The NBA preseason is now well underway as all 30 teams are hard at work making final preparations for the tip-off of the new season at the end of October. With a host of new faces in new places, most notably in Cleveland, there are still a lot of unknowns heading into the regular season. But that shouldn’t stop us from projecting just how each team performs once the action begins.
With that said, let’s take a look at all 30 teams and power rank them based on their roster’s potential in preseason. We’ve split the teams into four categories: the Lottery Locks (teams that won’t so much as sniff the playoffs), Lottery/Playoff Limbo (teams that may be good enough to fight for one of the last playoff spots), Playoff Teams and NBA Championship Contenders.
Don’t miss a key date in the NBA this year with our handy guide to the highlights of the NBA schedule. Afterwards, jump right in to the first category in our rankings.
[sc:NBAArticles ]NBA Preseason Power Rankings
Lottery Locks
30. Philadelphia 76ers
29. Milwaukee Bucks
28. Utah Jazz
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
With uber-athletic rookies Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, as well as other high flying wings in Corey Brewer, Chase Budinger and Thaddeus Young all being fed by the tricky Ricky Rubio, don’t be surprised to see the Timberwolves lead the NBA in alley-oops this year. Unfortunately, that shouldn’t lead to too many wins in their first year without Kevin Love.
26. Boston Celtics
25. Orlando Magic
24. Sacramento Kings
23. Los Angeles Lakers
The good news: Mamba’s back! The bad news: his supporting cast is a 40-year old Steve Nash, Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin and Swaggy P. It’s asking way too much for a 36-year old post-Achilles and knee injury Kobe Bryant to make this team a playoff contender.
Lottery/Playoff Limbo
22. Detroit Pistons
21. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers had the was the second-worst offensive efficiency (100.2) post-All-Star break last season; only the tanking Philadelphia 76ers were worse. And that was with both Paul George and Lance Stephenson leading the offense. Those two, who combined for 36 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, won’t be playing for them this season, which leaves a major question mark as to how in the world this team is going to score points.
20. Denver Nuggets
19. Brooklyn Nets
18. New Orleans Pelicans
It’s the worst-kept secret in the league that Anthony Davis, fresh off winning gold for Team USA, is going to have a breakout campaign this season. In just his second season last year, only Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kevin Love had a higher PER (Player Efficiency Rating) than Davis’ 26.5, and he’s only going to get better.
And if Jrue Holiday (14 points, eight assists) and Ryan Anderson (20 points, 6.5 rebounds) return back to full strength after injury-plagued seasons, the Pellies have the talent to improve on their disappointing finish last season.
17. Phoenix Suns
Playoff Teams
16. New York Knicks
15. Atlanta Hawks
14. Miami Heat
13. Charlotte Hornets
No one quite knows what Charlotte will get with the ultimate wild-card, Lance Stephenson. He led the league with five triple doubles last season and when fully focused, he has the ability to provide the dynamic wing scoring the Hornets sorely missed while playing some terrific perimeter defense.
However, he’s also the type of potentially destructive personality that can destabilize all the good vibes the team had worked so hard to build up last year. That’s the risk the Hornets are apparently willing to take.
12. Memphis Grizzlies
11. Toronto Raptors
10. Houston Rockets
9. Washington Wizards
It’s still way too early for Wizards guard Bradley Beal to be proclaiming that he and John Wall are the best backcourt in the NBA, but they’re certainly on their way there. Wall, 24, was an All-Star and finished tied for second in the league in assists last season, while Beal, 21, upped his game when it mattered with 19 points per game in the postseason.
With another year, not to mention a playoff series victory, now under their belt, expect their overall production – they combined for 36 points, 12 assists and almost eight rebounds per game last year – to rise a notch higher in the 2014-2015 season. The addition of Paul Pierce will also be helpful in providing some veteran savvy and clutch scoring in tight games. The Wizards are a juicy +1,500 to finish first in the Eastern Conference this season.
8. Portland Trailblazers
7. Golden State Warriors
6. Dallas Mavericks
After barely squeaking into the playoffs last season, the Mavs reloaded in a big way this offseason by bringing in the Chandlers – center Tyson Chandler and swingman Chandler Parsons. Dirk Nowitzki, 36, may not be able to bring it every night, but Parsons (16.6 PPG) and Monta Ellis (20 PPG) will help him carry the scoring burden.
Meanwhile, having Chandler back manning the paint will be a welcome addition for a Mavs team that’s finished 19th and 22nd in the league in defensive efficiency in the last two years.
NBA Championship Contenders
5. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Chicago Bulls
The championship fortunes of the Bulls rest squarely on the shoulders of one Derrick Rose, who still has a considerable amount of rust to shake off as shown by his not-so-impressive FIBA World Cup outing with Team USA over the summer. While the team waits for the MVP-caliber Rose to return (if he ever does), having an All-Star frontcourt of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol to go with the terrific Tom Thibadeau-led defense (2nd in defensive efficiency last season) should be enough for a high seed in the East. The Bulls are +600 to win it all this season.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spurs
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
The best-case scenario the rest of the league can hope for this year is that LeBron James and the Cavs experience the same growing pains the Heat went through in their first season together. Of course, the Heat still won 58 games that year and were two wins away from the NBA championship.
The worst-case scenario is that having two of the three best players according to PER in James (29.3) and Kevin Love (26.9), not to mention one of the best young guards in Kyrie Irving, gives the Cavs enough talent to blow every other team away right away… and for years to come.
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