Grading All 30 Teams From The 2022 NBA Season
With the 2022 season less than a week away from finishing, it’s time to get out my pens and start grading! Here are my grades for all 30 teams
This point of the year is always bittersweet for me. On the one hand, the regular season is almost over, and we can enjoy the most entertaining portion of the NBA season. But, it’s also a reminder of how fast time flies. Milwaukee pulverizing Brooklyn to start the 2022 season seems like it happened just days ago. And now, we’re in the first week of April. Nuts.
Regardless, it’s time to reflect. Which teams disappointed us, and which ones surprised us? How did some of the new rookies do this season? How did all thirty teams perform this season based on their expectations? Let’s find out.
Grading Criteria
A = Overshot expectations by a mile, the expectations set for this team were lower than they should have been
B = Passed expectations, solid season, leaving a little bit to be desired
C = They are who we thought they were
D = Failed to meet expectations for one reason or another
F = What the hell was that?
Atlanta Hawks: D
It’s safe to say I was wrong about the Atlanta Hawks. I projected them to be the third seed in the Eastern Conference. With their high-powered offense, athletic wings, and superstar point guard, they were the future of the Eastern Conference.
Instead, they’ve been nothing short of disappointing. Yes, Trae Young has continued to look like one of the five best point guards in the NBA. The Hawks have had one of the best offenses in the league for months. The problem? Defense.
Atlanta’s perimeter defense has been nonexistent. As good as Clint Capela is down low, he can’t stop everything. Atlanta allows the second most “open” shots in the NBA. And, just for good measure, they don’t force any turnovers.
While they will make the play-in tournament, this season has been a waste. Despite being so young and talented, this team has some retooling to do. This team needs defense, defense, and more defense.
Boston Celtics: A+
The Boston Celtics have had a roller-coaster 2022 season. They started 18-21, an RJ Barrett buzzer-beater pushing them to the 11th seed in early January. Despite being a talented squad top to bottom, Boston was again struggling.
The offense was sluggish, lacking shooting and creators. Everything was going wrong for the second straight season despite a new coach in Ime Udoka. Then, like switching on a light, the Boston Celtics turned their season around.
| Boston Celtics Before January 6th | Boston Celtics After January 6th |
| 18-21 record | 31-10 record |
| 108.3 ORtg | 118.0 ORtg |
| 107.6 DRtg | 105.0 DRtg |
| Tatum: 42% FG | Tatum: 49% FG |
| 34% 3-PT | 37% 3-PT |
| Bad vibes | Immaculate vibes |
The Boston Celtics took off. Their defense went from being top ten in the NBA to something resembling the 1985 Bears. At the deadline, they acquired Derrick White, who has been a great plug-and-play guard off the bench.
Jayson Tatum has become an MVP candidate. Marcus Smart is back to his peak defensive self. Payton Pritchard can’t seem to miss. Everything is going right for this team. Now it’s time to dominate the posts–
I usually don’t empathize with teams much, but this sucks. The Celtics were at the top of their games, and Timelord was so important to them. He’s one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. Plus, he’s a vertical threat on offense.
To lose him just when they had all that momentum sucks. But the Celtics should get Timelord back in the playoffs. Even with this roadblock, the Celtics are the second seed in the East. And, their 2022 season has turned out fine.
Brooklyn Nets: F
Remember how I said I don’t usually empathize with teams? The Nets are an example of such. Sure, they’ve had one of the most headache-inducing seasons ever. I get that. But you would be lying if you told me the Nets haven’t been disappointing this season.
Their season resembles a mad-lib. Kyrie Irving not playing for a majority of the season because of his vaccination status? Check. James Harden forcing his way out (again)? Yep. Joe Harris missing almost the entire season with injury? Of course.
Brooklyn’s defense is homogeneous to wet cardboard. Outside of Kevin Durant, their frontcourt is barren. Assuming that Ben Simmons won’t play for them this season, they aren’t going to be able to stop teams in the postseason. As much as I want to hold out hope for Nicolas Claxton, Steve Nash doesn’t have much to work with down low.
Even if they make the postseason, they’re not going anywhere. Everything that could have gone wrong for Brooklyn this season went wrong. It’s another wasted year for the pairing of Irving and Durant, who aren’t getting any younger.
Brooklyn will have to reshape this roster to win a title. It’s clear they’re nowhere close to where they want to be. I’ll be waiting to see what Sean Marks and company do this offseason.
Charlotte Hornets: C
It’s hard to do something twice in a row in the NBA. But the Charlotte Hornets have managed to do it. They’ve replicated back-to-back mediocre seasons. Despite a busy offseason, they haven’t changed one bit. Let’s go over everything, shall we?
For one, they have the same identity. They can score at will, but they give up just as many points on the other end. A need for a center is more paramount than ever. No offense to Mason Plumlee, but they need an anchor down low.
Gordon Hayward seems to be the glue guy for this team, but he’s always hurt. The backcourt pairing of Rozier and Ball isn’t going to take this team anywhere. Speaking of Ball, he still doesn’t know how to finish at the rim.
Even with Miles Bridges breaking out, the Hornets are in the same position they were last season. A fun, offensive-minded team that has no shot of making noise in the playoffs. Not to jump the gun, but I think the Hornets have to change a lot.
Trading Terry Rozier for a better pairing with Lamelo is needed. Getting a center is even more important than that. Perhaps getting rid of PJ Washington could help things. I’m just throwing ideas out there, just saying.
The point is that the Hornets didn’t improve this season. They still had a solid season, but they’ve left me yearning for more. Hopefully, we see a Grizzlies-like leap from this team in the near future.
Chicago Bulls: B-
There are two ways to view Chicago’s season. The first is to look at their record and say, ‘Wow, that’s impressive!’ I projected the Bulls to win just 41 games this season, a mark they’ve already passed. Overall, this season has been a plus.
The other way to look at things is their record since late February. Chicago’s dealt with injuries all season long, but they finally caught up to them. They’re 6-12 in their last 18 games, falling out of the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. While they’re still out of the play-in tournament, they enter the playoffs on a whimper.
At one point, this team had everything. DeMar DeRozan was an MVP candidate. The backcourt formed overnight was stopping everybody. And most of all, the atmosphere in Chicago was electric. Now, all that momentum is gone. And with it, Chicago’s hopes for a deep postseason run.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A+
Cleveland is another team that has struggled since the All-Star Break. But they were projected to be the 13th seed in the East. We all expected them to be near the top of the lottery again. Instead, all signs point to them heading to the playoffs.
Roadblocks have been the theme of their season. Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio went down with season-ending injuries. Jarrett Allen has been out for a few weeks with a hand injury. Evan Mobley has been dealing with an ankle injury.
This team isn’t the most talented. But, somehow, someway, they find ways to win. That’s mainly because of Darius Garland, who has officially broken out this season. He’s taken over the offense and the league shortly after.
His playmaking and scoring have both improved greatly throughout the season. Without him, who knows where this team would be? But, easily the most important thing this team has done all season is this;
Times are changing in Cleveland. 2022 could be the start of something special for this franchise.
Dallas Mavericks: A
I wasn’t too happy with the Dallas Mavericks coming into this season. Jason Kidd was the replacement for long-time head coach Rick Carlisle. Kristaps Porzingis remained on the roster. Signing Doncic to a supermax extension was nice, but the roster around him remained unimpressive.
Still, I expected Dallas to be a playoff team. That is a perk of having a player like Doncic. Your flaws can be hidden. However, that’s not what happened when the season started. Dallas’ offense went from being lethal to harmless. Luka Doncic was, admittedly, out of shape.
Dallas was under 0.500 on January 1st. Then, similar to Boston, they flipped a switch.
| Dallas Before January 1st | Dallas After January 1st |
| 17-18 record | 32-12 record |
| 109.3 ORtg | 113.8 ORtg |
| 108.7 DRtg | 109.6 DRtg |
| Luka Doncic: 54% TS | Luka Doncic: 58% TS |
The Dallas defense has continued to be solid. But, their offense has risen to the occasion. Swapping Porzingis for Bertans and Dinwiddie at the deadline has worked wonders. Now, Dallas has enough creators around Doncic to make defenses work.
Dorian-Finney Smith, Bullock, and Brunson have all been unsung heroes for Dallas. They’ve provided that extra kick on offense that Dallas has missed the past few seasons.
Under Carlisle, defense was an issue for Dallas. Now, under Kidd, it’s their identity. They’ve been on a roll for months now, creeping up the standings in the Western Conference. The Mavs haven’t won a playoff series since 2011. They hope that 2022 is their breakthrough year in the West.
Denver Nuggets: A-
The Denver Nuggets may be one of the unluckiest teams in the NBA. Even without Jamal Murray, I thought highly of them. With a sneaky good bench along with league MVP Nikola Jokic, I thought Denver was a lock for a top-four seed in the West.
Then Michael Porter Jr. got hurt nine games into the season. And just like that, Denver’s season was over. Jokic was without his two partners in crime. Denver had lost all their star power. Their title hopes were in the drain. And everything seemed lost.
Or so I thought.
Nikola Jokic put up another MVP season. Perhaps, one even better than his campaign last year. He leads the league in every advanced stat imaginable. He’s putting up the first 25/13/6 season ever, just for fun. All of his efforts have worked, too! Denver is the 5th seed in the West. I’m still working on the how part.
Against all odds, without their second and third best players, this Nuggets team won’t need the play-in tournament. Isn’t that crazy, or is it just me? For that, this team has earned an A grade from me.
Detroit Pistons: B+
We knew the Detroit Pistons would be bad. There’s a reason they drafted Cade Cunningham #1 overall last season. 2022 marked the first year of their rebuild, a process they hope can take them back to their success in the 2000s.
Their first rebuilding season was going ok. Cade flashed his superstar potential at times. Saddiq Bey continued to develop. Everything was moving at a slow pace. That is until Cade Cunningham went nuclear.
Cade Cunningham After The All-Star-Break
21.3 points / 5.6 rebounds / 6.3 assists / 54% TS / 1.1 steals
The Pistons have transitioned into the Cade era, officially. He’s leading them in touches and shots per game since the break. After a slow start to the season, his superstar potential has been on full display.
Detroit doesn’t have the most young talent in the world. But, Cade has reassured them that they didn’t make the wrong selection in the draft. As of right now, their rebuild is right on schedule.
Golden State Warriors: B-
After the hottest of starts, the Warriors have been in a lull. They were on the same tier as the Suns months ago. Now, they’ll be lucky if they get the third seed. So, what gives?
The first thing you have to point to is injuries. Draymond Green missed two months with back problems. Golden State was average without Green, a far cry from their 28-6 start. The offense became sluggish and slow. Trying to get Klay Thompson back into the mix of things didn’t help.
Just as their heartbeat returned, their motor, Curry, went down with an injury as well. Thankfully, it’s not season-ending, but he may miss time to start the playoffs. Curry had been in the worst shooting stretch of his career. Andrew Wiggins has also been in a slump. Since his fluke All-Star game start, he hasn’t been the same.
The Warriors aren’t exactly riding a wave of momentum into the postseason. But, they’re still the Warriors. They’ve patented those 4-5 minute stretches of dominance that put teams away. If they can get healthy, I wouldn’t want to face this team in the playoffs.
One last championship isn’t out of the question just yet. Despite a rough regular season, I still have faith in this team.
Houston Rockets: C-
The Houston Rockets are another team we all expected to be bad this season. However, I am pretty disappointed in their showings. Yes, Jalen Green has been on fire recently. I also love Turkish center Alperen Sengun’s promise. But, their season has been far from smooth.
Kevin Porter Jr. has had behavioral problems. So has Christian Wood, the best player on this team. The Rockets’ body language has been poor at times, too. While the Pistons rally around the idea of them being the underdogs, the Rockets hate it.
Stephen Silas has again had his hands full with an immature roster. Compared to other rebuilding teams, Houston’s 2022 season has been rocky. They’ll look to smooth things out over the offseason.
Indiana Pacers: D+ (but does it really matter?)
Once again, I thought the Indiana Pacers were being slept on. The coaching upgrade of Rick Carlisle over Nate Bjorkgren was immense. They added solid depth over the offseason, on top of a core featuring All-Star Domantas Sabonis. This team would contend for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Instead, Indiana was a disaster. They lost every single close game possible. Second-half collapses were a nightly occurrence. In early December, the Pacers were an apparent firesale waiting to happen. At the trade deadline, it did.
Levert and Sabonis were both shipped off, ending an era of disappointment for Indiana. None of that matters because of what they got in return for Sabonis. For their All-Star, they got their cornerstone. Tyrese Haliburton.
In return for their All-Star, the Pacers got one of the best young floor generals in the NBA. All of Indiana’s struggles were worth it. To get their hands on a cornerstone like Haliburton was the best sweetener to an otherwise bitter season. He’s going to be their leader for years to come.
Their window has now swung wide open in the East. Now, let’s see how they can mess up this new era.
Los Angeles Clippers: C+
Without Kawhi Leonard, the expectations for the Clippers were modest. The scrappy team from the conference finals a year ago would face an uphill battle. Taking on the Jazz without Kawhi Leonard is a walk in the park. To survive a whole season without a top ten player is a whole different battle.
Things got messy when Paul George got hurt in early December. So, LA was without two all-world two-way wings. Things went surprisingly well. While their offense was one of the worst in the league, their stout defense kept them in games.
Isaiah Hartenstein has turned into a defensive stalwart. Luke Kennard is apparently the second coming of Sidney Moncrief. Even with guys like Reggie Jackson struggling, this team has stayed afloat. Ty Lue has continued to push the right buttons, holding this team together. If only the Lakers had hired him.
Paul George recently returned to the lineup, giving the Clippers some much-needed firepower. The Clippers are just one win away from the playoffs, and they would be a tough first-round matchup. While they’re not title contenders, there’s nothing to hang their heads about.
With all the injuries they’ve endured, it’s amazing that the Clippers are here. If they’re fully healthy next season, a title still isn’t out of the running for this group.
Los Angeles Lakers: F
After their sixth straight loss to the Nuggets last night, pushing them to the brink of playoff elimination, Anthony Davis said something that got me thinking;
Anthony Davis whining
I think the biggest thing that I think about personally is what we could have been, had we stayed healthy all year. What could we have been. … Guys feel like, ‘OK, what could we have been if I was healthy all year, [LeBron James] was healthy, [Kendrick] Nunn was healthy.’ You think about those things. We put this team together and it looked good on paper, but we haven’t had a chance to reach that potential with guys in and out of the lineup.
So the most frustrating part of this season is not being sure of what we could have been.
Anthony Davis is right about one thing. This Lakers team is full of what could have been. Just not in the way that he meant it. Sure, injuries have slowed down this Lakers squad. But the problem with the Lakers isn’t injuries. It’s the Lakers themselves.
Their team-building skills over the past few seasons have been horrendous. They’ve depleted themselves of all their assets, now left with an older roster with no upside. The Anthony Davis trade was supposed to give Lebron a reliable star to carry him in his final seasons. Adding Russell Westbrook was supposed to be a solid third weapon. Signing all those veterans was supposed to give the Lakers depth.
This Lakers team was supposed to do a lot of things. Instead, somehow, they’re going to miss the playoffs. Unless a hail mary happens, LA won’t be a part of postseason basketball. It’ll be the lowest point of one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
From the poorly constructed lineups, the blaming, the injuries, the drama, and the failed promises, the 2022 Lakers have turned in one of the best disappointing seasons in NBA history.
Memphis Grizzlies: A+
It was hard not to like the Memphis Grizzlies coming into 2022. I put them as the 8th seed in the West, stating that their success banked on the health of Jaren Jackson Jr. I wasn’t a fan of the Adams-Valanciunas swap but liked their young upside.
Ok. I’ll be honest. I was completely wrong about this team. I think we all were. Nobody expected the Grizzlies to end up as the second seed in the Western Conference this season.
The breakouts of Morant, Bane, and JJJ have fueled this upstart team. Memphis loves to run in transition, bully you on the boards, and have a whole lot of fun while doing so. Their depth has also been one of their weapons. Without Morant, this team is a whopping 20-2.
One of the youngest teams in the NBA is growing up right in front of our eyes. They’re the most fun team in the NBA by a mile. And, it’s hard to deny them as a dark horse in the Western Conference this season.
Miami Heat: A
After a shocking sweep at the hands of the Bucks last season, Pat Riley went to work. Miami needed a remodel if they wanted to contend again. So, Riley went to work.
They signed much-needed bodyguards like PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris. Duncan Robinson signed a massive, over-the-top extension. Most importantly, they ripped Kyle Lowry away from the Raptors. That signing has transformed this team’s identity.
Even with some family drama that made Rodney King upset, the Heat have rolled all year long. They’ve dealt with injuries to all their stars, but they’re still the first seed in the East by a wide margin. I didn’t expect them to be this good in the regular season.
With a stout defense that can stop anybody, I wouldn’t want to face this team in the postseason.
Milwaukee Bucks: B+
I wish I could be more critical of this team, but they’re still a top-three seed in the East. Not having Brook Lopez really hurt their defensive abilities. They just got him back, but their defense continues to give them problems. A few nights ago, Luka Doncic pick-and-rolls torched them all night long.
They’ve also had stretches of play where they look bored. I guess that’s the defending champion syndrome? Again, the Bucks have had a weird season. Nit-picking this team would be easy. But I feel like they’re the best team in the East.
Their trio of Middleton, Giannis, and Holiday is perfect for the playoffs. All of them can defend and score at a high level, especially Giannis, who is unstoppable at times. If Mike Budenholzer doesn’t oversimplify things, I’m confident they can make it out of the East.
One drawback is their defense of the 3-PT line. Once again, the Bucks seem ok with letting their opponents shoot a lot of threes. It’s playing with fire, especially with how many good shooting teams there are around the NBA.
That is the thing I’m most worried about for this team, above all else. That and Grayson Allen killing someone (again).
Minnesota Timberwolves: A-
My dark horse of the season in the West was the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not to brag or anything, but I was right about them taking the next step in the West. It’s just not in the way I predicted things to happen. For one, I would have bet the barn that this team would be an offensive juggernaut.
It took a while for that to happen, but the real identity of this team has been defense. The addition of Patrick Beverley gave this team a much-needed edge. Minnesota’s defense has been around the top ten for months now.
The offense needed some time to find its hierarchy. Edwards and Russell have had to take the backseat at times. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s worked. Minnesota’s had the best offense in the league since the turn of the calendars.
A 29-15 record since January 1st has solidified Minnesota’s spot in the postseason race. I’m excited to see what this team can do in the postseason. Hopefully, they don’t disappoint me as they’ve done for the past decade.
New Orleans Pelicans: B-
This team isn’t supposed to be here. Not without Zion Williamson. Williamson flashed his superstardom last year, but he was unreliable as ever. However, the Pelicans didn’t hang their heads. Even without their best player, they didn’t stop pushing.
It would have been easy to give up after an ugly 1-12 start. Nobody would have cared if they had tanked the season and rolled the dice in 2023. Instead, the Pelicans finally went for it. Not many teams who started the year off that poorly can say the same.
They found gems like Jose Alvarado and Herbert Jones. Both of whom were nobodies coming into the season. Now, they look like valuable role players for years to come. On top of that, they made a move to acquire CJ McCollum.
The borderline All-Star guard gave New Orleans another weapon. A trio of Ingram, Valanciunas, and CJ was good enough to be competitive. As I said, they were going for it. And it worked.
The Pelicans are the 9th seed in the West, giving them a shot to make the playoffs. They’ve found some pieces for the future. Now, it’s time to wait for Zion to get alongside them. After that, it’s time to make some serious noise in the West.
New York Knicks: F
Evan Fournier: 4 years / $78 million
Julius Randle: 4 years / $117 million
Alec Burks: 3 years / $30 million
Nerlens Noel: 3 years / $27 million
Derrick Rose: 3 years / $43 million
Kemba Walker: 2 years / $17 million
Total: $312 million dollars
Result: Miss the playoffs
I was high on the Knicks this season. Their offseason frenzy addressed their offensive deficiencies from the previous season. After making the playoffs last season, they would stake their claim in the Eastern Conference.
Instead, everything fell apart. Julius Randle forgot how to shoot, got moody, and now the fans hate him. Derrick Rose has hardly played this season. Walker, Fournier, and Noel haven’t lived up to expectations. Nothing about this season went as planned for the Knicks.
Now, the Knicks have all this money on the books when they should be rebuilding. Yeah. That’s right, I said it. This team needs to rebuild. Their playoff appearance last year was a fluke. So was Julius Randle’s All-NBA season. It was all a mirage, a one-year high. All of which doesn’t change the outlook for this franchise.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to scream into a pillow as Tim Thibodeau refuses to play his youngsters.
Oklahoma City Thunder: C+
The OKC Thunder had another season of tryouts. Other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, nothing about this team is certain. Sam Presti doesn’t have an affinity for anybody. With all the draft picks he’s accrued, he could continue to make teams for years.
So, here’s what he learned about the Thunder this season;
- Josh Giddey is strangely good, but his fit with SGA is weird
- I like Tre Mann
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl isn’t too bad
- Darius Bazley isn’t developing
Giddey, the 6th overall pick from last year’s draft, had a good season. A hip injury sidelined him for almost the entire second half of the season, but he’s a good playmaking guard for the future. His biggest challenge is fitting in with SGA. As soon as Giddey got hurt, SGA went on a torrid scoring stretch.
Tre Mann had some big games for OKC. JRE also got hurt in the second half of the season, but he’s decent. He has upside as a small-ball center. The Thunder have continued to see where guys fit into their immense young talent pool.
Their defense has been surprisingly good this season, ranked 15th. That could be something this team builds on for the future. In the meantime, let’s see what Sam Presti can do with all those picks.
Orlando Magic: C+
The Magic are in the same boat as OKC. They have a haul of draft picks to work with for the future. This season was an audition for the team they want to build down the road. Here’s what we learned;
- Jamahl Mosley is the right coach for this project
- Cole Anthony is their new #1 option
- Franz Wagner can do it all – Jalen Suggs isn’t far behind
- Wendell Carter Jr was a steal
- Mo Bamba has some potential
The first bullet point is undoubtedly the most important. Finding a coach to lead the team through the rebuilding process is vital. Building some sense of continuity when the roster goes through so much change is rare. But, the Magic seemed to have found their guy in Mosley.
Cole Anthony has emerged as a legit scorer. Franz Wagner is bound for an All-Rookie team, having had a surprisingly good rookie campaign. Jalen Suggs dealt with injuries, but he’s been ok when healthy. Orlando’s center rotation was a big mystery coming into the season.
Carter underperformed with the Bulls. Bamba never got to play after Orlando drafted him in 2018. Both players greatly increased their stocks with how well they played this season. Carter signed a $50 million dollar extension before the season. He then went out and had a carer year. Not a bad return investment, if I say so myself.
Bamba has shown potential in the first consistent minutes of his career. He’s an RFA this summer, so maybe he can get an offer to continue developing.
Orlando’s first rebuilding year was fruitful in a lot of ways. Let’s see how they can build on it for 2023.
Philadelphia 76ers: B+
From the Ben Simmons saga ending to the James Harden trade, Philly has had a wild mix of emotions this season. My expectations were tampered down for this team without Simmons, who made it clear he was never going to play for Philly again.
Joel Embiid was having a monster season, but the 76ers weren’t true contenders. That all changed when Harden came to town. The Sixers may have cost Embiid his coveted MVP award, but they gave him a co-star.
Now, that juggernaut offensive pairing hopes to lead Philly to a title. They’ve played well with Harden in the mix. At one point, I questioned whether it was the best midseason acquisition ever. That’s how good this duo looked, at one point.
I’m not a 76ers fan, but they’ve had a good season, all things considered. Now, it’s time for the test of the postseason.
Phoenix Suns: A+
Everybody expected the Phoenix Suns to be good in 2022. After making the Finals last season, how could they not be? They extended most of their youngsters over the summer, improved in some areas, and were ready to attack the season. They were hungry for another championship.
The problem was that we didn’t know how hungry this team was. Phoenix has run away with the best record in the league. They’ve been atop the Western Conference for more than four months. They’re a top-3 offense and defense, which is insane.
The Suns can do everything. CP-3’s injury was a roadblock I thought could hinder them. Instead, they hardly lost without him, and now he’s back sooner than expected. What can’t this team do?
Anthony Davis is wrong when he says the Suns got “lucky” last season. We all were. This team showed all of us that they weren’t one-hit wonders. They’re a team to be reckoned with. Now, their quest for a second shot at the title starts now.
Portland Trail Blazers: D
My Blazers have been unwatchable since the All-Star break. Nurkic, Simons, Hart, and Winslow have all been shut down due to injury. That has left us with one of the worst rosters you’ll ever see in the NBA. There’s a reason Portland has been 2-17 since the break.
I’m not mad because we’re losing. I’m mad that this didn’t happen sooner. Joe Cronin’s firesale shouldn’t have taken this long to materialize. After getting swept in 2018, we should have done all of that. Instead, we waited until 2022. *Claps*
But my Blazers aren’t rebuilding. No, they’re doing something far worse. They cleared $60 million off the books at the trade deadline along with a $21 million dollar trade exception. I think you see where this is heading.
I’m preparing myself for this team to throw too much money at players who don’t deserve it. I wish we would rebuild, but we’re too stupid for that. Instead, we’ll give an Evan Turner-like contract out and set ourselves back another five years.
If you couldn’t already tell, I love being a Blazers fan!
Sacramento Kings: D
*Curb your enthusiasm theme starts playing*
I hate the Kings.
San Antonio Spurs: B-
I expected the Spurs to be one of the bottom feeders in the Western Conference. Instead, they’re likely going to make the play-in tournament while thumbing their noses at the Lakers. Even better!
Dejounte Murray has had a break-out season, likely earning most improved player while he’s at it. Finally out of the shadow of DeRozan, Murray appears to be the leader for this Spurs team, something they desperately need as they enter this transition phase.
Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Jakob Poeltl are also players I like. My wishes for next season are more playing time for Josh Primo, San Antonio’s lottery pick from this season. He is rawer than fish right now, but I like his potential for the future.
All in all, the Spurs had a very productive 2022. Coach Pop breaking the all-time wins record was the icing on the cake. Now, it’s time to rebuild!
Toronto Raptors: A
Toronto has been average all season long. They don’t stand out on either side of the ball. Despite having enough versatility to last until rapture, their defense hasn’t been anything special. Their offense lacks playmakers.
But, over the last 15 games, they’ve turned the corner. They’ve had the best defense in the league over that time frame. They’re currently the 6th seed in the East, and could jump Chicago for the fifth. They’re peaking at the right time.
Even before this great end to the season, I liked the Raptors. Scottie Barnes headlines a highly versatile frontcourt. VanVleet and Trent were good two-way options, although they are too unreliable for my liking.
Toronto is a team primed for an upset in the playoffs. Teams may not be at full strength due to Canada’s vaccination mandates. Nick Nurse is great at making adjustments and isn’t afraid to throw out the playbook if needed.
The Raptors will look to grind teams out with their defense. While that’s good for Urban Meyer, most teams won’t like that style of play. That’s why I like their chances against anybody in the first round of the playoffs.
Utah Jazz: C
The Jazz were supposed to be a regular-season machine, again. I didn’t like their chances in the postseason, but those things don’t matter in the regular season. Right?
Instead, Utah has struggled for the majority of the season. Their defense buckled, especially when Rudy Gobert was out with injury. They didn’t address their desperate need for perimeter defenders during the trade deadline.
While they’ve remained an elite offense, this team is on a downwards slope heading into the playoffs. They blew a big lead against the short-handed Warriors a few nights ago. Overall, they’re 6-9 in their last 15 games. Not nice.
They’ve fallen to the sixth seed, which could set up a date with the Warriors. With all their shooting, movement, and spacing, it would be a matchup nightmare for the Jazz, even if Steph Curry was out. But wait, there’s more.
The Jazz don’t have any wiggle room to fix this team. That’s what happens when you put all your eggs into the wrong basket. They’re already over the luxury tax. They don’t have any draft capital. They’re stuck.
And boy, do I love it. I have never liked Utah’s way of playing. Last season, I was one of the few people who didn’t think they were as good as they appeared to be. Right now, I’m enjoying watching this team suffer. You’re free to join in, too, if you want.
Washington Wizards: C-
Remember when this team was first place in the East? That seems like so long ago. It’s safe to say the Wizards are nowhere near that mark anymore. Currently, they’re enjoying a tank to the top of the draft order.
Their financial decisions continue to baffle me. They got rid of Spencer Dinwiddie after giving him a three-year contract. Davis Bertans’ 80-million dollar self was shipped off as well. In return, they got another terrible contract in Kristaps Porzingis.
On top of that, they’re probably going to give Bradley Beal a supermax extension that he doesn’t deserve. That would be the icing on the cake for a franchise that doesn’t know how to spend its money.
Washington should be rebuilding. They have the young talent that necessitates that. Instead, they insist on being average. And that sucks.
What Are Your Thoughts On These Grades? Leave A Comment Down Below!
Follow My Instagram & Facebook To Never Miss A Post: @hoopnotions
