Preseason NBA Power Rankings

Back to back?

Another year, another star has relocated for the bright lights of a big market. Dwight Howard is now a Laker, Ray Allen is a Heat, and JaVale McGee is still clueless. With all the player movements completed and training camps and preseason contests now fully underway, let us assess the NBA landscape with our first instalment of power rankings for the upcoming 2012-2013 season!

1. Miami Heat: you win the title, you’re number one. This is just a fact of life. Not only that, but the Heat have improved their title team with the addition of the NBA’s number one all-time three point shooter in Ray Allen (TRAITOR! JUDAS!) and what’s left of Rashard Lewis’ now steroid-less skillset. What’s more, LeBron has added yet another move to his already potent low post game with rumours that he has been practicing a sky-hook with the guidance of assistant coach Bob McAdoo, and this is also a contract year for little Mario too. CAN YOU DIG IT????!!!
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: you could easily make the case for LA at number two, but it’s very close, so we’ll again pay respect to the defending conference champs and put them ahead. Also, while the Lakers have arguably the superior starting five, the Thunder have more depth, not to mention the possibility of further internal development from their young stars.
3. Los Angeles Lakers: although it is by now a universally accepted fact that Dwight Howard is a ninny, that won’t change the fact that the Lakers have assembled arguably 3 of the 25 best players in the world and 4 of the best 50. Their offense should be among the best in the league with Steve Nash initiating their new Princeton offense, and any defense anchored by Dwight Howard (not to mention the underrated defensive work of Pau Gasol) should be among the top 10 in the league.
4. Boston Celtics: after taking the eventual champions to the absolute brink, the Celtics brought back the core of their team (read: Kevin Garnett) and then improved their depth across the board. While the loss of Ray Allen hurts sentimentally, at this stage in their careers Jason Terry is, if not a marginal improvement, then at least a more than adequate replacement. On top of that, they get a healthy Avery Bradley as well as the criminally underrated Courtney Lee. While Jeff Green may have been overpaid, he will be valuable in giving Pierce a breather from guarding the likes of LeBron, and rookie Jared Sullinger looks like he may be able to contribute right away, as he and Darko (yes, that Darko) will look to limit KG’s minutes.
5. San Antonio Spurs: as unstoppable as they were offensively last year, they were not the elite defensive squad of Spurs teams past. The Spurs are still a deep, skilled team who will be able to throw out a variety of looks both big and small, and should roll through the regular season with ease. However, their defensive mediocrity is what keeps them below the Celtics here.
6. Los Angeles Clippers: yes, Vinny del Negro is still their coach. But they still trot out two legit superstars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin every night, and they still boast a highly competent bench despite the loss of Mo Williams and Reggie Evans. Grant Hill will provide another rugged wing defender, while Chauncey Billups, Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford bring a little of everything to fill out the guard spot. Depth up front is a concern, but if Odom can regain his old LA form, they could be dangerous.
7. Denver Nuggets: what’s that? They still don’t have a legit superstar, you say? Well this is where I patronisingly tsk-tsk you and remind you they added one of the most underappreciated stars in the NBA (and one of my personal faves) in Andre Iguodala. No, he’s not going to be able to take over offensively. But defense is half the game and Iggy is an all-universe defender out on the wing. Add him to the already potent mix of Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, The Manimal Kenneth Faried and the mercurial JaVale McGee? This is gonna be a must-watch team, folks
8. Indiana Pacers:another favourite of the NBA-nerds, this team managed to rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season. With the additions of the surprisingly competent Gerald Green and Ian Mahinmi, their bench will hopefully be able to sustain the lead that their dominant starting unit spots them.
   

   He’s got 99 problems, and pick and roll defense is one

9. Brooklyn Nets: blah blah blah Jay-Z blah Brooklyn blah blah. I really couldn’t care less where this team plays, but they will be an interesting watch on the offensive end of the floor. Forgetting their monstrous salaries for a while (as Mikhail Prokhorov seems to have no trouble doing), and what we have here is a starting unit with the potential to put up some great fantasy numbers. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams will feel equally liberated from having to create their teams’ entire offense, and Brook Lopez is still a talented scorer, rebounding issues aside.
10. Memphis Grizzlies: a trendy dark horse contender last season, Memphis has steadily lost a lot of its depth over the past two seasons. However, they still have one of the best frontcourts in the league, and if Zach Randolph can return to his all-world 2011 form, they still have a puncher’s chance in the West, injury-luck allowing.
11. New York Knicks: yes, they lost Linsanity. But replacing him are veterans Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd (don’t laugh!), and they added further veteran depth on the frontcourt in Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace (OK, maybe laugh a little). If the old farts can stay healthy, the talent is there for this team to match up with any team in the league.
12. Utah Jazz: upgrades at guard and small forward, more outside shooting, and the continued development of future defensive behemoth Derrick Favors indicate a team that is on the upswing. With Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson both entering the final year of their contracts, their two frontcourt stars should also be extra motivated to perform this year.
13. Dallas Mavericks: for the past decade or so, Dirk Nowitzki has been the anchor around which the organisation could count on to deliver 50 win seasons, year after year after year. But father time looks ready to capture another victim, following his down year last season and rumours of more knee trouble in training camp. It was for this reason that Dallas embarked on their ultimately fruitless chase for Deron Williams, but following their disappointment they rebounded nicely by adding Darren Collison, OJ Mayo, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand (a severely underrated defensive player) for virtually nothing. Ironically, for the first time in his career, Dirk is the X-Factor for the Mavericks this season. If he can return to his God-like offensive output of 2011, the Mavs once more have the depth and talent to make some noise in the West. If not, they’ll be hard pressed to even make the playoffs.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: yes they will be without the dreamy Spaniard Ricky Rubio to start the season. But Luke Ridnour is a very capable backup, and the team has upgraded the dreadful wing situation from last year with a rejuvenated Andrei Kirilenko (great in Europe and in Olympic play), the remains of Brandon Roy’s meniscus, and another Olympic favourite Alexey Shved. Kevin Love is still a top 10 player in the league, and once Rubio returns this will be another exciting team to watch
15. Atlanta Hawks: Joe who? Ironically, that was often the reaction from Hawks fans even when Johnson was their “franchise” player. He is indeed a great talent, but arguably, they still have their two best players in Al Horford and Josh Smith (also in a contract year!). In Johnson’s absence they’ve filled the wing positions with two of the deadliest outside shooters in the league (the dreamy Kyle Korver and Anthony Morrow), and a rookie who could well join them in that category (John Jenkins). They’re loaded with creative guards in Lou Williams, Devin Harris and Jeff Teague as well, and this is going to be a FUN team to watch, provided coach Larry Drew plays his cards right
16. Toronto Raptors: a bit of a gut call here, but I trust coach Dwane Casey’s defensive chops, and this offense will be relatively prolific with Kyle Lowry running the show and DeMar DeRozan and rookie Terrence Ross running the wings. If rookie Jonas Valanciunas is really as good as advertised, they could be a surprise playoff team this year.
17. Milwaukee Bucks: talentwise, this team has incredible offensive ability thanks to the explosive Monta Ellis-Brandon Jennings backcourt. Defensively is where the cracks will begin to show, as Sam Dalembert is a far cry from the cover that Aussie Andrew Bogut would be able to provide for the porous Monta Ellis.
18. Chicago Bulls: although they were still a competitive club without Derrick Rose last year, they’ve gone ahead and disassembled that gritty bench unit and replaced them with cheap replacements. Tom Thibadeu is too good a coach to let them be a bottom dweller, but such is their sheer lack of talent right now that I don’t see them maintaining a winning record until Rose returns after the All Star break
19. Philadelphia 76ers: the enigmatic Andrew Bynum is a dominant offensive player when healthy and motivated, but this roster looks weird on paper, with a lot of mismatching pieces both in the front and backcourt (Spencer Hawes at power forward is NOT the answer to anything, guys). This team overachieved last year thanks to precise execution led by their glue guy and leader Andre Iguodala, and without him this outfit could fall apart completely this season.
20. Portland Trailblazers: it just speaks to the depth of the league this year that this team falls to number twenty. However, they were middle of the pack both offensively and defensively last year, and their only significant addition this year is the promising but yet untested rookie Damian Lillard. By all indications, Lillard has all the makings to be a star, but he will be hard pressed to make a significant impact in his rookie year. The team might be hoping that the losses of Crawford and Felton are addition by subtraction, but their lack of a defensive backbone will hurt them this year
21. Golden State Warriors: on paper, this team has a ton of potential. If Curry and Bogie can just stay healthy, the team has tremendous offensive potential, and their defense will be adequate with Bogut anchoring the middle and the underrated Brandon Rush locking down opposing wings. Their reliance on youth and injury-prone players keeps them from being higher right now, but they could very easily find themselves in the playoff mix if everything goes right for them
22. New Orleans Hornets: the Unibrow Era is now underway, and one of the most promising big man prospects since Dwight Howard could very well elevate this team to a top 10 defensive outfit. Coach Monty Williams had this team competitive last year despite all the turmoil and injuries, and this team has the right mix of young explosive guard play, perimeter shooting, and defensive nous to be a tough out for any team that comes up against them. It again just speaks to the depth of the league this year that this team is ranked so low.
23. Phoenix Suns: having lost their talisman Steve Nash to the hated Lakers, the Suns are in a state of flux. While they do have a mix of both young and veteran talent, the roster is a mish mash of ill-fitting pieces, and it remains to be seen if coach Alvin Gentry can harness them all effectively enough to be a competitive squad this year.
24. Detroit Pistons: another team with an intriguing if ill-fitting mix of talent, the Pistons’ goal this year will be to accelerate the development curves of gems Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight (and see what they have in the raw Andre Drummond) while figuring out how to build on their current foundation.
25. Houston Rockets: while the Rockets will be without doubt one of the most entertaining teams in the league this year, they will also be one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams in the league and will be hard pressed to win ballgames in a tough Western Conference. Royce White, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas and the Jeremies Lin and Lamb will all be must-watch talents this year, but look for them to return to the lottery barring a trade or a miracle coaching job by Kevin McHale
26. Washington Wizards: despite appearing to build a solid foundation around John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene, and their troupe of talented young bigs, the team strangely chose to hamstring their cap flexibility in dealing for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza. The move was a clear expression of win-now intentions, but it’s unclear if they have enough here to make the playoffs this year, especially considering they will be without John Wall to start the season
27. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving is as likable as young stars come and is an absolute joy to watch. However, there just isn’t enough around him besides some scrappy energy players like Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao to be much more than the Kyrie Irving show.
28. Sacramento Kings: I love Boogie Cousins as much as the next guy, but let’s be real here, this will be one of the worst teams in the league. Besides Isaiah Thomas, no one on this team is what you would call a willing passer, and there’s no reason to expect their third from last defensive ranking improving this year.
29. Charlotte Bobcats: #prayforcardboardgerald
30. Orlando Magic: we saw it when LeBron left Cleveland. When you build your whole team around one elite talent and then that talent leaves, you might as well start scouting potential #1 picks already. Not only is the team bereft of any talent, but they’ve also lost their second most valuable asset in coach Stan Van Gundy as well.