5 underdog teams to watch out for in the 2021-22 NBA season
The 2021-22 NBA season, as usual, will give us many storylines coming from the top contenders throughout the league. However, there are always some interesting teams right in the middle of the pack, and other elite teams that normally fly under the radar due to being in a small-market city or having quiet NBA superstars.
An underdog winning an NBA championship is a rare sight, but in such a competitive league, anyone can perform game-winning basketball. There was an even larger chance of this in previous seasons in which the talent was spread around a little better than how it is right now.
5 non-favorites that could make noise in the 2021-22 NBA season
The LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are clear favorites in their conferences heading into the 2021-22 NBA season. Watching both super teams in the NBA Finals seems like an ideal situation for the league and some of its fans, as such a crew of superstars playing for the biggest prize in basketball seems an enticing prospect.
There are also several teams that could be considered underdogs in the 2021-22 season. In this article, we will give you five teams that are not amongst the favorites but could enjoy good runs in the upcoming NBA season.
Without further ado, let us take a look.
#5 Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have some solid players on their roster to push for the NBA Playoffs in the 2021-22 season. New coach Rick Carlisle comes in with a championship pedigree and the franchise will aim to be extremely competitive under him instead of just sellers.
Though there might be too many centers on the Indiana Pacers roster, with Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner headlining the big men in the squad, the team seems good enough for the 2021-22 season.
Keeping T.J. McConnell and his playmaking and defensive abilities is a great situation for Indiana. Torrey Craig's signing is also decent business as he is a three-and-D player who just played in the NBA Finals.
McConnell provided a huge spark last year from the bench with 6.6 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game. Along with Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, Caris Levert, Turner and T.J. Warren, the Pacers could be a solid outfit.
The team is coming off a 34-38 postseason and fell in the Play-In tournament against the Washington Wizards.
#4 Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls missed the 2021 NBA Playoffs after underperforming in the second half of the season. The team has added Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan this summer to a core already led by Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, two All-Stars.
The Bulls, coached by Billy Donovan, now seem ready to make a solid push for the 2022 NBA Playoffs and possibly create some trouble against the best of the East. The franchise's current roster seems good enough to be considered a playoff team.
Alex Caruso has also been added to the mix during the offseason, and his elite defense will definitely have an impact on the Bulls' perimeter.
If these incredible players manage to figure out how to play with each other on offense and develop good defensive intensity, the franchise could return to the postseason for the first time since 2017.