00:00...
00:30For the defending champs
00:31And so is this just built on last year's success?
00:35Yeah, absolutely
00:35And the key phrase there is no subtractions
00:38I mean, this team is built for long-term success
00:41And if you talk about a team that just won the NBA title
00:44This is the youngest team in the NBA
00:46I mean, they were the second youngest team to ever win the NBA title
00:49So it's not like, oh no, they need to make some changes
00:51Bring in some new pieces
00:52Like, all these guys are getting better, right?
00:54Jalen Williams is an all-NBA player
00:56He's only hitting the cusp of his prime
00:59You've got a guy like Chet Holmgren
01:00Who only has a handful of NBA games under his belt
01:03He's only going to get better
01:04And then, of course, you talk about the MVP
01:06The league's leading scorer
01:07The finals MVP
01:08Shea Gildress Alexander
01:10Oh, hey, guess what?
01:11He turns 27 next week
01:12He's not even in prime yet
01:14So this team is built for success
01:17I don't think you really have to worry about anything
01:19In terms of, oh no, they didn't change the roster
01:21They have the formula
01:23It's the all-world, all-historical defense that they have
01:27Coupled with Shea Gildress Alexander's absolute majesty on the offensive end
01:32They have a system that's going to continue to win regular season NBA games
01:37You want to talk about the playoffs?
01:38Okay, they were pushed to a game seven a couple times
01:40Who knows what happens if Tyrese Halliburton doesn't get hurt
01:43However, the regular season
01:46This team is going to be an absolute juggernaut again
01:48I don't think you have anything to worry about if you're an Oklahoma City fan
01:51Yeah, scary thought for the rest of the NBA
01:53And Colin, so much of that Thunder roster built through the draft
01:57With an embarrassment of first-round picks
01:59That the franchise has acquired over the years
02:02The Knicks got roasted pretty good
02:04In what seemed like a directionless search at times
02:07For their next head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau
02:10Now they've hired former two-time NBA coach of the year Mike Brown
02:13You have them third overall
02:15That's up a couple of spots
02:16What do you like about the Brown hire
02:18And, of course, maybe the addition of a guy like Jordan Clarkson
02:21Yeah, I think, you know, Mike Brown
02:24You mentioned the search was kind of hilarious at times
02:27They kept asking for permission to interview other teams' head coaches
02:30And, of course, they were like, no, we're not doing that
02:32But they ended up with Mike Brown
02:34Who, you know, I've spent a lot of time around Mike Brown
02:37He was a Golden State assistant
02:39I'm out here in the Bay Area
02:40And then, of course, the head coach of the Sacramento Kings
02:42Led that incredible turnaround
02:44Where they made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years
02:47It obviously went south after that
02:49But, you know, I think a lot of people around the league
02:51Think that the firing of Mike Brown was really unjust
02:54So for the Knicks to get a guy like him
02:57You talk about a 180 here
02:59Tom Thibodeau is this doom and gloom
03:02Kind of dark cloud walking into every room
03:04Mike Brown's the exact opposite
03:05You won't meet one person who has talked to this guy
03:08I've met this guy
03:09Who has one bad word to say about Mike Brown
03:11Incredibly upbeat
03:12Incredibly positive
03:14And I think that's kind of the change that the Knicks were looking for here
03:17Clearly the attitude
03:18Maybe he had lost that locker room a little bit
03:21And talking about Tom Thibodeau
03:22So to bring in a guy who's kind of a player's coach
03:25An upbeat guy
03:26Is maybe the change they're looking for
03:28And then if you're talking about X's and O's
03:29You mentioned Jordan Clarkson
03:30They want a guy who's going to use their bench a little bit more
03:33They also added Gershon Yabousaleh over the offseason
03:36So those are two pieces
03:38Proven bench players who can come in and contribute
03:41And I think Mike Brown will make a little bit better use of them
03:43And also a little more creativity offensively
03:46Mike Brown was the head coach of a team
03:49Sacramento Kings team
03:50That had the best offense in the league a couple seasons ago
03:53So not just Jalen Brunson pick and roll every single time
03:56We're going to mix things up
03:57We're going to have a little more player movement
03:59A little more ball movement
04:00So I think those are the reasons that they went with Mike Brown
04:02And in terms of the Knicks being number three
04:04It's really addition by subtraction
04:07The Celtics are out of there
04:08The Pacers are moving down because of injuries
04:10So I think the Knicks, you know, number three spot is legit
04:13But it's also because of some injuries in the Eastern Conference
04:16Yeah, a couple of reasons right there
04:17Why a lot of people are saying the East feels wide open
04:20Although I know you have the Cavs
04:22One spot ahead of the Knicks in your power rankings
04:25One of Mike Brown's former teams, the Lakers
04:27Made a move to fill a need at center
04:29By signing DeAndre Ayton this week
04:31LeBron opted in
04:32Luka is looking slim
04:33But LA is sliding in these rankings
04:36Why?
04:36Well, I mean, if you look at the teams around them
04:40And what they've done
04:41The Houston Rockets added Kevin Durant
04:43Stole Dorian Finney-Smith from them
04:45Got a couple bench pieces
04:46You look at a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves
04:49Coming off another Western Conference Finals run
04:51The Lakers are fine
04:53But it was proven last offseason
04:55That they simply just didn't have enough pieces
04:58To compete in the playoffs
04:59And when you look at what they've done this offseason
05:01Look, DeAndre Ayton
05:02It depends on how you want to look at it, right?
05:05Glass half full, glass half empty
05:07Former number one pick
05:08A guy who was helpful on a Phoenix Suns team
05:10That went to the NBA Finals
05:12But also a guy who basically got run out of town in Phoenix
05:14A guy who the Portland Trailblazers
05:16Just decided to pay to leave
05:18Because they didn't want him around
05:20He's kind of like, you know
05:21One of those streaming shows that you watch
05:23And you watch the pilot
05:24And you're like, oh my god
05:25This show's amazing, I love it
05:26And then episode two's like
05:28Okay, it's not as good as the first one
05:30And then by episode four
05:31You're like, why am I still watching this?
05:33That's what DeAndre Ayton has been throughout his career
05:35So I think the first 20 games
05:36Are going to be great for the Lakers
05:38You know, he's super athletic
05:39Totally skilled
05:40But 10 tends to lose that effort
05:44As the season goes on
05:45So we'll see how that goes
05:46And then of course
05:47There's the LeBron James thing
05:48That's just hanging over everything
05:49He opted into that contract
05:51That $52 million
05:53He didn't extend
05:55A lot of the Lakers moves
05:56Reportedly they're operating
05:58They're saying we don't want anything
05:59That's more than two years out
06:01This team is building around Luka Doncic
06:03And LeBron James
06:04Has never been in this situation in his career
06:06He's never been on an expiring contract
06:09He's always had extensions
06:10Or long-term contracts
06:11So word around the league
06:14Is that there's a high likelihood
06:17That the Lakers are going to look around
06:19In terms of trades
06:20For LeBron James
06:21Which sounds crazy
06:22But if they are building towards the future
06:24If they looked around and said
06:25Look, the Western Conference has gotten better
06:27We haven't been able to add any meaningful pieces
06:30Maybe a LeBron James trade
06:32Is really the only way to go here
06:33And build around the swimmer
06:35Luka Doncic for the future
06:36Man, even age gets the greatest of the greats
06:39At one point or another
06:40All right, Colin
06:42The Celtics might look more different
06:44Than any other playoff team from last season
06:46Holiday and Porzingis are out
06:48Anthony Simons is in
06:50And of course Jason Tatum
06:51Could miss all of next season
06:52With that Achilles injury
06:53Where do you have Boston
06:54Considering all of that
06:56And some apparent uncertainty
06:58With guys like Jalen Brown and Derek White
07:00Yeah, it's crazy to see the Celtics drop
07:03I mean, they're perennially number one or two
07:05In these power rankings
07:06For the last few years
07:07And suddenly they're down in the teens
07:09Just because
07:10Not only Jason Tatum's injury
07:13Which obviously would have knocked them down
07:14A few pegs
07:15But we thought the Celtics
07:17Were going to make some moves
07:17Right?
07:18Maybe trade one of Drew Holiday
07:20Or Chris Taps
07:20No, we're getting them both
07:21Out of the door immediately
07:23Luke Carnett's gone
07:24Who knows what the future holds
07:26For Jalen Brown and Derek White
07:27If those guys are on the team
07:29They're still going to be really competitive
07:30They're well coached
07:32They're a really good team
07:34But losing those pieces
07:36Obviously takes them out
07:37Of the top of the Eastern Conference
07:39In terms of contention
07:40So that, you know
07:41Opens the door for teams
07:42Like the Cavs, the Knicks, etc
07:44So, you know
07:45Adding a guy like Anthony Simons
07:48I think that's a good piece for them
07:49I think he's a good player
07:50Might thrive in their system
07:52But when you talk about the losses
07:54That they had
07:54In terms of Holiday
07:55Porzingis
07:56And possibly Tatum
07:57For the whole season
07:58Adding Anthony Simons
07:59I just don't think
08:00Is going to be enough
08:01Yeah, and I like Simons
08:02Maybe more than others
08:03Who just call him a gunner
08:04Or a scorer
08:05He's a really good young player
08:07Alright, if there's one team
08:08That is ultimately banking on health
08:11Being the big difference maker
08:12Between 2024 and 2025
08:14It may very well be the Sixers
08:16And Philly
08:17Is your biggest riser on this list?
08:19Well, they have to be
08:21It's not fair
08:22I have to do these power rankings
08:23You know, guessing
08:24What's going to happen
08:25At the beginning of next season
08:26Of course, if they're healthy
08:28There's not much to say
08:29About the 76ers
08:30You know, they have
08:31Joel Embiid
08:31Paul George
08:32Tyrese Maxey
08:33They just added
08:33B.J. Edgecombe
08:34They might have a healthy
08:35Jared McCain
08:36If those guys are all on the court
08:37They're going to be great
08:38If not
08:39It's going to be a lot
08:40Of what we saw last season
08:42So it's hard to gauge
08:43What the Sixers are
08:44But you can't forget
08:45That if all those guys
08:46Are healthy
08:46If Joel Embiid
08:47Can play 60 games
08:49And be healthy
08:50For the playoffs
08:51They're going to be
08:51A really competitive team
08:53Well, that's a big if
08:55But it's a fun if
08:56Because you're right
08:57Philly could be a real power
08:58In the East
08:59If fully healthy
09:00All right, Colin
09:00Thank you so much
09:01And you can find
09:02Colin's full NBA power rankings
09:04On CBSSports.com
09:06Right now
09:07Here's a look at the odds
09:09To win it all
09:10Next Sunroker
09:12In align with what Colin says
09:14As the Thunder being
09:15The number one team
09:17In all the NBA
09:18At plus 260
09:20Followed by the Knicks
09:21Nuggets made a lot of moves
09:23In this offseason already
09:25As have the Rockets
09:26Both tied there
09:28At plus 850
09:29Both rooting for the Knicks
09:31Of the究章
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