In a pair of pieces this week for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe continued his annual tradition of ranking all 30 NBA teams in terms of how much entertainment they’ll provide on League Pass during the 2017/18 season. Lowe’s highest-ranked teams score well in a number of categories, including zeitgeist appeal, style of play, highlight potential, and even uniform and court aesthetics.
Lowe’s rankings aren’t particularly shocking. Teams expected to land near the top of next year’s draft lottery – such as the Hawks, Suns, Bulls, Magic, and Pacers – round out the bottom of his list, while the Warriors, Thunder, Celtics, and Rockets are at the top.
Still, there are a handful of interesting results in Lowe’s list. The Sixers and Pelicans rank ahead of the Cavaliers in the top 10. The Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets also place highly for three teams either barely made the playoffs or missed out entirely last season. And despite the preseason buzz they’ve been generating, the Lakers don’t show up in the top half of Lowe’s list, coming in at No. 16.
While Lowe makes a strong case for his selections, we want to hear from you. Outside of the team you root for, which clubs do you expect to make an effort to watch this season?
Will you be keeping a close eye on perennial title contenders like the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Spurs, or are you more fascinated by up-and-coming teams like the Bucks, Timberwolves, and Nuggets? Maybe there are rebuilding lottery teams – perhaps the Kings, Lakers, Knicks, or Mavericks – that you’ll be excited to see in action?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts on your top League Pass picks for 2017/18.
Have to check for implosions in Boston and Nawlins. I will probably watch teams that may have a center available since my team’s projected bigs are Love and Crowder– Lakers, Hornets, Rockets, Bucks, Griz, Knicks, Sixers
Denver will be fun to watch. Jokic will be making a case for an all star appearance this year, added an All Star in Millsap and have a great cast of talented young prospects in Harris, Murray, Barton, Mudiay, etc. Also anxious to see how they use the Manimal
2nd year that I’ve had league pass. Last year, I watched soooooo much basketball lol. It’s like you miss 3 months by missing a week. I anticipate watching a similar amount this year. Love the whole league. That beiing said, the list Lowe put out there is questionable…I’m a heat fan, so I watch those games on tv. First priority of the rest of the league is obviously GS. As i said though, I essentially watch everyone. I’d probably anticipate Chicago, Orlando, New Orleans being the teams at the bottom of my list, but each of those teams have players to watch