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This week saw the release of a ton of great new pop music. Sabrina Carpenter and Slayyyter both put new spins on songs from their biggest inspirations for Spotify Singles. There were also a few collaborations, including one that united three different countries.

Check out the rest of Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.

The Kid Laroi, Jung Kook, Central Cee — “Too Much”

As BTS is still on hiatus, the members are keeping busy with solo songs. Jung Kook teamed up with The Kid Laroi and Central Cee for “Too Much,” which finds them reflecting on past choices. Given each of the three performers is from a different country, it has serious potential to be a global hit.

Charli XCX, Sam Smith — “In The City”

In their new collaboration, Charli XCX and Sam Smith find themselves aiming to tackle the nightlife “In The City.” The dazzling duo find themselves shimmering under the club lights, proving it was worth the wait — as Charli teased it months ago.

Beabadoobee, Laufey — “A Night To Remember”

Another brilliant duo on this week’s list, Beabadoobee and Laufey decided to work together on “A Night To Remember” after becoming friends and bonding in London. The result is a classical-inspired song that brings serious jazzy vibes — so much so that you’ll be transported back in time.

Sabrina Carpenter — “I Knew You Were Trouble”

Sabrina Carpenter covered Taylor Swift’s hit, “I Knew You Were Trouble,” adding another layer to their close relationship. Compared to the original, Carpenter slowed down the song’s pacing to place an emphasis on the lyricism.

Anitta — “Mil Veces”

Anitta truly set the tone for “Mil Veces” by tapping Maneskin’s Damiano David to play her love interest as the two turn up the heat. The song serves as a follow-up to her recent album, Funk Generation, and finds her discussing a tumultuous relationship that has gone through tough times.

Slayyyter — “Monster”

Slayyyter’s “Monster” arrived just in time for Halloween, as she put a new spin on Lady Gaga’s song for Spotify Singles. “It’s one of my favorite pop songs of all time,” she shared in a statement. Given that Gaga has been a huge inspiration to her, it feels like a sweet full-circle moment.

Kali Uchis — “Te Mata”

Kali Uchis kicked off her new Orquíedas album announcement with the single, “Te Mata.” As promised, Uchis would be dropping both an English record and a Spanish one — and now the latter is on the way. Lyrically, she is reclaiming her power after a breakup, and getting stronger by doing so.

Holly Macve, Lana Del Rey — “Suburban House”

“Ever since I heard Holly’s music I knew she had one of the most beautiful singing voices in the world,” Lana Del Rey shared about her “Suburban House” collaboration with Macve. “Her flawless, emotional vocals have inspired me over the last six years and I love her songs, and I’m especially proud of featuring on this one.”

Dove Cameron — “Lethal Woman”

Dove Cameron’s “Lethal Woman” was written about a girl that the pop star met at a party. As it opens the first half of her debut album, Alchemical: Vol. 1, Cameron observes from afar — complete with some spicy lyrics.

Griff — “Into The Walls”

Griff recently dropped her new three-song EP, Vert1go Vol. 1. One of the highlights is “Into The Walls,” an emotional take on the singer’s growing pains. While she changes day by day, she also details how her present state isn’t doing very well.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Spooky season marks the start of the holiday season, but for music streaming giant Spotify, it signifies the end of the streaming year. Just as Uproxx rounds up the top music critics for our year-end best-of lists (see our 2022 albums selections here), Spotify rolls out their Wrapped series for users. The data collection effort shows listeners their favorite bodies of work, singles, and genres, amongst other things.

Last year’s most streamed album on the server came from Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran, and Doja Cat. The most streamed artists were Bunny, Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, and BTS. But Spotify Wrapped is personalized for each user, so when does the software stop tracking your listening history?

Today (October 24), news aggregator Pop Base tweeted a reminder to its followers. “One week from today, Spotify will stop counting users’ streams for Spotify Wrapped 2023,” read the post.

According to Newsweek, this timeline is accurate. Spotify reportedly collects users’ data for the personalized experience between only data from January 1 to October 31 each year. Brendan Codey, associate director for Creator Growth and Programs at Spotify, explained the rationale behind the discussion in 2021.

“We have this hard cut-off just for the sake of campaign logistics. We need to QA the site and finalize assets for Wrapped, all of which takes a while. You throw Thanksgiving into the mix, and we have even less time,” said Codey.

A father with a challenging problem took to social media to anonymously hear other opinions on a bold position he had to take in his family.

“I’m the dad of a 25-year-old young woman who I love very much,” the father wrote on the Reddit AITA forum. “I’ve been able to have a good relationship with my daughter, and I enjoy my time with her, but there’s one thing about her that would give many people pause—she is a diagnosed sociopath.”

People who are sociopaths have been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). According to WebMD, “Those with ASPD have no regard for others’ rights or feelings, lack empathy and remorse for wrongdoings, and have the need to exploit and manipulate others for personal gain.”

It is challenging for people with ASPD to get help because they often don’t believe their behavior is a problem. However, those who do can learn that their behaviors are harmful and receive tools to improve their relationships.

However, being in a close relationship with someone diagnosed with ASPD can be a very challenging situation.

The father realized his daughter had sociopathic tendencies at a young age and was given therapy and support. “With an enormous amount of therapy & support, her bad behavior was minimized as she grew older. She received an ASPD diagnosis at 18, and I had suspected it for long prior,” he wrote.

Even though the daughter struggles with her social life, she has had no problem with men.

“She is very, very charming and adept at attracting guys and maintaining their interest,” he continued. “She uses that old dating guide ‘The Rules’ like a Bible. She currently has a boyfriend of about a year and a half who’s crazy about her, and who I have a very strong relationship with (we live in the same area and spend time together regularly). He is a great guy, very kind, funny and intelligent.”

The boyfriend intends to propose soon, and the father fears the worst could happen to him. “While she enjoys being around her boyfriend and is sexually attracted to him, I highly doubt she feels much of anything towards him love-wise,” the father wrote.

Further, the daughter has no intention of telling the boyfriend about her diagnosis for fear that it would scare him away. But the dad doesn’t believe that it’s right for the relationship to continue without telling him the truth.

“I’ve made it clear to her that she needs to tell him the truth before they marry, that he has the right to know and consider it, or I will, to which she always responds, ‘I know you wouldn’t dare,’” the father admits. “I actually would—I really like and respect this young man and would feel awful keeping this ‘secret’ from him and letting him walk into a marriage without this piece of knowledge.”

So, the father asked the Reddit forum if he was right to tell the boyfriend about his daughter’s diagnosis. “I’m not trying to sabotage my daughter’s future. Maybe her boyfriend’s love of her personality and other aspects is enough that it won’t end the relationship. It’s his decision to make, but he deserves all the facts,” he wrote.

Almost all of the commenters sympathized with the father and agreed that it was best to tell the boyfriend before they were engaged.

“If this guy wants kids, it’s really going to suck to find out he is co-parenting with a sociopath. Also, is ASPD genetic? If so, he definitely deserves to know,” Decemberandjuly wrote. “I’d really want to know that info before marrying,” PodcornJelly added. “That, of course, doesn’t mean you’re not at fault for ‘outing’ your daughter, but IMO, it’s for the greater good.”

However, one commenter noted that the father should stay out of it because the relationship is probably very helpful for the daughter. “I say this as someone who is qualified to make these types of diagnoses and provide appropriate treatment. She has a history of problematic behavior, but it sounds like she is well-functioning enough as an adult,” iglooboo wrote. “Maybe she loves in different ways to others, but that doesn’t exclude her from having positive relationships. In fact, it is this sense of safety in a relationship that will help her keep learning these skills.”

Upworthy contacted the father to learn the rest of the story but is still awaiting his response.

There are some things that you simply consider experiences that happen outside of the house.

Going to Olive Garden and having the server grate cheese over your soup, salad or food until you say, “when” is one of them. Most of us Olive Garden patrons watch the cheese grater intently while we internally debate if we should tell the server to stop or stay silent revealing how much cheese we actually prefer on our food.

Do they sell cheese graters at any chain retail store in America? Yes, yes they do. But it’s not the Olive Garden cheese grater that transports you into the restaurant staring at cheese fall like snow onto your endless soup and salad. So imagine people’s surprise when they found out that they too could purchase the infamous cheese grater straight from the restaurant.

TikTok creator, Jordan stitched a girl who revealed that while eating at the chain Italian restaurant, she asked if she could buy the cheese grater. To her surprise and Jordan’s surprise, they said yes, so Jordan wanted to try his luck.

“I heard this information. I woke up at six in the morning, I haven’t even seen my family, yet. I need to see if this is true. I’m so excited, I’m the first one here,” Jordan says.

Well, since the restaurant specializes in lunch and dinner, it’s not surprising that he’s the first one in line for a cheese grater that people likely didn’t know was sold. What do you know, the guy walks out with a brand new Olive Garden cheese grater and a whole tub of cheese.

The manager gave him a tub of that fancy Romano cheese that they shred on anything and everything you could ever want cheese on. Commenters were mostly entertained about this new information, while others, who worked at the restaurant were not so thrilled.

“Olive Garden won’t be prepared for the influx of people asking to buy cheese graters now,” one person jokes.

“I now want to find the most ridiculous thing at Olive Garden and ask if they’ll sell it to me,” another says.

“GIRL MATH – $30 cheese grater minus $100 free cheese means I have $70 to spend on something else,” one woman reasons.

“As an Olive Garden current server, the amount of times I’ve ben asked TODAY if we sell cheese graters is insane,” someone says.

“Former Olive Garden employee – everything there [h]as a price. One of my managers sold a painting off the wall once,” one commenter reveals.

Turns out if you want something from Olive Garden that’s not on the menu, like a cheese grater, painting…an entire booth, all you have to do is ask. Some one with a manager name tag will make sure you’re a fully satisfied customer with your brand new-only been used 75,000 times wooden chair. Now, that’s what you call exceptional customer service.

You can watch the entire video below:

@jordan_the_stallion8

Stich with @Bo #fypシ

It’s said that everyone dies twice. The first is your physical death, the second is the last time anyone utters your name.

Sybil Marie Hicks, from Baysville, Ontario, died on February 2, at the age of 81, but it’ll be a long time before her name is forgotten. Her children have turned her into a posthumous celebrity after writing a hilarious first-person obituary for her that was published in The Hamilton Spectator on February 5, 2019.

According to her daughter, it was fitting tribute.

“Mom was never boring,” Hicks’ daughter, Barb Drummond, told Yahoo Lifestyle. “Mom lived large. She would do anything for anyone. It was rare for Mom not to have a smile on her face. Mom was always ready for a laugh.”

The last word. Obit in todayu2019s @TheSpec u201cI finally have the smoking hot body I have always wanted…having been cremated.u201dpic.twitter.com/YQFOjRJjL8

— Jim Poling (@Jim Poling)
1549409088

The obituary begins with a shot at her husband, Ron. “It hurts me to admit it, but I, Mrs. Ron Hicks from Baysville, have passed away,” they wrote. “I leave behind my loving husband, Ron Hicks, whom I often affectionately referred to as a ‘Horse’s Ass.'”

She then goes on to roast her own children.

“I also left behind my children whom I tolerated over the years; Bob (with Carol) my oldest son and also my favourite. Brian (with Ginette) who was the Oreo cookie favourite, Brenda AKA ‘Hazel’ who would run to clean the bathrooms when she heard company was coming,” they continued. “Barbara (with Gordon) the ever Miss Perfect and finally Baby Bruce who wouldn’t eat homemade turkey soup because he didn’t want to be alert looking for bones while he ate.”

The piece ends with a great zinger and a bit of a mystery: “I finally have the smoking hot body I have always wanted… having been cremated. Please come say goodbye and celebrate my wonderful life with my husband and his special friend Dorothy who is now lovingly taking care of my horse’s ass.”

Did her husband have a side piece or are they talking about the dog?

The viral obituary has done more than just spread a few much needed laughs across the world, it’s helped the family heal after Hicks’ long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The disorder may have stolen Hicks’ quick wit sharp tongue; but, in a way, the obituary, has given voice to a woman who was long silenced.

“We just thought that when she passed, we really didn’t want to have this sort of boilerplate template obituary,” Brian Hicks, the second eldest of Hick’s five children, told the CBC.

“We wanted to do something that kind of celebrated who she was and to give us an opportunity to basically have one last conversation with her, and have some laughs at the same time,” he said.

The Hicks family hopes that those who are moved by their mother’s story will consider donating to their local Alzheimer’s charity.

Read the entire obituary at Legacy.com.

This article originally appeared on 02.11.19.

In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

Most of us have never seen, or heard, anything like it.

Imagine walking along the picturesque Adriatic Sea, treading lightly on a set of white stone steps as a cool breeze rolls past.

Carved into the steps are narrow channels that connect to 35 organ pipes, each tuned to different meticulously arranged musical chords.

As the waves lap against the steps, they push air through the pipes and out whistle-holes in the surface above, making a harmonious and completely random musical arrangement.

But you don’t see what’s happening below the surface. You close your eyes and all you hear is a song like you’ve never heard before, one completely unique to the movement of the sea at that exact moment.

Take a listen: Here’s what it sounded like at one particular moment, on one particular day. On any other day, it might sound completely different.

(Hit the orange button to hear it.)

Pretty amazing, right?

The Sea Organ, or the Morske Orgulje, is an incredible feat of architecture designed to bring life back to one of the world’s oldest cities.

Zadar, a 3,000-year-old city on the coast of Croatia, was almost completely destroyed in World War II –– so many of its ancient landmarks lost forever. Years after a rebuilding that featured lots of plain, concrete structures, award-winning architect Nikola Bašić was brought in to bring some delight back to the coastline.

That’s when he came up with the idea.

No doubt he was inspired by the hydraulis — a nifty little instrument built by the ancient Greeks that used water to push air through tuned pipes — or even the Wave Organ in San Francisco — a set of curved tubes built in the 1980s that amplify the gurgles and howls of the Pacific Ocean.

But the intricate design of the Sea Organ is what sets it apart and makes it truly something to marvel at.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

These mustached Canadians decided to treat older shelter cats like used cars.

Why?

Because in a world where around 8 million pets enter shelters and only around 4 million get out, that’s a lot of sad math.

In an attempt to stop that sad math, the kind folks from the Calgary Humane Society got creative.

The fastest domestic cat running speed appears to be 29.8 mph. This salesman knows his product!

They got weird.

They discovered some very adept cat performers.

Call Hollywood!

They pulled out all the stops to help future cat owners realize that pre-owned cats are the way to go!

And in addition to the commercial, the cats were priced to go on a very special Saturday.

Kittens are popular. There’s no way around it. They’re kittens! I used to be kitten-crazy (I was a child!), but I’ve adopted older cats and so have my friends. They’re special. They’re cute. They’re soulful. And instead of adorably biting your fingers until they grow up past kittenhood, older cats chill out on your couch and teach you about relaxing.

I’m sharing this because it might save a pre-owned cat.

We missed the Big Sale Saturday (but let’s be real, pre-owned cats are always priced to go), but the love for pre-owned cats continues. And this commercial, well … it’s timeless.

And worth a watch below:

This article originally appeared on 08.29.15

The Uproxx 2023 Fall Travel Hot List is live! Visit here for the full experience!

Summer has come to a close. There’s no denying that anymore. We tried to stall but Halloween is next-freaking-week. Even the beloved festival season — which tries to pull an Endless Summer and extend until the weather turns every year — is pretty much done.

Back in late September, CRSSD Festival hit San Diego — which was still downright tropical at the time — with its most wide-reaching lineup to date. Attendees were treated to electronic performances at the lush bayside Waterfront Park by day followed by a range of after-parties in clubs, venues, and converted spaces by night. Underworld, Flume, Fatboy Slim, Ben Böhmer, LP Giobbi, SG Lewis, Elderbrook, Barry Can’t Swim, Eliza Rose, FISHER, Chris Lake, Cloonee, TSHA, among others curated the CRSSD music experience — helping it stake its claim as one of the best electronic music events on the West Coast.

To keep the vibe going now that fall is fully fall and the end of summer is undeniable, peep this photo gallery that truly showcases CRSSD’s renowned status within the international festival circuit. Then start to make plans for hitting some festivals next spring, when the weather is warm again!

Another Spider-Man movie is swinging its way to Disney+ next week.

On Tuesday, Marvel announced the second film in Tom Holland’s web-slinging trilogy, Spider-Man: Far From Home, would begin streaming on Disney+ on Friday, Nov. 3rd. This marks the second film in the franchise to call Disney’s streaming platform home after Spider-Man: Homecoming was added earlier this year.

Far From Home landed in theaters in 2019, sending Holland’s Peter Parker and his school friends on a European field trip that ended with Jake Gyllenhaal’s villainous Quentin Beck nearly destroying most of the London skyline. That sequel famously outed Parker as New York’s teenage vigilante, setting up the multiverse hijinks of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home that ended with Peter being practically erased from his own timeline.

Because Spider-Man is owned by Sony and not Marvel, the studio holds the films’ distribution rights which is why it’s taken so long for Holland’s trilogy to make its way to Disney+. As of now, there’s no set date for when the third Spider-Man film will be available to stream on the platform, although once Marvel settles on if (more likely, when) we’ll get a fourth outing from Holland’s likable superhero, that may change.

(Via Comic Book)

The 2023-24 NBA season is finally upon us after a summer that saw contenders loading up via some league-shaking trades (and non-trades) to take a crack at dethroning the Denver Nuggets. The expected list of contenders isn’t all that different from last year, but the faces on those teams are. We saw the Bucks, Celtics, and Suns each add All-Star talent, while plenty of others bolstered their depth to try and make the next step into that contender tier.

Tuesday night brings the first two games of the season, with looks at four hopeful contenders in action from the West, including the defending champs. As always, we can anticipate what things will look like on paper, but [extreme Chris Berman voice] that’s why they play the games. This year the Dime Power Rankings will be a little bit more volatile as I take them over for Brad, and I’ll be concerned less with long-term outlooks than I will for what teams have done on the floor. That means these preseason rankings are bound to change pretty dramatically in the first few weeks, but I still wanted to lay out how I see the league coming into the year, with the knowledge some teams will be way too low (and others, way too high) once we start seeing them play real basketball.

1. Denver Nuggets

They’re the defending champs and still have the best starting five in the NBA until proven otherwise. There is work to do to figure out their playoff rotation beyond that starting group and they’re going to be more reliant on young players this year on the bench, but this is still the best roster with the most cohesion in the NBA.

2. Boston Celtics

The Celtics top-6 is crazy good and I love how they can go small or go big depending on matchups. It might take a little time to hit top speed for this team, but Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis make a ton of sense around the Jays and there should be a bit better balance on offense this season rather than leaning so much on Brown and Tatum.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

I don’t expect it to happen immediately, but whenever Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo build full trust in each other on the floor they’re going to be damn near impossible to deal with. Depth is certainly the question in Milwaukee (as it is with pretty much every top team this year), but the starting five is tremendous and has great balance on both sides of the floor.

4. Los Angeles Lakers

The vibes around the Lakers seem to be the polar opposite from a year ago when they were in the midst of a long, drawn out breakup with Russell Westbrook. Now, they have some real continuity as much of their playoff rotation returns for a full season together, with some key additions like Gabe Vincent to bolster their depth. LeBron James and Anthony Davis being healthy at the right time is always the leading concern with this Lakers team, but they’ll feel like they’ve put together a roster that will give them a chance at a second title if they’re both on the floor for the playoffs.

5. Phoenix Suns

Do they need a point guard? Can they be good enough on defense? Those are the two questions for the Suns, but they have an incredible top-3 with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal and I felt they did about as well as they could’ve building out depth given their financial situation this summer. Frank Vogel has his work cut out in designing a defense that works with this personnel, but as long as they can keep things flowing on offense (and healthy), they’re not going to be fun to play (but very fun to watch).

6. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors had a weird year last season, but still were a second round team come playoff time. This year there’s better vibes entering the season by virtue of not having one star punch another in camp (at least, that we know of), and the addition of Chris Paul brings some excitement and intrigue into what the veteran point guard can bring this team both playing alongside Steph Curry and running the bench unit. They are going to need their young wings, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, to be productive and, maybe most importantly, trusted if they’re going to reach their peak, but this is certainly a team with a championship ceiling.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

In the regular season, there aren’t a lot of teams I think are better than the Cavaliers. Most of my questions about this roster will surface come playoff time, but their core four of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen is a really good quartet in the regular season. If their wing additions, Max Strus and Georges Niang, can be the upgrades they look like on paper and their young players keep growing, this should be a dangerous team in the East.

8. New York Knicks

I’m buying this Knicks team as a top-4 threat in the East this season. They have a deep roster with players that are really good in the regular season. I think Jalen Brunson gets a real look at his first All-Star selection this year, Julius Randle has proven he is a terrific 82-game player, and this is about as deep a roster as there is in the East on paper. The concerns, like in Cleveland, arrive in playoff time, particularly with getting something out of Randle. That will have to be answered later, but as we look ahead to the regular season, the Knicks should be in the mix for the 3-5 spots in the East.

9. Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are a mess, but they’ve always managed to be fairly competent amid the chaos so long as Joel Embiid is healthy. That’s the case starting this season, and even with James Harden out I think they’re a good team. The problem is, they’re not a great team without Harden and probably won’t be even if they trade him. They’ll need another step forward from Tyrese Maxey as a playmaker if they’re going to stay a threat in the East, because without Harden they don’t have a guard who has proven playmaking skills to get others involved. That would make Embiid’s life tougher, as he needs someone getting him the ball on time, on his spot. This is a bit of a punt on Philly, as I’m not really high on them as being a real contender, but I also think there’s a floor to how bad they can be with the guys they have.

10. Miami Heat

If this were a ranking of teams I trust in the playoffs, the Heat would be higher than this. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have proven that if they’re on the floor together in the playoffs, the Heat are dangerous. In the regular season, though, there are some depth concerns, particularly at guard given what they lost this summer with Vincent and Strus leaving and the lack of a high-end addition after striking out on Damian Lillard. They have to make it to the playoffs before they can tap into their strengths there, and last year they were just a few minutes away from falling out of the Play-In. We’ll see if they can find that gear earlier this season, or if it’s going to take another Play-In charge to get to the playoffs.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves

I really think the Wolves might see it click this year, and, yes, it does feel like Charlie Brown lining up for another field goal. Anthony Edwards is a star and I think he has his most consistent season yet. Mike Conley Jr. being around for a full season is an underrated storyline in Minnesota, as he brought out the best in Rudy Gobert after arriving from Utah, and of course you should get much more than 36 games from Karl-Anthony Towns — who is healthy and in good spirits entering the season for the first time in a few years. I still have my concerns about the Gobert-Towns pairing in terms of maximizing Towns’ skills as an offensive player, but even so I think it can work and this team has a good chance at a top-6 spot to avoid the Play-In this year.

12. Los Angeles Clippers

This feels like the middle ground for the Clippers. They were the 5-seed last year and this would put them in the 6-spot in the West. We all know that their ceiling is much higher than this if they get 65 games out of both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but they’ve never combined for more than 108 games played in their four years together in L.A. Beyond the health concerns, point guard depth behind Russell Westbrook is a major question for this team, but they still have a lot of talent and two superstars that could make them a contender. We just need to see it for a full year.

13. Memphis Grizzlies

The loss of Steven Adams really hurts this team. The stability he brings to the frontcourt on defense, allowing Jaren Jackson Jr. to be at his best roaming and wreaking havoc, is going to be missed. On offense, his screen-setting and rebounding are going to be very difficult to replace. With Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane, I thought Memphis could navigate the 25 games without Ja Morant to start the season, but they’ll face an uphill battle to maintain a top-6 spot in the West with Adams out for the year on top of that. That’s not to say they can’t make it happen, as they’ve proven to be a really good regular season team and have managed through injuries in the past, it’s just the West feels a little more difficult to navigate in that same way this year.

14. Sacramento Kings

I don’t think the Kings are going to take a big step back or anything, I just think the rest of the West is going to be better and that stagnation from Sacramento would drop them down the pecking order. I’d love to be wrong here and see a leap from Keegan Murray to give them a wing playmaker alongside the De’Aaron Fox-Domantas Sabonis two-man game that was unstoppable last season. Maybe a second year with Mike Brown’s system will bring more familiarity and raise their defensive level. There’s certainly a world where the Kings are once again in a guaranteed playoff spot, but I do want to see them validate last season’s performance.

15. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are really banking on internal development and a coaching upgrade unlocking the next level for them. Quin Snyder has had a full offseason to install his system, which will be asking the Hawks to take a lot more threes, as they were near the bottom of the league in attempts from deep last season. That means young guys like AJ Griffin, Saddiq Bey, and De’Andre Hunter will shoulder big floor-spacing responsibilities (along with vets like Bogdan Bogdanovic), and Trae Young and Dejounte Murray will need to apply paint pressure to collapse the defense and free up those looks. Depth is not the concern in Atlanta, but they do need someone to step up alongside their star backcourt duo to be a consistent, reliable threat to take some of the pressure off of them to create so much of the offense.

16. Dallas Mavericks

We’ve reached the spot in the rankings where I’m not really sure what to do with a lot of these teams. I know the Mavs bottomed out last year, but it’s really hard for me to believe they’ll be that bad again with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving starting the season together and what appears to be a much better supporting cast on paper. I’m probably higher on Dereck Lively II than most, but I think he could have a Walker Kessler type rookie year as an immediate above average rim protector, which the Mavs desperately need.

17. Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar, full stop. Jalen Williams was one of the most impressive rookies last year and could take another step forward this year. Chet Holmgren is the exact kind of player this roster was missing a year ago. I really, really like this Thunder roster, I promise I do. I also just know how hard it is to crack that next level as a young team. They absolutely could do it, but there’s also a good chance they’re a better team than a year ago but have mostly the same results in the win-loss column because the West is just that good.

18. New Orleans Pelicans

If they can get healthy and stay healthy, this is probably 10 spots too low. However, it’s really hard to believe that will happen based on [gestures at the last three years]. I really, really hope we get a full season of Zion Williamson, because he is truly a special player, and they are going to need Trey Murphy III to get back from his knee injury if they’re going to make noise in the West because what he brings them on the wing is something they cannot replace.

19. Chicago Bulls

I’ll be honest, I can’t quit this Bulls team. I see the flaws, but also see all the veteran talent and can’t help but believe they can put it all together. Between DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, there should be more offensive firepower in this lineup than they’ve showed, and they clearly miss the presence of Lonzo Ball running the show. That said, I liked their offseason additions, namely Jevon Carter as the backup point guard, and for whatever reason, while the offense stagnates, Billy Donovan is able to coax the most out of this group defensively — thanks to the presence of guys like Alex Caruso. The ever-present question in Chicago is whether Patrick Williams can finally make the leap, which would open up an entirely new world of possibilities for the Bulls.

20. Indiana Pacers

There’s a lot of excitement around the Pacers, who hope to get a full season of All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton running the show, and added a dynamic defender in Bruce Brown to the roster to help try and raise their level on that end of the floor this season. There’s a world where it all clicks for Indiana this season, with young players taking a collective step up alongside some quality veterans like Brown, Myles Turner, and Buddy Hield (for however long he remains there). However, the reliance on young players like Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, and Obi Toppin does give me a bit of pause that the Pacers are ready this year to be a playoff contender in the East. I like this roster’s long-term prospects, but I’m not totally sold the leap is coming this year.

21. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets, like a lot of teams in this general tier, have some legitimate high-end talent, but some of their players are now being asked to step up into fairly unfamiliar roles. Most notably, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson have gone from role players in Phoenix to focal points in Brooklyn, and how they adjust to heightened responsibility will determine how successful the Nets are this season. Nic Claxton has solidified himself as a quality starting center in the NBA, but the depth behind him is questionable at best. And then there’s the ever-present question of what version of Ben Simmons will they get this season. If Simmons can be something close to his former self, the Nets could be a very competitive team in the East, threatening that top-6 realm. However, that is a massive “if” and I’d like to see it before I buy in on the full potential of this Brooklyn side.

22. Toronto Raptors

Well, the Raptors are running it back. Again. Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr. and Jakob Poeltl are all back, with the biggest change being Dennis Schroder taking over for Fred VanVleet, who bolted for Houston this summer. There is undeniably talent on this Raptors roster and they should be a Play-In threat, but we have a few years of evidence showing it doesn’t fit together particularly well in terms of maximizing that talent and I find it hard to buy in on there being a lot of upside in Toronto with this group.

23. Orlando Magic

The Magic are a super trendy pick to crash the Play-In party in the East, and for good reason. They have a tremendous frontcourt, where Franz Wagner is a breakout candidate, Paolo Banchero is looking to build off a ROY season, Wendell Carter Jr. has emerged as a more than solid two-way center, and Jonathan Isaac is back (albeit, it remains to be seen at what capacity). What Orlando has to figure out is what their optimal backcourt rotation looks like around that frontcourt, with Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, and Gary Harris all back for another season. Getting a step forward from the guards should unlock that next level for Orlando, but that next step into the playoff conversation is one of the hardest to take.

24. Utah Jazz

The Jazz were one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2022-23 NBA season, but after moving off a number of veterans at the deadline, they coasted into the lottery in the back half of the year. The strength of this year’s squad is once again in the frontcourt, where Lauri Markkanen looks to backup his breakout season, Walker Kessler is coming off of a strong rookie campaign, and their big new addition John Collins is trying to bounce back after looking a bit lost in the shuffle in Atlanta a year ago. The questions lie in the backcourt, where Jordan Clarkson is back, as is Collin Sexton, and the Jazz will be looking to evaluate what they have at the guard positions for the long-term. Last year proved they won’t have to start their rebuild from scratch, but patience remains the optimal word in Salt Lake heading into this season.

25. Houston Rockets

I like a lot of pieces on this Houston roster, it’s just a matter of how it all comes together. So much of their success this season is going to hinge on Alperen Sengun taking another stride at center, because that’s the one position where there just isn’t as much overlap. This year’s roster is much better than last year’s and Ime Udoka should be an upgrade at head coach, and this ranking might end up being way too low if a few of the young guys pop.

26. Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball staying healthy is the top priority for Charlotte, but when he’s out there this is usually a competitive team. We’ll see how quickly Brandon Miller can get up to speed, because his skillset is something they really need out of their frontcourt to complement Ball in the backcourt. Also, he’s their best chance to inject some new life into a roster that, despite Ball’s lively presence, feels a bit stagnant and just needs some more juice.

27. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs probably won’t win a ton of games this year, but as long as Victor Wembanyama is playing, they’re going to be one of the teams everyone will want to watch. He’s done stuff in the preseason that’s made fans, teammates, and opponents all go “what the hell was that?!” and I’m very excited for that to continue in the regular season. How the rest of the roster performs around him will determine whether they can take a real step forward as a team, and there is talent there with Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Jeremy Sochan. However, putting that talent together into playing winning basketball often takes time, and the Spurs will be happy to take a patient approach to building around their new superstar.

28. Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham is back, thankfully, and hopefully his presence (and Monty Williams on the bench) can bring some order to a young Detroit team. There’s definitely talent here, but as is the case with a lot of young teams that have just been in the talent acquisition phase, the roster has a lot of overlap to be figured out. I’m excited for Cade and Jaden Ivey together, but they really need to get some clarity in their jumbled frontcourt before they can take a step forward.

29. Portland Trail Blazers

The rebuild is officially on in Portland and I’m fascinated by this roster. They have a trio of talented young guards, two good centers in Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, and basically one established NBA wing in Jerami Grant. I have no idea how Chauncey Billups handles the rotation this year, but they’re going to play some really funky lineups that can range from really small to really big and I am kind of excited to see what works and what doesn’t in Portland.

30. Washington Wizards

I’m not sure the Wizards will end up as the worst team in the league this year. I don’t even think right now they have the worst roster in the league. But I do think they’re the team that has the least obvious plan or path to build for the future. I expect the tear down to continue as this year goes along, as they look to identify who is going to be part of the long-term core. Jordan Poole erupting for big scoring nights figures to be the most fun part of this Washington season, and we’ll just have to see if anyone else can pop for them.