Here are my way too early and not too serious (but somewhat serious) NBA Power Rankings.
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- OKC Thunder
- Boston Celtics
- Golden State Warriors
- Phoenix Suns
- Denver Nuggets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Sacramento Kings
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- New York Knicks
- Memphis Grizzlies
- LA Lakers
- Miami Heat
- LA Clippers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Orlando Magic
- San Antonio Spurs
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Pistons
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
Even though they are both better than many many teams ahead of them I have put the Bucks and 76ers last for being disappointing shells of themselves and because I don't like the 76ers.
Thoughts? Any stackers want to share their list. Or even just best and worst.
Sats for all,
GR
I'll take a shot. I've avoided studying yours to avoid contamination.
22, New Orleans
This is very close to the order that teams came to mind, although I had to start working from the bottom up towards the end.
I like this list!! Good work
You sir are a gentleman and a scholar.
Phoenix is 7-1 and you have them 14th?
Bucks are 1-6 and you have them 16th?
I also find Minny to be a little high for right now but I expect they will be in the top 6 later in the year.
I haven't watched Phoenix, I don't believe in Phoenix, and I don't intend to watch Phoenix.
I would expect them to lose to the teams above them. They barely beat the Heat at home.
I don't believe in them either but I have to give them credit. 7-1 is 7-1.
This should be a topic of discussion on the pod. Not phoenix specifically but the variance in our rankings for a few teams.
That's fair, but I still think they're in the same tier as Miami and the Lakers.
If Phoenix plays Minnesota, do you expect Phoenix to win?
Right now the way the two teams started, not sure. Later in the year probably Minny.
To the extent I thought through my rankings, it was based on who I expect to win a hypothetical matchup.
That’s a good way to look at it. I am sure some of mine would change if I did that. I definitely wouldn’t have Bucks second last.
I'm really late to the party, so late that it seems the party had already ended. Good thing is, the NBA is always changing, injuries happen. player and teams go through rough patches or go on good runs. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the party is on-going, and it's probably better late than never to chime in on this post. The following is my power rankings, as of today, factoring in injuries.
I got the Suns so low because Durant got hurt. Would probably have put them at 6 or so if they were full strength. I would also have probably put OKC at 1 or 2 if Chet wasn't hurt, but now that Chet is hurt, I'm putting them lower on the list. Just caught wind that both Allen and Mobley were listed day-to-day on the Cavs injury list, so the list might change real soon, depending on if the Cavs Twin Towers play or not. Anyways, this is my take, had fun trying to come up with the list. Also made me wonder why the hell I burned the Knicks instead of using the Hawks for round 2 of the NBA Cup pool? Oh well.
I like it but in my opinion the Bucks and 76ers are too high considering what they have shown. Bucks might be turning the corner but 76ers look bad even though Embiid came back. I think even though Chet is out OKC deserves to be higher but I won’t quibble with your reasoning.
Your list is much better than @Undisciplined’s.
I popped gnilma's rankings into my spreadsheet and you'll never guess which of ours they're closer too.
He didn’t have the Bucks 29 and 76ers 30 so I will assume yours but in spirit he is closer to mine.
Your Knicks slander is also costing you.
There's exactly one team the all three of us ranked the same.
Hawks?
No, although we are all within one on the Hawks.
Hint: It's the most mediocre team in the league.
Heat
If you look at the 8 losses by the Bucks, 2 of them were Celtics, 2 of them were Cavs, and 1 vs the Knicks. Most losses against excellent teams. Yes, they also lost to the Bulls, Nets, and Grizzlies, but I don't think that puts them in the low tier teams. It seems the rest of the team don't know what they are doing, but having Giannis and Dame alone is enough to keep them as a mid tier team; that is why I got them at 16.
Yes, with all the load management BS, Embiid and PG playing sometimes and not playing sometimes, the 76ers really fell off a cliff in terms of threat. Maybe I still have it in my mind that they are a threat because they had been a "contending team" for so long. They can still win some games with PG and Embiid. You are probably right, maybe they belong somewhere below rank 25.
Good analysis on the Bucks. I expect they will heat up soon. I made a small bet on Giannis to win MVP because the odds were just too good to pass up. If the Bucks play well and become contenders that would go a long way to help vault Giannis into the MVP conversation.
This is list is trash. The Knicks are better than the pacers!!
Haha tell us how you really feel?
Knicks might be a top 5 team, maybe even top 3 later in the year but they are still figuring it out early in the year.
It really bothers me you feel good about the pacers this season. Maybe I’m bitter because they eliminated a banged up Knicks team in the playoffs last season
The pacers hit a lucky deep three that keeps that series from going 3-0 Knicks.
I just don’t see it! Then again I don’t watch a lot of basketball.
I don’t really feel good about the Pacers. I like them because they are fun to watch and they played the Celtics really well last playoffs.