It’s October, which means the 2022-23 NBA season is here! It’s time to preview the spectacle to come. Will the Golden State Warriors repeat as NBA champions? How long will Kevin Durant remain with the Brooklyn Nets? Which young, emerging team will break into the NBA’s top tier? Can Nikola Jokić win a third consecutive MVP award? Can LeBron James return the Lakers to relevance — and pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the process? These questions and more will be decided over the next several months.
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Here is The Athletic’s most relevant work from the offseason and preseason, including predictions, team previews, the biggest offseason stories and so much more. Consider it a cheat sheet to prepare for the NBA’s return.
John Hollinger’s team previews
The Athletic’s John Hollinger, a front-office expert, has spent two decades previewing each team before the upcoming NBA season, dating back to the first release of the Pro Basketball Prospectus in 2002. This season, the one-time inventor of PER uses the combination of his big-picture perspective, a more recent statistical formula he invented known as BORG (Big Ol’ Rating, explained here alongside its salary-specific cousin BORD$), his observations and wit to preview all 30 teams and predict their record for the season.
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics: 55-27
2. Philadelphia 76ers: 54-28, NBA champs
3. Milwaukee Bucks: 53-29
4. Brooklyn Nets: 49-33
5. Toronto Raptors: 48-34
6. Cleveland Cavaliers: 47-35
7. Miami Heat: 45-37
8. Atlanta Hawks: 44-38
9. Chicago Bulls: 40-42
10. New York Knicks: 39-43
11. Washington Wizards: 38-44
12. Charlotte Hornets: 34-48
13. Detroit Pistons: 28-54
14. Indiana Pacers: 27-55
15. Orlando Magic: 21-61
Western Conference
1. LA Clippers: 54-28
2. Golden State Warriors: 53-29
3. Memphis Grizzlies: 51-31
T4. Denver Nuggets: 50-32
T4. Phoenix Suns: 50-32
6. New Orleans Pelicans: 48-34
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 47-35
8. Dallas Mavericks: 46-36
9. Los Angeles Lakers: 40-42
10. Sacramento Kings: 37-45
11. Portland Trail Blazers: 36-46
12. Utah Jazz: 30-52
13. San Antonio Spurs: 24-58
14. Houston Rockets: 22-60
15. Oklahoma City Thunder: 20-62
Here’s how our experts reacted to Hollinger’s win/loss predictions for each team.
The Athletic’s preseason predictions
Last season, our panel of writers and editors picked the Nets and Lakers to meet in the NBA Finals and for Durant to win MVP. Oops! That means there’s nowhere for us to go but up from there. Here are our picks for the following awards and much more, including several categories that we made up!
Click here for our full picks and explanations.
Kevin Durant initially wanted to be traded, but for now, he’s still with the Nets. (Photo: Brad Penner / USA TODAY)Biggest stories of the offseason
It was an eventful summer in the NBA. In case you forgot, here are the six big stories of the offseason, along with The Athletic’s coverage of them as they happened. In no particular order:
Kevin Durant trade saga
After the Brooklyn Nets’ tumultuous 2021-22 season ended with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics, Durant asked to be traded, according to The Athletic. Several teams considered a move, most notably the Celtics in a framework built around Jaylen Brown, but no team was willing to meet Brooklyn’s astronomical asking price. In August, Durant met with Joe Tsai, requesting that the Nets owner choose between him or the combination of coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. When that gambit failed to create a viable market, Durant and the team “agreed to move forward with our partnership.”
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Robert Sarver’s workplace misconduct in Phoenix
The Phoenix Suns owner is on his way out after the league released the results of a 10-month investigation that largely corroborated allegations of sexual harassment, racially insensitive language and many other forms of workplace misconduct uncovered by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes in a November 2021 investigative story. The NBA initially announced a one-year suspension and $10 million fine for Sarver, a punishment that several players, including James and Suns star Chris Paul, deemed too light. A week later, amid escalating public pressure from players, the team’s jersey patch sponsor, one of his minority partners and several others, Sarver announced his intention to sell the Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
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Draymond Green punch
During a preseason practice, the four-time champion and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner “forcefully struck (teammate Jordan) Poole and needed to be separated swiftly” according to Charania, Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II. Two days later, TMZ posted a video of the exchange, which showed Green advancing toward Poole before unleashing a right-handed punch to the face. Green, who apologized to Poole and the team, was fined by the team and took a brief leave of absence as part of his punishment. “I failed as a leader. I failed as a man,” he said.
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Ime Udoka scandal
The Celtics head coach, who was due to start his second season after leading Boston to the NBA Finals in June, was suspended for a season by the team just before training camp for what the team deemed as unspecified “violations of team policies.” Udoka was having an intimate relationship with a female staffer, according to The Athletic and several other media reports. Though both parties initially conveyed to the organization that the relationship was consensual, “the woman recently accused Udoka of making unwanted comments toward her,” sources told Charania. Lead assistant Joe Mazzulla has taken over as the interim coach; Udoka’s future beyond this season “will be made at a later date,” according to the organization’s statement.
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Jazz’s teardown
Two seasons ago, the Utah Jazz owned the NBA’s best regular-season record and point differential. But after back-to-back playoff disappointments and amid crumbling internal chemistry, new team president Danny Ainge abruptly pushed the reset button. “What I saw was a team that didn’t believe in each other,” Ainge said in September. Coach Quin Snyder departed in June, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was traded to Minnesota in early July and face-of-the-franchise Donovan Mitchell was dealt to Cleveland in late August, despite weeks of rumors linking him to the New York Knicks. In exchange for those two stars and fellow starters Royce O’Neale and Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah received an overwhelming haul of future first-round picks and a number of rotation players that could stay or be flipped in future trades. The Jazz still have more veterans to deal, such as point guard Mike Conley and former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, but should be firmly in the mix to secure a high draft pick next season.
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RIP Bill Russell
The legend of humanity — because “11-time champion,” “Celtics legend” or any other descriptor doesn’t remotely do him justice — passed away on July 31 at the age of 88. The NBA will permanently retire Russell’s No. 6 jersey, though players such as James who currently wears No. 6 can continue to do so for the time being. The league will also commemorate Russell with a black No. 6 patch on every jersey this season.
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Zach Harper’s offseason reviews and grades
Championship or bust: Golden State Warriors (C+)
Contenders: Philadelphia 76ers (A) | Boston Celtics (B-) | Milwaukee Bucks (C+) | Phoenix Suns (C) | Miami Heat (C-)
Brink of contention: Denver Nuggets (A-) | Memphis Grizzlies (C+)
Playoff hopefuls: Atlanta Hawks (A) | Minnesota Timberwolves (A-) | Cleveland Cavaliers (A-) | LA Clippers (B) | Chicago Bulls (B-) | Toronto Raptors (C+) | Dallas Mavericks (C) | Brooklyn Nets (D+)
Play-In Tournament gives them life: New York Knicks (B-) | New Orleans Pelicans (C+) | Washington Wizards (C+) | Los Angeles Lakers (C-) | Charlotte Hornets (D+)
Tired of rebuilding: Sacramento Kings (B+) | Detroit Pistons (B+) | Portland Trail Blazers (B)
Rebuilding franchise: Houston Rockets (B+) | Utah Jazz (B) | Oklahoma City Thunder (B) | Orlando Magic (B-) | San Antonio Spurs (C) | Indiana Pacers (D+)
Seth Partnow’s player tiers
Who are the best players in the NBA? A valid question, but as Seth Partnow notes every season, it’s not exactly an accurate or practical one. Instead, Partnow, a former executive with the Milwaukee Bucks, spends each offseason separating the top 125 players into five tiers (along with a handful of sub-tiers) to better reflect the decisions those in charge of teams must make. “These are not meant to be read as firm 1-125 player rankings. Rather, they’re meant to separate solid starters from the very best superstars, and every level in between,” Partnow writes. “This is how NBA front offices assess player value across the league when building their teams.”
TIER 1 (1-8)
TIER 2 (9-19)
Tier 3 (20-40)
Tier 4 (41-84)
Tier 5 (85-125)
One must-read story on every team
Still looking for more depth on your favorite team, your enemy or any of the 28 other teams in the league? Our deep roster of national and local writers will have you covered all season. Below, catch up on our picks for the best story we published about that team from the offseason.
Hawks: Trae Young, Nate McMillan have opened their lines of communication (Jeff Schultz, Sept. 23)
Celtics: How Celtics’ Grant Williams grew into key role: ‘Dammit, you gotta love him’ (Jared Weiss, July 19)
Nets: Can the Nets use their summer of turmoil to create a winter of basketball renewal? (David Aldridge, Sept. 27)
Hornets: Welcome back, Steve Clifford: ‘New’ Hornets coach gets a second chance in Charlotte (Joe Vardon, Oct. 3)
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Bulls: Why DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine could thrive in revamped Bulls offense (Darnell Mayberry, Oct. 4)
Cavaliers: Darius Garland poised to lead Cavs forward: ‘He knows it’s his team’ (Kelsey Russo, Sept. 26)
Mavericks: Predicting Mavericks’ best- and worst-case scenarios this season (Tim Cato, Oct. 13)
Nuggets: GM Calvin Booth on new role, contention, building around Nikola Jokić (Mike Vorkunov, July 25)
Pistons: Cade Cunningham and the creation and ‘visualization’ of a leader (James L. Edwards III, Oct. 17)
Warriors: Warriors’ ambitious two-timeline plan nears inflection point as title defense begins (Anthony Slater, Oct. 17)
Rockets: Stephen Silas unplugged: On challenging start to tenure and putting his ‘stamp’ on Houston (Sam Amick, Sept. 23)
Pacers: The Pacers are going to stink. It’s the best decision they’ve made in years (Bob Kravitz, Oct. 13)
Clippers: Clippers could be one of NBA’s deepest teams. But how deep is too deep? (Law Murray, Sept. 21)
Lakers: Anthony Davis and the fork in the road (Jovan Buha, Oct. 17)
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke’s game is gritty, but so was his rise (Fred Katz, Oct. 17)
Heat: How the Heat are drawing motivation from the pain of falling inches short (Joe Vardon, Oct. 7)
Bucks: Bucks trying something new this season: Sticking closer to 3-point shooters (Eric Nehm, Oct. 4)
Timberwolves: Mr. Untouchable for Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels is ‘ready to show my game off’ (Jon Krawczynski, Sept. 28)
Pelicans: How Herb Jones’ old-soul approach has turned him into Pelicans’ defensive ace (William Guillory, Oct. 12)
Knicks: Comfort zone: RJ Barrett’s journey to greatness begins in the paint (Fred Katz, Sept. 28)
Thunder: What is a Lisfranc injury? Analyzing symptoms, treatment, recovery time for Chet Holmgren’s foot ailment (Virginia Zakas, Aug. 25)
Magic: How Paolo Banchero has already impressed Magic: ‘I work my a– off, just how I’m wired’ (Kelly Iko, Oct. 11)
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76ers: How the 76ers get the Joel Embiid-James Harden combination from good to great (Rich Hofmann, Sept. 29)
Suns: The Suns can move beyond Robert Sarver, but they still have questions to answer (David Aldridge, Sept. 22)
Blazers: Can Chauncey Billups coach? Can the Blazers jell? ‘We’ll see’ is the answer … for now (Jason Quick, Oct. 13)
Kings: Mike Brown exclusive: New Kings coach details his new roster (Anthony Slater, Sept. 26)
Spurs: Jeremy Sochan isn’t typical. He may be perfect for modern NBA (Mike Vorkunov, June 21)
Raptors: Let’s embrace the Raptors’ weirdness (Eric Koreen, Oct. 17)
Jazz: One-on-one with Will Hardy: ‘All we care about is this team’ (Tony Jones and Christopher Kamrani, Oct. 10)
Wizards: How can Bradley Beal and Company shock the NBA? (Josh Robbins and David Aldridge, Oct. 12)
Victor Wembanyama will dictate at least half a dozen NBA teams’ decisions this year. (Photo: Lucas Peltier / USA TODAY)The guy everyone wants to “lose” out on
Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 French “big man” who turns 19 in January, is considered by many to be the best prospect to enter the NBA since James did two decades ago. How best to describe his game? “It’s almost like watching Rudy Gobert if he were able to dribble, pass and shoot at an effective NBA level,” wrote The Athletic draft expert Sam Vecenie in June. Wembanyama currently plays for Metropolitans 92, a pro team that plays in France’s top division. He wowed fans in two October exhibition games against the G League Ignite, led by point guard and consensus No. 2 draft prospect Scoot Henderson. The possibility of drafting Wembanyama — and, to a lesser extent, Henderson and the other members of a deep draft class — has already convinced several teams to strip their rosters bare in an attempt to rebuild tank. What happens once the second half of the season rolls around and other teams fall out of playoff contention?
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More NBA preview coverage
In case you still can’t get enough, we have you covered!
Zach Harper: The most important games you need to watch this season
Anonymous coaches poll: Who are the league’s best defenders right now?
The Athletic staff: One training camp question for every NBA team
The Athletic staff: The players (and coaches) with the most to prove this season
Mike Vorkunov: How the NBA schedule was made: Everything you could ever want to know from the person in charge of it
Stan Son and Eric Wong: The Athletic’s fantasy basketball draft guide
Cole Huff: The 5 best over/under bets
Cole Huff: Sleeper teams that can win their divisions
Danny Leroux: East over/under win total picks
Danny Leroux: West over/under win total picks
Jeff Maillet: What’s behind getting a great basketball shot? An NBA photographer explains
The No Dunks NBA preview
The Athletic NBA Show season preview
And here’s what to expect from the six-day-a-week The Athletic NBA Show podcast feed this season.
(Top photo of Nikola Jokic and Steph Curry: Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images)
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