The “Almost Contender” Tier of NBA Teams

The 2022-2023 NBA season will commence in a week, and at this point most teams have solidifed their core roster that they’ll roll into the season with.

Although this year will be a race to the bottom for many teams, as Victor Wembanyama continues to be touted as one of the greatest prospects we’ve ever seen, the upper echelon of the NBA will still look to capitalize on their championship window.

Today I’ll be looking at the teams I believe to be second-tier NBA teams. Every team on this list will have a great year, however, I don’t believe any team on this list has a real shot of winning the championship.

Honorable Mention: Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant and the Grizzlies shocked the world last year, and they will have the same roster minus DeAnthony Melton going into this season. I don’t believe they’ll be in this tier of teams, however, due to the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. combined with the fact that many similar caliber teams have made massive upgrades.

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans gave the Phoenix Suns, the best team in the league last year record-wise, a real run for their money in the first round last year. Brandon Ingram cemented himself as a top-25 player, C.J. McCollum proved to be a great veteran addition and secondary star, Jonas Valanciunis played at an All-Star level for a bit, and Herb Jones proved to be the steal of the draft. This year, the Pelicans will add their best player, Zion Williamson to that group of guys.

The Pelicans are a force to be reckoned with that can give any contender a scare in a Playoff series, but I don’t think they have enough experience as a unit. In addition, their PG position seems to be in the air, and I don’t think a rookie Dyson Daniels can be the guy just yet.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers made one of the biggest splashes this offseason, trading for three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland has one of, if not the best backcourt in the league with Mitchell slotting in next to All-Star Darius Garland. The Cavs also have one of the best defensive front courts in the league, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, to cover the defensive weaknesses of their backcourt.

Cleveland may fall short this season due to the age and inexperience of their core, but they have built a team they can be confident in for the future.

Phoenix Suns

Everything that could go wrong for the Phoenix Suns in the last year has gone wrong. Going into the playoffs with the best record in the NBA, they lost in an embarrassing blowout at home in the second round. Their owner, Robert Sarver, was involved in a massive scandal over racist and sexist behavior. On top of all of that, their 2018 number one pick, Deandre Ayton, returns as a less-than-satisfied employee following multiple trade rumors.

Regardless of that, this Suns team finished with the best record last year and made the NBA Finals the year before. They will likely drop off, but still have stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul along with a deep supporting cast coached by one of the best coaches in the game, Monty Williams.

Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn is another team that has had a bumpy past year. James Harden, who they mortgaged their entire future for, requested a trade out after a year in Brooklyn; the player Brooklyn got in return, Ben Simmons, has not touched an NBA court in over a year. Kyrie Irving sat the majority of the season out over his protests against vaccine mandates, causing major strife within the locker room. Kevin Durant, their best player, returns to the team after a dud in the playoffs and a dramatic trade saga.

Although Brooklyn is obviously not the most conventional team, they deserve a spot on this list purely due to their sheer starpower. Kevin Durant is still in his glory days and one of the best players in the league, and Kyrie remains a top 15 player in the game. Ben Simmons, although a controversial player, is one of the league’s best defenders and offers strong tertiary creation for the squad.

Minnesota Timberwolves

My full thoughts on the Timberwolves can be found here. I might be too high on them, but I view them as a well-oiled machine that will have three stars next year.

I expect the Wolves to fall short in the Playoffs due to their youth, but they’ve built a team that I think will dominate the regular season.

Conclusion

Although I said that I don’t expect any team on here to win it all this year, surprises happen all the time, and a team here may just shock the world.