Sky Sports’ NBA 2022/23 Christmas Review: Five big talking points from the action so far | NBA News

5 massive speaking factors from the motion up to now, and what you possibly can count on from the tail finish of the 2022/23 NBA season…

Something can occur

The Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are vying for pole place within the Japanese Convention.

Although it could have been an extended stretch of dominance for the Celts, a current string of defeats to the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Clippers, proves that there are weaknesses within the supposed greatest group within the league.

Maybe groups have change into savvier on how you can dismantle the Jayson-Tatum-led offence. Maybe Tatum’s absence on Sunday as he celebrated his son’s birthday was all that was wanted to permit Paolo Banchero to work his magic.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers lurking because the quantity three seed, and in vein of type as they lastly function with a match and wholesome Donovan Mitchell, there’s each alternative for a shock coup, ought to the Celtics not deal with this current lapse with the seriousness it deserves.

The play-in groups are simply as thrilling

The Brooklyn Nets provide the identical stage of readability in their very own starters too now that the mud has settled on their early season controversy.

Head coach Steve Nash was relieved of his duties on November 1 on the finish of a tumultuous reign that had seen accidents and Kyrie Irving’s Covid vaccination ineligibility points restrict him and Kevin Durant to only 64 appearances collectively, whereas the pair and James Harden featured solely 16 instances collectively as a trio that had been tipped for Championship success.

Brooklyn’s offseason had been marred by Durant’s commerce request and accompanying ultimatum in search of the dismissal of each Nash and common supervisor Sean Marks, earlier than extra just lately Irving was given a multiple-game suspension with out pay after initially refusing to problem an apology for posting a hyperlink to an antisemitic work on his Twitter feed.

Certainly, below new head coach Jacque Vaughn, the Nets have won their last five games, with nine of their previous 10 ending as victories. Couple that with Kevin Durant in MVP-reaching type and you’ve got a group set to take care of their spot within the play-ins.

Each the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks shall be seeking to do the identical within the post-Xmas stretch. For the previous, Joel Embiid has been in monstrous type, dominating the rim motion, and transcendent in transitions. His group have now gained 4 on the bounce, and they’re very adept with sharing the factors. In current video games, De’Anthony Melton, Georges Niang and Shake Milton have picked up double digits.

In the meantime, within the Western Convention, the Sacramento Kings may very well be on their strategy to a primary play-in go to since 2006, probably joined by the Portland Path Blazers, if they’ll discover consistency of their type.

How the tables are turning

The defending champions are in a spot of trouble.

No Stephen Curry for over a month. Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Inexperienced, and Klay Thompson are managing accidents. All obligations fall onto an unreliable pairing of Jordan Poole and James Wiseman. A torrid file on the highway.

Maybe we’re being untimely with our worries. However the reality of the matter is, the Dubs will not be inspiring hope that they’re going to make it to the play-ins. With out their key starters, they’ve hardly impressed, with Sunday’s 126-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors, a uncommon win with out Curry’s inclusion.

They’ve one of many worst defensive information within the league, conceding over 100 factors per sport, and are regularly unable to place collectively an actual defensive setup.

Time is working out. And never only for the Warriors, however the Los Angeles Lakers too. And the Dallas Mavericks. Every of those groups boast the perfect gamers within the league, battling away within the MVP dialog, however unable to save lots of their groups from capitulating. If that is not entertaining, then we do not know what’s.

The tankathon is properly and actually on

There are six groups vying for the basement spot within the NBA Convention standings. Some are there by selection, others not a lot.

The San Antonio Spurs appear to be in each classes. For starters, they didn’t put up a lot of a struggle as their star participant DeMar DeRozan departed for greener pastures, as an alternative buying and selling him for 4 future first-round picks. Although head coach Gregg Popovich swears they’re in it to struggle, it’s extremely simple to see the prize – Victor Wembanyama – and get excited.

The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets are each groups present process rebuilds. The identical will be mentioned of Banchero’s Magic.

Oklahoma is the one group that already brags a famous person in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A team-up of Wemby and SGA could be completely lethal. However that is simply another reason to proceed watching.

MVP conversations in full circulation

The MVP conversations are in full flow, and there isn’t any scarcity of expertise vying for the prize.

Main the cost are Boston’s Tatum and the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, each gamers who’ve damaged factors information this season on the trail to attaining the newly named Michael Jordan trophy.

Sprinkle in Ja Morant, Kevin Durant, Curry, Zion Williamson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic, who obtained an enormous triple-double on Sunday night time, and you have your self a race.

Notable accidents have sleuthed their method in to derail our predictions previously. Certainly, no MVP winner has missed greater than 11 video games a season and nonetheless gained it. Curry is already on that path, and maybe Morant too. Anthony Davis is one other who was in the perfect type of his life earlier than a foot harm intervened.

In that case, preserve updated with our MVP predictions and picks, and we’ll be certain every flip and twist is held accountable.