[NCarmean18Participant]

 Greetings forum.  I have thrown together my complete list of team rankings for the upcoming NBA season.  Now I know that we all have varying opinions on specific teams, and that’s okay – I just wanted to share my rankings and get some feedback from everybody.  Also I figured that this would be a good way for us all to debate the teams for the upcoming season.  Anyway, here is my list! 

1. Golden State Warriors – This team hasn’t really lost anything from its championship run a year ago, and with that being said, they have to be the favorites to win it all again next season. 

2. San Antonio Spurs – One of the most winningest franchises in all of sports added one of the games best power forwards (LaMarcus Aldridge) to a team that already has championship aspirations.  Need I say more?  

3. Cleveland Cavaliers – This team will have another year of experience together, and that could only mean good things for a team that basically walked to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. 

4. Oklahoma City Thunder – If the Thunder can stay healthy, they easily have one of the most talented rosters in the league.  If Billy Donovan can make this thing work like most believe he can, the Thunder will be scary… Again. 

5. Los Angeles Clippers – I love the additions of Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce.  Getting DeAndre Jordan back was also a nice consolation prize as the talented big man spurned Dallas at the last second.  This will probably be the most competitive Clippers team to date.  

6. Miami Heat – Health is the biggest concern with this squad, as the team has one of the best starting fives in the entire league.  If Wade and Bosh can bounce back strong, Miami may be the biggest threat in the East to dethrone the King – ironically, their former Superman himself. 

7. Houston Rockets – This team can contend for a championship.  They lacked an additional playmaker to take the pressure off of James Harden last season, and if a mentally focused Ty Lawson shows up in Houston, this team will have a ton of potential to be successful. 

8. Chicago Bulls –  This team is rich with talent, but I am not quite sold on how it all fits within new head coach Fred Hoiberg’s system.  I’d watch out for this team to make a move (Taj Gibson, anyone?)  Still though, it’s hard to deny the talent level of this team on paper. 

9. Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies won’t go away, and Marc Gasol is primed to lead them back to a solid finish in the Western Conference standings. 

10. Toronto Raptors – I really love the addition of DeMarre Carrol, and I think this team has the grit and toughness that it lacked in the playoffs last year.  This squad has the potential to make some noise in the weak Eastern Conference. 

11. Washington Wizards – I love the potential, but this squad lost a huge piece of the postseason puzzle whenever Paul Pierce skipped town.  Still though, you cannot argue against another solid year of improvement from John Wall and Brad Beal. 

12. New Orleans Pelicans – They have Anthony Davis.  Anthony Davis is one of, if not the most versatale player in the league.  Add in a head coach that wants to place with pace and space the floor with A.D. leading the way with his scoring, and this team has the potential to be scary. 

13. Atlanta Hawks – Losing DeMarre hurt this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  Without him, their perimeter defense took a step backwards, a direction is couldn’t afford to head in after being swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals.  

14. Utah Jazz – Dante Exum might have a torn ACL.  I hope that’s not the case though, as the Jazz are one of the better young squads with the potential to push for a playoff spot this season.  

15. Indiana Pacers – They lost David West and moved Roy Hibbert, but rookie summer league phenom Myles Turner has shown flashes of brilliance early on in his NBA summer debut.  If Paul Goerge can return to his former ways, there is no reason as to why this squad cannot push for a playoff spot this season. 

16. Sacramento Kings – Anybody see the Instagram post from Boogie Cousins with his arm actually wrapped around George Karl?  I like the talent on this team.  If Goerge Karl can get everybody to buy in, this team could be one of the biggest surprises of the year – and I personally am buying into the hype. 

17. Boston Celtics – I love Brad Stevens and think that he has done a fantastic job coaching this squad.  However, they still are a move or two away from being truly competitive, and until that time comes, they will continue to float around the level of mediocrity. 

18. Milwaukee Bucks – I love the potential behind this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  I also really like the signing of Greg Monroe, as I feel he is the perfect low post scoring presence that can get this young squad over the hump.  If Jabari can come back healthy, and Giannis continues to improve, this team could scare a lot of the upper echelon teams in the East come playoff time. 

19. Dallas Mavericks – Ooo.  The Mavericks.  Losing out on DeAndre stings, but they put themselves in this predicament whenever they traded virtually all of the assets that the team had to offer for Rajon Rondo… Yeah, we saw how that turned out.  It’s crazy to think, but the Mavericks could actually miss the playoffs this season.  

20. Detroit Pistons – I love what Stan the Man is trying to do in Detroit, and while I think the team will be much improved, I still think that they are a few more moves away.  This should be an interesting year to watch as a Pistons fan. 

21. Phoenix Suns – This team has not made sense to me since they signed Isaiah Thomas.  Every move that they make seems to contradict themselves, but hey, what do I know?  Well, one thing that I do know is that overpaying for Tyson Chandler whenever you have a young potential defensive center in Alex Len is not the best move for the long term.  Only time will tell just what the Phoenix Suns are trying to do here. 

22. Portland Trail Blazers – 4 of the 5 starters from last season are gone.  However they still have Damian Lillard, and Meyers Leonard played well for this team late last season.  They have interesting pieces to toy around with, but expecting a playoff run from this squad seems like a little much. 

23. Brooklyn Nets – This is another team that doesn’t make much sense.  After what seems like an eternity of trade rumors surrounding Brook Lopez, the team signed him to a 3-year, max contract extension.  They will be mediocre again, but with a good coach and more team chemistry – who knows?  

24. Orlando Magic – This team can be good at anytime.  I think that Scott Skiles will definitely jump start that transition, but they just do not have the kind of veteran presence that is going to lead them to the postseason in my personal opinion.  

25. New York Knicks – Phil Jackson has done a very good job this summer of finding some honest-to-god basketball players to pair with Carmelo Anthony.  If Anthony stays healthy, the role players on this team are now good enough to push for a playoff spot.  Thing is, I still do not believe in the Triangle offense in today’s game which is all being based around pace and space. 

26. Minnesota Timberwolves – I love the future outlook of this team, but it is a future outlook for a reason.  While I expect Andrew Wiggins to take the next step towards greatness, the rest of the team’s talent just doesn’t scream "Playoffs!" to me.  I also wish Flip Saunders would go out and find an actual coach for this team (Tom Thibs, anyone?)

27. Charlotte Hornets – I love the defensive mentality of this squad, but I just do not feel like it is going to be consistent enough offensively to compete on a nightly basis.  I like this team and I am a big Kemba fan, but man, this team is rebuilding the wrong way, and they are about to find out about that real quick. 

28. Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers aren’t good.  Sorry, but it is the truth.  I do not care if Kobe is healthy, expecting a playoff birth from this team just does not seem ideal to me.  Byron Scott is not the right coach for this team or any team in today’s game, and the Lakers will struggle because of that.  I do however believe that they will be much better than last season so… that’s something! 

29. Denver Nuggets – Ahh yes, my favorite squad.  I like the direction that Denver is heading in.  Emmanuel Mudiay was a steal at the #7 pick, and Mike Malone is the perfect guy to come in and establish a system.  While we will be pretty bad this season, I can’t help but get excited about the future outlook of this team. 

30. Philadelphia 76ers – Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor?  Yes sir, sign me up.  This team has a lot of unique pieces, but they are still going to be in tank mode for at least this season.  They won’t be nearly as bad as years past, but with the rest of the East pretty much improving or staying the same, the 76ers have not done enough to really elevate themselves.  

 

Well, that is my list of rankings.  I would like to extend a thank you to anyone who takes the time to read, comment, and debate.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 why is sacramento above the celtics?? and why are the celtics above the bucks?

[NCarmean18Participant]

 The Celtics and Bucks to me were interchangable.  I originally had the Bucks ahead of Boston, and then moved Boston ahead of them in my latest rankings.  Both teams are young and upcoming, so I do not feel as though one spot will really make a difference.  

Sacramento is the biggest wild card in the league to me.  However, on paper (which is exactly how I made these rankings) they have the star power and the depth to be a very solid team.  The only thing holding this team back is how well the team can buy into George Karl’s system.  Do I think that they are a better team than the Boston Celtics?  No.  Do I think they have the star power to push them over a team like the Boston Celtics?  Absolutely.  Only time will tell.  

That’s why I love rankings like these – nobody agrees and that’s okay.  We honestly will never truly know until the season starts.  Thanks for the imput. 

 

 

[NCarmean18Participant]

 The Celtics and Bucks to me were interchangable.  I originally had the Bucks ahead of Boston, and then moved Boston ahead of them in my latest rankings.  Both teams are young and upcoming, so I do not feel as though one spot will really make a difference.  

Sacramento is the biggest wild card in the league to me.  However, on paper (which is exactly how I made these rankings) they have the star power and the depth to be a very solid team.  The only thing holding this team back is how well the team can buy into George Karl’s system.  Do I think that they are a better team than the Boston Celtics?  No.  Do I think they have the star power to push them over a team like the Boston Celtics?  Absolutely.  Only time will tell.  

That’s why I love rankings like these – nobody agrees and that’s okay.  We honestly will never truly know until the season starts.  Thanks for the imput. 

 

 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 why is sacramento above the celtics?? and why are the celtics above the bucks?

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

My Take

• Toronto too high 
• Bucks are too low
• Switch OKC w/ Cleveland
• Hornets are a tad low, I would switch them with the Knicks 

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

My Take

• Toronto too high 
• Bucks are too low
• Switch OKC w/ Cleveland
• Hornets are a tad low, I would switch them with the Knicks 

 

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

I don’t see the Nets or Blazers being better than the Lakers, especially if Kobe’s healthy.

Also, I think most people would agree that the Bucks are too low, and I would switch OKC with Cleveland as well, assuming both are 100% healthy

[SubZeroParticipant]

Lol I see people disagree. I’m curious as to what it is that people disagree with? I can understand the Lakers thing being a different opinion than most

[SubZeroParticipant]

Lol I see people disagree. I’m curious as to what it is that people disagree with? I can understand the Lakers thing being a different opinion than most

[SubZeroParticipant]

I don’t see the Nets or Blazers being better than the Lakers, especially if Kobe’s healthy.

Also, I think most people would agree that the Bucks are too low, and I would switch OKC with Cleveland as well, assuming both are 100% healthy

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I’m not as high on Chicago and Miami. Both teams host a group of veterans with recurring injury issues.

  Deng, Bosh and Wade are always in and out of lineups which messes up continuity with in the chemistry and rotations. It seems Noah and Rose are always injured for Chicago and Gasol can be injury prone as well. Even if they are healthy in the playoffs the starting lineup has no chemistry because they never played together. 

With the injury uncertainties I would rank both teams in Pacers Bucks area and the Hawks, Raptors and Wizards all ahead of them. And to be fair you can’t rank Toronto ahead of Washington when the Wizards just swept them 

 

[NCarmean18Participant]

 Ahh, but I can rank the Raptors ahead of the Wizards as these two teams are not the same squads as they were last season.  To me, the Raptors improved and the Wizards got a little worse.  I like the toughness that Toronto added.  I do not think that if the teams played in the playoffs again this season that the Wizards would sweep them by any means.  It would be a lot closer, which led me to ranking these teams this close. 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

There’s the thing, the Wizards did not get worse. People overrate the lose of Paul Pierce so much. He was horrible/average for about 75% of the season. The Wizards weakness last year was wing depth, 3 point shooters, bench and not having a true stretch 4. And the main reason that they were winning games in the playoffs were when they put a stretch 4 into the game. That made John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Marcin Gortat play way better.

The Wizards had covered all of their weaknesses by adding Alan Anderson, Gary Neal, Kelly Oubre, and Jared Dudley.They all can be near or over 40% 3 point shooters while playing with John  Wall.

You would also believe that Bradley Beal and Otto Porter to take a big step next season due to their post season success.

I would like to see if DeMarre Carroll is or isn’t a "system player" or if he’s the real deal because we’ve seen players that come out of that "Spurs" system and struggle.

 

 

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

There’s the thing, the Wizards did not get worse. People overrate the lose of Paul Pierce so much. He was horrible/average for about 75% of the season. The Wizards weakness last year was wing depth, 3 point shooters, bench and not having a true stretch 4. And the main reason that they were winning games in the playoffs were when they put a stretch 4 into the game. That made John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Marcin Gortat play way better.

The Wizards had covered all of their weaknesses by adding Alan Anderson, Gary Neal, Kelly Oubre, and Jared Dudley.They all can be near or over 40% 3 point shooters while playing with John  Wall.

You would also believe that Bradley Beal and Otto Porter to take a big step next season due to their post season success.

I would like to see if DeMarre Carroll is or isn’t a "system player" or if he’s the real deal because we’ve seen players that come out of that "Spurs" system and struggle.

 

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

I believe Toronto will have a better overall year as well just out of principal in preseason rankings I don’t think you can rank them over Washington. Both teams brought back their core group while relinquising detrimental pieces and addressing those needs. Swept us…

I must say though although I’m not a big fan of the rankings this was a great read. Excellent recap. I read it a couple times.

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

I believe Toronto will have a better overall year as well just out of principal in preseason rankings I don’t think you can rank them over Washington. Both teams brought back their core group while relinquising detrimental pieces and addressing those needs. Swept us…

I must say though although I’m not a big fan of the rankings this was a great read. Excellent recap. I read it a couple times.

 

[NCarmean18Participant]

 Ahh, but I can rank the Raptors ahead of the Wizards as these two teams are not the same squads as they were last season.  To me, the Raptors improved and the Wizards got a little worse.  I like the toughness that Toronto added.  I do not think that if the teams played in the playoffs again this season that the Wizards would sweep them by any means.  It would be a lot closer, which led me to ranking these teams this close. 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I’m not as high on Chicago and Miami. Both teams host a group of veterans with recurring injury issues.

  Deng, Bosh and Wade are always in and out of lineups which messes up continuity with in the chemistry and rotations. It seems Noah and Rose are always injured for Chicago and Gasol can be injury prone as well. Even if they are healthy in the playoffs the starting lineup has no chemistry because they never played together. 

With the injury uncertainties I would rank both teams in Pacers Bucks area and the Hawks, Raptors and Wizards all ahead of them. And to be fair you can’t rank Toronto ahead of Washington when the Wizards just swept them 

 

[Rip255]

 Exum’s injury should leave the Jazz well out of the playoff picture. That was a crushing blow…the team is significantly worse when he’s not on the floor. 

[Rip255]

 Exum’s injury should leave the Jazz well out of the playoff picture. That was a crushing blow…the team is significantly worse when he’s not on the floor. 

[llperez]

 i think you are too high on the knicks and blazers. Both those teams will be bottom 5. 

[llperez]

 i think you are too high on the knicks and blazers. Both those teams will be bottom 5. 

[King CaluchaParticipant]

 I don’t think the Lakers are in the worst 5 teams in the league. Unless they struggle with injuries. In my opinion the Blazers are going to suck this season.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

 I don’t think the Lakers are in the worst 5 teams in the league. Unless they struggle with injuries. In my opinion the Blazers are going to suck this season.

[Author]

Posts