NBA Power Rankings: Top 10 Teams Post NBA Draft
With the NBA Draft complete, let's take a look at teams who are looking good for next season. Although free agency has just begun many teams are much stronger and formidable after last weeks NBA Draft.
What teams took the next step and what teams hurt their chances for next season. Also, could anyone pass the defending champion Miami Heat on our list?
Here is a power-ranking of the top 10 teams in the league after last week's NBA Draft.
No. 10: Memphis Grizzlies
1 of 10The Memphis Grizzlies used 25th overall pick to select Tony Wroten Jr. Wroten, a point guard from Washington, provides the Grizzlies the backup point guard they have always needed and he will provide a tremendous contribution off the bench for the Memphis squad.
The biggest issue however for Memphis, is free-agent O.J. Mayo. The Grizzlies are not a likely landing spot for Mayo and the Grizzlies have already made a two year, $5 million offer to Ray Allen. If the Grizzlies cannot sign Mayo, their bench scoring would be vitally diminished, turning something of a strength for Memphis in 2011-12 to a weakness next season.
If the Grizzlies can retain Mayo or even add a shooting guard to complement the bench, expect this team to rise on our list, allowing Memphis to become one of the top three teams in the Western Conference.
No. 9: Los Angeles Clippers
2 of 10With the addition of Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks and the, all but certain long-term deal for Blake Griffin, this Clippers team will be playoff bound for years to come.
The Clippers did not help themselves much in the draft—they did not have much to work with—and instead looked to improve their roster through free agency. The Clippers first-round pick was shipped to Boston and in the second round, the Clippers selected Furkan Aldemir No. 53 overall. Aldemir, from Turkey, was part of the package that brought Odom to Los Angeles.
The Clippers ended up with no draft picks in 2012 that will affect their roster but the team is very talented and ready to compete year after year for a playoff spot. The nucleus of Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul and Lamar Odom will be strong in 2012 and will make the Los Angeles Clippers a dangerous top 10 team next season.
No. 8: Indiana Pacers
3 of 10The Indiana Pacers exceeded expectations last season and reached the second round of the playoffs before losing to the juggernaut Miami Heat in six games. Indiana showed that it will continue to compete in the Eastern Conference for years to come with a complete, balanced roster that showcases no major holes.
In the draft, the Pacers used the their only pick, No. 26 overall, to select center Miles Plumlee. Plumlee will not drastically affect this team right away but will add depth and stability to the interior for the Pacers bench featuring Kyle Fesenko and Lou Amundson.
The series against the Miami Heat taught us that Indiana has no super stars to carry its offense and without them, this team will be destined for third and fourth place finishes in the Eastern Conference for years to come. Expect this team to be in the playoffs for the foreseeable future but not in the NBA Finals with this current roster.
The Pacers have talent at every position but lack the one key scorer to take this team over the playoff hump and if the Pacers want to remain in our top 10 they must retain restricted free-agent center Roy Hibbert, who has reached a verbal agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers.
No. 7: Philadelphia 76ers
4 of 10With the No. 15 pick in the 2012 draft, the Philadelphia 76ers added another quick, young prospect in Moe Harkless. Harkless is an athletic forward who will be a physical presence that will fit in great with the young and talented 76ers squad.
In the second round, the Sixers made a tremendous trade with the Miami Heat acquiring Arnett Moultrie (No. 27 pick) and a future first-round pick for Justin Hamilton (No. 45 pick). Moutlrie will be able to compete for a starting spot right away against Elton Brand by adding much needed frontcourt scoring.
The 76ers did a great job of adding players who will make an immediate impact right away, something this team needs. In the third season under Doug Collins, the 76ers will be an even better squad poised to make another deep playoff run next season.
No. 6: Boston Celtics
5 of 10The Boston Celtics did a tremendous job of improving their roster in the 2012 NBA Draft. It began with the selection of the highly-talented Jared Sullinger at No. 21 overall followed by the selection of the athletic specimen Fab Melo at No. 22.
The Celtics solidified their frontcourt with these picks and added some much needed depth to one of the worst benches in the league statistically last season. Sullinger and Melo will complement Jeff Green and Kevin Garnet next season, turning a position of weakness for the Celtics into a position of strength.
The 2012 Celtics will continue to be a dangerous playoff contender, with or without Ray Allen, due to the rise of Avery Bradley. Bradley actually started over Allen during the playoffs and provided quality minutes during the postseason.
Thanks in part to the work of Danny Ainge in the draft, expect the Celtics to compete once again for a trip to the NBA Finals.
No. 5: Los Angeles Lakers
6 of 10Arguably the largest front court in the NBA got even bigger with the addition of Robert Sacre at No. 60 overall.
The 7', 260-pound Sacre will add size and strength to the bench for the Lakers that relied on Jordan Hill to burden much of the load off the bench down low. Sacre will make an immediate impact for the Lakers off the bench adding size to the already formidable duo of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
Regardless of this year's draft, the play of Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant will make or break the Lakers in 2012. If Kobe and Bynum can continue their tremendous play from last season, the Lakers will once again be one of the favorites in the Western Conference.
No. 4: San Antonio Spurs
7 of 10The Spurs play a perfect brand of team basketball and this year's draft pick, Marcus Denmon, will fit in quite well in San Antonio.
Denmon, the 59th overall selection, will make a big contribution right away and is also a smart player who understands the ins and outs of basketball after playing four years at Missouri. The Spurs struck gold with their only pick in the draft by adding another solid piece to a balanced and strong roster.
The Spurs have no major weaknesses on their roster and will once again be at the top of the Western Conference. Denmon may not start for this team, but he has the skill to make an immediate impact off the bench for one of the deepest teams in basketball.
No. 3: Chicago Bulls
8 of 10The Chicago Bulls got some great insurance for point guard Derrick Rose with the selection of Marquis Teague at No. 29 overall. Teague is a raw point guard out of Kentucky who will add speed, quickness and aggressiveness off the bench for Chicago next season.
The Bulls still need to add scoring from the 2-guard position and now must look through free agency to improve this facet of their team. Expect the Chicago Bulls, with Rose coming back healthy mid way through the season combined with the solid defensive scheme under coach Tom Thibodeau to compete for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference once again.
No. 2: Oklahoma City Thunder
9 of 10The Oklahoma City Thunder did an excellent job of drafting the best talent on the board with the selection of Perry Jones III. Jones is a low risk, high reward player who will fit quite well off the bench for the young but dangerous Thunder.
Jones and Serge Ibaka will play very similar roles for this team making one of them very expendable to save cap money for free-agent James Harden. The Thunder reached the finals way earlier than expected and now, with the addition of Jones, are certainly the favorites to come out of the Western Conference.
With Durant and Westbrook signed to long-term deals, this Thunder team is set to dominate the West for years to come as the most athletic roster in the league.
No. 1: Miami Heat
10 of 10The Miami Heat traded back from the No. 27 overall to draft Justin Hamilton with the No. 45 overall pick.
Hamilton will be a serviceable center for the Heat, who featured Juan Howard, Ronny Turiaf and Udonis Haslem down low last season. Hamilton might actually start for this team as the season progresses and can fill a position of need for the Heat who need a quality big man to battle the best centers in the league.
The fact remains, however, that the Heat live and die with the big three. Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have the Heat primed to win the Eastern Conference and possibly the first back-to-back titles since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
