NBA: Power Ranking: How well does LeBron do the Lakers?

Finally it’s time – in the night on Wednesday the NBA season 2018/19 starts! SPOX-NBA editor Ole Frerks will present his first Power Ranking of the season on this occasion. The opening matches between Boston and Philadelphia as well as Golden State and OKC can be seen on DAZN from 2am.

No other team is as obviously tank-tastic as the Hawks, who made no secret of their intentions last season. But with Trae Young the rebuild has a face at least and the No.5-Pick should provide at least for one or the other offensive spectacle. One can look forward to praise between him and John Collins. But how fun it is otherwise … at least the team should now get more and more the handwriting of General Manager Travis Schlenk missed.

The rookie season of De’Aaron Fox was not a triumphal move, he was not even the best rookie within the team in Sacramento (that was Bogdan Bogdanovic). Nevertheless, the young Playmaker has at least shown approaches that give the Kings hope. Fox is supposed to make a young team around the (far too many) Big Men like Marvin Bagley, Harry Giles, Willie Cauley-Stein or Skal Labissiere relevant again sooner or later. However, this is not yet realistic for the coming season. Please note: Cauley-Stein will be Restricted Free Agent next year.

When Kristaps Porzingis will be available to the Knicks is unclear. And even with the Latvian there would be a lack of quality at the back and front. Kevin Knox has a lot of potential, but will not be a star immediately, while Frank Ntilikina has only been able to show this potential defensively so far. The new coach David Fizdale will give the Knicks a certain culture and professionalism, but much more will not be possible for the time being. The focus is already on the coming summer, when New York wants to attract another Kevin with Cap Space, Kristaps and Knox.

The Magic-Rebuild enters its seventh season. In this respect, it is frightening how few top talents can still be found in the Roster. Especially since Aaron Gordon would be the best quasi-franchise player on the Four – and the greatest talents Mo Bamba and Jonathan Isaac are also Big Men. Just like Nikola Vucevic … this cadre still makes only limited sense. One or two trades should eventually create more balance between back and front court. In the meantime we enjoy Bamba, perhaps the greatest mystery of this draft class.

The Suns were last season on last place in the offensive as well as in the defensive rating – so it can’t get any worse! However, a dramatic improvement is not to be expected either. Phoenix still has no point guard (Jamal Crawford doesn’t count), Devin Booker missed the training camp. About a week ago GM Ryan McDonough was fired. At least you can look forward to Deandre Ayton, who looks like a beast, and the next development steps of Booker, Josh Jackson and Co. But not to many victories.

Chicago undoubtedly has a certain offensive quality, and perhaps Hometown hero Jabari Parker will flourish as the sixth man for the Bulls. But there won’t be any heaps of victories. Parker, Bobby Portis and Lauri Markkanen would all be best served on the Four. Defense is played almost nobody in the whole squad (Parker, after all, out of conviction), whereby one can be curious about Rookie Wendell Carter, who looks very “ready”. The season will also be a test run for the Bulls – not least for coach Fred Hoiberg.

Now we will see how justified it was that in the course of the past playoffs experts “hacked around” on LeBron’s supporting cast. Prognosis: Quite justified. Cleveland has a bunch of expensive veterans who are past their zenith, and a new hope carrier in Collin Sexton who will need some time. Somewhere in between is Kevin Love, who could be in the spotlight again like he was in Minnesota – but is that a good thing for the 30-year-old? After a playoff team, the Cavs don’t look like either way.

There is a scenario where the nets reach the playoffs. And yes, that would be another devastating sign for the East. But Brooklyn is definitely the place to go: Coach Kenny Atkinson has a modern ball playing, the Nets in Caris LeVert or Allen Crabbe have decent wings with some perspective and a promising Big in Jarrett Allen. How far this season can go depends mainly on D’Angelo Russell – slowly it’s time for the No.2 pick of 2015 to transform its potential into quality. His Restricted Free Agency is coming up.

Kemba Walker is going into his last contract year and it is not really clear in which direction he and his team will go. The new coach James Borrego is supposed to teach Charlotte a new philosophy, but neither he nor newcomer Tony Parker solve the following problem: There is simply a lack of upside-down, and the Hornets carry around various contracts that are far too expensive. The biggest hopes are Malik Monk and No.12-Pick Miles Bridges, despite a sometimes catastrophic rookie season – this one at least has great highlight potential.

Two years ago it would have been said that a fitter Marc Gasol and a fitter Mike Conley Jr. should automatically make the Grizzlies competitive. But after Conley missed the last season almost completely and Gasol is 33 years old (and significantly slower), it doesn’t seem so sure anymore. Rookie Jaren Jackson looked very strong at least in the preseason and good defense should be guaranteed by this trio as well as newcomer Kyle Anderson on most days. But are the bones holding this time?

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