Post#40 » by bishnykfan » Mon Nov 17, 2025 1:43 am
2025 BAF Preseason Power Rankings
TEAM-------------------(HIGHEST/LOWEST RANKING)
1. San Antonio Spurs (1/2)
What other GM's are saying about San Antonio:
Jokic keeps reaching another level and Curry back is huge for their bid to win another title. Gotta be favourites again. On paper they have a much easier road to finals than their biggest competition who would be battling to death out East. Can we ban mpharris?
Still have to be the favorites. 4 time champs got the band back together with slight retooling improvements. Existing pieces likely receiving upgrades.
In addition to landing Curry, mpharris picked up some really nice, inexpensive bench depth - Jaquez, Ellis, Rollins, and Aldama are all solid rotational pieces.
2. Detroit Pistons (2/7)
What other GM's are saying about Detroit:
Returning awesome Luka/AD 1-2 punch. Added versatile defenders across the board and invested in a 6th man scorer off the bench in Pritchard.
Another offseason, another creative display of outside-the-box thinking by the Detroit GM to get the job done and return another championship contending roster. Excellent maneuvering and leveraging of cap space to re-sign Doncic cheaply, bring in supporting role players (Chet, Pritchard, Edey and Dunn) while executing perfect timing to reacquire Anthony Davis to top off the roster.
Keeping Luka at that contract was huge, and should mean Detroit building great teams around him for the length of his contract. On paper this team looks a bit worse than last year's team though, but this was expected and they managed to pass this with minimal damage. They will have fierce competition to win the East again but they will be up there, possibly for years to come. Chet and AD's fragility could have been a problem together but this likely wont be an issue in the sim, and both will feast next to Luka.
3. Toronto Raptors (1/5)
What other GM's are saying about Toronto:
This teams reign of terror, akin to Spurs, is right around the corner but I am not sure if this will be their year yet, due to competition and lack of offense compared to some of those other high end teams. This is a generational defensive team though, definitely the best ever assembled both in NBA and BAF. But it comes at the cost of leaving this team a bit limited offensively which could be their obstacle in winning the title. But maybe this will prove to be the winning formula in sim
This is an absolutely unpenetrable defense but they’re just short of offensive prowess to match some of the other top teams. Of course, we know 2010 has more moves up his sleeve.
A frightening defense, and Wemby's year 3 leap on offense might be enough to push them over the top.
4. Charlotte Hornets (1/5)
What other GM's are saying about Charlotte:
Hoffa opened up an enormous amount of space and put his money where his mouth is, plucking SGA from LA and pairing him with Ant-man to form the best backcourt in the league. He also did a nice job rounding out the rest of the roster. Historically, we’ve been rivals but he’s earned my respect as a GM.
Over the years this team struggled to get over the hump as they lacked a true superstar who could be team's first option. (before Antman's ascension) They correctly identified this weakness and couldnt find a better player in reigning MVP and champ SGA. Because of their other cheap contracts SGA's contract shouldnt hinder them. Expect them to build the depth during the season
Got the prized FA, star studded roster. Massive offense firepower, can they do enough of the little things to get that first championship?
5. Golden State Warriors (3/11)
What other GM's are saying about Golden State:
Trae and Giannis are going to carry their weight, but their role players need to step up. Prediction: Klay is gonna get BOOTED out.
Trae's contract is a huge steal, as well as Norman Powell's. They are also great fits next to Giannis. Probably the biggest challenger to Spurs out West, they will have to expand their rotation a bit but they have a very good starting point and NewEra is the perfect GM to do the finishing touches with his experience.
Giannis will always give the Warriors a chance. He's one of the top players in the game. Added some nice shooting that help spread the floor but I have concerns about the defense.
6. Chicago Bulls (3/15)
What other GM's are saying about Chicago:
The perennial contenders of the East did not disappoint, as HerSports has once again assembled a nice two-way squad, remaining true to her identity. The LeBron, Kawhi, Garland big three is one to keep an eye on.
LeBron and Kawhi together is a fun, last ride. This team has too many health concerns irl which likely wont be a factor in the sim. They would be a nightmare to face in playoffs but unfortunately with how stacked the East is at the top, they will have a big challenge. They could have make more noise out West. Their sim ranking would have probably been higher than this. Depth is also an issue for this team.
Another great effort from HerSports. This is a last dance sort of team with LeBron and Kawhi entering their twilights. Whether they’re contenders or not likely hinges on how the SIM views Ayton.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (3/18)
What other GM's are saying about Cleveland:
The Cavs are a team that’s always a threat to go on a deep playoff run. This veteran squad is in its prime — yet no where near the wrong side of the hill — and understands the regular season is marathon, not a sprint. A dangerous playoff opponent for any seed.
With Giddey's leap and adding Allen to the mix, the Cavs offense will be really tough to slow down.
On paper, this team has everything you look for from a team building standpoint 5: 1. An established first option superstar (Tatum) 2. Second option on offense (Wagner) 3. A distributor (Giddey) 4. Rim protector (Bam). I had no idea they also stole Grayson Allen at that contract. Their lack of depth beyond like 7 guys could be their biggest issue, and another big with more size would have been ideal. Their spacing, fit together and having an experienced GM who is accustomed to winning make this team the darkhorse for me to come out East
8. Atlanta Hawks (5/19)
What other GM's are saying about Atlanta:
Needs to shore up the front-court a little, but balanced squad up and down, with some star power
I love how this team fits together. A tough defensive squad with enough offense to give anyone trouble.
Defense will be really tough and Fox/Siakam can score. Does this team have enough shooting?
9. Miami Heat (7/20)
What other GM's are saying about Miami:
If Fat doesn’t get the itchy trigger finger and allows this team to build cohesion and establish camaraderie and an identity, they’re right in the mix with Chicago, Cleveland, and Brooklyn for the second tier teams battling for the 4th seed in the East and homecourt advantage in the 1st round.
Booker - DeMar - KAT is a lot of offensive weapon and they should fit well together, their lack of depth and not enough defensive pieces around could hurt them, but having stable regular season stars ranks them higher than some of the teams below
Heat completely retooled this offseason. I don’t have them at the top but they could be.
10. Denver Nuggets (4/20)
What other GM's are saying about Denver:
Elite offensive efficiency. Zubac+Poeltl front line helps the defense. Can the overall depth outweigh Lavine being there #1 player?
HEZI has built a team with a frontline with a lot of size and rebounding, plenty of scoring in the backcourt, and retained Aaron Gordon at a deep discount in to function as the glue guy. I have them pegged as the 3rd or 4th seed in the West when all is said and done.
Deep team with some talent that lack a true superstar. Stuck in a threadmill but lack of competition out West mean they can make the playoffs
11. New Orleans Pelicans (6/22)
What other GM's are saying about New Orleans:
This team is a composite of supreme talents that haven’t quite panned as NBA stars. Quite variable on how the SIM views them.
Talented squad that needs to keep everyone healthy. Very young.
No denying the team has talent, but something’s just not quite…
12. Boston Celtics (8/25)
What other GM's are saying about Boston:
There may be a learning curve when the games begin for new GM Busta Bucket and pinpointing the nuances of the sim. He’s also residing in a tough division. But he’s brought enthusiasm and great fervor to the league, and I’m sure he’ll figure it out quickly. He’s already fit right in and has been conducting himself like a seasoned GM, to the point he’s even taken the bull by the horns in authoring a rule change proposal.
This team went younger this offseason but I think it will be a season of transition with a new GM and roster.
Has three modern day wings that could start for any team. Might need a little more time
13. Los Angeles Clippers (12/24)
What other GM's are saying about the Clippers:
Losing SGA was rough. Replacing with Brunson will help but not sure about the rest of the roster for this year. Cap won't be down for too long though.
Letting SGA walk was not something I expected. But clapping back by immediately signing Brunson was a solid consolation, at a more manageable cap figure. This may be a transitional season for the Clips.
Brunson is very viable replacement for SGA but where did the rest of the team go? They dont have much time left to build on him because he is in his prime and contract expires in 4 years. Do they have any assets though? If they could build a strong team around Brunson they would be contenders in a weak conference again but at this point it seems a long way off. Brunson alone would make this team stronger than some others
14. Phoenix Suns (17/24)
What other GM's are saying about Phoenix:
If they dont break apart this team it looks exciting on paper, with Morant - Knueppel and Mobley. Their problem will be not having their first this year. As a young team over the years that could be a huge mishap for them. At least finally some bright spots in the deserts of Arizona. Sarr is making them regret not keeping him though with his play, due to this team's timeline.
Starting to put some pieces together but likely still out of the western playoff picture.
Going to break into the playoffs and keep on rising from there...the Ja deal was a steal for him
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (24/29)
What other GM's are saying about Oklahoma City:
Rebuilding. Asset collection mode. Absolutely stacked with draft capital and took a lot of risks during the draft need some to pan out.
The most draft capital of any team in the league. Last team that positioned itself in this manner, went on to win 4 straight titles and counting.
They have the Pacers and Suns first round picks this year which is huge. Nothing to look for in their team but with those first round picks it could look really exciting just the next year
All-Time Draft
PG- Oscar Robertson/Bob Cousy
SG- Earl Monroe/James Harden/Dana Barros
SF- Billy Cunningham/Michael Finley/Chet Walker
PF- Elvin Hayes/Dolph Schayes/Tom Chambers/Danny Manning
C- Walt Bellamy/Neil Johnston/Darryl Dawkins
