NBA Power Rankings: Knicks may be a disaster; Warriors are dominating the West
26. Philadelphia 76ers
In theory, I'm not sure the Philadelphia 76ers are one of the five worst teams in the league, but they're surely playing like it through the first month of the season. And that's the biggest reason why the Sixers are the No. 26 ranked team in our power rankings. Like a few other teams ranked near the bottom of this list, injuries have surely played a big role in the team's lack of success so far this season. But even as the Sixers get healthier and healthier, there are still big questions that need to be answered.
Will Joel Embiid and Paul George be durable enough to play the entire season? Will the emergence of Jared McCain be the jolt that the bench needs? How will Tyrese Maxey be impacted by the addition of PG? All of these questions have yet to be answered a month through the season, mostly because injuries have already taken a toll on this team. Already with ground to make up in the East, the Sixers are going to have their work cut out for them heading into the holiday season portion of the NBA schedule.
25. Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets haven't had the bad injury luck that some of the other teams have had but they've been an absolute mess at the center position. Mark Williams has still not made his regular-season debut as he recovers from an offseason injury and Nick Richards has had his struggles with a couple of injuries so far this season already. The Hornets continue to experiment at the center position without much certainty or clarity on the future of the position for the team moving forward.
Aside from those concerns, there is some promise for the Hornets on other fronts. LaMelo Ball is playing high-quality basketball and is looking more and more like a player that can be built around. Brandon Miller appears to be in a sophomore slump but there is hope he can bounce back after his slow start to the season. Additionally, Tre Mann continues to look like a complete steal of a player since his acquisition from the Oklahoma City Thunder last year.