Rank the best five NBA teams heading into the 2021-22 season

[insidehoops]

Who do you say are the five best NBA teams as we enter the 2021-22 season?

And feel free to include an honorable mention or two, if necessary.

[DoctorP]

Bucks - The champs
Nets - If Kyrie gets vaxxed they should be able to push the Bucks
Suns - A year older, can they repeat their success?
Nuggets - Injuries derailed them but they are pretty stacked
Jazz - A defensive misstep ended their season, can they adjust?

[Full Court]

1. Lakers

Gap

2. Nets
3. Bucks
4. Suns
5. Dallas

I don't think there's a gap between the Lakers and Nets at all. It's a tossup for top two. And I don't see Dallas as being a top team. I'm going to go out on a limb and replace Dallas with Miami. Heat are going to shock everyone this year.





Honorable mentions to the Bulls and the Warriors.

[fsvr54]

1. Hawks
2. Nets
3. Bucks
4. Nuggets
5. Lakers

[insidehoops]

Serious rankings, please!

[MadDog]

1 Nets
2 Lakers
3 Bucks
4 Suns
5 Clippers when healthy, but Miami until proven otherwise

[fsvr54]

Serious rankings, please!

Mine is 100% serious. I don't follow narratives

[NBAGOAT]

Nets. easy favorite imo. Best big 3 in league with really good supporting pieces too. will be a historic offense, defense is a bit underrated. They dont play any awful defenders and only harden/kyrie are below average. Getting rid of deandre is addition by subtraction.

Bucks. gotta give the defending champs some credit. Think they'll have a better regular season that last year with less covid issues, another year for their big 3 together, and being used to playing other defensive schemes now. Milwaukee wasnt as dominant last regular season because bud was trying new things on defense besides drop coverage. Holiday/Giannis/Lopez can anchor better than just the 10th best defense. Made some nice small upgrades in grayson and hill.

Lakers. More talented big 3 than bucks but they're relying on one of their young guards to break out or the supporting cast isnt special. Also room for regression from multiple guys due to age. They'll still be really good and be top 10 on defense since with vogel(but I doubt they'll be top 5).

Jazz. I like them over suns. Suns have more upside for sure but the Jazz were a historically good regular season team by srs with a huge edge over any other team and then got injured in the playoffs. conley/ingles definitely could be worse but mitchell should get even better too and I could see bojan back at the level he was 2 years ago, slumped a little last year. Also for the suns, paul is so old and yes he was still their best player last year.

Heat. I'm on the hype train. They're a top 5 defense and I think offense is a little underrated because they dont have good spacing. They still have great talented though I think it'll be like an average offense. Really like their big 3 and how they fit. It's not likely but herro or oladipo being all star caliber players could make them almost a superteam. PF position does worry me a bit, tucker is pretty useless during regular season now and only have markieff to back him up. They need one 3nD guy imo who can backup jimmy and play some 4(james ennis would be solid)

If nuggets or clippers or healthy, I would put them above the jazz but they're not.

[k0kakw0rld]

Lakers
Nets
Bucks
Nuggets (Jamal Murray is coming back + Jokic)
Jazz (As long as Gobert is healthy they will be top-seeded)

[Manny98]

Lakers
Nets
Bucks
Nuggets (Jamal Murray is coming back + Jokic)
Jazz (As long as Gobert is healthy they will be top-seeded)
Jazz aren't even top 10 :oldlol:

[Xiao Yao You]

Jazz aren't even top 10 :oldlol:

poor Manny :facepalm

[Cold soul]

Lakers
Nets
Bucks
Nuggets
Jazz

[hold this L]

Are we including RS or PS? Because Jazz are top 5 if we talk RS, and those jobbers are definitely not in the top 5 if we look into the PS. Especially Rudy's lanky ass getting exposed via small ball.

[Kobe_Bryant]

#1 Bucks
#2 Nuggets
#3 Suns
#4 Jazz
#5 Nets

size/age/health/chemistry matters

[Axe]

No excuses for kong and the lakers.

[FultzNationRISE]

Anyone putting the Lakers in the top half of the league is not being serious.


LeCarryTheLoad is facing the biggest uphill challenge any star has ever faced in history this season.

A mere playoff birth would be legendary.

[Axe]

Anyone putting the Lakers in the top half of the league is not being serious.


LeCarryTheLoad is facing the biggest uphill challenge any star has ever faced in history this season.

A mere playoff birth would be legendary.
...

[Jasper]

nets
bucks
lakers
utah
hawks

[Wally450]

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. Lakers
4. Suns
5. Nuggets

for the heck of it...

6. Jazz
7. Clippers
8. Heat
9. Hawks
10. Warriors

[Sportal]

Erm... For the people ranking the Clippers so high... I think I just expected Kawhi to be around... But I don't even think he is actually going to play next season... It's Kawhi............................

So I guess:

Nets
Lakers
Bucks
Suns/Nuggets
Warriors?

[clipps]

Lakers suck.:lol

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Erm... For the people ranking the Clippers so high... I think I just expected Kawhi to be around... But I don't even think he is actually going to play next season... It's Kawhi............................

So I guess:

Nets
Lakers
Bucks
Suns/Nuggets
Warriors?

That's probably my list. And ya, the Dubs are a darkhorse... At full strength, they got another run in them.

[NugzFan]

Erm... For the people ranking the Clippers so high... I think I just expected Kawhi to be around... But I don't even think he is actually going to play next season... It's Kawhi............................

So I guess:

Nets
Lakers
Bucks
Suns/Nuggets
Warriors?

Why did you list 6 teams?

[Sportal]

Why did you list 6 teams?

Because I wasn't sure who was going to have a better season than the Warriors. It might be both, it might be one, it might be neither...

[NugzFan]

Because I wasn't sure who was going to have a better season than the Warriors. It might be both, it might be one, it might be neither...

But it said rank the best five teams

[Sportal]

But it said rank the best five teams

Some people didn't even list anything, did you want something? You have my attention.

[insidehoops]

Bump!

[Thenameless]

Lakers
Nets
Bucks
Nuggets
Heat

[Nike D'Antoni]

1 - Nets
2 - Bucks
3 - Clippers
4 - Warriors
5 - Nuggets


Sorry Jazz,Heat and Suns fans. You were in consideration

[insidehoops]

Mixed feelings about the Suns this year, huh?

[LeCola]

1- Nets
2- Bucks
3- Suns
4- Lakers
5- Warriors (With health Klay)

[wagexslave]

Mixed feelings about the Suns this year, huh?

Not sure what there is to be so mixed about. The team not only made the Finals last season(whether you think they got lucky or not, they still took care of business and won the WCF in their first playoffs playing together). But also people seem to forget that they were great all regular season finishing 1 win behind the best overall record in the NBA. Shit, more importantly they DID finish #1, by a decent margin, in Win/Loss record against teams over .500.

So that confirms my suspicion that, when they were motivated to win last season, like when they knew they were playing against a winning team, they were one the hardest teams in the entire league to beat. They just played so much more efficient and unselfish on offense and hustled so hard on defense when they were motivated. And they'll be motivated af this season knowing they had the championship in their grasp, but literally just a handful of possessions not going their way could have been the difference in them choking it away. And that was with the Bucks having big matchup advantages over them when it comes to size. They're going to want to prove the haters wrong who called their playoff run a fluke too. They already looked like it in preseason, looked like they hadn't missed a step at all dominating the Lakers and Blazers, and seem like they were ready to take care of business and start the reg season hot.

And they brought back everyone important so will finally have continuity and won't have to take time building a chemistry playing together with CP3, and they filled massive holes on the bench thanks to signing Javale McGee and Landry Shamet. Ayton and Booker now have true backups that can play defense and fit our offensive style. Also the young core should only be improved as they get closer to their primes... Book/Ayton/Bridges/Johnson have all improved something new about their game each year they've been in the league. This team will having the confidence that comes with finally having good playoff experience under their belts, and also winning multiple series+making the Finals. So unless injuries happen, I just really don't see how they shouldn't be at least top 5 and wont be surprised if they finish with the best record in the NBA.

[jalbert009]

Nets
Lakers
Bucks
Sun's
Warriors

[Jasper]

Serious rankings, please!

I see how you are controlling your website ... lmao (well done Jeff)

Nets Bucks Suns Warriors Utah (no order)
Lakers if the wheels don't fall off.