The Boston Celtics are still NBA Champions, but a new season is here. The NBA preseason kicks off with Boston taking on the Denver Nuggets for two games in Abu Dhabi, and there are less than three weeks until the beginning of the regular season. But how are teams looking heading into the season?
Obviously, the preseason can only reveal so much. Teams aren’t playing their starters full-time minutes, and it’s a very small sample size. However, the offseason is a pretty good barometer for which teams are going all in and which are taking a step back. (Especially when guys like Jakob Poeltl openly admit their team isn’t trying to win.)
With all that in mind, here are NBA power rankings heading into the preseason.
30. Brooklyn Nets
There isn’t much going on here. After trading away Mikal Bridges, the Brooklyn Nets are left with Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, and a bunch of random pieces.
Individually, they are all solid. Most of the guys on their team could contribute well in role-player roles. But they just don’t have the glue to keep it all together.
29. Washington Wizards
Similar to the Brooklyn Nets, but with a bit more hope. The Washington Wizards are firmly in the race for Cooper Flagg next summer, which means they aren’t going to win many games.
However, guys like Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly are enough tot put them over the Nets. At least they have some young players (and vets like Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas) leading the way.
28. Utah Jazz
For the past two years, it feels as though the Utah Jazz have outperformed expectations. That probably won’t happen for a third season in a row.
Lauri Markkanen is a great player. He could be extremely useful on a ton of teams around the league. But if he’s the best player on a team with very few supporting pieces around him, that team probably isn’t going very far.
27. Portland Trail Blazers
After their worst season in years, the Portland Trail Blazers are once again staring down a brutal year of basketball. But there is more hope this year than last.
Scoot Henderson is entering his second year with plenty of room for improvement, and the addition of Deni Avdija could raise this squad’s ceiling. Add in Donovan Clingan and a healthy Robert Williams, and Portland could surprise some people (relatively speaking).
26. Charlotte Hornets
If LaMelo Ball is fully healthy, then this Charlotte Hornets team could end up being a lot better than people realize. But with Mark Williams already popping up on the injury report, the outlook is bleak.
Charles Lee will enter Charlotte hoping to implant a new culture and winning mentality, but the Hornets aren’t the Boston Celtics. He has a tall task ahead of him.
25. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have tried and failed to trade Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all summer. That should be a perfect indicator as to how bad they will be next year.
Chicago has some interesting pieces, but most of them are guards. Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Josh Giddey can probably co-exist, but the fit is less than ideal.
24. Detroit Pistons
Perhaps this is a bit too high for the Detroit Pistons, but Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley are legitimately good additions, and JB Bickerstaff has proven to be a quality head coach.
If Cade Cunningham can take a leap this year, this Pistons squad has a real chance to sniff the Play-In Tournament. They have talented pieces. They just have to put it all together.
23. Atlanta Hawks
With Dejounte Murray gone, there’s a chance that Trae Young could thrive again as the lead guard, but this Atlanta Hawks team is as bad as it’s been in years.
Jalen Johnson could turn into a budding star, and Zaccharie Risacher will be fun to watch, but the Hawks probably won’t be a playoff team. It feels like a Young trade could come in the next calendar year.
22. Toronto Raptors
Jakob Poeltl said it himself: The Toronto Raptors aren’t chasing a championship this season. The core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley looks decent, but it’s not bringing home any banners anytime soon.
It’s still baffling that Toronto traded a first-rounder for Poeltl less than two years ago. It came back to bite them, and now, they’re looking at a full-time rebuild. (Or at least they should be.)
21. San Antonio Spurs
By the time the season is a month old, the San Antonio Spurs may have skyrocketed up these rankings. But for now, last year’s brutal season needs to be accounted for.
Victor Wembanyama is already a Top 20 player in the NBA, and Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes should help the Spurs win games, but for now, they can’t be above some potential playoff teams.
20. Houston Rockets
Like the Spurs, the Houston Rockets have a chance to soar up the NBA power rankings if they prove their talent. Reed Sheppard was a great pick, and their internal development could be huge next year.
Adding Steven Adams will help their big-man depth, and they have quality young players at every position. It’ll be tough to make the Play-In in a crowded Western Conference, but Houston has a chance.
19. Miami Heat
Unless Alec Burks is viewed as a game-changer, the Miami Heat made zero impact moves this summer. Jimmy Butler being healthy is the biggest change, and as important as that is, it doesn’t raise the ceiling of the team Miami walked in with last season.
As the rest of the NBA is pushing forward, it feels as though the Heat are standing still. They’ve made it work before, but the roster is fairly underwhelming compared to the teams around them.
18. LA Clippers
Losing Paul George is massive. From the looks of it, the LA Clippers are going to depend on Kawhi Leonard’s health and James Harden playing like the Houston Rockets version of himself, and neither of those things seems guaranteed.
There are still quality depth pieces up and down the roster—Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Terence Mann, etc—but in a stacked West, the Clippers could be in a rough spot.
17. Memphis Grizzlies
This is too low for the Memphis Grizzlies. Admittedly so. But it’s impossible to know how they will respond to one of the most injury-plagued seasons in NBA history, so they have to start here.
It’s very possible that, in a month’s time, the Grizzlies will be a Top 10 team in the NBA, but there is too much talent for them to jump up the rankings without proving their talent again.
16. Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry is Stephen Curry. He’s still a Top 10 player in the NBA. But the rest of the Warriors lineup needs to prove they can keep up with him.
Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski look like potential stars, and their depth moves this summer have put them in a great spot, but there are still some question marks that need to be ironed out.
15. Sacramento Kings
Adding DeMar DeRozan could be the most underrated move of the offseason. He’s not a perfect fit in today’s NBA, but the Sacramento Kings needed shot creation, and he gives them that.
The Kings often get slept on in an elite Western Conference, but they are a real threat to make some noise in the postseason next year, even if they fell short last season.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Though they got bounced by the eventual champs in the playoffs last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers still have a very talented roster, led by Donovan Mitchell, who is a Top 20 player.
The fit with him and Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley is still a bit awkward, but the Cavs should still be a guaranteed playoff team in the East.
13. Los Angeles Lakers
Having LeBron James and Anthony Davis is enough to keep the Los Angeles Lakers this high up in the power rankings. That said, this is one of the more fragile placements on this list.
James and Davis enjoyed a very healthy last season. If they have the same luck this year, the Lakers could improve. If not, they will plummet down the ranks.
12. Phoenix Suns
Getting swept in the first round last year was ugly, but the Phoenix Suns had a great summer. Why? Because they signed two actual point guards to the roster.
Tyus Jones and Monte Morris aren’t the flashiest names, but having them on the team will raise the Suns’ ceiling. If Kevin Durant and Devin Booker stay healthy, the Suns could go far.
11. Orlando Magic
Though Kentavious Caldwell-Pope isn’t a star, he will be perfect for the Orlando Magic. They didn’t have nearly enough shooting last season, and he gives them that.
But perhaps more importantly, Caldwell-Pope gives them shooting without losing any defensive prowess. Orlando should be one of the best defenses in the NBA while also improving on the other end.
10. New Orleans Pelicans
Had Zion Williamson stayed healthy in the Play-In game, the New Orleans Pelicans could have made a bit more noise in the playoffs. They still probably couldn’t have beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Williamson greatly raises the Pelicans’ ceiling.
Adding Dejounte Murray to the mix should be great for the Pelicans. If Williamson can stay healthy, the Pelicans will be a real threat out West.
9. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers overachieved last season, but having Pascal Siakam for the entire year will give them a nice boost. There’s no reason to think they can’t be a threat out East again.
Tyrese Haliburton is one of the best point guards in the NBA, and the team has another year of development under their belt. They should be fighting for home-court advantage next year.
8. Milwaukee Bucks
Health is at the top of the Milwaukee Bucks’ needs list heading into next season. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy for the regular season and playoffs, the Bucks are a contender.
But a team of 34-year-old Damian Lillard, an already-injured 33-year-old Khris Middleton, and an unlucky Antetokounmpo, health is enough of a question to place them in the bottom half of the Top 10 teams for now, especially with Doc Rivers’ questionable record since taking over as head coach.
7. Philadelphia 76ers
Similar to the Bucks, health is holding the Philadelphia 76ers back from being higher up these rankings. Joel Embiid is always a question mark, no matter how hard he tries to stay healthy.
On paper, the Sixers are a Top 5 team in the NBA. But if Embiid and Paul George suffer too many nicks and bruises, they will be left in a tough spot.
6. Denver Nuggets
This may be a bit too low for the team led by the best player in the world, but the Denver Nuggets have been cutting corners lately. And last year, it cost them.
They got bounced in the second round last year, and for the second year in a row, they lost a very important rotation piece in free agency. Nikola Jokic is incredible, but if their young players don’t perform, the Nuggets could be in trouble.
5. Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic will be hungry after his first taste of the NBA Finals, and the Dallas Mavericks had a great summer, building out a solid roster around their two stars.
Klay Thompson, despite his age, should be a quality role player in Dallas, and Dereck Lively II is only getting better. The Mavs should be a threat to get back to the Finals this year.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Some people may not love the Julius Randle trade, and there’s a chance it doesn’t man out, but the Minnesota Timberwolves still have the talent to be one of the best teams in basketball.
Anthony Edwards is amazing, and their defense should still be one of, if not the best, in the NBA next season. Add in Donte DiVincenzo and Rob Dillingham, and the Wolves are primed for another great season.
3. New York Knicks
Just one spot ahead of the team they made a blockbuster trade with, the New York Knicks are looking to challenge the Eastern Conference next season.
Jalen Brunson is a superstar, Karl-Anthony Towns will improve their offense, and Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are one of the best defensive duos in the NBA. New York is coming next season.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso may have been the best summer additions across the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder were already an elite team, and they got even better.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could very well win MVP this year, and if Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren improve even more, the Thunder should be a championship favorite.
1. Boston Celtics
The Thunder may be A championship favorite, but the Boston Celtics are still THE championship favorites. They have the best roster in basketball, and Joe Mazzulla is refusing to let them rest on their laurels.
With two Top 15 players and the best defensive backcourt in the NBA, the Celtics are well-positioned to be the first back-to-back champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
