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The NBA summer has wound down — except at the Paris Olympics — which makes it time for the NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings, summer edition. This is looking at where teams stand in the championship race heading into fall training camps. If you disagree, say so in the comments. (Note: That is last year’s record next to the team.)
1. Boston Celtics (Last season 64-18). The smart move for the defending champions was to run it back — and the Celtics’ front office is nothing if not smart. Boston locked down Jayson Tatum for another five years with a record contract and paid Derrick White to keep him in Celtics green. Boston is second apron expensive, but this is when ownership should pay up (that ownership also is looking to sell the team, a sale meant to finalize right about when this run likely starts to crumble). Boston moves forward with a locked-down core likely to add at least banner No. 19 over the next few years (if not No. 20 and…).
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25). Take the best regular season team in the West last season, then add one of the best offseasons of any franchise, and you have a serious title contender. That title contention starts with the foundation that this is a young team that gained playoff experience and will be better for it (even if the front office just stood pat). Then Sam Presti and company added an elite defensive guard Alex Caruso (stepping into Josh Giddey’s minutes) and physical center Isaiah Hartenstein to fill in a need in the paint. OKC enters next season as the team to beat in the West.
3. Dallas Mavericks (50-32). The Mavericks played in the NBA Finals after winning the rock/paper/scissors matchup showdown in the Western Conference — but can they do it again? They replaced Derrick Jones Jr. with Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall. Thompson will start and remains an elite shooter, entering a season where he is motivated to change the narrative around him (and a motivated player like that is dangerous). Marshall adds legitimate defense and depth. It’s a long road to get out of this stacked West and back to the NBA Finals, but Dallas has a real chance because Luka Doncic…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/pbts-summer-nba-power-rankings-120100141.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-29 12:01:00
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