NBA Power Rankings: Can Celtics move up the ladder?

30. New York Knicks
Projected starting five: Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
Notable acquisitions: Austin Rivers, Alec Burks, Obi Toppin, Nerlens Noel

When the third highest-paid player on your roster is a soon-to-retire Joakim Noah, that's probably a sign that your team isn't very good. The Knicks have some intriguing young talent in Barrett, Robinson and Toppin, but there are too many other unimpressive names that fill out the roster. An impending splash in free agency could change things, and fans should be happy they resisted the temptation of a Russell Westbrook trade or any other expensive moves.

29. Detroit Pistons
Projected starting five: Killian Hayes, Delon Wright, Jerami Grant, Blake Griffin Mason Plumlee
Notable acquisitions: Hayes, Wright, Grant, Plumlee, Saddiq Bey, Jahlil Okafor

After a mess of an offseason, in which a should-be tanking team — at least in my mind — acquired middling names like Jerami Grant, Delon Wright and Mason Plumlee for relatively expensive contracts, I'm not entirely sure what direction Troy Weaver is moving this team in. Killian Hayes' future is as bright as any 2020 draft prospect, and he's going to get his fair share of time to develop his stuff. If the preseason is any indication, it could be a mixed bag — he shot 6-for-25 from the field and has committed 11 turnovers in three games so far. However, Derrick Rose's outburst alongside a hopefully healthy Blake Griffin will mean the Pistons win a game here and there.

We just need less... of this.

28. Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected starting five: Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Kevin Love, Andre Drummond
Notable acquisitions: Isaac Okoro, JaVale McGee

This will be a good year to figure out who is part of the long-term equation and who isn't, seeing as we know what to expect from Kevin Love and Andre Drummond. But will Darius Garland rebound from an up-and-down rookie campaign? Could Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr. show major improvement? Does Isaac Okoro represent the future of the Cavs at the wing? Can Dylan Windler impress in his long-awaited debut? Will Larry Nance represent your favorite local business?

These are the questions we're asking... not if the Cavs will be a playoff contender. They won't.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder
Projected starting five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Trevor Ariza, Al Horford
Notable acquisitions: Ariza, Horford, George Hill, Kenrich Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski

Sam Presti — and his treasure trove of first-round picks — certainly isn't taking a win-now approach, though he may have gone just a little bit overboard. How many of these picks will actually be valuable? Will any of them translate into success while SGA is in his prime? Was Kelly Oubre not the young, exciting type of player they were trying to find in one of these picks? Whatever the strategy, it doesn't look like the Thunder will be a team that particularly frightens opponents on the floor, though SGA's upside is a regular All-Star for years to come, and that could begin in 2021.

26. Charlotte Hornets
Projected starting five: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington
Notable acquisitions: Hayward, Ball

In the most heavily criticized move of the offseason from a large handful of analysts, the Hornets pushed all their chips forward and signed Gordon Hayward to a massive four-year, $120 million deal. How did that contract start out? With a broken finger.

On the bright side, there's plenty of exciting youth in Charlotte, including Devonte' Graham (who should have won Most Improved Player last season) and No. 3 overall pick LaMelo Ball.

25. Orlando Magic
Projected starting five: Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, James Ennis, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic
Notable acquisitions: Dwayne Bacon, Cole Anthony

I almost fell asleep typing this lineup. But as long as Aaron Gordon keeps dunking, there will be something to watch.

Losing Jonathan Isaac in the bubble for the entire 2020-21 season was a huge blow for a team with one really, really intriguing player: Isaac himself. His defensive playmaking alone was a huge difference-maker for the Magic, who found themselves in the playoffs thanks to a weak Eastern conference. But with improvements to the Wizards, Hornets, Hawks and others, that road to the postseason is going to be tougher this year. Count me out as a believer, and count me in on trading Aaron Gordon to look toward the future.

24. Chicago Bulls
Projected starting five: Coby White, Zach LaVine, Otto Porter, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr.
Notable acquisitions: Garrett Temple, Patrick Williams

If Otto Porter can stay healthy, this starting five is actually solid on paper. You have offensive firepower in the backcourt. You have floor spacing — hopefully, if he can iron out his disappointing long-range woes — thanks to Markkanen. You have a great interior presence in Carter Jr., who should continue to improve. And while Kris Dunn and his magical defensive hands left for Atlanta, Garrett Temple comes to town to help shore up the defense off the bench on a team that has some decent depth thanks to Patrick Williams, Denzel Valentine, Tomas Satornasky and others.

But no one on the team is definitely "the guy" to build around. If this season doesn't go as planned — specifically in the Markkanen department — I don't see why they shouldn't try to move one or both of Markkanen and LaVine for developing pieces and draft capital and set up the future.

23. San Antonio Spurs
Projected starting five: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge
Notable acquisitions: Devin Vassell, Tre Jones

If you thought last year was a boring season for the Spurs, you weren't alone, and you don't have a new-look team to watch in 2020-21. The trio of DeRozan, Gay and Aldridge would have worked a little bit better half a decade ago, and what fans are excited for this season are whether or not Murray, Walker, Derrick White (who's currently injured), Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and the other young pieces can develop. I wouldn't be all too surprised if one of DeRozan or Aldridge was traded, especially seeing as they're both in the final years of their contracts.

22. Sacramento Kings
Projected starting five: De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Hassan Whiteside
Notable acquisitions: Whiteside, Tyrese Haliburton, Glenn Robinson III, Frank Kaminsky

Do you remember when the Kings ripped off a memorable 7-2 run following the All-Star break, defeating the Grizzlies, Clippers, Grizzlies and Blazers among other teams? It's okay... neither do most people. But that's a glimpse of what this team is capable of when De'Aaron Fox is playing at his best — he averaged 22.9 points and 6.0 assists on 50.4 percent shooting over that span — and it'll be fun to watch him and Haliburton go to work in the back court. But if they're not competing in a crowded West, which is certainly possible, we could see them look to move one of Buddy Hield or Harrison Barnes and retool the lineup.

21. Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected starting five: D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jake Layman, Josh Okogie, Karl-Anthony Towns
Notable acquisitions: Ricky Rubio, Anthony Edwards, Ed Davis

They'll be entertaining, but they may also be disappointing for those who are ready to root for a playoff team immediately after the Russell-Towns pairing. It could happen, and that's definitely what they'll be shooting for. Still, the defensive liabilities all over the floor for Minnesota are hard to ignore, and drafting Anthony Edwards first overall didn't seem to address that issue.

Unless...

20. Memphis Grizzlies
Projected starting five: Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Justise Winslow, Brandon Clarke, Jonas Valanciunas
Notable acquisitions: Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman

Brandon Clarke is a great backup power forward to have, as he'll fill perhaps the biggest shoes on the team aside from Ja Morant's, taking the place of Jaren Jackson Jr. as he recovers from a meniscus tear. Justise Winslow will also be out, but not for as long. Thankfully, the depth of this roster — including De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Grayson Allen and others — will help. Still, this team feels as though it's developing. The trajectory is clear, and it's a fun group of guys with good chemistry. It's only a matter of time before Ja and Jaren ascend the Western Conference rankings.

19. Washington Wizards
Projected starting five: Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, Isaac Bonga, Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant
Notable acquisitions: Westbrook, Deni Avdija, Robin Lopez, Cassius Winston

The Wizards certainly won't be lacking offense, seeing as Westbrook and Beal will likely combine for somewhere between 50-60 points per game and the front court of Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant have proven to be capable young scorers. There's also Davis Bertans, who re-upped in a big way this offseason, as well as Troy Brown Jr., Deni Avdija, Cassius Winston and more players who can put up points in a hurry.

The duo of Westbrook and Beal is probably enough for a playoff spot in the East — not that that's saying much toward the bottom half — but the defensive side of this team shouldn't scare opponents. The duo of Beal and Westbrook also means that this team can win any given matchup. But whether they fit together and can work well with the rest of the unit remains to be seen.

18. New Orleans Pelicans
Projected starting five: Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Steven Adams
Notable acquisitions: Bledsoe, Adams, Kira Lewis Jr.

Okay. So this is a terrifying starting five. And there's some depth, including sharpshooter J.J. Redick, well-rounded wing Josh Hart and raw big man Jaxson Hayes. Ball will have no trouble at all finding someone to dish to, whether it's the terrifying rim-rusher Williamson or the diverse scorer Brandon Ingram. But while the talent is apparent, questions exist. Will Jrue Holiday's absence intensify the defensive issues that plagued the team last year? Is a front court duo of Williamson and Adams one that could become problematic in terms of spacing?

Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever the case, this is perhaps the most volatile team in the West.

17. Atlanta Hawks
Projected starting five: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins, Clint Capela
Notable acquisitions: Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Kris Dunn, Rajon Rondo, Onyeka Okongwu

An early frontrunner for most improved team, the 20-47 Atlanta Hawks are a far cry from the group of players that will take the court for Lloyd Pierce in 2021. Adding Bogdanovic and Gallinari makes the offense damn near unstoppable, and getting Kris Dunn was an underrated acquisition that brings one of the best perimeter defenders to last year's worst defense. But the defense won't be good... get that idea out of your head. Instead, the Hawks will rely on Young launching deep threes, Collins flying high after the pick-and-roll and the rest of the supporting cast chipping in with consistency.

But that's how they'll win, and they will win. A low-seed playoff berth in 2021 is a reasonable expectation.

16. Houston Rockets
Projected starting five: John Wall, James Harden, Danuel House, PJ Tucker, DeMarcus Cousins
Notable acquisitions: Wall, Cousins, Christian Wood, Sterling Brown

Never mind... this is the most volatile team in the West. There is a scenario where John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins continue their play that they've teased in the preseason, remain healthy and convince James Harden that Houston isn't such a bad place to be after all. There's another scenario where Harden wants out and really shows that he wants out, and what that means could be a number of things. It could be a lot of draft assets. It could be Ben Simmons. It's a toss-up.

The Christian Wood sign-and-trade holds another unpredictable outcome. Per 36 minutes, he's averaged 21.2 points and 10.6 rebounds throughout his career. But he's played on bad teams, in limited roles, and is somewhat of a gamble at three years, $41 million.

15. Indiana Pacers
Projected starting five: Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo, T.J. Warren, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner
Notable acquisitions: Cassius Stanley

For how much time have we seen this starting five play together at its full potential? Zero minutes and zero seconds. Because Warren had not yet developed into the bubble superstar he'd eventually become in Orlando while Sabonis was healthy earlier in the season. All in all, the five played together for 85 minutes last year, and was better in terms of net points scored (+9.5) than any other five-man lineup with 85 minutes played.

And we'll have to wait to see it this year, as Warren is dealing with plantar fasciitas. But I'd like everyone to pump the brakes on the Oladipo and Turner trade talks for a little while. Let's see what this team can do, especially considering they found a way to finish 45-28 last year though all the pieces were rarely in place.

14. Phoenix Suns
Projected starting five: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
Notable acquisitions: Paul, Crowder, Langston Galloway, Abdel Nader, Damian Jones, Jalen Smith

When Chris Paul was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with two first-round picks and two pick swaps for Russell Westbrook, it seemed like the Thunder were packing it in and looking toward the future to many. They weren't expected to do much, and their sixth-seed finish with Westbrook in 2018-19 was probably the last playoff appearance they'd see in a while.

But Paul led the 2019-20 Thunder to a shocking 44-28 record, and that's what he's going to do with the Suns. This time, we're ready for it. He isn't joining a cast of uncertainty. He's joining bright stars in Booker and Ayton, a potential breakout player in Mikal Bridges and an experienced veteran in Crowder. The bench has some depth. The pieces they lost were largely replaced. And they're a big underdog in the West to make some waves.

13. Golden State Warriors
Projected starting five: Stephen Curry, Kelly Oubre, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, James Wiseman
Notable acquisitions: Oubre, Wiseman, Brad Wanamaker, Kent Bazemore

Few teams could survive the loss of a player of Klay Thompson's caliber for two consecutive seasons and still have playoff aspirations. But few teams have a shoo-in future Hall of Famer like Steph Curry, and instead of seeing another lost year, the Warriors went all in and brought in the budding Oubre, whose scoring should provide similar offense to Thompson. Wiseman is a wild card here, but the No. 2 overall pick's commanding court presence could boost this team in a big way. Add in a healthy Curry and Green and a deep bench filled with players who seized last season's opportunities, and you have the makings of a contender yet again.

12. Utah Jazz
Projected starting five: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert
Notable acquisitions: Shaquille Harrison, Derrick Favors

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And before the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing as the Jazz were 41-23, it wasn't broken. The hope here is that there are no lingering chemistry issues, and seeing as Donovan Mitchell received his max extension and Rudy Gobert was offered one, that doesn't seem to be an issue... for now.

The future of their two stars aside, the Jazz need to be in it to win it this season. Mike Conley's contract expires after this year, too, and decisions to extend Jordan Clarkson and Derrick Favors means that this team is aiming for success right now.

11. Portland Trail Blazers
Projected starting five: Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Derrick Jones Jr., Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic
Notable acquisitions: Covington, Derrick Jones Jr., Harry Giles, Enes Kanter

Damian Lillard may not win an MVP this season. He may not ever win one. But I think you can make a very good argument that no player is more important for the success of his team than Lillard is in Portland. He single-handedly carries the team on a nightly basis, hitting ridiculous shots most players can only dream of taking without major consequences from the coaching staff.

While I like the moves Portland made this offseason, I'm not sure that Covington is that one piece — that big, important piece — that will officially boost the team as a whole above the juggernauts of the West. I could be proven wrong, but I'm just not sold.

Side note: a healthy Jusuf Nurkic is a good candidate for a big-time breakout.

As you can see from the graphic above, four personalities here at RADIO.COM Sports each weighed in on their top 10 power rankings. For the sake of this article, I will list mine below, though you can see how and where I differentiate from some of my colleagues. What better place to start than with a team that I have ranked at No. 10, while SportsRadio 94WIP's Spike Eskin has them in his top three.

10. Boston Celtics
Projected starting five: Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis
Notable acquisitions: Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague

The 2019-20 No. 3 seed in the East and runner-up in the ECF, the Celtics were a top-five team in both offensive and defensive rating. However, a chance to move up the ladder with a big signing — i.e. a sign-and-trade involving Gordon Hayward to the Pacers for Myles Turner and other assets, which the Celtics turned down — never came to fruition, and this keeps them from moving up this ladder. After all, Hayward may not have been the best fit, but replacing him with nothing doesn't seem to be the best move. However, Hayward's massive trade exception leads us to believe that Ainge will still make some sort of move, and this could thrust them up the rankings quickly.

There's also Kemba Walker's health issues, a glaring lack of depth at wing behind Tatum and Brown and an improved conference around them. It's worrisome to me.

9. Philadelphia 76ers
Projected starting five: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
Notable acquisitions: Curry, Green, Dwight Howard, Tyrese Maxey

The James Harden rumors are going to surround this team until, hopefully, the trade deadline passes and the Sixers haven't traded for James Harden — I know CBS Sports Radio's Zach Gelb agrees with me.

For as much as we know about the spacing struggles that have plagued this lineup in recent years, which seem to be exacerbated by the combination of Simmons and Embiid, new GM Daryl Morey went out and got Curry and Green to help that problem. New coach Doc Rivers is an experienced presence who can iron out these sorts of problems and get the most out of his players. But shot creation remains a major problem with this team, and the lack of a player in that mold will force Rivers to showcase his know-how if this team wants to succeed.

8. Dallas Mavericks
Projected starting five: Luka Doncic, Josh Richardson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Kristaps Porzingis
Notable acquisitions: Richardson, Josh Green, Tyrell Terry

If you're a sports bettor and an NBA fan, you probably have a few shares of Luka Doncic at MVP, and for good reason. The 21-year-old — How? How is that possible? — posted an unbelievable stat line last season and is a threat to produce a triple-double every time he's on the floor. Add in a healthy Porzingis who has now found his footing at the five, and you have all the offense you could ever ask for. There's bench depth, shooters all over the place and even some added defense in former 76er Josh Richardson and rookie Josh Green.

With a record-setting offensive attack in 2019-20, expect the Mavs to pick up right where they left off with some added flair on the defensive end.

7. Toronto Raptors
Projected starting five: Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Aron Baynes
Notable acquisitions: Baynes, Malachi Flynn, Alex Len

For a team to lose Kawhi Leonard and improve in both overall record and defensive rating — they were second in the entire NBA — is nuts and is a testament to just how strong the chemistry is and how effective Nick Nurse's system is on the floor. With Kyle Lowry on the last year of his deal before becoming a 35-year-old free agent, this could be the slight closing of a window for the Raptors, and they're running it back with largely the same squad that worked so well last year. Losing Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka doesn't help, but Aron Baynes should do just fine at center and fits the hard-working breed of basketball that Toronto — temporarily Tampa Bay — loves to play.

6. Brooklyn Nets
Projected starting five: Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, Jarrett Allen
Notable acquisitions: Landry Shamet, Jeff Green, Bruce Brown

You can practically count Kevin Durant as a new acquisition as well, seeing as he was out for all of 2019-20. We've never seen this team play before, but why on earth should we have doubts as to whether or not it'll work out? Well, we can argue that Achilles injuries are hard to come back from, and we can argue that Kyrie Irving has struggled to play alongside other stars. But can a team with two of the greatest offensive minds of this millennium and a load of better-than-role players surrounding them really fall short of a top-four seed in its respective conference? I don't see that happening.

5. Miami Heat
Projected starting five: Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, Bam Adebayo
Notable acquisitions: Leonard, Avery Bradley, Moe Harkless, Precious Achiuwa

The Giannis sweepstakes were over in Miami before they were over for everyone else, showing you that this team believes in its core. It's not like they needed a superstar following, um, an NBA Finals appearance. And it's scary to think that guys like Robinson, Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn will only be better this year after playing massive roles in the team's success last season. Their chemistry on the floor may be better than any unit in the league, and postseason veterans like Butler, Bradley and Andre Iguodala make them as scary a team as any come playoff time.

4. Denver Nuggets
Projected starting five: Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic
Notable acquisitions: JaMychal Green, R.J. Hampton, Zeke Nnaji

The Nuggets didn't dish out $20 million per year to hang on to Jerami Grant, and it's a good thing they didn't. After all, we'll now get to see Michael Porter Jr. in a well-deserved increased role, and with arguably a top-ten starting five and a top-ten bench unit, it's hard to find any real weaknesses on this team. The two stars the roster is built around, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, are already bona fide studs and figure to continue to get better — neither is older than 25. A 46-27 campaign in 2019-20 was impressive, but there isn't much stopping this team from posting 50 wins.

One little wrinkle to look out for as the season unfolds: I don't have Will Barton listed as a starter and, in fairness, he probably deserves that role. And apparently, he wants that role and might not have it any other way.

3. Los Angeles Clippers
Projected starting five: Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac
Notable acquisitions: Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson, Nicolas Batum

The Clippers are probably the most talented team in the league. They lost Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell in addition to key bench pieces Landry Shamet and JaMychal Green, and they might, somehow, be even better this time around. Chemistry issues seemed to plague this team under Doc Rivers, and with Paul George's recent max extension, it seems that those problems have subsided with new head coach Tyronn Lue at the helm.

The Clippers also doled out cash to Marcus Morris to stick around in a role that he fits perfectly, added some brilliant bench veterans and are likely close to keeping Kawhi Leonard for the foreseeable future as well. Everything is shaping up for a multi-year span of dominance for the Clippers.

2. Milwaukee Bucks
Projected starting five: Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Notable acquisitions: Holiday, D.J. Augustin, Bryn Forbes, Torrey Craig, Bobby Portis

Giannis Antetokounmpo's stat line (29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game) was good enough for him to run away with his second consecutive MVP award, and it could have been even better had his team needed him more. But the Bucks got out to so many big leads early in a decent amount of games that Giannis didn't even have to play in the late stages. For instance, the Greek Freak poured in 29 points and ripped down 15 boards against the Knicks in just 22 minutes of play. By the end of the third quarter, Milwaukee led by 38.

That's why Giannis was worth his gargantuan contract. And that's how dominant he made this team last season before unexpected bubble woes got the best of them. But adding Jrue Holiday to fill Eric Bledsoe's role with better defense and offensive facilitation, in addition to an abundance of new bench pieces, makes the Bucks the no-doubt favorite in the East.

1. Los Angeles Lakers
Projected starting five: Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol
Notable acquisitions: Schroder, Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews

The Lakers won the NBA Finals fairly easily — though LeBron called it one of the hardest championships to win in league history, and we can't blame him given the circumstances — and then went out and added the Sixth Man of the Year and the runner-up to shore up their depth. Sure, they lost some pieces as well, as JaVale McGee, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo all have new homes.

But with LeBron and AD both top-five players in the league and a deep supporting cast — made deeper by perhaps the best move of the offseason in acquiring Schroder — running it back looks possible, if not probable, for L.A.