By Feras Chahid
(Image courtesy of nba.com)
The 2020 – 2021 NBA season was a spectacular year, but also a shortened one due to COVID-19. However, this did not stop teams from putting on jaw dropping performances and giving the fans a memorable season. The playoffs unleashed the true potential of numerous talented players and had all fans at the edge of their seats, eager to predict who will win the title. Ultimately, the Milwakee Bucks took home the Championship in an 0-2 deficit comeback against the Phoenix Suns. As the season begins, people are already making predictions as to what team will take the title this year. In fact, we will be looking at the most promising teams entering the new season.
Golden States Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have made 5 consecutive finals appearances in the past 7 years (2015 -2019). Out of those 5, they won 3 along with a baffling record. However, the past 2 years haven’t been memorable ones for the Warriors. In 2020, they had a record of 15-50, finishing with the worst record that season! Last year, they improved their game but still couldn’t make the playoffs. The reason for this was because they lost their 2 star players: Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Both suffered serious injuries and Klay is still unable to play as of now due to his torn right achilles. Despite these setbacks, the Warriors have come back healthy and better than ever. Fans have high hopes as Curry has started off the season strong with 1 triple-double and 2 double-doubles. With a healthy Warriors team being as scary as it is, their chances of winning the championship have gone up once again!
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have recently gotten a newly redefined roster and have even been referred to as a “superteam”. This is due to the fact that they have not 1, but 4 superstars on their team! These players include Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Blake Griffin. With such versatility on offense and defense, they are one of the fan favorite teams despite losing an upset against the Bucks last season in the playoffs. As of today, their record is 1-2, but it is bound to change with time. Their team is still relatively “new” because the players do not have as much chemistry as of yet. Nonetheless, if they play as they did last season with some improvements, they will undoubtedly be a finals contender.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are probably one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA. They have been home to all-time greats such as Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareemn Abdul-Jabbar, and most recently, Lebron James. The list goes on. They’ve even won 17 championships, which is tied with the most in NBA history along with the Celtics. In their current state, many also refer to them as a superteam as they have multiple superstars and even 2 future hall-of-famers (Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony). Their most recent championship was in 2020, which goes to show their potential as a team. It is self explanatory why the Lakers are one of the favorites this season, especially due to Lebron’s presence on the team.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks, otherwise known as last season’s champions! This team has improved drastically on the court and their coaching has done a wonderful job on building their team around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their team is fairly young and they have already won a championship against other so called “superteams”. With them just coming off a championship season, their built up confidence and momentum can easily lead them to another one this year.