More or less, a lot is expected of these teams in the race for the ring. However, the weakness is terrible statistics In some cases, any number of stars outweighs their theoretical strengths. As recent precedent shows, having too many meetings is itself a bad thing. Here are five title candidates that may disappoint.

Too many stars together can end badly.

phoenix suns

As he himself knows well, the trio of stars is carried away by the devil. kevin durantThis comes from Irving and Harden’s bad experiences with the Nets. There are great examples of this combination in the West as well. lebron davis westbrook With the Lakers.

brought bradley beer take part in it Devin Booker Durant seems to be doing very well and the experiment is now over. highlight, but it is necessary to check who is establishing the order on the basis.Booker and Beal could play such a role, but one would have to sacrifice points in favor of the other, and you also have to consider that Booker was very used to playing together. be Chris Paul.

After this unknown, there are a few more.A virtually new team with a new coach. -Frank Vogel-This is due to the starting center not doing well after being traded for Jusuf Nurkic. Deandre Ayton And it’s under pressure from recent history and stubborn owners.

It’s no secret that the heartbreaking 2-0 loss to the Bucks in the 2021 Finals highlighted the Arizona team’s desire to win its first ring and the new owner’s impatience. Matt Ishbia He made the passionate decision to fire Monty Williams as coach, and was fired less than 48 hours after last year’s loss to the Nuggets.

We can’t ignore the doubts about Kevin Durant leading the team to the ring. ‘Durantula’ lives up to his life and NBA accomplishments, but he has been criticized for not winning in the ring Lead the team Well, the two he has were fitted as part of a Warriors-like system that was already in place.

The Suns have Grayson Allen, Drew Eubanks, Eric Gordon, bowl bowl Like Yuta Watanabe. But doubt far outweighs certainty, and with so many stars and this bet, anything that doesn’t win the ring goes away. Failure.

Endless problems and complexities for MVPs

philadelphia 76ers

After more than 20 years of disappointments, I don’t think this year will be like that, starting with this issue. james harden and chronic diseases nick nurse He will be competing as the Sixers’ new coach.

“The Beard” decided to break his two-day silence by making it clear that unless he is traded, he plans to turn pro and play and train in Philadelphia, ruling out identifying himself as “Ben Simmons.” . First of all, it suits him. 34 years And if you do not have the most athletic body, you will not be able to easily reach the peak of star shape, and if it does not apply to the track, its value will decrease, so you want to maintain the interest of the sports world That’s what I think. clippers Initialization.

However, he remains an unfortunate star, already prone to disappointment in the playoffs alongside other players suffering from the same disease. joel embiid He didn’t act like an MVP in last year’s ill-fated Game 7 game against the Celtics in the conference semifinals.

Nick Nurse brings fresh ideas and determination to put together a more collective and unpredictable Sixers, far from a predictable team that is very strong but also brittle at the same time. doc rivers That it was all based on the duo of Embiid and Harden. But changing the mentality seems a bit complicated, especially when the size isn’t there, another chronic problem for Cameroon’s centers heading into the playoffs.

This isn’t helped by the NBA’s new rest policy or Nurse’s idea to let Embiid play more. In fact, the former Raptors coach is known for giving minutes to his stars, as he proved in Toronto. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.

There are no major reinforcements, and it will be important to take a new step in the summer when the core remains. Tyrese Maxey The road to stardom, especially amid Harden’s uncertain circumstances, and among new characters. patrick beverly Versatility for the inside game, which new players from Europe like Philip Petrushev Former Red Star.

The curse of the conference semifinals will end someday, but it’s equally true that the problem is becoming more and more common. It’s been 22 years since the Sixers have not played in at least one conference final. Allen Iverson They lost to Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers in the 2001 Finals.

Doncic is missing something

dallas mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have surrounded themselves well this summer. Luka Doncic and was renewed kyrie irving After last year’s fiasco, they have added a good supporting cast, particularly the arrival of former Barça player Grant Williams, who has strengthened the perimeter on both sides of the field. Dante Exum And Seth Curry. Williams enhances the painting with his versatility. newcomer Derek Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Overall, the Texas team has a better roster than last year. But to make matters worse at the center position, Dallas’ big hole last season was the lack of a center that combined top-level performance on both sides of the court, guaranteeing consistently high points after his contract was not renewed. “5” was also absent. Christian Wood. The current Lakers player could have faltered inside his own basket, but his versatility ensured he protected opponents.

Dwight Powell He hasn’t filled the role of a high-volume scorer, nor has rookie Derek Lively II, who is currently playing as Dallas’ “5” starter in the preseason.and Markieff MorrisAlthough not a scorer at Wood’s level, he aims to play the role of witness.

Doncic finally seems committed to moving forward physically, and Jason Kidd would have had time to adjust to a duo with Irving, but he wasn’t able to do that in the urgency of last year. However, it lacks the total of “5” that most of the previous champions had. On top of that, Wood’s non-renewal meant adding to Ring’s direct rival.

Even more difficult miracles

miami heat

Despite his recent Final game And with their outstanding ability to compete regardless of the quality of their team, few would consider the Heat a candidate for a ring. But they may be disappointed because the very objective Miami set out to be, the title itself, is poorly argued for.

Own jimmy butler has revealed that his goal is to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy, insisting that “this is the year.”

However, if the Heat already had a limited roster, it seems more likely that they would end up presenting this season without arriving. Damian Lillard And a reliable replacement for starting point guard Gabe Vincent, who left the Lakers, has yet to arrive. kyle lowry He’s aiming to be the starting point guard for now, but no matter how much basketball talent he has left, I doubt the 37-year-old point guard can shoulder the responsibility of leading a contender to the ring.

Erik Spoelstra After the arrival of pieces like, the squad boasts a thick layer of thomas bryant -Center that guarantees rest for Bam Adebayo, RJ Hampton, and Josh Richardson. And he’s excited about what kind of contribution he can make. Nikola Jovic In his “second year” campaign after a strong performance at the World Cup with the Serbian national team. However, the void at point guard seems too big at this point.

But if the Heat have shown us anything, it’s that they aren’t influenced by any narrative or logic. Miami is known for its enduring Groundhog Day and ability to create unexpected stars at sanctioned events. Heat culture. Although miracles don’t happen every year.

Champion’s Curse

denver nuggets

Nikola Jokic It has been improved year by year, jamal murray He should have a more comfortable season after going through the process of becoming himself again after sustaining a serious injury last year. And most of the core of the ring remains. But there are statistics that warn you it’s no nonsense to think he could disappoint the Nuggets.

And no champion in recent years has been able to escape this kind of curse. Since 2019, all teams defending their titles have not overcome that curse. conference semifinals in the season immediately following. Not the 2019 champion Raptors, 2020 Lakers, 2021 Bucks, or 2022 Warriors.

Adding to this powerful statistic is the fact that they lost two players from the bench who were next in line but essential to winning the title. jamaical green And above all, bruce brown One in the inside game and the other on the perimeter. And it will not be an easy task for the team. michael malone They find a replacement for Brown, who camouflages Jokic’s weaknesses as a defender with two players who make an impact on both sides of the court, especially his pass-blocking talents.