NBA Tier List: Golden State Warriors enter upper stratosphere

NBA Tiers: Playoff Locks

These teams probably won’t be battling for an NBA championship next season but we can pretty much punch in their tickets to the playoffs.

Phoenix Suns

Last year’s Western Conference Champions will be a tough matchup for anybody. Devin Booker has officially become a superstar and Chris Paul clearly has more gas left in the tank to lead another run. With strong supporting players like Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson — we can’t count the Suns out just yet.

However, we do have to acknowledge their fortunate path to the finals last year. The road won’t be so easy this time around and the truth is, Phoneix is likely a tier below the real contenders.

Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic battled his way to the MVP award last season while being one of the most all-around dominant players in the NBA. He’s at the peak of his powers and will be surrounded with more shot creation once Jamal Murray makes his return.

Still, the rest of the roster is a little too weak to confidently place them any higher on the list. Until the Denver Nuggets find more talent to complement Murray and Jokic, they’ll be nothing more than playoff locks.

Philadelphia 76ers 

The process is quickly crumbling in Philly. Their collapse to the Atlanta Hawks was backbreaking and a massive rift is forming between Ben Simmons and the rest of the franchise. Their biggest free agency addition of Andre Drummond isn’t exactly inspiring either.

Now, the potential to flip Simmons for a player such as Damian Lillard would change the 76ers position on this list immediately. However, for now, they fall a bit from their position last year as team chemistry is on life support at the moment.

Atlanta Hawks

The most surprising team of the Eastern Conference, Atlanta stormed their way to six games against the Milwaukee Bucks for a chance at the NBA Finals. While Trae Young has been surrounded with the perfect supporting cast for his nuclear offensive talents — trouble could be imminent in Atlanta.

If the NBA truly cracks down on offensive players drawing fouls next season, Young will have to find a different way to dominate the game. As talented as Young is, it will become much easier for opponents to harass him if the fear of being baited into a foul is relieved.

New York Knicks 

Signing Kemba Walker was a great move for the New York Knicks who struggled to generate offense in the backcourt last season. This addition takes some pressure off Julius Randle and makes the rest of the game easier.

New York was one of the best defensive squads in the league last year. Buffing their offense should solidify their position in the playoffs once again. Nevertheless, their lack of true star power will restrict them from being any higher on the list.

Utah Jazz

This is maybe my most controversial opinion on the tier list. The Utah Jazz finished with the league’s best record last season and fell just short of a Western Conference Finals berth. However, I don’t see them as actual contenders.

The Jazz have never been a real threat, in my eyes. The LA Clippers were able to dismantle them and play Rudy Gobert off the floor without a healthy Kawhi Leonard. With a fully reloaded Western Conference, it’s hard to pick the Jazz over any of these other squads.

Dallas Mavericks 

Luka Doncic is only going to get better as time goes on, and that’s a scary thought. However, the Dallas Mavericks really haven’t gotten much better as a team. The front office is failing to bring in quality role players time and time again.

As a result, the Mavericks are still a long shot away from being contenders. Doncic will keep them in the playoffs but he can only take them so far.