(CBS Sports. com)
The start of the NBA season is within our grasp, with tip-off starting on October 24. Teams are finalizing their rosters heading into training camp.
These are the top 3 ranked teams that are favorites to take the Larry O’Brien. Starting with #3 is the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum and Co. were one game shy of making the 2023 NBA Finals after losing in the Eastern Conference finals to the Miami Heat in a seven-game thriller.
This off-season Boston re-signed Jaylen Brown to the largest contract in NBA history. That then-duo of Brown-Tatum is still intact, having already existing experience in their roster.
However, Boston’s front office did trade away their leader at the point guard, 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, to the Memphis Grizzlies. This could hurt the C’s on the defensive side of the game.
From this trade, they acquired Power forward Kristaps Porzingis from Washington, who averaged 23.2 points per game and 8 rebounds. With him joining the team, Boston has a greater offensive and defensive presence in the paint.
Porzingis takes a bit of the load off Tatum and Brown and serves as a very good third option for Joe Mazzulla’s side.
I think Boston has the core to win a championship, and Tatum is due for another MVP season. The East is strong with the likes of Miami and Milwaukee.
According to Statmuse, the Tatum-led Celtics recorded the second-best offense during the 22/23 regular season, scoring 118 points per game. Porzingis’ joining will increase their offensive rating.
Their defensive rating was the 3rd best in the NBA, allowing 111 points per game.
Boston has aspirations to lift banner No. 18 this season, and to have the most titles in NBA history
The second title contender on the list is the Phoenix Suns. The “Valley” team was knocked out in the second round of last year’s playoffs by the champions Denver Nuggets.
A busy offseason was underway, and they have constructed as some see one of the best rosters in the league. Phoenix’s “big three” consists of Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and other guys who offer great shooting and defense.
Phoenix traded for Beal this past summer by sending Chris Paul to Washington in exchange for some additional assets.
The Suns also hired head coach Frank Vogel, who has been viewed as a good defensive coach.
Phoenix has 3 scorers who scored 25 points per game, so their offense will be problematic for the other team’s defense.
Vogel will set this team well on defense and they will be almost impossible to stop.
The Booker lead team was ranked 14th on offense with around 115 points per game but was 4 points away from 1st.
This will change with the addition of Bradley Beal and having an entire season with Durant.
Suns are in a unique stop per se. Championship or bust is what this team is viewed as. I believe they can go all the way with their “super team”. They have good experience in their roster with a head coach who knows what it takes to win one.
The no. 1 contender to win it all in June is the reigning NBA Champions, Denver Nuggets. Last season they defeated the Miami Heat in 5 games to win their first Larry O’Brien in franchise history.
Denver did lose some key rotational players this off-season: Jeff Green and Bruce Brown. Mostly, they will be running it back with the same roster.
The elite duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic produced some of them during the playoffs by dominating each team that crossed their path.
The Nuggets recorded the best offense in the playoffs by scoring around 120 points per game. Their two-time MVP Nikola Jokic averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game.
Meanwhile, Jamal Murray averaged 26 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds per game. It will be hard to stop this team from winning back-to-back championships. This Jokic lead era could potentially consist of multiple championships.
Though it is hard to repeat as champions, Denver now has the experience and knows what it takes to win. They are the favorites to win, and though they did lose some players, their starting 5 is still intact.
It will be hard to defeat this team in a 7 game series with all the talent around Jokic and Murray.