Power rankings before the 2019-20 NBA season, as voted on by USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt, Mark Medina, AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Matt Eppers, are below.

1. Los Angeles Clippers — Talent-wise, they're arguably the best and deepest team in the NBA. The most regular-season wins in franchise history (58 or more) — and perhaps the first championship — is certainly in the cards.

2. Milwaukee — Led by MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, All-Star Khris Middleton and Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks are poised to take another step forward and represent the East in the NBA Finals. Health permitting, they're the preseason favorites to do just that.

3. Philadelphia — Yes, losing Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick hurts, but the Sixers added two difference-makers in Al Horford and Josh Richardson to the already-elite group of Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid. They very well could end up being the best team in the East.

4. Los Angeles Lakers — For the first time in a long time, the Lakers have their sights set on a championship. They have arguably the best duo in the league with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and anything less than a title will be a disappointment. The problem? They may not even be the best team in their own building.

5. Utah — The West's biggest offseason splashes were made in Los Angeles, and the Lakers and Clippers may be viewed as more legitimate title contenders than the Jazz. That shouldn't necessarily be the case. The Jazz are the real deal, and the time for them to make a run is now.

6. Denver — It was a quiet summer for the Nuggets from an acquisition standpoint, and that's a good thing. They took care of business internally and enter the season as one of the league's most dangerous groups, led by MVP candidate Nikola Jokic.

7. Houston — Sure, there are questions about the James Harden-Russell Westbrook fit, but at the end of the day, the Rockets are the only team in the league with two of the past three league MVPs.

8. Golden State — The Warriors' dynasty changed forever the moment Kevin Durant announced his decision to head East. But that doesn't mean this group isn't going to be competitive. Cue the Stephen Curry MVP chatter.

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9. Portland — Jusuf Nurkic is expected to be out for a good portion of the season, which hurts tremendously, but the addition of Hassan Whiteside should help mitigate his absence. Still, don't expect another 53-win season.

10. Boston — Kemba Walker may not be Kyrie Irving in terms of pure talent, but he's close, and Irving's departure may be just what the Celtics need to turn things around. The loss of Horford? Not so much.

11. San Antonio — The Spurs aren't title contenders, but don't be surprised if they make the postseason for the 23rd consecutive year, especially with the return of Dejounte Murray.

12. Indiana — The bad news: The Pacers enter the season without their best player, Victor Oladipo, and there's still no timetable for his return. The good news: The Pacers stayed afloat without him for the second half of last season, and they made plenty of moves over the summer to help fill the void.

13. Brooklyn — The Nets struck gold this summer, landing Durant, Irving and DeAndre Jordan to accompany Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie. Expectations for this season should be tempered with Durant expected to miss the whole year, but the future is bright as can be.

14. Toronto — It's not every year you see the reigning NBA champions this low in the preseason power rankings. Behold, the power of Kawhi Leonard.

15. Miami — The Heat finally landed a star by bringing in Butler, and that addition alone should be enough to get them to the playoffs. But not much else.

16. Sacramento — The Kings finally have a young and talented core to build around, and when you add veterans like Trevor Ariza, Cory Joseph and Harrison Barnes to the mix, this group looks poised for yet another step in the right direction.

17. New Orleans — All eyes will be on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, who underwent a complete roster overhaul this summer. They may not have enough for a playoff push in the ultra-competitive West, but they have a lot of talent, and anything is an upgrade from last year.

18. Orlando — Don't forget: The Magic won the division last season and made it to the playoffs for the first time since the Dwight Howard era, and not much changed this summer.

19. Dallas — One era ends, another begins. All of the pressure is now on Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis to fill the void left by Dirk Nowitzki.

20. Detroit — The Pistons won't be great. They won't be terrible. Again.

21. Atlanta — The Hawks probably aren't ready for playoff contention just yet, but they're heading in the right direction. A core of Trae Young, John Collins, Cam Reddish, De'Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter is one to be excited about.

22. Minnesota — Despite being led by one of the top young big men in the league in Karl-Anthony Towns, who last season became the first player in NBA history to average at least 24 points, 12 rebounds and three assists while shooting at least 40% from beyond the arc, the Timberwolves remain in basketball limbo.

23. Oklahoma City — For the first time since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City from Seattle over a decade ago, Westbrook won't be on the court. His exit wasn't sour like Durant's, but it leaves the Thunder without an identity or a superstar to rally around. Where do they go from here?

24. Chicago — Last year's 22 wins may not show it, but this group is headed in the right direction — albeit slowly.

25. Memphis — It's the start of a new era in Memphis, where Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. have the potential to be one of the best and most exciting young duos in the league.

26. Washington — After five years of competitive basketball, the Wizards are back to the bottom of the NBA. Bradley Beal will continue to put up monstrous numbers while John Wall is out, but don't expect anything more than 30-or-so wins.

27. Phoenix — The front office made some questionable moves on draft night, but the hiring of head coach Monty Williams was huge. This Suns season will be all about development.

28. Cleveland — The Cavs' biggest addition of the summer was the hiring of John Beilein — the longtime college hoops coach who two years ago led Michigan to the title game. While he may not have NBA experience, he knows a thing or two about helping develop young players.

29. New York — Believe it or not, the Knicks have a few players on the roster with star potential. This season — and how those players develop — will have a significant impact on the future of the franchise. Keep an eye on Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle and rookie RJ Barrett.

30. Charlotte — While the departure of Walker opens the door for a lot of losing, it also opens the door for a lot of internal development and draft picks. No longer will the franchise be mired in mediocrity.