With the NBA season —and an in-season tournament, for some reason — underway, The UCSD Guardian’s sports section has the hot takes you’ve been looking for. So, with roughly 6% of the 2023-24 NBA regular season played, here are our definitive predictions for the rest of the basketball calendar. 

Chris Paul has Revived the Warriors Dynasty

From mortal enemies to allies, Chris Paul has helped bring the Golden State Warriors back into contention for an NBA championship. After the Warriors’ abysmal season last year, they decided to trade for Chris Paul. Since Paul’s arrival, the Warriors have started 5–1 while going undefeated on the road. By contrast, last year’s Warriors didn’t get their first road win until Nov. 20. The Warriors are top 5 in net rating and in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating. It’s clear that as a basketball team, the Warriors have improved immensely since the addition of Chris Paul — most evident in their bench play. Since Chris Paul moved to the bench, the Warriors have had a positive 2.7 net rating from non-starters; last year the Warriors’ bench had a -2.9 rating. Throughout the dynasty, all the years in which the Warriors have won a championship they have had a positive net rating off the bench. If Chris Paul can continue to lead this Warriors team at their current level, who’s to say that Golden State can’t win an NBA Championship? 

— Jake Lannon, Senior Staff Writer

The Clippers’ Curse Could Finally End

In their 53 years of existence, the Clippers have not only failed to win the NBA Finals, but they have never even made it there. However, the Clippers have added yet another superstar to their team: James Harden. Despite being 34, Harden can still score, averaging 21 points per game across his final season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He joins a team that already includes proven superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Despite this talent, the main concern on everyone’s minds is whether the backcourt duo of Harden and veteran point guard Russell Westbrook can flow together, especially after their chaotic 2019-20 season together on the Houston Rockets. The main issue with their partnership in Houston was how ball dominant both players were; both Russ and Harden consistently led the league in usage rate and were known for taking an absurd amount of shots, averaging around 51 combined field goal attempts. Years later, their roles have changed. Westbrook has reestablished himself as less of a ball-heavy guard, while Harden became the 76ers’ second offensive option behind Joel Embiid. The key to the Clippers’ success this year is for these two formerly ball-heavy superstars to continue to embrace their new roles as contributors. If they can do that, and provide backcourt support to Leonard and George, then the Clippers might finally break the curse that has haunted them for 53 years.

— Alan Zhang, Contributing Writer

The Nuggets Have What It Takes To Go Back-to-Back

After winning the NBA Finals in June, the Denver Nuggets have started out this season as one of the last unbeaten teams in the league and are currently among the top teams in the Western Conference. While they aren’t the flashiest team in basketball, they still have two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who is already averaging a 25 point double-double. They have maintained many of their core components from last season, most notably Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Head Coach Michael Malone. The West is generally viewed as the more competitive of the two conferences, with “super teams” like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and LA Clippers — along with several other teams with young stars — having what it takes to make a deep playoff run. But the Nuggets beat out all of these teams last season, and even with many teams making big offseason moves, we know the Nuggets have a winning formula. With the loaded Western Conference set up to cannibalize each other once again, only one team can survive and make it to the Finals. And when the playoffs roll around, it’s hard to imagine a team that’s ready and able to beat the Nuggets in a 7-game series. 

— Ryan Kirton, Contributing Writer

Victor Wembanyama is an All-NBA Team Contender

The Wemby Frenzy has officially begun. After a 38-point gem in the San Antonio Spur’s victory over the Suns, the 7 foot, 4 inch tall rookie drew high praise from a player whose accomplishments many believe Wembanyama could one day rival. “He’s his own player,” Kevin Durant told reporters. “He’s going to create his own lane that’s much different than anybody who’s ever played.” Through five contests, Wembanyama is running roughshod through opposing lanes — and should be discussed amongst the top 15 players in the league. Averaging 20.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on a lottery team one year removed, Wembanyama has the Spurs looking sharp early in 2024, and could find himself on an All-NBA roster at season’s end. The past three All-NBA 3rd team power forwards have been Domantas Sabonis, Julius Randle, and Pascal Siakam. While their career averages are all around Wembanyama’s current line, they are each much older than Wembanyama and may face potential voter fatigue. Meanwhile, the NBA will certainly look to market the young star, making his All-NBA case even stronger. Not that he needed it, of course. Have you seen this kid ball?

— Vishnu Vijayakumar, Contributing Writer

If Healthy, the Pelicans Will Get Past the First Round

The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t made the Western Conference Semifinals since the Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and Nikola Mirotić era of New Orleans basketball. In fact, since that glorious 2017-18 season, the Pelicans have only had one winning season — in which they immediately got bounced from the play-in. However, this year’s Pelicans have the talent to not only make the playoffs but upset a first round opponent. Zion Williamson is a historically elite basketball player; he has averaged 25.7 points per game on a 63.9 true shooting percentage through only 118 career games, a feat that is essentially unheard of in the shot clock era. Through 5 games this season, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum have both averaged over 20 points per game, contributing to the Pels 4–1 start. New Orleans has been ravaged by injuries in past seasons, with Williamson and Ingram in particular missing long stretches of games. However, slow starts from the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Sacramento Kings so far this season mean the Pelicans are fourth in the West. If Zion can put together a 70 game season (and doesn’t get traded at the deadline), look for the Pelicans to be a sneaky playoff team.

— Kurt Johnston, Sports Editor