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NBA Power Rankings: Spurs begin the season as No. 1 team, Knicks lead a reloaded East
CBS Sports • • general
Key Points:
- The Spurs surprised by beating OKC in the conference finals and are expected to improve further with young talents like Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper developing, while retaining De'Aaron Fox as a luxury under rookie contracts.
- The Thunder remain a strong team with key players like Chet Holmgren as a potential X-factor, but losses of key role players and the challenge of matching up against Wembanyama could impact their dominance.
- The Knicks are favored in the East playoffs but may struggle in the regular season due to contract burdens and the difficulty of repeating as champions in a deep conference.
- The 76ers boast a highly talented starting five including LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and others, but must manage usage and chemistry challenges to maximize their playoff potential.
- The Raptors improved by replacing Brandon Ingram with Kawhi Leonard, forming a strong scoring duo with Scottie Barnes, and have high expectations to contend in the upcoming season.
