Tuesday, 14 May 2024

Season Review: 2022-23

The 2022-23 NBA season was filled with excitement, surprises, and incredible performances. As the season began, several players found new homes in a flurry of offseason trades. The league saw major shakeups, with star players like Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell leaving the Utah Jazz, and Dejounte Murray being traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets made an under-the-radar trade, acquiring role players Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.

Off the court, the NBA mourned the loss of the legendary Bill Russell, who passed away in July 2022. The league paid tribute to him throughout the season by retiring his jersey number and displaying commemorative patches on players’ jerseys.

Throughout the season, scoring records were shattered, with an unprecedented number of players averaging 25 points or more per game. Notably, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard each had career-high scoring nights, both dropping 71 points in a single game.

LeBron James made history by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer. The Los Angeles Lakers, however, struggled to find success as a team and underwent significant changes, including trading Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz.

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The Sacramento Kings broke their 16-year playoff drought, led by star guard De’Aaron Fox and coach Mike Brown, who was named Coach of the Year. Injuries also plagued many teams, with several stars missing significant playing time.

When the playoffs rolled around, there were no shortage of surprises. The top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat, who went on to make a historic run to the NBA Finals as a low seed. In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets dominated, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers on their way to their first Finals appearance in franchise history.

The Finals were truly a showcase for Nikola Jokic, who led the Nuggets in every major statistical category. With standout performances from Jamal Murray and the supporting cast, the Nuggets emerged as the champions, with Jokic earning the Bill Russell Finals MVP award.

Overall, the 2022-23 NBA season was a thrilling journey, filled with standout performances, surprising upsets, and unforgettable moments.