Sports
NBA Power Rankings 2023-24: Nuggets, Bucks lead pack going into regular season – NBC Chicago
There’s officially one more week to go before the 2023-24 NBA regular season commences.
The last few weeks have seen teams shed off the rust through preseason action. Starters played limited minutes, rotational players made their case for more reps while players on the outside looking in got a chance to turn heads.
That’s also exactly why preseason records aren’t indicative of regular-season success. The Sacramento Kings, for example, started 0-3 while the Houston Rockets launched to a 3-0 start. Barring a twist, Sacramento should finish above the latter.
So, with the 2023-24 regular season almost upon us, here’s how the 30 teams rank going into it:
LaMelo Ball will really need help from rookies Brandon Miller and Nick Smith Jr. in what will probably be another season without the playoffs for Charlotte. Keep an eye on Mark Williams potentially locking down the center spot. (Last ranking: 29)
First things first with Detroit is ensuring Cade Cunningham remains healthy the whole season. They won’t move the needle if he’s not. Monty Williams also received a lucrative deal to join as head coach, and he has a tall task at hand given the Pistons’ barren roster. Don’t expect the Motor City to rev this season, but let’s see if they fuel up and show promise down the line. (Last ranking: 30)
Washington’s headliners going into next season are…*checks notes*…Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. Kuzma has developed into an underrated hooper since he left the Los Angeles Lakers, but asking him to be the No. 1 option might be too big. And Poole is coming off a disastrous fall from being a rising star with the Golden State Warriors. Will the smaller spotlight be beneficial for him? (Last ranking: 28)
For the second season running, the Bulls just sat back and watched everyone else improve around them. That whole time, the Bulls spiraled down the Eastern Conference ladder. The DeMar DeRozan-Zach LaVine-Nikola Vucevic trio may have already peaked and they have a lack of assets moving forward, not to mention Lonzo Ball’s knee injury that may sideline him again this entire season. (Last ranking: 25)
Just like Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum revived Portland, it’s up to Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to carry the baton further. Anfernee Simons has been shining in preseason, but he’ll need to maintain that. How Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant play should be interesting if there’s a sneaky play-in run to be made. (Last ranking: 24)
Gregg Popovich still needs an elite guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, but man does he look special already. How coaches try to slow him will be intriguing to watch, but if his shot is falling, it’s difficult to propose an answer. (Last ranking: 26)
If there’s one team that has stayed in the basement the last few years and now appears poised for a mini breakout year, it feels like Orlando has that magic in them. Internal growth will be key here under head coach Jahmahl Mosley, but the Magic should, at the minimum, start pushing for a lower-end play-in spot. Let’s see if they can climb in the next edition. (Last ranking: 23)
We’ll give Houston a slow launch to start. And that’s because the Rockets’ entire offseason could be summarized by one question: “They’re paying [insert name here] how much?” Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are the main veteran acquisitions for a team head coached by Ime Udoka, who is making his return after being away from the Boston Celtics all of last season. The Rockets will either find a way for this to work or watch it implode, there’s no in-between. (Last ranking: 27)
Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin could be a special duo, depending on how the latter develops. Myles Turner also posted several career-high numbers last season as he hits his prime, and additions like Bruce Brown helps glue the pieces. There is still the concern of quality depth in Indiana, with Buddy Hield’s status also looking like he’s a prime trade candidate. Also, does Obi Toppin have more levels in his game to reach? Here’s the place to show it. (Last ranking: 20)
From this spot until around No. 15, you can rank the teams in any randomized order and it’s probably spot on. And that’s because we don’t yet know if they’ll be pushing for a playoff spot or fading away as the season progresses due to different question marks. The Nets have an issue at point guard, but if Ben Simmons keeps up his preseason form then that at least assuages things. It also feels like teams will come calling for their collection of wings. (Last ranking: 22)
Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler settle the Utah frontcourt for at least the next three-to-five years, barring any changeups. The rest is still TBD. Where does John Collins, 26, fit into the equation? Jordan Clarkson is 31, Kelly Olynyk 32. Collin Sexton, 24, showed some bounce-back potential last season but needs to do it again at higher volume, while rookies Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks provide unique profiles. Will Hardy had a good first year at head coach, so let’s see how Year 2 goes. (Last ranking: 21)
The Raptors are better on paper than they are on the court. New head coach Darko Rajakovic will be looking to change that after Nick Nurse eventually ran out of juice with this current crop of players that feature Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Scottie Barnes, among others. Dennis Schroder is also the VanVleet replacement, but the German hasn’t always replicated his national team form in the NBA. (Last ranking: 19)
Jammed with youth, the Thunder made the play-in tournament last year but were exposed for that exact reason: They were too raw. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did just about everything while Josh Giddey wowed with his passes. The excitement should be more palpable this year with Chet Holmgren making his debut and more internal growth, so let’s see which youngsters stand out and get Oklahoma City higher up the ranks. (Last ranking: 18)
Did the Hawks peak too early under Trae Young? Since their run to the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 5 seed in 2020-21, Atlanta has flown backwards and now have quite a big season ahead. Key core players Clint Capela is now 29 while Bogdan Bogdanovic is 31. Dejounte Murray is 27 and didn’t have the first-year impact he would’ve hoped for despite solid individual numbers. Forwards De’Andre Hunter (25) and Saddiq Bey (25) also need to show more otherwise it’ll be another middle-of-the-road year in The A. (Last ranking: 16)
The Timberwolves will get a fresh start with the Karl-Anthony Towns-Rudy Gobert pairing now that the former is healthy again. Anthony Edwards continues to get closer to superstardom each passing season, but the main issue with Minnesota is its lack of production besides the aforementioned three. They don’t have individual creators outside of those three and rely on sturdy defense to get the job done. That system can only take you so far, though. (Last ranking: 17)
It all depends on Zion Williamson. The Pelicans were elite in many statistical categories early last season when Williamson was healthy, but that all slowly — and predictably — came crumbling the more he stayed sidelined. The main issue right now though is Williamson’s clear lack of fitness and intensity, especially on defense. (Last ranking: 13)
Kind of predictably, the Mavericks got worse last season when they paired Kyrie Irving with Luka Doncic. Those assets should’ve gone towards a forward or center, but Dallas made amends with the move by adding Grant Williams, Seth Curry and Richaun Holmes to the fold. Doncic is good enough to carry this group into the playoffs, but from there it gets pretty murky. (Last ranking: 15)
It just feels like the Knicks last season benefited from other teams underperforming or worsening after the trade deadline (Nets, Raptors, Hawks, Bulls). Players like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle have a certain ceiling they max out in the regular season, and the team’s style under Tom Thibodeau won’t make them go far in the postseason. This season might just end up like another 2022-23 — unless RJ Barrett goes to a new level and they acquire a better big man. (Last ranking: 14)
It’s not sunny in Philadelphia. James Harden is showing new ways of wanting out, which would again deprive Joel Embiid of a star running mate. Kelly Oubre Jr., Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba are pretty solid depth additions that cost them in previous seasons, but it seems pointless if they don’t have a true reliable second option to pair with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. (Last ranking: 11)
The Heat do this weird thing where they’re not very good in the regular season but become the best team ever once the postseason starts. Maybe it’s Jimmy Butler’s coffee? Anywho, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are pretty big losses for the way they played, and Erik Spoelstra will have to get that production from somewhere (looks at Jamal Cain). And after missing out on the Lillard sweepstakes, does Pat Riley look elsewhere? (Last ranking: 12)
Last year’s No. 2 seed out West won’t have Ja Morant for the first 25 games, though the Grizzlies have proved they can win regular-season games without him. They also added Marcus Smart to replace Dillon Brooks’ presence and Derrick Rose and Josh Christopher to bolster the guard department. Do they have enough in the frontcourt to make a real push after last year’s first-round exit? (Last ranking: 10)
Health, health and health. It seems as whenever the Clippers are gaining momentum, one of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George is out for an extended spell. That has to change this year with both stars over 32 and clearly needing more load management. Russell Westbrook provided great impact last season while Kenyon Martin Jr. might be an underrated pickup. Whatever the case, the Clippers are in control of their own destiny or their undoing. We’ve seen that play out before. (Last ranking: 8)
The Kings were last season’s biggest surprise and they shocked the NBA spectrum by also posting the best ever offensive season by a team. Their main question under Mike Brown is how can they sustain that and also improve. They’re banking on Keegan Murray’s second-year growth while also hoping Sasha Vezenkov bolsters the wing department. You also have to wonder if they peaked, as Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and Domantas Sabonis did not have good enough playoff performances. With a bevy of picks at their disposal, they should poke around for another star upgrade a la Sabonis. (Last ranking: 5)
Max Strus and Georges Niang supply the wing shooting the Cavaliers so desperately lacked last season. The Cavaliers are definitely a well-balanced unit in the regular season, but last year’s brutal first-round exit is something they’ll need to overcome if they want to take the next step. If Emoni Bates somehow pans out, he’s the exact profile they’re missing to complement Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. (Last ranking: 7)
The Warriors haven’t had issues winning despite being criticized for their small lineups. They doubled down on that by adding…*checks notes*…6-foot Chris Paul in free agency, who has gelled well thus far. Golden State needs its youth to start making an impact sooner rather than later. Last time it was Poole who stepped up to be the difference maker in winning a title. Can anyone push the needle this time around? Jonathan Kuminga so far looks up for it. (Last ranking: 9)
It was a Hollywood-esque offseason for the Lakers and in a good way. They easily enjoyed the best free agency pickups, landing Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood on top of retaining Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. They won’t miss the exits of Schroder, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba. The key obviously is keeping LeBron James and Anthony Davis healthy, which is a bit unfortunate to say for the latter. But Rob Pelinka and Co. are trying to maximize James’ title window as much as they can, and this was a more than solid way to do it. (Last ranking: 6)
Losing Marcus Smart and Grant Williams might take the Celtics defense back a level or two. Kristaps Porzingis helps spread the floor on offense, but he’s been a clear liability on defense ever since his ACL injury. Jaylen Brown was also exposed in the playoffs for his inability to create efficiently, and he now has supermax-contract expectations on his shoulders. It’s do-or-die for Jayson Tatum and the C’s. (Last ranking: 4)
Somehow the Suns have Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the same team. Though they’re not yet considered the best in their own conference. The Suns did add Jusuf Nurkic, Eric Gordon, Bol Bol, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop and a few others to bolster their depth concerns, so it’s also championship or bust in Phoenix. But every game is going to be must-watch TV. (Last ranking: 3)
Last year’s No. 1 seed out East may have gotten better with the Lillard acquisition. And though he didn’t do it with the Lakers, Malik Beasley may provide a vital scoring punch off the bench. Antetokounmpo did mention late in August he’d leave the Bucks to win another title. Then the Bucks management went out and got Lillard without a pipsqueak. It’s time for Giannis and Co. to deliver again, but there’s a certain Serbian in the way. (Last ranking: 2)
The defending champs are the rightful No. 1 heading into the regular season. They still have Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green might hurt when games get gritty and ugly. Denver very evidently outplayed everyone in the Western Conference last season and had no real threat, but this year a few teams can certainly challenge should health be on their respective sides. Keep an eye on Julian Strawther making an impact early. (Last ranking: 1)