NBA Basketball is Back!!!

Rohan Punj, Editor|Dec 23, 2022

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets

It is now December 2022, the winter is here, and everyone has now been in school for over 4 months. The adjustment period is over and daily routines have become habitual and instinctual. In a flash, we have also reached 13 weeks of NFL Football, with only 4 more regular season games left until the playoffs kicks off. But most importantly, the start of this winter season symbolizes the middle of the beginning of the NBA season. On October 18, 2022 the regular season kicked off with the Philadelphia 76ers playing the reigning NBA finalists, the Boston Celtics and the reigning NBA champs Golden State Warriors playing against the Los Angeles Lakers, a team which hopes for a better season. After 2 months of pure basketball, fans are now able to recognize patterns and trends which look to be sustainable and permanent. So far this season looks to be the one of the NBA’s finest, filled with more talent than ever, more competitive teams than ever, and more joy than ever.

At the top of the league right now are the former reigning NBA finalists the Boston Celtics. After being hit with the unseen suspension of their head coach, Ime Udoka, the dominance of this team was put into question. However, led by new head coach Joe Muzzulla, this team owns the best record in the NBA of 18 wins and 4 losses.

Jason Tatum of the Boston Celtics
A prime reason for their dominance is the rise of star Jayson Tatum, who has taken his game to the next level this year. Tatum has brought leadership to the team this year, and is currently averaging 31.6 points per game, which is the second highest average in the entire NBA. Alongside the Celtics, another dominating team is the Phoenix Suns.
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns
After a heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs last year, this team has put their heads down and has gone to work. Their team owns the second best record in the NBA of 15 wins and 6 losses and is the best team in the western conference. They are primarily led by Devin Booker, who continues to show his development each year. With the injury of star point guard Chris Paul, Booker has put the team on his back, not only with his scoring load, but also his leadership. However, this season has also been full of huge surprises, and disappointments. One of the major disappointments this year is the Brooklyn Nets. Coming into the season, the Brooklyn Nets were one of the favorites to win the NBA championship, however they currently have the 15th best record in the NBA of 12 wins and 11 losses. They continue to struggle with continuity with their star players like Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Irving faced a 5 game suspension after playing 7 games, and Simmons continues to struggle with his health. However, they have shown some bright spots. Mainly, Kevin Durant continues to demonstrate his mastery in the game of basketball, playing one of his most efficient and best seasons. To add to this, the Nets also made former NBA player, Jacque Vaughn as their new head coach. As head coach, Vaughn has spread his leadership and positivity to all of the Nets, who clearly believe in him, as their record has skyrocketed since his arrival. Another major surprise this year has been the Golden State Warriors.​The Warriors currently hold the 20th best record in the NBA and hold the worst road record in the entire NBA. After coming off their championship season, the Warriors have looked to have lost the sharpness and effort that got them their title in the first place.

This NBA season has already shown to be filled with major excitement and has a lot of potential to be one of the best basketball seasons ever. While some teams have shown to succeed early on, and others have struggled, when June comes around fans may see a completely different team fight for a championship. This NBA season is extremely competitive and will fill fans with excitement this season.