California Posts NBA Power Rankings: Lakers among top teams

Each week, Melissa Rohlin of the California Post will power rank the NBA’s 30 teams:There was palpable pain on Victor Wembanyama’s face after the Knicks eliminated the Spurs in the NBA Finals.The Spurs had double-digit leads in each of their four losses in that series. Wembanyama blamed himself.

Here’s to betting he’s going to be a beast this season. We underestimated the Knicks last season and won’t repeat that mistake.They return 10 of their 12 rotational players.

They’ve proven that no deficit fazes them.And Jalen Brunson is fearless. The 2025 championship Thunder were stunned by the Spurs in the Western Conference finals last season.

This roster is deep, young, talented and hungry to get back atop the league.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has won two straight MVP awards, isn’t going to take his foot off the gas this season. LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey? This should be fun.

It might take them a second to figure things out and develop chemistry.But if they do, watch out.

It’ll be interesting to see if this superteam takes over the league or flames out, such as the disappointing Nets who never got past the second round of the playoffs despite having Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the roster. The regular season doesn’t matter for this Cavs team.They keep combusting in the playoffs, including getting swept by the Knicks in the 2026 Eastern Conference finals.

Either they make a deep run with Donovan Mitchell, Harden, Peyton Watson and Evan Mobley or else it’s hard to imagine there isn’t going to be a reckoning soon. This team has a lot of question marks.But also a lot of potential.

If Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler play to their potential and the team’s perimeter defense surpasses expectations, the Lakers could be very good.But this team has nine new players, including Kessler, who played only five games last season after having season-ending shoulder surgery.

So, yeah, lot...