#16 - Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are one of the upstart teams in the NBA this season. Trae Young is going to lead this team to a .500 record and an 8 seed in the East. They aren’t a title threat, but it’s a season to continue to grow and build. The Hawks are coming and this will be the beginning.

#15 New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are primed to get into the playoffs this year. With injuries to Klay Thompson, James Harden possibly out of Houston, and some down years from Spurs and Grizzlies. Zion and Brandon Ingram are a young dynamic duo, that are only going to get better the more they play together.

#14 - Phoenix Suns

Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton are the new big 3 in the desert. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. It’s been a decade of mediocre basketball. 2021 is a new decade and it’s an exciting time in Phoenix.

#13 - Brooklyn Nets

KD and Kyrie are both healthy and will lead the Nets to a playoff berth. They have a chance to be much higher on this list, but I want to see how they mesh together and how healthy KD’s ankle is. They have the highest upside of any team on the bottom half of this list.

#12 - Portland Trailblazers

The Trailblazers shocked the Lakers in Game 1 of the first round last year, they squeaked into the playoffs with a lot of injuries. This year with a healthy Dame and CJ and more depth they don’t have to rely on their dynamic backcourt to shoulder all the load. The West is so deep, as a 6 seed the Blazers can make some noise.

#11 - Philadelphia 76ers

This is the most confusing team to predict and it feels like the last year of the Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid experiment. There is a huge name out there though that could change everything, James Harden. I don’t really like the fit, but that would be a huge shift in power in the eastern conference. The 76ers need playoff success or it’s time to blow it up and trust a different process.

#10 - Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz were one shot away from moving on past the Nuggets to face the Clippers last year. They are a good team that can make some noise in the West. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert seem to have moved past their issues. They will need more depth scoring to compete with the big boys in the West.

#9 - Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic is going to win an MVP in this league at some point. Kristaps Porzingis needs to be healthy and the dominant KP he’s been before. They took the Clippers to 6 games last year and can be a top 4 seed this year or they can miss the playoffs. I believe in Luka and think the Mavs are a better team than most.

#8 - Indiana Pacers

The Pacers don’t feel like a team that should be this high on the list. But a healthy Victor Oladipo is a game changer. Sabonis and Brodgon can lead this team with Dipo to a good, if not under the radar record. This team doesn’t feel like title contender, but they seem destined to make the 2nd round.

#7 - Miami Heat

This is where the teams start to change. The Heat made a surprising run to the NBA finals last year in Orlando, and took the much more talented Lakers to 6 games. Jimmy Butler proved he can lead a team deep into the playoffs. Bam and company are out for revenge after being looked over in the East last year. Look out the Heat are here to stay.

#6 - Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers should be higher on the list. They got better in the offseason. But their locker room was fractured last year, they lost a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets. PG13 and Kawhi are only going to play when they need to. I don’t think they care about their record in the regular season, we will see what happens come playoff time. Kawhi can opt out after this year, if they have another early playoff exit, is Kawhi going to rethink LA?

#5 - Toronto Raptors

The Raptors lost Ibaka (Clippers) and Gasol (Lakers). But they showed us last year that they didn’t need Kawhi. Fred Van Fleet re-signed and Pascal Siakam seems determined to show the world who he is after his poor play in the bubble last season. They have to play in Tampa Bay because the Canadian Government won’t let them play in Toronto, they will heat up and play well in the warm weather of Florida.

#4 - Denver Nuggets

Denver beat the Clippers to reach the Western Conference Finals and then got worked over by eventual NBA Champions Lakers. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic and a dynamic duo that are young and going to keep getting better and better. If Michael Porter Jr. can step up as the third scoring option, the Nuggets have a change to make it back to the WCF’s.

#3 - Los Angeles Lakers

The defending champs got better, why are they third on my list? Similar to the Clippers, I don’t think they care all that much about their regular season record. AD is the best player on that team and possibly in the NBA. Gone are Howard, Mcgee, and Green. In are Harrell, Gasol, Matthews, and Schroder. The Lakers got younger and better. Didn’t even mention Kuzma and Caruso, the purple and gold are deep and they are my pick to make the Finals coming out of the West.

#2 - Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum is a superstar. Jaylen Brown is great player. The Celtics lost in the ECF to the Heat last year. This season is all about a revenge tour. The Celtics are out for blood and they are ready to take the next step and make the finals this year.

#1 - Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis, Giannis. Giannis. This team goes as he goes. He’s coming off back to back MVP’s and the Bucks are coming off back to back let downs in the playoffs. Giannis signed his extension to silence the questions surrounding wether or not he would stay in Milwaukee. Jrue holiday is a huge pickup and should make the best defensive team even better this year. Right now they are the best team in the league, can they finally produce in the playoffs?

NBA Power Rankings: Preseason Edition