The 2021-22 NBA season is here. That means it's time for the NBA.com Philippines squad to make some not-so-safe predictions.
JC Ansis: Kabayan Jordan Clarkson will continue to reign as the league's best sixth man. Guys like Dennis Schroder, who has a chance to produce solid bench numbers with the Boston Celtics, and Tyler Herro, who showed out in the preseason, will give the Flamethrower a run for his money, but Clarkson’s offensive repertoire and how he seamlessly fits in Utah’s system give him the upper hand. Did you see his preseason performances? Dude didn’t skip a beat and picked up right where he left off. If the Jazz finish the regular season in the top 3, Clarkson is a lock to win the award again.
Oh, and the Lakers are winning it all this season. That bold enough for you?
Chuck Araneta: This rookie class will go down as one of the greatest in NBA history. As an NBA card collector, is this prediction a bit selfish? Heck yeah! Of course, I want this batch of rookies to have several future Hall of Famers so that investing in collecting their rookie cards will be worth it. But even on the basketball floor, there’s a lot to be excited about. Blue-chip prospects like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Green should have all the opportunities to grow and make mistakes in pressure-free environments to develop their game. And there are already several diamonds in the rough like Chris Duarte of the Indiana Pacers and Davion Mitchell of the Sacramento Kings who are destined to have a strong NBA Twitter fanbase, similar to Tyrese Haliburton last season. This prediction will take the longest to verify but I have a good feeling about this group.
Migs Flores: There's going to be a massive midseason trade involving a Western Conference contender. We already saw the Los Angeles Lakers take a home-run hack with the Russell Westbrook trade in the offseason. With how stacked the Western Conference is looking, there's a great chance a top team ends up unhappy with their situation midway through the season. The three teams to keep a close eye on are the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, and Golden State Warriors. The Jazz and Blazers are in the same boat as teams that are successful in the regular season but plateau in the playoffs. The Warriors, on the other hand, are trying to do two things at once, developing their new batch of young players while also continuing to shovel coal into their dynasty train. There's a good chance one of these teams starts slow or ends up in a less than ideal spot in the middle of the season. All three have assets to get deals done, as well. Whether or not a deal comes out of these three teams, there are going to be some unhappy top teams out West.
Charmie Lising: Luka Doncic will be this season’s MVP and the Dallas Mavericks will move past the first round for the first time in 10 years. Luka has been on a meteoric rise ever since he was drafted by the Mavericks, winning Rookie of the Year in 2019 and being named to the All-NBA First Team in the last two years (not to mention bringing Slovenia to the Olympics for the first time). As a generational talent, it won’t be surprising if he gets the most coveted individual award this early in his career. Of course, it also depends on how far he can take his team, which has never won a playoff series since its title run in 2011. This year could be the year that the Mavericks finally get over the first-round hump, with MVP-level Luka Magic leading the way.
Jon Carlos Rodriguez: The Los Angeles Lakers will take back the West. Sorry, other strong, competitive, and exciting Western Conference teams, but until LeBron James is still doing that thing where he puts on a basketball jersey, his teams get dibs on No. 1. A lot of things didn’t go his way last season, mostly health-related reasons. If by May, the Lakers aren’t limping, then they’ll be steamrolling into the finals. LeBron is nearly a two-decade-old movie franchise running out of plot twists. If we’re in the final stages of the story, then expect the craziest, out-of-this-world conclusion. Rounding up all the crafty slick OGs for a finale heist, LeBron and the Lakers definitely have the cast to do it.
Yoyo Sarmenta: Trae Young will rise as the unequivocal antihero of the Eastern Conference. His origin story as the next villain of the league began in the playoff battle against the New York Knicks. He shushed the crowd and shimmied his way into becoming opposing fans’ number one player to hate. But “villain” is such a strong word and him being a sort of an outlaw in the East fits him better. He loves the boos. He thrives on pressure. He gives a damn on every play. He’s the king of the undersized underdogs everywhere. It isn’t hard to imagine that he will be a thorn in the playoffs. Think of a second-round matchup between the Miami Heat where he gets into a scuffle with Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro. Imagine him barreling through Joel Embiid in a do-or-die Game 7 and knocking down an and-1 play to hush the Philly crowd. What about another go at the Knicks at the Garden? His playoff debut last year was merely a stepping stone for a bigger stage for him to conquer this season.
Renee Ticzon: Nikola Jokic will be the back-to-back MVP. His role remains the same and the Denver Nuggets are still going to make it to the postseason. He’s bound to do the same type of heroics that got him the trophy last year, making him one of the top candidates for the MVP. Plus, if you look at his entire NBA career, his productivity keeps improving every season. At only 25 years old, he’s already averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. NBA players typically peak when they’re around 27 to 30, which means Jokic still has his best days ahead of him. If he continues to improve his statistics and effectively leads the Nuggets to another big playoff run, then Jokic may be on his way to bagging another MVP trophy.
