NBA Swing: Winners and Losers One Month In

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As of this week, the 2022-23 NBA season is one month in. There have been many shocks and surprises so far ranging from player performances, and team performances to off-the-court drama and more. Several players have been in the headlines for the right and wrong reasons. While there have been several surprising winners early in the season, there have been plenty of surprising losers as well.

Winner- Utah Jazz

Easily one of the biggest surprises this season, the Utah Jazz have shocked the entire league. A team that was expected to be at the bottom of the standings, the Jazz have been in the top tier of the Western Conference throughout the first month of the season. Currently sitting at 10-6, the Jazz have had blowout wins over several Western Conference foes including the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Lakers. In his first season with Utah, Lauri Markkanen has made the case for his first All-Star Appearance, putting up 21.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 2.3 APG. While they have slipped in both offensive and defensive ratings in their last few games, the Jazz are still top 10 in offense and in the top half of the league in defense. With their schedule only going to get harder as the season goes on, Utah looks to avoid the tank and could make the playoffs if they keep up their game.

Loser- Los Angeles Lakers

After a rough 2021-22 NBA season, the Lakers have gotten off to a horrible start this season. Currently sitting at 3-10, the Lakers have had a lot of problems this young season. The Lakers have not won a single game on the road so far this season and have not been good at home as well. The team has struggled on both ends of the court this season, sitting in the bottom half of the league in defense while sitting dead last in offensive rating. Russell Westbrook had a rough start to his season but has improved in his new role coming off the bench. Other than Westbrook, the Lakers have not had much help from the bench, something that has hurt them all season. There have been plenty of rumors of players being traded including Russell Westbrook and even Anthony Davis. If the trend of the Lakers losing games continues, it won’t be a surprise if a trade or two happens before the deadline. While the Lakers do have LeBron James signed through the 2024-25 season, this season will have a significant impact on the future of the franchise.

Winner-Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have continued their dominance from last season. The Celtics currently sit at 12-3, the best record in the Eastern Conference. While they haven’t been the best defensive team so far this season, they have the highest offensive rating in the NBA. Boston has been the best three-point shooting team, both in terms of makes and percentage. The Celtics great season so far has been led by Jayson Tatum, who has looked like an MVP contender, averaging 31.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 3.9 APG. In addition to Tatum, Jaylen Brown has continued to shine. Although they were not expected to drop off by a lot, many expected the Ime Udoka situation to have an impact on the team. Currently being led by assistant coach Joe Mazzulla, the team has remained strong. There is no doubt that the Celtics will remain a contender in the East. With big man Robert Williams III expected to be back at some point this season, his defense will add to the team’s already great offense.

Loser- Brooklyn Nets

No NBA team has been a bigger mess off the court than the Brooklyn Nets this season. Kyrie Irving has been at the center of another controversy that has cost him to miss games while Ben Simmons has missed games, with many questions his passion for the game. The team fired head coach Steve Nash less than 10 games into the season after ownership gave their support to him in the offseason. Earlier this week, Kevin Durant criticized the team’s starting lineup amid their struggles. On the court, the team has struggled on both ends. The team is currently in the bottom half of the league in both defense and offense. Only three players this season are averaging double-digit points per game. Ben Simmons has underperformed as a starter while the bench is one of the lowest-scoring benches in the league. There is no telling how the rest of the will go for the Nets, but it’s likely a trade will go down and at least one superstar could be traded, whether that’s the Nets making sure Kyrie doesn’t walk for anything or Kevin Durant requesting a trade again. While the season is only a month in, it’s looking like the Nets may not be able to escape the problems they keep having.

Winner-Luka Doncic

If there is one player having a career year this season so far, it’s Luka Doncic. Doncic has been on fire this season and is easily first in the MVP ladder right now. In the 14 games he has played this season, Luka is averaging an astounding 34.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 7.8 APG. Earlier this season, Doncic became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 30 or more points in the first nine games of the season. Luka’s work has paid off as he leads the league in scoring while being top-10 in assists. Only in his fifth season, the MVP award could easily be Luka’s for the taking. No player has truly been more valuable to their team than Doncic. If he can keep up his scoring all season, he’ll be only the second player in the last 15 years to average 34.0+ PPG. With Doncic having a tremendous year thus far, don’t be surprised if he’s raising the NBA MVP trophy come May.

Loser- Golden State Warriors

Given the fact they’re the 2022 NBA Champions, the poor performance of the Golden State Warriors this season has been an absolute shock. Golden State currently sits at 6-9, 12th in the Western Conference. While the team has been one of the better offensive teams in the league, they are a bottom-10 defensive team. There have been some bright spots though. Steph Curry has been the main bright spot for his team, playing at a level like his unanimous MVP season. Andrew Wiggins has had a solid season so far as well. Jordan Poole has had some flashes this season but has struggled at times. Klay Thompson has struggled this season, averaging only 14.7 PPG, his lowest points per game since his rookie season. Thompson is also shooting a career-low from the three. He has been criticized for his performance this season, but head coach Steve Kerr has made it clear Klay will not be coming off the bench. Draymond Green hasn’t had the best season either, but it is a slight improvement over last season. The future of the team has been struggling as Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Moses Moody have not had the best seasons, with Wiseman being sent down to the Warriors’ G-League affiliate team. While concern grows for the core of the team, a season like this would be a disappointing end to the Warriors dynasty.

Winner- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

One of the more surprising players this season has been OKC guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA has made a splash, going from one of the lesser talked about guards, to being a name in the Most Improved and MVP conversations. SGA is currently averaging 31.5 PPG (top five), 4.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG. The young guard is looking like a lock for the NBA All-Star Game later this season, his first appearance if selected. With the Thunder being at the bottom of the West for two of the last three seasons, people haven’t been talking about Gilgeous-Alexander like they talk about some of the more prominent guards in the league. This has helped SGA grow as a player while not being in the spotlight. Locked up through the 2026-27 season by the Thunder, SGA could lead his team to the playoffs if they put the right pieces around him. There is no telling how the rest of the season will go for the 7-8 Thunder, but this season will be considered a breakout season for SGA.

Loser- Minnesota Timberwolves

Acquiring Rudy Gobert in one of the biggest NBA trades of the offseason and many expecting Minnesota to be a contender this season, the Timberwolves have disappointed so far this season. Sitting at 7-8, the Wolves have struggled against playoff-level conference foes on both ends of the court while also having some issues off the court. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards have been reliable for the Timberwolves this season, putting up 21.1 and 20.9 PPG, respectively. D’Angelo Russell has taken a step back this season and has already been in trade rumors as the team looks to improve. The bench has not been great either. The bench ranks bottom 10 in scoring. Off the court, there have been issues that could raise questions about potential trades. Towns made comments in the early weeks of the season about Anthony Edwards’ diet, and he also criticized some of the decision-making on the court. Meanwhile, Gobert has liked tweets saying the Wolves trading for him was horrible. Even though the season is still young, things are looking disappointing for the Wolves. If things continue to trend down for the team, it’s likely a player could be on the move in hopes of saving Minnesota’s season from disappointment.