Ahead of the upcoming NBA season, Kevin O’Connor is ranking all 30 teams and slotting them into tiers. There are only a handful of teams in the West without any chance of making the playoffs, and virtually every team in the East could grab an honorary playoff spot as the 8-seed. It’s the first season in a long time when there’s not an overwhelming Finals favorite, or any clarity about which 16 teams will actually make the playoffs. So what happens in games during the long regular season will matter. We will get a season with twists and turns, more big trades, and lots of drama.
-
October 22, 2019
NBA Power Rankings, Day 4: The Four-Team Title Race
The season is upon us, and the Bucks, Clippers, Sixers, and Lakers have the best shot at winning the championship. Can Giannis, Embiid, and Simmons go to another level? Can Kawhi, LeBron, and AD stay healthy enough to deliver a title to Los Angeles?
-
October 21, 2019
NBA Power Rankings, Day 3: The Teams on the Brink
These teams—including Denver, Portland, Miami, and Golden State—are one big trade or lucky break away from being serious Finals contenders
-
October 18, 2019
NBA Power Rankings, Day 2: The Good Teams That Might Not Be Good Enough
A playoff seed will be hard to come by next season, especially in the West. Which teams will be left out? And which should consider pulling the plug and blowing things up?
-
October 17, 2019
NBA Power Rankings, Day 1: The Tankers, the Rebuilders, and the Disasters
The NBA season is right around the corner and the title race is more wide open than it’s been in years. But that doesn’t matter for these teams, the franchises in various stages of falling apart and putting it back together.