Top Five NBA Title Contenders

By | Bullscore 15 Mar, 2023

In this 2022-2023 NBA regular season, we have less than one month left before the playoffs, they have so much in this seed race but by the stats and my personal intuition, I pick the top 5 contenders to let’s check it out.

1. Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have been on a roll lately, winning 21 of their last 23 games and solidifying themselves as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Even more impressive, they have managed to achieve this despite only having their core players, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, start together for five games this season.

This serves as a warning to any potential challengers, especially considering Lopez’s performance as a top contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award. With Middleton recently scoring a season-high 31 points in a crucial victory against Sacramento, there’s hope that he will continue to perform at a high level in the playoffs.

2. Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant might not play in any more regular season games since he’s only played three games with the Suns so far. But if there’s anyone who can come back from an injury and immediately play like a superstar, it’s Durant. He’s done it before, and he could do it again during the playoffs.

If the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks faced each other in the Finals, some people might say that the Suns have a slight advantage because they have a team that’s specifically designed to challenge Milwaukee’s defensive strategy and counter Lopez’s protection around the rim. They have a trio of players who can create opportunities in the pick-and-roll and shoot accurately from the outside, which makes them a tough matchup for any team.

3. Golden State Warriors

Despite the Golden State Warrior’s struggles on the road during the regular season, I don’t think it’s a big deal. It’s hard to explain, but I believe that once they make it to the playoffs (assuming they do), they’ll hit the reset button and be just as dangerous as they were last year. It’s similar to last season when many people didn’t consider them a top-tier contender at various points, but they ended up winning the championship.

In the warriors, they have two key players which can’t change in this team the 1st one was Andrew Wiggins and the second player was Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins was the second most valuable player for the title team in 2022, the first thing he was made a comeback of his and the second thing is that if he comeback with a black and back in the form so he was unstoppable.

4. Boston Celtics

According to me, the Boston Celtics are one of the top contenders in the NBA due to several factors as their strong offense and defense, they have talented players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with depth, magnificent shooting ability, defensive flexibility, and lots of experience. With the addition of Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams’ rim protection, they seem to have all the characteristics of a championship team.

If Boston and Milwaukee were to face off in the conference finals, I believe that it would be an intense battle. While they previously favored Boston, the author now leans towards Milwaukee, citing their recent excellent performance over the past six weeks and the likelihood that they could have won last season with a healthy Middleton.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

When the Clippers added Russell Westbrook to their roster, I expressed my doubt that he would be a key contributor to a championship-winning team. However, despite my doubts, I still believe there is a chance that the Clippers could win a championship despite Westbrook’s at-odds play.

On the other hand, Kawhi Leonard has been playing at an exceptional level, particularly from beyond the arc. Since January 1st, he has been shooting 49% from 3-point range, which is the second-highest percentage in the league among players who have attempted at least four shots per game. The only player ahead of him is Kevin Durant, who has played in significantly fewer games during that time period.