NBA Power Rankings: How Every Team Stacks Up at 2014 Training Camp
What's a grain of salt worth in the NBA?
That question is typically and most accurately answered during the preseason, wherein the vast majority of the results are best taken with that tiniest pinch of sodium chloride. The injuries are real, but final scores and statistics from the games don't mean anything now and will stand for even less once the regular season gets underway on Oct. 28.
This isn't to say that most of October should simply be ignored. There's still something to be gained from seeing how old faces are faring in new places, how incumbents are getting along with new teammates and coaches, how healthy last year's injured are and what's becoming of this year's hyped rookie class.
In truth, though, there's very little about which anyone need fret for now, unless there's a pressing need to empty a saltshaker. With that in mind, let's do a quick accounting of where all 30 teams stand in relation to one another, keeping in mind that these rankings will be subject to a shake-up once the actual games begin.
30. Philadelphia 76ers
1 of 30
Growing pains will once again be the name of the game for the Philadelphia 76ers this season—perhaps even more so than last, now that Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes have all skipped town.
The term applies both literally and figuratively to Philly. Michael Carter-Williams, the reigning Rookie of the Year, is still working his way back from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. Joel Embiid, the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, might see his first pro campaign go the way of Nerlens Noel's on account of a broken foot.
As for Noel himself, his physical pain has subsided in the year and a half since he tore his ACL as a freshman at Kentucky. He's still rail thin—no surprise for a 6'11" 20-year-old—but it's the mental aspect of the pro game that could give Noel the most trouble in 2014-15.
"I just have to learn the game the way the NBA plays," Noel said after a recent Sixers practice (via CSNPhilly.com's Dei Lynam). "I watched all last season, but now that I am in it I have to adjust to the physicality and get back to the principles I need to play with."
The sooner Noel acclimates himself to the NBA, the sooner the Sixers can start looking like an actual basketball team again.
29. Orlando Magic
2 of 30
If tanking is at all part of the modus operandi in central Florida, then the Orlando Magic are off to a flying start. They've already lost Victor Oladipo and Channing Frye to MCL injuries and are carefully monitoring Willie Green's hyperextended left knee.
Not that the Magic are panicking. They weren't exactly slated to so much as sniff the postseason in 2015, even with their full complement of players. If there's any silver lining to be found among these preseason clouds, it's the opportunities that the absences of Oladipo and Frye open up for the likes of Tobias Harris, Evan Fournier and rookie Elfrid Payton.
"It gives an opportunity to make sure that other guys are understanding how to play and how we want to play," head coach Jacque Vaughn said (via The Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins). "It’s not ideal. We’d love to have all 15 guys ready to rock-and-roll and participating and learning each other, but that’s not where we are."
28. Boston Celtics
3 of 30
Speaking of injuries, Rajon Rondo's absence hasn't stopped the Boston Celtics from showing out thus far. They've won their first two (admittedly meaningless) games of the preseason by 20 points apiece, including a 106-86 smacking of the New York Knicks.
Granted, that result is more likely to reverse than hold steady once the regular season begins, especially if Rondo is either out on account of health or on his way to another team via trade. But the C's have to be pleased with what they've seen to this point, especially from young guys like Jared Sullinger, who popped off for 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting at the Knicks' expense.
27. Utah Jazz
4 of 30Regardless of how the 2014-15 campaign turns out, the Utah Jazz can count themselves as preseason winners—and not just because they beat the Portland Trail Blazers.
Prior to their exhibition opener, the Jazz signed J.P. Gibson, a five-year-old battling leukemia, to a one-day contract to participate in the team's preseason scrimmage at EnergySolutions Arena. Gibson got to warm up with the players, hang out with them on the bench and take the court during the scrimmage, all while wearing a custom-made uniform. The little guy even got to throw down a dunk, with an assist from Rudy Gobert.
Nothing like a moment of hope and inspiration to put things in perspective ahead of what could be a tough season in Salt Lake City.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
5 of 30
New season, same old injury bug for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their preseason began with Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Martin and newcomers Mo Williams and Anthony Bennett all held out of the T-Wolves' 103-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
On the bright side, that afforded Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng ample opportunity to strut their stuff at Indy's expense. The No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft dropped a game-high 18 points, fueled by 10 trips to the free-throw line in his 32 minutes. Dieng, on the other hand, turned in a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) with two blocks in 29 minutes.
Those two figure to be key to Minny's long-term outlook, to say the least. But if the T-Wolves are going to end their playoff drought before it extends much longer past its current decade, they'll need to find a way to keep everyone, those two included, healthy and productive.
25. Milwaukee Bucks
6 of 30
The Brandon Knight-Giannis Antetokounmpo point guard experiment has begun in earnest for the Milwaukee Bucks. Those two combined for 19 points and 11 assists in 59 minutes during the Bucks' preseason-opening victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Antetokounmpo, though, was far more reliable with the ball; he was to blame for just one turnover, compared to five for Knight.
To be sure, it'll take much more than a single meaningless exhibition to determine the future of the Bucks backcourt. And Antetokounmpo, for all of his obvious upside, is still incredibly raw and nearly two months shy of his 20th birthday.
But if all goes according to plan, Antetokounmpo could end up supplanting Jared Dudley as Milwaukee's other guard spot and, perhaps, siphoning off a considerable share of Knight's current on-ball duties therein.
24. Sacramento Kings
7 of 30
Nik Stauskas isn't any different from his fellow rookies. Like any first-year player, he has a lot to learn about how to handle himself as a pro.
Lesson No. 1: Don't flaunt your money to the public unless you're looking for trouble. DeMarcus Cousins, Stauskas' teammate with the Sacramento Kings, caught him in the act of flashing bills for the camera during the squad's flight to China. Safety concerns aside, showing off Benjamins like that is, in a word, tacky.
Lesson No. 2: Watch your words. Stauskas evidently didn't do that after the Kings' preseason loss to the Toronto Raptors. "I understand that I'm a rookie and I'm white, so people are going to attack me at all times," the Michigan product said (via ESPN's James Ham). "Just coming out there in the game, I felt it right away."
Stauskas has since attempted to clarify his comments, albeit without apologizing or running from them.
In any case, perhaps Stauskas could use a talking to from one of Sacramento's veterans, if only to ensure that his promising basketball career doesn't fall victim to any off-court blunders.
23. Los Angeles Lakers
8 of 30
The Los Angeles Lakers' preseason-opening victory against the Denver Nuggets, 98-95, gave their fans cause to believe their team might not be so terrible after all.
Sure, the result was encouraging, as were the performances of Steve Nash and rookie Julius Randle. But the night itself belonged to Kobe Bryant, whose modest line (13 points on 5-of-12 shooting, five assists in 21 minutes) belied the marvel of seeing the Mamba healthy and in action again.
As Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding wrote, seeing Bryant perform some of his patented tricks, albeit without the same lift or any real consequences attached the game, means plenty when considering the complete context within which it occurred:
"On just about any other night of his career, this would've been an utterly forgettable preseason outing.
But this is the start of Year 19, tying John Stockton in all-time longevity with a single NBA team—ahead of Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller and Karl Malone at 18 and Dirk Nowitzki and Hakeem Olajuwon at 17.
"
Above all else, Bryant, at 36, is aiming to improve his place in basketball history. Keeping the lackluster Lakers afloat might not seem like much of an accomplishment, particularly when juxtaposed with the rest of Bryant's resume. But returning the team to relevance would mean everything to his legacy as, perhaps, the greatest Laker of all time.
22. Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
Stan Van Gundy arrived at his first Detroit Pistons training camp with at least one clear goal in mind: unclogging a frontcourt crowded by the talented trio of Josh Smith, Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe.
His solution? Bring Monroe off the bench.
At least, that's what his answer appeared to be during the Pistons' preseason win over the Chicago Bulls. Monroe bullied the Bulls for 24 points (on 9-of-14 shooting), nine rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes as a reserve.
Basketball-wise, Monroe leading the second unit makes plenty of sense. He's a solid low-post scorer who can draw double teams and serve as the fulcrum of an offense. Bringing Monroe off the bench grants him the freedom to do what he does best while allowing Smith and Drummond to move across a less-crowded court without him.
Monroe as a super sub also works well in a business sense, as The Score's Blake Murphy explains:
"It's possible Van Gundy will experiment with different pairings throughout the preseason, but Monroe coming off the bench makes the most sense in terms of investment. Smith is under contract for three years and $40.5 million, Drummond still has two seasons before restricted free agency and Monroe is playing out the season on a one-year qualifying offer ahead of unrestricted free agency this summer.
"
The Pistons might as well make the most of Monroe while he's still in their employ. Van Gundy's gambit would seem a smart way to do just that.
21. New York Knicks
10 of 30
The New York Knicks appear to have an ace in the hole for their pursuit of a playoff berth, and his name is...D.J. Mbenga?
Not really, though his prior experience playing for Phil Jackson in L.A. may (or may not) be of use to the Knicks.
That ace, rather, could be Amar'e Stoudemire. The oft-injured forward says he's feeling far better than he did last season, when he averaged 11.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes across 65 games.
"Obviously to reach back to my dominant self, I feel like I'm there now," Stoudemire said (via ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk). "I feel like my body is feeling so much stronger [than last year at this time] so I feel dominant."
And just in the nick of time, too. Stoudemire's entering the final year of his disastrous $100 million deal. That should be motivation enough for the 31-year-old former All-Star to showcase his remaining skills within the confines of the triangle offense for a squad that could surprise people once it adjusts to life under Derek Fisher and the Zen Master.
20. Indiana Pacers
11 of 30
The Indiana Pacers may be screwed as far as 2014-15 is concerned, what with Paul George recovering from a gruesome leg injury and Lance Stephenson taking his talents to Charlotte. But they're not about to let their head coach take the fall for circumstances far beyond his control.
The Pacers announced on Wednesday that head coach Frank Vogel signed a multi-year extension to stay in Indianapolis, and good on them for it. The 41-year-old has guided the Pacers to four straight playoff berths, including consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals. The last thing this frazzled franchise needed to do was leave its diligent coach out to dry.
Now comes the hard part: figuring out how the Pacers can compete in the East without their two best perimeter players. A more extreme shift of responsibilities toward the frontcourt pairing of Roy Hibbert and David West seems like a logical choice. If Vogel can coax some solid production out of George Hill and Indiana's smorgasbord of swingmen, though, Hibbert and West might not have to shoulder quite so much to keep the Pacers afloat.
19. Denver Nuggets
12 of 30
The Denver Nuggets may not be on the march, but at least they're on the mend. According to CBS Sports' Matt Moore, Danilo Gallinari, Nate Robinson and J.J. Hickson should all be back in action by opening night, with JaVale McGee to follow.
There's no telling, though, how effective any of those four will be at the outset. Each missed significant time in 2013-14—in Gallinari's case, the entire season—while dealing with a leg injury of some sort.
It would be wise, then, to temper any playoff expectations for the Nuggets until these guys are not only back in action but performing up to par in Brian Shaw's system.
18. Atlanta Hawks
13 of 30
As with the Nuggets, any immediate predictions pertaining to the Atlanta Hawks should take into account the current health of its roster, specifically Al Horford. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore, the All-Star big man has returned to participating in five-on-five contact scrimmages—a huge step forward for a guy who's coming off his second season-ending pectoral injury in three years.
Having Horford back in the lineup for live game action will be huge for the Hawks. In the estimation of Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal, Horford's on-court impact merits his consideration as a "hidden superstar."
But until Horford's actually laced up his shoes and played some NBA ball, it's too early to presume that the Hawks will be anything more than a fringe playoff team in the East.
17. Charlotte Hornets
14 of 30
In other injury news, Charlotte Hornets rookie Noah Vonleh should soon be cleared for full contact in practice after undergoing sports hernia surgery during the summer, per The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell.
Not that the Hornets were counting on Vonleh to fill a vital role or anything. The 19-year-old Massachusetts native is still incredibly raw but should have ample time to develop behind the likes of Marvin Williams and former lottery pick Cody Zeller at power forward.
So long as Charlotte gets passable production out of that spot, it should be in a good position to build on last season's success. Al Jefferson's healthy, Kemba Walker's a year wiser, Lance Stephenson brings his blend of playmaking and unpredictability to the mix, and the team as a whole should be more comfortable in year two under head coach Steve Clifford.
16. Brooklyn Nets
15 of 30
The Brooklyn Nets may well have taken two steps forward this summer, with Brook Lopez returning from a foot injury and Lionel Hollins taking over for Jason Kidd on the sideline. But the loss of Paul Pierce to the Washington Wizards leaves the Nets at least one considerable step behind where they might've otherwise been had they re-signed him.
Pierce told NBA.com's David Aldridge that the Nets, during their talks with him in free agency, didn't view themselves as contenders. Nets general manager Billy King refuted that assertion, telling the New York Post's Tim Bontemps, "Our goal is to still to try to win a championship. We’re not taking steps back or anything like that. We’re trying to build a team we think can win."
They just might be able to maintain, if not build on, last season's pace. Hollins is experienced in the ways of running teams with size that Kidd wasn't, and the likes of Alan Anderson, Andrei Kirilenko and rookie Bojan Bogdanovic may well prove passable replacements for Pierce on the wing.
Still, rare is the occasion when a team actually improves after replacing a future Hall of Famer, even one who'd spent his entire career prior to that in a different uniform.
15. New Orleans Pelicans
16 of 30
The news around the New Orleans Pelicans is (mostly) positive these days.
Eric Gordon had himself a solid training camp and has looked good in the Pelicans' two most recent preseason games. Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson are both back in action, and Tyreke Evans is on the mend, per NOLA.com's Nakia Hogan. As for Anthony Davis, he should be ready to dominate after another successful summer stint with Team USA.
If those five can stay healthy together for an extended period of time, the Pelicans might be able to make some surprising noise in the Western Conference—even more so with the addition of Omer Asik. But, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, fragile is as fragile does. New Orleans' core will have to prove that it can avoid a disruptive injury before the team can be comfortably counted on to compete for a playoff spot.
14. Phoenix Suns
17 of 30
Skepticism of the Phoenix Suns' playoff hopes isn't limited to bloggers and erstwhile outsiders. Just ask Amin Elhassan, a Phoenix native and former Suns staffer.
During a recent appearance on Zach Lowe's "The Lowe Post" podcast, Elhassan pointed to Channing Frye's departure as cause for consternation in the Valley of the Sun. In short, Frye's combination of size and shooting touch were crucial to the Suns' success on both ends of the floor, particularly as a pick-and-pop partner for Goran Dragic.
The numbers certainly support Elhassan's assertions. According to NBA.com, the Suns were 6.5 points per 100 possessions better with Frye on the floor than they were without him last season.
It's all well and good that Phoenix now has three starting-caliber point guards on its roster, but unless the Suns can find someone (i.e. Markieff Morris) to assume Frye's role or rejigger their system, the 2014-15 season may not feature the sort of growth that fans in Arizona would otherwise expect.
13. Miami Heat
18 of 30
The Miami Heat won't have to wait long for their first awkward encounter with an old friend-turned-foe. They'll see plenty of LeBron James on Saturday when they face his Cleveland Cavaliers in Rio de Janeiro.
Chris Bosh, who initially suggested that he hadn't spoken with James of late, has since clarified the cause of his lack of communication with his former teammate. "I want people to understand I'm a competitor and he's on the other team, and I think he'd understand that and I understand that and that's how it is now," Bosh said (via The Miami Herald's Joseph Goodman). "There's no hard feelings or anything if we're both trying to win; he's against us and that's a matter of fact."
But as ESPN's Brian Windhorst notes, there might still be some hard feelings in the Heat locker room regarding James' departure, which is to be expected:
"The remaining Heat players are hurt that James left them for a younger super-team model in Cleveland. They can talk about how last season wasn't all that fun, as Wade told Bleacher Report recently, and how the Heat are reinvigorated and all that. They can sell the passive-aggressive "Heat Lifer" T-shirts in the lobby in the space where James' jerseys once stood all they want. They're still getting over it. And who can blame them?
"
12. Toronto Raptors
19 of 30
In case anyone was wondering, the Toronto Raptors have no plans to trade Kyle Lowry, per the Toronto Sun's Mike Ganter.
That shouldn't come as any surprise, of course. The Raptors just re-signed Lowry to a four-year, $48 million deal that should look like a bargain under the NBA's exploding salary cap.
More importantly, Lowry was the key catalyst behind Toronto's return to the playoffs by way of an Atlantic Division crown last season. The Philadelphia native was arguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 assists but falling short of his first All-Star selection.
There's no way the Raptors would sell off the heart and soul of their squad. Then again, according to the report, general manager Masai Ujiri wasn't addressing any particular concerns when he said of Lowry, "I'm not trading him."
Surely, the Raptors wouldn't have any hope of building on last season's success without Lowry, their fearless leader, in command.
11. Washington Wizards
20 of 30The Washington Wizards will be up against it when they open the regular season opposite the Miami Heat on Oct. 29. The NBA slapped four Washington players—Nene, DeJuan Blair, Daniel Orton and Xavier Silas—with one-game suspensions for leaving the bench during a recent on-court altercation between Paul Pierce and Chicago's Joakim Noah.
To be sure, none of that is as bad as it sounds. Orton and Silas would be lucky to make the regular-season roster, much less play a minute in a meaningful game. As for Pierce and Noah, they were fined $15,000 apiece for what amounted to a shouting-and-light-shoving match devoid of any concerning fisticuffs.
And, well, the Heat aren't exactly loaded up front.
Still, Nene and Blair are both crucial cogs in Washington's frontcourt. Don't be surprised, then, if the Wizards' bid for a perfect season falls flat before the calendar flips to November.
10. Dallas Mavericks
21 of 30
There were no such fireworks between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets in their preseason meeting, despite a burgeoning rivalry between the two—as described in vivid detail by ESPN's Marc Stein.
Of greater concern was (and still is) the health of Dirk Nowitzki. The giant German missed the Mavs' first exhibition with a right hip contusion and will likely sit out Friday's tilt with the Oklahoma City Thunder as well.
"He’s making steady progress," said head coach Rick Carlisle (via ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon). "Didn’t do any live practice today, but he did some shooting and he’s doing some work up in the weight room and in the training room. It’s going the right direction."
The Mavs had better hope so. They fell out of the Western Conference playoff picture in 2012-13, due in part to Nowitzki's early-season knee troubles, and needed all they could squeeze out of him just to squeak their way into the most recent postseason. Any setbacks on Nowitzki's part could very well imperil Dallas' hopes of playing past mid-April, much less contending for a title in May and June.
9. Houston Rockets
22 of 30
Maybe the Houston Rockets shouldn't be sad to see Chandler Parsons go after all.
Sure, there's a lot to like about the soon-to-be 26-year-old: his outside shot, his ball-handling ability, his passing, his clothing endorsements, his connection to the Kardashian clan...
OK, so maybe not all of those things are so likable. Neither are Parsons' comments about downtown Houston being boring and dirty.
But the Rockets needn't concern themselves with Parsons any longer anyway. He's no longer with them, and, moreover, his replacement might actually be a better fit. Trevor Ariza, though streaky, ranks among the league's best "3-and-D" role players, with the ability to cover for James Harden's defensive mistakes on the perimeter.
8. Portland Trail Blazers
23 of 30
The Portland Trail Blazers seem convinced that Meyers Leonard could be an important part of their future. To some extent, they should be convinced, seeing as how they spent a lottery pick (11th overall in 2012) on him.
Their goal? To turn Leonard into the sort of stretch 4 they've failed to lure to the Pacific Northwest of late.
"He's a very good perimeter jump shooter," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said (via The Oregonian's Joe Freeman). "He hasn't shown it in NBA games, but he does have three-point range. He shoots mid-range jump shots with confidence. It's just transferring that over from drills and practice into games. It's just a matter of him getting used to being put in that position and delivering."
Whether he gets that opportunity is another story. He's already stuck behind LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez up front and will have to compete with Joel Freeland, Thomas Robinson and Chris Kaman for the remaining minutes.
And Kaman, for one, isn't the sort with whom you'd want to pick a fight, even if you're 7'1" like Leonard.
7. Golden State Warriors
24 of 30
The Golden State Warriors just might find themselves better off with Steve Kerr taking over for Mark Jackson as the team's head coach.
Say what you will about the importance (or lack thereof) of a preseason game, but the Dubs looked sharp during their 112-94 evisceration of the Los Angeles Clippers. The same measure of defense, rebounding and toughness that Jackson spent so much time and effort instilling in Golden State was still there.
Better yet, the Warriors actually moved the ball on offense. No longer were they settling for stagnant isolations and repetitive exploitations of matchups.
That shift in philosophy could prove to be the key to unlocking Golden State's true potential, especially with so much shooting and all-around skill up and down the roster.
6. Memphis Grizzlies
25 of 30
Basketball Twitter was aflutter with sorrow and regret on Thursday with the news, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, that Michael Beasley would be leaving Memphis Grizzlies training camp to pursue a future in China.
Beasley's next employer? The Shanghai Sharks, a Chinese Basketball Association team owned and operated by Yao Ming.
In many ways, Beasley seems like the perfect fit for the CBA. Like a number of those former NBAers who blazed the trail to China, Beasley's a bit of an eccentric, with a penchant for boneheaded play on the court and even more boneheaded play off of it.
But Stephon Marbury, Gilbert Arenas, Tracy McGrady and players of their ilk were all well past their respective primes when they took their talents to the Far East. Beasley, on the other hand, is still three months shy of his 26th birthday.
Stay tuned to see how Beasley fares in a land far different from the one he's leaving behind.
5. Chicago Bulls
26 of 30
The Cleveland Cavaliers aside, the Chicago Bulls are probably the most watch-worthy spectacle of this year's NBA preseason.
Derrick Rose's next attempt at a successful return from injury would be enough to capture the attention of the basketball world. He looked a lot like his old self during the first half of Chicago's exhibition opener against Washington, scoring 11 points and getting to the rim at will.
There's been plenty of intrigue beyond Rose, though, particularly with the Bulls' fantastic front line. Among the newcomers, Pau Gasol has looked like a significant upgrade over Carlos Boozer, with whom he essentially swapped places this summer. Nikola Mirotic, Chicago's stretch 4 from another shore, showed off his perimeter stroke with a trio of treys against the Wizards.
As for the holdovers, Joakim Noah is still working his way back from offseason knee surgery. But his attitude and willingness to mix it up are still in great shape, as Paul Pierce can surely attest from a preseason confrontation between the two old foes.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
27 of 30
You can exhale now, Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Kyrie Irving's preseason ankle injury looks to be a mild one.
The reigning All-Star MVP hurt his ankle during practice earlier this week during a chance collision with Anderson Varejao. "LeBron saw me then Andy saw Bron's eyes, so we went to the same position," Irving said in describing the play (via ESPN's Brian Windhorst). "I was looking dead at LeBron, I don't know what Andy was doing. No, I'm joking, it was just a freaky play that happened."
Irving is expected to miss the Cavs' exhibition against the Miami Heat in Rio de Janeiro this weekend, though it sounds more like a precautionary measure than anything else. That should afford LeBron James ample opportunity to go toe-to-toe with his old teammates—most notably Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh—in what amounts to a meaningless, glorified scrimmage.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
28 of 30
The Los Angeles Clippers aren't exactly off to a flying start this preseason. They returned from a week of training in Las Vegas to get blown out at home by the Golden State Warriors and saw their open scrimmage at USC the very next day cut short on account of lackluster effort and energy.
Chances are these concerns will dissipate considerably once the regular season starts and the games actually mean something. Still, it's not exactly a good sign for a team with championship aspirations to come out on as flat a foot as the Clippers have thus far.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
29 of 30
The news concerning the Oklahoma City Thunder hasn't been all that peachy, either.
The team announced on Thursday that rookie Mitch McGary would miss the next six weeks while recovering from a broken bone in his left foot. McGary, the 21st pick in the 2014 NBA draft, racked up 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals while starting for Serge Ibaka, who's been dealing with an ankle injury of his own, in the exhibition opener.
Ibaka was joined on the bench by Nick Collison, who had a bum ankle, and Kendrick Perkins, whose quad kept him out of action.
Gone from the starting lineup, too, was Reggie Jackson, though not for health reasons. The Boston College product came off the bench while second-year swingman Andre Roberson assumed Thabo Sefolosha's former role as OKC's designated "3-and-D" guy.
All of which is to say there's plenty of cause for curiosity in the Thunder's camp right now.
1. San Antonio Spurs
30 of 30
Apparently, the West's best are all feeling funky to start the preseason—and not in a good way. The San Antonio Spurs began their post-title march with a buzzer-beating loss to Alba Berlin in Germany.
This, after Danny Green's regrettable misstep on Instagram—not that the two blunders are in any way related.
That being said, the Spurs would appear to be a work in progress, even though they've returned intact from last season, when they led the NBA in wins (62) before storming their way to and through the Finals.
Perhaps head coach Gregg Popovich's snark about taking a break will prove prescient after all (via Berlin sportswriter Jakub Wojczynski): "Popovich: I wish I got fired, so I could take one year off."
What do you think of my rankings? Tweet me your thoughts!
