Predicting the 5 best offensive teams in the 2021-22 NBA season
The 2020-21 NBA season featured the highest offensive ratings of all time. The seven top teams in that category all broke the previous NBA record of 116.7 set by the Dallas Mavericks in 2019-20.
The seven sides were the Brooklyn Nets (117.3), Portland Trail Blazers (117.1), LA Clippers (116.7), Utah Jazz (116.5), Milwaukee Bucks (116.3), Phoenix Suns (116.3), and the Denver Nuggets (116.3). The commonalities between most of these teams are elite creators off the bounce and/or some of the best offensive hubs in the NBA who manipulate defenses with their vision.
The Clippers are not included in this top-five due to the fact that Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined for a large majority of the regular season. Denver was also left out because of the injury to Jamal Murray. Both of those teams will still likely finish in the top-15 or ten in offensive rating, but the top-five feels unlikely.
Here are the teams we predict will post the five best offensive ratings of the 2021-22 NBA season.
#5 Milwaukee Bucks
Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks finished tied for the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA at 116.3. The downhill threat and efficiency of Giannis Antetokounmpo has been optimized by a supreme spacing center like Brook Lopez. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are both more than capable of creating for themselves with the ball in their hands on the perimeter.
Losing Bryn Forbes is substantial considering he converted 45.2 percent of his 4.9 threes per game last season. Regardless, the Bucks are replacing his production with George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Grayson Allen. Not the most flashy names, but they have proven capable offensive players in the NBA for years.
Additionally, the Bucks still have Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis, and Donte DiVincenzo as more than capable spot up shooters to plug and play around their big three.
The Bucks have finished with a top ten offensive rating in each of the last four seasons, including the top five for two years straight, and there's no reason to expect a slump.
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#4 Utah Jazz
It's easy to think of the Utah Jazz as a defensive-focused team, with reigning two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert at center. It's a fair label for the Jazz, who were the third-best defensive team in the regular season throughout 2020-21. The thing is, the Jazz were ridiculous on both ends of the floor on the way to a league-leading 52 wins.
Offensively, Donovan Mitchell is an explosive focus point, but far from the only sizeable contributor. Mike Conley was awarded his first All-Star appearance last season for averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 assists while converting 44.4 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three.
Six of their ten leaders in total minutes last season converted upwards of 38 percent from beyond the arc. Georges Niang, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O'Neale, Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley. Niang is the only player on that list who will not be returning to Utah next season.
Jordan Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year by tallying an average of 18.4 points off the bench and filling a much-needed microwave scorer role for the best regular season team in the NBA. Trailing Clarkson in Sixth Man of the Year voting was teammate Joe Ingles, who does it all on the offensive end of the floor. 99 of the 100 total first-place votes for the award went to either Clarkson or Ingles.
Adding Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, and potential steal of the second-round Jared Butler roster should only bolster the Jazz's offensive numbers.
shots up ⬆️⬆️⬆️
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