That at least makes it easier to imagine a future in which things improve for Phoenix as is. Los Angeles has floundered even with James and Anthony Davis healthy and playing superbly, while the elusiveness of the Suns’ Big Three has loomed over them all season. Phoenix Suns (20-18): The case for Suns over Lakers is ironically Phoenix’s unreliable health. Los Angeles has a bottom-10 offense to fix.ġ0. That’s the effect of having LeBron James or Steph Curry on your roster, especially with time running out on their careers: The instinct has to be to treat every season as a win-now situation, even with a losing record as the trade deadline nears. Los Angeles Lakers (19-20): Like Golden State, the Lakers could be one splashy trade away from turning their season around. And if anyone can derail this season even more, it’s also Draymond Green.ġ1. If anyone can revive those qualities, it’s Draymond Green.

Golden State Warriors (17-20): Coach Steve Kerr candidly said the Warriors deserved to be booed by their home crowd this week, noting the team has lost its spirit and confidence. The floor is low, but the ceiling is still conceivably high.ġ2. 500 and the edge of the Western Conference playoff picture, each anchored by an aging all-time great player and supplemented by other Hall of Fame talent. The three most difficult teams to rank - each floating around. Jalen Brunson’s Knicks can at least give the top seeds a scare. A starting lineup featuring Anunoby’s plug-and-play clamps and former Nugget Isaiah Hartenstein replacing Mitchell Robinson at center registered a 20.9 net rating in those first five games together. They won their first five games after the Toronto trade. Anunoby, the Knicks clearly got better in the short term. New York Knicks (22-16): Whether or not they mortgaged too many of their young assets for O.G. But the Pelicans were in even better position this time last year, before Zion Williamson’s season-ending injury. They have a generational prospect starting to enter what should be his prime. New Orleans Pelicans (23-15): They have depth. The Kings have defensive issues, but they’re fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio and have gained the requisite playoff experience to be taken more seriously, assuming they get back this season.ġ4. Sacramento Kings (23-14): De’Aaron Fox was already ascending, and then a 32% career 3-point shooter suddenly added perimeter touch to his game. So without further ado … Winning and showing conference finals potentialġ5. That makes for more complex decisions taking into account ceiling, conference depth and trade deadline potential, rather than simply win-loss record.

Who’s the biggest threat to dethrone Denver? Rather than a typical power ranking, which captures a specific moment in time, the 15 teams listed in this exercise are ranked by 2024 NBA championship capability based on the sample size so far. In celebration of the halfway point, it’s about time for a championship check-in. The Nuggets play their 41st game of 2023-24 on Sunday, crossing the halfway point of the regular season.Īnd what a fascinating regular season it has been around the NBA. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu

Denver nuggets ranking 2022