Early NBA Power Rankings #1-10

As the compressed version of the NBA offseason is coming to an end, we are just under two weeks away from the start of the new season on December 22nd.

Teams are preparing in training camps with preseason action looming this weekend. We got a different NBA landscape than anticipated with some of the moves made these past couple of weeks. Star guards John Wall and Russell Westbrook were exchanged for one another in a mega-deal that shakes up both conferences. The Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Clippers slightly improved their rosters but is it enough to dethrone the reigning champions the Los Angeles Lakers? And don’t forget about the up-incoming teams like the Phoenix Suns. In another strange season hampered by COVID could we see an unlikely team like the Miami Heat rise in the occasion and dominate this season. Here are the current power rankings as we enter the season.

These rankings are a projection of the moves I’ve seen the past couple of weeks. Here how the top 10 teams stack up in the latest power rankings:

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers went into the offseason as if they lost in the second round like their in-city rival. Through free agency they managed to steal Montrezl Harrell from the Clippers in a major turn of events. They also managed to acquire Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews. Now they did lose key pieces Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, and Dwight Howard; all of who played big minutes in their championship run, but the pieces they acquired make up for their departures. And as it remains the Lakers still have the best duo in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis so they no doubt enter the first rankings of the season as the top team.

2. Brooklyn Nets

We now finally enter the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era in Brooklyn. This must-see tandem is surrounded by a roster filled with great pieces that can compete now for a championship. They still have Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert, both great guards capable of putting up numbers. DeAndre Jordan is still there and Jarrett Allen is a promising young center in the league. Most important, they were able to retain Joe Harris, a sniper from downtown, and acquire Landry Shamet, another great shooter. As constructed they are the one of the best team in the NBA. How they fare with new coach Steve Nash remains to be seen but they should be the favorites to possibly dethrone the champs.

3. L.A. Clippers

The Clippers could not handle the bubble. In embarrassing fashion, they were ousted in the second round to the Denver Nuggets. Many got off the Clippers bandwagon, but I won’t give up on them just yet. The environment is no excuse as every other team in the bubble had to deal with the same circumstances. This season they get to start anew back in their home arena with a new coach that demands greatness from their player in Ty Lue. Looking at their roster, they still have Kawhi Leonard who is a top-five player in the league, and Paul George who is a second-best caliber player on a championship team. They lost Harrell as mentioned before but made up for his loss in getting Serge Ibaka, Leonard’s former teammate from the championship Raptors team. They kept generally everyone else on the team, who helped get them the second seed in the West this past season. With a new direction and the drama from this past season out the way (hopefully), this team should meet the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals for real this time.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are a scary team to watch out for in the NBA period. Like the Clippers they got a new voice leading them in the locker room and it’s actually Doc Rivers who won his sole championship in the East with the Boston Celtics. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are entering another season together but this time with great shooters to supplement them. Seth Green and Danny Green are big acquisitions, Seth with his marksmanship and Danny with his championship pedigree. Dwight Howard, another free agent acquisition, should be a better fit with Embiid in the frontcourt than the departing Al Horford who was traded to the Thunder. Rivers should be able to get the best out of this team in a conference that doesn’t have the Lakers and has many more questions about the teams than answers. Their roster is arguably better than the Nets but their duo doesn’t compare to that of KD and Kyrie.

5. Boston Celtics

This is an unpopular opinion but I’m high on gang green. Their playoff run was cut short by the Heat but their best player Jayson Tatum got a run as the key guy in the playoffs and he looked pretty damn good doing it. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart also played great, Smart going out of his mind from three. Kemba’s play was disappointing but I don’t plan on him going out bad like that again. They got Tristan Thompson who should be able to help them secure boards and Jeff Teague who can run the offense when Kemba isn’t on the floor. At this point, I’m banking on the upside of Tatum and Brown to become a perennial duo in the East from what I have seen these past playoffs.

6. Milwaukee Bucks

Lower than you expected huh? Entering this season I am really low on the Bucks. Before the Greek Freak went down in Game 4 against the Heat, the Bucks were struggling. They were getting outplayed practically every facet of the game and this was when Giannis was playing. In my opinion, they didn’t address their biggest problem on the team in the offseason and that is getting a real number two guy. I’ve been saying for the past two seasons that I don’t like Khris Middleton as their second best player. In too many moments I have seen him shrink and not be as effective as he is in the regular season. And since Giannis jump shot hasn’t progress as it needs to that leaves a lot of pressure on Middleton to be an upper echelon scorer when defenses key in on Giannis, which he hasn’t done. Now during free agency, they made a trade for Jrue Holiday, one of the most underrated players in the league but him alone isn’t going to be enough to take down some of the powerhouses that is forming in the East. This team desperately needs an elite player if want any shot at a title while Giannis is still there.

7. Denver Nuggets

The team of the future is entering their third season at full power after breaking through in 2018. This should be the season where everything gels, luck fall in their favor, and one of their key players take the next big step. Jamal Murray is coming off a hot bubble appearance so he is the guy I’m focusing on to become Denver’s main guy this go-round. For a team that just made the Western Conference Finals, I don’t have them high on this list and they currently rank the third-best team in the West, the position they held last year. They didn’t get significantly better through free agency and they lost one of their main rotation guys in Jerami Grant. At this point, the Nuggets are banking on the upside of MPJ to blossom and become that third option on the team. Until that happens, they will stand pat where they at as a team that everybody expects to win a championship but won’t due to the guys in L.A.

8. Miami Heat

Usually, a team that just made the Finals wouldn’t be as low as they are on an early power rankings list but that is how I value this Heat team. They play a tough brand of basketball but are probably the least talented team on this list. They really made no moves to speak of in the offseason to buffer their team to compete in not only the East but against the West where you have bigs like AD, KP, and the Joker who are tough matchups for Bad Adebayo. And it’s no secret that last year’s playoff’s environment was an advantage for the Heat, who were a mentally tough team led by a true alpha dog in Jimmy Butler. This season they probably wont have that same advantage as teams are now prepared for another bubble if the NBA goes back to it. It’s just really hard to see the Heat having the same run they did last year but out of respect to them, they won’t fall far out of the power rankings.

9. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are a sneaky tough team as the Clippers found out in the first round of last year’s playoffs. They are well-coached, has talent all over the roster and has the future face of the league in Luka Doncic fully healed and ready to go. The only reason I didn’t have this team before the Nuggets is due to the health of KP who is coming off another injury to end the season. Luka i’m sure is going to play out of his mind until KP enters the lineup and continue orchestrating one of the best offenses in the league. When this team hits full strength, they will be deadly with the duo of Luka and KP. Tim Hardaway Jr. has also come a long way, improving his game every season so lets see if he takes another step.

10. Washington Wizards

There is a new point guard in Washington and he just made them a respectable team in the East. Russell Westbrook arrival is going to do wonders for this team. For one, he can actually play unlike John Wall who has been recovering from injury the past two seasons. A triple-double nightmare they can get you 25 points a night will be joining Brad Beal who is coming off an season where he averaged 30 plus. When you hear that and think about it, there is no better backcourt in the East than Brad and Russ. However, that alone isn’t enough to get them a top spot in the East. With this ranking, they will be the sixth best team in the East which sounds about right when you think about where they are coming from. As they stand, they are another All-Star level player away from making serious noise in this upgraded Eastern Conference.

Preseason action begins tonight. Stay tuned for more NBA news and power rankings.