The 2020-2021 NBA season is right around the corner. Free agency, trades, and the draft have vastly affected the climate of the NBA. Are the Lakers still the best in the West? Were the Heat one and done?
Here are the 2020-2021 NBA season power rankings:
1.Los Angeles Lakers
Although I do believe that Lakers fans underestimate the impact of losing a leader like Rajon Rondo, I do believe that the Lakers’ aggressive moves will enable them to lead be a championship favorite before the end of the year. Although they may not finish at the top of the western conference again due to load management, they should be a fine tuned machine come this June.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Not having the Miami Heat at the top of my 2020-2021 NBA season power rankings may surprise and upset many. However, the Bucks have proven to be a formidable regular season team under head coach Mike Budenholzer.
The acquisition of Jrue Holiday vastly improves the Bucks. However, getting snubbed by the Bogdanovic sweepstakes will hurt them come playoff time. Nonetheless, the Bucks will go as far as Giannis takes them. Holiday will make his life easier, but Giannis will also need to have improved during this off season period.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
Yes, losing Montrezl Harrell made the Clippers worse, and their rivals better. However, the Clippers more than made up for it by signing Serge Ibaka. There is an argument to be made that losing a fake tough guy, in Harrell, is an upgrade in itself for the Clippers. The Clippers added a vocal leader in Ibaka, something Leonard is not.
If Leonard really is the closest thing to the Black Mamba, I have a hard time doubting his ability to get it done. On paper, the Clippers are my current early favorites to with the NBA championship.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
Daryl Morey addressed the 76ers weaknesses in ways they needed to do years ago. If they’re going to give Embiid and Simmons one more shot, they needed to surround them with shooters. Morey did just that.
Replacing Brown with Rivers does not necessarily excite me; surrounding Ben Simmons with Seth Curry, Danny Green, and Furkan Korkmaz does. In addition to that, the Embiid stopper has now been moved to the western conference.
I would not be surprised if Morey found a way to find a better fit for the team than Tobias Harris. However, I am currently very excited for the 76ers. They were a dominant home team, but a terrible road team. Without fans in the arenas, do not be surprised if the 76ers finish at the top of the regular season win column.
5. Denver Nuggets
My excitement and optimism for the Denver Nuggets took a hit this off season. They lost a few key players that helped them on the defensive end. The Nuggets are betting on their young core taking another step as they each get a year older. Continuality and an abundance of offensive weapons keep the Denver Nuggets a threat in the western conference.
6. Dallas Mavericks
Although I did not love the loss of Seth Curry for the Mavericks, we have a better understanding of their mindset. They are going to continue to rely solely on Luka Doncic’s ability to run the offense, while continuing to upgrade at the defensive end. They will be shuffling players at the center position to make up for Porzingis’ absence due to injury.
As long as Luka is healthy, expect another display of high powered offense, keeping the Mavericks highly competitive.
7. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were a let down during last year’s playoffs. In addition to that, they were relatively quiet during free agency. However, the addition of Tristan Thompson addresses their much needed upgrade at the center position. Also, their $28.5 million trade exception puts them in an interesting position.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are a year older. It is time for them to emerge and be mentioned as one of the best duos in the NBA. This should be the season it happens.
8. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are one of the most underrated teams in the NBA. It wasn’t until late in the year did they begin to show just how good they really are. Unfortunately for the Jazz, losing Bojan Bogdanovic hurt them during their playoff run.
The Jazz are entering another year with Conley Jr., and their young core is a year older. I fully expect the Jazz to be one of the hardest teams to beat in the NBA.
9. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat falling so short on my 2020-2021 NBA season power rankings will be a shock to many. However, I can make the argument that I am being somewhat generous here.
Yes, the Jimmy Butler lead Miami Heat were one of the only teams that were truly focused late into the NBA bubble. However, as a regular season team, they had their ups and downs and will continue to do so. Everything had to go right for the Heat to do as well as they did last season. This year, we will find out just how good Herro and Adebayo really are. As of right now, I do not see the Miami Heat being a top tiered team in the NBA next season.
10. Golden State Warriors
Losing one of the best players in the NBA is never easy to comeback from. However, the Warriors cannot afford to take another gap year. Draymond Green will make guys like Wiggins, Oubre Jr, and Wiseman better than they should be. Steph Curry is still the best point guard in the NBA.
The Warriors have a formidable starting five that is capable of being competitive. As long as they are relatively healthy, I fully expect the Warriors to be one of the hardest teams to beat in the western conference.
11. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are in a difficult predicament. They traded many of their draft picks to acquire Russell Westbrook. Thus, they cannot afford to trade their star players for future draft picks or mediocre young talent.
As long as their stars are engaged, the Rockets can beat anyone in the NBA. If the are not engaged, we could witness one of the biggest let down seasons in NBA history.
12. Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers have one of the most talented backcourts in NBA history, as well as an abundance of key role players. Health issues plagued the Blazers last season. With a little luck, their fortunes will change this season.
With the addition of Covington, the Blazers are in a unique position to take a massive jump in the western conference standings. The question is, is a healthy roster the key for the Blazers to get past the western conference’s elite, or are they simply just not good enough?
13. Toronto Raptors
Losing two key pieces of a championship team is never easy. Replacing Marc Gasol with Aaron Baynes will not help them on the offensive end. However, the loss of Ibaka and Gasol also enables the Raptors to play faster. A little tweaking to the Raptors’ offensive system could enable them to be a fast paced offense that could catch many teams by surprise. I am curious to see the impact of playing in Tampa Bay as well.
14. Phoenix Suns
There is no argument that the combination of Booker, Paul and Ayton forms a formidable big three. If Paul is able to replicate his success in OKC, the Suns are going to be a legitimate threat in the western conference. Although we have still not seen footage of Devin Booker practicing against a double team, this could finally be the year that he puts the rest of the NBA on notice.
15. Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks were very active this off season. They prioritized surrounding Trae Young with an abundance of veteran talent. The addition of Gallinari and Rondo gives the Hawks much needed maturity. They have a formidable front court that features Collins, Capela, and rookie Onyeka Okongwu. Rondo backs up one of the most talented young point guards in the NBA in Trae Young. Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the most underrated playmakers in the NBA.
The Hawks are not only going to take a step forward this season, they are going to be one of the most fun teams to watch.
16. Indiana Pacers
There is a lot of uncertainty as it pertains to the Indiana Pacers. Are they going to trade several key pieces of their roster and go through a slight rebuild? If they choose not to rebuild, is Oladipo back to his old self? What will the impact of replacing Nate McMillan with Nate Bjorkgren?
With their current roster, the Pacers are a competitive team. With a health Oladipo, they are really competitive. This team has the potential to vastly climb or fall in the 2020-2021 NBA season power rankings.
17. Memphis Grizzlies
Although the play in tournament did not manage to get Zion Williamson into the playoffs, it did drop the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies learned a valuable lesson as they out performed all expectations last season. The Grizzlies are a year older, in a western conference that keeps getting more competitive.
Due to their health and youth, I do not currently have them as a playoff team. However, a lot could change. The Grizzlies are an exciting young team with a bright future.
18. New Orleans Pelicans
The addition of Stan Van Gundy and Steven Adams has Pelicans fans thinking that they could be a playoff lock. However, the loss of Jrue Holiday is a big one. In addition to that, I’m not a big fan of Brandon Ingram’s game. If the Pelicans are going to be a playoff team, they’re going to need to unleash Zion Williamson. It has yet to be seen if Williamson is capable of that workload.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
I am being very generous with this placement of the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have yet to be competitive since losing Jimmy Butler. However, they have made some upgrades to their roster, that already features two very talented players in Towns and Russell.
If Anthony Edwards is not a bust, this should help make the Timberwolves more competitive. However, I still do not see them taking a massive leap just yet. The Timberwolves do not only need to upgrade talent, they also need to upgrade their mentality.
20. Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets added who may turn out to be the best player in the NBA draft in LaMelo Ball. In addition to that, they added an all-star caliber player, when healthy, in Gordon Hayward.
Hayward could not catch a break while in Boston. Jordan, Gordon, his wife Robin, and Hornets fans all hope that Hayward’s luck will change in a new city. If healthy, the Hornets could be a legitimate contender for a playoff spot in the eastern conference.
21. Brooklyn Nets
I do not understand the discrepancy between analysts who rank the Nets as a top tiered team, and myself. I have yet to see Irving lead a team. I’d argue that he is one of the worst culture guys in the NBA. In addition to that, I am very pessimistic when it comes to recovering from an Achilles injury. Therefor, I do not see Durant being able to make up for the Nets’ culture problem.
I may be wrong, but I doubt it.
22. San Antonio Spurs
There is a lot of uncertainty around the San Antonio Spurs. Are they going to trade DeRozan and Aldridge? Are they going to try and be better than last year? I have a hard time doubting Gregg Popovich. However, I just don’t think the Spurs are interested in contending at this time.
23. Orlando Magic
It’s another year of the Orlando Magic having a decent roster but going nowhere with it. The only thing that excited me about this team is watching Markelle Fultz play. Dear Orlando, please trade your players, especially Vucevic to Boston. Thank you in advance.
24. Washington Wizards
We haven’t seen John Wall play NBA basketball in a long time. As you all know, I am also pessimistic about any player coming back from an Achilles rapture. The Wizards have talent and will continue to build around Bradley Beal. However, if Wall continues to be a massive cap hit with no value, the Wizards will struggle to be competitive.
25. Sacramento Kings
There is no excuse for losing Bogdan Bogdanovic. Forget whether or not you want him on your team. You know teams want him, you should have brought him back in order to trade him for assets. The Kings overpaid both of their young guards. I am not optimistic for the Kings’ near or long-term future.
26. New York Knicks
If I had to guess which team I had the potential to be very wrong about on this list, I would pick the New York Knicks. I am a massive fan of Tom Thibdeau. However, I am not a fan of the Knicks’ current roster. If I were a Knicks fan, I would be optimistic about being a playoff team next season. As for this season, it has yet to be seen what Thibodeau can do. One thing is for certain, the Knicks will get better. The question, how much better and how soon?
27. Detroit Pistons
Free Derrick Rose.
28. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have the talent to be competitive, yet they have not been. Unless Lauri Markkanen has a bounce back season, I am not excited for the Bulls’ outlook at all.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
If first round picks counted for wins, the Thunder would be at the top of this list. I’m just not sure how much winning the Thunder are interested in doing with a roster of Dort, Horford, and Gilgeous-Alexander. They could surprise us all, but I hope they take a gap year.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have the roster to be way better than where I currently have them ranked. They have the combination of veterans, youth, and all-star potential talent. However, they only won 19 games last season for a reason. The Cavaliers need to show us that they are interested in winning, before anyone of us believe in them.
Many teams will climb and fall in the 2020-2021 NBA season power rankings. Although it is difficult to take an early guess as to the talent, motives, and luck each team will experience this season, it does make you think of all the possibilities.
Imagine if the Knicks were to finish better than the Nets, for instance.
Think my 2020-2021 NBA season power rankings list is crazy? Have any thoughts? Tweet me @TPRx11!