The 2023 NBA Season Looks INSANE… (FT. Warriors, Timberwolves and more)

From 2015 to 2018, the NBA was quite predictable. You had Cleveland on one end, and Golden State on the other. I mean, year after year after year, you can try and spin as many narratives as you want, but in the end, it all came down to LeBron and Curry, and that's all she wrote. Since then, however, the NBA landscape has changed dramatically. And for the first time in the last decade, a changing of the guards is now starting to take place. Trust me when I say that the 2023 NBA season looks insane. I'm going to start off here with the Minnesota Timberwolves. During the 2022 season, Anthony Edwards was starting to look like a star, and then in the six playoff games he played in, he proved it. After that, following their first round exit, for better or for worse, they acquired Rudy Gobert, a three times defensive player of the year that everyone hates on for some strange reason. Anyway, the Timberwolves looked poised to make more noise than they've made since the Kevin Garnett days, and for the first time in a long time, they can't be ignored. I mean, they now feature a starting lineup consisting of DeAngelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Carl Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. Sheesh, guys, that's three all-star players and a rising superstar, all together in a starting lineup, which is a bit unreal if you ask me. As a matter of fact, just off the top of my head, I can only think of the Warriors that could produce such a star-studded group of ballers. But the thing is, unlike the Warriors, all the Timberwolves stars are still in their prime, and the oldest would be Rudy Gobert who just turned 30 not too long ago. If this team could just develop the proper chemistry and play together as a unit, they're going to be scary. Next off, I want to talk about the OKC Thunder. Honestly, even though Russell Westbrook had all those insane triple-double seasons, OKC has been irrelevant in the championship picture ever since Durant left in 2016. In 2023, they're still not going to be contenders, but a picture is starting to form. If you don't believe me, just take a look yourself. Shea Gilgis Alexander, who just came off a season averaging almost 25 points, is starting to look like an all-star. Josh Giddey, on the other hand, looks like a young Larry Bird, and uh, I'm not just talking about their hairstyles. And then in 2022, the Thunder, with their second overall pick, acquired Chet Holmgren, a 7-footer who can literally do it all. He's a bit on the skinny side currently, but when he packs on a bit of muscle and sharpens his toolbox, the league better watch out. Anyways, Holmgren, along with the other two ballers, they're going to give OKC fans a reason to go cheer for their home team again, and I wouldn't be surprised if they start to make some serious noise in about 2-3 years. Another interesting narrative that's about to take place are these beef that's happening between players. I mean, Patrick Beverley called CP3 the quote-unquote point god, a cone, and just completely trash-talked him for a straight week on ESPN. So far, Chris Paul hasn't said anything back in retaliation, but when the Phoenix Suns play against the Utah Jazz in 2023, I expect there to be a game within the game, and I'm definitely going to tune in to see the fireworks. Also, recently the 2022 No. 1 pick, Paulo Manchero and DeJounte Murray of the Hawks, got into some type of altercation at a summer league where the recent all-star hit the youngin with a series of moves, dunked on him, said some harsh words, then threw the ball at him. Man, just look at those eyes. There was some serious anger there. They both play in the same division now in the Eastern Conference, so they'll see each other a few times in the regular season, and yeah, I expect there to be a game within the game here as well. Anyway, back to regular basketball for a bit. The 2023 season is also when we're going to see the return of Zion Williamson and, potentially, the rise of the Pelicans. The 2019 hyped-up No. 1 pick proved that he was worth the hype, but unfortunately, injuries relating to his weight have been keeping him off the court. There were talks of him perhaps being traded, but in the end, he signed a 5-year max extension, and the great thing for NBA fans is that there's a weight clause in it. Zion will be weighed periodically, and unless he clocks in at under 295 pounds, he could potentially lose a lot of money. This'll hopefully keep him on the court, and as long as he's playing, the Pelicans do have a chance. In addition, New Orleans also recently acquired the 2016 Most Improved player, CJ McCollum. CJ is going to be the perfect veteran mentor for both Zion and Brandon Ingram, and even though the two younger kids have been ghosting CJ's FaceTime calls, when the season starts, this is going to be a dangerous team. What makes them even scarier is the fact that they have a good coach standing behind them. I mean, when was the last time you heard this? Sheesh guys, that was Greg Popovich-esque. Next off, we have LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2023, King James has a chance to break the NBA's all-time scoring record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar over 30 years ago. I mean, at this point in time, he only needs 1,325 more points, which comes out to averaging about 16.2 points over the course of an 82-game regular season. This, however, won't be his only accomplishment for 2023. Most people are counting the Lakers out already. I mean, yeah, sure, they won the championship in 2020, but since then, they've been hit with the injury bug and they traded away their depth for a superstar who doesn't seem like a good fit. In saying that, however, if LeBron and Anthony Davis could stay healthy and get their team into the playoffs, there could be some serious noise coming out of the squad because the truth is, this team isn't built for the regular season. They're built for the playoffs. Anyways, another crazy narrative waiting to happen in 2023 is the Denver Nuggets. For the past two seasons, their superstar player has been the MVP of the league, putting up numbers that are unheard of. I mean, he just put up the best single-season box plus minus ever recorded, and then to top it off, he also just put up the best single-season player efficiency rating in NBA history. Sheesh, guys, what a show-off. In the post-seasons, however, Jokic has been completely overwhelmed for two consecutive years because of injuries to his fellow co-stars in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. But finally, they'll be back, and I know Nuggets fans are salivating over the potential of what their team can do. To be honest, I can't wait either, because finally we see what the Joker is capable of when he's playing with a complete roster where there's no more excuses and uh, yeah, enough said. Last off here, we have the Golden State Warriors. Steph Curry and the crew just came off winning a and as of today, they are the team to beat. What's going to be considered must-watch basketball when it comes to Warriors is the development of their young talents in James Wiseman and Jonathan Kaminga. Both of these two are top lottery picks, and both arguably in the top 10 when it comes to the most athletic players in the game today. Wiseman in particular is going to give Curry a lob threat weapon that he's really never had before, and will make the best player on the Anyway, how much these two will grow, and how much better the Warriors will be from their development is something to keep a close eye out for, because it could potentially make Golden State a perennial championship contender for another decade or so. Oh, and before I forget, to top things off in 2023, the NBA might have a tank-a-thon closer towards the end of the season for Victor Wambayama, who among executives and scouts is the most talked about prospect since LeBron James. Sheesh, the 2023 season is going to completely change the NBA with all these new narratives going on, and the crazy thing is I haven't even yet mentioned some of the previous year's top teams like the Suns, Bucks, Heat, Celtics, Mavericks, or Grizzlies, and neither have I mentioned the return of Kawhi and the Clippers, or what's going to happen with KD and the Nets. One thing is for sure though, after 2023, the landscape of the NBA will never be the same.