NBA 2021-22: The top contenders gunning to end the Bucks’ repeat hopes

Seven
franchises
have
achieved
the
feat,
with
the
Golden
State
Warriors
the
last
team
to
do
so
in
2018.

But
the
fact
the
73-9
Warriors
of
2016
proved
unable
to
retain
the
title
illustrates
just
how
difficult
a
challenge
it
is
to
repeat
and
hold
on
to
the
Larry
O’Brien
Trophy.

The
Milwaukee
Bucks
will
attempt
to
become
the
eighth
franchise
to
successfully
defend
their
crown,
though
they
will
face
no
shortage
of
competition.

With
the
2021-22
season
beginning
on
Tuesday,
Stats
Perform
looks
at
some
of
the
top
contenders
for
the
title
in
the
coming
campaign.

Milwaukee
Bucks

Let’s
start
with
the
obvious.
The
Bucks
are
the
favourites
because
they
have
the
best
player
on
the
planet,
with
all
due
respect
to
reigning
MVP
Nikola
Jokic
and
Dallas
Mavericks
star
Luka
Doncic.

Giannis
Antetokounmpo
was
fourth
in
points
per
75
possessions
last
regular
season
with
29.6
and
dominated
on
the
defensive
glass.
His
defensive
rebounding
percentage
of
28.9
was
12th
in
the
league.

The
main
feather
in
his
cap
going
into
2021-22
is
his
ability
to
elevate
his
game
to
another
level.
In
leading
the
Bucks
past
the
Phoenix
Suns
in
last
season’s
Finals,
he
racked
up
211
points.

Giannis
braced
for
Durant
battle
in
Bucks-Nets
opener:
Nobody
in
this
world
can
slow
down
KD

That
tied
Bob
Pettit
for
the
third-most
in
a
Finals
debut
behind
Rick
Barry
(245)
and
Jerry
West
(218).
Only
West
and
Michael
Jordan
(both
four)
can
better
his
tally
of
three
games
with
40
points
or
more
in
a
single
Finals.

Supported
by
Khris
Middleton,
who
had
five
games
of
30
points
or
more
in
the
post-season,
and
an
elite
facilitator
in
Jrue
Holiday,
whose
10.5
assists
per
48
minutes
ranked
fifth
among
players
to
play
in
at
least
10
playoff
games,
Antetokounmpo
has
a
deep
and
dynamic
surrounding
cast,
making
the
Bucks
excellent
candidates
to
go
all
the
way
again.

Phoenix
Suns

The
Suns
may
not
be
the
first
name
on
everyone’s
lips
when
it
comes
to
title
contenders
but,
having
led
2-0
in
the
Finals
before
succumbing
to
Giannis
and
the
Bucks,
they
are
deserving
of
a
place
on
the
list.

In
an
offseason
that
could
have
seen
much
change,
the
Suns
managed
to
keep
the
band
together,
the
headline
deal
being
an
agreement
that
saw
Chris
Paul
signed
to
a
new
contract.

While
Deandre
Ayton
and
Devin
Booker
are
both
the
present
and
the
future
for
the
Suns,
their
title
aspirations
rest
largely
on
the
ageing
shoulders
of
Paul.

Paul
was
the
only
Finals
player
to
finish
above
Holiday
in
assists
per
48
minutes
in
the
postseason
(minimum
10
games),
averaging
12.0
across
the
course
of
the
playoffs.

NBA
2021-22:
Luka
Doncic
leads
MVP
candidates
but
faces
fierce
competition

He
set
up
Ayton
143
times
in
the
regular
season
and
reached
three
figures
in
laying
on
buckets
for
Booker
(118)
and
Mikal
Bridges
(106),
living
up
to
his
moniker
of
‘Point
God’.

However,
with
a
combined
plus/minus
of
-37
across
the
four
successive
losses
to
Milwaukee,
he
will
have
to
raise
his
game
when
it
matters
most
if
he
and
the
Suns
are
to
end
their
respective
waits
for
a
title.

Los
Angeles
Lakers

Rarely
has
LeBron
James
not
had
a
chance
to
win
the
NBA
title
over
the
course
of
his
illustrious
career.

However,
injuries
limited
James
to
just
45
games
and
Anthony
Davis
to
36
in
the
regular
season,
forcing
the
Lakers
into
a
play-in
game.

James
performed
heroics
to
lead
the
Lakers
past
the
Warriors
in
that
game
but
they
were
subsequently
bounced
out
of
the
playoffs
by
the
Suns.

The
Lakers’ response
was
to
add
to
their
arsenal
of
stars
by
acquiring
Russell
Westbrook
in
a
trade
with
the
Washington
Wizards.

Lakers’
LeBron
James
insists
reducing
workload
won’t
prevent
injuries

Former
MVP
Westbrook
tied
Jokic
for
the
league
lead
with
45.5
points/assists/rebounds
per
game
in
2020-21
while
breaking
Oscar
Robertson’s
record
for
career
triple-doubles.

Such
numbers
will
not
be
possible
playing
alongside
James
and
Davis
but,
if
he
can
thrive
in
a
more
supplementary
role,
the
Lakers
should
be
firmly
in
the
mix
to
regain
their
2019-20
title.

Brooklyn
Nets

There
is
a
case
to
be
made
that,
had
the
Nets
not
been
hit
by
injuries
in
their
Eastern
Conference
semi-finals
series
with
the
Bucks,
they
would
have
been
the
ones
lifting
the
trophy.

However,
Kyrie
Irving
and
James
Harden
were
limited
to
only
four
games
in
that
seven-game
series,
leaving
the
burden
primarily
on
Kevin
Durant.

For
very
different
reasons,
there
will
be
a
lot
of
strain
on
Durant
in
2021-22.

The
Nets
are
facing
up
to
not
having
Irving
for
most
of
if
not
all
of
the
campaign
as
the
issue
of
his
vaccination
status
casts
a
cloud
over
the
start
of
their
season,
which
begins
against
the
Bucks.

Unable
to
play
in
home
games
or
practice
with
the
Nets
due
to
being
unvaccinated,
the
franchise
has
said
Irving
will
not
play
until
the
matter
is
resolved.

That
means
the
Nets
face
being
without
a
player
who
averaged
51.7
points/assists/rebounds
per
48
minutes
last
season.

Despite
his
absence,
the
Nets
cannot
be
discounted
as
contenders
due
to
the
presence
of
Durant
(57.5)
and
Harden
(56.9),
but
that
duo
must
stay
healthy
and
must
at
least
maintain
if
not
exceed
their
2020-21
levels
for
Brooklyn
to
have
a
legitimate
shot.

Golden
State
Warriors

Once
perennial
favourites,
the
Warriors
are
perhaps
more
of
an
outside
bet
these
days.
However,
when
you
have
Stephen
Curry,
you
cannot
be
taken
lightly
as
a
potential
contender.

The
Warriors
missed
out
on
the
postseason
in
2020-21
following
consecutive
defeats
to
the
Lakers
and
Memphis
Grizzlies
in
the
play-in
tournament,
Curry
having
willed
Golden
State
to
an
eighth-placed
finish
in
the
Western
Conference.

Curry
averaged
a
career-high
32.0
points
per
game
and
his
scoring
average
of
32.1
points
per
75
possessions
was
second
only
to
Joel
Embiid
(32.9).

Converting
a
league
record
5.3
threes
per
game,
last
season
was
the
third
in
which
he
averaged
at
least
5.0.
He
is
the
only
player
to
achieve
the
feat
even
once.

And
with
fellow
Splash
Brother
Klay
Thompson
due
back
at
some
point,
having
missed
the
past
two
seasons
through
injury,
and
Andre
Iguodala
returning
to
likely
finish
his
career
with
Golden
State,
Curry
should
have
much
more
help
this
time
around.

He
still
has
his
main
facilitator
Draymond
Green,
who
led
the
league
in
setting
up
Curry
194
times
last
term,
while
the
onus
will
be
on
2020
first-round
pick
James
Wiseman
to
develop
into
the
floor-stretching
big
man
the
Warriors
drafted
him
to
be
after
an
injury-curtailed
rookie
year.

Andrew
Wiggins’
vaccination
status
is
cleared
up,
ensuring
the
Warriors
will
have
a
former
number
one
overall
pick
who
shot
a
career-high
47.7
per
cent
from
the
field
in
the
previous
campaign.

Jordan
Poole’s
18
points
in
19
minutes
in
preseason
against
the
Lakers
gave
further
rise
to
hopes
he
can
emerge
as
a
valuable
piece
for
the
Warriors,
whose
two
rookie
first-round
picks
Jonathan
Kuminga
and
Moses
Moody
add
to
an
intriguing
blend
of
experience
and
youth
that
could
help
Golden
State
get
back
among
the
elite.