Power Rankings: Week One

As the season starts today, here is a last power rankings for this upcoming week. We will release a new power rankings every Monday morning from now on. Hope you enjoy the rankings, and feel free to argue in the comment section. 

1. Golden State- The defending champs, although only went 3-4 in preseason their starters looked good, and they should be able to once again be a top team in the Western Conference. They face stiff competition in their first three games of the season as they play New Orleans twice, and Houston on the road. Golden State could go 0-3, but I think they will end the week at 2-1.
2. San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs went 2-4 in preseason, but as we all know by know, those games do not matter to these savvy veterans. Opening week has a showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder, another tune-up with the Brooklyn Nets, and then off to the east coast to play in Boston. I expect San Antonio to be 3-0 after this first week of play.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder- Oklahoma City looked good in preseason with a record of 5-1, and with their team healthy they will be a menace in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City starts the season off with San Antonio before matching up with the Magic and Nuggets. The latter two teams should be easy wins, but the Spurs game will be a close defeat, and Oklahoma City will end the week at 2-1.
4. Los Angeles Clippers- The Clippers finished preseason with a record of 3-3. They had some problems, but they should have them figured out by now, and look to have another successful regular season. The first week consists of playing Sacramento twice, and Dallas once. Los Angeles will be looking good at 3-0 to start the season.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers- Cleveland will eventually move up this chart, but with Kyrie out and LeBron battling minor injuries, I do not think they start off as hot as expected. After finishing the preseason with a record of 1-6, Cleveland starts the season on the road at Chicago and Memphis, before their home opener against the Miami Heat. Cleveland will drop one of those road games, and therefore start the season 2-1.
6. Houston Rockets- The preseason was not the best for the Rockets, who finished 3-5, but the regular season is where things count. Houston will start the year with the Denver Nuggets, then Golden State and Miami. With their high powered attack, Houston ends the first week at 2-1.
7. Memphis Grizzlies- A strong preseason for the Grizzlies, with a record of 6-1, shows they are hungry for a championship this year. Cleveland, Indiana, and Brooklyn are the first three match-ups of the year, and I think Memphis sweeps their opening week and goes 3-0.
8. Chicago Bulls- A .500 preseason, with a record of 4-4 provided excitement for the fans and their new head coach. The real question is, can Chicago finally beat LeBron. They will get an opportunity in their first game, before they make a road trip to Detroit and Brooklyn, and then back home for a game against Orlando. Chicago does not overcome LeBron but stays at the top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 3-1.
9. Atlanta Hawks- A 4-3 preseason is decent for a team not needing a lot of tune-ups. Atlanta looks to duplicate their success from last season by starting the season off with Detroit, New York, and Charlotte twice. I think Detroit and Charlotte sneak away with a game, but Atlanta pulls out wins in the other two to become 2-2 on the season.
10. New Orleans Pelicans- Preseason was a bust due to injuries, and it showed with a 3-4 record. The start of the season is not going to be easy either. New Orleans plays Golden State twice and Portland once. I think New Orleans wins one against the defending champs and defeats Portland to start the season 2-1.
11. Milwaukee Bucks- The preseason was not a successful one with a record of 2-4, but Jason Kidd was mainly using it to experiment with different roster combinations for his young team. Milwaukee starts the season off with the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, and then the Toronto Raptors. Washington has had Milwaukee’s number lately, and I think that continues, and therefore leaving Milwaukee at a 2-1 record after a week of play.
12. Washington Wizards- 4-3 in the preseason was not bad, but now we are excited to see this team show their real explosion during the regular season. Washington will play Orlando, Milwaukee, and New York to start the season, and with that schedule, start the season off 3-0.
13. Miami Heat- 4-4 preseason for a veteran bunch is expected. Miami is hard to predict for how well they will perform this season, but this opening week should be a good judgement of that. Miami plays Charlotte, Cleveland, and Houston, None of these teams will be easy, and for that reason Miami starts the season 1-2.
14. Toronto Raptors- Toronto looked good this preseason, strolling to a 5-2 record. The start of the season is not an easy one, as they face Indiana, Boston, and Milwaukee. I think Toronto squeezes by the Pacers for an opening day win, and easily beats Boston, but Milwaukee has been giving Toronto trouble, and for this reason Toronto will likely be 2-1 to start the season.
15. Indiana Pacers– Well let Paul George have mercy on us all, as he looked dominant once again in preseason, as the Pacers finished 5-2. Indiana does not have a favorable opening week, as they play Toronto, Memphis, and Utah. Indiana will likely loss the first two games, but they should be able to get it down against Utah, and start the season off at 1-2.
16. Utah Jazz- Another team at 3-4 for the preseason. Everyone has their attention on Utah for a dark horse contender, but their opening week could be overwhelming. Utah plays Detroit, Philadelphia, and Indiana. In the end, I think Utah finds a way to start the season 2-1.
17. Boston Celtics- 6-1 for the preseason was a good showing for the Boston Celtics. However, that success is not going to carry over into the opening week. WIth match-ups against Philadelphia, Toronto, and San Antonio, Boston will likely start the season off 1-2.
18. Detroit Pistons- 3-5 for the preseason was the record for Detroit. I am very excited to watch this team, as it has an excellent center, surrounded by tons of shooters. The opening week is full of tough match-ups in the form of Atlanta, Utah, and Chicago. I expect the games to be close, but Detroit slipping to 1-2 on the year.
19. Dallas Mavericks- Preseason was rough for the Mavericks as they did not win a single game, going 0-7. Dallas starts the season off against Phoenix, and then both Los Angeles’ teams. The Lakers will be a winnable game, but Phoenix will be a battle, and the Clippers will likely take it to the Mavericks. Dallas likely starts off 1-2.
20. Phoenix Suns- A record of 4-2 during the preseason shows good signs for the season ahead for the Suns. A favorable opening week, consisting of Dallas and Portland twice, should allow for Phoenix to start the season off 3-0.
21. Charlotte Hornets- The best preseason record was awarded to the Charlotte Hornets with a record of 7-1. The season starts off with Miami, before playing Atlanta twice. Charlotte should be able to snag a game from the Hawks, and start the season off 1-2.
22. Sacramento Kings- The Kings has a strong preseason showing with a record of 5-1. However, the team is on thin ice with chemistry and locker room leadership. The season does not start off easy either, with the tem playing the Clippers twice and the Lakers in between those two games. Sacramento will likely start the season off 1-2.
23. Orlando Magic- 6-2 was a good showing for a young, upstart Orlando team. However, the opening week is a brutal schedule for the young team. They have to deal with Washington, Oklahoma City, and Chicago, and this team will improve this year, but I think they start off 0-3.
24. Los Angeles Lakers- 3-5 in preseason was expected of this team, as we do not really expect much from them. Kobe will give it his all, but the rest of the roster is a mystery for production. The schedule starts off favorable, but I think with the current roster, and limited production outside of Kobe they start off 0-3, but will be an interesting team to watch.
25. New York Knicks- 4-2 was a good sight for Knicks fans this preseason, especially after last season’s debacle. The opening week is a rough one for New York. They face up against Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Washington, and with these tough match-ups will likely start 0-3, but will be a lot more competitive than last year.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves- 2-5 was rather disappointing for the young talent in Minneapolis but at least it was only preseason. Minnesota is hoping to make more strides this season, and the opening week should help make that happen. Minnesota starts of with the Lakers and Nuggets, both of which should be wins for the young Wolves. A 2-0 start will be good momentum for this team, as they look to honor the late Flip Saunders.
27. Brooklyn Nets- 2-4 in preseason was expected for this team, as not many expect anything good from them. They open the year up against Chicago, San Antonio, and Memphis, which should result in the team starting off 0-3. They biggest thing for this team is when they will start trading off their veterans for the future around Lopez and Young, if even those two are safe.
28. Portland Trailblazers- Losing LaMarcus Aldridge was huge, but luckily they have a lot of cap space next offseason, and a top lottery selection. They went 3-4 during preseason, so pretty average for the league. The opening wee is two games against the Phoenix Suns and one against the New Orleans Pelicans. These will be tough games, and with limited talent, Portland will fall to 0-3 to start the season.
29. Philadelphia 76ers- Can you tank in preseason? I am just kidding, but the 76ers did finish with a record of 2-5. They start the year off against divisional rival Boston, before playing Utah. Although this team should have some more life in them with Rookie of the Year favorite, Jahlil Okafor playing, they will likely start the year off 0-2. At least the product is improving for those loyal fans in Philadelphia.
30. Denver Nuggets- A 4-3 preseason is a success for the Denver Nuggets, who look to be a very bad team this year. They at least have Emmanuel Mudiay to build around, along with some other younger talent. Unfortunately they have a tough opening week with the likes of Houston, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City. Denver will likely start the season off 0-3.