NBA Standings 2022: Predictions For Lakers, Warriors, Nets After All-Star Break

The NBA enters the second half of the season with no clear favorite to win the 2022 championship. The Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets have the best odds in each conference to reach the NBA Finals, but neither team sits atop the standings. The preseason favorites in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers leave the All-Star Break struggling to find a spot in the playoff picture.

Here are three predictions for the NBA after the 2022 All-Star Break.

Warriors challenge Suns for No. 1 seed

The Phoenix Suns were easily the NBA’s best team before the All-Star Break, posting a league-best 48-10 record. The Warriors have the second-best record in basketball, but they are 6.5 games out of the No. 1 seed. However, there are reasons to believe that Golden State has a real chance to close the gap and possibly even pass Phoenix in the standings.

Chris Paul will miss six to eight weeks with a right thumb injury, potentially leaving the Suns without their most important player for the rest of the regular season. Paul has performed like a legitimate MVP candidate, playing in every single game while leading the league in total steals and assists. Since January, Paul is averaging 15.7 points and close to 12.0 assists per game.

The Warriors, on the other hand, are getting healthier. Draymond Green hasn’t played since Jan. 5 but could return to the lineup soon. Klay Thomspon is starting to find his groove, coming off two and a half years of no NBA games. After shooting 32.9% from three-point range in January, Thompson has made 44% of his threes in February. Stephen Curry should rebound from the worst shooting stretch of his career.

Just about everything went right for the Suns in the first half of the season. With Paul out and Golden State reuniting its core, the race for the West's No. 1 seed could come down to the wire.

Nets compete in the play-in tournament

Brooklyn’s focus is getting into the playoffs with a healthy roster. If Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons are available for the entirety of the postseason, the Nets might be the favorites to win the East, no matter their seed. That’s why Brooklyn will likely take a very cautious approach to the rest of the season, even if it means getting stuck in the play-in tournament.

The Nets exit the All-Star Break as the East’s No. 8 seed, trailing the No. 6 seed Boston Celtics by 2.5 games. The status of Brooklyn’s All-Stars will make it difficult for the team to make up that ground over the final 23 games.

Kevin Durant has missed five weeks with a knee injury, and the star forward might be out a few more games. It’s unknown what the Nets will get out of Ben Simmons, who’s working his way back after spending nine months away from NBA action. Kyrie Irving still can’t play home games because of New York City’s vaccine mandate.

The Nets ended the first half with 12 losses in 14 games. Brooklyn’s woes could continue until at least early March when Durant and Simmons might be ready to play together.

Lakers miss the playoffs

It’s an extreme likelihood that the Lakers will be relegated to the play-in tournament for a second straight year. Los Angeles is six games behind the No. 6 seed Denver Nuggets. As the No. 9 seed, the Lakers are only 4.5 games ahead of the No. 11 seed San Antonio Spurs. If the play-in tournament started immediately after the All-Star Break, the Lakers would need to win two straight play-in games just to earn a playoff spot.

There’s little reason to believe the Lakers will climb much higher in the standings. Anthony Davis’ foot sprain will be re-evaluated in four weeks, creating the possibility that he’ll only play a handful more regular-season games. Considering his injury history, the Lakers can’t count on Davis to be healthy for the rest of the year.

As great as LeBron James has been, the 37-year-old has missed 30% of the schedule with various ailments. Russell Westbrook has probably been the NBA’s biggest disappointment this season. No other team in the West has a more difficult remaining schedule than the Lakers.

The Lakers are a minor James injury away from missing the play-in tournament altogether.