Post your top 5-10 teams for next season, in order I'm thinking: Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Blazers, Nets, Celtics
Lakers, Spurs, Kings, Magic, Pistons, Bulls, Celtics, Nets, and Mavericks on that order surprising to me too
Kings Spurs Lakers Mavs Blazers Nets Bucks Wolves Rockets Raptors Couple of notes: since the power rankings I assume are for the start of the regular season, the Lakers are never a dominant team in the regular season. The Kings were better in the regular season this year, and there's no real reason for that to change. (They were better in the playoffs too, but I think we've had enough threads on that ) The Spurs and Lakers could go either way (they were tied this year) but at least in the regular season the edge has to go to SA. This year, they had six new players, a hurt David Robinson, and still managed to tie the Lakers in overall record. If they're relatively healthy, they have a leg up. The Rockets may seem high here, but if they're healthy with Mo Taylor, a bulked up Eddie Griffin, and Yao Ming up front, there's no reason they can't eclipse the Sonics and Jazz. I'd guess that many will put the Mavs at the top, but I still think that's a little high with the current rosters. There's not that much more that they can grow from within... they absolutely must have a defensive intimidator and banger in the low post. Before they approach the Kings, they still have to knock off the Spurs in the Midwest, something they haven't been able to do the last two years... The East again is weak, but I still think the Bucks make a return to the top of the conference. This year was a little bit of a fluke, as most people know. Yeah, they did choke, but they're not THAT bad as their record in the final weeks indicated. Just like positive chemistry can make you unbeatable, if it is negative it can make it a struggle just to play the games. That's what it looked like for the Bucks. I doubt it happens again, and they have too much talent not to win a lot of games in a weak conference. Same for the Raptors, if Vince Carter stays healthy.
Sacramento LA Lakers Dallas San Antonio Orlando New Orleans Boston Minnesota New Jersey Philadelphia The west will dominate the top again, at least during the regular season, but the East will have many of the teams right behind it....the West isn't nearly as deep past the top 4 as the East is really 1-6 or 1-8.
