NBA Power Rankings: Rating Basketball's Most and Least Entertaining Teams
NBA power rankings are flawed.
They may tell which are the league’s hottest teams, but “hot” simply refers to how well those squads are winning at the moment. It doesn’t tell you if they’re keeping their fans from dozing off by halftime.
Not much is more painful to watch than boring basketball. But not much is more entertaining than basketball that’s one highlight-reel-worthy play after another.
On that note, here are the most and least entertaining teams in the NBA, regardless of how well they’re actually playing, as well as the current power rankings.
Most Entertaining
Led by MVP candidate Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have the fifth-highest scoring offense in the NBA. They also boast two perimeter scorers other than 'Melo who are capable of dropping 20-plus points on any given night in J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton.
But the most entertaining aspect of New York basketball is that the team launches more three-pointers than any team in the league. The Knicks attempt 29.3 shots from downtown a night, which is 2.2 more than the next-most three-point-crazed team, the Houston Rockets. The Knicks shoot an incredibly high percentage from beyond the arc as well at 40 percent, the third-highest efficiency in the NBA.
Lob City is without a doubt the most entertaining team in the NBA. The Chris Paul-to-Blake Griffin connection nearly makes as many SportsCenter appearances as Tim Tebow (that’s an incredible feat).
Griffin isn’t the only high-flyer on the Clips, though, as DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe can also put an opponent in a poster. And the quick-trigger Jamal Crawford is always one of the most explosive scoring sixth men in the league.
Led by CP3, arguably the NBA’s best point guard, Showtime is back in Los Angeles—just this time, it’s wearing red and blue instead of purple and gold.
Least Entertaining
Orlando is still finding a way to win basketball games without Dwight Howard, but it takes the meaning of “there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’” to a whole new level. The Magic are the least star-studded team in the NBA.
At least the Washington Wizards have John Wall and the New Orleans Hornets have Anthony Davis, etc. The Magic, who have the fourth-lowest scoring averaging in the league, are led by Aaron Afflalo and Glen Davis. It’s an entire roster of role players.
When Derrick Rose returns, Chicago will quickly skyrocket to being one of the most entertaining teams yet again. Until then, though, fans shouldn’t purchase Bulls tickets without also buying a Red Bull.
They score the fifth-least points in the NBA and take a disgustingly low amount of shots from downtown—12.6 per game. Only one player on their entire roster even averages over 15.0 points a contest: Luol Deng.
D-Rose, please, please come back.
NBA Power Rankings
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. New York Knicks
4. Miami Heat
10. Chicago Bulls
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
12. Houston Rockets
14. Milwaukee Bucks
15. Denver Nuggets
17. Boston Celtics
18. Utah Jazz
19. Brooklyn Nets
20. Orlando Magic
22. Dallas Mavericks
23. Toronto Raptors
24. Phoenix Suns
25. Detroit Pistons
26. Sacramento Kings
29. New Orleans Hornets
30. Washington Wizards
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
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