Way Too Early 2018-2019 NBA Power Rankings

24. BROOKLYN NETS

ESPN Projected Record: 32-50

538 Projected Record: 35-47

My Projected Record: 31-51

Players To Watch: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, PF; Jarrett Allen, C; D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG

It’s a testament to how well the Nets have operated after Sean Marks was hired that for the first time in a while, they own their pick (yes!), but it looks like the pick is going to land in the mid-teens (noooo). Allen is a very good big man. He’s mobile for his size, freakishly long, and plays his role (rim-runner) with no nonsense. Hollis-Jefferson has exceeded expectations, and his offensive game is developing. (His midrange game last season, _% on _ attempts per game.) The Nets have a modern collection of wings – an athletic scorer (Caris LeVert), a hard-nosed 3-and-D wing (DeMarre Carroll), sharpshooters that could go off at any time (Allen Crabbe and Joe Harris), and potential impact wings (rookies Rodions Kurucs and Dzanan Musa.) They have also amassed tons of depth, signing Ed Davis and Shabazz Napier, and while their best players aren’t there yet in terms of talent and two-way impact (D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie), their depth can be annoying to play against, especially coming off back-to-backs, and knowing how well Kenny Atkinson puts his players in positions to succeed, the Nets are only going up. (Not to mention their tons of cap space, next offseason…)

23. PHOENIX SUNS

ESPN Projected Record: 27-55

538 Projected Record: 26-56

My Projected Record: 27-55

Players To Watch: Josh Jackson, SF; DeAndre Ayton, C; Devin Booker, SG

Devin Booker has been paid and paid a lot, and the Suns have decided that they are going to keep on giving him the keys to the franchise, and to his credit, he has done his fair share to contribute, averaging around 24 points the past season. Luka Doncic and Booker could have been fun, especially with Doncic’s former coach Igor Kokoskov now in the helm, but Ayton should provide a reliable interior presence that can relieve the pressure off the Suns’ young perimeter players. (If one of Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss just panned out, they could have taken Doncic, but, here we are.) The addition of Trevor Ariza and selection of Mikal Bridges would help take pressure off Jackson on both ends, which could then help him transition into more of a secondary playmaking role against opposing bench units. Overall, if Kokoskov can bring out the best in everyone, especially the unreliable duo of Bender and Chriss, the Suns are a bit more dangerous than we think.

22. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

ESPN Projected Record: 31-51

538 Projected Record: 30-52

My Projected Record: 33-49

Players To Watch: Collin Sexton, PG; Kevin Love, PF; Cedi Osman, SG/SF

Everytime the King leaves Cleveland, they draft a 19 year old guard with tremendous scoring potential. Maybe the King leaving is a good thing? Yeah, didn’t think so. Everyone, I mean, everyone piled on LeBron’s supporting cast last season, and rightfully so. The numbers show an immense drop off every time he sits. But I don’t think the 17-18 Cavalier Supporting Cast deserves to be trashed by that magnitude, especially after seeing just how dependent they were on LeBron. Almost, if not all, plays went through LeBron. It’s like having your mom take care of every single thing in your life just because she knows how everything works better than you do. You’re just not going to learn how to do stuff if you aren’t allowed to spread your wings a little. Am I saying that they’re better off if they do so? No! But it only means that we can’t know for sure just how well (or poorly) these Cavs would play just because we’ve seen that apart from LeBron, they suffer. The last time Love was surrounded by playmakers and shooters (i.e. Not Jordan Clarkson) while he was cast in a central role, they won 40 games. Now whether that version of Love still exists is up for debate, but I can definitely see the Cavs making the playoffs in a weak conference.

21. DALLAS MAVERICKS

ESPN Projected Record: 33-49

538 Projected Record: 27-55

My Projected Record: 30-52

Players To Watch: Luka Doncic, PG/SG; Dirk Nowitzki, PF/C

The Mavericks better hope that lottery luck would shine upon them (their 2019 pick traded to Atlanta conveys if it lands in the Top 5), because there probably isn’t a reasonable way for them to make the playoffs in the dreadful Western Conference. Once again, Power Rankings aren’t pieces that arrange teams from the best record to the worst, it’s an estimation of the collection of talent a team has, and if you look at their rosters, the Mavericks clearly have better personnel than the Cavaliers. But Dallas would face teams from the West 52(!) times, including four times against the Rockets, Spurs, Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans and the Warriors. Doncic would definitely make an immediate impact; Dennis Smith should continue to grow as a facilitator and shooter, while DeAndre Jordan would improve the vertical spacing of the team. It’s admirable from the Mavericks to try and contend for a playoff spot in what looks like Dirk’s final season, but, even with the wizardry of Rick Carlisle, the bloodbath that is the West would prove to be too much for them.

20. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

ESPN Projected Record: 33-49

538 Projected Record: 32-50

My Projected Record: 31-51

Players To Watch: Jaren Jackson Jr, PF/C; Mike Conley, PG

The Grizzlies are becoming a modern NBA team by the day, and for a team that has seemed as old-fashioned as them, this stylistic transformation is still amazing to see. It’s hard to name a Grizzlies player who doesn’t shoot threes. Even Jarell Martin and JaMychal Green let it fly every once in a while. There is no questioning the Grizzlies’ intent – they aim to make the playoffs year in, year out, and for quite a while with their Grit and Grind core, they’ve done so, but now, the league has passed them by and they haven’t been able to keep up in terms of the talent level necessary nowadays to compete in the West. They tried to make a splash in the form of Chandler Parsons (how’d that work out, Grizzlies fans?), and failed miserably. The good thing about their previous season is that they were bad enough to select Jackson, and they are only going as far as he takes them. Along with a potentially healthy Conley and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies are still going to be annoying to play against.

19. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

ESPN Projected Record: 35-47

538 Projected Record: 33-49

My Projected Record: 32-50

Players To Watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG; Tobias Harris, PF

The Clippers are a very fun and guard-heavy team. They are going to run and gun, and they have a collection of players who defend well, especially that starting backcourt of Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley. The degree to which the Clippers’ season succeeds depends on their rising star, Harris. Harris has improved to the point where he can be a third cog on a winning team – he’s that good. His range has improved immensely, and his shot creating has only improved from his days with the Magic. He is going to be a matchup problem for teams who still start traditional power forwards, and defensively, he is underrated, as his size can be bothersome for perimeter and interior players alike. What the Clippers don’t have is that night-in, night-out star who you can pencil in to lead the team every night. They will try to do it by committee, led by Harris and reigning Sixth Man of The Year Lou Williams, but there will be plenty of nights where they will face a talent deficit.