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NBA 2013 Power Rankings – 1st Cycle

It’s a brand new year of NBA action as many teams have switched up their rosters in hopes of putting together the right nucleus to compete for the title. Here are the pre season Power Rankings of all 30 NBA teams.

Let us know where your team should be ranked in the comments section below…

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1. Miami Heat – Should we say why the Miami Heat are number one?

2. San Antonio Spurs  – Spurs were one rebound away from becoming the 2013 NBA champions so there is no reason for them not be the second ranked team in the preseason polls. With Kawhi Leonard already playing like an All Star and with their big three still together, San Antonio should see no slippage in the upcoming season.

 

3. Indiana Pacers – The Indiana Pacers kept their starting five intact, especially with the extension of Paul George and the re-signing of David West. With the additions of Luis Scola, Chris Copeland and the return of a healthy Danny Granger, the Pacers are a team who could dethrone the Miami Heat.

 

4. Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder are coming off of a disappointing playoffs because of Russell Westbrook’s meniscus tear. For the 2013-2014 season the biggest question for the Thunder is who will become the 3rd scorer for the team? With Westbrook out for the first month of the regular season, it seems that Jeremy Lamb, Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka will have to pick up the slack and help out the 3-time scoring champion,  Kevin Durant.

 

5. Chicago Bulls – Derrick Rose. That is the name that catapults this top 15 team into the top 5. Without their MVP,  the Bulls still managed to get the 5th seed and make it to the 2nd round. With their MVP healthy and ready to go, along with the acquisition of Mike Dunleavy Jr. the Bulls are gearing up for another 50+ win season.

 

6. Los Angeles Clippers – Lob City is no more, says their new coach, Doc Rivers. With that mentality dead, the Clippers are now focusing on defense, specifically in the frontcourt. With new additions like JJ Redick and Darren Collison, the Clippers are ready to put that 1st round lost behind them.

 

7. Houston Rockets – With the acquisition of Dwight Howard, the Rockets are looking primed and ready for a championship run. Chandler Parsons is exceeding all expectations and they have a future superstar in their hands named James Harden, the sky is the limit.

 

8. Brooklyn Nets – Mikhail Prokhorov’s pockets are responsible for crafting one of the best starting units (on paper at least) in the league. The Brooklyn Nets revamped their image, brought in star players and became the hot commodity in the NBA. Now with former champions, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, it becomes championship or bust.

 

9. New York Knicks – The most polarizing team in the NBA ended last year’s run better than they have in the past decade. That isn’t the purpose of this team with Carmelo Anthony at the helm, with the addition of Bargnani and Udrih, the Knicks are trying to become more efficient and ease off the scoring load for Anthony as their eyes are set on a championship.

 

10. Memphis Grizzlies – Coming off of a Western Conference Finals appearance you would think that this team would be higher in the rankings, but because of winning against a team without one of its superstars and the firing of one of the best coaches in the NBA, time can only tell how great this team can actually be.

 

11. Golden State Warriors  – The MOST exciting team in the NBA is gearing up for a new season with their new addition, Andre Iguodola. With fast pace, 3 point shooting and a budding superstar named Stephen Curry, the Warriors are a threat to any team in the Western Conference that is competing for a title.

 

12. Denver Nuggets – Who would’ve thought that the Nuggets would have been a 55+ win team. Can they repeat the same success? Its unlikely due to the loss of their future hall of fame coach and Andre Iguodala. They will have to find their identity again as they position themselves in a strong western conference.

 

13. Detroit Pistons – The Detroit Pistons could either be one of the most dangerous in the league or they could completely implode. Signing fringe all-stars Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings and the talent of their two bigs Drummond and Monroe, Pistons are looking to make some noise in the eastern conference.

 

14. Cleveland Cavaliers – Already being named one of the best point guards in the league, Kyrie Irving has to take his team to the playoffs to solidify that status. The Cavaliers signed Jarrett Jack and placed a lot of bets on Andrew Bynum’s knees. If this team is Healthy (Key Word HEALTHY) the Cavaliers will obtain a playoff spot.

 

15. Dallas Mavericks – Dallas won 41 games last year, even though Dirk Nowitzki missed 28 games. With their recent additions of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon, the offense should run a lot more fluid but with addition, there is subtraction on the defensive side with these two in the fold. Even with that deficiency, the Mavericks can sneak their way back to the playoffs.

 

16. Minnesota Timberwolves – The Minnesota Timberwolves have placed key parts around their star Kevin Love as they desperately try to make the playoffs. This is the year that they can do it as they rely on the emergence of Derrick Williams and their key signing of Kevin Martin.

 

17. Portland Trailblazers – Damien Lillard and Lamarcus Aldridge have their eyes set on the playoffs like no other. Unfortunately, the loss of C.J. McCollum will hurt the Portland Trail Blazers this season. Their league worst bench should flourish with the additions of Dorell Wright, Robin Lopez, Thomas Robinson and Mo Williams.

 

18. New Orleans Pelicans – The New Orleans Hor Pelicans have become a league pass team with their new additions Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans. The question that looms over the team is will this equal into wins. Anthony Davis has the tools to become an NBA All Star, Jrue Holiday is a good PG but needs to work on limiting his turnovers and Eric Gordon just needs to stay healthy. The Pelicans should be better than last year’s 27-win Hornets team, but relying on this group to reach a playoff spot in the loaded West is a lot to ask for.

 

19. Washington Wizards – Health is the key word for the Washington Wizards. Last year the Wizards were 5-28 without John Wall and when Wall came back they were 24-25. This shows that with Wall running the show with a healthy team around him, they can fight through the bottom of the bracket and make the playoffs.

 

20. Atlanta Hawks – As long as the Hawks have Al Hortford, they will remain a playoff contender. Signing Paul Milsap, having Jeff Teague locked in for the next three years (even though he was exciting to watch for the Bucks) and bringing a healthy Lou Williams back, the Hawks could maintain their presence in the playoffs.

 

21. Toronto Raptors – The Raptors are a team that looks like they should compete for the playoffs, with a trio of highly athletic wings: Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross, a do-it all point guard in Kyle Lowry and an improving Amir Johnson. Chemistry is the main goal for this team to actually achieve the playoffs. Raptors also made a huge offseason move by instating Drake as a global ambassador, hoping to bring in swag to the Raptors.

 

22. Los Angeles Lakers – I am begging the Laker Nation to embrace on the movement in which I call #TankForWiggins, it is never too late join that because unless Kobe comes back opening night for the Lakers, this band of misfits will suffer greatly.

 

23. Sacramento Kings – DeMarcus Cousins has a four-year, $60 million commitment to the Sacramento Kings and it seems like they are trying to move in the right direction. There is a lot of positive energy around the Kings especially with new part owner, Shaquille O’Neal. Will the positive energy turn into wins? Maybe not but it’s a start.

 

24. Milwaukee Bucks – I am going to be honest here; I truly hope the Bucks succeed because they recently signed one of my favorite players I’ve watched since high school, OJ Mayo. This will be the first time  he will be the first option on a team. I am pretty sure Larry Sanders and Mayo will get them some wins but it might not be enough to reach the 8th seed.

 

25. Boston Celtics – Paul Pierce, their franchise player, is gone. Kevin Garnett, one of the best power forwards in NBA history, is gone. What you have instead is a recovering Rondo, Marshon Brooks, Gerald Wallace and a resurgent Jeff Green. This seems like a great storyline if they do succeed but their chances are very slim with teams like the Pistons, Wizards and Cavaliers revamping their squads.

 

26. Charlotte Bobcats – Kemba Walker & Al Jefferson could be a great tandem but other than those two names, will the others follow suit? MKG should improve and drafting Cody Zeller could be a steal for the Bobcats, but hey maybe Jordan might come back!

 

27, Phoenix Suns – With new uniforms and a highlight player in Eric Bledsoe, the Suns are ready for….the lottery yet again. With the pickup of Alex Len, Marcin Gortat is looking like trade bait (not a bad one at that) to any suitor that needs a serviceable center

 

28. Orlando Magic – The Orlando magic have the pieces to make games interesting but not necessarily win. Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic have become breakout players but the team is very incomplete and is still in a rebuilding stage.

 

29. Utah Jazz – They’re in a complete rebuilding stage, and while Derrick Favors and Eres Kanter would benefit by winning starting roles by default, this team should just join the #TankForWiggins club

 

30. Philadelphia Sixers

*See Number 29*

 

Lincoln is a co host for Keeping It Real Sports, a comic book/Nerd culture enthusiast who loves to integrate that culture with sports. When it comes to the NBA, Lincoln is your guy. Coming from a Caribbean background, he tends to watch Tennis & Soccer more than the average American sport. Lincoln is currently a coordinator for Complex Magazine and media coordinator for clothing brand Fdynamo1986.

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