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NBA Power Rankings: Reshuffling every tier of contenders

By Jakob Ashlin

Feb 2, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) drives past Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) drives past Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA tier rankings
Dec 14, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (1) moves the ball as center Rudy Gobert (27) provides coverage against Los Angeles Clippers guard Reggie Jackson (1) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

NBA Power Rankings Tier 3: King-slayers

These teams do not have enough to win the championship, but given the right circumstances, they can upset a higher seed in the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards has established himself as a superstar. So, what are the Timberwolves going to get from his supporting cast? This season, the Timberwolves bench has a total plus/minus of minus-186, which is troubling. Losing Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt has clearly hurt the team’s depth.

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns has been sidelined since November. Rudy Gobert is 25th in the NBA in defensive win shares, but he has been vulnerable to small ball lineups in the past. They just do not have the personnel to win multiple playoff rounds in the West.

Atlanta Hawks

On paper, the Hawks should be one of the best teams in the East. Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, John Collins, Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey, and A.J. Griffin comprise a talented rotation. However, they have a 29-30 record, and head coach Nate McMillan was just fired.

In 2021, Young averaged 28.8 points and 9.5 assists in the postseason, as he guided the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals. Since then, the Hawks have surrounded him with more talent (Murray, Bey). It’s far from a guarantee, but the Hawks have the potential to upset a higher seed in the playoffs.

New York Knicks

The Knicks are flying under the radar. Jalen Brunson is fourth among point guards in win shares (7.3), and Julius Randle has returned to All-NBA form, averaging career-highs in points (24.8) and rebounds (10.8).

RJ Barrett’s performance is the key to furthering their potential in the postseason. Barrett is shooting an underwhelming 42.8 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from 3. The 22-year-old has scored 30+ points in six games this season, though, including a 44-point game against the Chicago Bulls.

Portland Trail Blazers

Admittedly, I might be higher on the Blazers than others. That is mainly because of Damian Lillard.

Quick flashback: Lillard took the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals in 2018. Outside of Lillard, their leading scorers during that run in order were CJ McCollum, Enes Freedom, Rodney Hood, Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Zach Collins.

In Lillard’s most recent playoff run, he averaged 34.3 points and 10.2 assists, while shooting 44.9 percent from 3-point range.

Lillard is good enough to win a series by himself. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant have the talent to play at an All-Star level on any given night. The Blazers advancing to the second round is not as far-fetched as it sounds.

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