NBA power rankings — 27. Orlando Magic
Orlando is at the beginning of a long rebuild. Given the injury status of Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz, it’s hard to peg them any higher than this. Jalen Suggs promises to have a productive rookie season, and when healthy, Orlando’s defense is the real deal. That said, there’s not enough offensive firepower to enter the playoff conversation.
Best case scenario for Orlando, the defense carries them to a few extra wins and we start to get a clear picture of the franchise’s future. The Magic roster too many guards, and still have an overabundance of long, offensively-challenged forwards. Do not be surprised if Orlando is active on the trade market as the rebuild begins to take shape.
NBA power rankings — 26. Minnesota Timberwolves
How far can Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards take you? That is the question. And, more importantly, how many games can the trio play together? The Wolves have been ravaged by injuries, but when healthy, they have the artillery needed to make noise in the West. Not as a contender necessarily, but at least as a play-in team.
Not many “bad” teams have a true top-25 player like Towns. Anthony Edwards is the real deal, and finished his rookie season on the highest possible note. If Russell is even half as good as advertised, we could see Minnesota ascend higher than this spot. For now, however, there’s too long a track record of underperformance.
NBA power rankings — 25. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are putting some nice pieces together. Evan Mobley should make a big impact right away, while Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Collin Sexton are legitimate building blocks. Not cornerstones, perhaps, but the goal is for Mobley to carry that particular burden in time.
Cleveland will still be relying quite heavily on young players, but with Allen, Mobley, Isaac Okoro, and a healthy Larry Nance Jr., the defense might finally start to come around. Garland is primed for another big leap, and Cleveland has done well adding players around the margins. The Cavs aren’t there yet, but the rebuild is starting to turn in the right direction.