The 3 most overestimated and underestimated teams of the NBA, with Celtics, Spurs, Nuggets, and more

The Dog Days of the NBA offset have settled. About the only thing that suspends the League at the moment is the market for frozen restricted free agents that prevent four young players from accepting new offers. This stopped the rest of the NBA summer activity. There is still a lot of time for a big business or two before training in the camps to open the league on October 1, but for the moment, we have the impression that we have a fairly good handful on the league hierarchy before next season.

ESPN has abandoned an overly early power classification for the 2025-26 season this week. A panel of writers of nine people found the consensual classification entering the season, and he does an excellent job by describing what the championship race, the tanks and the middle class of the League looks like. Of course, reasonable minds may disagree on the exact placement of these teams.

We will have our own ranking closer to the start of the new season. For the moment, here are the teams that we think we are overestimated and underestimated before the season, on the basis of the ESPN ranking.

Underestimated: Denver Nuggets n ° 3

Nuggets register behind the Thunder and the Rockets in these rankings. OKC deserves to be the favorite in the season, but for me, the Nuggets are their greatest competition. Denver nailed the offseason by adding Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valancunas. A team that depended so much on young underdeveloped players finally has the depth of the veteran he always needed. The upgrade of Michael Porter Jr. in Johnson is also substantial: if Johnson was one of the most effective markers in the league with Cam Thomas going beyond the ball in Brooklyn, simply imagine how he will play on the gravity of Nikola Jokic. Of course, all of this goes to Jokic, who was the best player in the league for five years of racing and shows no signs of slowdown. The Nuggets have a real chance of winning the championship with a better support casting around their mega-star, and for me, that makes them the second largest champion in the league that enters the season.

Surface: n ° 13 Dallas Mavericks

Kyrie Irving is most likely out of the year when he rehabilitates a torn LCA. In his absence, Dallas has a notable lack of manipulation of the ball, with the addition of a free agent of Angelo Russell and the Holdover Dante Exum being the only things resembling a leader on this list. ESPN has the Mavericks as an 8th best team in the West, in front of the grizzly groles, the Spurs and the Trail Blazers. I assume that two of these three teams finish with a better record than Dallas, and the Mavs will be back at the lottery this season. Cooper Flagg will be great as a recruit, but it is important to remember that he will be the youngest NBA player this season. The front line Anthony Davis-Dereck Lively II is super intriguing, but I am a little worried about the spacing, as well as the constantly inconsistent availability of the ad. It will probably be among the worst three -point shooting teams from the League, and I am not convinced that the defense can compensate. I presented my favorite roadmap for MAVS after winning the lottery for Flagg, and I still believe that Dallas should take more of their long -term view of their construction around their new star.

Surface: n ° 14 MILWAUKEE BUCKS

The Bucks attempt to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo Happy this summer was in equal desperate and creative parts. Giving up Damian Lillard (and stretching his ceiling touched for five years) to sign Myles Turner was a decision that no one saw coming. Turner is a natural replacement of Brook Lopez (now a mower) like a stretch-five next to Giannis, and at the age of 29, he should There are many good years left. I just don’t know if he really moves the needle enough to make the Bucks n ° 6 team in the East, as the ESPN predicts. Milwaukee did not look like a starting point person on this list: Cole Anthony, Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. Everyone provides a set of skills different, but it is not the loss of a healthy lillard. The wings room here is quite terrible too much except a major season of Kyle Kuzma, which was horrible last year. The depth is more important than ever in the NBA these days, and unless Giannis gives the Bucks 82 super-human game games, I do not see how this team gets a seed of eliminatory series in the East.

Underestimated: n ° 16 San Antonio Spurs

Spurs are ready to push the classification of the Western Conference. Victor Wembanyama would be ready to go after a blood clot in his shoulder ended his season at the beginning of last year, and he is ready to certify himself as a player among the first 10 in the world in the 3rd year. Wemby only played five games with De’Aaron Fox before the injury last year, and a full season of Fox should be very beneficial for San Antonio. Stephon Castle should be better in 2nd year – can he improve as a shooter, even a little? – And Dylan Harper is an instant impact recruit in my eyes. Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk give San Antonio more depth and flexibility of alignment before what they ever had at the time of Wemby, and for once, it seems that this team can suspend the hard when its French superhuman 7’5 goes to the bench. This classification has spurs at n ° 10 in the west, and I think they will be easily better than that.

Photo by Brian Babineau / NBAE via Getty Images

Surface: n ° 17 Boston Celtics

The Celtics will not only miss Jayson Tatum while he recovers a torn Achilles this season, he will miss Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kornet. It must be the worst League front field with Neemias Queta and Sam Hauser that should start, and Luka Garza probably plays a great minutes as a rescue center. Celtics are already lying the basics of a stew reservoir which can provide them with a premium recovery choice while Tatum is recovered. Do not be surprised when Jaylen Brown and / or Derrick White close early, Boston bombs in the second half and crosses his fingers for a good luck on the evening of the lottery. I do not think that the Celtics do the playoffs.

Underestimated: n ° 27 Charlotte Hornets

Oh no, I talk to myself again in the Hornets. I was at the top of the Hornets last season, and it completely exploded me. To make Charlotte take a jump in the ranking this year, Lamelo Ball must remain available and play a little less selfishly, Brandon Miller must make a jump, and Kon Knuppel must be a recruit of instant impact. I can see all these things going on, and in a year of decline for the East, I think the Hornets can win more games than it looks like the year. The addition of Collin Sexton for nothing for a great decision for the bench, and the choice of the first 10 of last year, Tidjane Salaun, cannot be worse than him as a recruit. The big rotation scares me, but I could see Charlotte being a little more competitive than this one with a young solid head coach in Charles Lee, and enough shooting and shooting creation to build a decent offense.