NBA Power Rankings: Warriors start season on top with Bucks on their heels

The NBA season tips off tonight, so there is no better time to break out our NBA Power Rankings to start the season. Traditionally these will run on Wednesday throughout the season, but with a Tuesday night season tip-off (76ers vs. Celtics, Lakers vs. Warriors) this seemed a good day to start. The defending champion Warriors start the season on top, but in a deep NBA this season there could be a lot more changes in the first five than we traditionally see over the course of a year.

 1. Warriors (53-29 last season). So much for smoothly easing into their title defense. Thanks to Draymond Green‘s right cross, tensions are relatively high around the Warriors — with an undercurrent of “is Draymond going to get paid?” Hanging around all season — but it is nothing they can’t overcome. With Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins getting paid, things should settle down. Maybe Klay Thompson is right, time and a ring ceremony will heal all wounds. The Warriors get their rings against the Lakers tonight (Tuesday), then face the Nuggets, Kings, and Suns — there are few easy nights in the West.

 2. Bucks (51-31). It’s been a quiet offseason and training camp for Milwaukee, not a lot of drama — which is just how Mike Budenholzer and Giannis Antetokounmpo want it. Khris Middleton will miss the start of the season following wrist surgery, and Pat Connaughton also is out early, which could expose the wing depth issues of the Bucks to start the season, but they are still going to win a lot of games. However, the Bucks didn’t win any games in the preseason and their defense was one of the worst in the league — it’s just preseason, but that raised an eyebrow. Expect things to change starting Thursday night against the 76ers.

 3. Celtics