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The 2020-21 NBA season featured the highest offensive ratings of all time. The seven top teams in that category all broke the previous NBA record of 116.7 set by the Dallas Mavericks in 2019-20.
The seven sides were the Brooklyn Nets (117.3), Portland Trail Blazers (117.1), LA Clippers (116.7), Utah Jazz (116.5), Milwaukee Bucks (116.3), Phoenix Suns (116.3), and the Denver Nuggets (116.3). The commonalities between most of these teams are elite creators off the bounce and/or some of the best offensive hubs in the NBA who manipulate defenses with their vision.
The Clippers are not included in this top-five due to the fact that Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined for a large majority of the regular season. Denver was also left out because of the injury to Jamal Murray. Both of those teams will still likely finish in the top-15 or ten in offensive rating, but the top-five feels unlikely.
Here are the teams we predict will post the five best offensive ratings of the 2021-22 NBA season.
#5 Milwaukee Bucks
Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks finished tied for the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA at 116.3. The downhill threat and efficiency of Giannis Antetokounmpo has been optimized by a supreme spacing center like Brook Lopez. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are both more than capable of creating for themselves with the ball in their hands on the perimeter.
Losing Bryn Forbes is substantial considering he converted 45.2 percent of his 4.9 threes per game last season. Regardless, the Bucks are replacing his production with George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Grayson Allen. Not the most flashy names, but they have proven capable offensive players in the NBA for years.
Additionally, the Bucks still have Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis, and Donte DiVincenzo as more than capable spot up shooters to plug and play around their big three.
The Bucks have finished with a top ten offensive rating in each of the last four seasons, including the top five for two years straight, and there's no reason to expect a slump.
#4 Utah Jazz
It's easy to think of the Utah Jazz as a defensive-focused team, with reigning two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert at center. It's a fair label for the Jazz, who were the third-best defensive team in the regular season throughout 2020-21. The thing is, the Jazz were ridiculous on both ends of the floor on the way to a league-leading 52 wins.
Offensively, Donovan Mitchell is an explosive focus point, but far from the only sizeable contributor. Mike Conley was awarded his first All-Star appearance last season for averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 assists while converting 44.4 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three.
Six of their ten leaders in total minutes last season converted upwards of 38 percent from beyond the arc. Georges Niang, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O'Neale, Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley. Niang is the only player on that list who will not be returning to Utah next season.
Jordan Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year by tallying an average of 18.4 points off the bench and filling a much-needed microwave scorer role for the best regular season team in the NBA. Trailing Clarkson in Sixth Man of the Year voting was teammate Joe Ingles, who does it all on the offensive end of the floor. 99 of the 100 total first-place votes for the award went to either Clarkson or Ingles.
Adding Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, and potential steal of the second-round Jared Butler roster should only bolster the Jazz's offensive numbers.
#3 Portland Trail Blazers
On the shoulders of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Portland Trail Blazers have consistently been an elite offense for years now. Last season, they finished second in offensive rating. The year before that, they were third, and just as they were in 2018-19.
The deadly backcourt's offensive capabilities are apparent from the moment you turn on a Portland game. Lillard's 2020-21 averages were 28.8 points and 7.5 assists on 45.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three on 10.5(!) attempts per game. McCollum, meanwhile, tallied 23.1 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three.
The counting stats between them are absurd, and it's even more ridiculous when you consider the degree of difficulty for a majority of their shots. Creating space off the dribble is the name of the game for both of these guys and that may be the most valuable skill in basketball.
It doesn't stop at that duo... Norman Powell will have an offseason with this group and has shown the ability to have some big scoring nights. Jusuf Nurkic was scarcely available the last two seasons and his playmaking from the post/elbow unlocks even more for the aforementioned guards.
None of their offseason departures should change the fact that Portland is consistently elite on offense. We will see if new head coach Chauncey Billups is able to maintain the offensive success of Terry Stotts.
#2 Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns finished last season tied for the sixth-best offensive rating in the NBA, 116.3. Chris Paul and Devin Booker are the undisputed one-two punch for the Valley but there is room for both Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges to expand their capabilities on that end of the floor in 2021-22.
The pairing of 2018 draft picks could both develop into self-creation threats in the near future, which would leave defenses confounded on who to focus on slowing down.
Adding Landry Shamet to space the floor with Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and Dario Saric is all the spacing a coach could ask for in the modern NBA. Johnson and Saric are much more than catch-and-shoot threats. They have both proven to be comfortable putting the ball on the floor and either creating for themselves or their teammates.
Post the All-Star break, the Suns trailed only Portland in offensive rating. Being one of the teams with extremely minimal roster turnover should limit any sort of growing pains at the beginning of the season. The Suns should come out of the gates hot after their recent NBA Finals appearance.
#1 Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Do we really need to explain beyond that?
The Brooklyn Nets finished last season with the best offensive rating in the NBA at 117.3, and they didn't even acquire James Harden until the trade deadline. Irving missed 18 games and Durant was sidelined for 37! Barring substantial injuries, it's hard to see how this Steve Nash-led team isn't the NBA's best offense.
Mike D'Antoni departing for the New Orleans Pelicans could have a greater effect than anticipated, but the talent remains. The Nets also lost Jeff Green and Landry Shamet, but replacing them with Patty Mills, Cameron Thomas, and Jevon Carter is more than enough.
I still have yet to mention the three other former NBA all-stars on this Brooklyn roster. Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Paul Milsap. All of them are undeniably past their prime by a few years, but their offensive understanding and diverse skillsets just add to the tool chest.
Again, with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden all on the same team, it would be hard not to record the best offensive rating in the NBA.
Guess the Lakers players!
