NBA power rankings — 30. Houston Rockets
The Rockets are going to be a big, beautiful mess next season. Jalen Green is going to lead all rookies in scoring, Kevin Porter Jr. will bring extra sauce, and John Wall will look absolutely miserable the entire time. Houston has an exciting young core to build around, and there’s a real chance Green wins Rookie of the Year. Even so, there’s just not enough proven all-around talent to expect a ton of W’s.
Houston will have a genuinely terrible defense. Alperen Sengun, Christian Wood, and Daniel Theis bring a pleasantly diverse set of skills to the frontcourt, but Green probably needs a season or two to learn the ropes before he is a reliable go-to playmaker. Until then, the Rockets will have a lot of flashes interspersed with erratic shooting and youthful errors.
NBA power rankings — 29. Oklahoma City Thunder
When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is healthy, the Thunder can win a game every now and then. He’s that good. OKC also has a nice collection of pieces around him, especially on the defensive end. The Thunder are lean, fast, and aggressive, and No. 6 pick Josh Giddey could smooth over a lot of offensive possessions as a rookie.
That said, OKC is purposefully young, and will make a point to play unproven players all season. No matter how elite Gilgeous-Alexander’s production, there’s just not enough scoring around him to make OKC anything more than a below-average offensive team.
NBA power rankings — 28. Detroit Pistons
Detroit is the team that’s hardest to peg down. I’m a big believer in Cade Cunningham, and expect him to have a significant impact in year one. The Pistons also have Jerami Grant, who was a borderline All-Star last season and should look even better with Cunningham sharing the load. Also, the young pieces — Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart — are all primed for improvement.
All that said, the Pistons are still a dangerously young team whose best player could end up being a rookie. Cunningham is going to be a genuinely great rookie, but teams can only go so far with the No. 1 pick and a mediocre supporting cast. Don’t expect a Pistons playoff push just yet.