1st Annual SI NBA Power Rankings: #28

#28 team in the NBA?

  • Atlanta Hawks

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Boston Celtics

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Brooklyn Nets

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Charlotte Hornets

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Chicago Bulls

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dallas Mavericks

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Detroit Pistons

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Indiana Pacers

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Miami Heat

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Milwaukee Bucks

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Orlando Magic

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Phoenix Suns

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Toronto Raptors

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Utah Jazz

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Washington Wizards

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10
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jonathanlambert33

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I'm hoping this can become an annual thing that takes place every summer after our player rankings. Concept is quite obvious, NBA power rankings from worst to first for the upcoming season. This isn't who will have the best record, or worst record, but who will be the best team? The worst team? For example, at the end of last season San Antonio was arguably #2 in the power rankings, but had the 6th best record in the league.

So at the end of the 2015-2016 NBA season, who do you think will be the worst team in the league?

30) Philadelphia 76ers
29) Minnesota Timberwolves
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jonathanlambert33

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I'll go with Denver.  I love Mike Malone but I think he's a poor fit for that roster.  Mudiay is going to be a stud but he's young and it's going to take him a while, he's going to be a pretty downgrade from Lawson.  Gallo won't stay healthy, Faried isn't as good as believed, etc etc etc.
 

bosoxlover12

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I was going to vote Denver, but I changed it to the Trail Blazers.
 
 
I don't think people realize how bad this team is, aside for Lillard.
 
 
CJ McCollum
Mason Plumlee
Meyers Leonard
Gerald Henderson
Ed Davis
Al-Farouq Aminu
Noah Vonleh
Mike Miller
 
 
This team is trash outside Lillard
 

CameronCrazy06

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Portland worse than Denver? Not sure I see it
 

RipCity32

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Denver has some talented players. All Portland has is Dame.
 

bosoxlover12

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CameronCrazy06 said:
Portland worse than Denver? Not sure I see it
Portland lost every starter outside of Lillard, and their sixth man too.
 
Denver lost one starter, and replaced him with one of the ROY favorites.
 
 
 
But like seriously. Portland's second best player is probably CJ McCollum. Denver still has Gallo, Faried, WC, Nurkic...
 

CameronCrazy06

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bosoxlover12 said:
But like seriously. Portland's second best player is probably CJ McCollum. Denver still has Gallo, Faried, WC, Nurkic...
You always do this in arguments where you discount a player on one team in a comparison to make your argument sound better (example: when you were comparing the depth of LAC and NOP a few weeks back).

Denver has no star power, no go-to scorer, and a coach who wants to play the exact opposite pace of what the team is built for. Could they be better than I expect? Sure, but right now all we're doing is judging teams on paper, and there's isn't good

You can bring up who lost what, but don't forget that there's a near-20 win gap between the two last year. You speak of the two teams as though they had the same record. Has the gap closed? Sure, but I'm still taking Portland right now
 

RipCity32

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What does it matter what the win gap was last year when the other team loses 4/5 of their starting lineup? It's an entirely different team now.
 

jonathanlambert33

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I think Portlands personnel is better than Denver. Obviously Lillard is better than anything Denver has, but I think they have a nice collection of young guys that understand their roles.

I really like McCollum. Plumlee, Leonard, and Davis is an interesting trio of young bigs, and you have to throw in Noah Vonleh who is really talented. Henderson is a serviceable guard and Aminu is a solid wing. Maybe above all Stotts is going to get more out of his roster than Mike Malone.

Which is a transition, we saw it last season how much systems matter. Brian Shaw played a system that did not fit that roster and we a result the team had a 33.9 win percentage. They name Melvin Hunt the interim head coach, he picks up the pace and plays a better brand of basketball and the team jumps to 41.6% win percentage.

So they go in and hire Mike Malone, a coach I really like, but not a guy that is going to be able to get the most of a roster that is miscast for him. They also have a collection of inefficient "meh" scorers, a overpaid big, and what else? A rookie, again someone I really like, that is going to take time.
 

bosoxlover12

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CameronCrazy06 said:
You always do this in arguments where you discount a player on one team in a comparison to make your argument sound better (example: when you were comparing the depth of LAC and NOP a few weeks back).

Denver has no star power, no go-to scorer, and a coach who wants to play the exact opposite pace of what the team is built for. Could they be better than I expect? Sure, but right now all we're doing is judging teams on paper, and there's isn't good

You can bring up who lost what, but don't forget that there's a near-20 win gap between the two last year. You speak of the two teams as though they had the same record. Has the gap closed? Sure, but I'm still taking Portland right now
I'm not discrediting Lillard at all. I'm saying look at the team around him, and you realize its terrible. They look no better than last year's Knicks, who went 10-30 with Carmelo playing. Lillard is really good, although he's a defensive liability, but he's not good enough to carry the team that far.
 
 
Denver has no star power, but they have a decent bit of role players. Faried is on Team USA, Gallo and Chandler are solid scorers. Mudiay looks really good (Portland doesn't have a 1st round rookie, let alone Top 7 talented rook), and Nurkic was a solid rim protector.
 
 
Portland literally lost 2/3rds of their scoring. Almost to the dot in terms of statistical percentage. If Lillard gets hurt, they are the 2nd worst team in the league, with Philly barely taking the lead for the worst. Dame can only do so much with a team in which only 3 players can be considered a "scorer", and the other 2 "scorers" averaged 15ppg/36
 

CameronCrazy06

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I'm not saying you're discounting Lillard, but when you're comparing denver's best 4 players to CJ McCollum, and not taking how much better Lillard is than any player on their roster, that is a very flawed argument.

Plumlee is on team USA too. They don't have a top 7 rookie, but Vonleh has a ton of promise. McCollum is a former lottery pick who looked good in the playoffs IIRC. Connaughton will be a good role player if he sticks with hoops.

If Lillard gets hurt, then yes, they are the second worst team in the league. So we're basing votes on hypothetical injuries now to players without a major injury history? That's really how this works?

Portland is a young team with several players on the roster who could take a step forward this year in an increased role. Meanwhile Denver like I said, has no go to scorer, not great defensively, and has a coach that won't play to the style that fits the roster best. They're going nowhere
 

elcheato

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You Kobe stans are just ignoring the team that has to lose to keep its pick.
 

jonathanlambert33

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Me and CC are pretty much in 100% agreement.

I'd even be willing to do some kind of bet that short of Lillard missing 15+ games that Portland will have a better record.
 

elcheato

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That's some hot action. Take it bosox, $300
 
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