NBA Preseason Power Rankings

Jonathan Ellish — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:19:42 +0000

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It is Christmas, and that means the NBA starts! This is the beginning of an NBA season that we never thought was going to happen and that means power rankings. To start off this year, the defending champion Mavericks are atop the list as they look to repeat again this year. Right behind them are the Heat with their big three who should benefit from the shortened season. The Knicks and Clippers made splashes with offseason moves and should improve their standings, along with the Bulls who added Richard Hamilton to solidify an already solid team.

Rounding out the bottom is the Pistons, Kings, and Cavaliers. The Pistons made some questionable signings, which will probably hurt them in the long run. The Kings, while improving, still have a long way to go, and the Cavaliers got worse after losing Baron Davis to the Knicks. All in all, it should be an interesting season with the compressed schedule, and the power rankings will be here every week to let you know how your team stands against the rest.

Rank	Team	Record	Comment
1	Mavericks	57-25	Although they lost C Tyson Chandler to the Knicks, the Mavericks should be poised to make a run for the finals again this year.
2	Heat	58-24	The question on everyone’s mind is what will the big three do in year two?
3	Thunder	55-27	They have the same roster as last year. That should mean that the Thunder is one of the top teams in the league this year.
4	Bulls	62-20	The Bulls, like Miami and Oklahoma City, should be able to win 50+ games with a solid, young, talented team that added Rip Hamilton.
5	Knicks	42-40	The Knicks won the offseason signing C Tyson Chandler and fortifying their team with some key acquisitions. Look for the Knicks to make a deep run in the playoffs this year.
6	Celtics	56-26	The Celtics got a year older and lost Jeff Green for the season, so the question is how will the big four hold up?
7	Lakers	57-25	Kobe is already nursing injuries and losing Lamar Odom did not help. The Lakers will find it hard to make it through this season.
8	Grizzlies	46-36	After their playoff run last year, the Grizzlies should only get better with the return of Rudy Gay and should be a top team in the suddenly weaker West.
9	Spurs	61-21	The Spurs are only getting older and have a lot riding on Tim Duncan’s knees. The question is can he hold up with this compressed schedule?
10	Trail Blazers	48-34	After the best trade of the deadline landing, Gerald Wallace of the Trail Blazers should be a force in the West despite Brandon Roy retiring.
11	Clippers	32-50	While Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be amazing for highlight reels, will this translate to wins?
12	Magic	52-30	For now, they have Dwight Howard, but they will definitely trade him before the deadline.
13	Nuggets	50-32	With a “full” offseason together, it will be interesting to see how the new-look Nuggets gel.
14	Pacers	37-45	With a lot of young talent, the Pacers will only improve after a strong showing against the Bulls in the first round last year.
15	Hawks	44-38	After losing key pieces, the Hawks will not be quite as good as last year.
16	Rockets	43-39	The Rockets are now center-less after losing Yao Ming and David Stern and nixed the trade that would have landed them Pau Gasol. It will be a long year for the Rockets.
17	76ers	41-41	With young talent and after showing continuity last season under head coach Doug Collins, the 76ers should make some noise this season.
18	Bucks	35-47	The Bucks, if healthy, can make some noise, but that is a BIG if.
19	Nets	24-58	After two seasons and two failed trades for superstars, it is looking like Williams is on his way out after his short tenure in New Jersey/Brooklyn.
20	Warriors	36-46	With Tyson Chandler’s heartbreak in free agency, ugly off-court press for Monta Ellis, and Steph Curry’s early ankle injury, it did not take Mark Jackson long to find out why Jeff Van Gundy is in no rush to leave his TV gig and get back into coaching. (Marc Stein ESPN)
21	Suns	40-42	Grant Hill resigned, but besides him and Steve Nash, the Suns do not have much with which to work.
22	Jazz	39-43	Still rebuilding, the Jazz will be happy they got what they did for D-Will.
23	Hornets	46-36	The Hornets have a future, but that will not happen this season. It is going to be a painful season for New Orleans fans.
24	Timberwolves	17-65	They have a decent compilement of young talent in K-Love, Rubio, Williams, Beasley, and Adelman, so maybe Minnesota will improve on last season’s dreadful year.
25	Wizards	23-59	They have John Wall. That is about it for the Wizards.
26	Bobcats	34-48	His approval rating among current NBA players has never been lower in the wake of his hard-line lockout positions, and he might still be the best player in the Bobcats’ organization at the age of 48. Not a fun time to be Michael Jeffrey Jordan. (Marc Stein ESPN)
27	Raptors	22-60	Toronto does not have much of anything. It is going to be a long year.
28	Pistons	30-52	They locked up Tyshawn Prince, but for an unnecessarily long time.
29	Kings	24-58	Sacramento has some young pieces, but this season will be yet another long one for Sacramento fans.
30	Cavaliers	19-63	Cleveland is bad, and losing Baron Davis makes them worse.

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NBA Preseason Power Rankings