2021-22 Power Rankings: Who Has the Best Chance to Dethrone Milwaukee Bucks?

A minus-5.8 net rating ranked just 27th in the league, however, and that number plummeted to minus-17.6 after his injury.OKC pulled off a masterful tanking job down the stretch, going a league-worst 3-26 after the injury to Gilgeous-Alexander, and the star point guard can only do so much even when healthy.If the Thunder don't trade a pick, they'll be bringing in six rookies to a team that has just one player (Kemba Walker) with over three years of experience in the league.There's a strong chance Walker gets moved to a contender before the season even starts, but if he stays in Oklahoma City, even a backcourt of he and Gilgeous-Alexander can't make up for the inexperience on this roster.This roster will instantly get better after the draft with the likely addition of Cade Cunningham, but for now Detroit is still one of the worst teams in the NBA.In 2020-21, only the Houston Rockets finished with fewer wins than the Pistons (17 to 20), who are run by a collection of players years away from hitting their primes.Killian Hayes battled injuries and a shaky outside shot (27.8 percent from three) during his rookie year, scoring just 6.8 points after being the No. 7 overall pick. The Spurs could be spenders in free agency with $49.1 million in cap room, but there's not a lot of star power available.While having young talent and cap space is never a bad thing, the Spurs seem destined for a third straight lottery trip.Entering the fourth year of their rebuild, the Cavaliers have assembled some good, young pieces and should start thinking about competing for the play-in tournament.Collin Sexton (24.3 points, 4.4 assists, 37.1 percent from three) and Darius Garland (17.4 points, 6.1 assists, 39.5 percent from three) have become an extremely productive (albeit undersized) backcourt, and 2020 fifth overall pick Isaac Okoro came on strong at the end of the year (16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists over his final 12 games) while regularly taking on the most difficult defensive assignments.Kevin Love (plus-4.1 net-rating swing) still makes this a better team when he's healthy with his outside shooting and rebounding, and Larry Nance Jr. is one of the best role players in the NBA.Jarrett Allen (restricted free agent) should return, and Cleveland holds the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. CJ McCollum at least?), but for now this is just another good roster in a Western Conference full of great ones.Zion Williamson looks like a generational talent after scoring 27.0 points per game on 61.1 percent shooting from the field, Brandon Ingram has already been an All-Star and Nickeil Alexander-Walker put up 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 41.2 percent shooting from three in 13 games as a starter.Lonzo Ball is no guarantee to return as a restricted free agent, however, as The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that New Orleans is "unlikely to match a significant offer sheet" on the 23-year-old point guard.This isn't a playoff team as currently constructed, but executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has the assets to turn it into one.The Knicks at 19?With Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock all hitting free agency, yes.New York will likely jump back up in the rankings after it spends its projected $52.7 million in cap space. There's also a lot of young, unproven talent on this roster (Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, Carsen Edwards) that could be flipped as trade assets or developed this season.Losing Brad Stevens as head coach shouldn't be overlooked, either.The Hornets looked like a surefire playoff team before LaMelo Ball fractured his wrist last season and should find themselves in the postseason next year as long as the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year can stay healthy.Ball conducts the orchestra in Charlotte, but there's a lot to like about the rest of the roster.Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward looked good as the primary scoring options, and Miles Bridges made the leap in his third season (18.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 41.8 percent from three in 19 games as a starter).The Hornets still need a starting center, however, a position they'll need to either fill in the draft (11th overall pick) or free agency (up to $26.8 million in cap space if the team renounces Malik Monk and Devonte' Graham).The Clippers would be far higher on this list if they had Leonard under contract (players with player options were not considered for this ranking) and he was healthy. There's a good chance Paul will opt in and return to Phoenix or re-sign instead on a longer deal, which would naturally bump the Suns higher in these rankings.While a team like the New York Knicks can offer Paul a max contract and a starting job on a playoff squad, leaving a Suns team and moving further away from Los Angeles where his family is located may be a step back for Paul.Phoenix should even be better next year thanks to the playoff experience, and 2020 No. 10 overall pick Jalen Smith could turn into a valuable rotation piece as well.No matter what the 76ers ultimately do with Ben Simmons, this is still going to be one of the best teams in the East next season.It's easy to forget about Simmons' regular season, where he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting while averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals on 55.7 percent shooting.Simmons doesn't need to average 20 points a game with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris on the team, either.