With the NBA Season officially underway, there are a lot of questions about how this season will play out. From major off-season moves and rule changes, the 2021-22 season will be exciting to watch! 

Before we get into any predictions about this season, we need to understand what happened this off-season. Typically, the off-season has large implications for the results of the following season. This off-season has been one of the most active we have seen in a while. Most notably, the Lakers have completely transformed their team as they aim to make a run for the championship – a goal they achieved a season ago in 2020. The Lakers are looking stronger than ever with a combined 59 All-Star appearances on their roster after their trade for Russell Westbrook and a blockbuster free agency. Regardless of the star power on the Lakers roster, many analysts and fans have raised doubts about how old the team is. The Lakers have an average age of 30 years old (oldest in the NBA). If they are able to stray away from the high risk of injury, the Los Angeles Lakers added experience puts them in serious contention to win the championship.

The Milwaukee Bucks, the defending champions, have had changes during this off-season. With the loss of P.J. Tucker, a hole is left in the power forward position on the Bucks roster. It is presumed that finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, will take this role and will leave his natural position of center. This change may have serious implications that will only be discovered later in the season. However, Antetokounmpo has used this off-season to develop his shooting ability. If Giannis is able to post league-average shooting numbers while keeping his dominant physical play style, the Bucks should flourish this season. The Chicago Bulls, falling short of playoff contention last season, have emerged as a dark horse following this year’s off-season. With the acquisition of the 4-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, the Bulls are ready for a playoff run. Going 4-0 in the preseason, the Bulls are emerging out of the shadows and are ready to make a statement.

The new season also brings new rule changes which will have a major impact on how players approach the game. Popularized by elite shooters such as Stephen Curry and Trae Young, drawing fouls by jumping into defenders while taking a shot will no longer be considered a shooting foul. This move has been heavily criticized by defenders who feel restricted when playing aggressive defense. This change should change how elite shotmakers approach the game and it will be interesting to see how they adapt as the season progresses.

Taking all this into account, my predictions for the 2021-2022 NBA Season are set. The frontrunner for the MVP is Kevin Durant. Coming off a dominant playoff showing in the 2020-2021 season, Kevin Durant is ready for revenge and will be looking to further his dominance on the court. Regardless of the potential MVP performance Kevin Durant will put up, I predict the Milwaukee Bucks to repeat their championship run from last year and become the 2021-2022 NBA Champions. With Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, working on his shooting during the off-season, he will continue to dominate the league and lead his team to a second consecutive championship.

Credit:

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