The 2022-23 NBA season has not disappointed thus far, with many fun and entertaining plays, games, and storylines emerging every day. Now, with the season past its halfway point and All-Star weekend coming up in a few weeks, I will be giving you three predictions for the second half of the season. 

Nikola Jokic wins his third straight NBA MVP Award: After winning the past two MVP Awards, in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 NBA seasons, many were unsure if Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic would be able to replicate his success for the third straight season. Well, Jokic has removed all doubts about this during this season, putting up great numbers and leading his team to the current best record in the Western Conference at 34-14. Jokic is averaging a near triple-double with one point per game, 11.0 rebounds per game, 9.9 assists per game, a field goal percentage of 62.9 percent, and had stellar advanced statistics. As long as Jokic keeps up similar statistics in the second half of the season, and the Nuggets keep winning, I predict he will win yet another MVP award. 

The New York Knicks Make the Eastern Conference Semifinals: In the twenty-first century, the Knicks have been one of the most unsuccessful franchises in the NBA. They have won exactly one playoff series in this time frame, and that was ten years from the present day, when they defeated the Celtics in the first round of the 2013 playoffs. I, however, am predicting they double this figure this season, winning their first-round playoff series in the 2023 playoffs. This may seem bold, and I may be biased, as I am a Knicks fan, but just hear me out. The Knicks have been a very solid team this season thus far, holding a 26-23 record and currently holding the seven seed in the Eastern Conference. Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson both have played like potential all-stars, and their supporting cast has been good as well. This is why I believe in the second half of the year they will play well enough to earn themselves the five seed in the East. Furthermore, I believe that the Cavaliers, a team that the Knicks just beat on Tuesday night, will play well enough to earn the four seed. Then, these two teams will match up in the first round of the playoffs, and I think the Knicks will win that series. Of course, the run will likely end there, as the Knicks would be matched up against the number one seed in the East, probably the Boston Celtics, in the next round, and I do not see them having any chance in that series. However, even making the second round of the playoffs would be considered a very successful season for the Knicks, and I predict that it will happen. 

Los Angeles Clippers win the Western Conference: Thus far in the 2022-23 season, the Clippers have been decent, with a 26-24 record and the fifth seed in the Western Conference. However, their two-star players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, have both missed significant time this season, with Leonard only playing in 25 of the 50 games the Clippers have played, and George playing in 34 of the 50. Therefore, I think that once these two are back playing consistently in pretty much every game come the end of the regular season and the playoffs, this team will be propelled to being the best team in the West. Furthermore, there have been reports that the Clippers are interested in trading for Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, or Mike Conley, and I think if they could make a deal to acquire VanVleet, who was a key player on the Raptors’ 2019 NBA Championship team with Kawhi Leonard and has been putting up solid numbers this season with 19.1 points per game and 6.3 assists per game, that would give them an even better chance to win the West. The Western Conference remains wide open, and I could see many teams winning it, but for now, my prediction is that that team will be the Clippers.