NBA Power Rankings (#20–11) — 9/21/22
Now we’re getting somewhere!
20. New York Knicks
Handing Jalen Brunson $100 million this offseason is a bold statement by the New York Knicks. The fact that a trade for Donovan Mitchell never came to fruition is similarly telling. The Knicks clearly expect to develop a lethal backcourt duo in RJ Barrett and Brunson, but the latter will have to shoulder an unprecedented workload. Both Barrett and Julius Randle were tasked with a usage rate that exceeded Brunson’s by around 6% each last season. Brunson did see this much authority during the 2022 playoffs, where he started off absurdly hot while Luka Doncic was out, but then cooled down to regular season numbers after the Slovenian’s return. Knicks fans should hope for playoff Brunson with that kind of price tag, or at least something close to it.
19. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers won 2 games for the rest of the season after the All-Star break. Whether they were deliberately tanking or just genuinely riddled with injuries, this kind of seismic shift makes sense given the scarce availability of the entire Portland starting lineup. It was certainly concerning to witness Dame producing the worst season of his career since his rookie year, but fans should give him the benefit of the doubt for his previously consistent output. Anfernee Simons seems to effectively be reprising the role once occupied by CJ McCollum; and the additions of Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II finally give Portland some versatile size and much-needed defensive reinforcements. Not to mention Josh Hart, Justise Winslow, Drew Eubanks and rookie Shaedon Sharpe, the Blazers have serious depth to make a playoff push if all goes well.
18. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have a backcourt roster of Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroeder, Austin Reaves, Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV and Patrick Beverley. All of these guards could be starters on a different roster, so some of these acquisitions are incredibly puzzling with Westbrook’s role as a starter increasingly becoming more vulnerable. Additionally, while the Lakers were busy signing guards, they forgot to provide LeBron James with any sort of backup, with Troy Brown Jr. being the only true forward to come off the LA bench. The signings of Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones were smart, and allowed Anthony Davis to finally run his long-awaited 4-spot; but that’s if he can stay healthy.
17. Chicago Bulls
Here is the statistic that was making the rounds as the Chicago Bulls fell hard from their early-season success: 2–20 against teams with a winning-record. Obviously a stat like this can be taken with a grain of salt if there is postseason success, but its weight certainly increased after getting handily dealt with by the Bucks in the first-round. There is no question that Demar DeRozan had the best season of his career, as his impact on the squad is captured by their 6.5 ORtg increase when he was on the floor for them last season. Zach LaVine and DeRozan can play together, but the Bulls cannot survive off of their offense. Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball were essential to the team’s structure in the beginning of the season, and their absences coincided with the team’s collapse. Polar opposites of LaVine and DeRozan, Caruso and Ball both held opponents to a ORtg that was around 8 points lower than their averages when either of them graced the court. Defense is needed to win championships, and the Chicago Bulls have made that crystal-clear.
16. Atlanta Hawks
Dejounte Murray and Trae Young playing alongside each other is an experiment destined for complications in who is the lead facilitator, but success will certainly come if an equilibrium is reached. Other than that though, the Hawks have an incredibly potent starting lineup, but a desolate squad beyond that. Onyeka Okongwu provides an efficient replacement to Clint Capela, and Bogdan Bogdanovic is great at reinvigorating the offensive prowess of a second-unit; but names like Mo Harkless, Aaron Holiday, and Justin Holiday don’t have me too hopeful for long-term success.
15. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans were already a playoff team, one that almost upset the 1st-seeded Phoenix Suns, without Zion Williamson. Jose Alvarado and Herbert Jones could both legitimately end up in the All-Defensive 1st-Team race for next season, and CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram were lights-out with the ball in their hands. Zion’s natural offensive gravitational weight caused by his charges towards the rim should free up jump-shooters even more, but it could also narrow the offense into a limited one that revolves around him.
14. Toronto Raptors
It is futile to look at the Toronto Raptors’ depth chart to comprehend how Nick Nurse will allocate minutes because of their roster full of nimble stretch-forwards, but two steadfast members of the backcourt include Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr., both of whom provided offense and defensive shortcomings. This is why it is vital that players like Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam can run the point even when their primary playmakers are absent. The addition of Otto Porter Jr. further blurs the lines of traditional basketball roles that made the Raptors such a threat last season.
13. Brooklyn Nets
I am putting the Brooklyn Nets where I believe their floor will be, because a smooth season is never a given with their star-trio’s ongoing on-court and off-court issues. Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all have extensive health concerns that complement their polarizing personalities into either a recipe for disaster, or a championship run. We all know how good Kyrie and KD are, but we don’t know how good Ben Simmons, T.J. Warren and Joe Harris will be after all of their extended hiatuses. Assuming all of the aforementioned players show up, alongside peers like Seth Curry, Cam Thomas, and Nicolas Claxton, all the tools are present for success; so it is just a matter of if they can be used correctly, or even at all.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
After adding Rudy Gobert during the off-season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the best starting lineups in the league. Their bench is not as impressive, but players like Austin Rivers, Kyle Anderson and Bryn Forbes always carve out roles for themselves. The T-Wolves have a potential superstar in Anthony Edwards, a borderline superstar in Karl Anthony-Towns, a generational defensive talent in Rudy Gobert, and an all-star caliber ball-handler in D’Angelo Russell. Fans will be awaiting results.
11. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers managed to limit depth losses to mainly Lauri Markannen and Collin Sexton in order to acquire a franchise cornerstone in Donovan Mitchell. Not only this, but they also brought back Ricky Rubio to support Darius Garland’s pass-first style. The Cavs have one of the most thorough second-units in the league, consisting of Kevin Love and Rubio, among others, and the development of Evan Mobley and Garland does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Expect big things from this exciting roster.
