NBA Power Rankings: LeBron, Bronny James make history; KAT faces off against Timberwolves

Posted by Admin October 14, 2024 NBA

The NBA’s preseason slate has kicked off. This marks the first time teams can jell with their new teammates. It also indicates that the 2024-25 regular season is on the verge of kicking off.

Through one week, the Boston Celtics it appears will be a valiant defending NBA champion. It’s only the preseason but they’ve dominated in their contests. The same can be said about the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have looked the part of a contender when their regular rotation has played.

The preseason capped off with a matchup between Karl-Anthony Towns and his old squad Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the first time the two sides have met since the blockbuster KAT to New York Knicks deal from a few weeks ago.

Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings throughout the season. The latest edition will be published every Monday. Here is this week’s edition from Oct. 7-13:

30. Brooklyn Nets (0-1)

Previous Ranking: 28

Many expect the Nets to be one of the league’s worst teams this season. Through one preseason outing, that looks to be the case. Again, small sample size, but Brooklyn will be fighting for lottery balls. It’ll be fun to see if Ben Simmons can have a bounce-back season after spending the last few seasons injured.

29. Washington Wizards (1-2)

Previous Ranking: 27

The Wizards are on a similar boat but are a few steps ahead. They have some blue-chip prospects in Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr. The former looks to make a second-year leap after he spent most of his rookie campaign playing like an extremely raw 20-year-old. He has the tools to be a great two-way wing.

28. Chicago Bulls (1-1)

Previous Ranking: 25

Josh Giddey and Lonzo Ball will be the players to follow on the Bulls. Giddey has looked good in his first two preseason outings. Ball is ready to return after missing out the last two seasons due to injuries. It’ll be an important season for both as they’ll fight for their next contract.

27. Charlotte Hornets (2-1)

Previous Ranking: 26

After being plagued by injuries last season, LaMelo Ball has looked strong in his limited preseason action. The former All-Star starts fresh with a new head coach in Charles Lee. The goal of this season will be to develop chemistry with Brandon Miller. Tre Mann also has impressed in preseason. It looks like Charlotte found a gem in him.

26. Detroit Pistons (2-2)

Previous Ranking: 30

The results don’t matter, but the Pistons will always welcome wins considering what they’ve gone through in recent years. Cade Cunningham will need to make his much-anticipated leap this season. If not, Detroit will continue to seek its franchise star.

25. Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)

Previous Ranking: 29

They’ve only played in two preseason games, but the Trail Blazers have already suffered a blow. Shaedon Sharpe suffered a torn labrum and will miss at least a month. He was projected to be a key rotation piece for Portland. Expect a lot of losing to occur on the Trail Blazers this season.

24. Toronto Raptors (1-2)

Previous Ranking: 22

The only goal fans want to see their teams accomplish is to avoid injuries. Nothing is worse than seeing a player get hurt during an exhibition. That’s what the Raptors experienced with RJ Barrett. He suffered a shoulder injury that might keep him out to start their season. He’s projected to be a top scorer in Toronto.

23. Atlanta Hawks (1-0)

Previous Ranking: 23

Perhaps Zaccharie Risacher has been overlooked. An odd phenomenon considering he was the No. 1 pick this past draft. But in his Hawks preseason debut, he looked solid as a playmaker. The 19-year-old is a hopeful franchise cornerstone for Atlanta as it tries to build around Trae Young one last time.

22. Utah Jazz (3-1)

Previous Ranking: 24

It’s been a strong preseason for the Jazz. They will lean on youth this season. Cody Williams’ development will be a major goal for Utah. He is one of its first blue-chip prospects at the beginning stages of its rebuild. Lauri Markkanen hopes to build off his success since being traded to the Jazz after he inked an extension.

21. Miami Heat (1-1)

Previous Ranking: 21

The Heat could be entering the final year of the Jimmy Butler experience. It’s had its wild ups and downs but has been a memorable chapter in Miami. Kel’el Ware has looked nice in the preseason. The veteran roster could use an ejection of youth. The 20-year-old can bring that in a bench role his first year.

20. San Antonio Spurs (2-1)

Previous Ranking: 20

On a lob from Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama loudly slammed the ball through the basket. The alley-oop between the two will be a key play throughout the Spurs’ season. Wembanyama is on the cusp of superstardom. That could materialize as soon as this season. Being paired with Paul will help him reach those ambitions.

19. LA Clippers (2-1)

Previous Ranking: 19

As the preseason progresses, Kawhi Leonard’s knee injury grows in mystery. He hasn’t practiced with the Clippers yet and his status for the season-opener is unknown. LA has announced there is nothing to worry about, but it’s easy to be skeptical considering Leonard’s recent injury history.

18. New Orleans Pelicans (1-1)

Previous Ranking: 15

After starting Jonas Valanciunas last season, the Pelicans are going in the opposite direction with center. Whispers of Herb Jones at the C spot make it clear New Orleans believes it doesn’t need a massive force down low. Zion Williamson will be the pseudo-big who will get plenty of ball-handling opportunities.

Previous Ranking: 16

For better or worse, Bronny James has eclipsed the Lakers. Preseason struggles attached to his forgettable summer league have proven the skeptics right. It appears James isn’t NBA-ready and will need years of development. It won’t affect the Lakers’ on-court product, but the spotlight on LeBron’s son will surely grow tiresome for the team.

16. Houston Rockets (1-1)

Previous Ranking: 18

Reed Sheppard has highlighted the early preseason returns for the Rockets. He’s a nice microwave scorer off the bench. Besides that, Amen Thompson looks good in his starting reps. Perhaps one of those two will threaten Jalen Green’s starting spot, who’s had mixed results early in his most important season.

15. Golden State Warriors (4-0)

Previous Ranking: 17

The Warriors elected with quantity over Klay Thompson this offseason. They added several veteran shooters to surround Stephen Curry. It’s been early, but the results have been positive. Golden State saw the end of its dynasty this offseason but quickly retooled around Curry.

14. Orlando Magic (0-2)

Previous Ranking: 13

The Magic extended Wendell Carter Jr. to a three-year deal. After their best season in years, Orlando hopes to retain its young core. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could flirt with being All-Stars this season. The Magic have played in just two preseason outings as one game has already been canceled due to hurricane concerns.

13. Sacramento Kings (0-3)

Previous Ranking: 14

It’s been a rough preseason slate for the Kings so far. Nonetheless, results don’t matter. It’ll be an adjustment for DeMar DeRozan to figure out his fit alongside Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. The trio won’t get a chance to jell until the games start to matter. DeRozan hopes to be another scoring option in Sacramento.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (2-1)

Previous Ranking: 10

Last season’s nightmares aren’t done. After seeing several players miss time due to injuries, the Grizzlies’ poor luck has carried over. Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered a hamstring strain that hopefully doesn’t cause him to miss the start of the year. Ja Morant also suffered an ankle sprain. Memphis hopes it stays there and doesn’t snowball.

11. Indiana Pacers (1-1)

Previous Ranking: 12

The Pacers got hot at the right time in the playoffs last year. They went to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Celtics. Indiana will look to build off that surprise postseason run. Tyrese Haliburton enjoyed a career season last year. The All-Star starter is the Pacers’ best player and they will go as far as he takes them.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)

Previous Ranking: 9

The Cavaliers had their best season since LeBron’s departure last year. Donovan Mitchell’s decision to extend gives Cleveland some runway to contend with their current group. Evan Mobley is a breakout candidate as he enters his fourth season. He could see a larger role on offense this year under Kenny Atkinson.

9. Phoenix Suns (3-1)

Previous Ranking: 11

Kevin Durant scored 21 points in 19 minutes during preseason. The 36-year-old is still one of the league’s best players. That’s been the case for nearly two decades now. His longevity is especially impressive considering his injury history. The Suns can’t afford to waste another stellar campaign by Duranr this year.

8. Milwaukee Bucks (0-2)

Previous Ranking: 7

The Bucks are on borrowed time. Due to a combination of contracts, age and injuries, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton might only have this season left together. After a disappointing season last year, Milwaukee hopes to bounce back under a full offseason of Doc Rivers as the head coach.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1)

Previous Ranking: 8

The first showdown between Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves happened in preseason. Weeks after the shocking deal, Donte DiVincenzo has provided Minnesota with a scoring spark. He can be a complimentary role player for the Timberwolves who brings heavy playoff experience.

6. Dallas Mavericks (0-2)

Previous Ranking: 6

One of the offseason headliners was Thompson’s move to the Mavericks. The multi-time All-Star could provide spacing for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to operate against defenses. He looked sharp in his preseason debut. The novelty surrounding Thompson’s start in Dallas will carry over to the regular season.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (1-2)

Previous Ranking: 3

It was a Jekyll and Hyde week for the Sixers. They saw the highly-anticipated preseason debut of Paul George but received scary news that Joel Embiid will miss the rest of the preseason with knee management. It doesn’t sound serious and precautionary but that can obviously change. Embiid has struggled to stay healthy for his entire career.

4. Denver Nuggets (0-3)

Previous Ranking: 5

The Nuggets played their first two preseason games against the Celtics in Abu Dhabi. Perhaps they’ll serve as an NBA Finals preview. If that happens, Russell Westbrook must be a positive in his bench role. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic continues to be one of the league’s best players. The three-time MVP will be in the prestigious award race again.

3. New York Knicks (3-0)

Previous Ranking: 4

KAT’s arrival generated buzz for the Knicks. After a loud offseason, New York looks like a threat to dethrone the Celtics. The Knicks received an important injury update on Mitchell Robinson, who won’t return until Jan. 2025. He’s had two ankle procedures over the last year and was their starter last season until injuries knocked him out.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)

Previous Ranking: 2

In their limited time together, the Thunder’s normal rotation has run opponents out of the gym. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have been perfect fits with OKC’s starters. They’ve looked like a dominant force who will rattle off wins like nothing. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are one of the league’s best trios.

1. Boston Celtics (4-0)

Previous Ranking: 1

The Celtics have picked up right where they left off in the NBA Finals. Even in preseason, the reigning NBA champions have enjoyed lopsided wins. Expect Boston to repeat its regular-season success from last year. Until proven otherwise, they are the team to beat in the NBA. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown headline their deep roster.