NBA power rankings — 6. Los Angeles Lakers
I am not sure what the Russell Westbrook trade means for LA. I don’t think it helps them in the postseason, and frankly, I am a bit skeptical of the regular season value, even if Westbrook helps LeBron preserve his health, and vice versa. LA’s team is remarkably old, and the Lakers have lost a great deal of roster flexibility by acquiring Westbrook.
And yet, even with an exceedingly past-prime roster, and the real concerns around age for LeBron and injury for Anthony Davis, they are still the Lakers. They are still LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and to a less empathic degree, still Russell Westbrook. It’s impossible to count them out.
NBA power rankings — 5. Miami Heat
This may seem ambitious, but consider me a begrudgingly big fan of Miami’s offseason. Kyle Lowry is a real needle-mover, and the Sixers missing out on him last season — Maxey and all — will sting for a while. With a strong supporting cast, arguably the East’s best “big three” outside Brooklyn, and a tier-one coach, the Heat can make a lot of noise. We’re one season removed from a Finals appearance from Miami.
Again, it’s fair to question how much we can really take away from last season given the impact of COVID. The Heat struggled with injuries and health all season, and yes, both Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry are on the wrong side of 30. That said, the Heat have the pieces, and Butler is still a borderline top-10 player when running at full speed. Miami is really good. Don’t sleep on them.
NBA power rankings — 4. Utah Jazz
The Jazz posted the best record in the NBA last season. It still resulted in a second-round exit, but there’s something to be said for dominating the regular season like Utah did. Had it been a different set of matchups, we could have been watching Jazz-Bucks, rather than Suns-Bucks in the NBA Finals. Utah re-signed Mike Conley and is primed for another run at contention next season.
Rudy Gobert is the best defensive anchor in basketball, and virtually guarantees and elite regular season defense. Quin Snyder needs to become more adaptable in the playoffs, but no one runs “their stuff” better than Utah. That’s enough to put them in the championship conversation.