NBA power rankings — 12. Dallas Mavericks
There’s no much to say about Dallas other than they employ Luka Doncic. There’s a good chance Jason Kidd is the worst coach in basketball, the roster around him isn’t particularly inspiring, and I’m not sure how much it matters. At least, not in the regular season. Dallas will still make the playoffs, because Doncic will drag them there. Dallas will still compete in the playoffs, because Doncic will drag them there.
The Mavs, despite borderline incompetence from the entire supporting cast, almost knocked out a healthy Clippers team in round one. Tim Hardaway Jr. is back, Kristaps Porzingis can’t look much worse, and there’s still room for the Mavs to maneuver around and potentially get another impact player or two before next postseason. In the end, it’s Doncic All Day.
NBA power rankings — 11. Atlanta Hawks
I get it — the Hawks are the deepest team in the NBA and just made the conference finals. That said, Atlanta still lacks a true 1B to Trae Young. Until Atlanta can get another bonafide star next to Trae, it’s difficult to peg them as top-level contenders. The Sixers squandered every possible opportunity, and still should have won that series. The Nets are still the Nets, while the Celtics, Heat, and Bulls all got better. Atlanta is good, but not a clear-cut top-3 team in the East.
That said, the Hawks could outperform this spot. Nate McMillan coached them at a 50-win pace last season, and elite depth is invaluable in the regular season. The Hawks can legitimately go 12-deep and not blink, which will help them win the slugfests other contenders don’t. Atlanta is firmly in the home-court advantage race.
NBA power rankings — 10. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have the reigning MVP, a burgeoning young star in Michael Porter Jr., and Jamal Murray waiting in the wings. Once the latter returns to action, Denver is a real contender in the West. That conference is as wide-open as ever, and Jokic is one of the best offensive players in recent NBA history.
Even without Murray, the Nuggets will still rack up a bunch of wins, and Jokic will still make his case for back-to-back MVPs. Denver’s offense is difficult to stop, and the bench has only gotten stronger with additions like Jeff Green. You cannot count out the top of the top players in the NBA, and Jokic is the top of the top.