Previews – Syndication Server

Pelicans season preview: The Zion Williamson show is back

The New Orleans Pelicans were looking like they were heading towards a nightmare season after striking out in 2021 free agency and then losing Zion Williamson for the season. While they got off to a slow start, they got a lot out of roster and …

The New Orleans Pelicans were looking like they were heading towards a nightmare season after striking out in 2021 free agency and then losing Zion Williamson for the season. While they got off to a slow start, they got a lot out of roster and rounded out their rotation at the trade deadline. They made a late push for the play-in tournament and gave Pelicans fans a lot to be excited about after stealing two wins from the Phoenix Suns. They will look to capitalize off their momentum with a deeper push up the Western Conference standings.

Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Pelicans season.

Thunder season preview: More of the same

The Oklahoma City Thunder are entering Year 4 of the post- Russell Westbrook era. They’ve focused entirely on accumulating draft picks, identifying the right players in the draft, and developing them. They overachieved in the first half in the …

The Oklahoma City Thunder are entering Year 4 of the post-Russell Westbrook era. They’ve focused entirely on accumulating draft picks, identifying the right players in the draft, and developing them. They overachieved in the first half in the previous two seasons before bottoming out in the second. With cornerstone Chet Holmgren already out for the season with an injury, this upcoming season probably will have the same formula.

Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Thunder season.

Pacers season preview: A rare tanking year for Indiana

Throughout most of Indiana’s recent history, they have ranged from a solid to a strong playoff team. Before getting the sixth overall selection in this year’s draft, the highest draft pick they’ve had in the last 30 years was the 10th overall in the 2010 draft. They are now projected to have one of their worst teams in franchise history after pivoting to a full rebuild, and that’s before potentially trading some of their top remaining rotation players.

Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Pacers season.

Magic season preview: The Paolo Banchero era begins

The Orlando Magic already have promising returns from their decision to blow up their core at the 2020-21 trade deadline in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. The team’s roster is filled with a lot of intriguing talent but it will likely still take …

The Orlando Magic already have promising returns from their decision to blow up their core at the 2020-21 trade deadline in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. The team’s roster is filled with a lot of intriguing talent but it will likely still take them at least another year before they can start looking like a cohesive group.

Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Magic season.

Knicks season preview: Bounceback year with Jalen Brunson?

Expectations for the Knicks last season were high after making the playoffs as a No. 4 seed in 2020-21. Injuries, a regression from Julius Randle’s All-Star year, and a stronger Eastern Conference all factored into the Knicks’ disappointing …

Expectations for the Knicks last season were high after making the playoffs as a No. 4 seed in 2020-21. Injuries, a regression from Julius Randle’s All-Star year, and a stronger Eastern Conference all factored into the Knicks’ disappointing campaign. And while the conference has likely gotten even stronger, there’s reason to believe that the Knicks could still get into the bottom part of the playoff mix. While they may not be a top team in the East, it’s also hard to envision them being a Bottom 5 squad like last year.

Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Knicks season.

Nuggets season preview: Can Nikola Jokic reach the Finals with more help this time around?

Can the two-time reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, make a deep playoff run with the help of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.?

The Denver Nuggets have made the playoffs four years in a row with Nikola Jokic, getting as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2019-20. Last year’s performance may have been even more impressive than that, however, as Denver reached the postseason with a 48-34 record despite being without the services of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. basically all campaign, and with Aaron Gordon as the team’s second-best player.

Now, with Gordon back to being a No. 3 or No. 4 option on most nights, a healthy Murray and Porter back in the mix and Jokic still performing like Jokic, just how far can the Nuggets go?

Mavericks season preview: Can Luka Doncic do it again?

After a decade of poor drafting and failed free agency plans, the Mavs finally won their first playoff series since 2011, including a demoralizing upset against the one-seeded Suns. Luka Doncic will look to carry the momentum from their trip to the …

After a decade of poor drafting and failed free agency plans, the Mavs finally won their first playoff series since 2011, including a demoralizing upset against the one-seeded Suns. Luka Doncic will look to carry the momentum from their trip to the Conference Finals into this season in hopes of bringing title number two to Dallas.

Below, check out our season preview for the 2022-23 Mavericks.

Clippers season preview: Best team in L.A. again?

HoopsHype previews the 2022-23 Los Angeles Clippers, with the team, under Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, looking primed for a title run.

The most anticipated season in Los Angeles Clippers history is upon us, one that will carry the heavy burden of expectation for a franchise with zero championships and zero Finals appearances in its history. Heck, the team has only made it to the Conference finals twice in its 53-season history.

Finals or bust may be unfair, but with how loaded the Clippers project is, led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who will be surrounded by good-to-great role players, maybe that should be the team’s goal for the upcoming campaign.

Below, we preview the 2022-23 Los Angeles Clippers season.

Heat season preview: Can Miami take that final step to win a title?

HoopsHype previews the 2022-23 Miami Heat, who have come close under Jimmy Butler to winning a championship. Can they get there this year?

Three seasons ago, the Miami Heat got all the way to the NBA Finals, coming within two games of taking home the fourth championship in franchise history, albeit in the COVID-19-related bubble in Orlando. Then, last year, they were within one game – and arguably one three-point attempt by star forward Jimmy Butler – from reaching the Finals again. Now, the team will look to take that final step and win a championship while Butler remains in his prime. The question is: Do they have enough as construed to get there? Because after this offseason, one in which they lost PJ Tucker to the conference rival Philadelphia 76ers without finding a replacement to start at power forward, there are questions about if the Heat have enough firepower for another deep playoff run.

Below, check out our season preview for the 2022-23 Heat.

Nets season preview: From turmoil to contention?

HoopsHype previews the 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets, who – behind Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons – could be championship contenders.

When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined the Brooklyn Nets back in the 2019 offseason, it was expected that the team would be competing for championships (plural) and reign among the NBA’s elite. Instead, in that three-year span, James Harden has come and gone, now replaced by Ben Simmons, Durant has already tried to get out and Irving’s off-the-court antics have slowly gone from being somewhat silly to indefensible.

The 2022-23 Nets, with the turmoil (maybe?) behind them, project to be one of the strongest teams in the league… on paper. Will things hold steady enough for Brooklyn – behind Durant, Irving and Simmons – to contend for a championship? That remains to be seen.

Below, check out our season preview for the 2022-23 Nets.