Ty's 2022 - 2023 NBA Season Preview: Wizards, Trailblazers, Knicks
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Welcome to day four of my 22-23 NBA countdown. We are at the teams who could, and should, be, at the very least, in the play in tournament.
At number 21 I have the Washington Wizards. Bradley Beal got paid this offseason. He, and the franchise for that matter, may end up regretting it in the long run. But he got his money and it should be all good for this season at the very least. He also happens to be an incredible scorer. He has declined a bit, let's hope it is not a trend, but he can still fill it up. I have been over Kristaps Porzingis for about five years now. Sure he is tall and can shoot, but he is not a good defender and he is soft as tissue paper. I like Kyle Kuzma. He has grown on me. He is also a good player on both ends of the floor. He seems to have found a nice spot for himself as well. Rui Hachimura needs to have a good season. He has either been hurt or underperformed since he has been in the league. He has to prove it this season. Deni Avdija has been okay, but he has not played like the lottery pick many thought he could. He is solid, but not great. Will Barton and Monte Morris are both decent enough NBA players. I don't think they are starters, but they are okay. Taj Gibson is a solid veteran presence. And Delon Wright is serviceable. The Wizards should be an above average team. They should win 42 or more games. They should be in the play in. But they need to stay healthy and play better defense. They also need some dudes to step up as well. We will see.
At number 20 I have the Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers are whole again. Damian Lillard is back. He is healthy. He has something to prove. The team is fully, FULLY his. They traded CJ McCollum and traded and signed some dudes that fit his playing style. Lillard is sticking around and he has never been the type to shy away from the spotlight. I expect him to have a big season. One of the guys they traded for is Jerami Grant. Grant is good. He may be a bit overrated now, but he is such a plugable player. He is going to fit very smoothly with Lillard. I love this move. They drafted Shaedon Sharpe. They love this kid. He didn't play a second of college ball, but he was a big time recruit and was a lottery pick. If he suits up and plays he could do some nice things for this team. They went out and gave Gary Payton II a big payday. He is going to bring defense and toughness to this squad. Anfernee Simons got a big payday as well, and he has improved every year he has been in the league. Josh Hart is just an overall solid player and dude. I like him a lot. Jusuf Nurkic brings size and strength to the front court. Nassir Little keeps getting better. The Trailblazers have dudes and scorers, they just have to play better on the defensive end and not get hurt so much.
The final team for the day, at 19 I have the New York Knicks. This is RD's squad. I had high hopes for them last season and boy oh boy did they not live up to it. Julius Randle fell off a cliff. I think he will be better, but he was a shell of himself. RJ Barrett got paid, and he keeps getting better. He is not the all star some thought, but he is honing his game well. I love the fact that they went out and got Jalen Brunson. They have a true point guard now. He is good. He is tough. And he can play. Derrick Rose looks pretty damn good this offseason. He seems to finally be 100 percent again. He is a nice bench player. They signed Isaiah Hartenstein, and he will be a nice role player off the bench. Obi Toppin looks incredible so far this preseason. He just needs real minutes. Cam Reddish will probably be traded soon. Mitchell Robinson is what he is at this point. I'm over trying to make this dude as good as he could be. They refused to trade Quentin Grimes. I want to see why this season. Evan Fournier is somehow still here and still starting. Immanuel Quickley is solid. This team has a nice mix of players, they just need to find a way to gel. I would also like to see Toppin and Quickley get more minutes. We will see.
That is it for today. Come back for the next three teams tomorrow.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.