2022-23 NBA Preseason Media Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference?
A new NBA season is upon us and with it comes speculation about what will happen over the next few months.
Who will win this season's awards? Which teams will finish with the best and worst records? Who has the best chance to make the All-Star Game for the first time in their career?
Fastbreak on FanNation polled 21 different NBA media members, some who cover the league as a whole and some who cover an individual team, asking them these specific questions and gathering their results.
Below are the results for who NBA media members believe will end up winning the Western Conference and advance to the NBA Finals during the 2022-23 NBA season:
Media Members Pick To Win The Western Conference:
Golden State Warriors - 8 Total Votes
It is hard enough to win just a single championship in the NBA and the Golden State Warriors have now done so in four of the last eight seasons. This dynasty they have going truly is remarkable and the leaders of this team will go down as some of the greatest players of their generation and in league history.
Stephen Curry is hitting a new prime of his career after breaking the league’s three-point record a season ago, Klay Thompson is still one of the best three-point shooters of all-time, Draymond Green is one of the most versatile defensive-minded players of all-time and the Warriors have an abundance of young, high-potential talents on their roster.
This team is well-equipped to make another championship run and receiving eight total votes in our preseason media poll, the Warriors are the team that many tend to think will make it back to the NBA Finals in the Western Conference.
Not so fast though, because finishing with seven votes right behind the Warriors are the Los Angeles Clippers. Going 42-40 last season, many may be questioning why the Clippers are being ranked so highly entering the new year, but both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy and this team has a plethora of proven, experienced talents that know what it takes to win.
John Wall is a massive addition to this roster and the Clippers still have Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr., Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac. A Top-10 defensive team that has the makings of being a Top-10, possibly Top-5, offensive team with George and Leonard on the floor, the Clippers have their best shot ever to win their first championship in team history.
As for other teams that will be contending for a spot in the NBA Finals this season from the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets (three votes), Phoenix Suns (two votes) and Dallas Mavericks (one vote) are all viable options pertaining to teams that could wind up winning the West.
Having just back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic gives the Nuggets a chance to be great this season, but now they get back both Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, two key weapons for this team to utilize offensively. Many are sleeping on the Nuggets this year and it could be to their own downfall, as Denver has everything they need to have their best season in franchise history.
Until proven otherwise though, the Golden State Warriors are still the best team in the Western Conference and they will be the team to beat in the NBA entering the 2022-23 season.
Complete voting results from 2022-23 NBA Preseason Media Poll:
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Most Valuable Player
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Rookie of the Year
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Most Improved Player
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Sixth-Man of the Year
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Coach of the Year
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
- Who Will Finish With The Worst Regular Season Record?
- Who Will Finish With The Best Regular Season Record?
- Which Team Will Win The Eastern Conference?
- Which Team Will Win The Western Conference?
- Which Team Will Win The 2023 NBA Finals?
- Who Is Most Likely To Be A First-Time All-Star During The 2022-23 NBA Season?
