The NBA preseason is the ultimate basketball appetizer—a time to take stock of the almost fully assembled rosters, project the impacts of new additions, pontificate about burbling leaguewide trends, and, most crucially, rank a bunch of shit.
Behind on prep for the 2024-25 season? We’ve got you covered. Over the course of six episodes, spanning nearly nine hours in total, the Group Chat podcast crew dived deep into all 30 teams for their annual Preseason NBA Power Rankings. Check out every episode below (time-stamped by team, if you want to jump right into one), along with the hosts’ takes on one essential question for each tier of teams. —Justin Verrier
30. Brooklyn Nets (Time Stamp: 8:07)
29. Washington Wizards (27:15)
28. Portland Trail Blazers (40:02)
27. Detroit Pistons (1:00:12)
26. Charlotte Hornets (1:10:22)
Essential question: Can any of the trade candidates on these teams swing a playoff series?
Of course they can. For proof, look no further than the Hornets and the Wizards; the entire Western Conference playoffs were altered by the fact that the Mavs took a chance on P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at last year’s deadline, betting that their talent would be better served on a winning team than one doomed for the lottery. Who will make a similar bet this season on Washington’s Kyle Kuzma or Portland’s Jerami Grant? Either could give more static lineups the flexibility they need—whether that means playing bigger or smaller. A big like Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton could transform a so-so defense into a formidable one, and Portland’s Robert Williams III (if he’s healthy enough to justify a trade) could level up a contender’s rim protection all by himself. Jonas Valanciunas might be able to bowl his way through a small-ball series if he can get out of Washington. Brooklyn seems like a way station for Dennis Schroder, who has already proved his mettle in high-stakes games. There are good supporting players hidden in plain sight on the worst teams in the league. The trick is figuring out which ones fit the bill the way Washington and Gafford did and which could wither under playoff scrutiny. —Rob Mahoney
25. Utah Jazz (39:18)
24. Chicago Bulls (52:48)
23. Toronto Raptors (1:02:18)
22. Atlanta Hawks (1:14:19)
21. Houston Rockets (1:26:59)
Essential question: Which of these teams will be friskier than expected?
The Hawks will be the friskiest of this bunch. The Trae Young–Dejounte Murray partnership never coalesced in the way many (including yours truly) imagined that it might both at the time of the trade and after the team brought in a highly esteemed coach in Quin Snyder. By every metric, the tandem failed, and it’s hard not to see Murray’s departure in an offseason trade as addition by subtraction. Now, the logic of the team will be crystallized under a very Trae Young–centric paradigm, for better and for worse. However, the main reason to be bullish on this year’s Hawks is the possibility that second-year phenom Jalen Johnson will tap deep into his gigantic potential sooner rather than later. —Wosny Lambre
20. San Antonio Spurs (3:36)
19. Los Angeles Clippers (27:48)
18. Sacramento Kings (40:09)
17. Golden State Warriors (51:48)
16. New Orleans Pelicans (1:06:40)
Essential question: Whom do you trust to survive the Western Conference Hunger Games?
Sorting out the mushy center of the league is all about bankability—which player or unit you can count on to stack enough wins in the dregs of the season. Zion Williamson, for instance, could be an MVP candidate this season … but he also might be limited to 20 games after being forced to play small-ball center while the Pelicans play chicken with Brandon Ingram’s extension. (And just to be abundantly clear: Herb Jones is not actually playing center. Some of us are old enough to remember the creative marketing that suggested LeBron James was a “power forward” for the Big Three Heat while Shane Battier ground his tendons into mush.)
As odd as it may seem, the most trustworthy team in this tier might just be the dynasty in decline. The Warriors won’t compete for titles until they can land another superstar, but Steph Curry is still an absolute magician, and Draymond Green can get you a middle-tier defense all by his lonesome. The past two seasons have been ugly, but Golden State has made at least the play-in both times despite winning 11 road games one year and sloshing through Draymond’s mess the next. The Kings have a similar thing going on: DeMar DeRozan may tank the progress Sacramento made on defense last season, but the combo of him and De’Aaron Fox ensures Mike Brown will see a full 48 minutes of elite playmaking. —Verrier
15. Miami Heat (4:24)
14. Indiana Pacers (19:42)
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (41:09)
12. Los Angeles Lakers (53:19)
11. Orlando Magic (1:11:24)
Essential question: Which Eastern Conference team in this group has the brightest long-term outlook?
The Heat have an NBA Finals pedigree, the Pacers are coming off an impressive sprint to the Eastern Conference finals, and the Cavaliers have the sturdiest floor of any team in this tier—but it’s hard not to be swept up in what the Magic could be. Orlando is a team of defined strengths and clear opportunities. We can go ahead and pencil in the Magic as one of the league’s best defenses for the next few seasons, with a bracing, physical style that helps mitigate all the pace and space that opponents rely on. Orlando’s offense isn’t quite so reliable, but not for a lack of talent; there’s a lot of size and skill in the Magic lineup, but it isn’t calibrated exactly right just yet. Maybe Orlando just needs a little more shooting, a dose of which Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could provide. Maybe it needs the right playmaker or one of its core prospects to grow into that role. This is a young team that’s still figuring out how to best calibrate its roster. If (or when?) Orlando cracks the code, all bets are off. —Mahoney
10. Phoenix Suns (8:30)
9. Milwaukee Bucks (22:49)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (36:24)
7. Philadelphia 76ers (50:06)
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (1:06:59)
Essential question: Which of these teams has the most at stake in 2024-25?
The Suns have the most at stake here, and it’s not just because they’re the league’s most expensive team, which does matter a great deal, too. New owners like Mat Ishbia always talk a big game about money being no object when they first take the reins, and that’s a sure way to get a hungry fan base excited about the new direction of a team. However, owners with deeper pockets than Ishbia have bristled at the prospect of shelling out more cash year after year for middling results. On top of the financial burdens is the fact that Phoenix employs the league’s most mercurial star in Kevin Durant, a player with a history of bailing in way better situations than the one Phoenix currently enjoys. Add all that up, and you have a team that needs to win big and win now. —Lambre
5. New York Knicks (3:34)
4. Dallas Mavericks (28:38)
3. Denver Nuggets (41:28)
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (59:17)
1. Boston Celtics (1:09:39)
Essential question: Did the Celtics kill the NBA’s age of parity?
The Celtics took the 3-and-D boom to its logical extreme last season by putting an All-Star-caliber defender and shooter at all five positions. And while contenders like the Nuggets and Clippers threw key players overboard this past offseason to duck the punitive second apron, Boston doubled down, committing so much in extension dollars that ownership put the franchise up for sale.
But the Celtics’ strength comes from their depth of talent rather than one individually dominant player, and Kristaps Porzingis’s uncertain health leaves the door open for another club—it’s why I picked the Thunder, with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein now on board, as my personal no. 1 team. History isn’t on Boston’s side, either: We’ve now seen a different champion in six straight years, tying the longest such stretch in NBA history.
The Celtics are probably better suited than any of the prior five winners to buck the trend—they’re even deeper than last season, and a summer of snubs has somehow left both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with more to prove than before they won their first ring. But it’s hard to see any dynasties in the making when the league literally changed its bylaws to keep top-heavy teams like Boston from being too good for too long. —Verrier
Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre
Producers: Jessie Lopez, Isaiah Blakely, and Eduardo Ocampo
Additional Production Supervision: Ben Cruz
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