#1: Denver Nuggets

Projected Starting Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic

It may seem like a boring pick for number one, but as of now, everything points to the Nuggets being just as explosive as last year when they made an incredible playoff run to win their franchise’s first championship, defeating the Heat in five games. For the most part, the entire championship-winning team remains intact, with the exception of crucial bench contributor Bruce Brown. Even without him though, Denver is still stacked. Nikola Jokic has been playing at an MVP-caliber level for the past few years now and is coming off a dominant 2022-23 season in which he almost averaged a triple-double (24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game) and took home NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors. Jamal Murray is an excellent number two option at point guard (20 points and 6.2 assists per game last season) and Michael Porter Jr. was a lights-out 41.4% from 3-point range. Add in the defensive prowess of Aaron Gordon (0.8 blocks and 6.6 rebounds per game) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1.5 steals per game), alongside solid bench options such as Reggie Jackson and Christian Braun and the Nuggets look primed for a solid run at a repeat title. 

#2: Boston Celtics

Projected Starting Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis 

The Celtics came up just short of a second straight Finals appearance last season, falling to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, this team comes into 2023-24 with some new faces ready to push them to the next level. The team lost longtime point guard Marcus Smart and power forward Grant Williams this offseason, but Boston seems to have only upgraded. The trade that sent Smart to Washington brought in 7 ‘3” center Kristaps Porzingis, who’s coming off of 23.2 points 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game season. The team shipped off his predecessor at the position, Robert Williams III, alongside guard Malcolm Brogdon to Portland to pick up Smart’s replacement in all-star Jrue Holiday (19.3 points and 7.4 assists per game). Not only that, but the Celtics already have an all-star duo to pair them with. Jayson Tatum looked like an MVP candidate at times last season (30.1 points per game, All-Star game MVP) and they just made Jaylen Brown (26.6 points per game) the highest-paid player in the league after a massive 5-year contract extension worth about $303.7 million. Boston is looking very scary for the rest of the league to deal with. 

#3: Milwaukee Bucks

Projected Starting Lineup: Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokoumnpo, Brook Lopez

Milwaukee ended last season reeling from a stunning round-one upset by Miami that abruptly knocked them out of the playoffs. Head coach Mike Budenholzer is out, replaced by Adrian Griffin, and the Bucks look to move forward with some exciting new faces at the helm. Milwaukee shook up the league this September, swapping one all-star point guard in Jrue Holiday for another in Portland legend Damian Lillard. The seven-time All-NBA selection averaged 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game last season while shooting 37.1% from three-point range. The move brings back excitement to southeastern Wisconsin, as Bucks fans are eager to see how Lillard fits in with their own resident All-Stars. Giannis Antetokoumnpo was an MVP finalist last season averaging 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. The team gave contract extensions to Brook Lopez (16.9 points) and Khris Middleton to bring them back this year. Middleton lost over half of last season to injury so he should be eager to get back out there and resume playing at an All-Star level. The team had to get rid of shooting guard Grayson Allen in the Lillard deal however, so it will be up to either Pat Connaughton or newcomer Malik Beasley to step up and take his place. The Bucks are only three seasons removed from a championship and chances are they’ll be among the favorites for another one this year.

#4: Miami Heat

Projected Starting Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Bam Adebayo

Miami was the Cinderella story of last year’s playoffs, entering the postseason as an 8th-seeded team and making an incredible run all the way to the NBA Finals. While they came up short of beating Denver, all signs point toward them being able to translate their playoff magic of a season ago to regular season success. The face of the team, Jimmy Butler, put the team on his back last year in their playoff run, averaging 26.9 points per game in the postseason, and is expected to continue dominating this season. Center Bam Adebayo was their kingpin in the paint last season (20.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game) and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry returns as a key facilitator (5 assists per game last season). Not only that, the team made their entire playoff run last year without the help of shooting guard Tyler Herro, who averaged 20.1 points in the regular season before succumbing to injury. Miami should be even more explosive offensively now that he’s healthy. Likely the biggest wild card for the Heat will be how much contribution they receive from their bench. Crucial performances from some unexpected names off the bench were a big part of their playoff success and they come into this season without key pieces Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Victor Oladipo. However, names such as Caleb Martin, Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson remain and it would seem foolish to count out the Heat after what we saw last year. 

#5: Phoenix Suns

Projected Starting Lineup: Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, TJ Warren, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic

While most are often hesitant to put much faith in supposed “super teams,” and often rightfully so due to the history of such, a team with this much talent just simply can’t be ignored. The trade deadline acquisition of future hall of famer Kevin Durant was the first exciting move made by Phoenix this past year, and while he only played in eight regular season games, Suns fans are looking forward to a full season of him playing next to fellow All-Star Devin Booker, whose 27.8 points per game last season led the team. The team shipped off veteran point guard Chris Paul this offseason, who led the team with 8.9 assists per game, but in return acquired another great scoring option in Bradley Beal. A former All-NBA selection, Beal averaged 23.2 points per game on a struggling Washington team, and his positive production should increase being surrounded by other stars such as Booker and Durant. While the Suns did make a bit of a head-scratching move by essentially downgrading at center in swapping Deandre Ayton (18 points and 10 rebounds per game) for Portland’s Jusuf Nurkic (13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds as well as a troubling history with injuries), Phoenix should still be playing with a chip on their shoulder after an embarrassing second round defeat last year to Denver. With a new head coach Frank Vogel at the helm and coming off of a very active offseason, this new Suns team should be well on their way to competing for another Finals appearance like the one they had three years prior.

#6: Philadelphia 76ers

Projected Starting Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Joel Embiid

Philly certainly has some question marks surrounding them due to the apparent unhappiness of star guard James Harden, but as they are this team is looking very good on paper. If Harden does play, he should be expected to continue performing at an All-NBA level: he averaged 21 points and an NBA-best 10.7 assists per game last season despite only playing in 58 out of 82 games. Controversially or not, Joel Embiid was indeed the MVP last season, averaging a league-leading 33.1 points per game as well as 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. The team found consistent production out of third-year guard Tyrese Maxey (20.3 points per game and 43% shooting from three), as well as veterans like Tobias Harris (14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds). With former championship-winning coach Nick Nurse coming to town to take the reins, Philly has a good shot to avenge their second-round exit from a year ago if they can resolve the Harden dispute and take advantage of new additions such as Patrick Beverly and Kelly Oubre.

#7: Golden State Warriors

Projected Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney 

It’s usually unsurprising to find the Warriors in playoff and championship discussions pre-season, and this year is no different. Despite their second-round upset by the Lakers last season, Golden State brings back almost all of their key contributors from a year ago in the hopes of winning a second ring in three years. As it’s been for almost the past decade now, Stephen Curry remains the face of this team. Coming off of another stellar year averaging 29.4 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 42% from three, Curry is going for his fourth straight All-NBA selection. The second half of their iconic duo known as The Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson, is also expected to continue dominating from range after a season where he shot 41% from beyond the arc while averaging 21.9 points per game. Two more familiar faces, Andrew Wiggins (17.1 points) and Draymond Green (team leading with 6.8 assists per game), also return, and center Kevon Looney should continue to be dominant in the painted area after leading the team with 9.3 rebounds per game. The Warriors also added another veteran presence with future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul (13.3 points and 8.9 assists). In doing so they also found an opportunity to ship off young guard Jordan Poole in exchange, who averaged 20.4 points per game but struggled in clutch moments down the line, and reportedly had issues with teammates (see Draymond Green’s punch to his face last offseason practice) as well. The Warriors certainly have a history of winning and they show no signs of slowing down this year.   

#8: Los Angeles Clippers

Projected Starting Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac

For the past few seasons, the Clippers have struggled to find their potential despite having one of the more intimidating lineups in the league on paper. However, it can only be so long before this team translates regular season promise into playoff success such as they saw in their run to the Western Conference Finals three years ago. The success of this team, as usual, will rely on the health of their star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Since joining LA for the 2019-20 season, both have struggled to remain injury-free and on the court. Despite that, they have shown just how dangerous they can be when healthy: They both averaged 23.8 points per game last season despite Leonard only playing in 52 games and George in only 56. George also has shown his value in playmaking and defense, as he led the team in assists (5.1) and steals (1.5) per game last year. Their supporting cast needs to also step up and contribute if the Clippers want to see success. Russell Westbrook was solid after being acquired at the trade deadline (15.8 points), and Norman Powell (17 points), John Wall (11.4 points) and Ivica Zubac (team best of 9.9 rebounds) were other key contributors to their playoff appearance. The Clippers fell in the first round last season, but a healthy duo of Leonard and George may be enough to push them to the next level. 

#9: New York Knicks

Projected Starting Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson

The Knicks made an impressive transformation last year from mediocrity to one of the higher-end teams in the league. While their playoff run ended in the second round at the hands of Jimmy Butler and the Heat, there seems to be nowhere to go but up for the Knicks. A good part of last season’s success can be attributed to the play of former Dallas guard Jalen Brunson, who averaged 24 points and 6.2 assists during his first year playing in the Big Apple. Julius Randle was their most consistent scorer and rebounder, leading the team with his 25.1 points and 10 boards per game, and former number three overall pick R.J. Barrett is only getting better after averaging 19.6 points last season. Midseason trade acquisition Josh Hart became a valuable commodity down the line, Mitchell Robinson was a reliable option at center with his 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while hitting an efficient 67% of his attempts, and the Knicks have found increasingly more potential in young guards Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes. Throw in the offseason acquisition of Donte DiVincenzo (39% from three-point range last season with Golden State) and New York is looking poised for another strong season and perhaps an even deeper playoff run.  

#10: Los Angeles Lakers

Projected Starting Lineup: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Christian Wood, Anthony Davis

The Lakers finished last season very strong, winning eight of their last 10 games, and that momentum carried over to the playoffs where they ran all the way to the Western Conference Finals, despite being only a 7th seed. While Denver swept them, ending their championship hopes, this team comes into 2023-24 looking just as dangerous as last year. LeBron James made history last year by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer of the NBA, and even as the oldest player in the league at age 38 he shows no signs of regression after averaging 28.9 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. Anthony Davis also returns on a contract extension after 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds a game season, though he did only play in 56 games and struggled with injuries at times in the playoffs. The midseason trade for point guard D’Angelo Russell is shaping up to be a great move after he averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists last season and was a key contributor in the playoffs. Austin Reaves was one of the biggest surprises of last season after his 16.9 points per game in the playoffs earned him a huge new contract, and LA added Christian Wood (16.6 points) and playoff standout for the Heat Gabe Vincent to shore up their depth. Lakers fans have a good reason for the hope that their team can have another strong season, this time perhaps not for just the second half.