The Clippers are projected to be championship contenders in the 2023 season by nearly all accounts. It’s somehow the fourth year of the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era, and while the Clippers did make their first ever Conference Finals in 2021, the pressure is on for real results. Here’s a quick look at some overarching stories for the Clippers in the 2023 season.

Load Management

The Clippers are old. Their best player, Kawhi Leonard, has missed a lot of games in the past few years, and has delicate leg injuries. Their second-best player, Paul George, has had multiple surgeries in recent years as well. The Clippers will be cautious with all their veterans, whether that means not playing back to backs, playing less than 35 minutes per game consistently, or random nights off for rest and recovery. Clippers’ Coach Ty Lue will have to walk a fine balancing act throughout the 2023 season of keeping his team healthy, building chemistry for the playoff run, and winning enough games to be set for a deep push.

Starting Point Guard

Reggie Jackson will be the Clippers’ starting point guard at the beginning of the 2023 season. However, it seems there will be a test period of a few weeks while John Wall gets up to speed, and then a re-assessment. Because of Reggie’s proven fit with Kawhi and PG and what he means to the team, I think the starting role will have to be actively seized by Wall. But it is possible that Wall looks good enough to force the issue. This is the only spot where the starting role should be in question at all this year (I’d start Nic Batum or Robert Covington over Marcus Morris, but that won’t happen), and it will be a plotline to keep track of throughout the season.

Small Ball Triumphant

The Clippers have gone all in on small ball this year, eschewing a traditional backup center behind Ivica Zubac for the first time in his tenure. Moses Brown and Moussa Diabate are on two-way deals, but Brown will be parked on the bench most games, and Diabate will be in the G-League. The Clippers will be playing Robert Covington as their backup center, and while RoCo is excellent defensively as a help defender for his size, one wonders if he, Nic Batum, and Marcus Morris will hold up to banging with big men all year.

The small-ball tendencies also go further than just the backup unit. All indications are that the Clippers will go small to close, frequently, except maybe when Zubac is cooking or if the Clips are up against premier big men that require a true center to defend. Other teams have played small before – the Rockets of a few years ago come to mid – but the Clippers (and Raptors this year) are pushing it further.

Who’s the X-Factor

The Clippers have a number of question marks. There’s Kawhi Leonard returning to play after 17 months of injury recovery. There’s Paul George coming back after a disjointed and injury-ridden 2022. There’s John Wall playing as a lower option for the first time in his career. There are the young guys like Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, and Amir Coffey at the fringes of the rotation, all of whom can keep improving and maybe force Ty Lue’s hand if they show out. However, I’m being slightly predictable and going with Norm Powell.

I will reiterate what I’ve said on pods (and in writing) – I think Norm is overrated. He hasn’t been good defensively for a couple years, he’s a non-entity as a playmaker for others, and he’s a very poor rebounder. What he can do is score, and score in a variety of ways. This sounds a lot like former Clipper Lou Williams (who was a better passer but worse defender), and I think Norm can have a Lou-like impact. All talk of him being an All Star is fairly ridiculous in my opinion, but if he can continuously provide juice to the Clippers’ offense through shooting, downhill scoring, and free throw drives, the Clippers’ offense might have more diversity than it’s hard in the past couple years. Norm can definitely average 18 points a game on strong efficiency if he accepts his role, and if he adds some better defense on top of that, the Clippers will be sitting pretty.

Predictions

I said the Clippers would win 52 games in my Pacific Division preview, finishing 4^th in the West, and while I won’t hold to a specific wins total, I think low 50s ranging from 2^nd to 4^th in the West is about right. It’s too early to know what teams will or will not emerge throughout the 2023 season, but I think the Clipper will at least make the Western Conference Finals. If healthy, I can see them winning it all, but I’ll predict their first Finals appears and a loss in the championship. Still, it would be the best finish in franchise history!

Clippers 2023 Season Preview
Robert Flom

My division by division preview of the 2023 NBA season ends with the Pacific, perhaps the most loaded group in the NBA.

Golden State Warriors

Additions: Donte DiVincenzo, JaMychal Green, Patrick Baldwin Jr. (28^th Pick in 2022 Draft) Ryan Rollins (44^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Lester Quinones

Subtractions: Otto Porter, Gary Payton II, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damion Lee, Nemanja Bjelica, Chris Chiozza

Other: James Wiseman will return after missing all of 2022

Outlook: The defending champions are sitting pretty entering 2023. Sure, a couple key playoff rotation pieces in Otto Porter and Gary Payton II left. And yes, a bunch of other veteran regular season depth is gone as well. But the core is still there, and considering how much time Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green missed due to injury last year, and there’s a solid chance the Warriors will be better this year. That’s not even counting internal improvement from their young guys like high-powered bench scorer Jordan Poole, athletic forward Jonathan Kuminga, steady guard Moses Moody, and the enigmatic James Wiseman. None of those guys is good enough (yet) to be a true bridge to a post-Curry era, but they could be very good supplements now (Poole already is). The Warriors have championship equity and will be a threat to win 60 games with good health.

Prediction: 56-26

Phoenix Suns

Additions: Damion Lee, Josh Okogie, Jock Landale, Duane Washington Jr.

Subtractions: JaVale McGee, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Holiday, Frank Kaminsky

Other: Re-Signed DeAndre Ayton to a 4 year, $133M dea
Outlook: The Suns are more or less running back their 2022 squad that went 64-18 and then flamed out in the second round of the playoffs in spectacular fashion. While their postseason abilities may or may not have been exposed, there’s no real reason to think that their regular season success was fluky. Yes, Chris Paul is their best player, and he’s both ancient and historically injury-prone. Yet nearly every other key player on the roster is somewhere in their early to mid-20s with a chance to improve their game for this season. The Suns probably won’t win 60 games again, as doing so in back-to-back seasons is very unlikely, but they have a method of regular season success, a lot of top-end talent, and should be hungry to avenge last season. I am wary of their contention chances with Paul heading to his late 30s, but 55 wins is in the cards.

Prediction: 55-27

Los Angeles Clippers

Additions: John Wall, Moussa Diabate (43^rd Pick in 2022 Draft)

Subtractions: Isaiah Hartenstein, Rodney Hood

Other: Kawhi Leonard is returning after missing all of 2022

Outlook: The Clippers are bringing back nearly the entirely same roster as last season, but things will look completely different. Kawhi Leonard will play in games, Paul George will hopefully play in more than half the season, and Norm Powell will be integrated into the team. The Clippers might have the best depth in the league, and are coached by one of the best in the NBA in Ty Lue. However, their regular season record might not be as stellar as those statements might make you think – Leonard will presumably be on a rest and load management plan, and it wouldn’t be shocking if other Clips vets were as well. The Clippers are going to be all about getting to the playoffs healthy, not winning 60 games, so despite their depth, I don’t think they’ll be top of the conference. But, if they do reach the postseason healthy, they’re a clear contender to win it all.

Prediction: 52-30

Los Angeles Lakers

Additions: Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Max Christie (35^th pick of 2022 Draft), Cole Swider, Scotty Pippen Jr.

Subtractions: Talen Horton-Tucker, Stanley Johnson, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, D.J. Augustin

Other: Hired Darvin Ham as head coach

Outlook: The Lakers have two All-NBA level players in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a strong complementary starter in Beverley, and question marks. Russell Westbrook is still on the team – will he ever adapt his game to adjust to his declining athleticism and the presence of other stars? Can Thomas Bryant stay healthy and regain his form of a couple years ago? Can Lonnie Walker make the leap from flashy plays to positive impact for a good team? I tend to be skeptical on all of them, with Bryant being my most optimistic. The Lakers’ depth is better and younger than last season, but it’s still pretty bad, and the entire roster lack shooting. If Ham is able to get Russ to buy in, AD and Bron stay healthy, and a couple of the young guys break out, the Lakers could be pretty good. Odds are that despite their talent, age, injuries, and lack of depth will have them in mediocrity once more.

Prediction: 41-41

Sacramento Kings

Additions: Keegan Murray (4^th pick, 2022 Draft), Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, KZ Okpala, Matthew Dellavedova, Sam Merrill, Keon Ellis, Chima Moneke

Subtractions: Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless, Donte DiVincenzo, Jeremy Lamb, Damian Jones, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Josh Jackson

Other: Hired Mike Brown as head coach, replacing interim Alvin Gentry

Outlook: De’Aaron Fox-Kevin Huerter-Harrison Barnes-Keegan Murray-Domantas Sabonis is a pretty competent and well-fitting starting unit anchored by a multi-time All Star in Sabonis. Why do I only have the Kings improving by three games and sitting in the lottery once more? Well, I don’t think their roster is terrible, but it is simply not as strong as most others in the West. Sabonis is good, but he’s a fringe All-Star player, and Fox’s best season has been around that level too. Combine less than All-NBA top talent with a shaky bench and you get a team that might sniff around the play-in if things break right, but more than likely will be high in the draft once more in 2023.

Prediction: 33-49

2023 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division
Robert Flom

Next up in the 2023 NBA preview is the Southwest Division, home of several playoff teams and a couple of likely tankers.

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Danny Green, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Kennedy Chandler, Kenneth Lofton Jr., Vince Williams Jr.

Subtractions: Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton, Jarrett Culver, Yves Pons, Sam Merrill, Tyrell Terry

Other: Signed Ja Morant to a 5 year, $231M extension, Re-Signed Tyus Jones to a 2 year, $29M deal

Outlook: The Grizzlies, who were the second seed in the West last year and lost in the second round, are returning the core of the team. However, I do have them slipping a bit, as they lost two very competent and solid veterans in Anderson and Melton and replaced them with rookies. Additionally, a lot went right for the Grizzlies last year, Morant injury aside, and the West promises to be tougher this year. The Core Three of Ja, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane is awesome, and all three guys could still make major strides. Jackson in particular is intriguing, as he’s put together years of highly positive offensive and defensive level play, but never both in one season. The Grizzlies have the depth to withstand injuries, so if they stay healthy and their young guys continue to improve, they could blow past this prediction. I’m just a bit wary on their win totals this year.

Prediction: 49-33

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Christian Wood, JaVale McGee, Jaden Hardy (37^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Tyler Dorsey, McKinley Wright IV

Subtractions: Jalen Brunson, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Boban Marjanovic

Other:

Outlook: The Mavericks lost their second-best player in Jalen Brunson and replaced him with Christian Wood, a talented but mercurial big man who doesn’t fit the Mavs’ roster (specifically Luka) as well as Brunson. The Mavs still have a lot of the same roster from last year on a team that made the Western Conference Finals, and most importantly still have in Doncic a true superstar, but their roster seems a bit shabby compared to other West playoff teams. Luka plus defenders and rim runners is enough to win a good amount of games and maybe a playoff series, but probably not enough for anything more unless Luka makes another leap to “best player in the NBA status”.

Prediction: 48-34

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Dyson Daniels (8^th Pick in 2022 Draft), E.J. Liddell (41^st Pick in 2022 Draft)

Subtractions: Gary Clark, Tony Snell

Other: Getting Zion Williamson back from injury – and signing him to a 5 year, $193M extension

Outlook: The Pelicans made fewer offseason changes than almost any team in the NBA, only adding a couple players in the raft and letting two reserves walk in free agency. Their big move will be getting star big man Zion Williamson back after he missed all of last year with an injury, and putting him into place around the team that squeaked into the playoffs last year. A lineup of CJ McCollum – Herb Jones – Brandon Ingram – Zion – Jonas Valanciunas is extremely potent offensively, but features just one plus defender, and doesn’t have a ton of shooting. Zion is awesome, but he’s a bit of a difficult player to fit around, and it will take some work. Coach Willie Green proved up to the challenge in his first season, and has a nice roster with good depth to utilize. The Pelicans are going to be good – how good depends on Zion’s health, his improvement in year four (but really three), and their other young guys taking steps forward.

Prediction: 45-37

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Jeremy Sochan (9^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Malaki Branham (20^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Blake Wesley (25^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Gorgui Dieng, Alize Johnson, Isaiah Roby, Dominick Barlow, Jordan Hall

Subtractions: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Jock Landale, Davontae Cacok, Tyler Johnson, Anthony Lamb

Other:

Outlook: The Spurs are fully leaning into a rebuild for the first time in over 20 years. They weren’t great last year, but the presence of Dejounte Murray helped keep them at the mediocrity level. With Murray gone, all bets are off. The Spurs still do have some competent vets, notably Jakob Poeltl, but who knows how long such players will stick around. The Spurs also have some promising young talent, such as Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Tre Jones, but none of those guys seem like true difference makers yet. Sochan, Branham, and Wesley were a nice haul in the draft, adding some defense as well as shot creation, but the Spurs are still a couple years away from being interesting, even with Pop still coaching.

Prediction: 26-56

Houston Rockets

Additions: Jabari Smith Jr (3^rd Pick in 2022 Draft), Tari Eason (17^th Pick in 2022 Draft), TyTy Washington (29^th Pick of 2022 Draft), Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Trevor Hudgins

Subtractions: Christian Wood, Dennis Schroder, Trevelin Queen

Other: Re-signed Jae’Sean Tate to 3 year, $20.6M deal

Outlook: The Rockets had an excellent draft, adding a strong 3 and D type forward in Smith, a do-everything defensive dynamo in Eaosn, and a guard in Washington who has strong backup/capable starter potential. Add them to explosive scoring guard Jalen Green, crafty big man Alperen Sengun, and other young talent such as Usman Garuba, Kenyon Martin Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr., and you have the makings of a promising core. However, nearly the entirety of their roster outside of Eric Gordon is either a fringe veteran or less than three years into their career, and teams that young are rarely good. The Rockets might be fun, but barring massive leaps from several of their young guys, they seem destined for another high lottery pick this season.

Prediction: 23-59

2023 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division
Robert Flom

Our preview of the 2023 NBA season continues with a look at the Northwest Division, featuring the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, the slumping Jazz, and the tanking Thunder.

Denver Nuggets

Additions: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Ish Smith, DeAndre Jordan, Christian Braun (21^st Pick in 2022 Draft), Peyton Watson (30^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Jack White, Collin Gillespie

Subtractions: Monte Morris, Will Barton, JaMychal Green, Bryn Forbes, Austin Rivers, Facu Campazzo, DeMarcus Cousins, Markus Howard

Other: Getting back Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. from injury, Re-signed Vlatko Cancar to 3 year, $6.8M deal, Re-signed Davon Reed to a 2 year, $4M deal

Outlook: The main reason the Nuggets will be great is Nikola Jokic, the back-to-back reigning MVP and already one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. Jokic alone just about guarantees a playoff berth, and as he’s in his prime with minimal injury history, he should get the Nuggets there this year. The Nuggets did revamp a lot of their roster, and I’m mixed on the moves. KCP is a good addition, as is Bruce Brown, but Monte Morris in particular is a big loss, and the Nuggets’ big man depth is awful. DeAndre Jordan might be the worst non-rookie or fringe young guy player in the NBA, and any minutes he gets will be brutal. Still, Jamal Murray will be about 18 months removed from his ACL tear, and even if he’s not 100%, his pick and roll chemistry with Jokic will add a ton to the offense, while Brown and KCP will strengthen the defense. The wild cards are Michael Porter Jr. and his health (I’m skeptical) and talented young guard Bones Hyland, who was awesome for the Nuggets down the stretch, and could be huge for the Nuggets offensively if Porter is a wash.  

Prediction: 55-27

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: Rudy Gobert, Kyle Anderson, Austin Rivers, Bryn Forbes, Eric Paschall, CJ Elleby, Wendell Moore Jr. (26^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Josh Minott (45^th Pick in 2022 Draft), A.J. Lawson

Subtractions: Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, Josh Okogie, Jake Layman, McKinley Wright IV, Greg Monroe

Other:

Outlook: The Wolves made perhaps the single biggest move of the offseason by trading for Rudy Gobert. Not only did they overhaul and bolster their own roster, the trade also set the Jazz on a rebuilding course and determined a new price for superstars in trades – a price that was so high it may have prevented the Kevin Durant trade from occurring. Gobert is one of the best floor raisers in the NBA, a singlehandedly dominant defensive presence and a useful offensive player in the regular season. Pairing him with the best shooting big man of all time in Karl Anthony Towns and a slashing athletic wing force in Anthony Edwards seems like a good combo. And, in the regular season, I think the Wolves will be extremely good (I also love the Kyle Anderson signing). I don’t really believe in the Towns-Gobert combo in the playoffs on the defensive end, or in D’Angelo Russell as a lead playmaker, but the Wolves should win a ton of regular season games – this might even be a low estimate.

Prediction: 51-31

Portland Trailblazers

Additions: Jerami Grant, Gary Payton II, Shaedon Sharpe (7^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Jabari Walker (57^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Jared Rhoden, Isaiah Miller, Norvel Pelle

Subtractions: Eric Bledsoe, Ben McLemore, CJ Elleby, Dennis Smith Jr., Kelvin Blejins, Brandon Williams, Kris Dunn

Other: Re-signed Anfernee Simons to a 4 year, $100M deal, Re-signed Jusuf Nurkic to a 4 year, $70M deal, Re-signed Drew Eubanks to a minimum contract

Outlook: The Blazers had an injury-riddled down season last year after a consistent half-decade as a solid playoff team, shedding many of their prior core including CJ McCollum in the process. They’ve reloaded the roster around aging superstar Damian Lillard, trading for veteran forward Jerami Grant, signing defensive specialist Gary Payton II, bringing back starting center Jusuf Nurkic and super sixth man (or starter) Anfernee Simons, and adding young talent. If Lillard is healthy and better than he was in his miserable 2022 campaign, the Blazers have enough talent to be pretty good. However, I remain skeptical of Chauncey Billups’ coaching ability, and still think the Blazers don’t have quite enough defense or dynamism offensively. Barring another leap from Simons or another young guy like Nassir Little, the Blazers are a strong play-in or lower playoff seed playoff team to me.

Prediction: 47-35

Utah Jazz

Additions: Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Talen Horton-Tucker, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Stanley Johnson, Simone Fontecchio, Johnny Juzang

Subtractions: Rudy Gobert, Royce O’Neale, Hassan Whiteside, Trent Forrest, Eric Paschall, Danuel House, Juancho Hernangomez

Other: Shopping Donovan Mitchell and other veterans for rebuilding offers.

Outlook: Of any team in the NBA, the Jazz probably have the most up in the air right now. Having already traded one franchise cornerstone in Gobert, they’ve been in discussions to trade Donovan Mitchell, their younger star player. Additionally, other veterans such as Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson have been rumored about in trade talks as well. Thus, it’s difficult to quite predict the Jazz’s season, as it depends on if those guys get traded, when they get moved, and what the return is. It’s likely that most of their veteran core will be shipped out, and probably for young guys and draft picks, so the Jazz will be in tank-land. However, we don’t quite know that for sure, and definitely don’t know if it will happen before the season, so I priced in at least some games of Mitchell and the others in Jazz uniforms to boost their record a bit. Still, the Jazz will probably be quite bad this year.

Prediction: 31-51

Oklahoma City Thunder

Additions: Chet Holmgren (2^nd Pick in 2022 Draft), Ousmane Dieng (11^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Jalen Williams (12^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Jaylin Williams (34^th Pick in 2022 Draft)

Subtractions: Isaiah Roby, Olivier Sarr, Mamadi Diakite, Jaylen Hoard

Other: Re-signed Mike Muscala to a 2 year, $7M deal

Outlook: Disaster has already befallen the Thunder, as it was announced last week that prized rookie Chet Holmgren would miss the entire 2023 season due to a foot injury suffered in a Seattle Pro-Am game. The Thunder have been dreadful the past two years, and with no additions outside of rookies, and their best rookie out, they don’t stand to improve much. Sure, their roster is mostly young guys, and there will be internal development (hence the gain in wins from 24 to 28), but in the highly competitive Western Conference, a team with only a few vets and a lot of unproven young guys is most likely to be terrible. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is once more tethered to a bad roster, though hopefully he plays more with promising second-year player Josh Giddey this season. I liked the Thunders’ draft a good bit, and they should once again be enjoyable enough, but a third year of tanking seems locked in.

Prediction: 28-54

2023 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division
Robert Flom

It’s late August, the NBA schedule is out, and there is virtually no NBA news at the moment. Therefore, we continue our preview of the 2023 NBA season with a look at the Central Division.

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Joe Ingles, Marjon Beauchamp (24^th Pick in 2022 Draft), AJ Green

Subtractions: De’Andre Bembry, Rayjon Tucker

Other: Re-signed Bobby Portis to 4 year, $45.5M deal, Re-signed Wes Matthews to the veteran’s minimum, Re-signed Jevon Carter to 2 year, $4.3M deal, Re-signed Serge Ibaka to the veteran’s minimum

Outlook: The Bucks are bringing the band back together. They won the championship in 2021, and were a hair away from the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 even without one of their best players, Khris Middleton, for most of the playoff run. Giannis Antetokounmpo is, for my money, the best player in the NBA, an unstoppable and implacable force on both ends of the court. His supporting cast isn’t perfect, but they’re very competent, especially defensively, and all their key free agents were retained. As long as Giannis is in his prime, the Bucks are a title contender, as simple as that.

Prediction: 53-29

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: Ochai Agbaji (14^th Pick of 2022 Draft), Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto, Robin Lopez, Isaiah Mobley

Subtractions: Rajon Rondo, Brandon Goodwin, Ed Davis

Other: Collin Sexton is still drafting in restricted free agency limbo….

Outlook: The Cavaliers also mostly sat still in free agency, bringing back Ricky Rubio (who they’d traded mid-season last year after he tore his ACL) and adding a couple other veterans at key positions. The Cavs seem content to let their young core grow, and who can blame them? Evan Mobley was incredible as a rookie (and had Rookie of the Year stolen from him), Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are two of the youngest All Stars in the NBA, and they all fit together excellently last year. Mobley in particular still has a ton of room to grow on both ends of the court, and his becoming a DPOY-level player this season is both possible and could unlock another level of upside for the Cavs. Collin Sexton’s restricted free agency is still a question mark, but it seems likely he’ll be back on a short-term deal to help the Cavs’ bench scoring.

Prediction: 49-33

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Andre Drummond, Goran Dragic, Dalen Terry (18^th Pick of 2022 Draft), Justin Lewis

Subtractions: Troy Brown Jr., Tyler Cook, Tristan Thompson, Malcolm Hill

Other: Re-signed Zach LaVine to 5 year, $215M supermax deal, Re-signed Derrick Jones Jr. to 2 year, $6.5M deal

Outlook: The Bulls did almost nothing this offseason outside of locking up Zach LaVine to a supermax deal. The Bulls had been first in the East for much of 2022 before falling apart due to injuries and getting bullied in the playoffs by the Bucks, and it seems their front office thinks that with better luck and more time together, this roster could be good enough. I’m skeptical, mostly because I doubt DeMar DeRozan can repeat his 2022 performance, and because Lonzo Ball’s knee injuries don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. The Bulls should still be a playoff-level team, but it’s hard to see them taking down the Bucks, Celtics, or Sixers in a playoff series.

Prediction: 45-37

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Jaden Ivey (5^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Jalen Duren (10^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Kemba Walker, Kevin Knox, Buddy Boeheim

Subtractions: Jerami Grant, Josh Jackson, Luka Garza, Deividas Sirvydis, Cassius Stanley

Other: Re-signed Marvin Bagley to a 3 year, $37.5M deal, Re-signed Rodney McGruder to a veteran’s minimum

Outlook: The Pistons have been very bad the past couple years during their rebuild, and will probably not be particularly good this year either. However, they should be a ton of fun – Cade Cunningham is one of the best young players in the NBA, and giving him an athletic slasher like Ivey should be a terrifically entertaining combo. Add in Jalen Duren as a rim-running terror and Saddiq Bey popping threes and you have a nice core. The Pistons are very, very young outside of a few random vets like Kelly Olynyk, and young teams are rarely winning teams in the NBA. So the Pistons will probably be a bit better than last year, but are a year or two away from doing much of consequence. Still, keep an eye on them, especially if Cade breaks to stardom in his second year.

Prediction: 29-53

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Bennedict Mathurin (6^th Pick in 2022 Draft), Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard (31^st Pick in 2022 Draft)

Subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon, TJ Warren, Lance Stephenson

Other: Re-signed Jalen Smith to a 3 year, $15M deal

Outlook: The Pacers seem to be leading full-bore into a tank, having traded or let go of most of their veterans over the past 12 months. Myles Turner is the sole long-time Pacer left on the roster, and he – and other vets such as Buddy Hield – seem likely to be traded this season. Tyrese Haliburton is dope, Mathurin is a promising prospect, and there are other fun young guys like Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith. But barring something unexpected, the Pacers are likely to be a lottery team this year.

Prediction: 24-58

2023 NBA Season Preview: Central Division
Robert Flom

Next up in our 202 season preview series is veteran guard Lou Williams, whose role will probably be somewhat diminished this season but remains a crucial part of the Clippers’ plans.

Key Information

Height: 6’1

Weight: 175 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard

Age: 34

Years in NBA: 15

Key Stats: 18.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.7 steals in 28.7 minutes per game across 65 games played on 41.8/35.2/86.1 shooting splits.

Playoff Stats: 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 0.8 steals in 26.2 minutes per game across 13 games played on 42.5/23.5/81.1 shooting splits.

Contract Status: In final year of a 3 year, $24M extension, unrestricted free agent at end of 2021 season.

Expectations

Lou Williams will probably play somewhere between 25 to 28 minutes per game this season, much as he has the last two years. While the addition of Luke Kennard makes Lou’s skills somewhat superfluous, Lou’s passing, scoring, and overall leadership will make him an essential element to the Clippers’ attack as long as he is on the roster.

Lou’s playoff struggles mean that the Clippers probably don’t want to rely on him as heavily as they have in recent years, but then again, that’s what Kennard is for. In the regular season, Lou will come off the bench for either Pat Beverley or Paul George, and probably do most of the ball-handling while in the game.

However, because of the addition of Kennard, there’s a good chance Lou is traded. The Clippers lacked a balanced roster last year, and while Lou brings a lot of value, both he and Kennard are negative defenders, making them tough to play together in the playoffs. Lou has an easily movable deal, is in the last year of his contract, and would be a perfect addition to another contender who needs his shooting, scoring, and playmaking more than the Clippers might.

If he does stick around, depending on how good (and healthy) Kennard looks, Lou’s role might get diminished in the playoffs. But he’s simply too strong an offensive player (and positive presence) to be benched, and will presumably get at least a handful of minutes per game in the postseason even if Kennard has usurper his first guard off the bench role.

Strengths

Lou Williams is one of the best sixth men of all time in large part because of his scoring acumen. Few NBA players have as many tricks in their bag as Lou – he can hit deep threes off the dribble, play off-ball, get to the free throw line, and force his way downhill even against a set defense. Lou has a wide assortment of flip shots, floaters, and sideways-jumping midrange jumpers that enable him to get off shots in a myriad of ways, especially within 15 feet of the basket. Despite his age, his ballhandling ability and acumen at catching defenders off balance mean he can still knife his way into the lane to finish and draw fouls. While his height is a disadvantage, and he’s not as quick as he used to be, Lou remains a tough cover for almost any defender in the NBA.

Despite his scoring proficiencies, Lou’s true value (and what differentiates him from the likes of Jamal Crawford or many other scoring bench guards) is his passing and playmaking. Lou’s highest assist per game numbers of his entire career (by far) have been in a Clippers jersey, and he’s been the best overall playmaker on the team throughout his tenure. Now, that very fact has been one of the weaknesses of this Clippers team – Lou should not be a contender’s top passer – but he’s a highly underrated creator for others. His pick and roll with Montrezl Harrell was devastating, yet even without his partner, Lou should be able to create magic in the pick and pop with Serge Ibaka off the bench.

Even though his scoring efficiency plummeted in the 2020 playoffs, the Clippers were much better with Lou on the court when off, and that speaks to both his playmaking and the threat of his presence. Even when he’s not shooting the ball well, defenses respect him both on and offball, which creates room for others on offense. And, while his defense was bad, he should look somewhat better without Montrezl Harrell performing as a virtual sieve on the backline.

Finally, Lou is a leader. From the accounts that we’ve heard from the 2020 season, he was the closest thing to a leading light for a locker room that desperately needed such a voice. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are not natural leaders, and Pat Beverley is more of a hype man than someone who can get a team on track. Lou is someone who everyone on the team respects and will listen to, and that’s invaluable.

Weaknesses

Lou Williams is a bad NBA defender. In the regular season, that’s usually not too much of an issue. Sure, it hurts the team on a night to night basis, but it’s not something that is specifically targeted much. However, the playoffs are a different story. When teams can gameplan for an entire series, glaring weaknesses are picked upon, and Lou’s defense is usually one of those. The effort is usually there, but Lou is simply too small and weak for most wings, and does not possess the lateral speed to stay in front of faster guards. He can be hidden off-ball sometimes, but even there inattentiveness can come into play as a negative. There are worse NBA perimeter defenders, but not too many.

The other negative with Lou is streakiness. While his ability to get to the line and playmaking covers for a lot of ills, he’s not a great jumpshooter, and will go through longer and more dire shooting slumps than other top-tier scorers. As he’s aged, his ability to finish around the rim has diminished, which has only exacerbated the streaky shooting. While Lou doesn’t get quite as shot happy as Jamal or guys like Dion Waiters, he usually tries to shoot his way out of slumps, and that can result in some ugly performances.

Summary

Lou Williams remains a very good, if flawed player. His scoring, passing, and leadership make him a valuable member to the Clippers, and the only guy who might possibly replicate his skills is Luke Kennard. Therefore, while his playoff struggles are a real downside, if the Clippers move him, they’d better be sure to get someone who brings at least some of what Lou offers. Lou’s a fan favorite who says that he wants to retire as a Clipper, and hopefully he is able to do so – after helping win the Clippers a ring.

Clippers 2020-2021 Season Preview: Lou Williams
Robert Flom