Power Rankings

[NeedlesKane]

I feel like teams are pretty much what they're going to be when the season starts on 12/22. Any power rankings predictions?

2 days ago NBC Sports had the Mavericks placed at 10th (5th in the West) ahead of the Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Suns. Rockets are 15th in the Power Rankings but 9th in the Western Conference.

Are the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and Warriors really the top 4 teams? Thoughts?

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by NeedlesKane

I feel like teams are pretty much what they're going to be when the season starts on 12/22. Any power rankings predictions?

2 days ago NBC Sports had the Mavericks placed at 10th (5th in the West) ahead of the Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Suns. Rockets are 15th in the Power Rankings but 9th in the Western Conference.

Are the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and Warriors really the top 4 teams? Thoughts?

GSW have so many variables. Will Wiggins mesh with them? How ready is Wiseman. Is Draymond washed? Can Oubre make a mini-leap? Is Looney healthy?

[Bryan_Wilson]

Is this regular season standings? Because it depends on how long KP misses as it's hard for me to put Dallas in the top 4 if KP misses 15-20 games. But when healthy that changes where I would rank them as far as a "power ranking".

Also hard to rate Houston with them presumably needing to at least trade RWB and assuming Harden could be dealt or not.

[KillerLeft]

I still think LAL, LAC and Denver are the top 3 teams in the West, but the only one who seems to have really figured out who they are is LAL, and the clock on Lebron's career is ticking down.

The next tier, to me, is DAL, POR and HOU (as of right this second, at least). Dallas is the only one here who is clearly on the rise, but the other two could be better THIS season. Alternatively, Houston could be blown up and start a rebuild at any second, even during the season.

I'm not sure where to put GSW, but something tells me they'll be better than some people think...I'd put them on their own 3rd tier, I guess, but wouldn't be shocked to be wrong about them in either direction. I don't expect Wiggins to be there at the end of the season, so it's possible there's still a really good move to come for them.

PHX will definitely be better. Chris Paul's impact is probably understated by most, but, while this will help Booker and Ayton, I think it's premature to assume Ayton will transform into a star THIS YEAR. This is another one that could be better than I think though, I'll admit.

Then, you have Utah, New Orleans and Memphis. Utah should be higher, but they have major issues right now dealing with the Gobert situation. I think Mitchell is great, but I think all the teams above have more. I think they're in danger of bungling the promise they had in the palm of their hands a couple of years ago, and only a grand slam of a Gobert trade can right the ship.

LOVE what the Pelicans are doing fill the cupboard with assets, but I'm not a Zion believer, and I don't think he's a fit with Ball. Both good prospects, but my vision for making Zion relevant IMMEDIATELY would be to turn him into Amare Stoudemire, and Ball just isn't a pick and roll guy. Still, they're doing some interesting things. I find it weird that nothing has been announced with Ingram's contract yet. They might be up to something with that.

[NeedlesKane]

Gotta love how the Gasol brothers both join superstars in L.A. for easy rings. This time the Gasol really doesn't even have to contribute much.

[EricaLubarsky]

1) Nuggets
2) Suns
3) Lakers
4) Blazers
5) Clippers
6) Mavs
7) Jazz
8) Grizzlies
-----------------
9) Warriors
10) Spurs
11) Rockets
12) OKC
13) Wolves
14) Kings
15) Pelicans

[NeedlesKane]

These are the power rankings. I can see why you place the Suns so high based on how they closed off the end of the previous regular season. My concern about them is how the players seem to hate playing in Phoenix.

[Bryan_Wilson]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

1) Nuggets
2) Suns
3) Lakers
4) Blazers
5) Clippers
6) Mavs
7) Jazz
8) Grizzlies
-----------------
9) Warriors
10) Spurs
11) Rockets
12) OKC
13) Wolves
14) Kings
15) Pelicans

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Bryan_Wilson

Yeah, I think people are seriously overrating the Suns. To me they look like a seventh seed. Bringing in CP3 was more of a "culture" move than anything, and mostly done to keep Booker happy. They also overpaid. I'm thinking they'll end up regretting that deal, considering Booker won't be a free agent for four more years.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by NeedlesKane

These are the power rankings. I can see why you place the Suns so high based on how they closed off the end of the previous regular season. My concern about them is how the players seem to hate playing in Phoenix.

Two words- recency bias. They went 8-0 in the bubble, and people expect them to sustain that. I think they got really hot (no pun intended) and they'll come back to earth this season.

Same with the Nuggets btw. I think the Nuggets are the same good-not-great team they were last year, but since they beat the supposedly mighty Clippers, and since Murray played like a superstar, they're the next big thing. What Murray did in the bubble to me looked totally unsustainable. It was a 2003 Nick Van Exel moment. More importantly, the outcome I think had more to do with the Clippers than the Nuggets. It could have just as easily been our Mavericks punching them in the mouth if KP doesn't get ejected in game 1 and then get hurt.

[KillerLeft]

I think the Suns are almost a lock to make the playoffs, but to have them in the top 3 or even the top 5 places more faith in them than I have.

[NeedlesKane]

@Thespiralgoeson I absolutely agree that the Mavericks could have eliminated the Clippers had that not happened with KP.

[MFFL]

This is how I'm thinking the West looks like. I like tiers better because it shows how much work you have to do to be a legit title contender

Tier 1: Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets
Tier 2: Mavericks and Jazz
Tier 3: Suns, Blazers and Rockets (unless they trade Harden)
Tier 4: Grizzlies, Warriors and Wolves
Tier 5: everyone else