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NBA preseason power rankings: Lakers on top
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With the season only eleven days away, here are my picks for the preseason power rankings:
1) Los Angeles Lakers- The Lakers added Artest in the offseason, but will it hurt or help? The safer bet would’ve been to stick with the young and athletic Ariza, but the champs are still the favorite to repeat. Look for Andrew Bynum to have a breakout year if healthy.
2) Orlando Magic- The Orlando Magic were not shy in the offseason, reloading their team to get back to the NBA Finals. Hedo Turkoglu is now in Toronto, but Orlando picked up playmaker Vince Carter to replace him. Orlando’s bench also got much deeper with the acquisitions of Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes, Jason Williams, and Ryan Anderson. They could possibly be the deepest team in the league.
3) San Antonio Spurs- San Antonio had a busy offseason as well, acquiring power swingman Richard Jefferson, reliable big Antonio McDyess, backup shooting guard Keith Bogan, and DeJuan Blair, a rookie power forward out of Pitt with a huge upside. Look for them to challenge the Lakers in the West if healthy.
4) Cleveland Cavaliers- With a disappointing exit in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavs are back hungry and with higher expectations. The biggest offseason addition was clearly Shaquille O’Neal, but who knows how many miles are left on those tires? But the biggest question in Cleveland is still: What uniform will LeBron wear next season?
5) Boston Celtics- Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels will greatly help Boston’s aging superstars, providing relief minutes off the bench. But for the Celtics to have a championship shot, KG’s knees holding up is the key.
6) Denver Nuggets- Denver had a great run last year, entering the playoffs on a hot streak. But don’t expect this year to be so kind. Losing Dahntay Jones and Linus Kleiza wasn’t a great way to start the offseason, and don’t think Aaron Afflalo and Ty Lawson will as effective.
7) Dallas Mavericks- Dallas landed some key players for the upcoming season, including the Matrix. If they had only lured Marcin Gortat from the Magic, the Mavericks would have been a very dangerous team. Still, don’t sleep on them.
8) Atlanta Hawks- Atlanta is going to be better than they were a season ago, but their ceiling is still pretty low, with most predicting the Hawks to exit in the second round once more. If the ATL wants to see their Hawks soar to new heights, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford must all take their game to the next level.
9) Portland Trailblazers- Portland’s summer wasn’t a great one, only adding veteran point Andre Miller who may affect the team’s chemistry. Look for the Blazers to regret that move and hand the reigns over to the capable and athletic Jerryd Bayless, or back over to Steve Blake. Also expect Brandon Roy to continue to work hard and improve as the Blazers get into the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
10) Utah Jazz- The Jazz kept Millsap, Okur and Boozer, but go no better. They will undoubtedly be in the playoff hunt, but are likely to be a quick exit. The Jazz need a big move before the trade deadline to become true championship contenders.
11) Chicago Bulls- The Bulls look to have a bright future under the stellar play of second year point Derrick Rose, but how much will the loss of Ben Gordon effect this young squad? Not enough to miss the postseason. And hopefully it will be as exciting as the last.
12) Phoenix Suns- The Suns should not miss the playoffs for the second time in a row. Back to their run and gun style, Phoenix should once again thrive under an aging but still effective Steve Nash.
13) Detroit Pistons- The Pistons have a whole new look, but should still be trouble on the court, adding sharpshooter Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Ben Wallace, and rookie Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers. While this may not be enough for the Pistons to slip into postseason play, they do keep their fans happy with exciting additions.
14) Washington Wizards- The Wiz did get better over the summer, but not enough to matter. While they will contend for a playoff slot, their ceiling is very low… even with a healthy Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas on the floor.
15) Miami Heat- What have Heat personnel done that would make Dwayne Wade actually want to stick around? Exactly. Nothing. Expect them to once again be the 5 seed in the East and exit in the first round for the second straight year. And say goodbye to Flash, Miami.
16) Los Angeles Clippers- LA’s other team just became on of the NBA’s deepest teams, but unfortunately not one of its best. Winning the lottery and selecting Blake Griffin was a start, but these Clips have a ways to go. Don’t count them out of the playoffs just yet. They do have the talent. But can they put it together in time?
17) Philadelphia 76ers- The 76ers are among the NBA’s most consistent teams but that isn’t a good thing. They are consistently mediocre. They don’t have a reliable shooting guard. Andre Iguodala isn’t the answer at the 2 and Jason Kapono’s outside skills will only help so much. But Philly’s future does not look bleak, with youngsters Thaddeus Young, Marresse Speights and Jrue Holiday.
18) Toronto Raptors- The Raps improved as much as any team before the new season acquiring Turkoglu, DeMar DeRozan, Jarrett Jack, Reggie Evans, and Amir Johnson. The race for the last four spots in the East will be tight, but Toronto should be right there.
19) Indiana Pacers- Indy continues to struggle to get over the lottery hump and burst their way into a playoff berth. This year will be no different. The Pacers keep getting deeper but not much more competitive, and Danny Granger can carry this team only so far.
20) Golden State Warriors- This CA team may be the league’s biggest question. Who knows where they will end up? With an incredibly deep and talented squad, they not only missed the playoffs last season but finished with a 29-53 record. Can they turn it around? We shall see.
21) Houston Rockets- Houston would be much higher on this list if not for the disappointing health of Yao Ming. Without their star center in the middle, the Rockets will be lucky if they see postseason action in 2010. But don’t count on that happening.
22) Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder have amassed a deep and talented young roster that is still growing and improving, but expect them to be in the lottery come June. Look for Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green to all have breakout years and make this team a bit more competitive.
23) New Orleans Hornets- The Hornets, though not predicted by most, are a team about to take a fall. Management did nothing in the offseason to better this team and Chris Paul cannot be happy. The only real depth on this squad is at point guard, which is practically useless with Paul playing 40+ minutes a night.
24) Charlotte Bobcats- Will this be the year that Jordan’s expansion franchise finally plays past the 82 game regular season? The odds aren’t good. With the East getting even deeper and Charlotte still without a go-to-scorer, the Cats season will be over far before the 82nd contest.
25) New York Knicks- D’Antoni will surely push the win total to the max for this mediocre squad, but he won’t be able to push them hard enough to break through the playoff wall. The only thing to look forward to in NY: the stylish, green Saint Patty’s Day unis.
26) Milwaukee Bucks- The Bucks are another team that should plummet in the upcoming season, losing key contributors Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions to free agency. Adding Brandon Jennings will definitely add excitement in Milwaukee, but it won’t add wins.
27) Minnesota Timberwolves- The Wolves have a beastly front line of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, and solid point guards Ramon Sessions and Jonny Flynn, but nothing else to excite the crowd or get their team out of the cellar.
28) Memphis Grizzlies- The Grizzlies, though so low on the totem pole, could have a bright future. But Allen Iverson and Zach Randolph probably aren’t part it. Memphis will once again be crossing their fingers come draft lottery and will continue the rebuilding process.
29) New Jersey Nets- After trading away Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, there isn’t much to watch in New Jersey. Look for it to be a disappointing year, with the only bright spots being young center Brook Lopez and lightning quick guard Devin Harris. NJ fans better hope LeBron comes to town in 2010.
30) Sacramento Kings- The Kings are almost in the same position as the Nets, just worse. With Mike Bibby, Ron Artest, Brad Miller, and John Salmons all gone, look for Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans to take over half of the team's attempts from the field. Not much to look forward to if you're a Sac fan.
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