Photo by TJ Dragotta on Unsplash
The 2022/23 National Basketball Association’s regular season begins on Oct. 18, 2022 and will end on Apr. 9, 2023. The 2021/22 season saw the Golden State Warriors as the champions of the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship trophy with superstar Wardell Stephen Curry taking home the Bill Russell NBA Finals’ Most Valuable Player Award.
With some free agency moves and new players from the draft, there is a lot of anticipation for this season.
Notable Players from the draft
The 2022 NBA draft took place on Thursday, Jun. 23. Jaden Ivey, a six-feet-four-inches guard from Purdue University went fifth place in the first round, he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
Keegan Murray, a six-feet-eight-inches forward from the University of Iowa went fourth in the first round of the draft. He was picked up by the Sacramento Kings. The Houston Rockets drafted Jabari Smith Jr., a power forward who played for Auburn University. Jabari went third in the NBA draft.
Chet Holmgren, who played at Gonzaga University, was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the second pick in the draft. He plays the power forward/center position and stands seven feet tall.
The first pick of the 2022 NBA draft was Paolo Banchero, a six-feet-10-inches forward from Duke University. Bancherowas drafted by the Orlando Magic.
Notable 2022 Free Agency Moves
Blake Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star who played for the Brooklyn Nets last season, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics. Andre Drummond, a two-time NBA All-Star who also played for the Philadelphia Sixers and Brooklyn Nets last season, has agreed to a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls.
Javale McGee, a three-time NBA Champion who played for the Phoenix Suns last year, has agreed to a three-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player award winner, which he won in the last two seasons, has agreed to a five year extension with the Denver Nuggets. The Denver Nuggets also signed 14-year-NBA veteran Deandre Jordan.
Andre Igoudala, a four-time NBA champion and NBA finals MVP, all of which he won with the Golden State Warriors, has returned on a one-year deal with the team. John Wall, a five-time NBA all star who hasn’t touched the court since April 23, 2021, signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dennis Schroder, a nine-year NBA veteran, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Schroder played for the Houston Rockets last season.
Ja Morant, an NBA all star and NBA rookie of the year, who was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, has agreed to a five-year extension with the team. Victor Oladipo, a two-time NBA All-Star, has returned on a one-year deal with the Miami Heat. He also played for the Miami Heat last season.
Karl Anthony Towns, a three-time NBA All-Star, agreed to a four-year extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has played for the Timberwolves since the team drafted him back in 2015.
Zion Williamson, the 22 year-old basketball prodigy and NBA All-Star who missed last season due to a foot injury, has agreed to a five-year extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, the same team that drafted him.
10-time NBA All-Star and NBA MVP James Harden has agreed to a two year deal with the Philadelphia Sixers. Harden first signed with the Philadelphia Sixers during the 2021/22 season, when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets in a package deal along with Paul Millsap, in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first round picks.
Devin Booker, a three time NBA All-Star, who was drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2015, has agreed to a four year extension with the team. The Suns are the only team he’s played for since the beginning of his NBA career. Damian Lillard, a six time NBA All-Star who has played for the Portland Trail Blazers since the beginning of his career, has agreed to a two year extension with the team.
Bradley Beal, a three-time NBA All-Star has signed a five year extension with the Washington Wizards. Beal has played for the Wizards since they drafted him third overall back in 2013.
New Coaches
The Los Angeles Lakers’ former coach, Frank Vogel, who led the team to an NBA championship in 2020 in his three years with the team, will be succeeded by Darvin Ham.
Ham has two NBA championships himself, one as a player for the Detroit Pistons in 2004, and another as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in the year 2021. Vogel was fired mainly for the Lakers’ not making the playoffs for the 2021/22 season.
The Sacramento Kings have put Mike Brown as head coach in place of Alvin Gentry, who was an interim for the previous season. Quin Snyder, the Utah Jazz’s former coach, resigned after eight seasons with the team. Will Hardy has taken his place.
Steve Clifford will succeed James Borrego as the team’s head coach for the Charlotte Hornets. Joe Mazzulla will serve as an interim head coach for the Boston Celtics following the suspension of Ime Udoka due to his violation of team policies.
Important dates and other facts
The 2022/23 NBA season will make it the league’s 77th season.
The 2023 NBA All-Star weekend, where the league’s best talent will go head-to-head in competitions like the NBA Dunk Contest, the NBA Three Point Contest, the NBA Skills Challenge, the NBA Rising Stars Game and the NBA All-Star Game is set for Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, 2023. The Utah Jazz is set to host the All-Star weekend at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
The NBA Playoffs, where the league’s top sixteen teams will battle for the Larry O’Brien NBA finals trophy, will begin on April 15, 2023. It will end with the NBA Finals in June 2023.
Day-to-day information on games, stats, standings and other news can be found here.