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The NBA is becoming less and less predictable every year. The teams with high expectations – i.e., the Nets, Clippers, Lakers – all underperformed in 2021-22. Furthermore, when we all thought the Warriors’ dynasty was over, the team captured another championship.
I want to highlight the most overrated NBA teams for 2022-23 and explain why they’re not as good as people think. We always have to be wary of teams garnering a lot of hype before the regular season begins.
Dallas Mavericks
- 2021-22 Record: 52-30
- Head Coach: Jason Kidd
- Key Players: Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Mavericks overperformed and went on an incredible run during the 2021-22 postseason. It culminated in a Western Conference Finals appearance where they faced the Warriors and were eliminated in five games.
Will the Mavericks compete again for a Western Conference Championship in 2022-23? I highly doubt it. Aside from Luka Doncic, the roster barely features players to get excited about. The team also lacks depth at multiple positions.
Keep in mind that the team lost Jalen Brunson, who was carrying the offense when Doncic was resting and also played well alongside the Slovenian. The Mavericks can’t sustain its success as a one-man show and desperately need to add more support players.
They remain a solid team that should qualify for the NBA Playoffs, but challenging for the title is not on the agenda.
Brooklyn Nets
- 2021-22 Record: 44-38
- Head Coach: Steve Nash
- Key Players: Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving
I’m a big supporter of Kevin Durant, but he’s yet to achieve any success with the Nets. When he arrived in Brooklyn, the expectations immediately were to win an NBA championship. However, the Nets have failed to deliver anything worthwhile during Durant’s tenure.
That’s probably the reason he wanted to leave in the offseason. Since no deal was made, the superstar will play for the Nets again. The question is whether his motivation will be intact after the summer saga.
Let’s also not forget that future Hall of Famer Kyrie Irving’s experience in Brooklyn has also been disappointing. He’s an immensely talented player, but Irving has missed a lot of playing time since he joined the Nets in 2019 for various reasons.
Star point guard Ben Simmons recently joined the Nets, and he’ll provide a new dynamic to the team. What concerns me about Simmons is that he hasn’t appeared in an NBA game in over a year due to a back injury. The jury’s still out right now on what he’ll contribute when healthy.
There are way too many question marks surrounding each of Brooklyn’s top players. That’s a recipe for disaster, and the upcoming season won’t be easy for the Nets.
Phoenix Suns
- 2021-22 Record: 64-18
- Head Coach: Monty Williams
- Key Players: Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton
Here’s a team that squandered multiple opportunities to capture a championship. Phoenix finished the 2021-22 season with the best regular season record but failed to do anything in the playoffs. In the season prior, the Suns lost to the Bucks in the NBA Finals.
The Suns, by all accounts, are a good team. They have a core of talented young players who do all the right things on the court.
The problem is that Devin Booker underperforms in the Playoffs, Chris Paul is too old and injury-prone, and Ayton might be demotivated after some turbulent moments last year.
Philadelphia 76ers
- 2021-22 Record: 51-31
- Head Coach: Doc Rivers
- Key Players: Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey
The reason why the 76ers are overrated is simple: the team is mega-talented, but they don’t have any championships to show for it. The roster features four players who averaged more than 17.0 points per game last season.
Joel Embiid is arguably a top-3 player in the NBA right now. He’s dynamic, explosive, and a big reason why the 76ers are good in the first place. However, the team often falls apart in the playoffs, with Embiid having to do all the heavy lifting.
On top of that, t no other NBA head coach has failed to live up to expectations quite as spectacularly as Doc Rivers. He’s only captured a single NBA championship despite having over 1100 career wins (including the playoffs) as a head coach.
James Harden also joined the 76ers midway through the 2021-22 season. The team acquired him in hopes of catalyzing a successful postseason run. Harden was ultimately lackluster, averaging only 18.6 points per game during the playoffs.
Miami Heat
- 2021-22 Record: 53-29
- Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra
- Key Players: Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro
Miami is a pretty dangerous team that played well last season. However, when it comes to competing against Championship level contenders, they tend to unravel.
The biggest issue for Miami is that the team lacks star power – Jimmy Butler was the only player who made the All-Star team during the 2021-22 season. Although head coach Erik Spoelstra got the most out of his young players, roster deficiencies still persist.
The hope here is that Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo can improve for Miami moving forward. Herro recently won Sixth Man of the Year, and Adebayo is as good as they get on defense. They’re both excellent players, but they are not good enough to lead Miami to a title yet.
Let’s also not overlook that the Heat haven’t made any major roster changes during the offseason. They’ll likely rely on a few unproven players to carry the load when the new season begins. I expect Miami to be good and win plenty of games, but they won’t contend for a title.
Conclusion
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