The 2021 NBA Playoffs begin May 22. I’m going to do a power ranking. A power ranking is when you take the best teams and rank them from worst to best. In the playoffs, you take all the teams that are in and rank them. I’m going to do this until the playoffs end. Second off, this includes the play-in tournament teams. So here’s how the play-ins work. If you lose the 7 vs. 8 game, you’re still in. If you lose the 9 vs. 10 game, you’re eliminated. The winner of the #7-#8 game automatically gets the #7 seed. The 9-10 winner plays the #8 seed game against the loser of the 7 vs. 8 game.
20. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have a problem. They have two good big men in Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Turner is injury-prone, but he might’ve been in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year had he stayed healthy. And Sabonis is an All-Star, averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists this season. But Sabonis has some defensive issues.
19. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1998. Demar Derozan might play a huge role in getting the Spurs to the playoffs.
18. Charlotte Hornets
When the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, drafted LaMelo Ball at No.3, the Hornets expected him to be a stud. So far, Ball is pretty good, but he’s suffered from some injuries. He’s still in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. With Ball, Terry Rozier, and Devonte’ Graham, the Hornets might be coming for that 8 seed.
17. Boston Celtics
With Jaylen Brown injured, the Celtics had to turn to Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker to save them. Walker hasn’t been elite this year, and Tatum might be their last hope at the postseason.
16. Washington Wizards
The Wizards have to feel great about their chances at the #7 seed. Russell Westbrook, who broke the NBA record for most triple-doubles ever, has given Bradley Beal plenty of help. Beal had to carry the Wizards for years, but when Westbrook came to DC in exchange for John Wall,he had help.
15. Memphis Grizzlies
Although many people think the Grizzlies only have Ja Morant, there’s more players that can help this team make a push for the playoffs. If he can stay healthy, Jaren Jackson is pretty good. Hopefully he can showcase some of his talent in the play-in tourney.
14. Golden State Warriors
Andrew Wiggins played his first full season in the Bay Area, and he’s been an above-average 3-point shooter. It looked like an awful deal when it first appeared, but we’ve been proved wrong.
13. Portland Trail Blazers
The good old duo of Damian Lillard and C.J.McCollum strikes again. However, McCollum missed 25 games this year due to injury. Big man Jusuf Nurkic also missed a handful of games. But if all 3 can stay healthy, look out! This team could be scary come playoffs.
12. Atlanta Hawks
The Clint Capela trade worked out well for Atlanta. They thought he’d have to wait to develop into a good player. Turns out they were incorrect. Trae Young is definitely a great player.
11. Dallas Mavericks
As a Villanova fan, Jalen Brunson is probably a Sixth Man of the year candidate. Kristaps Porzingis is underperforming a little bit, to be honest. Luka Doncic is an MVP candidate. No exaggeration there, because he’s a special man.
10. New York Knicks
It’s been a long time since the Knicks were this good. Julius Randle has led the way for NY all season, but let’s not sleep on R.J. Barrett! Barrett had a tough rookie season after being hyped up as the Knicks’ future. But he’s bounced back in a big way. It’d be nice to see him be more efficient, but he’s taken leaps in his shot making.
9. Miami Heat
The Heat are looking to head back to the NBA Finals for the 2nd year in a row. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler will be huge factors in the playoff run.
8. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers should feel at least a little worried. “Playoff P” Paul George is always unpredictable. He’s been known to be a beast in the playoffs,but he’s had some embarrassing moments. Like when he allowed a near half-court series-winning buzzer-beating 3-pointer to Damian Lillard in the 2019 first round.
7. Denver Nuggets
One of the favorites for MVP this year has been Nikola Jokic. We’ve known he’s a great player for a while, but he’d been inconsistent as a scorer. Now he’s upped his shot attempts. It’ll be interesting to see what Michael Malone’s squad can do without Jamal Murray.
6. Los Angeles Lakers
OK, they may be a play-in team, but never, ever, ever count out LeBron James. But as a fan of the King, I’m a little worried. He and Anthony Davis have missed a handful of games this season. We’ll see how the title defense goes.
5. Phoenix Suns
This is the best Suns team we’ve seen in years. But can they maintain this dominance in the playoffs? I want to see more from Deandre Ayton. He’s not been too shabby this year, but he still struggles from time to time. But he’s only in his 3rd year. Really though, no matter how they fare in the postseason, Suns fans should still hold their heads up high.
4. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the league’s best for a while now. But he’s been neutralized at key points in the playoffs and failed to raise his game and team. But some of that is on coach Mike Budenholzer. Both of them have a very,very important postseason ahead of them.
3. Brooklyn Nets
This superteam has the #2 seed, which means they get to sit back and relax for the next 4 days. Last year they went into the bubble without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. But Durant looked the same when he recovered from his Achilles injury. He’s missed a lot of games this year, hopefully that’s more caution then cause for concern.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
I’m so proud of how far the Sixers have come since they went 10-72 5 years ago. I wrote a whole article on how they clinched the #1 seed. Tobias Harris has silenced all the critics who said his 5-year, $180 million deal was too much. His efficiency has dramatically improved. And Joel Embiid could establish himself as one of the elites in the NBA. I’m psyched for their playoffs to begin.
1. Utah Jazz
Donovan Mitchell has been the star of this team. But he missed the final 16 games with an ankle injury. These are big expectations for this team and what they can do in the playoffs.
Source: The Athletic (NBA Power Rankings, final edition by Zach Harper)
