Although the season has already started, I’m still going to post all of my predictions as I made them prior the season starting:

15. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 18-64

Power-rating: 1 

      The 9th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sochan is a self described disruptor and draws comparisons to guys like Draymond Green and Jae Crowder. These types of players often impact winning, but Sochan won’t be doing that for some time as this Spurs team is about as raw and underdeveloped as it gets. 

Two cents in two sentences: Devin Vassel and Keldon Johnson might be great fantasy grabs, but this team is too young and too underdeveloped to come in anything but last in this year’s competitive Western conference. Jakob Poetl and Jeremy Sochan are two other players to watch, but otherwise I’d give this team no more thought as they’re completely building from the ground up. 

14. Utah Jazz

Record: 22-60

Power-Rating: 2 (Currently could be playing at even a 5, but I still think they will trade down and be a 2 by the end of the season)

Having been traded from Cleveland in the Mitchell deal, Sexton is an energetic score first guard who is likely to put up some numbers in order to peak interest from potential trade suitors as most of the competent NBA players on this team are likely to be moved by the end of the season.

So there are a lot of solid nba players on this team due to Ainge’s shrewd negotiating skills and that’s already posing a problem for his apparent blow-up plan as they’re currently 3-0. I do still believe, however, that Ainge will use these players’ competent performances in order to garner more value from them and is likely to trade this team away until they look like something closer to the Spurs. 

13. Oklahoma City Thunder  

Record 25-57

Rating: 3 (Without Chet and Shai not playing consistently)

Josh Giddey surprised and impressed all as he played in summer league after already establishing himself as a top tier rookie the year prior and showed a lot of chemistry with now injured rookie Chet Holmgren. An incredible playmaker who could take over the league if he can master his jump-shot, Giddey will be a blast to watch even if the Thunder do decide to take for the hundredth time. 

This was going to be the most exciting you new team to watch until Chet Holmgren got injured for the season, but the thunder are known for not playing SGA consistently in order to lower their record and increase chances of a high-value draft pick and I’d wager they’ll continue to do so this year as Wembanyama seems as if he could have been built in a lab for the OKC front office. The one question for me here is how will SGA respond to another year with limited minutes and the promise of winning down the road yet again, which could result in some exciting moves before the trade deadline. 

12. Houston Rockets 

Rating: 3 

Record: 30-52 

While most of the rookie spotlight in Houston has been on Jabari Smith Jr, no. 17 pick Tari Eason is likely to prove himself as a defensive force as he recorded 2 blocks and 1 steal while even surprising fans by shooting 3-4 from deep. 

I have this team winning more games tha OKC simply because I believe they’ll do their best to compete with their prospective young core all healthy and ready to play. Their starting lineup boasts offensive threat Jalen Green, their two dynamic rookies Smith and Eason, the average  NBA nerd’s favorite new rim protector Alperin Sengun, and point guard Kevin Porter Jr. and could turn the Rockets into a competing playoff team a few years down the road. 

11. Portland Trailblazers 

Power-Rating: 4 

Record: 34-48

    The no. 7 overall pick in this years draft was shrouded in mystery and expected to be a long-term development project with potentially high upside that would likely spend a lot of time in the G-League, but appears to have proven himself worthy of cracking into the rotation and scored 12 points in 16 minutes in his career debut (he also had an awesome steal off of Lebron James last night that I’m hoping is now a highlight). It’s still early, but I’m thinking Sharpe is going to prove to be the high-volume scorer scouts have hoped he’d be. 

I primarily gave this team a 4 out of respect for Lillard and that was not proving to pay off until last night, but I’m still doubtful he’s going to be able consistently score his team’s way to the play-in, which he once was more than capable of doing. He also has young scoring guard Anfernee Simons beside him, who’s incredible shooter yet a terrible defender, as well as Jeremy Grant and Nurkic, who could definitely be in the conversation the most overwhelming second and third star combo in the league, so ultimately this team just comes up short in so many ways that I believe will ultimately hold them back from making the play-in.