The 2013-2014 NBA season consists of many great teams, and many other subpar ones. There will be much contesting of each Conference’s 8 playoff spots, and more competition for the first pick of the Andrew Wiggins Lottery. Without further adieu, the Powerless Rankings.
1. Philadelphia 76ers.
I personally find it unbelievable that the Jrue Holiday trade was even made, but clearly Sam Hinkie is tired of being a middle-class team. I do see Jrue as a franchise cornerstone, a player to build around for years to come, but clearly the Sixers see different things, including currently injured Nerlens Noel, ex-Syracuse PG Michael Carter-Williams, Evan Turner, Thad Young, and the one and only Spencer Hawes. Personally, I wouldn’t want any of these men as the core of my team, and for goodness sakes, the Sixers had better draft and sign well this year, and hope the lottery balls come out the right way.
Record Projection: 10-72
2. . Utah Jazz.
Trey Burke will make himself a path in the NBA, the same way he did in college. But he will be out for a while, which does nothing for Utah at the moment. We shall see if Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors can fill their big potential, proving that allowing Al Jefferson to walk away was the right move. Best guess? They’ll be offensively below-average, but the defense will be may help them out. You’ll see Utah back in the bottom of the draft once again.
Record Projection: 20-62
3. Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks won’t exactly be a competitive team this year, and they certainly won’t be in the Playoffs as they were last year. Unless you feel that OJ Mayo has the greatest season he’s ever had, by far, then this team won’t really be a factor in most games they play.
Record Projection: 22-60
4. Phoenix Suns.
Big men with ankle injuries aren’t often consistently healthy after they’ve recovered. The fact that Alex Len is starting his career off with two ankle issues is not a good sign. But if health isn’t a concern to him throughout his career, he should develop into a highly above-average NBA center; a potentially elite one. He proved at Maryland that if he gets the ball, he will do good things with it. The breaking trade of Marcin Gortat, Kendall Marshall and Shannon Brown for Emeka Okafor and a draft pick won’t help, even with the addition of Eric Bledsoe.
Record Projection: 23-59
5. Orlando Magic.
Make no mistake, Victor Oladipo will be the rookie of the year. The amount of carrying the team he’ll have to do this year will be far more than any other rookie. I do like Nikola Vucevic, and while I see him having a breakout year this year, these two plus Aaron Afflalo won’t be enough to equal success for Orlando, at least this year. But add a top 5 pick to the equation, and a solid team could be formed.
Record Projection: 24-58
6. Boston Celtics.
I like Brad Stevens, and I think he’ll be in this business for a long time, but his Celtics will struggle this year. With Rajon Rondo as his star he has a stat-sheet-stuffer-supreme (hat tip Dick Vitale), and a legitimate top 5 PG, but he has no locker room leadership. Look for Kelly Olynyk and Jeff Green to have a good season, being fed by a great passing point guard in an offense with no real scoring threats.
Record Projecton: 27-55
7. Detroit Pistons.
Josh Smith as a small forward could prove disastrous, and the amount of shots that Smith and Brandon Jennings will end up taking could stunt the growth of franchise centerpieces Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. If Detroit ends up trading Monroe or letting him walk due to Josh Smith’s contract, they’ll recognize it as the reason the front office as a whole was dismantled a year or two from now. Smith as a power forward is a very good player, but as a 3, he will be detrimental.
Record Projection: 30-52
8. Atlanta Hawks.
Al Horford is a great big, and he is quite undervalued league wide. The addition of Paul Millsap is quite welcome. But the backcourt of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, with DeMarre Carrol at the three (!) is not good. Hopefully for the Hawks, the ball will be in the hands of the post players for the vast majority of the game.
Record Projection: 31-51
9. Charlotte Bobcats.
The best possible situation for Charlotte is to have the Lottery as a whole be destroyed and go to a draft like the NFL, one that makes sense, one that is purely based on record. That isn’t going to happen, at least this year. So the Cats, in a way, have to hope that the acquisition of stud Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller, going alongside an improved Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, and MKG, doesn’t result in a record outside the bottom 10, as that would result in the pick heading to the Windy City. But expect a much improved bunch to come out nightly for the teams’ last year before the return of purple and teal.
Record Projection: 34-48
10. Sacramento Kings.
Sacramento seems unable to produce winning basketball. This could easily be changed by one thing: A positive Demarcus Cousins. This man easily could be a top 3 center today if he went into every practice and game with a good, team-oriented attitude. Though the squad around him isn’t stellar, it isn’t undoable for Cousins to have a D12-esque year, and carry his team as Superman did the Magic. Not to the playoffs, but simply to relevance in a big free agent market.
Record Projection: 36-46
11. Dallas Mavericks.
Provided Dirk doesn’t resurrect 2011 form (he won’t), the Mavs are confined to allowing Monta Ellis running the show. This isn’t good news, as Ellis isn’t exactly known for good shot selection and smart, team ball. The age of this team will catch up to them, despite the good free agent signings of Jose Calderon, and Dejuan Blair.
Record Projection: 36-46
12. Toronto Raptors.
In a poor front office move, Rudy Gay was obtained from Memphis last season. The overrated, overpaid small forward isn’t a bad player, but he hurts the cap more than he helps the team, which most Memphis fans can attest to. The team itself isn’t bad at all, yet they’re not quite good enough to make the playoffs and not bad enough to get a top pick. This is nearly an identical place that Philly found themselves, and decided to trade out of.
Record Projection: 38-44
13. Cleveland Cavaliers.
This ranking is in large part due to the ineptitude of Andrew Bynum to stay healthy. When he is, he’s the best center in the NBA, but he hasn’t proved able to much. And neither has Kyrie Irving, which really bodes poorly for Cleveland. IF, and it’s a big if, Irving and Bynum could be healthy in more than 80% of games, this team could be a playoff team in the weak Eastern Conference. But the thing that would help Cleveland even more than a meeting with Lebron in the first round, is the return of Lebron next year.
Record Projection: 38-44
14. Denver Nuggets.
This ranking is more about the belief that Kobe Bryant is, in fact, Superman, more than it is that the Nuggets are a lottery team. The race for this spot will end up between Portland, Los Angeles and Denver, and with the Kobe Bryant that I’ve had the pleasure to watch all my life, I don’t often bet against the Lakers. The departure of Andre Iguodala doesn’t help, so superb play from underrated PG Ty Lawson and PF Kenneth Faried will be necessary to keep the Nuggets out of the lottery. In the end, the strong Western Conference will prove too much for the Nuggets.
Record Projection: 40-42
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