Ranking the Top 10 backcourts in the NBA for 2022-23 season
NBA underdogs look to take one more step forward in 2022-23
player. 18. Scouting Report. 6. 6. Pick Analysis. Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics lost to the Warriors in last season’s NBA Finals, coming ever so close to earning their 18th overall championship.
They look to have an edge to them this season as they seek to avenge that painful loss. Armed with last season’s Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart and All-Star Jaylen Brown, they form the ultimate fire and ice combo in the league.
Smart locks down the opposing team’s best player and Brown can get hot in an instant on offense and drop 30 any given night.
Obviously, there are no better perimeter defenders than Smart. What he does on that end of the court more than makes up for his inconsistency and lack of scoring power on offense.
Brown, who was the subject of trade rumors when Kevin Durant become linked with the Celtics for a couple of weeks, will have a massive chip on his shoulder heading into next season.
Can they get back to the Finals and finish the job?
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 5. 4. Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr.. Dallas Mavericks. player. 79
Luka Doncic is one of the premier players in the NBA, but his backcourt teammate, Tim Hardaway Jr. is coming off a fractured foot and hasn’t played since Jan. 25. What kind of player will he be when he returns to the court next season? His status makes this a really difficult backcourt pairing to place in my power rankings.
There’s no denying that Doncic is great, but there are others in this list who aren’t far behind the Slovenian star and have a much better supporting player beside them.
The Mavericks had a heck of a 2021-22 season, upsetting the Suns in the Playoffs and advancing to the Western Conference Finals, but until we see Hardaway Jr. hit the court, it creates more questions than answers for this backcourt duo. Can this team get back to the WCF and win it this year?
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. 4. player. 211. 5. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the brightest young stars in the NBA in Ja Morant. His 27.4 ppg from last season, paired with his rare mix of power and finesse, make him one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league.
His backcourt counterpart, Desmond Bane, is not far behind. He increased his scoring average from his rookie season to his sophomore season by nearly 10 points and was in consideration for the NBA’s most improved player award. The award went to Morant, but the former Murray State product gifted it to Bane instead.
The chemistry and ability of these two players have them on the fast track to becoming one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA.
Can they use their Semifinal loss to the Warriors as motivation to cruise past them and advance to the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23?