Fastbreak On FanNation's Final 2022-23 NBA Preseason Power Rankings
Christmas Day may be a couple months away, but for fans of basketball and the NBA, Christmas is on October 18 when the 2022-23 NBA season officially begins!
The Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors will all take the court this coming Tuesday, October 18, to open up what could very well be one of the most competitive seasons in league history.
There are so many talented players in the league today and when you look at all 30 teams in the league, it is not hard to point to at least one player and make a case for him being an All-Star-like talent.
The Eastern Conference is much improved from where it was a year ago and with some younger, athletic teams beginning to rise up in the Western Conference, there truly is no telling as to what we can expect to see over the next several months other than seeing high-level basketball being played each and every night!
Preseason power rankings truly do not mean anything in terms of determining which teams will succeed and which ones will struggle, but hey, it is a new season which means we have to rank all the teams in the NBA.
Without further ado, let’s dive right in and take a look at our final 2022-23 NBA Preseason Power Rankings:
No. 30: San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the league’s most successful and historic franchises, making the playoffs for 22 consecutive seasons from 1998-2019 and winning five championships in this span, but they have not made the postseason since 2019, their longest playoff drought in team history. This franchise is rebuilding right now and while they will likely finish near the bottom of the standings, the future is definitely bright for the Spurs given all of their youthful talent. Not to mention, ending up with the No. 1 pick and taking Victor Wembanyama first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft could immediately form the foundation of another dynasty in San Antonio for years to come.
No. 29: Charlotte Hornets
As if losing Miles Bridges this offseason was bad enough for the Charlotte Hornets, they will now be without All-Star guard LaMelo Ball for the start of the season due to a sprained left ankle. The biggest question surrounding the Hornets right now pertains to their offense and where exactly production will be coming from. P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward are going to have to step up for this team, but compared to the rest of the Eastern Conference, the Hornets are truly lacking the firepower they need to be a real threat.
No. 28: Oklahoma City Thunder
Entering the new season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a chance to be a “wild card” simply because they have potential. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could undoubtedly have an All-Star-like season for this team and with other high-potential guys like Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Luguentz Dort and others, there is a lot to be excited about if you are a fan of the Thunder. Losing Chet Holmgren for the season is definitely a major disappointment, however, this team still has a lot of growing and maturing to do before they can make it back to the playoffs.
No. 27: Houston Rockets
Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are a young, dynamic backcourt duo and third overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. should be a player the Houston Rockets can build with for years to come. Overall though, the Rockets still have many holes to fill on their roster and they find themselves still searching for ways to build a long-term, sustainable core in the post-James Harden era. They will likely improve from the 20-win season they had last year, but it is hard to imagine this team flirting with a 30-win season.
No. 26: Utah Jazz
Trading All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this offseason, as well as veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic, the Utah Jazz have taken a major step backwards and it would be shocking to see them find a ton of success this year. There is no doubt that this team still has talented players with Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton, but the Jazz look like a team that has just been thrown together. Maybe they will surprise everyone and find success this season, but this is a case where we need to see this team play in a handful of games before we can truly evaluate them.
No. 25: Indiana Pacers
Other than Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and some secondary, youthful talents like Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson, the Indiana Pacers really do not have much going for them. Even if management does not want to admit it, this team is rebuilding and it seems like a matter of time before both Buddy Hield and Myles Turner find themselves on a new team. The best thing the Pacers can do for themselves is continue developing their youth and target yet another high-level prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft.
No. 24: Detroit Pistons
Finding themselves in a similar position as the Thunder, the Detroit Pistons enter the 2022-23 season searching for guys to step up around last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham. Saddiq Bey is a very promising looking young talent, as is the fifth overall pick from this year’s draft, Jaden Ivey. If they can tighten things up defensively, the Pistons could potentially be a sleeper team to contend for a Play-In Tournament spot, especially with the arrival of veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
No. 23: Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have been a team many have laughed at over the years, but if they stay healthy, this is absolutely a young team that can go on a run and surprise many during the 2022-23 season. They have arguably the best young core in the league with the likes of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony and Wendell Carter Jr., plus the Magic themselves believe that they have what it takes to be a playoff team. It will not be easy for this team to achieve their goals, especially given how crowded the Eastern Conference is with talent, but we have seen young teams go on runs before, which is why we should not count out Orlando from surprising everyone.
No. 22: Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal has been the only star and only key contributor on the Washington Wizards for years. Now, he has Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Monte Morris, Will Barton and some growing secondary talents around him, which is why the Wizards have what they need to be competitive again. When healthy, Beal is one of the best offensive talents in this league and in Wes Unseld Jr.’s second season as head coach, Washington will be in the mix to earn a Play-In Tournament spot.
No. 21: Sacramento Kings
Look, I know the consequences that come with me saying this, but the Sacramento Kings will be a team that contends for a playoff spot in the Western Conference this season. As crazy as it sounds, the Kings have had a terrific offseason adding talent at every position and they have an energic new head coach that has already built a fun and vibrant culture in Mike Brown. The Kings have depth, they have new found energy and if rookie Keegan Murray lives up to the hype, there is a lot to like about this basketball team in Sacramento, words I never thought I would say in my lifetime!
No. 20: New York Knicks
I do not think there is a more passionate fan base in the league than those that support the New York Knicks because man… they have been through a lot the last couple of decades. The Knicks are looking to turn the tide and prove that the 2020-21 season with them claiming the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference was not a fluke and the addition of Jalen Brunson this offseason should absolutely help this team offensively. The question pertaining to the Knicks though is whether or not they have enough overall talent to compete in the East, as finding sustainable bench production will be key for this team.
No. 19: Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard is back and healthy for the Portland Trail Blazers, which is why they will bounce back from a horrid season and be a threat in the Western Conference. Anfernee Simons and Gary Payton II will provide a really solid “one-two punch” of offense and defense, respectively, in the backcourt, Josh Hart is a very underrated addition on the wing and Jerami Grant’s two-way play at either forward spot should give Portland a nice boost as well. The Trail Blazers are another one of those teams that could wind up being playoff-quality or they could miss the Play-In Tournament altogether.
No. 18: Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young has an All-Star partner in the backcourt now with the addition of Dejounte Murray and the Atlanta Hawks enter the new season as a sneaky team in the Eastern Conference. The question for this team will be whether or not they can find success on the defensive-end of the floor because while they finished second in the league in offensive rating a season ago, the Hawks ranked just 26th in the league in defensive rating.
No. 17: Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were one of the best scoring duos in the league last season for the Chicago Bulls, however, for this team to find success and get back to the postseason, they will have to have consistent production from their second-unit. The Bulls ranked 29th in the league in bench points during the 2021-22 season, which is why they added the likes of Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic this offseason. If Lonzo Ball can return by midseason, Chicago can be a tough team to beat in a seven-game series.
No. 16: Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a good, solid basketball team. However, can this group excel and be great against the giants they will face in the Eastern Conference? Toronto ended up finishing with a 48-34 record last season, but they were a very average team for a vast majority of the season. Defense is head coach Nick Nurse’s calling card and having a ton of length both in his starting and bench units, the Raptors will be a tough team to score on the interior against.
No. 15: Los Angeles Lakers
As long as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy, I have no problem calling the Los Angeles Lakers a contending team in the Western Conference. This is a big ask though, as James and Davis have both struggled to remain on the floor the last two seasons. Without their stars, the Lakers do not have any source of immediate production, which is why health will determine if Los Angeles makes it back to the playoffs this season.
No. 14: Cleveland Cavaliers
Opportunities to trade for a player like Donovan Mitchell do not come every day and for the Cleveland Cavaliers, they found themselves in the right place at the right time this offseason. Darius Garland paired with Donovan Mitchell makes up one of the better backcourts in the league, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are one of the better frontcourts in the league and Caris LeVert will likely round out the starting-five in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have a dynamic group of energetic talents and it appears that they have a contending roster in place for the next several seasons now.
No. 13: Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic carried the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last season. Having Tim Hardaway Jr. back from a foot injury and adding Christian Wood definitely makes the Mavs a more talented team, but they are one injury to Doncic away from being a team that ends up missing the playoffs as a whole. They are a good team, do not misquote me on that, but I just have a hard time making a claim that the Mavericks are a top-tier basketball team entering the new season. It still feels like they are missing something.
No. 12: New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson is back and he is looking better than ever, which is why the New Orleans Pelicans are ready to take a massive step forward as an organization. They have depth, they are athletic and the Pelicans have a star-studded trio with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram alongside Williamson. Like Dallas a season ago, New Orleans is a tough-minded team that teams will not want to face late in the year.
No. 11: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves likely take the mantle for having the best offseason out of any team in the league because they added players where they had holes on their roster. Rudy Gobert is going to be a perfect fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt and the additions of Austin Rivers, Bryn Forbes and especially Kyle Anderson are not getting as much attention as they should be. Anthony Edwards is prepared to have a massive third season in the league and if the Timberwolves flirt with a 50-win season, head coach Chris Finch will certainly be in the discussion for Coach of the Year.
No. 10: Brooklyn Nets
Drama surrounded the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason, as at one moment, it seemed like both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were going to be on the move in a trade. Well, the 2022-23 NBA season is about to begin and not only are both All-Stars still on the Nets roster, but they added T.J. Warren, Markieff Morris and brought back veteran Patty Mills as well. I sound like a broken record saying this, but the Brooklyn Nets are a championship contender and if they can be healthy entering the postseason, they have a really strong chance to win a title simply from a talent perspective.
No. 9: Miami Heat
Finishing as the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference last season, the Miami Heat should still be one of the better defensive teams in the NBA. Losing P.J. Tucker certainly hurts their depth, yet Caleb Martin is expected to step up into a bigger role for this franchise and Gabe Vincent will continue to be an underrated weapon for this team to utilize in the backcourt. Jimmy Butler has proven time-and-time again that we should not doubt his teams, which is why the Heat are still one of the better teams in the East entering the new season.
No. 8: Memphis Grizzlies
Anytime the Memphis Grizzlies are playing you should be watching their game because Ja Morant is just a sensational talent. He defies the laws of physics every time he goes for a dunk or a block and this young Grizzlies team really made a statement last season when they won 56 games and claimed the 2-seed in the Western Conference. Despite losing Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, two players that they will surely miss, Memphis is still one of the better, more-balanced teams in the West.
No. 7: Denver Nuggets
We have seen the Denver Nuggets steadily get better each and every season and now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning, the Nuggets have exactly what they need to contend for a championship. They are balanced, they have depth at every position and they are going to be much better on the defensive-end of the floor this season. Back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in the world and now having the help he was missing a season ago, Denver could absolutely flirt with claiming the 1-seed in the West this year.
No. 6: Boston Celtics
Coming off their Finals appearance, the Boston Celtics are not being questioned from a talent perspective, but from an internal perspective. Head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entirety of the 2022-23 season due to a major violation of team rules and while interim head coach Joe Mazzulla has been with this team since 2019, it is definitely fair to feel skeptical about this team’s chances. The arrival of Malcolm Brogdon though will be highly beneficial for this offense, especially since they were lacking firepower off-the-bench in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
No. 5: Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are back and healthy for the Los Angeles Clippers, plus they added John Wall and have retained basically their entire roster from a season ago. The Clippers are a very experienced team that has one thing on their mind entering the new season – to win their first championship in team history. Los Angeles has always been run by the Lakers, but this year, it is the Clippers turn to finish with the better record and claim Los Angeles for themselves.
No. 4: Phoenix Suns
While Jae Crowder will likely be departing the Phoenix Suns in the coming weeks and while many still think that Deandre Ayton no longer wants to be in Phoenix, the Suns are still a team coming off of a 64-win season. Devin Booker and Chris Paul are still an elite backcourt duo and the insertion of Cameron Johnson into the starting lineup will only help the Suns become a better scoring team right from the opening tip. For the Suns to have a chance at winning a championship though, Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet and Torrey Craig will need to help create one of the better bench units in the league both scoring-wise and defensively.
No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers
I love the moves the Philadelphia 76ers made this offseason, as P.J. Tucker gives them an experienced, versatile defender at any position, De’Anthony Melton gives them another weapon to utilize in the backcourt and Montrezl Harrell is the perfect backup option for this team to have in the paint behind MVP candidate Joel Embiid. There really are no flaws looking at this roster heading into the new season, which is why the 76ers have everything they need to win the Eastern Conference and make a serious run at getting to the NBA Finals.
No. 2: Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo won the Milwaukee Bucks a title in 2021 and once again, he has the Bucks in prime position to contend for a title entering the 2022-23 season. Not to mention, Jrue Holiday is still one of the better on-ball defensive guards in this league and Khris Middleton has been the epitome of a consistent two-way wing for years. The Bucks brought back basically their entire roster from a season ago and they added veteran sharpshooter Joe Ingles, who is still recovering from ACL surgery and should have an immediate impact during the second-half of the season. If Middleton was healthy in the playoffs last season, who knows, maybe Milwaukee would have had a real shot at making it back to the NBA Finals and possibly defending their title.
No. 1: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been in the news a lot due to the altercation they had at practice involving Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, yet how can we not rank them as the best team in basketball? They just won their fourth championship in the last eight seasons, Stephen Curry is getting better at 34-years-old, Klay Thompson should return to his All-Star form this year and the Warriors have a revamped roster filled with energetic, young and high-potential players like Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and how could we forget 2021-22 breakout star Jordan Poole? This is an experienced group that just operates differently than the other 29 teams in this league, which is why the Warriors winning a fifth title in nine seasons would not be a shock.
Be sure to check out Fastbreak on FanNation's 2022-23 NBA Preseason Media Poll ahead of the start of the new season!
