These two teams are tops in the latest power rankings and figure to battle it out for the best record in the league this season, but changes to both rosters could cause some early season hiccups, leaving the door open for another squad to make a big impact early on and possibly put some pressure on the Warriors and Cavs’.
Boston is expected to challenge for the top spot in the Eastern Conference after adding Al Horford this summer. The Celtics have a terrific back court, but will count on their new center to bring some stability and leadership to the front court. If this team can gel early, this could be the surprise team of the 2016-17 season.
Most of the top teams from last year are expected to remain in the upper echelon of the standings this year, but fans are always looking for the next best thing and a couple teams could make a push at the playoffs after a few years of struggling.
Utah is the biggest climber in the Western Conference power rankings according to the experts. With Dante Exum back after missing all of last year with an injury and some great young talent at every position, the Jazz could be a dark horse for a top four spot in the west.
The injury to Gordon Hayward is cause for concern, but the versatile star of the team could be back by the middle of November. If this team can play well early, his return will only increase their chance for success this season and for fans of the team, this could finally be the year they live up to expectations.
Detroit could be the biggest surprise in the east as the Pistons have one of the best starting five in the league and used the off season to ad some depth to the bench. Despite being swept by King James in the opening round of last years playoffs, that experience could help this squad build on last years success and make this a very exciting NBA team to watch this year.
