NBA Power Rankings: Where does each team stand after 2019 offseason?
Tier 2 — “Need a Little Luck” Contenders
13% percent chance at championship. Los Angeles Lakers. 10. player. 20. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Projected (47-35)
Prior to DeMarcus Cousins’ ACL injury, the Lakers would likely have found themselves higher on this list, possibly even in the top-tier. Boogie brought a fourth dimension to the team and would have made the Lakers even more lethal. His injury hurts, but is not entirely catastrophic. Any team with LeBron and Anthony Davis could make a run at the title. But LA is reportedly looking into Dwight Howard to fill Boogie’s spot. We’ve tested this experiment before. This locker room is full of hot heads that may boil over long before they ever reach the playoffs.
Best move: Trading for Anthony Davis
Worst move: Building an explosive locker room chemistry
Pick Analysis. Projected (40-42). Indiana Pacers. 9. 100. Scouting Report. 67% percent chance at playoffs. player
The rest of the league seems to forget just how good the Pacers are when Victor Oladipo is on the court. Indiana was 25-11 with Vic last year before the injury. He’s expected to return sometimes in December or January, so plenty of time to shake off the rust before the playoffs. Despite losing Bogdanovic and a lot of role players like Collison, Young and Evans, his supporting cast may be even better this time around. Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb are all better than the role players they lost and should alleviate the burden on Oladipo’s shoulders.
Best move: Traded cash for Warren and three future draft picks
Worst move: Ignoring a shallow frontcourt rotation
Projected (51-31). 11% percent chance at championship. Golden State Warriors. player. 41. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 8
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Now the Warriors are just contenders for a title. Must be an awfully hard life to live. Even without Kevin Durant, without Andre Iguodala and without Klay Thompson, this team still finds a way to be scary. D’Angelo Russell will serve as a makeshift temporary Splash Brother while Draymond Green and Kevon Looney carry the defense. All Golden State needs to do is remain in the playoff picture until Klay Thompson returns, then it’s anyone’s game.
Best move: Pulling off the sign-and-trade for Russell
Worst move: Drafting Jordan Poole in the first round
player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 33% percent chance at playoffs. Portland Trail Blazers. Projected (40-42). 7. 34
Despite a major overhaul in their current roster construction, the Blazers might be much better because of it. Some seem to think that losing roster mainstays like Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless will mess with the team’s chemistry, but that just isn’t a likely scenario with the environment Damian Lillard and coach Terry Stotts have built. Hassan Whiteside is a very underrated addition and Portland will be expecting their young core to make big improvements this offseason. The Blazers should be reinvigorated heading into next season.
Best move: Trading for Hassan Whiteside
Worst move: Relying on Pau Gasol to play meaningful minutes (at first)
Utah Jazz. 6. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Projected (50-32). 2% percent chance at championship. 118
The Utah Jazz arguably had the best offseason in the NBA’s toughest division. They successfully bought low on Mike Conley and brought in another lead guard to play off Donovan Mitchell. Utah followed that move up by prying Bojan Bogdanovic away from Indiana to form an elite shooting duo next to Joe Ingles. Picking up pieces like Ed Davis, Jeff Green and Emmanuel Mudiay now give the Jazz some of the best depth in the league. The Jazz knocked their offseason out of the park and should be ready to compete, even without as much star power as other teams.
Best move: Trading for Mike Conley
Worst move: Not packaging their second-round picks to move up for Bol Bol