Overview

• Newsweek released tiered preseason rankings for all 30 NBA teams, placing Oklahoma City first overall and New York as the top team in the East.
• The Thunder are presented as clear repeat favorites behind reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
• Houston rises to top-contender status after adding Kevin Durant, signing Dorian Finney-Smith, trading for Clint Capela, and re-signing Fred VanVleet.
• Denver remains among the favorites around Nikola Jokic after adding Cam Johnson, bringing back Bruce Brown, and signing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas.
• An ESPN survey of coaches, scouts, and executives also favors OKC to win the title, while Newsweek’s claim that the Lakers locked up Luka Doncic conflicts with public roster facts.