National Basketball Association

2021-22 NBA Power Rankings: Nets, Bucks, Lakers lead the way to kick off the season

Updated Oct. 18, 2021 1:46 p.m. ET

By Yaron Weitzman
FOX Sports NBA Writer

The NBA season has arrived! Or just about.

What better way to take stock of where things in the league stand right now — or, rather, where I think things stand right now — than by putting together some power rankings (with odds via FOX Bet).

30. Oklahoma City Thunder (title odds: +50000)

You thought Sam Hinkie had this tanking thing down? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (23.4 points per game, 5.9 assists, 41.8% shooting on 3s last season) is great, and No. 5 pick Josh Giddey has impressed the team during the preseason. But this is a group built to lose, and lose it will. The good news? POKU!!!

29. Orlando Magic (title odds: +50000)

The Magic finally recognized last season that the time had come for a complete teardown. This year will be about developing lottery picks Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, feeding recently extended Wendell Carter Jr. and figuring out which of the young players among the group of Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba, Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke and RJ Hampton are keepers. Reminder: Fultz and Isaac are still recovering from ACL tears.

28. Houston Rockets (title odds: +50000)

This is the last of the tankers. Both members of the Rockets' starting backcourt (Kevin Porter Jr. and No. 2 pick Jalen Green) are 21 years old and, if it were up to them, would lead the league in shots per game. The results in Houston this season won’t be pretty, but the Rockets are building something intriguing. Watching first-round pick Aleperen Sengun work with Christian Wood in the front court should be a blast.

27. Detroit Pistons (title odds: +50000)

The Pistons transitioned quickly from NBA purgatory to a team that seemingly has its future core. It obviously starts with No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, but pay attention to Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey, too. Also, Jerami Grant proved that he’s a capable No. 1 option, though he wore down as last season progressed. The future is bright in Detroit, and this should be one of your League Pass teams. Just don’t expect too many wins.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (title odds: +50000)

There might be more hope here than you think. I’m not a huge fan of the Sexland backcourt, but Colin Sexton did rack up 24.3 points per game last season, and Darius Garland averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists. Jarrett Allen brings rim protection. Ricky Rubio is a steady third guard. But so much for Cleveland depends on No. 3 pick Evan Mobley. Some evaluators believed he was the top prospect in last year’s draft class. If he explodes out of the gate and the Cavs shore up their leaky defense, they could make this ranking look silly.

25. San Antonio Spurs (title odds: +25000)

This is a prime example of what happens when a team doesn’t commit to a direction. The Spurs have a bunch of solid young players (Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV, Devin Vassell), but without a star or primary shot-creator, each is operating a wrung higher in the pecking order than he should be.

24. Minnesota Timberwolves (title odds: +22500)

The Wolves will score — a lot. The offense clicked last season once Chris Finch took over coaching duties, and the combination of Karl-Anthony Towns and the maturing Anthony Edwards will give opponents fits. The problems will come on the other end of the floor. D'Angelo Russell is a turnstile, and Towns has never shown any interest in defending.

23. Sacramento Kings (title odds: +20000)

The Kings had the league’s worst defensive rating last season — 1.2 points per 100 possessions worse than the 29th-ranked Blazers.

22. Washington Wizards (title odds: +12500)

The Wizards are super deep, which is good. And the Bradley Beal-Spencer Dinwiddie backcourt should give opponents fits. The bad news: Beal is just a season away from being an unrestricted free agent. If the Wizards get off to a slow start, will they be forced to trade him?

21. New Orleans Pelicans (title odds: +8500)

Zion Williamson is still recovering from offseason foot surgery, still not running, still no timetable for a return — not great. A bad defense losing one of its better defenders in Lonzo Ball — also not great. The general vibes around the Pelicans — super not great.

20. Indiana Pacers (title odds: +10000)

Swapping in-over-his-head Nate Bjorkgren for Rick Carlisle should provide a nice boost. The Pacers are deep with a bunch of high-level players. Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert are all legitimate NBA starters. Sabonis and Brogdon are All-Star-caliber. The question is how it all fits together. Carlisle is an X's-and-O’s genius; maybe he can unlock a higher ceiling. If not, the Pacers are prime candidates for an in-season trade.

19. Toronto Raptors (title odds: +10000)

The Raptors will miss Kyle Lowry, but they return home after spending last season in Tampa Bay. They’re still thin at center, though, and Pascal Siakam struggled last season under the burden of the No. 1 option. The Raptors are good enough to compete for a play-in spot. The question is if they want to — or would they rather net a high draft pick.

18. Charlotte Hornets (title odds: +12000)

Sure, they outperformed their point differential last season, but I’m buying everything about the Hornets. LaMelo Ball is electric. Terry Rozier is one of the league’s most underrated players (Did you know he drilled 45% of his 3s last season?). Gordon Hayward remains steady, and Miles Bridges looks poised for a big leap. The Hornets are built for the future, but that doesn’t mean they can’t crash the play-in once again this year.

17. Chicago Bulls (title odds: +8000)

Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević should form one of most potent duos in the league — and will likely surrender as many points as they rack up. Still, I love the fit of Lonzo Ball (a perfect backcourt partner for LaVine) with this group, and DeMar DeRozan should help diversify the offense. I expect the Bulls to be really good. The issue is that the Eastern Conference is suddenly loaded.

16. Memphis Grizzlies (title odds: +8000)

This is another team more concerned about its future than its present. But even so, Ja Morant is a stud, and head coach Taylor Jenkins has shown in his two seasons at the helm that he knows how to maximize his roster and put together an elite defense. The player to watch here is Jaren Jackson Jr., who played just four games last season due to a meniscus tear. Can he be Morant’s running mate for the future, or will he top out as an above-average stretch-5?

15. New York Knicks (title odds: +6600)

The combination of a Tom Thibodeau defense with a suddenly stacked offensive roster should have MSG rocking. The Knicks won’t match last season’s No. 4 seed, but if Julius Randle equals his output from last season, New York might have enough firepower to sneak into the Eastern Conference top six.

14. LA Clippers (title odds: +1600)

Kawhi Leonard is just a just a few months removed from ACL surgery. No one knows when he plans to return, but given his history, it’s fair to assume we won’t see him back on the court at least until the playoffs. Can Paul George carry the load for an entire season? Do the Clippers have a capable No. 2? I’m dubious about both.

13. Portland Trail Blazers (title odds: +5000)

Defense and depth held the Blazers back the past couple of years. They owned the NBA’s second-worst defensive rating last season, which is how a team with the league’s second-most potent offense — and a superstar such as Damian Lillard — can flame out in the first round of the playoffs. A healthy Jusuf Nurkic in the middle should help plug some of those holes. The addition of Larry Nance and the jettisoning of Enes Kanter and Carmelo Anthony certainty will. One problem: So far this preseason, Portland players have had trouble adjusting to new head coach Chauncey Billups’ more aggressive schemes. Like the Wizards, this is a team that needs to get off to a strong start. If not, will Lillard grow antsy?

12. Atlanta Hawks (title odds: +3500)

I don’t feel great about this slot, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hawks end up as the 3-seed in the East. They were 27-11 under Nate McMillan last season, and we saw during the playoffs just how good they can be. Another year of growth from Trae Young, plus a healthy season from De'Andre Hunter, plus all that depth could create a regular-season juggernaut. Why are the Hawks so low here? The depth in the East.

11. Denver Nuggets (title odds: +2000)

If Jamal Murray were healthy, this would be my pick out of the Western Conference. The Nuggets still have reigning MVP Nikola Jokić — the best watch in the league — and there is a bit of a vacuum at the top of the West. If Michael Porter Jr. takes the leap many expect, the Nuggets might be able to fill it.

10. Dallas Mavericks (title odds: +3000)

Jason Kidd’s track record as a coach is, well, not great. But even he can’t screw up Luka Dončić. Kidd’s first order of business will be figuring out a way to reengage Kristaps Porzingis. But it’s also on the front office to find Dončić a teammate who can generate some offense.

9. Philadelphia 76ers (title odds: +1600)

I have no idea what to make of the Sixers. Now it seems like Ben Simmons is returning to Philadelphia, but does that mean he plans to play? And if he does, will his teammates be cool with it? And if they are, will Daryl Morey still try to deal him? And where is Simmons’ head at? It’s possible everything clicks into place — or Morey finds a deal he likes and nets a more potent partner for Joel Embiid. But right now, there are too many questions surrounding this group.

8. Golden State Warriors (title odds: +1000)

I find everything about the Warriors fascinating, mostly because I’m not sure we’ve ever seen anything like them. When was the last time a team with championship aspirations had this many recent lottery picks on its roster? The Warriors have spent the past 18 months trying to thread the needle between contending now and building for the future, but now they’re ready to, as Steve Kerr put it recently, "chase wins." Obviously, they need Klay Thompson to return, but when he does, he’ll join an MVP candidate in Steph Curry and a group that somehow finished last season with the league’s fifth-best defense.

7. Miami Heat (title odds: +2500)

Can you imagine trying to score against a lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker? And maybe throw Victor Oladipo in there, too. That’s what the Heat have going for them and why no one will want to face them in the playoffs. But you need depth and scoring to survive the regular season, and the Heat might be lacking in both areas. A bounce-back season from Tyler Herro could help.

6. Boston Celtics (title odds: +4000)

It has been a strange few seasons for the Celtics, but the pairing of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remains one of the league’s best. Tatum — who will hopefully no longer have any COVID-related issues to deal with — appears primed for an MVP-level leap of his own, and bringing in Josh Richardson, Al Horford and Dennis Schroder should help bolster this group’s depth and versatility. We’ve never seen head coach Ime Udoka in the top chair, but it does seem like Brad Stevens’ voice in the huddle had grown stale and this group needed a change.

5. Phoenix Suns (title odds: +1400)

Last season's runners-up return all their primary players. The only question with the Suns is whether Chris Paul can continue to defy age and play at an All-NBA level. If he does, this team will be as good as any in the West.

4. Utah Jazz (title odds: +1400)

We know what this team is and what it does: On defense, the Jazz will funnel opposing ball handlers into Rudy Gobert, who’s going to anchor what will no doubt be a top-five unit. On offense, they’re going to bomb away from deep and ride the brilliance of Donovan Mitchell. And they’re going to win a lot of games. The questions for the Jazz will be whether they can finally replicate their regular-season success in the playoffs and bounce back from an embarrassing second-round loss to the Leonard-less Clippers. The addition of Rudy Gay could help. But it will be interesting to see how new owner Ryan Smith reacts if this core falls short once again.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (title odds: +400)

The Russell Westbrook trade was fascinating and could make things a bit, well, weird in the playoffs. Is he willing to be the third option? And whom are the Lakers going to play alongside Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis? These are valid questions, but the Western Conference appears to be weaker than in previous years, and Westbrook’s presence should make the Lakers more potent in the regular season and take some pressure off of James. Do I love that the Lakers added a bunch of guys who anchored my fantasy team in 2008? No. But don’t sleep on the additions of Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore and Kendrick Nunn.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (title odds: +800)

The defending champs return their entire core, plus a healthy Donte DiVincenzo, who will give them some much-needed depth. Yeah, yeah, they almost lost to the James Harden- and Kyrie Irving-less Nets, but this Bucks team — and more importantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo — reached a new level in the Finals. We know they’re going to bludgeon teams in the regular season. We know their defense is going to strangle opponents in the playoffs and that Giannis is going to do Giannis things. That doesn’t mean they can’t be beaten. But it will take a hell of an effort.

1. Brooklyn Nets (title odds: +230)

Who knows what happens with Irving regarding his vaccination status, but this team still has two MVPs in Harden and Kevin Durant. Add all the depth, whether it’s returning players such as Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown or free-agent signings such as Paul Millsap and Patty Mills, and you have more than enough here for a title run. As long as Durant and Harden are healthy for the playoffs, this is the team to beat.

Yaron Weitzman is an NBA writer for FOX Sports and the author of Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports. Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.