Philadelphia 76ers:
There is no saving grace for this team. Michael Carter-Williams is hurt as is Joel Embiid. Unless Nerlens Noel turns into Tim Duncan, this is going to be a long season.
Ranking: 30

Boston Celtics:
With absolutely no shot blocking threats (unless Olynyk surprises us and Sullinger drops 20 pounds) the Celtics are going to get abused by every team with an inside presence and especially guards who like to drive.
Ranking: 29

Orlando Magic:
The Magic still have no identity. Until they show us something, they will still be the guy whose girlfriend left him for the guy in L.A. and even though it didn't work out, he didn't come back and went to try out Houston (That was a metaphor for Dwight Howard).
Ranking: 28

Kareem, Worthy, and Magic aren't walking through that door. IMAGE SOURCE "rantsports.com" Getty Image


Los Angeles Lakers:
Unless Carlos Boozer starts playing defense, Steve Nash reverses the hands of time and is magically healed, Kobe is 100 percent healthy, Nick Young matures, and Linsanity returns (which is the most likely of these scenarios), the Lakers are going to be terrible. Good news for Laker fans is that the soap opera will be awesome. Place bets on how long until Kobe knocks Nick Young out.
Ranking: 27

Milwaukee Bucks:
This team has a ton of undeveloped talent that is going to surprise a bunch of teams this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo will hopefully be better than he was in his rookie season. But all eyes will be on Jabari Parker and will he live up to the hype, be better than it, or if he will be a flop.
Ranking: 26th

Utah Jazz:
The Jazz are the 76ers of the West. Even though they have Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke, they are still in the West. So they'll win a lot of their east coast games, but they'll still have to see all of the west coast teams at least three times.
Ranking: 25


New York Knicks:
If Carmelo Anthony is on your team, at least you have scoring. His ability to put up thirty or more on any given night gives any team he's on a fighting chance. Look for Tim Hardaway Jr. to put up big enough numbers to keep him in the running for most improved. He has the skill set to put up twenty a game. Too bad that's where it stops. J.R. Smith is too immature to get it together, Dalembert is no Tyson Chandler, and they don't have a reliable point guard. (Hardaway is a shooting guard). Derek Fisher is a rookie coach so who knows how good or bad he will be.
Ranking: 24

Indiana Pacers:
Plain and simple. No Paul George means you'll be a bad team. If the end of last season was any indication of how dysfunctional this team is, then imagine them without their best player and without Lance Stephenson. Unless Hibbert has a monster year, and David West goes back to his New Orleans days, they aren't going to make the playoffs this year in an East that is definitely better than it has been in years.
Ranking: 23

Minnesota Timberwolves:
While they are going to be a fun team to look, they are going to lose a lot of games. They have no veteran that they can look to for advice, and Ricky Rubio isn't someone who can be trusted to score when the game is on the line. *WARNING!!! Very bold prediction is about to happen* Anthony Bennett had a horrible rookie season, but look for him to up his numbers. When he was given the time, he performed well. He just has to drop some more weight.
Ranking: 22

Toronto Raptors:
Sorry Raptor fans, last season was a fluke season. Kyle Lowry isn't your savior and now that he has his money, he will fall off, and DeRozen only made the All-Star game because coaches hate Lance Stephenson.
Ranking 21

Brooklyn Nets:
A Brook Lopez who never stays healthy longer than twenty games, a Deron Williams who can't play for any coach, a Kevin Garnett who's long past his prime (hopefully he will read this and play like he did in 2004), and Joe Johnson. This is not a playoff team. They are in for a very rude awakening.
Ranking: 20

DeMarcus Cousins is going to fill up the stat sheet all year. IMAGE SOURCE "standingosports.com" SI Image


Sacramento Kings:
The Kings are going to flourish after Cousins and Gay got to play in the FIBA world games. Both men played well over what they were expected to and are going to take that momentum and confidence into the NBA season. Don't be shocked when they beat some of the best teams in the league all season long. But lose to the worse teams.
Ranking 19:

Detroit Pistons:
The problem with the Pistons last year wasn't the talent. It was the coaching. The Pistons now have a coach who will flat out tell his players when they are messing up. Josh Smith will hopefully take the advice of Stan Van Gundy and finally reach his potential. This is all hypothetical, so this is as high as they can be ranked.
Ranking: 18

Anthony Davis the shot blocking machine. IMAGE SOURCE "a.espncdn.com" Getty Image

New Orleans Pelicans:
Another case of the "if they can stay healthy...". Jrue Holiday goes down, then Ryan Anderson, and then Anthony Davis (by that time it didn't matter). The three of them alone are All-Star caliber players. Add in Omer Asik down low with Davis, and you'll be lucky to score in the paint. Holiday is another guy who could put this team over the top. If healthy, they will be fighting for the number eight seed in the West.
Rank: 17

Charlotte Hornets:
Al Jefferson finally played the way he should have been playing his whole career. Maybe it's because he was in the East or maybe he finally decided to be a leader. The biggest thing with the Hornets is the addition of Lance "I lead the league in triple doubles" Stephenson. He's going to be a major boost for them. He can play three positions and guard LeBron James. This is going to be big after the All-Star break.
Rank: 16


Washington Wizards:
Here's the good news. The Wizards have two dominant big men, not something that can be said by a lot of the teams in the league (let alone the East), and John Wall is going to be an All-NBA Player this year (Second or Third). Also, Paul Pierce is going to add the veteran leadership that could help Beal and Wall if they get into a slump. Bad news, they have almost no one to depend on coming off of the bench, unless Otto Porter comes into his own.
Rank: 15

Memphis Grizzlies:
The Grizzlies are the same team they have been for the past two years. They are a defensive ground and pound (as Jalen Rose likes to say) type of team. But they just can't score when they need to. Adding Vince Carter will get them an extra ten points and a guy who can hit the last second shot, but it's not enough to get them over the hump.
Rank: 14

Atlanta Hawks:
Even though they went without their starting center Al Horford for most of the season, the Hawks managed to take the Pacers to seven games. The combo of Paul Millsap and Al Horford is a beautiful thing to look. They both play off of each other well and are both great rebounders. Jeff Teague is also a capable point guard with high potential. Too bad no one shows up for Hawks games to see this.
Rank: 13

Denver Nuggets:
The Denver Nuggets have all the right pieces. When healthy, McGee is a better than average rim protector and rebounder, Faried is a big energy guy who played great during the FIBA tournament, Ty Lawson literally gets better every year, Afflalo is a great addition, Danilo Gallinari is great (when healthy), Nate Robinson comes off the bench and plays hard whenever he's in, and they have the advantage of the high altitude (that every player says is difficult to play in). They are major sleepers in the West if their team can stay healthy. The problem with the Nuggets is going to be Brian Shaw. He just doesn't seem like he's a good coach. The debacle with Andre Miller (a player no coach or player has a bad word to say about) made him seem petty and vindictive. This team needs a better coach if they are going to succeed. Mark Jackson would be great. Too bad these are all "If's".
Rank: 12


Houston Rockets:
It all comes down to the questions. Can Kevin McHale coach this team? Will James Harden play defense? Is James Harden a leader? Is Dwight Howard ever going to be just an average scorer that can rebound and block smaller player's shots? Was not re-signing Chandler Parsons a mistake? Did they really put all of their eggs into the costless agency market?
Rank:11?

Dallas Mavericks:
Parsons signing was a big deal. Now Dirk can actually have a guy who can actually replace him. The acquisition of Parsons is going to be big. Rick Carlisle is going to be a big part of his improvement, and he is going to continue to make this team over achieve all year.
Rank: 10

Side note, it was tough trying to rank the Warriors, Suns, and Trailblazers. These three teams could all be reversed. They all have young talented point guards and have another complimentary guy to help the team win. So your team is ranked lower or higher just know that it was the small things that determined their position.

Phoenix Suns:
The run and gun Phoenix Suns are going to be a handful again this year. The one thing that keeps them above teams like Dallas and Denver and New Orleans is that this team will stay healthy all year. The Bledsoe injury was a fluke that more than likely won't happen again and even without him, the Suns were running teams out of the gym. They play like the Spurs in a sense that they play team ball and for one another. Goran Dragic will be an All-Star this year, and the Suns will make the playoffs.
Rank: 9

The Splash Brothers are fresh from The FIBA games and are going to have a great season. IMAGE SOURCE "i.cdn.turner.com" Getty Image


Golden State Warriors:
One of the most exciting teams in the league with one of the best back court duo in the NBA. Stephen Curry is only missing a decent floater, and he will be the league leader in points to add to his passing game. Klay Thompson will be Klay Thompson. What makes him so special is his defensive game has improved so much over the past year. This will allow Iguodala to not have to defend every shooting guard because Klay can't pick up the slack. The problem with the Warriors is Bogut's health and their bench scoring. Steve Kerr knows the game of basketball, but how good of a coach will he be remains to be seen.
Rank: 8

Portland Trailblazers:
The Blazers have one of the best teams in the league from their best player to their worst. A point guard in Damian Lillard who is humble, plays hard, plays for his team, clutch, and continuing to improve. LaMarcus Aldridge is probably the best scoring power forward in the league - post moves, mid-range, and can rebound as well as anyone. Portland's problem? Other than Robin Lopez, that team plays little to no defense. If they played even a little more defense, they could be the best team in the league.
Rank: 7


Oklahoma City Thunder:
They would be number two, but with Kevin Durant currently injured and no clue how he will be when he returns, and still no consistent scorers other than Durant and Westbrook, number two seemed too high. But look for Ibaka to have a great month and a half while Durant is out. The question to be asked is will Westbrook hurt or help his team while Durant recovers?
Ranking: 6

Miami Heat:
Most people have counted the Miami Heat out because they lost LeBron James. Here's the reality of it all. Chris Bosh is a million times better when he isn't playing second banana. While this may still be "Dwayne Wade's team", Chris Bosh is going to be the star. Also, acquiring Luol Deng is going to fill the void Dwayne Wade can no longer fill game in and game out. And even if Dwayne Wade isn't 100 percent, him at 50 percent is still better than most of the guards in the East.
Rank: 5


Chicago Bulls:
One thing that will not happen in this article is the theory that Derrick Rose is going to come back and immediately be the savior of the Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose has looked good in the preseason and in some of the FIBA World Cup games, but how well will he do when he's back to playing with the big boys of the NBA? Good news is that they are still just as good as they were last year without the addition of Pau Gasol. Now with Pau Gasol, the Bulls now have another low post threat to add with Noah. The one thing that the Bulls have that a lot of NBA teams don't have is a better than average bench with Butler, Aaron Brooks, and Taj Gibson (who could be a starter if Noah or Gasol get injured).
Rank: 4


Cleveland Cavaliers:
LeBron James is back in Cleveland, and he's teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Also joining the party is Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, and Brendon Haywood. Still on the roster are big men Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson. Dion Waiters will be playing the saxophone (Kidding. He will be coming off the bench and complaining). They are missing one thing, a David West type of player. Don't be shocked when Thompson and Haywood and Dion Waiters are traded for him or someone like him. They certainly have the talent, but will that be enough?
Ranking: 3

Los Angeles Clippers:
The Clippers are coming back with the best point guard in the league (Chris Paul) and the best power forward in the league (Blake Griffin). Blake Griffin developed a better jump shot to add on to his post moves and his highlight reel dunks. DeAndre Jordan is going to continue to rebound and block shots like a man possessed. Matt Barnes will be their enforcer, and Glen Davis will be solid off the bench. The most important move was adding Spencer Hawes. He can rebound and hit costless throws in the last minutes of a tight game. They are the only worry in either coast for the number one ranked team.
Rank: 2

The 2014 NBA Finals MVP and he can do it all. IMAGE SOURCE "henypost.files.wordpress.com" Getty Image


San Antonio Spurs:
The defending NBA champions will remain number one until proven otherwise. Best TEAM in the NBA. And this is what this list is. A team ranking. Popovich will continue to out coach everyone. Parker and Duncan will continue to outplay everyone. Ginobli will keep shocking people (ask Bosh what happens when you sleep on a driving Ginobli), and Kawhi Leonard will get better and be their best scorer and defender.
Rank: 1

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About the author
Mark Lynch
Comic Books, movies, and TV. Enjoy the shenanigans and all the awesomeness.