![]() Is Derrick White going to be that guy to help keep things together? Or do Tatum and/or Brown step up with more vocal leadership in Smart’s absence? Boston didn’t want to give Smart up, but now that he’s gone, the Celtics have to fill that void. The Porziņģis addition has some intrigue, but it’s also kind of weird. I’m not sure what the leadership looks like now without Smart. We’ll find out just how much the Poole subtraction will fix things. The Warriors don’t have many more years of contending with this group. I don’t know if Paul and his opposition to wanting to come off the bench will fix that, but having Poole gone should improve morale. From there, it was just awkward, and it eventually left the Warriors incapable of truly defending their title. ![]() This team never came together after the Draymond Green punch and the subsequent leak of the video. I’m of the belief Poole was the issue with this team last season, though that doesn’t mean he was the main cause of that issue. Pressing question: Was Poole the main problem last season? They’re deeper now and need that depth to help them stay cohesive through the bumps and bruises so they’re ready for the playoff run. It was probably a factor with the loss to Miami this past season because of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s brief absence, but mostly, this team just looked disjointed from all the time Middleton lost during the regular season. ![]() Two years ago, they can say that was the difference in their loss to Boston. But the change itself probably won’t alter this team’s ceiling much, as they won a title with Bud. They were a title contending team with Budenholzer and the organization is hoping Griffin can avoid playoff collapses. It’s hard to predict where the coaching change from Budenholzer to Griffin is going to land the Bucks. This team still has more than enough to be champs again. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the NBA Finals. ![]() But think about how little they received offensively from Michael Porter Jr. The rookies they’re bringing in might actually be able to play a role in their first year. I’m a big Justin Holiday fan and think he can be a nice replacement for Brown. That’s right: They still have Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. Pressing question: Do they have enough to repeat as champs?Īs much as the Nuggets love Brown and celebrated his contributions, they still have everything they need to compete for a back-to-back run. (Previous rankings in parenthesis are from our end-of-regular-season edition.) With all that said, let’s dive into the offseason version of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings. This is supposed to be fun, so let’s have fun with it.The answer is pretty simple: I think that team is set up better for success. If I have a team ahead of another team, there’s no reason to ask why they’re ranked above the team you like.Others will be given the benefit of the doubt for the long term. Some teams will be hit extra hard in the short term. It’s up to my discretion how the rankings shake out.Contenders - They are contending for the championship, barring a massive injury.Īs always, I am sure we will all agree on the flawless placement of all 30 teams, especially your favorite team.On the brink of contention - A piece away or some luck from us believing they can win the title.Playoff Hopefuls - This means these teams should expect to make the top-six in their respective conferences.Play-In Battleground - That Play-In doesn’t look like death for your season.Edge of Competition - Any of these teams could really surprise some people this season.Tank Adjacent So Far - No clear-cut prospect to tank for yet, but these teams might lose competitive edge.We have the tiers in the Power Rankings broken into six categories: We divide these teams into tiers, into and out of which any of the teams can move. Reminder: The Power Rankings don’t just rank the 30 teams. Sometimes even the Power Rankings need a little bit of brevity. No offense, but some of the two-way guys and second-round picks will get slighted. There will be some transactions missing for each team. We’re still waiting on some major trades to happen, but we can assess each team’s big moves and ask a pressing question for each franchise as we look ahead to next season and beyond. ![]() So let’s check in with some updated Power Rankings before we get out of July. ![]()
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