2022-23 NBA lookahead: Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons
2022-23 NBA lookahead: Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons, There are some stars who have returned from significant injuries: Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, and Jamal Murray
If there is a dead period in the NBA schedule, it is early August. As we all wait in a Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving-Donovan Mitchell holding pattern, the only thing we can do right now is start looking ahead with the facts we have. So these are the ten guys I’m most excited to see in the 2022-23 season. They’re all for different reasons, but they’re all quite intriguing. Let’s get started.
Williamson received a five-year contract extension this summer after appearing in only 85 games in his first three NBA seasons. The pact is guaranteed to pay him $193 million and may be worth up to $231 million. The agreement has a weight clause. Williamson might forfeit a chunk of his guaranteed money if his body-fat percentage plus weight surpasses 295, but that only happens if the Pelicans release him. If that happens, everything will be utterly out of control.
For all intents and purposes, the Pelicans are on the hook to pay a cap-breaking amount of money to a player who has struggled immensely to stay on the floor for the next five years. They’re doing so because Williamson has been practically unstoppable on the floor. His scoring efficiency has ranged from remarkable to historic. His ability to get downhill going left is amazing, often starting a beat before the catch when everyone knows that’s where he wants to go. Second leaps don’t get any faster or more explosive than his.
In any case, we don’t require a Zion scouting report. He’s fantastic. And the Pelicans may be if he plays 65-70 games. He’s the most fascinating player in the league entering into this season, in my opinion.
Put it in the “for obvious reasons” ledger. After the drama of last season, the expectation for Simmons’ expected return to the court could not be higher. First and foremost, is he psychologically prepared to participate? The Nets hinted that Simmons may return at the conclusion of their playoff series against the Celtics, but ultimately abandoned that plan after falling down 3-0. Was it truly only a physical problem?
I’m not sure anyone, not even the Nets, knows what to expect from Simmons. If Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving stay in Brooklyn, it appears to be a perfect situation for Simmons, who would no longer have to be the primary creator/scorer and could instead focus on defense, transition, cutting/rolling, and secondary creation. But does he have what it takes to commit to such a little attacking role? There are so many questions.
Everyone will be watching Simmons attentively in the early going if he’s on the floor, and I’ll be cheering for him. That’s unusual for me to say. I’ve never been a fan of Simmons’ game, and I, like most others, despised the way he handled his departure from Philadelphia. I couldn’t bear all the “I’m smarter than you” nonsense while everyone was bragging about how exceptional he was. I’ve switched now that everyone believes he’ll stink, especially in a playoff environment. I’m now pulling for him. It’s odd, but a No. 1 overall selection on a max deal has become somewhat of an underdog. That’s really cool.