NBA Power Rankings heading into the first game
Besides the Nets, Bucks, Lakers, and Suns, who are some other teams that could make a run?
The NBA will be back tomorrow and here our my final Power Rankings before games start!
Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an NBA star and could become a Superstar very soon. However, this team is by far the weakest team in the NBA and is very young and inexperienced.
They always seem to exceed expectations and find diamonds in the rough like Gilgeous-Alexander, but they have a ways to go before they can compete in the NBA. They are moving in the right direction though.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Evan Mobley was a great selection, but he is still a very raw prospect who may not be great right away. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are way too inefficient to lead this team to many victories and Jarrett Allen’s interior dominance can’t save this team either.
They are moving in the right direction, but they need to trade Sexton for some future picks or even just one future pick. He just doesn’t play winning basketball.
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham and Jerami Grant will save this team from being the worst team in the league. The Pistons just need to get rid of Killian Hayes since a backcourt with Hayes and Cunningham won’t work in the long run.
Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, and Luka Garza are all valuable pieces for this Pistons team this season and their future as well.
Orlando Magic
Cole Anthony had a fantastic rookie year and Markelle Fultz looked very good as well in the backcourt as well before he got injured.
Both Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner should fit in nicely alongside Jonathan Issac and Wendell Carter Jr, but it remains to be seen how many backcourt players the Magic will use.
They can’t put Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, and Markelle Fultz on the court at the same time, that just won’t work. However, the Magic should be talented enough to be better than the 3 teams ranked behind them.
Houston Rockets
I like this team way more than most people do. They are returning a should have been All-Star Christian Wood, and a young star in Kelvin Porter Jr.
They are also bringing in the projected Rookie of the Year Jalen Green, and the other three first-round picks in this years draft for the Rockets (Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and Josh Christopher) as well.
Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jeasean Tate also looked very solid last season, and this Rockets team should be better than people think.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, and D’Angelo Russell are a great trio, but the depth on this team is shaky, to say the least. Naz Reid and Malik Beasley are good, but after that, the bench includes a bunch of players that won’t win you many games.
I think that the T-Wolves are bound to be better this season, but they are still caught in the rebuilding mode and won’t be close to competing this year.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards have one really good player, Bradley Beal, that is it. Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harell, Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, and Corey Kispert are all fine, but they aren’t good enough to win you many games.
Beal may put up 35 points per game, but even that won’t be enough for this Wizards team to crack into the top 20 NBA teams.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are deep with Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Joshua Primo, Doug McDermott, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, and Lonnie Walker IV, but they just simply are not talented enough to even repeat the 9th place finish as they did last season. Demar Derozan had a fantastic season last year, leading this team in almost every category.
Now he is gone, and even though I believe that Murray and Johnson will pick up the slack nicely, they won’t compete this year even with a deep roster and one of the best coaches the game has ever seen.
I would rank them lower, but just because of Greg Poppivich, they should be able to stay above water and better than the teams ranked behind them.
Sacramento Kings
Davion Mitchell was a home-run selection at 9th overall in the 2021 NBA draft. He is the best perimeter defensive prospect in years, and he seems to pull everyone onto the defensive-oriented train with him.
Luke Walton did not know how to coach defense last season, and he probably still doesn’t. However, having Davion Mitchell lead the way on defense rubs off on everyone, and the whole team should play better defense this season as a result.
The only issue is that Mitchell plays the same position as the Kings’ two best players, De’Aron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. If they can find a way to get all three of those guys 26+ minutes a game (assuming Hield gets traded at some point), this team should be way better than last season.
They still will not make the playoffs, but with the addition of Mitchell and the return of a healthy Marvin Bagley III, the Kings are moving in the right direction.
New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas are all fantastic, but injuries are the biggest concern to this team, which is why I think they won’t be higher than 21st in the NBA this season. Williamson is already hurt and out for at least the first two to three weeks of the NBA season.
This should be concerning to all Pelicans fans as Zion has always had issues with health. If Williamson is out for a substantial amount of time, this team has no chance whatsoever.
I love their first-round pick Trey Murphy III, but I hate that they let Lonzo Ball walk. His defense, playmaking, and 3PT shooting helped this team tremendously and Devonte’ Graham does not have the same qualities as Ball.
Valancuinas was the best addition for this team since he will get the Pelicans 10+ rebounds per game while also being very efficient on the offensive end as well. He is just a fantastic player that brings so much to a team. However, Valanciunas and Ingram are wasted on the court if Williamson misses a lot of games.
Indiana Pacers
Domantas Sabonis seems ready to take another leap and average 22+ points per game, 6.5+ assists per game, and over 13 rebounds per game as well. He incrementally improves his statistics and overall game, in general, every single year and I would be very surprised if he doesn’t continue to ascend into one of the league’s best all-around players.
Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, and T.J. Warren are all solid pieces to build around as well as Sabonis, but the continued injury concerns with Caris LeVert have to concern the Pacers.
If LeVert can’t perform to the level he was performing at in Brooklyn before being traded, then this team has no chance at the playoffs. Chris Duarte and T.J. McConnell also bring very good backcourt depth to this squad, but it remains to be seen just how good they will be since they dissapointed so much last season.
Portland Trailblazers
People may call me crazy for ranking the Trailblazers here, but I have a good reason. They barely made the postseason last year, and when they did, they got embarrassed by a Nuggets team without Jamal Murray in 5 games.
The Blazers don’t play any defense, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum can only do so much, and the West is just way too talented for the Blazers to safely be considered a playoff contender.
I think that Memphis has much better defense and depth, Dallas has Luka Doncic, the Clippers have Paul George and a solid team even without Kawhi Leonard, and the Warriors and other top teams in the West are too talented to miss the playoffs.
I think that Lillard and the Blazers will be the odd team out and just barely miss out on the 8th seed. They will lose in the play-in tournament unless they trade for a guy like Ben Simmons.
Charlotte Hornets
This Hornets team is actually extremely balanced and talented. Gordon Hayward should be back and fully healthy, LaMelo Ball is a rising Superstar, and Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier, and P.J. Washington all provide very solid defense, athleticism, and scoring.
First-round picks James Bouknight and Kai Jones are both going to be a huge part of this team as well, and it is hard for me to confidently say that this team won’t make the playoffs. The Celtics and the Hornets are on the edge and one of them will finish 9th.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics have Superstar Jayson Tatum and almost-Superstar Jaylen Brown. However, after that, the team is really weak. Payton Pritchard and/or Dennis Schroder has to be the lead guard for this team which obviously limits their ceiling.
Josh Richardson isn’t the same Josh Richardson he was in Philadelphia and Miami,. Trading away Moses Brown to free up playing time for 6-8 Robert Williams and 35-year-old Al Horford just does not make sense either. Marcus Smart is great and is obviously the Celtics’ third-best player, but this team is lacking talent and depth besides the top three guys.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are coming off of an unexpected and impressive season. They have a great defensive-minded coach in Tom Thibodeau, and a couple of great young players in Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and Immanuel Quickly.
They also have a bunch of good veteran players starting and coming off of the bench including Derrick Rose (who is coming off of his best season since he dealt with injuries in Chicago years ago), Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Kemba Walker.
Obi Toppin’s development could be the main factor for this team. If he can become what people were expecting him to become when he entered the league last season, then this Knicks team may have a higher ceiling than anyone thinks.
Toronto Raptors
Why are the Raptors so high? Well because Pascal Siakam will come back at some point and he is STILL Pascal Siakam, Fred VanFleet is poised to take over for Kyle Lowry perfectly, and Scottie Barnes, O.G. Anunoby, Chirs Boucher, Goran Dragic, and Gary Trent Jr. provide solid depth.
I think last year was a fluke and the Raptors should be a shoo-in for the postseason this year over the Celtics and the Hornets just because of their hard-nosed defense, elite coaching, and team chemistry.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are a shoo-in for the playoffs in my mind. They are 14 players deep and even though they lost Jonas Valancuinas to the Pelicans, they still have the most depth in the NBA. Ja Morant should only continue his rise to Superstardom, while Jaren Jackson Jr. is poised for a huge comeback year as well.
Dillion Brooks is still the most underrated player in the NBA and is bound to get better as well, while De’Anthony Melton, Desmond Bane, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, and Kyle Anderson fill out a fantastic core for the Grizzlies. I would be surprised if they don’t finish in the top 7 of the Western Conference. They are just that good and people continue to sleep on this team.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are ranked this low because of the significance of Kawhi Leonard’s ACL injury. No one knows when he will be back or if he will be back this season, but what we do know is that the Clippers are led by Superstar Paul George, and have tons of depth.
Reggie Jackson was playing on another level in the playoffs and should continue on that trajectory during this season. Terrance Mann broke out and became a valuable piece for the Clippers in the playoffs and he should have a bigger role this year.
Nicolas Batum became the spot-up shooter the Clippers had envisioned him to become when signing him before last season, and he should use that momentum to his advantage this season as well.
Brandon Boston Jr. was the steal of the draft if we are looking at draft position (51st overall) and he will be a big part of this Clippers rotation. Ivica Zubac has become a very efficient Center on both ends of the floor. Eric Bledsoe is still a big question mark, but the Clippers have more than enough pieces to get back into the playoffs even without Kawhi.
Philadelphia 76ers
Too low for the 76ers? Well, Simmons is coming back and should play well, but who knows how this team will gel with him after the last couple of months and whether he will be traded.
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Mattise Thybulle, Seth Curry, and Tyrese Maxey are a very good core, but the embarrassing loss to the Hawks in the playoffs and losing Dwight Howard will take a toll on this team.
I just don’t see them as dominant as they were last season, and because of that, and the question marks surrounding Ben Simmons, they are ranked 12th despite all of the talented players they have on their team.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have looked lethal in the preseason, but again it is the preseason for a reason. Lonzo Ball, Demar Derozan, Zach Lavine, and Nikola Vucevic provide an extremely talented “big 4”, while Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, Ayo Donsunmu, Colby White, and Derrick Jones Jr. are fantastic depth off of the bench as well.
This Bulls team will be in the top 5 of the Eastern Conference all season long and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a top 3 finish record-wise in the Eastern Conference.
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is the front runner to win the 2021-2022 League MVP but I don’t think he has the team around him to make a playoff run this season. Getting Moses Brown and signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a huge extension in the offseason will help Doncic a little bit, but Kristaps Porzingis is still wildly inconsistent and Maxi Kleber, Willie Caulie-Stein, Dwight Powell, Trey Burke, Jalen Brunson, and Reggie Bullock are not enough depth to beat teams in the playoffs just yet.
Doncic is in a similar situation to a young LeBron, so insanely gifted and talented, but is suffering because management won’t get him the team he needs to compete now. Luckily the Mavericks signed Doncic long-term because he will undoubtedly be angry if he loses in the first round again this season, which is highly likely.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors will have Klay Thompson back around Christmas, and when they do, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Sure they don’t nearly have the depth they did on their dynasty runs from 2015-2019, but what makes them rise to 9th on these rankings is the ascension of Jordan Poole, who seems to be learning a lot from Stephen Curry who said that Poole could “be better than me”.
High praise from the greatest shooter to ever walk the earth. If Poole can lead the bench that includes Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Otto Porter Jr., Andre Iguodala, and Damion Lee, this team will be fine.
The depth isn’t great, and James Wiseman is injured and his return is unknown. The Warriors will be better this year than last year, but there are still too many question marks to consider this team a lock to compete for a title this year, even with Klay’s return.
Miami Heat
The addition of Kyle Lowry in the offseason was fantastic as Lowry fits both the team and the culture of the organization perfectly. The Heat suffered because of a down year from Tyler Herro last season and he will need to get back to his “bubble” form for the Heat to get back to the Finals.
Since they picked up Lowry, even without a consistent Tyler Herro, the Heat could get to the Eastern Conference Finals, but not the Finals. Both Herro and Duncan Robinson (who just signed a massive extension) need to come up huge for the Heat down the stretch to get back to the Finals.
We know Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler will be elite. It is a matter of how good the role players and other pieces of the core can be. It is possible for the Heat to make the NBA Finals, but as of right now this team has too many questions to be ranked higher than 8th.
Utah Jazz
Donovan Mitchell is a Superstar, but I have always said that the Jazz will not get past the second round of the playoffs without a third star to pair with Mitchell and Gobert/Clarkson who together make one star since they are a half star each.
Gobert doesn’t do anything magnificent on the offensive end to consider himself a star and Jordan Clarkson is the opposite as he struggles defensively.
The Jazz have depth obviously, and will undoubtedly finish in the top 4 in the Western Conference. However, I think that a couple of teams will leapfrog them this year, and the year to win was last year for the Jazz. This year projects for another second-round exit.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks’ Eastern Conference Finals run was no fluke. The Hawks have some of the best depth in the league and have Superstar Trae Young leading the way for this team. John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, and Kevin Huerter are a fantastic core, while rookies Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper should help right away as well.
The Hawks are going to finish as a top 4 team in the Eastern Conference, but could even finish as a top 2 team in the Eastern Conference if Young has the year everyone thinks he will have.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are good, don’t get me wrong. However, last year was the best chance for this team to win. The Lakers are healthy right now and the Nuggets will be better with Jamal Murray coming back toward the end of the season and Michael Porter Jr. continuing his ascension to Superstardom.
The Suns will finish in the top 4 of the Western Conference, but they could struggle to get back to the Western Conference Finals, much less the Finals.
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is coming off of an outstanding year where he won the NBA MVP award. Michael Porter Jr. improved tremendously and should continue to improve this season as well.
Jamal Murray will be back by the second half of the season and Bones Hyland, Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, and Monte Morris will provide enough depth alongside Jokic and Porter Jr. until Murray returns. I think the Nuggets have a serious shot to be the #1 overall seed in the Western Conference.
Brooklyn Nets
With or without Kyrie Irving, the Nets are the third best team in the NBA. This team has some good depth alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden with Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Joe Harris, Nicolas Claxton, and Cam Thomas.
They could struggle in the regular season as they want to be healthy for the playoffs, but regardless, soley based off of talent they are the 3rd best team in the NBA.
Los Angeles Lakers
I do think that this Lakers team is the most talented and deepest roster in the NBA. You can make all of the jokes you want about their age or Westbrook’s bad decisions and turnovers, but their talent alone will dominate teams. Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, Malik Monk, DeAndre Jordan, Kendrick Nunn, Kent Bazemore, and Austin Reeves.
That is scary depth and talent mixed in one. Even with Talen Horton-Tucker being out for a few months, the Lakers have enough depth to cover some injuries. It may take some time for this team to gel (0-6 in the preseason), but once they do, they should be able to win a ton of games.
However, health has always been an issue with this Lakers team and it remains to be seen if Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and others can stay healthy for the real season, which for them will be the postseason.
Milwaukee Bucks
It’s simply not fair to rank the Bucks anywhere other than #1 after they won the NBA title, brought almost every single player from the title team back, and look as dominant as ever. I don’t understand how publications continue to rank the Lakers and Nets above the Bucks. It is honestly flat out disrespctful.
Until the Nets and Lakers can show that they are healthy and don’t have as many question marks, Milwaukee should be the #1 ranked team. Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off of one of the best finals performances ever, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton return as good as ever, and Donte DiVincenzo is back from being hurt alongside other key contributors to the Finals run, Brook Lopez, Pat Counaughton, and Bobby Portis.
The addition of Grayson Allen should prove valuable as he had a really sneaky good season for the Memphis Grizzlies last year in limited minutes. The Bucks are the champions of the word until they are not.