ESPN Power Rankings are out - Celtics at #2 - up from #4 last season


The 2018-19 ESPN Power Rankings are out, and the Boston Celtics go from #4 last season to #2 for 2018-19. One of the major reasons for the rise is the return of Gordon Hayward.

Houston ended up at #3. There will be some controversy about Boston being in front of Houston, but the Celtics have more talent and depth.

The 76'ers ended up in the 4th slot, down from #3 last year. The Toronto Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard and sit in the 5th spot, up from #7 last season.


The Thunder made a big jump from #14 to #6, and retaining Paul George and adding Dennis Schroder are partially responsible. The Jazz dropped from #5 to #7.

The Denver Nuggets stand at #8, rising one slot from last year. It will be interesting to see if Isaiah Thomas can recover from injury and bad luck.

The Lakers gained Lebron James and four places in the rankings, rising from #13 to #9. They also added Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson, making Laker-Land the California equivalent of The Island of Misfit Toys.



The Trailblazers round out the top-10 in the rankings, sitting in the #10 spot, up from #15 last year. It is great to see the Celtics ranked as the second-best team in the entire NBA. Congrats to Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens for accomplishing this.

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Photo via Winslow Townson/AP
Video via ChristmasYearRound
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