The battle for the title promises to be extremely tough again this year, and nothing can make the difference between the teams in the league. But according to Gilbert Arenas, it all depends on the decision of a specific player, who could tip the scales in favor of almost anyone.
For once, it’s a fairly rare situation facing the NBA. Usually, we have two or three franchises capable of really fighting for the title each season, but it’s a little more complex than that in 2022-23. The level of play at the top of the league seems rather homogeneous and predicting who will lift the Larry O’Brien trophy next June seems more complicated.
In these circumstances, it is often the decisions made during the trade deadline that can make the difference. On the side of the Suns or the Mavericks for example, we bet big by bringing in respectively Kevin Durant et Kyrie Irving. The potential for a big success is there, it remains to be exploited. Dallas is under even more pressure as Uncle Drew is out of contract this summer.
But beware, even if the window for the transfer market has closed, the teams still have a chance to strengthen themselves via free agents. Because at the moment, the list of candidates available or about to be cut is quite long. Kevin Love, Serge Ibaka or even Russell Westbrook are part of it and according to Gilbert Arenas, it is the Brodie that could be THE X factor of this year:
Russell Westbrook, X factor in the title race?
Gilbert Arenas says Russell Westbrook has the ability to impact teams like Golden State, Philly, Boston, Denver, Milwaukee and Phoenix
“This man alone changes who wins the championship this year”
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— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 17, 2023
Gilbert Arenas says Russell Westbrook has the ability to impact teams like Golden State, Philly, Boston, Denver, Milwaukee and Phoenix. “This man alone decides who wins the title this year.”
Fired from the Lakers after an unsuccessful year and a half on site, the 2017 MVP is still at the Jazz but it shouldn’t last long.
Since his trade, quite a few teams have been cited as possible drop points for WestBeast. If the Heat seems to have moved away from the file, the Clippers in particular remain a very credible candidate. RW has shown it in recent months, he can be very productive off the bench. Having such a Sixth Man can be decisive in the playoffs, when taking over from the incumbents.
Gilbert Arenas believes Russell Westbrook can influence the title race depending on where he ends the season. Clearly, Brodie’s record on the free agent market will have to be monitored very closely until he signs a new contract.
