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To say the NBA is too predictable is to ignore the fluid nature of its hierarchy.
Sure, the Golden State Warriors have sat atop the totem pole for most of the last four seasons. But the amount of movement behind them is enough to make anyone feel dizzy.
We’re here to focus on the most exciting kind of that movement—the rise. After laying out our preseason power rankings, we’ll highlight three teams trending up for the 2018-19 season.
2018 NBA Preseason Power Rankings
1. Golden State Warriors
2. Boston Celtics
3. Houston Rockets
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Philadelphia 76ers
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Utah Jazz
8. Indiana Pacers
9. Los Angeles Lakers
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Denver Nuggets
12. New Orleans Pelicans
13. Portland Trail Blazers
14. Washington Wizards
15. San Antonio Spurs
16. Miami Heat
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
18. Detroit Pistons
19. Memphis Grizzlies
20. Dallas Mavericks
21. Los Angeles Clippers
22. Charlotte Hornets
23. Chicago Bulls
24. Brooklyn Nets
25. Cleveland Cavaliers
26. Phoenix Suns
27. New York Knicks
28. Orlando Magic
29. Sacramento Kings
30. Atlanta Hawks
On The Rise
Toronto Raptors at No. 4
While the Raptors probably spent most of last season hovering around the fourth spot, this distinction feels different.
There were legitimate worries about that group’s ability to carry over its regular-season success into the playoffs. Previous postseason stumbles and the lack of a top-10 superstar both opened the team to skepticism, and the doubters seem justified when Toronto was swept out of the second round.
But the offseason addition of Kawhi Leonard potentially changes everything. If he’s all the way healthy and bought in, he might be the best two-way player in basketball. He has two Defensive Player of the Year awards, along with two seasons of averaging at least 21 points on 48-plus percent shooting.
The excitement of his preseason debut was rightfully palpable.
NBA @NBA
Kawhi Leonard tallies 12 PTS in his @Raptors #NBAPreseason debut, helping TOR pick up the victory in Vancouver! https://t.co/BPa6I5aXJM
If the Raptors have their top-shelf star now, the rest of this roster looks ready to contend. They were the only team with top-five efficiency ranks on offense (third) and defense (fifth) last season. They’re also poised to enjoy the benefits of internal development, as up-and-comers like OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet become more polished.
Indiana Pacers at No. 8
Unexpected success isn’t guaranteed to sustain, especially when stats suggest a squad might have played a bit over its head. But credit the Pacers for actively fighting against regression by fortifying their ranks even further.
FiveThirtyEight’s Chris Herring opined they had the most underrated summer:
“In perfect Indiana fashion, the club didn’t do anything all that flashy. Tyreke Evans was likely a wanted man around the league, and I’m sure a handful of teams could have found nice fits for Doug McDermott and Kyle O’Quinn. But they all filled needs for this club, which was pretty damn good last season and didn’t lose anything of value this summer. If a handful of things break right, the Pacers could make some real noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs next year.”
Victor Oladipo is eyeing a second consecutive breakout season. Former lottery pick Myles Turner hasn’t made his leap yet and might be playing for his next contract. It’s hard to spot an obvious weakness on the two-deep depth chart, and some positions have three or more good options.
Things are looking up in the Circle City, which is a scary prospect, considering the Pacers were one win shy of bouncing the eventual 2018 Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers from the opening round.
Los Angeles Lakers at No. 9
Word of advice for any team hoping to climb the NBA ladder—try signing LeBron James.
OK, maybe that option isn’t available to everyone. But the select few who’ve done so have all launched up the standings almost immediately. That’ll be the same hope the Lakers have for James, who filled the box score during his preseason debut.
Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers
LeBron finished with 9 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists in 15 minutes of floor time in his first preseason game as a Laker. https://t.co/gdOuPSSNXm
The non-LeBron components of this roster might limit the length of its leap. There are a handful of encouraging prospects in the mix, but they’re still in the developmental phase of maturation. The veteran collection is big on experience and personality, but it might be problematically light on shooting and scoring.
That said, this was a 47-loss team last season. It might be a 47-win squad (or better) this time around. James might have more talent around him now than he did last season, when he made his eighth consecutive Finals appearance. Extending that streak may not be possible in the wild West, but enjoying a huge jump in the wins column certainly isn’t.
Statistics used courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.
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