Note: This is a new, updated version of ESPN's Future Power Rankings of NBA teams. The previous edition ran on Dec. 15, 2009, and the first edition launched on Nov. 10, 2009.
Consider this a convenient way to see in what direction your favorite team is headed.
Each of the NBA's 30 teams received an overall Future Power Rating of 0 to 1,000 based on how well we expected each team to perform in the three seasons after this season.
To determine the Future Power Rating, we rated each team in five categories. (See table at right.)
As you can see, we determined that the most important category was a team's current players and the future potential of those players. That category accounted for 40 percent of each team's overall Future Power Rating.
At the same time, we looked at many other factors, such as management, ownership, coaching, a team's spending habits, its cap situation, the reputation of the city and the franchise and what kind of draft picks we expected the team to have in the future.
To reach our ratings in each category, we talked to teams to get a handle on their future strategies, we looked at their contractual commitments and we carefully broke down each roster to figure out which players would improve, which would decline and which likely would depart.
These rankings will evolve as the season moves along, transactions are made, injuries occur, strategies shift and so on. Return from time to time as we update the rankings.
Here are our current rankings from 1 to 30:
Future Power Rankings:
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-1-100302">1-5 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-2-100302">6-10 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-3-100302">11-15 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-4-100302">16-20 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-5-100302">21-25 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-6-100302">26-30
16. New York Knicks | Future Power Rating: 491
The Knicks are still faltering on the court, but their trade-deadline moves helped them jump from No. 19 to No. 16 in the rankings.
The Knicks dropped another $9.4 million under the cap for next season, meaning they now have a realistic shot at signing two of the top free agents in the summer. Now they stand No. 1 in the Money category and No. 4 in the Market category. Those rankings offset their awful roster, which is rated 27th.
Unfortunately, to move up, the Knicks had to decimate its future draft status. By sending their 2012 first-round pick to Houston (top-five protected) along with the right to swap picks in 2011 (and their 2009 lottery pick, Jordan Hill), the Knicks put themselves dead last in the Draft category.
(Previous rank: 19)
17. Toronto Raptors | Future Power Rating: 489
Raptors president Bryan Colangelo has to be sweating. His star forward, Chris Bosh, has the opportunity to explore the free-agent market in the summer, and it's anyone's guess where he'll end up.
The Raptors have a winning record, and Bosh seems content, so that gives Toronto hope of keeping him. On the other hand, the Heat, Bulls, Knicks and Thunder are well positioned to lure Bosh back to the states.
If Bosh stays, the Raptors' future looks about the same as the present: The team should fight for medium-to-low playoff seeding in the East. If Bosh leaves, the Raptors will move back into rebuilding mode.
So keeping the Raptors in the middle of the pack -- where they've been in each edition of the Future Power Rankings -- seems prudent.
(Previous rank: 16)
18. New Jersey Nets | Future Power Rating: 488
The Nets are the worst team in the league -- they're even historically bad. With the exception of Brook Lopez, most of their young talent isn't looking so talented right now. Everyone from Devin Harris to Yi Jianlian to Courtney Lee to rookie Terrence Williams has been disappointing.
Their ineptitude has an upside, though. New Jersey, with a 25 percent chance, is favored to win the lottery for the No. 1 pick, expected to be John Wall, the best point guard prospect to come into the draft since Chris Paul in 2005. In other words, the Nets' talent base could improve very quickly.
Off the court, things are looking up somewhat. The team has significant payroll flexibility moving forward, and after playing in Newark for at least a couple of seasons (starting in 2010-11), the Nets should get close to making their eventual move to Brooklyn, now that most of the legal and financial hurdles have been cleared. If and when billionaire Mikhail D. Prokhorov gets league approval to complete his acquisition of the Nets, he should provide an immediate infusion of both cash and cachet to one of the league's most woebegone franchises.
(Previous rank: 17)
19. Sacramento Kings | Future Power Rating: 469
The Kings moved up from 22nd to 19th in this edition of the Future Power Rankings, but that may be a Pyrrhic victory. Sacramento still faces a number of challenges going forward, and one wonders whether it has the management in place to overcome them.
First, the good news: The trade of Kevin Martin makes it possible for the Kings to rebuild quickly through the draft and free agency. The Kings have enough cap space to offer a maximum contract to a free agent and should have high picks in at least the next couple of drafts. Additionally, some building blocks are already in place: Tyreke Evans is the likely rookie of the year, while Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Spencer Hawes all should be long-term keepers.
Now, the bad news: Sacramento isn't very good right now, and one wonders whether the right people are in charge from top to bottom to change that situation. Ownership is in a tight spot financially, as the Kings hemorrhage cash and the Maloof brothers' other businesses struggle. GM Geoff Petrie once ranked among the best but has inked a number of bad deals in recent years. And coach Paul Westphal's credentials as the man to lead this group have taken a hit, too. The fact that Evans has basically stopped playing defense is a major red flag, as was his recent bizarre deactivation of Hawes.
(Previous rank: 22)
20. Detroit Pistons | Future Power Rating: 468
It's hard to find much good news in Detroit. After years of being a contender, the Pistons are struggling, and fans are no longer flocking to the Palace. And after their high hopes that Pistons president Joe Dumars would make a big trade at the deadline, Pistons fans didn't get anything.
The Pistons have played better of late now that Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are finally healthy. But for the team to avoid a future full of mediocrity, it needs Dumars to find some big men to score and balance out the roster.
(Previous rank: 15)
Future Power Rankings:
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-1-100302">1-5 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-2-100302">6-10 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-3-100302">11-15 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-4-100302">16-20 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-5-100302">21-25 |
"http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-6-100302">26-30
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