Just when it seemed safe to start dropping takes on teams, conference standings, title favorites and everything else we think about on the verge of an NBA season, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves rocked the league with a blockbuster trade on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns is now in the Big Apple, while Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are joining Anthony Edwards in Minny. And the sudden reshaping of a pair of contenders (or at least fringe contenders) gives us ample reason to revisit the power rankings.
Typically, these are sorted by team and individual numbers, championship chances, recent performance and a healthy dose of subjectivity.
But for this edition, we’re specifically sorting the NBA by the quality of each team’s starting lineup (the one they’ll likely use on opening night, so injuries are factored in), thanks in large part to the massive changes in New York’s and Minnesota’s.
There are real arguments to start Corey Kispert or Bilal Coulibaly at one of the wing spots. Fans are probably itching to get a look at incoming rookie Bub Carrington at the 1. But veterans often have the inside track on prospects for starting spots, in part because it probably makes them easier to trade a month or two into the season.
Potential suitors for Malcolm Brogdon, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valančiūnas surely want to see how they look in action before giving up assets for them. The exception, of course, is No. 2 pick Alexandre Sarr.
He’s probably better suited to play the 5, but the way he played at summer league suggests he thinks he can survive as a forward. Starting him at the 4 keeps that other spot open for JV, too.
None of the above are even fringe All-Stars right now, though. You might argue Brogdon, Kuzma or even Valančiūnas have been at that level at certain points in their careers, but they’re not now.
And a handful of players starting mostly by default (and because of age as much as talent) doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in this lineup’s potential to jell and win.
There isn’t a single player on the Brooklyn Nets roster who seems completely safe from being traded.
Even Nicolas Claxton, who just extended his contract this past season, could be moved, in part because he might have the most value on the team.
That makes for a starting five with Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson and Claxton that might have a hard time finding continuity with each other. If all five players are subconsciously (or maybe consciously) auditioning for other teams, playing team-first basketball won’t come naturally.
The other issue, of course, is just a clear lack of talent. All five of the above are solid. But with the possible exception of Thomas, who’s shown upside as a volume scorer, everyone is probably best suited as a fourth or fifth starter on a good team.
Veteran competence from Schröder, DFS, Johnson and Claxton, as well as the explosiveness of Thomas, is going to lead to occasional wins, but Brooklyn is going to collect more losses than victories.
Of course, the one player we haven’t mentioned that you may have expected to see here is Ben Simmons. If he really is healthy (as his camp is saying he is), there’s probably some value in starting him and maybe boosting his trade value.
You could probably slot him in at either the point or power forward. But he’s such a question mark after the last three years of injuries and holdouts. And most teams, even tankers, start out leaning toward surer things.