The NBA’s Top Teams: A Tier List
Contents
- The NBA’s Top Teams A Tier List
- The NBA’s top teams A Closer Look
- The NBA’s top teams The Contenders
- The NBA’s top teams The Dark Horses
- The NBA’s top teams The Sleepers
- The NBA’s top teams The Wild Cards
- The NBA’s Top Teams: The Underdogs
- The NBA’s Top Teams: The Long Shots
- The NBA’s Top Teams: The Dark Horses
- The NBA’s Top Teams: The Underdogs
With the NBA season in Full Swing let’s take a look at the top teams in the league and break them down into tiers.
The NBA’s Top Teams A Tier List
As the NBA season comes to an end, it’s time to take a look at the teams that made the playoffs and see how they stack up against each other.
The NBA is made up of 30 teams, but only 16 make the playoffs. Of those 16 teams, there are a handful that have a realistic chance of winning the championship.
The Golden State Warriors are currently the defending champions and are looking to win their third consecutive title. They are led by two-time MVP Steph Curry and All-Stars Kevin Durant Klay Thompson and Draymond Green The Warriors are the clear-cut favorite to win the title and are in a class by themselves.
The Toronto Raptors are the second-best team in the league. They acquired All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs last offseason and he has been phenomenal for them, averaging 27.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game The Raptors also have a very good supporting cast with players like Kyle Lowry Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam.
The Milwaukee Bucks have the best record in the NBA and are led by reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo The Bucks have been one of the best Defensive Teams in the league all season long and also have a very good offense. They acquired All-Star forward Khris Middleton in a trade with the Detroit Pistons last offseason and he has been a great complement to Giannis.
The Houston Rockets are another team that is near the top of the league. They acquired All-Star point guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers prior to last season and he has teamed up with fellow All-Star James Harden to form one of the best backcourts in recent memory. The Rockets also added superstar forward Carmelo Anthony this season, but he has not had much of an impact and is no longer with the team.
The Philadelphia 76ers are another team that has been near the top of the league all season long. They acquired All-Star center Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves last offseason and he has been great for them, averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game while playing excellent defense. The Sixers also have two young stars in Joel Embiidand Ben Simmons who were both drafted in 2016 (Embiid was actually drafted in 2014 but missed his first two seasons due to injury).
The NBA’s top teams A Closer Look
The NBA’s landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. There are a few teams that have established themselves as the league’s elite, while others have taken big steps back. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the NBA’s top teams and see where they all stand.
In the top tier are the teams that are legitimate contenders for the NBA title These are the teams that have all the pieces in place to make a run at the championship. They have strong rosters, good coaches, and plenty of playoff experience. The Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs are all in this tier.
Just below them are the teams that could make a little noise in the playoffs, but they’re not quite on the level of the true contenders. The Boston Celtics Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors all fit into this category. They’re good teams, but they’re not quite good enough to be considered true title contenders.
The next tier is made up of the teams that are fighting for playoff berths. These are the squads that are good enough to make the playoffs, but they’re not likely to do much damage once they’re there. The Utah Jazz Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons all fall into this category.
Finally, there are the teams that are simply trying to survive. These are the cellar-dwellers of the NBA whose only goal is to try to get better for next season. The Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets all fit into this category.
The NBA’s top teams The Contenders
There are a lot of great teams in the NBA, but some stand out above the rest. These are the teams that have the best chance of winning it all this year.
The Contenders:
--Los Angeles Lakers
-Milwaukee Bucks
--Los Angeles Clippers
-Houston Rockets
-Boston Celtics
-Toronto Raptors
-Denver Nuggets
The NBA’s top teams The Dark Horses
The NBA’s landscape has changed a lot in recent years We’ve seen new superstars rise to the top, while some legacy teams have begun to fall behind. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the NBA’s top teams and break them down into tiers.
In the first tier are the title contenders: the teams that have a realistic shot at winning the NBA Finals These are the teams with superstars in their prime, deep rosters, and great coaching. They’re the favorites for a reason, and they should be feared by everyone else in the league.
The second tier consists of the playoff teams: the squads that are good enough to make some noise in the playoffs, but probably won’t be winning any championships anytime soon. These teams usually have one or two All-Stars, but they lack the depth or coaching to compete with the elites of the league.
The third tier is made up of the lottery teams: the ones that are just trying to get better and build for the future. These teams are usually young and inexperienced, and they’re more likely to lose games than win them. But if they can develop their talent, they could soon find themselves climbing up to one of the other tiers.
The NBA’s top teams The Sleepers
##The NBA’s top teams The Sleepers
With the NBA season getting underway, there are a number of teams that could surprise and make a run at the title. Here’s a look at some of the top sleepers in the NBA this season
--Portland Trail Blazers The Trail Blazers are a talented young team that made a big splash in the offseason by adding All-Star point guard Damian Lillard With a strong nucleus of players already in place, Portland could be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference
--Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves have been one of the league’s most improved teams over the past few seasons, and they should continue to make strides this year. With All-Star Power Forward Kevin Love leading the way, Minnesota has the talent to compete with anyone in the West.
-New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans made a big splash in the offseason by adding All-Star Center Demarcus Cousins to pair with Star Anthony Davis With two of the best young players in the game leading the way, New Orleans could be a dark horse contender in the West this season.
The NBA’s top teams The Wild Cards
The term “wild card” is used in sports to describe a team that is not expected to win their division or conference, but still has a chance to make the playoffs as a lower seed. In the NBA, there are a few teams each year that could be considered wild cards. These teams may have young rosters with exciting potential, or they may be veteran teams with postseason experience. Whatever the case may be, these teams always have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs. Here are a few of the NBA’s top Wild Card teams:
-The Miami Heat
-The Boston Celtics
-The Los Angeles Clippers
-The Denver Nuggets
The NBA’s Top Teams: The Underdogs
The NBA season is in full swing and there are a few teams that have been surprising everyone with their success. These underdog teams have been playing at a high level and looks like they could be contenders come playoff time. Here is a list of the top underdogs in the NBA.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the most underrated teams in the NBA. They have a lot of young talent and are led by Russell Westbrook who is one of the best players in the league. The Thunder have a record of 13-4 and are currently in second place in the Western Conference
The Indiana Pacers are another team that has been flying under the radar this season. They are led by All-Star forward Paul George and have a solid team around him. The Pacers have a record of 12-5 and are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season. They added Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns to their core last season and they have been playing great basketball together. The Timberwolves have a record of 11-6 and are currently tied for fourth place in the Western Conference
The NBA’s Top Teams: The Long Shots
The NBA’s landscape changes every year. Some teams get better, some get worse, and some just stay the same. It’s tough to predict who will end up being the best team in the league, but there are a few teams that have a chance to be great this year. Here are the NBA’s top teams, ranked from least to most likely to win the championship:
The Long Shots:
These are the teams that have a slim chance of winning it all. They may have some talent, but they’re up against some stiff competition.
-The Los Angeles Lakers
-The Houston Rockets
-The Oklahoma City Thunder
The Contenders:
These are the teams that have a real chance to win the title. They may not be the favorites, but they’re definitely in the running.
-The Golden State Warriors
-The San Antonio Spurs
-The Cleveland Cavaliers
The NBA’s Top Teams: The Dark Horses
The NBA’s landscape is always shifting, and it can be tough to keep track of who’s on the rise and who’s on the decline. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the teams that we think are the dark horses of the league –sleeping giants that could make a run at the title this season.
It’s worth noting that there are a few teams that just missed the cut for this list –the Brooklyn Nets for example, who made some big moves in the off-season and have a slew of talent. But we’ve ultimately decided to focus on five teams that we think have a real chance to make some noise in the playoffs this year.
So without further ado, here are the NBA’s top dark horse teams for the 2020-2021 Season
-The Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks were one of the best teams in the league last year, and they only got better in the off-season with the addition of Jrue Holiday They have one of the best players in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo and they should be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
-The Denver Nuggets The Nuggets were one win away from making it to the Western Conference Finals last year, and they’ve only gotten better since then. They have one of the deepest rosters in the league, and they’re led by one of the best young players in Nikola Jokic They’re a team that nobody will want to face in the playoffs.
-The Portland Trail Blazers The Trail Blazers were one of the most surprising teams in the league last year, as they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals despite being without their two best players (Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum). If those two are healthy this year, there’s no reason to think that Portland can’t make another deep playoff run.
-The Houston Rockets The Rockets may have struggled last year, but they still have two of the best players in James Harden and Russell Westbrook If they can find some consistency on defense, then there’s no reason why Houston can’t compete for a championship this season.
-The Utah Jazz The Jazz finished with the best record in the regular season last year, but they were ultimately bounced out of the playoffs by Denver in the second round. They haven’t made any major changes since then, but they still have one of the best rosters in the league – led by All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell If they can get over the hump this year, then Utah could be playing for a championship come June.
The NBA’s Top Teams: The Underdogs
When it comes to the NBA, the top teams tend to get all the attention. But what about the underdogs? In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the league’s most underrated squads and see why they deserve a spot among the elite.
The first team on our list is the Indiana Pacers Although they’ve been a middle-of-the-pack team in recent years they made a big splash in the offseason by acquiring All-Star forward Paul George. With George leading the way, the Pacers could be a dark horse contender in the Eastern Conference this season.
Next up are the Detroit Pistons The Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the past few years, but they made significant improvements in the offseason by adding All-Star center Andre Drummond and power forward Tobias Harris If those two can play to their potential, the Pistons could be a playoff team in 2016-17.
Finally, we have the Charlotte Hornets The Hornets have quietly put together a solid roster that includes All-Star point guard Kemba Walker and defensive stalwart Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They also added some valuable experience with the signings of Roy Hibbert and Marco Belinelli. The Hornets could be a sleeper team in the Eastern Conference this season.