JWOO Preseason Power Rankings (ARCHIVE)

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While avoiding my job of writing articles about IRL basketball this morning, I hashed out a quick power rankings list based off no scientific methodology whatsoever. Here's how the league is starting to shape up after one possibly useless preseason sim and an interesting offseason.



29. Supersonics

They’re bad. It is what it is.

28. Pacers

I don’t quite know where the Pacers are headed, but it may be the tank. Not a ton of upside on this roster at the moment.

27. Nuggets

Looks like Denver is tanking.

26. Bullets

They lucked into Tim Duncan, so they probably won’t suck for too long.

25. Pistons

Detroit needs a big year from Antoine Walker and some development from Stephen Jackson, but there are good pieces on this team, which is still a year or two away from playoff position. They had a good TC run.

24. Celtics

They have Kobe and T-Mac and had a great training camp, so this is headed in a great direction.

23. Cavs

Cleveland looks pretty balanced and has a stud in Antonio McDyess, albeit not a lot of depth up front. Can they small-ball their way toward the playoffs, or is this team still a ways away?

22. Bucks

A disastrous 2-10 preseason sim despite a strong TC raises questions about exactly where the Bucks are going, but Jason Kidd is turning into a tremendous force. Some positive regression toward last year’s success feels likely.

21. Timberwolves

Terrell Brandon and David Robinson lead a cast of solid but kind of random guys who were bleeding points in the preseason sim. Minny could inch over .500 this year, but it won’t be because of their -9 training camp. Are the Wolves a candidate to blow things up? Or is this just an overreaction?

20. Clippers

This is a slightly team that’s hitched to Penny’s development. Is there enough of an inside presence on the roster to get them into the playoffs? Or will the Clippers lean into the tank in search of another star? They did have a nice training camp! Time will tell.

19. Mavericks

They sucked in the first preseason sim after finishing just under .500 last year, but they also had an incredible training camp. What gives?

18. Grizzlies

It looks like the Grizz nailed the Chauncey Billups pick, but this team may still be a little ways away. An excellent training camp bodes well, though.

17. Raptors

I think I have a playoff-viable roster, with Anthony Parker looking like an amazing find to complement Michael Finley and Marcus Camby. The question I don’t know the answer to is whether I’ll push for the playoffs or continue to sell off pieces. Message me and find out

16. Spurs

Chris Webber anchors a pretty balanced roster that performed extremely well in the first sim. It looks like San Antonio could make a jump after winning just 33 games last season, despite just average returns in TC. But who knows?

15. Warriors

Greg Ostertag and Keith Van Horn give this team the whitest frontcourt in the entire SLN. Jerry Stackhouse looks poised for a massive breakout, and Damon Stoudamire is quite good. They had a strong TC. But then you realize they only won 30 games last year.

14. Bulls

Are they good? Are they bad? After that first preseason sim it’s quite unclear whether Chicago will sustain playoff performance, but they do have AI and a pretty good supporting cast.

13. Jazz

If the first preseason sim and training camp results are any indicator, Utah should be one of this season’s breakout teams - Steve Nash keeps getting better, Big Z, Theo Ratliff and Joe Smith give them a strong trio of bigs, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim is a wild card. I like the Jazz to make the playoffs but I also don’t understand how this works.

12. Nets

New Jersey is somewhat stuck in the middle of the pack, but Alonzo Mourning is really good. The Nets should be fine if not spectacular.

11. Lakers

This feels like a team that should be competitive again, propped up by Karl Malone and Kevin Johnson and a cast of solid vets. Glad I don’t play in the Pacific Division.

10. Blazers

With a new GM incoming it’s hard to say exactly where this franchise heads, but it appears Tony Delk has transformed into a sustainably dominant force. After a huge +13 TC the Blazers are maybe the best young team in the league, and it’s just a matter of what new management does to establish a direction.

9. Sixers

It’s hard to tell if the Sixers are truly going for it after shopping Scottie Pippen all offseason, but they’re still well-positioned in the upper crust of the East.

8. Hornets

Charlotte is positioned to be really good again thanks to John Stockton not retiring. We’ll see what that amounts to in the playoffs, but this is still a good squad despite minimal changes and TC regression.

7. Hawks

These guys are cooking, with the Gary Payton/Eddie Jones backcourt causing problems and a good collection of role players around them. Some improvement should be in order.

6. Heat

Miami added Toni Kukoc to a 47-win team and should be poised to contend thanks to, of course, Shaq. Curious how they’ll stack up against the upper tier of teams.

5. Rockets

Houston is in really good shape, with solid players at every position and Latrell Sprewell emerging as a true force. It seems like they’re pushing their chips in, so this could be a real contender.

4. Magic

Orlando made minimal changes, but I only recently realized that they recreated Run TMC, and they’re probably going to be really good again.

3. Kings

Hakeem is still a tide that lifts all boats, even when those boats are Rik Smits and Mario Elie. Sacramento won 64 games last season and might be one piece away from challenging Phoenix.

2. Knicks

They’re the defending champs and they still have MJ, so I’m not ranking them lower than this. Plus, they won 68 games last year. The East runs through New York.

1. Suns

These guys are coming back with a vengeance. (If they don’t win the title this year it raises some greater existential questions about why any of us are doing this). The only question is how long before their ancient stars begin to decline? Can they win 70 games again first?