NBA Power Rankings: 30 Words for 30 Teams

Welcome to theScore's biweekly rankings of all 30 teams, where you'll find roughly 30 words on your favorite team every other week through the end of the season.

1. Golden State Warriors

A team that won 140 games over the last two years and came within minutes of repeating as champions replaced Harrison Barnes with Kevin Durant.

Dan Gilbert will pay a titanic sum to surround LeBron James with the same supporting cast that helped him finally bring a championship to Cleveland, and one James should carry back to The Finals come June.

3. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs had one of the greatest (regular) seasons ever last year, but there could be consequences for replacing Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw, and David West with Pau Gasol, David Lee, and Dewayne Dedmon.

4. Los Angeles Clippers

When healthy, the Clippers' Big Three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan can compete with anyone, but L.A.'s depth keeps it from the top tier.

5. Toronto Raptors

There are serious questions in the frontcourt, but Toronto has the elite talent (Kyle Lowry), the overall depth, and the roster continuity to hold off Boston.

6. Boston Celtics

With Al Horford aboard, Boston should finally have the talent necessary to win its first playoff series in five years, but the Celtics remain another big acquisition away from true contention.

7. Oklahoma City Thunder

The destruction Russell Westbrook leaves in his wake, the rebounding prowess of the team's big men, and OKC's athleticism can negate some of its deficiencies - like shooting.

8. Utah Jazz

George Hill addresses a weak backcourt that often dragged the Jazz down. If their impressive frontcourt stays healthy - Gordon Hayward is already hurt - Utah's playoff drought will end in a big way.

9. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets' offense might take a step back, but given the return of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, there is probably room for improvement on their ninth-ranked defense.

10. Memphis Grizzlies

The battered Grizzlies were a shell of themselves by the end of last season, but if Memphis is led by a healthy Marc Gasol and gets anything of value from Chandler Parsons, it can still make some noise come spring.

11. Houston Rockets

Patrick Beverley's injury further weakens a porous defense, but Houston's combination of James Harden, Mike D'Antoni, and shooters should result in an elite offense.

12. Detroit Pistons

They'll need Reggie Jackson back, but last season's breakthrough was likely only a precursor to a Pistons team ready to contend for a top-four seed.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves

Throw a sophomore Karl-Anthony Towns, Tom Thibodeau, Andrew Wiggins, and a boatload of young talent together, and what do you get? A playoff team.

14. Portland Trail Blazers

Portland's surprising 2015-16 season essentially came down to a seven-week stretch in which the Blazers went 18-4, and they're bringing back a bottom-10 defense.

15. Washington Wizards

During Ernie Grunfeld's 13 years in charge of the Wizards, Washington has posted five winning seasons and cycled through five head coaches. A return to the postseason should help Grunfeld keep his job.

16. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have enough to remain a bottom-four playoff team, but if they're merely that, what happens to potential UFA Paul Millsap at the trade deadline?

17. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have the makings of a 6-8 seed. If they're much better than that, as some have predicted, expect Paul George to be a legitimate MVP threat.

18. Chicago Bulls

Fred Hoiberg wanted the Bulls to run and shoot, so Gar Forman surrounded Jimmy Butler with Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, and Michael Carter-Williams. So much for that, Fred.

19. Dallas Mavericks

Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut represent the latest edition of Dallas' second-tier offseason acquisitions after failing to land big fish, though this wouldn't be the first time Dirk Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle have been counted out.

20. Denver Nuggets

If preseason numbers mean anything to you, Danilo Gallinari averaged more than 17 points in less than 24 minutes - on a true shooting percentage of 82.6.

21. Orlando Magic

Frank Vogel and Serge Ibaka should be able to make the most of a Magic roster with tantalizing defensive potential, but points will be hard to come by.

22. New York Knicks

Derrick Rose hasn't been a quality NBA player in nearly a half-decade. Joakim Noah is a step slow after missing 68 games over the last two years. A more relevant Knicks team doesn't mean a better one.

23. New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis is good enough to turn in an MVP-caliber season and drag this broken-down team to the playoffs, but first, he has to prove he can play more than 68 games in a season.

24. Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks would have been a legitimate threat to return to the postseason, but Khris Middleton's absence robs them of too much on both ends of the court.

25. Miami Heat

After a tumultuous split with Dwyane Wade and the expected parting of ways with Chris Bosh, Pat Riley's fading torch is now being carried by a handsomely paid Hassan Whiteside.

26. Phoenix Suns

There's an unlikely if-everything-goes-right path to playoff contention for Phoenix, and the Suns have one of the league's most attractive combinations of young talent and trade assets.

27. Los Angeles Lakers

The good news: There might be enough young upside and veteran talent here to lift the Lakers out of the West basement. The bad news: They owe a top-three-protected pick to Philadelphia.

28. Sacramento Kings

This might seem way too low for Sacramento, but this team's floor is essentially DeMarcus Cousins sharing the court with cinders from a dumpster fire. Welcome to Basketball Hell.

29. Philadelphia 76ers

Ben Simmons' preseason injury put an early damper on what was supposed to be an uplifting year in Philly, but look on the bright side, Sixers fans. Joel Embiid is playing basketball, and you're not Brooklyn.

30. Brooklyn Nets

Let's end on a positive note. Who here realized that Brook Lopez has actually suited up for 145 games over the last two seasons?