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Chad G. Held

2020 NBA Power Rankings

Updated: Nov 14, 2020


photo by All-Pro Reels, 2018, CC 2.0

updated 10/11/20



Teams Playing in Orlando:


1) Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers tied the Celtics’ record of 17 NBA championships, and LeBron James became the first player to win Finals MVP with three different teams.


2) Miami Heat – Jimmy Butler and the Heat exceeded expectations in 2020, and will enter 2021 as one of the East’s elite.


3) Boston Celtics – Despite losing to the Heat, the Celtics’ young core has a lot to look forward to in Boston.


4) Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets may have come up short against the Lakers, but the future is sky high in Denver.


5) Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks were the NBA’s best team in the regular season, but a Giannis ankle injury and a red-hot Miami team ended their party early.


6) Los Angeles Clippers – After blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Nuggets, it seems the Clipper curse may be real.


7) Toronto Raptors – The Raptors took the Celtics to the wire, but came up short in their championship defense.


8) Houston Rockets – Changes are likely in 2021, as the Rockets once again failed to meet expectations.


9) Oklahoma City Thunder – Chris Paul and the new-look Thunder gave the Rockets all they could handle in the first round.


10) Utah Jazz – Donovan Mitchell had a breakout series, but the Jazz will need to regroup after blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Nuggets.


11) Dallas Mavericks – Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis proved to be the dynamic duo Dallas was hoping for.


12) Indiana Pacers – The Sabonis-less Pacers finished the regular season on a high note, but ran into a buzz saw in the Heat.


13) Portland Trailblazers – Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and the Blazers will take the momentum of their strong finish into next season.


14) Philadelphia 76ers – The disappointing Sixers will have to decide if Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are the duo who can take them to the next level.


15) Brooklyn Nets – Despite losing Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and a host of others, the Nets played inspired ball in the bubble.


16) Orlando Magic - The Magic gave the top-seeded Bucks their all, but help is needed if they hope to be more than a 7th or 8th seed next season.


17) Phoenix Suns – The Suns were undefeated in Orlando, but unfortunately fell one game short of a playoff opportunity.


18) Memphis Grizzlies – Memphis let its lead for the eighth seed slip away, but Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. give Grizzlies fans hope for the future.


19) San Antonio Spurs – Coach Pop and the Spurs played well in the bubble, but it wasn’t enough to sneak in as the eighth seed.


20) New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson has brought energy and excitement to New Orleans, and with a strong supporting cast, the Pelicans should be a contender in 2021.


21) Sacramento Kings – Injuries have ravaged the Kings this season, but there is hope for the future in De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley and company.


22) Washington Wizards – The depleted Wizards really had no chance in the bubble, but at least some of their young players got some more experience.

Teams Not Playing in Orlando:

23) Charlotte Hornets – The league’s worst scoring offense is still looking for someone to replace Kemba Walker.


24) Atlanta Hawks – Trae Young and John Collins have energized Atlanta’s fan base, but the Hawks will have to play defense to contend for the playoffs next year.


25) Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs have an abundance of bigs, but which ones will be on next year’s roster remains to be seen.


26) New York Knicks – After some odd free agent signings and a failure to develop young talent, this season has shown the Knicks have no clear plan for the future.


27) Chicago Bulls – Zach LaVine is a star in the making, but the rest of the roster raises more questions than it answers.


28) Golden State Warriors – This has been a lost season for the Warriors, but they should be back in the mix next year.


29) Minnesota Timberwolves – The Wolves are scoring a lot and defending little, and won’t know what they have until Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell play together.


30) Detroit Pistons – Injuries and trades have left the Pistons’ cupboard bare, and fans will have to wait to see if it is restocked for next year.

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