NBA Season Preview: ESPN's Power Rankings for 2015-16
— -- The NBA season begins Oct. 27! We're rolling out our Insider forecasts, two teams at a time, from now until opening night. Check out our analysis, projections and more!
No. 11: Detroit
Stan's grand plan begins. Out are non-shooting cloggers Josh Smith and Greg Monroe. In are stretch 4s Ilyasova and Morris (a Ryan Anderson, if you will). Oh, and that Drummond guy (projected 14.1/13.4)? Kinda Dwight-like! Though SCHOENE predicts this season's offense to be 17th and its 3-point shooting tied for 27th, the Stan Van Gundy blueprint is well in place. -- Bradford Doolittle
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No. 12: Brooklyn
Two years ago, Brooklyn traded three future first-round picks to field an All-Star lineup that won ... one series. Tepid talent remains, and coach Lionel Hollins' approach is, um, retro, to say the least. The Nets project as the NBA's third-worst offense; last season they were 25th in assist percentage and 28th in total passes per game. Brooklyn's future, just like its offense, is ugly. -- Bradford Doolittle
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No. 13: Orlando
Last season's offense (27th) won't bounce back unless Victor Oladipo (projected 34 percent from 3) can find a reliable stroke next to Elfrid Payton, who hit just 11 total 3s. Magic coach Scott Skiles is notoriously tough on rookies, so to no one's surprise, walking highlight Mario Hezonja projects to see just 12 minutes per game. Skiles will help this 24th-ranked D, but another season in the cellar is in order. -- Tom Haberstroh
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No. 14: New York
Uh, it's not going so well for Phil Jackson's Knicks. In a franchise-worst season, New York ranked 28th in D and 29th in O. And that's no typo. Free-agent acquisitions Arron Afflalo (projected 35.2 percent from 3) and Robin Lopez (team-high 2.6 defensive RPM) will help, and Carmelo Anthony projects to return to his usual self (23.7 PPG/7.3 RPG/ 2.8 APG). But with limited scoring elsewhere and no first-rounder in 2016, Phil's triangle is more Bermuda than Chicago. -- Brad Doolittle
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No. 15: Philadelphia
Trust the process! Philly ranked 13th on defense last season behind DPOY contender Nerlens Noel, whose 4.2 defensive win shares were the best for a rookie since Tim Duncan in '99. Now the hope is for rookie Jahlil Okafor (projected 17.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG per 36 minutes) to make a similar impact on offense. More good news: Coach Brett Brown, formerly of the Spurs, has some experience with twin towers. -- Brad Doolittle
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No. 11: Portland
Portland is rebuilding after losing four starters this summer. Thankfully, the hardest part, finding a corner-stone, is done. Lillard, 25, projects to have the fifth-best WARP among point guards this season (11.3). And the Trail Blazers should have $32 million to spend next offseason. A rebuild is tough to take after a 51-win season, but at least Portland is positioned to make it a short one. -- Kevin Pelton
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No. 12: Sacramento
In owner Vivek Ranadive's world, Sacramento, a team that hasn't eclipsed 30 wins since 2007-08, is ready now. In this world, new point guard Rajon Rondo (projected RPM of -4.7), shooting guard Marco Belinelli and small forward Caron Butler propel this team to the West's upper echelon. The reality? This season's team is only marginally better -- typical theater for the NBA's most dysfunctional franchise. -- Amin Elhassan
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No. 13: Denver
The trade of Ty Lawson signaled the merciful end of Denver's long stay in NBA purgatory (nine first-round exits in 12 years). Oh, it'll get ugly -- a projected 29th-ranked offense and 24th-ranked D -- but young talent remains, and help is on the way. Jusuf Nurkic (projected 15.2/12.1 per 36 minutes) and No. 7 pick Mudiay await as many as four first-round picks in 2016. -- Kevin Pelton
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No. 14: Los Angeles
Give the Lakers some credit: Trading for Roy Hibbert (42.6 percent opponent field goal percentage at the rim) will help their 29th-ranked D; D'Angelo Russell's statistical rookie-year comp is Kyrie Irving; and a healthy Julius Randle looks like their power forward of the future. Good news for the looming post-Kobe era, right? Not so much. The Lakers have improved just enough to send their 2016 top-three-protected pick to Philly.-- Amin Elhassan
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No. 15: Minnesota
Minnesota has two cornerstones in ROY Andrew Wiggins and 2015 No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns. Now if the Timberwolves just didn't have so many bricks. They shot just 46.1 percent on 2s and 33.2 percent on 3s while taking an NBA-low 17.9 percent of shots beyond the arc. This season they project to make the fewest 3s again. As is often the case with this franchise, the offense again looks stone cold. -- Kevin Pelton
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