NBA predictions: What to expect during the 21-22 year

One of the biggest reasons the NBA never gets boring is the way it changes every off-season. Teams have adapted from being either fantastic or terrible, season after season, into a style of team-building that loads them with talent. Just a few years ago, the Brooklyn Nets were a joke, known for the bench reactions any time D’Angelo Russell hit a three-pointer or Jarett Allen blocked a dunk. This was a fun team to watch. Until, of course, the Toronto Raptors annihilated them two seasons ago in the COVID-delayed NBA playoffs.

Now, they are potentially on their way to multiple championships. If they faced the Lakers in the Finals this year, you’d have to rub your eyes a couple times to realize that it wasn’t an all-star game. The best part is, that’s not even close to the only new Championship-series possibility after this off-season. 
Changes and Trades: Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference was under construction this off-season. Many teams thoroughly improved their rosters. Two teams in particular should be the main focus to fans–the Heat and the Bulls. Let’s start with this past season, where Kyle Lowry averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 assists per game- not ridiculous numbers, but numbers that make him the perfect piece for his new squad in Miami. Then, if there’s one thing that fans have agreed on in these past few seasons, it’s this: Zach Lavine can’t carry the Bulls forever. Some people might have said the same thing about Demar DeRozan on the Spurs, but now DeRozan and Lavine are on the same Chicago team. Combine that with Lonzo Ball’s court vision and the fan-favorite Alex Caruso, and the Bulls are looking scary. (Oh, and they have center Nikola Vucevic too!)
Changes and Trades: Western Conference

While the Eastern Conference changed the lesser teams into playoff threats, the West took a team that won a championship before their injuries and tacked on yet another superstar. The Los Angeles Lakers were haunted by injury after injury in the 20-21 season, which took them from being a one seed to playing a one seed. We know that as LeBron James ages, someone else will soon be the generational talent bringing in the revenue for the League- the ‘70s had Kareem, the ‘80s had Magic and Bird, the ‘90s had Michael Jordan, the 2000s had Kobe, the 2010s had LeBron James. If this pattern remains consistent, a new star should be here at some point, but James isn’t done shining quite yet. He recently teamed up with Russell Westbrook, all-time leader in triple-doubles, in what looks like an attempt to combat the Brooklyn Nets, who also have three stars on their team. And the icing on the cake? Klay Thompson is back on the Warriors.
Superteams: Lakers or Nets?

The regular season helps when looking at which teams are the best, but the time that matters most is the NBA playoffs. The main contenders for the title, to most fans, are the teams with the most stars, these being the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets. “I got the Nets,” Freshman Kellen Phillips said. “They were super close to making the Eastern Conference Finals with only KD, and now if Harden and Kyrie come back, I don’t think anyone’s even close.” This is a valid point, as Kevin Durant had the game of his life, twice, against Milwaukee this past playoffs. Had his toe not been on the line by an inch during his game-tying shot in game seven, the Bucks wouldn’t have gone on to win the whole thing. Freshman Ben Shaw overheard this and disagreed. “I’m going with the Lakers,” he stated. “Westbrook is a little bit old, but he averaged a triple-double last season.” While the Nets do have youth on their side, they don’t have Russell Westbrook, who averaged 22.2 points,  11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists last year.

To summarize this whole off-season, many trades were made and the Bulls, Heat and Lakers are scary. The Lakers and Nets look like the best Finals, as long as no one is injured again. That’s what makes the NBA so great: anything can happen. It is predicted that the four best teams are the Bucks, 76ers, Nets and Celtics in the East, and the Clippers, Suns, Jazz and Nuggets in the West. Of those eight teams, the Suns, Nuggets, Bucks and Nets are estimated to make the Conference Finals, and  the Nets are still expected to be the best. But with the marvelous changes during the off-season, anything can happen.