NBA Power Rankings: Warriors remain No. 1 with anticipation building for Klay Thompson’s return

As the 2021-22 NBA season enters the new year, now is a good time to take a look at some potential impact additions for the teams at the top of the league’s power rankings, starting with the Golden State Warriors.

There’s been hype surrounding Klay Thompson’s return for a while now. Many felt the All-Star guard would return Christmas Day, but Thompson reportedly wants to make his season debut in front of the home crowd. That leaves a variety of dates in January where he’s likely to come back. Thompson is going to be on a minutes limit during his return, but he’ll slowly ramp things up as the postseason nears. What does Golden State’s rotation and ceiling look like with Thompson back?

The Warriors aren’t the only contending team getting a significant player back. The Brooklyn Nets welcomed Kyrie Irving back as a part-time player, while the Miami Heat should be bringing Bam Adebayo back into the rotation soon. Both players will have an impact, although Adebayo will be the more consistent presence. The Los Angeles Lakers will be re-evaluating star big man Anthony Davis as well, so that’s yet another player who could change the outcome of the season if he comes back at 100 percent.

Let’s take a look at Chinmay Vaidya’s power rankings for Week 12 of the NBA season.