Overview of Preseason Power Rankings, Part 6 (feat. Chris Ryan) | Group Chat
This episode wraps up The Ringer’s preseason NBA power rankings by debating the top five teams: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The conversation is less about raw talent than about fit, health, roster construction, and how each team’s stars can survive the regular season while preparing for the playoffs. The core idea throughout: the NBA’s top tier is now defined by whether a team can add pressure-release playmaking, survive the second apron, and keep its best players healthy enough to matter in May.
Biggest themes from the episode
Fit matters as much as star power
The hosts repeatedly stress that the best teams aren’t just collecting names — they’re trying to solve specific problems:
- Who takes pressure off the primary scorer?
- Who can handle the ball in the half court?
- Who can defend up a position or survive in playoff cross-matches?
- Who can stay on the floor when the game tightens?
Health and availability are central
Nearly every team discussion circles back to durability:
- Anthony Edwards needs more help because of the grind he’s carried.
- Joel Embiid remains the biggest variable for Philadelphia.
- Victor Wembanyama’s conditioning and workload are treated as a major swing factor.
- The Thunder’s young stars and depth are a buffer against injuries, but not immune to them.
The “second apron” and roster economics
The Knicks conversation especially turns into a debate about whether cap restrictions are being used as an excuse. The panel argues that title teams should simply pay their players, and that the real issue is willingness, not just mechanics.
Team-by-team breakdown
No. 5: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves are the episode’s biggest surprise in the top five, but the hosts talk themselves into them because of the ceiling created by new offensive juice and Anthony Edwards’ growth.
- The big idea is that Minnesota is adding a more chaotic, creative playmaking dimension to take pressure off Edwards.
- The panel loves the idea of Edwards no longer having to carry every half-court possession.
- Jaden McDaniels is treated as the key connective piece: he has become far more than a 3-and-D wing and is now a real on-ball threat.
- Rudy Gobert still gives them a defensive floor, but the team may be moving away from its old identity as a brute-force, interior-heavy group.
- Their main concern is size and depth:
- They may be too small in certain lineups.
- The backup center situation is shaky.
- They could struggle against huge frontcourts in playoff matchups.
Takeaway: Minnesota is more fun and more versatile, but the cost is a loss of heft and a lot of uncertainty around how the new pieces fit together.
No. 4: Philadelphia 76ers
Chris Ryan joins for a long, hype-heavy discussion of a wild Sixers build centered on Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brown, and LeBron James.
- The tone is amazement: the team feels like a surreal superteam that shouldn’t exist.
- The hosts like that the stars seem aligned in terms of motivation and role acceptance.
- LeBron’s arrival is framed as a low-cost, high-upside “free agency” move that gives Philadelphia a huge basketball and narrative boost.
- Jalen Brown is discussed as a player with something to prove, and the panel thinks that could help him buy into the group.
- Tyrese Maxey is seen as the natural glue guy:
- elite shooter
- fast, adaptable, and able to toggle his role depending on who is on the floor
- The biggest questions are still:
- Embiid’s health
- whether the team can defend when he sits
- whether Nick Nurse can manage all the personalities and lineups
Takeaway: The Sixers are one of the most intriguing teams in the league because their upside is enormous, but everything depends on health, buy-in, and Nurse’s ability to steer the ship.
No. 3: New York Knicks
The reigning champs are treated as a real title-defense threat, but with one major wrinkle: the roster is so strong that the biggest question is mostly about ownership, money, and backup-center depth.
- The hosts are bullish on the Knicks staying elite.
- Mike Brown’s offensive tweaks intrigue them:
- more Karl-Anthony Towns at the elbow
- more pick-and-roll for wings like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges
- more OG at backup center
- Mitchell Robinson’s departure is the main on-court subtraction, with Andre Drummond expected to fill in.
- The panel says the second apron is being overused as a villain; the bigger issue is whether ownership wants to pay.
- They think the team’s core is in its prime and should be kept together.
- There’s confidence that the Knicks can keep experimenting because they’ve already proven they can win.
Takeaway: The Knicks are viewed as complete, battle-tested, and still capable of evolving — but only if the front office and ownership stop acting like financial caution is the same thing as smart team-building.
No. 2: San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are praised as one of the two true Western Conference monsters, with Victor Wembanyama at the center of everything.
- Wembanyama is treated as a once-in-history player and a legitimate MVP candidate.
- The panel wants to see:
- a more reliable go-to offensive package
- better physical durability over the course of the season
- more consistent minutes and conditioning
- The De’Aaron Fox / Dylan Harper / Devin Vassell / Stephon Castle mix is a real lineup puzzle.
- A big part of the Spurs’ season will be figuring out hierarchy:
- Who starts?
- Who closes?
- Who sacrifices usage?
- They like the roster’s size, athleticism, and defensive upside, but there are real chemistry and role-definition issues.
- Tobias Harris and Julian Champagnie are discussed as stabilizing role players, while Carter Bryant is singled out as a major long-term upside piece.
Takeaway: The Spurs may already have a championship-level core, but the season will hinge on whether they can solve the guard hierarchy and get Wemby’s offense to a more sustainable level.
No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder get the top spot because the panel trusts both their known stars and their developmental system.
- They are described as the deepest, most structurally sound team in the league.
- The argument for OKC is simple:
- they know their core
- they know how they play
- they keep adding useful players without losing identity
- Jalen Williams is viewed as essential, especially for wing physicality and creation.
- Chet Holmgren is the biggest developmental swing:
- the hosts want more offensive aggression
- they want him to be more forceful against Wembanyama
- they want him to become a more reliable creator, not just a defensive anchor
- Cason Wallace is highlighted as a possible breakout because the Thunder clearly want him to take on a larger role.
- A.J. Mitchell gets major praise as a calm, efficient, high-upside second-unit playmaker and likely future Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
- The Thunder’s depth means even their rookies and end-of-rotation guys feel like meaningful chess pieces.
Takeaway: OKC is the safest bet at the top because their top-end talent is elite, their pipeline is strong, and their roster still has room to improve without changing its identity.
Bottom line
The episode frames the 2025 NBA race as a battle between:
- the Thunder’s deep, machine-like continuity,
- the Spurs’ generational upside,
- the Knicks’ championship certainty,
- the Sixers’ absurd star power,
- and the Wolves’ new, volatile offensive ceiling.
If there’s one throughline, it’s this: the teams that can create pressure relief for their stars, survive the second apron, and manage playoff-level physicality are the ones most likely to matter when the season gets serious.