NBA Power Rankings 2022-23: Warriors & Celtics Continue To Sit On Top

By Andrew Norton | Aug 22, 2022, 4:29pm

It is never too early for NBA Power Rankings as we head into the 2022-23 preseason. The upcoming season is roughly three months away, and now that Summer League has officially come to a close, it could feel like an eternity for avid hoop fans. Still, that does not mean we have to completely go “cold turkey” on NBA content for the whole duration.

Throughout the off-season, the Lineups.com team will continue to update the Power Rankings page based on free agency acquisitions, trades, and injuries. We will also update different odds pages regularly, including NBA MVP Odds, NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds, NBA Rookie of the Year Odds, and NBA Championship Odds.

NBA Power Rankings 2022-23

A few significant offseason transactions have already created volatility for the preseason Power Rankings. Minnesota’s acquisition of Rudy Gobert has flipped the script for the Timberwolves, who struggled a lot on the defensive end of the floor. The Timberwolves should catapultConference Standings by adding Gobert next to Karl Anthony-Towns, a weaker defender, and building around Anthony Edwards up the Western.

Additionally, there are many unanswered questions regarding the status of specific players, such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Will they end up staying in Brooklyn or getting moved to another team? These uncertainties will inevitably cause the Power Rankings to fluctuate throughout the offseason, so stay tuned!

1. Golden State Warriors

Record: 53-29
Previous Rank: 6
Offensive Rating: 112.1
Defensive Rating: 106.6
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

2. Boston Celtics

Record: 51-31
Previous Rank: 4
Offensive Rating: 113.6
Defensive Rating: 106.2
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 51-31
Previous Rank: 5
Offensive Rating: 114.3
Defensive Rating: 111.1
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

4. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 56-26
Previous Rank: 2
Offensive Rating: 114.3
Defensive Rating: 108.9
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

5. LA Clippers

Record: 42-40
Previous Rank: 19
Offensive Rating: 109.5
Defensive Rating: 109.5
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

6. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 52-30
Previous Rank: 3
Offensive Rating: 112.5
Defensive Rating: 109.1
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

7. Phoenix Suns

Record: 64-18
Previous Rank: 1
Offensive Rating: 114.2
Defensive Rating: 106.8
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

8. Denver Nuggets

Record: 48-34
Previous Rank: 8
Offensive Rating: 113.8
Defensive Rating: 111.5
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

9. New Orleans Pelicans

Record: 36-46
Previous Rank: 20
Offensive Rating: 111.2
Defensive Rating: 112.0
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

10. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 46-36
Previous Rank: 9
Offensive Rating: 113.8
Defensive Rating: 111.0
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

11. Miami Heat

Record: 53-29
Previous Rank: 7
Offensive Rating: 113.0
Defensive Rating: 108.4
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

12. Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 51-31
Previous Rank: 12
Offensive Rating: 113.0
Defensive Rating: 110.2
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

13. Brooklyn Nets

Record: 44-38
Previous Rank: 10
Offensive Rating: 113.2
Defensive Rating: 112.3
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 44-38
Previous Rank: 17
Offensive Rating: 111.0
Defensive Rating: 108.9
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

15. Chicago Bulls

Record: 46-36
Previous Rank: 15
Offensive Rating: 112.7
Defensive Rating: 113.2
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

16. Atlanta Hawks

Record: 43-39
Previous Rank: 16
Offensive Rating: 115.4
Defensive Rating: 113.7
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

17. Toronto Raptors

Record: 48-34
Previous Rank: 11
Offensive Rating: 112.1
Defensive Rating: 109.9
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

18. Charlotte Hornets

Record: 43-39
Previous Rank: 14
Offensive Rating: 113.6
Defensive Rating: 113.1
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

19. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 33-49
Previous Rank: 25
Offensive Rating: 110.0
Defensive Rating: 112.8
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

20. Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 27-55
Previous Rank: 29
Offensive Rating: 107.3
Defensive Rating: 116.3
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

21. Sacramento Kings

Record: 30-52
Previous Rank: 24
Offensive Rating: 109.6
Defensive Rating: 114.8
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

22. New York Knicks

Record: 37-45
Previous Rank: 18
Offensive Rating: 109.7
Defensive Rating: 110.2
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

23. Utah Jazz

Record: 49-33
Previous Rank: 13
Offensive Rating: 116.2
Defensive Rating: 110.0
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

24. Washington Wizards

Record: 35-47
Previous Rank: 26
Offensive Rating: 110.2
Defensive Rating: 113.6
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

25. Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 24-58
Previous Rank: 30
Offensive Rating: 103.8
Defensive Rating: 111.7
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

26. Orlando Magic

Record: 22-60
Previous Rank: 22
Offensive Rating: 103.9
Defensive Rating: 112.1
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

27. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 34-48
Previous Rank: 21
Offensive Rating: 111.9
Defensive Rating: 111.7
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

28. Detroit Pistons

Record: 23-59
Previous Rank: 23
Offensive Rating: 105.6
Defensive Rating: 113.3
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

29. Indiana Pacers

Record: 25-57
Previous Rank: 27
Offensive Rating: 111.9
Defensive Rating: 115.5
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Eastern Conference:

30. Houston Rockets

Record: 20-62
Previous Rank: 28
Offensive Rating: 108.1
Defensive Rating: 116.4
NBA Championship Odds:
To Win Western Conference:

Note: The last NBA Power Rankings update was with ten games left in the 2021-22 regular season. Therefore, previous ranks will not reflect a respective team’s actual position at the end of the season, including the playoffs. Additionally, offensive and defensive ratings were calculated for the regular season as many teams did not make the postseason.

NBA Power Rankings Analysis

As expected, the Golden State Warriors will head into the 2022-23 NBA regular season as the No. 1 team in the Lineups.com Power Rankings. Golden State made this last playoff run look easy, never going more than six games in any given series. The Warriors will return everyone except for Otto Porter Jr and Gary Payton II.

While those are two big hits to their bench, they were able to bring in athletic guard Donte DiVincenzo and veteran forward JaMychal Green to replace their losses. With Steph Curry showing no signs of slowing and Andrew Wiggins only elevating his game, particularly on the defensive end, this team is destined for another deep playoff run. Things only get scarier when you consider that James Wiseman will likely be back from his injury and ready to give great bench minutes.

Coming in at No. 2 on the preseason Power Rankings is the Boston Celtics. Boston put up a valiant effort in the NBA Finals against one of the greatest dynasties in history but came up just short. Luckily, the C’s addressed their problems of missing a true lead guard and facilitator and traded with the Indiana Pacers to acquire Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon could push the C’s over the metaphorical hump into greatness next season as long as he stays healthy. In Indy, Brogdon struggled to stay on the floor, which is the only reason that Boston is ranked second.

Other teams that I am super high on heading into the 2022-23 NBA season are the New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets. Denver made it to the playoffs last season with a respectable record without Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. With those two presumably healthy, Denver has a chance to have one of the best offenses in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic has been putting up some of the most ridiculous stats we have seen in the modern-day NBA; the advanced analytics tend to agree. Jokic is fresh off back-to-back MVP campaigns and is just entering his proverbial prime.

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team with a similar situation: they missed their best player last season. It is hard to evaluate the quality of the team properly the Pels will be because these players have not all been on the floor at the same time.

Still, the potential lineup of Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Jonas Valanciunas is too impressive to ignore. New Orleans should shock many NBA fans this season as long as it stays healthy and Zion resembles the player he was before his lower extremity injury.

Andrew Norton

Drew is a lead NBA writer at Lineups.com where he has been covering in-season basketball coverage to the NBA Draft. He is a former collegiate player who now spends time diving into NBA prospects and evaluating the analytics of the NBA.