Reacting To ESPN’s Post Free Agency Power Rankings
It’s everybody’s favorite day of the week, leeching off of ESPN! Yay! A few days ago, ESPN released their post free agency power rankings for all 30 teams. This of course means that there are going to be things that I disagree with and things that we just have to talk about. So without further ado, let’s get into these power rankings.
#1 – Brooklyn Nets
Yep. There’s really no arguing this. It was evident that if the Nets had remained fully healthy, they would have rolled through the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round and likely won the 2021 NBA title altogether. They are by far the most talented roster in the NBA and they got better this offseason.
While they lost guys like Landry Shamet and Jeff Green, they added a lot of good pieces. They brought back Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown, as well as signing the sharpshooting Patty Mills in free agency.
They drafted two rookies in the first round as well. Cameron Thomas from LSU led the summer league in scoring, adding even more offensive firepower. UNC’s Day’Ron Sharpe should help anchor things down low alongside Claxton and Griffin.
The Nets also re-signed KD long term and you’d have to assume Irving and Harden are going to come soon thereafter. The Nets Big 3 is incredibly dominant when healthy and the supporting cast got better. Now it’s just time to hope for the best health wise and win. Simple as that.
#2 – Milwaukee Bucks
Unless the Lakers are really, really good, the defending champs are in the right spot. Obviously it feels like a bit of a slight to put the defending champs at #2, but the Bucks are still a really good team that should give the Nets as good a challenge as anybody in the NBA can put up.
The Bucks were another team who did addition by subtraction this offseason. Losing defensive stopper PJ Tucker will really hurt, but the Bucks made some moves. They re-signed Bobby Portis, solidifying things down low. George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Semi Ojeleye give you depth and scoring.
Obviously getting Donte DiVincenzo back from injury in 2022 helps, but the Bucks added another great shooter in Grayson Allen in one of the biggest steals this offseason.
The Bucks got better and their Big 3 of Middleton, Giannis, and Holiday should have good help around them. The one worry I have is Mike Budenholzer. He got an extension and hopefully we see 2021 Budenholzer instead of 2020 Budenholzer. When he’s coaching well, the Bucks are much more comparable to the Nets.
The Bucks are going to be neck-and-neck with the Nets this season. While the Nets are more talented, the Bucks can be really, really dominant as well. They’re going to be one of the few teams that is at least comparable with Brooklyn this season.
#3 – Los Angeles Lakers
It’s very easy to think of LA as the 2nd best team in the league or far lower than #3. I could see both scenarios happening, so I’m really not going to definitively say that putting them third is right or wrong as of right now.
The Lakers overhauled their roster this offseason. They brought in Russell Westbrook as a third star and then added a lot of shooting, from veterans like Trevor Ariza and Carmelo Anthony to younger guys like Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn. Rob Pelinka made a lot of moves, but is it enough? Maybe, but I do have my concerns.
Over the past 5 seasons, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis are the two worst volume shooters in the NBA. 70 players have taken 2,000+ jumpshots over the past 5 years and Westbrook is 70th and Davis is 69th (not nice). Can the shooters the Lakers added make that problem be less prevalent?
Can Anthony Davis stay healthy? He has never really been able to stay healthy and a major reason the Lakers won in 2020 was because AD & Lebron got 5 months off. But with Lebron (finally) slowing down a little, the Lakers need AD to be on the court and to be aggressive. Availability is the best ability and if AD can’t do that, it’s 2021 all over again for the Lakers.
My final concern is the age. The Lakers have so many old guys, so many veterans. While that’s good for a lot of reasons, there are also downsides. With the NBA switching back to a full 82 game season, older players slowly break down a lot more. It’s just bound to happen with how physically grueling the NBA is.
So the Lakers will have to rely on their younger role players, like Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, and Talen Horton-Tucker. If the Lakers want to win, they’re younger guys have to step up because all of the veterans likely won’t.
The Lakers could very well be back in the Finals again. If their health stays up and their shooting isn’t that big of a problem, I do agree that they’re the best team in the West and could very well be better than the defending champions. But the Lakers have a lot of questions and we’ll just have to see how they do in 2022 (bars).
#4 – Phoenix Suns
Look, I know the Suns had a big collapse in the Finals. I know that Monty Williams was outcoached and Chris Paul underperformed in his first chance at a ring. But guess what? The Suns are still a good team, a really good damn team. Sure, their chances for a title are a lot slimmer, but they’re going to be really good again.
They kept Chris Paul in town, which is obviously great. Where he goes, winning follows. He’s going to be the perfect leader and floor general for them. Booker brings the scoring and the Jenner’s. Deandre Ayton is primed for a big year on both ends. The role players are solid and the Suns added some to add depth.
They signed Javale McGee, a solid backup center to Ayton who brings some much needed size with Saric recovering from that ACL tear. Add to that Landry Shamet, a great shooter and all-around team player who has played under Monty Williams before. Not to mention that he’s my favorite role player. What’s not to love?
The Suns are a really, really good team. They have scoring, defense, versatility, more experience, and great coaching. They’re likely going to be a top-3 seed in the West once again. While their hopes for a title aren’t as high with the Lakers likely back in full form, they’re still good and a Finals collapse doesn’t change that.
#5 – Utah Jazz
In terms of the regular season, sure. The Jazz are likely going to be a top Western Conference team once again. But there a lot more better teams that are going to have more success in the playoffs. I just don’t think the Jazz are title contenders. Their roster lacks a lot that you need in the playoffs to win.
Rudy Gobert is the sole reason Utah’s defense is great. The Jazz don’t have a lot of perimeter/wing defenders and the Clippers torched them in the playoffs last year. The Jazz didn’t have the money to sign any good defenders, so that weakness can be exposes again this season.
Even the offense, which was incredibly good last year, has it’s flaws.
The Jazz relied on Donovan Mitchell so much to score, that when he wasn’t doing it, they seemed lost. The Jazz’s 3-pointer craze is as much a strength as it is a weakness. They shoot themselves to wins, but also losses, as you saw last year in the playoffs. They need more from Bojan Bogdanovic, because if I had to guess, Mike Conley might not be an All-Star again in 2022 at the age of 33.
So the Jazz can win 50 games and have the homecourt advantage for multiple playoff series. But I just can’t erase last year’s collapse from my mind. They still lack defenders and because of the cap hell that they’re in, they’re stuck the way that they currently are, which is a playoff team. Not a title contender.
Not to mention that they lost Derrick Favors, a solid backup center, because they didn’t want to pay as much to the luxury tax. Hassan Whiteside as a backup isn’t great, for a lot of reasons. Mainly that it’s not 2017 anymore.
I find it hard to believe that Utah can succeed in the playoffs with said flaws and what happened last year. I think teams like Phoenix or the Lakers would run circles around them in a series. Heck, I have more faith in Denver without Jamal Murray than I do in Utah. Harsh, I know, but it’s just true.
#6 – Philadelphia 76ers
Trade Ben Simmons and then we’ll talk.
(Update: Shams said that Simmons might be traded soon. Do it Morey, do it).
#7 – Denver Nuggets
If only Jamal Murray were healthy. Denver is the same team from last year, which is good. They’re deep at all positions and have a lot of talent around reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. The only thing that keeps them from being juggernauts in the West is Murray, who is recovering from that ACL tear.
The Nuggets are a really, really deep team who don’t lack chemistry. There were 10 players in 2021 who played 50+ minutes in the playoffs. 9 of them are back and one who isn’t, veteran forward Paul Millsap, has been upgraded with Jeff Green. The Nuggets are incredibly good and nobody is noticing, for some reason.
They have a platoon of guards, wings, and defenders who can plug and play very well with Michael (not Mike) Malone. I just wish Jamal Murray was healthy, because this team would be so good. But I do think they can be a really good team, even win a playoff series or two.
They were 14-4 to end the year without Murray last year and with the addition of Jeff Green, MPJ’s hopeful improvement off the dribble, as well as maybe some contributions from rookie Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, the Nuggets could be really dangerous.
I think everybody is sleeping on Denver and they are going to be a top-4 seed in the Western Conference. Of course, I would love for them to have Jamal Murray, but they’re still a really, really scary team without him and I think they can do real damage in 2022.
#8 – Miami Heat
The Heat had a very busy offseason and they look a lot better than when they were shockingly swept out of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. They added a competent point guard in Kyle Lowry and a great defensive stopper in PJ Tucker to solidify what should be a nasty defensive starting 5. They look a lot different, a lot better, and they’re once again threats in the East.
The Heat should be the most physical team in the league. Jimmy Butler is an All-Defensive wing. Bam Adebayo is a All-Defensive center. Kyle Lowry is a scrappy, gritty defender. PJ Tucker showed that he can bother KD just about as good as anybody. Add in Duncan Robinson’s elite shooting and that’s a very scary starting 5. But the bench is far from perfect.
The Heat lost Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic this offseason, so there is no real PG outside of Lowry. Jimmy Butler will get more ball-handling duties, but Tyler Herro or Victor Oladipo will likely have to play backup PG. I don’t like that at all. With Kyle Lowry being older, putting less wear and tear on his body before the playoffs will be important. Getting a backup will help with that a lot.
The Heat also lost Precious Achiuwa and Kelly Olynyk within the past year, leaving them pretty thin behind Adebayo down low. Dewayne Dedmon is decent I suppose, but they don’t have a third big guy they can use.
I think the Heat are going to be good. Their starting 5 is elite defensively, so tough that they can slow down even the Nets. I do think they have the best lineup for dealing with the Nets, but I am worried about their depth off the bench. While they improved overall, they lost a lot of bench depth and I don’t like what they’re going to be throwing out there.
So maybe Pat Riley can pull a few more strings, because a backup point guard and another center would go a long way to making this team more complete. But I do the expect the Heat to be a top 3-6 seed in the East this year.
#9 – Atlanta Hawks
I don’t know, this feels like a low ball. According to this, the Hawks would be the 5th seed in the East when I think that they could contend for being the 3rd seed. People seem to forget that they made the Eastern Conference Finals without De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish for most of that playoff run. The Hawks are incredibly deep and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that they could be the 3rd best team in the East.
You just have so much depth everywhere. They re-signed John Collins long term and they also gave Trae Young some good backups with the likes of Delon Wright and rookie Sharife Cooper. With Onyeka Okungwu likely being out for a portion of the regular season, versatile rookie Jalen Johnson should fill his roll off the bench.
The Hawks have really good shooting with Huerter, Gallinari, and Bogdanovic. They have a lot of versatility defensively with their frontcourt, which might be the best frontcourt in the league. Nate McMillan is a great coach, you get the point.
I think that if De’Andre Hunter can stay on the floor more, the Hawks will be great. The Hawks ended the regular season 27-11 with McMillan and they won 10 playoff games. Now McMillan gets to go through training camp and most of this roster is in it’s second year of this system. So they’ll even more comfortable and even better.
I think the Hawks have a chance to be really, really good in 2022. I certainly like them more than the 76ers and they can put up a fight with Miami. The Hawks have it all and I’m expecting big things from them in 2022. I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people.
#10 – LA Clippers
There is no way in hell that the Clippers are going to be the 5th seed in the West. They don’t have Kawhi, so I really don’t think they can be this good. I mean they can, with without him they certainly are not title contenders. And even then, a 5th seed? That is pushing it a little bit.
The Clippers made a lot of moves this offseason. They drafted versatile Tennessee defensive wing Keon Johnson. They re-signed Batum and Reggie Jackson. They exchanged Beverley and Rondo for Eric Bledsoe, an interesting move to say the least.
Don’t get we wrong, the Clippers are good and who knows, they could very well be a top-6 seed in the West. But I’m imagining them as a play-in team, a team that is unlikely to make it past the 2nd round. This is all banking on the fact that Kawhi doesn’t play at all in 2022, which is unfortunately likely.
I just don’t see the Clippers as a title contender in 2022. They could definitely be a 5th-6th seed, but their roster doesn’t look as great as it did last year. Obviously the wing position gets weaker, but Eric Bledsoe? How’s that dynamic between him and Reggie Jackson going to look like?
I’m just going to have to see the Clippers in action to believe it, because I don’t think they’re as good as some people think they’re going to be without the Klaw. I think they’re a playoff caliber team that can maybe win a playoff round at best, but nothing more than that.
#11 – Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks had a weird offseason. They needed to bring in a reliable 2nd option behind Luka and with a max contract slot available? They could have done it, but instead they signed a few role players and now they can just hope that Luka carries them again.
The good news for the Mavs is that Luka signed that supermax extension. The bad news is, they’re worse than they were last year as they have continued to fail their franchise megastar in getting a competent team around him. Re-signing Tim Hardaway is cool. Reggie Bullock was a decent signing, but will it matter?
Likely not with how loaded the West is. The Mavericks don’t have a reliable 2nd option for Luka and unless Porzingis comes back pre-ACL tear, it’s going to be a repeat of last year. Good season but role players don’t step in the playoffs and Dallas doesn’t go as far as they should be going with a guy like Luka.
Not to mention the coaching. Rick Carlisle, one of the best coaches in franchise history left for Indiana. His replacement? (*sigh*). Jason Kidd doesn’t have a good track record as a head coach and I don’t think he’s an upgrade or anything.
His water slide obsession certainly doesn’t warm me up to him, so I’m less than optimistic about him. Add in Jared Dudley as an assistant? The Mavericks are either incredibly smart or stupid. I’m betting on the latter.
The Mavericks are going to be good, don’t get me wrong. Last year Covid slowed them down a lot, so assuming they have less of that, they’ll be a top-6 seed in the West. But they just haven’t given Luka that 2nd star that he so desperately needs. They could easily be title contenders if they got a 2nd star, but until then, they will continue to frustrate us all and waste Luka Doncic.
#12 – Golden State Warriors
This is about where I’d put the Warriors. Some people are overstating how good they are, but they are definitely a playoff caliber team. They are obviously getting Klay Thompson back and they have 3 young guys who could make the Warriors a really boom or bust team in 2022.
I think the Warriors are good, but I have my concerns about the bench. I obviously love guys like Curry and Green, who should be great again in 2022. Andrew Wiggins was great on both ends in 2021 and now that he has less to do on offense, he’ll be better. We’ll have to see what Thompson comes back as, but that core of 4 players is great. The help is what I’m worried about.
Mainly the younger guys. Rookies like Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga are going to get big minutes. Will we see another James Wiseman situation, where Steve Kerr is better off playing the older guys? Maybe. The Warriors were better with Kevon Looney starting at center down low and maybe a similar thing happens this year with these two new rookies.
If the Warriors can’t use Wiseman, Moody, or Kuminga in big spots, that’s 3 guys they just can’t use in their rotation. I mean, Iguodala, Poole, Bjelica, Porter Jr, and JTA are solid and all, but if the Warriors want to be great, I have a feeling it’s going to because of their young guys making an immediate impact.
The Warriors could be a solid play-in/fringe playoff team. But if they want to be a little bit more than that? It’s up to Wiseman-Moody-Kuminga. It’s really as simple as that.
#13 – Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are weird. On one hand, they made a lot of moves, some that I really liked, and overall they improved. That would tell you that they should be better than the #7 seed, which is what they were last year. But then again, I don’t think I would be surprised to see them in the play-in again. Which is why they are incredibly weird.
The Celtics swapped Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier for Al Horford, Dennis Schroder, and Josh Richardson. While losing Fournier really hurts, some of their additions were still good. Schroder gives you scoring off the bench, Richardson gives you perimeter defense, and Al Horford has still showed that he’s a good starter down low.
But I have a few questions. Mainly, where is the scoring coming from? Outside of your two All-Stars in Brown and Tatum, where is it coming from? Dennis Schroder? That’s it? You need guys like Smart, maybe Pritchard and Nesmith even to score because this team lacks a lot of scoring.
Is Al Horford still good enough to start over Robert Williams, who you just gave an extension to? Is Marcus Smart going to return to his All-Defensive form and live up to that big extension?
Ime Udoka is going to have an interesting roster. This roster has a lot of spare parts, but I don’t view the Celtics as contenders. They made some decent moves, but I don’t think these moves propelled them in the East all that much.
The Celtics could either be a top-5 seed in the East again or they could be around where they were last year. They made some risky moves and Brad Stevens better hope they’d work, because they’re hoping that their wishes for cap flexibility work out. The Celtics are going to be very interesting to watch in 2022.
#14 – New York Knicks
The Knicks are better than the Celtics. I really don’t think there’s any debating this. The only reason this is somewhat close is because the Celtics have the two best players out of these two teams. But the Knicks are better defensively, much more deep, and I think they’re going to be really good in 2022.
The Knicks were incredibly busy this offseason. They re-signed Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Nerlens Noel, 3 key pieces for them last year who should be important this year again. Then there’s the additions, mainly to the offense that has now been completely overhauled after being the weakness for the Knicks last year.
Evan Fournier is one of the most underrated scorers in the league. Efficient, good off the catch, doesn’t like KD, and he can score off the dribble. Pretty good combination if you ask me. They signed Kemba Walker, who is a really talented scorer when he can stay healthy.
The Knicks also drafted a couple good offensive players in the draft. Houston’s Quintin Grimes shot 40% from 3 last year and West Virginia’s Miles McBride is a dogged defender and can create his own shot. You also have a guy like Obi Toppin who should play more in his 2nd season
The Knicks have it all. They have a winning culture and mindset now with their new front office and Tom Thibodeau running things. They have their identity, that hard-nosed, New York style defense. They have a really deep, talented team and they are going to be really, really good.
They are better than the Celtics for sure and I do think that they can win a playoff series. The mecca of basketball is back and I think that they’re going to be really, really good in 2022.
#15 – Portland Trail Blazers
My Blazers are probably going to be a play-in team or something close to that like last year, but I will be incredibly disappointed if we’re not better than a Kawhi-less Clippers team. I just want us to be better them, so that I don’t go insane. Dame is on the team for now and while I like the team, we’re not crazy good or anything.
Obviously Dame is still incredible and he’ll be great again. Re-signing Powell was key because the starting 5 of Dame-CJ-Powell-Covington-Nurkic had a net rating of +14.9 in 370 minutes and that same lineup was a +19.5 in the playoffs. The starting 5 is good, despite the fact that we have 3 guards in that lineup.
Hopefully CJ and Nurkic can stay healthy and Covington isn’t as inconsistent offensively. But I like the starting 5. I have my concerns elsewhere.
Chauncey Billups doesn’t have much coaching experience and his first job comes with a lot of expectations. I’m not optimistic, but he has to be a really good coach to get this team to the next level. It’s possible and at the very least, it’s something new from Terry Stotts. That I like, but we’ll see how Billups does in his season.
Then there’s the bench. We didn’t make any big signings, but I do like some of the pieces. I like Cody Zeller as a backup, certainly better than David Dobrik’s new friend Enes Kanter. Ben McLemore and Tony Snell offer good shooting, as does Anfernee Simons.
If that was the bench, I wouldn’t love it. But getting Larry Nance Jr? That’s great. He gives you a versatile wing defender that can score pretty well. Very good in the passing lanes, acquiring him from the Cavs makes us so much better.
I like this team. Obviously we didn’t add some All-Star, but the bench is new and I think it’s more balanced. It’s certainly better defensively, which is really all I care about. The starting 5 should continue to be excellent and hopefully Chauncey doesn’t suck. I could imagine us being a top-6 seed in the West, but like I said. I just want to be better than the Clippers.
#16 – Memphis Grizzlies
I think that the Grizzlies are good, but their offseason was incredibly weird. Not to say that it was bad, that still remains to be seen, however it was weird. They are definitely different than they were last year, but I don’t know if that means better. They are certainly a young team on the rise, but it will be very interesting to see how these changes pan out.
Trading Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams was weird. I think it’s a downgrade offensively, but I think Adams should be solid enough and the starting 5 of Morant-Brooks-Anderson-JJJ-Adams is pretty solid. That starting 5 might take some time to adjust to each other, but they are still good.
The bench on the other hand, we still have to see. In the Valanciunas deal, the Grizzlies got the #10 overall pick and drafted Ziaire Williams. He’s incredibly raw, don’t expect too much from the Stanford wing immediately. Give him a year or two. The Grizzlies also drafted Santi Aldama, a versatile scoring forward at the end of the first round.
Getting Jarrett Culver could work out, but losing Grayson Allen was puzzling to me. He was really good last year and they gave him for essentially nothing of note to the Bucks.
The Grizzlies have a lot of guys on their roster that demand playing time. Some guys are going to get squeezed out, but they can definitely be a play-in team again. Ja Morant should only get better, getting a whole season of JJJ helps a lot, and Taylor Jenkins is a great defensive coach.
I could definitely see them getting better, but they could just as easily stay the same if these new moves don’t work out too well. Memphis is another very interesting team in 2022.
#17 – Charlotte Hornets
According to this ranking, the Hornets would be the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. I think they’re going to be better than that, possibly even a sure-fire playoff team. They are young, exciting, and hungry for success. They were very active this offseason and made some really good moves. Look out for Charlotte in 2022.
The Hornets had done a good job building their core. Paying Gordon Hayward $30 million per year doesn’t look as terrible as it once did. Terry Rozier had a career year in 2021, living up to that big contract he got in 2019 and that earned him a 4yr/$97 million dollar extension this offseason.
Lamelo Ball is an electrifying rookie who won ROTY last year. He’s the future for the Hornets. Miles Bridges was excellent last year. Those 4 guys were great last year, but MJ and the Hornets made sure to give them a lot of talent.
In the draft, they got talented UConn scorer James Bouknight, the perfect Malik Mink replacement. They also got the incredibly raw Kai Jones. They also traded for Mason Plumlee, as they completely upgraded things at the center position. The Hornets signed Kelly Oubre Jr, who should be a really good bench piece at the wing position for the Hornets.
The Hornets did a great job this offseason. They had talented scorers and their rising superstar in Lamelo Ball. So they knew they had to make big moves this offseason and they did just that. They added a lot of depth and talent. They’re set up to win now and for the future.
They took a similar approach to the Atlanta Hawks, combining veteran talent with young talent to win. The Hornets are going to be must-watch TV in 2022 and they’re going to be a very good team.
#18 – Indiana Pacers
I do think the Pacers will be in the play-in race in the East, but I just feel like they have too much talent for that to happen. They have a good coach now and if they don’t run into injuries again, they should be really good. I refuse to believe that they’re just mediocre. I just can’t live with that and neither should they.
They have the talent. Brogdon is a very efficient scorer and playmaker. Domantas Sabonis is a great post player who passes extremely well for his position. He also happens to be an All-Star. That 1-2 punch is excellent. Caris Levert and TJ Warren are two excellent scorers alongside of them. Myles Turner brings the defense down low. That’s a great starting 5.
The problem for Indiana last year was depth, so they made some moves. They signed Torrey Craig, a great move for a hard-nosed defender off the bench. They drafted Chris Duarte, a great two-way guard from Oregon. Isaiah Jackson is another rookie who had potential to be a great two-way big guy.
Along with the newcomers, you still have TJ McConnell, Justin Holiday, Oshae Brissett, and Edmond Sumner for the bench. Rick Carlisle is much better than Nate Bjorkgren, so the Pacers really improved this offseason. With some luck, something that they haven’t had over the past few years, they should be back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
They have a really good starting 5 offensively and I like what they’ve done to the bench to add some depth. I think Indiana will be a solid team on both ends and they should have a bounce back 2022 season barring anything unforeseen.
#19 – Chicago Bulls
I think that the Pacers, Hornets, and Bulls are on the same tier. All should be really good in 2022, but the Bulls have the chance to be the best team. They went on a spending spree in free agency, adding a lot of talent in the process and reshaping their team in a heartbeat. For the first time in a long time, the Bulls are playoff hopefuls.
The Bulls already had an elite, All-Star level player in Zach Lavine. They traded for Nikola Vucevic at the March deadline last year, showing that they really wanted to win now instead of rebuilding. They traded away what ended up being the #8 overall pick in the draft this year to prove a point.
Free agency was reinforcing said point. They signed Lonzo Ball to a 4 year deal. They gave DeMar DeRozan a 3 year deal. They gave Alex Caruso $37 million dollars over 4 years. They got Derrick Jones Jr in the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade. Tony Bradley signed a small deal. The Bulls were very busy and I think they’re going to be good.
They have their floor general in Lonzo who can give Lavine and Vucevic a lot more scoring opportunities. I really like the idea of Lavine playing off the ball more now. DeMar DeRozan playing power forward is fine because he played power forward a lot with the Spurs. He can play in the post and be that secondary creator to help the offense flow.
I like Caruso as a backup guard. Derrick Jones gives them some much needed length. Patrick Williams should take a jump in his 2nd season. The Bulls have a lot going on but I think that they can win 40-48 games this season.
They have 3 All-Star caliber players and their starting 5 is very, very good. The bench could be iffy, especially without Coby White to start the season, but I think that people are really underrating the Bulls. I do think that they are a playoff caliber team if things go right and they could make some noise in 2022.
#20 – Toronto Raptors
What is this? International Hate Toronto Day? The Eastern Conference is much better than ever, I can get that. But in this power ranking, they’re out of the playoffs entirely, which I just think won’t happen. They’re back home in Toronto for the first time since March of 2020. Their roster looks a lot better and unless they get hit really hard with injuries (again), the Raptors should be back.
Obviously losing the greatest Toronto Raptor of all time in Kyle Lowry will leave a hole in your team, but I think the Raptors are going to be fine. They have Malachi Flynn and Fred VanVleet to man the guard position. Pretty good if you ask me.
Pascal Siakam should have a bounce back season and return to All-Star form. OG Anunoby should continue to remain criminally underrated on both ends. Last year, the Raptors didn’t really have a center. Re-signing Khem Birch and getting Precious Achiuwa in the Lowry sign-and-trade helps them a lot down low.
Scottie Barnes was selected #4 overall and he brings them another versatile wing defensively who can also handle the ball offensively. Nick Nurse has a lot more depth and a lot more buttons to push, which is great for the Raptors and not so great for the rest of the league.
The Raptors are flying under the radar, but they should be a lot better in 2022. They are back in Canada and not in Florida, the roster has a lot more pieces for Nick Nurse to use, keep sleeping on the Raptors everybody.
#21 – Washington Wizards
What’s the color for “just rebuild already?” Asking for a friend.
#22 – New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans had a very important offseason in front of them. Zion Williamson unsurprisingly turned out to be amazing. They already have an All-Star duo of Zion + Ingram. Lonzo Ball is the perfect point guard to compliment them, but he’s a free agent. You need spacing, a new coach, and you need to re-sign Lonzo. Also unsurprisingly, the Pelicans fumbled the bag this offseason.
They let Lonzo Ball walk for essentially nothing, a really stupid move. They replaced him with Devonte’ Graham, a definite downgrade. They did manage to trade for Jonas Valanciunas which was good and they also managed to draft Trey Murphy III, a good shooting wing.
They re-signed Josh Hart to a 3 year deal but all in all, the Pelicans didn’t improve that much. They still have a shooting problem, the defense is still a question mark, and I don’t like Graham at point guard for the future. The Pelicans don’t have a starting shooting guard anymore, so it’s safe to say they’re going to be a similar team to last season.
A team that has some really talented players, but they just can’t win. The defense didn’t really improve. I’m interested to see how much better Willie Green is as a coach. I’m also interested to see how the Williamson + Valanciunas duo works out.
I am also interested in how many questions a team can possibly have going into a season. The Pelicans have a lot of question marks, still.
But I don’t view them as a playoff team. At best they’re in the play-in, but they’re not a top-6 team in the Western Conference. There’s just no way. The Pelicans are going to be decent at best this season. Nothing better, nothing more.
#23 – San Antonio Spurs
At the least the Spurs have started their rebuild, unlike the Wizards. They took a big risk by taking Joshua Primo. They signed Zach Collins, adding to a young talent pool featuring Keldon Johnson and Dejounte Murray.
The Spurs are heading towards a rebuild and they won’t be good this season. That’s a good thing.
#24 – Sacramento Kings
ESPN….come on…..we’re better than this. There’s no way the Kings should be worse than the Spurs in 2022. The Kings have a lot of talent and they should be better than the Spurs. I just wish they were a competent franchise. They still don’t have a head coach and if I had to guess, that 15-year playoff drought will get to a not so sweet 16.
The Kings have a lot of young talent. De’Aaron Fox is an All-Star caliber point guard. Tyrese Haliburton is a great shooter and playmaker entering his 2nd season. Rookie Davion Mitchell was a co-Summer League MVP thanks to some tenacious perimeter defense that should greatly help the Kings.
Harrison Barnes is a solid two-way wing. Richuan Holmes got a 4 year contract this offseason to stay in town and he’s one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Marvin Bagley will forever be known as the guy who got picked right before Luka Doncic, but at least his dad is active on Twitter? I don’t know, he’s a bust.
Terance Davis is good. Tristan Thompson is a solid backup option. You get it, right? The Kings have a lot of talent and I like them more than the Pelicans. On paper, they’re comparable with the Grizzlies. They should be a play-in team, but they’re the Kings. Don’t go in with high expectations, you will be disappointed.
I don’t think Luke Walton is the answer at coach. He’s never been a good head coach. I mean, he was the head coach for like half of the Warriors 2016 season when they won 73 games. But other than that, he’s never really been a great coach. The Lakers fired him and then won a title and the Kings certainly need somebody better.
The defense is another red flag. It was ranked 30th last year and was historically bad. Drafting Davion Mitchell will help ease that a little bit, but one guy doesn’t make a defense go from being the worst in the league to something better. Expect more crappy defense that will just kill the Kings in the long run because they just cannot get stops.
I wish I could believe in the Kings, but I know how this is going to end. Hopefully they end up in the play-in at least, but it’s the Kings. I can’t go in with too high of expectations. Get ready for 16 years with no playoffs, Kings fans. All three of you.
#25 – Minnesota T-Wolves
I do think the T-Wolves are a lot better than the 13th seed in the West. The T-Wolves looked promising to end last year with Chris Finch at the helm. Towns and D-Lo are a really good duo when healthy and Anthony Edwards looked electric after the All-Star break. The T-Wolves have a lot of young talent and I think acquiring Patrick Beverley shows that they mean business and that they want to win.
That duo of Towns and D-Angelo Russell is a really good 1-2 punch. But they haven’t been on the floor very much together since their trade back in 2020. If these two can stay healthy, Minnesota is a really good team. Anthony Edwards should continue to be great and Malik Beasley off the bench? Those 4 guys bring a lot of offense, which really shouldn’t be a worry.
I like the addition of Patrick Beverley for the bench. Jaden McDaniels looked promising as a rookie last year. Jaylen Nowell can score well off the bench. Taurean Prince was acquired in the Ricky Rubio deal, he shot 40% from 3 last year and gives the T-Wolves wing depth.
The T-Wolves are going to be fun to watch. They finally have a competent coach and they have a really talented young core than can score really well. They have some really good pieces for the future and I’d put them in the same boat as the Kings, maybe even better because of that coaching upgrade.
This team is definitely play-in worthy if things go right but I do imagine that for one reason or another, they’ll miss the playoffs. Like the Kings, the T-Wolves certainly aren’t a prestigious franchise, so don’t put your expectations unreasonably high. You will be disappointed.
#26 – Detroit Pistons
One of the few teams that we can firmly say more than a month away from the season that they will be bad. Not that the Pistons care, they have Cade Cunningham, so the future is pretty bright. Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Isiah Stewart, Luka Garza? A lot of young talent around Cade and not to mention a solid scoring option in Jerami Grant.
The Pistons rebuild is off to a good start so far, so expect some results in a year or two.
#27 – Cleveland Cavaliers
I think the Cavs will be decent, but then again, it’s the Cavs. Without Lebron they haven’t exactly done much as a franchise, so I’m not expecting the playoffs or anything. But they should at the very least be promising.
Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in the backcourt should be a very good backcourt. Even if Collin Sexton might be traded soon, for now, that backcourt tandom is good. Isaac Okoro should have a good 2nd season as a two-way wing.
Jarrett Allen signed a big contract this offseason and should be an anchor defensively. The Cavs selected USC “big guy” Evan Mobley with the #3 overall pick. Mobley can do it all and this starting 5, all comprised with promising young talent is set up really well for the future.
I didn’t really like the Markkanen move. He’s coming off the bench sure, but it’s another young frontcourt player you have to give minutes to. I don’t think Markkanen is great or anything, he can’t play defense. But if he’s always playing next to Allen/Mobley, maybe it’s fine.
But the Cavs are ready for the future. I think they can be decent at best this season and maybe be close to a play-in spot. But I am really excited to see them 2-3 years down the line.
#28 – Orlando Magic
Jalen Suggs (R) – 20 years old
Franz Wagner (R) – 20 years old
RJ Hampton – 20 years old
Cole Anthony – 21 years old
Markelle Fultz – 23 years old
Wendell Carter Jr. – 22 years old
Jonathan Isaac – 23 years old
Mo Bamba – 23 years old
Chuma Okeke – 23 years old
New Head Coach with no coaching experience. Incredibly young team. Rebuild just starting. Yeah, the Magic are not going to be good in 2022.
#29 – Houston Rockets
The Rockets had 4 first round picks in this past years draft. That’s pretty telling of the direction that they’re going in. They are centering their rebuild around Jalen Green and just like last year, they are going to be awful.
I don’t like that the Rockets have so many veterans like Augustin, Nwaba, John Wall, etc. I would love all of the minutes going to Jalen Green, Sengun, Usman Garuba, Josh Christopher, and KPJ. I think it’s just better for them to rebuild and get these young guys a lot of reps.
I do understand the value of having a few veterans, but I don’t like those same guys taking minutes away from the younger guys.
#30 – OKC Thunder
While SGA is the franchise cornerstone and he remains incredibly underrated, OKC is going to be bad. They got even younger this offseason and they have a lot of guys to develop. They drafted Josh Giddey and Tre Mann in the first round, adding to a growing talent pool.
They still have so many picks down the line, they just have to keep developing their young players and see what works and what won’t. They aren’t trying to win, clearly, so some ugly basketball will be getting played these next few seasons. But hopefully, things work out down the line.
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