At the Buzzer: Who will win the NBA title this season?

Most intriguing team

Chris Newsome: The Atlanta Hawks have got to be one of the most intriguing teams to watch this year. They got another All-Star guard in Dejounte Murray who plays both ends of the floor and also has a solid, more mature interior presence. I believe it will be a matter of chemistry with the Hawks. Some teams have it right away, but for other teams, it takes years. Let’s see which category the Hawks will fall under.

Willie Wilson: The big question is: can LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook coexist? The Lakers were dealt with a bunch of injuries and different starting lineups on their way to missing the playoffs last season. Almost immediately, changes happened, but the biggest expected change didn’t happen. Westbrook is still on the team. There are also other questions surrounding them. Can first-year head coach Darvin Ham turn the team around? Can the Brow bounce back and stay healthy? What will King James look like in Year 20? All of these questions make this team the most intriguing in the NBA, and they will stay that way until these questions are answered.

Diego Dario: Are we sure the Suns are going to be alright? Chris Paul is 37 years old. Deandre Ayton wasn't exactly thrilled during the preseason press conference. The ownership situation, as well, seems fickle. Sure, Devin Booker has proven himself as a superstar, but the Suns have plenty to overcome this year.

Norman Black: Denver is the most intriguing team because they have the two-time MVP. Can they stay healthy and perform well in the playoffs or will they be a wash again?

Isaac Go: It has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a surprising run last season, they added Donovan Mitchell to the roster to add more wing scoring. Will this team continue to improve or was last year more of a beginners’ luck type?

Larry Fonacier: The New Orleans Pelicans. Here are the reasons why: Zion Williamson is back; Brandon Ingram is unstoppable; and Jose Alvarado is an adorable pest. 

Most entertaining team

CN: I feel like the most entertaining team this year would have to be the Memphis Grizzlies. They are young, hungry, and have a lot of young athletes ready to explode this season. Oh yeah, there’s also Ja Morant who is one of the most exciting, up-and-coming players in the league. 

WW: And just like that, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now one of the most talented teams in the NBA, boasting three All-Stars that are all under the age of 25. The tandem of much-improved Darius Garland and newly-acquired Donovan Mitchell will provide all the offense needed for this team. The paint presence of Jarrett Allen and Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley will minimize whatever defensive shortcomings their star guards have. This young roster will continue to improve throughout the season and will provide us with many highlight plays.

DD: Buckets after buckets for the Nets. KD and Kyrie will always put on a show offensively. Definitely entertaining as always. Interesting how Ben Simmons will fit, but for sure, he’ll help out a lot on the Nets’ overall defensive presence. 

NB: Charlotte because they have LaMelo Ball, who I feel along with Ja Morant are the most exciting players in the league. The problem is it’s a big question mark if LaMelo will have Miles Bridges on the court with him this year.

IG: If you wanna be entertained, just put the Charlotte Hornets on your League Pass. Even if coach Steve Clifford tends to favor a slower offense, Lamelo Ball is going to be must-see TV. Also expect Lavar to get in on it especially with Gelo on the roster.

LF: The Golden State Warriors are the most entertaining team just because the third Splash Brother Jordan Poole-Draymond Green drama makes for must-see TV. 

Most surprising team

CN: The Cleveland Cavaliers have themselves a squad. With the addition of Mitchell, they automatically have turned themselves into an Eastern Conference Finals contender. Nobody saw this move coming from Cleveland, and it definitely got some teams in the East worried. Be on the lookout for this Cavs team to make a deep playoff push, their first without the Chosen One from Akron. 

WW: The biggest move this offseason was the Minnesota Timberwolves acquiring Rudy Gobert. This can either go very bad given how pairing two 7-footers isn’t often seen nowadays, or this can be an amazing pairing, given the fact that Gobert can potentially unlock Karl-Anthony Towns. Having the Stifle Tower on the team allows KAT to play naturally as a stretch four instead of expending energy banging bodies in the paint and constantly getting in foul trouble. Either way this experiment goes, this team will be the most surprising team this season. The expected leap of Anthony Edwards, along with the steady playmaking talent possessed by D’Angelo Russell, puts this team’s talent level through the roof.

DD: With Kawhi back and Paul George healthy, the Clippers will rack up more wins compared to last season. The question is if they’ll stay healthy and be ready for playoff time.

NB: I'm hoping the Lakers surprise us and are actually stable this season. But I think the surprise team on the rise will be Minnesota. They will go against the NBA grain by parading a huge lineup. It will be interesting to see how they defend pick-and-rolls with those two bigs on the floor together.

LF: The Sacramento Kings because of the Mighty Mouse’s leadership impact. Wait and see. 

Most likely to disappoint

CN: The Utah Jazz have definitely committed to the rebuild. Losing all of their major assets and superstars has turned Utah from a gritty grind-it-out team to one that may now struggle to sell out home games, and not even come close to making the playoffs. Other than seeing Jordan Clarkson ball out, I’m anticipating a disappointing season for the Jazz. 

WW: The Boston Celtics had an amazing run to the NBA Finals last season, but lost on many is the condition of the teams they faced. They had to go through multiple seven-game series against teams missing key players due to injury just to make it to the big stage. The Celtics felt they were only a couple of pieces away from winning a championship so they went out and acquired Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there, as Gallinari suffered a torn ACL and Robert Williams III had offseason surgery that will make him miss the first half of the season. The biggest loss is the architect of the league’s number one defense, coach Ime Udoka, who is suspended for the entire season. The combined losses will be too much for this squad to overcome.  

DD: Sorry but I still don’t think Westbrook is a great fit for the Lakers. It’ll be up to Lebron and AD to carry this team. I just don’t think the combinations are right when you look at their lineup. 

NB: I'm a LeBron fan and I want to see the Lakers do well this year, but my fear is they will disappoint me and their millions of fans again this year.

IG: It has to be the Phoenix Suns, who finished No.1 last year and got destroyed by Luka Doncic and the Mavs, and it hasn’t gotten any better. The team didn’t let Jae Crowder join the team, plus they reluctantly paid Ayton. It’s not looking good for them and I’d expect them to disappoint.

LF: The internal issues have not been resolved, so I’m picking the Brooklyn Nets. Also, Ben Simmons still has no shot. 

Championship favorites

CN: The Golden State Warriors have proven time and time again that when they are healthy, they’re still the team to beat. The deadly combo of a fast-paced game with supreme 3-point shooting makes them a nightmare for any team that tries to dominate with size alone. It’s theirs until somebody takes it from them.

WW: Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player on the planet, and still getting better. Videos of him knocking down 3-pointers are now all over the Internet. We already know he comes into every season in the best shape of his life. The absence of Kris Middleton and his 20 points per game proved to be insurmountable in their series against eventual East champs Boston Celtics as they lost in seven games. This season, the Bucks will have continuity with the roster that won the championship in 2021. Expect the The Greek Freak along with the tandem of Middleton and Holiday to terrorize opponents on their way to the 2022-23 championship.

DD: The Warriors have the firepower and talent to win it again this season. Klay Thompson just got a full offseason to prepare and workout. Steph is in great shape. Draymond will be Draymond. Plus, their young core of Poole, Wiggins, Wiseman, and Kuminga will be interesting as they continue to develop.

NB: Milwaukee, Golden State, Boston, and the LA Clippers would be my favorites from the East and West. If they stay healthy, I believe Milwaukee can win the championship again, mainly because they have the most dominant player in the league in Giannis.

IG: It has to be GSW. With most of the core intact and with their free-agent signings to fill in for the departures, they have another opportunity to win a title before they have to make their financial decisions for the future. 

LF: The Golden State Warriors. Having an older Poole and James Wiseman plus an intact core smells like a repeat.

Hot-take champs

CN: As a Denver Nuggets fan, I can honestly say this is going to be one of the most exciting seasons we’ll have since the bubble. The team is fully healthy, plus got some key additions to help out defensively – which has been our weakness come the playoffs every single year. Expect a big year from the team repping the Mile High.

WW: The New Orleans Pelicans will enter next season much improved after a solid offseason. The Pelicans made a surprising run to the playoffs last season and took the best regular season team in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns, to six games in the first round. Brandon Ingram showed he can perform like a superstar. With Zion Williamson healthy and CJ McCollum in the mix, they have one of the best trios in the NBA. Add in FIBA Eurobasket MVP Willy Hernangomez, stretch five Jonas Valanciunas, and defensive specialist Herb Jones, there’s plenty of momentum for this team to compete in an up-for-grabs Western Conference.

DD: Adding Donovan Mitchell without giving up their core guys was a deft move from the Cavs. Garland, Mitchell, Levert, Mobley, and Allen will be a tough lineup for any team in the league.

NB: New Orleans would be my darkhorse team. I don’t think they will win the chip, but they have the potential to make a good playoff run. Plus, this would be a great story with the return of Zion.

IG: The Denver Nuggets basically were willed by the back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic to the 6th seed last season. With Jamal Murray and MPJ joining the team after their respective injuries, they are going to look potent. Look for them to upset some of the teams in the West.