For the next six months, the regular season will provide endless entertainment in the NBA. Every Tuesday, we will gather in this space to rank each of the league’s 30 teams and, along the way, arguments will almost certainly ensue. Still, putting every squad in order can be a useful exercise and, on Opening Night, it’s time to take a preseason swing at how things will shake out in 2018-19.
Some of this will prove to be (very) wrong and some of it may even be right. Here we go with “week zero” of Dime’s NBA power rankings.
1. Golden State Warriors (58-24 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
There might be an argument for “the field” against the Warriors this season, simply due to the wear and tear associated with yet another run to the title. With that said, there is no debate about the best team in the league.
2. Houston Rockets (65-17 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
This is something of a surprising choice, which is bizarre given that Houston won 65 games a year ago. Their offseason was controversial, particularly on the wing, but Houston returns the core of Harden, Paul, Capela, Tucker and Gordon. That is a good place to be.
3. Boston Celtics (55-27 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
On paper, the Celtics are better than the Rockets and that very well may happen. Early in the year, though, Boston may have some growing pains as they look to fully integrate all of their high-end pieces and that could linger for a bit. This is still the best team in the East.
4. Toronto Raptors (59-23 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
If the Celtics slip up, count this as a bet on the Raptors to ascend. Kawhi Leonard is the obvious domino but, if he’s the same player from 2016-17, Toronto might win 60 games. He’s that good.
5. Utah Jazz (48-34 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
For the most part, a consensus is developing in the top four but, for me, the Jazz are the clear No. 5 squad. Combine an elite defense with an evolving offense and the presence of Donovan Mitchell for his second season… and you really have something.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (52-30 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
It’s been a rocky few months in Philly but this remains a supremely talented basketball team. If we assume health and production from Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the baseline is very high and the Sixers should be an in-season contender for help in the shooting department.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (48-34 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
This ranking assumes health for Russell Westbrook. If he isn’t his old self, this will be too high. However, the Thunder should be improved overall, as they move on from Carmelo Anthony and add a useful bench option in Dennis Schröder.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (35-47 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
The consensus on the Lakers is that there is no consensus. The presence of LeBron helps to provide confidence but, in the same breath, the veteran additions made little to no sense. This is more of a bit on James (duh) and the youngsters, but I’m comfortable with that.
9. Denver Nuggets (46-36 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
This is setting up as “the year” for the Nuggets in a lot of ways. There is justifiable concern in the lack of depth at the small forward position but, if Jamal Murray breaks out as many predict, it may not matter.
10. Milwaukee Bucks (44-38 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
The addition of Mike Budenholzer is enormous for the Bucks. For one, Budenholzer is a proven, above-average head coach. In addition, the Bucks just slogged through a below-average (to be kind) coaching situation. Throw in the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and a fun roster, and you have a stew going.
11. Indiana Pacers (48-34 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Milwaukee surpassing Indiana is becoming more trendy by the week and that’s a little scary. The Pacers might be due for some regression, though, particularly if Victor Oladipo is closer to the player from the final few months of the season than he was in the early part of the 2017-18 campaign.
12. New Orleans Pelicans (48-34 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
This is a bet on Anthony Davis, who is a trendy MVP pick for a reason. Beyond that, I not-so-secretly love the trio of Davis, Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle, with every caveat in place that the Pelicans need something from Elfrid Payton and an ugly cast of wing options.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (47-35 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
This is probably higher than some would place Minnesota without knowing the fate of Jimmy Butler. We’re assuming that the Wolves get something of value back for Butler and, beyond that, this is a more talented roster than some want to believe. Until the trigger is pulled, weirdness will continue.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (49-33 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Blazers fans have to be bothered that their team is being overlooked after a 49-win season. I get that. Portland just isn’t terribly interesting and, if they were to produce a similar, team-wide performance, it probably wouldn’t garner the No. 3 seed again.
15. Miami Heat (44-38 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Trying to figure out what the Heat will be is tough, particularly before any Jimmy Butler dominoes fall. If Miami doesn’t snag Butler, this is essentially the same team from 2017-18 and that means a lower-end playoff showing is in the offing.
16. San Antonio Spurs (47-35 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
I don’t know and neither do you. The Spurs are the Spurs but, without Dejounte Murray for a full season (and Derrick White for a while), there isn’t much talent in the backcourt and this is a roster that most would dismiss if it wasn’t coached by Gregg Popovich and surrounded by this organizational structure.
17. Washington Wizards (43-39 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Every joke has been made about Washington’s locker room, especially after Dwight Howard arrived to further cloud the proceedings. The Wizards still have talent but they feel like the 7th/8th seed in the East in perpetuity.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (42-40 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
The Clippers are in a weird spot and, in the future, will need a star to make any kind of real leap. Los Angeles does employ a (very) deep roster of quality players, though, and that can really help when it comes to navigating the 82-game journey.
19. Detroit Pistons (39-43 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Detroit brings more upside than this suggests. The Blake Griffin/Andre Drummond combination isn’t perfect, but both players are quite talented and this isn’t a roster devoid of talent. The pivot point may be Reggie Jackson, though, and that’s scary.
20. Memphis Grizzlies (22-60 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Can Mike Conley stay healthy? Obviously, it would be a positive if Marc Gasol could stay on the floor but the Grizzlies’ fate is entirely tied to whether Conley is available. That’s a weird place to be but, on the bright side, Jaren Jackson Jr. is fun.
21. Charlotte Hornets (36-46 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Here we go again with Charlotte. The Hornets could easily improve on their 36-win showing last season, especially with full health. On the flip side, Kemba Walker could be a trade candidate and, in the recent past, very little has gone right for Charlotte outside of the franchise player.
22. Dallas Mavericks (24-58 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Luka Doncic is NBA-ready and the addition of DeAndre Jordan should help the Mavs. Dallas does have other issues, though, with a lack of quality depth at a few key positions and some unproven parts (headlined by Dennis Smith Jr.) that need to make the next step. The result should be a competitive performance but not one that seriously challenges for a playoff berth in the West.
23. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
The loss of LeBron James can’t be overstated, even if the downgrade is incredibly obvious. It is very hard to figure out what the Cavs might do during the season, so this represents something of a hedge. If they try to win all year, Cleveland might be better than this. If they sell off parts and build for the future, they might be worse.
24. Brooklyn Nets (28-54 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Kudos to the Nets for winning the offseason. Brooklyn did a number of smart things and they should be lauded for that. On the floor in 2018-19, though, the returns may not be as bright, as the overall talent level still lags behind playoff contenders.
25. Phoenix Suns (21-61 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Phoenix tried to go all-in toward a playoff berth with the addition of Trevor Ariza but this is still a roster that doesn’t make much sense. Specifically, the Suns don’t have a point guard to speak of at this juncture and, while the addition of Jamal Crawford could be interesting, that isn’t going to help their potential issues on the defensive end.
26. Orlando Magic (25-57 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Optimistically, the Magic have the ability to present a terrifying blend of length and athleticism in the frontcourt. With that said, D.J. Augustin is the only NBA-quality point guard on the roster and that is a major issue.
27. Chicago Bulls (27-55 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
The Bulls have talent and everyone knows it. However, Lauri Markkanen is on the shelf at the outset and, more importantly, this is a team that has real construction issues, particularly on the defensive end. Chicago will win some shootouts but the overall product is dicey.
28. Atlanta Hawks (24-58 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Most preseason rankings list Atlanta at No. 30 and that isn’t wholly unreasonable. However, the Hawks have more talent than you may be led to believe and, until (or unless) they pull the trigger on deals to send veterans like Kent Bazemore and Dewayne Dedmon elsewhere, Lloyd Pierce’s team should avoid the absolute basement.
29. Sacramento Kings (27-55 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
Contrary to popular belief, the Kings did not finish in the Western Conference cellar last season. However, Sacramento is the worst team in the conference on paper, at least for now, and they’ll need a breakout from De’Aaron Fox (among others) to avoid that fate.
30. New York Knicks (29-53 in 2017-18, Last week — n/a)
If Kristaps Porzingis was healthy, the Knicks would be considerably higher. Without him, New York doesn’t have much to get excited about and, for the next few months, this is probably the worst present-day roster in the NBA.
