for Ivey though, as he is someone who will have to learn from his rookie season on a developing team.
Tyrese Haliburton & Bennedict Mathurin are going to run the east in a few years. Haliburton wearing #0 & Mathurin wearing #00 are going to be the most talked about young backcourt duo by all star break with Haliburton becoming a 20/9/7 on 40% 3PT shooting guy, as Mathurin will find his way into the ROY conversation due to his highlight play ability between poster dunks and clutch contested 3s. Indiana is my sleeper postseason pick, and with veteran coach & NBA Champ Rick Carlisle in his 2nd season there, he will put this smaller market team on the map. The past few seasons in the East have seen underdogs make the postseason after being counted out: ’21-22: Bulls (6th seed) ’20-21: Knicks (4th seed) ’19-20: Magic (8th seed)
I got the Pacers as my underdog this season.
7. The Lakers season depends on if LeBron plays PG
Los Angeles will be ecstatic or pissed off based on one decision LeBron makes this regular season: Is he going to play Point Guard or Forward? If LeBron plays PG, this team can go to the conference finals just due to his ability to lead a team with no names far in the playoffs (aka his early Cavs days). However, if he plays forward and continues to try to catch Kareem on the all time scoring list instead of wanting to help his team to another championship, then the Lakers have the ability to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The only season LeBron played PG for the Lakers, they won their 17th championship. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
8. Pat Riley goes after Donovan Mitchell
Jimmy Butler is nearly 33 years old. He shot 23% from beyond the arc last season. The East is only getting tougher. Pat Riley is a smart guy. See where I’m going? I see Riley and Dwayne Wade striking up a deal for the Utah guard who will turn 26 just before the start of the season. He will be the future combo guard for Miami, and with their stout defense already, Mitchell will bring an aspect to their game they haven’t seen since D Wade: Unreal Explosiveness off the wing & PnR situations.
Mitchell needs Pat Riley, Spo, & Miami just as much as Miami, Spo, & Pat Riley need him. This is a match made in heaven.
9. Willie Green leads the Pelicans to a top 6 seed
With or without Zion, the Pelicans are building something special in New Orleans. The Saints just lost its last decade of consistent dominance in the NFC South with the Drew Brees & Sean Payton duo. I think New Orleans will always be a football town, but with this new look Pelicans roster, don’t be shocked if Willie Green is the talk of the town after this season as the Pels have one of the best futures in the league.
Players under 26: Brandon Ingram (Consistent 23 PPG scorer) Zion Williamson (? marks, but can become dominant if healthy) Trey Murphy III (3&D) Herbert Jones (3&D, future All-Defense) Dyson Daniels (Lonzo Ball type guard) Jaxson Hayes (Great athletic big) Kira Lewis Jr (Great potential as a playmaker)
10. Knicks go 41-41
The Knicks have the most Knicks season they could have. The development of RJ Barrett continues as he is a borderline All-Star, but no one else other than RJ & former Maverick Jalen Brunson jump out at you. Quickley could be solid off the bench, but as I keep saying, the East isn’t getting easier and the Knicks will find themselves in the middle of the pack, which is around the 9-12 seed range. That is something they have been accustomed to and that won’t change this season.
11. Markelle Fultz gets MIP looks
In what would be one of the best stories of the season, Fultz averages around 15 PTS & 7 AST, while the Magic improve greatly and hang around a play in spot for most of the season. Fultz now has options to dish to, between his guard mates in Suggs & Anthony, along with Franz Wagner & Banchero in the front-court. Like New Orleans, this team has a ton of young options, but Fultz is the one guy who has the most untapped potential and as he is just hitting his prime, Orlando needs to capitalize on him now and make Philly look silly for trading him. Per 36 minutes last season, he averaged 19.5 PPG, 10 APG, & 5 RPG along with 2 SPG. Yes, injuries are always a concern with the former Washington #1 draft pick, but this is his year & his time to cement himself as a starting guard in the association.
12. Tyrese Maxey goes nuclear
Maxey is the most underrated player under 22 years old in the any professional league around the world. 17.5 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3 RPG on almost 43% shooting from behind the arc. In fellow Kentucky Wildcat, Devin Booker’s Suns sophomore season, he averaged: 22 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3 RPG on 36% 3 PT shooting.
Both have similar games, although Maxey is only 6’2 and on a much better squad than Booker was at 22 years old. The Dallas native is my breakout star of the year and I see him learning an immense amount with Harden as his backcourt partner and Daryl Morey investing in him. The one thing the Sixers have to make sure though, is that when Maxey & Harden are on the court together, who will guard the better backcourt player? Harden has his issues and Maxey is only 6’2, so that is a question they need to address before the season even starts. My Maxey ‘22-23 stats: 23 PPG, 4 APG, 4 RPG, 43% 3PT
13. Portland goes to the WCF
Former players are doing extremely well in the Western Conference. Monty Williams went to the finals with Phoenix, Willie Green is leading this Pelicans team to future greatness, Steve Kerr has now won 4 chips with Golden State. Chauncey Billups will add his name to that list this season. I gave the Blazers an A draft grade and they make an A- trade for Jerami Grant just before that. Lillard isn’t getting younger, but between Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Nassir Little, Trendon Watford, & Jabari Walker, Portland has a nice mix of vets & young bucks to make the playoffs and shock a few teams along the way to another WCF appearance for Dame Lillard.
14. Toronto misses playoffs
It depends what transpires in free agency, but this Toronto team will have an off year. If I have Indiana making the playoffs and Orlando possibily shocking a few people, there needs to be a squad that takes the brunt of the tough East. This year I believe that is Toronto. With a disgruntled OG Anuoby and a really bad defensive backcourt, I don’t see the Raptors winning more than 40 games this season. I love the front office, Nick Nurse is a great coach, but I don’t see much improvement in their roster, and I don’t see a big jump in “numbers” from Siakam or Barnes this season which is essential for Toronto to have a chance in the East.
15. Utah blows the whole thing up
As you saw in prediction #8, I could see Mitchell traded mid season to a contender and Gobert gone as well. Utah fired Quin Snyder & GM Justin Zanik just wrapped up his 1 year anniversary with the team. If Utah starts the season slowly, there could be a lot of pressure to blow it up & acquire future talent and picks for D Mitch & Gobert, two guys that may not be 100% there mentally due to how the past couple seasons have ended for them.
16. Johnny Davis is the future
Brad Beal turned 29 yesterday, and he celebrated by comitting himself to the Wizards for the next few years. Between himself, GM Tommy Sheppard, & Scott Brooks, I envision Beal putting up his usual 25 PPG/6 APG numbers as Johnny Davis plays around 25 MPG his rookie year while guarding the toughest backcourt option on the other team. Davis at 10 was the steal of the lottery, and he will prove that starting in game 1 when he gives hell to whoever is opposite him trying to score. The 3 point shot will come along, but Davis averaging 14 PTS while being an elite defender in his rookie season isn’t a stretch in my opinion.
17. The Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes
Wembanyama will become the highest touted prospect since Anthony Davis.
Have you seen this guy play? Standing at 7’2, Victor has a 7’10 wingspan & 10’2 standing reach. Yes, he is a human being and yes, he plays basketball (in France).
He has shot a career 31% from beyond the arc while averaged around 4 BLK per game per 36 minutes. At only 18 years old, he has played professionally in France since he was 16 & with a possible move to a different team this next season, I believe due to the quality of #1 overall prospects this past decade, Victor will earn his flowers as a LeBron/AD/Shaq/Magic type of prospect by mid season.
18. Milwaukee goes back to the ECF
I don’t have a prediction on the Finals yet, or a champ, but the Bucks are set to be one of the top teams again. Giannis at 27 has already been a 2x MVP, 1x Champ, 1x FMVP, DPOY, & MIP. With about 5-6 years left in his prime, he only needs a handful more accolades to become the greatest international player of all time. Just like LeBron is trying to go for the scoring record, Giannis is going for the title of greatest of all time in the international manner. With the help of Middleton & Holiday in the last few years of their prime, along with a few FA additions and the scoring machine that is Giannis, watch out for the Bucks after their tough out this season.
Also, Giannis’s finals performance doesn’t get talked about enough. 50 PTS in the clinching game? Are you kidding me?!
19. The Spurs rebuild & the Thunder continue
We know the Thunder are two years deep into their rebuild around SGA. They now have Chet & Giddey to grow with him along with some great young pieces off the bench. However, San Antonio finds themsleves in a tough spot. Pop is going to retire in the next few seasons, and they have a mix of really young guys along with Dejounte Murray & Keldon Johnson, who are just now hitting their prime. Whether we see Murray on this squad next season or not (Atlanta is a possible trade partner), Josh Primo and rookies Jeremy Sochan, Blake Wesley, & Malaki Branham will be the future of this team & I’ve been hearing rumors that the Spurs could trade their best player (Murray) for picks that could wind up leading to San Antonio tanking one more season for Victor Wembanyama so they can start on a clean slate with one of the best prospects of all time in ‘23-24.
The NBA’s regular season is becoming less and less popular. With 82 games, it’s difficult for the average fan to keep interest from October until May and commissioner Adam Silver understands that. The G League already has a “Showcase Cup” & whether Adam implements a single-elimination conference tournament with incentives, or a divisional tournament with incentives, a mid season tournament could be coming within the next few seasons and for the average fan, it would be something worthy to tune into if you didn’t watch much of the regular season and wanted to catch up on NBA basketball.
