30. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets may have a bright future but they simply aren’t going to rise much in this year‘s NBA power rankings. There’s a lot to feel good about for this franchise moving forward, but this is not the season where they’re going to begin to see dividends. That’s OK the timeline never relied on having a good season this year.
29. New Orleans Pelicans
The jury is still out on the New Orleans Pelicans until Zion Williamson makes his return from injury, but the early returns don’t look promising for this franchise. I have a feeling that they’re going to make some big changes over the next few months, and there’s a chance that it won’t be an easy or pretty process.