Ranking the 2017-18 NBA 'City' uniforms

Orlando's track record with alternate uniforms has been poor as of late, but that was with Adidas. Unfortunately, things didn't change when Nike took over, and Orlando's City uniform for the 2017-18 season is an example that, sometimes, the grass isn't greener on the other side. 

It sure seems like one of the traditions for the Thunder is just to wear bad uniforms, and this is the latest example of what has been a troubling trend for Oklahoma City. There were plenty of "trendy" gray uniforms on display in this year's edition of City uniforms, and this was the worst of the bunch.

The incorporation of a checkered flag motif on the uniform was a nice idea in theory. However, the execution came up a bit short, and what we got is a jersey that looks like something you would have seen in a "Turn Ahead the Clock" series if the NBA did it instead of MLB.

Cleveland's uniform overhaul wasn't the best, and this City uniform fits right in with the rest of the uniforms. Using "The Land" as a wordmark was a nice touch to make this uniform stand out, but the color combo of gray with yellow doesn't exactly work well. 

The bright green outlines and striping are inspired by the Dallas skyline. Unfortunately, that's really the only distinctive element in this uniform. Otherwise, it's pretty bland and not exactly an exciting look for the Mavericks. 

It's always nice to see the Suns pay tribute to their fans of Hispanic heritage, which is what this uniform looked to achieve. However, this uni suffers from a lack of orange. The all-purple is distinctive from the rest of their uniform set, but it's distinctive at a cost of being inferior when it comes to overall design. 

The tribute to the troops is a pleasant touch, but it's still strange to see the Spurs choose to just put a camouflage pattern on their alternate uniforms instead of going with a truly distinctive look for their City uniform. 

This uniform would rank higher if it weren't for the weird font for both the numbers and the wordmark. The color combination of black and volt green is actually a surprisingly good look, but the wordmark and numbers are enough to bring this uniform back down to Earth, instead of being in the stratosphere of great uniforms. 

It's always a good thing to see the Sacramento Kings pay tribute to their roots by going with a powder blue uniform. The striping pattern is actually nice, but the entire uniform suffers from going with the logo as a wordmark and the super-small numbers.

Charlotte's City uniform had so much promise. The design going up and down the side of the jersey is actually brilliant and takes advantage of the Hornets' excellent color scheme. Sadly, the team went with a black wordmark on a black jersey, and it brings down what could have been a really exciting look for the Hornets. 

There's not really much to say about this uniform. The Rockets paid tribute to their connection to Chinese basketball fans, but they did so without really deviating from their primary uniform. It's a perfectly fine uniform but nothing really distinctive or unique.

This is another uniform that suffers from using a logo in place of a wordmark. Granted, the logo is a good one, but this would still look better with a wordmark than without. It's an otherwise good uniform that is just screaming for improvement. 

Fortunately, the Pistons decided to go with a blue jersey with gray trim instead of the inverse, which didn't go well when Adidas was in charge. While this definitely isn't one of the better City uniforms, it's still a perfectly fine alternate uniform, and it's better than their gray alternate from the past. 

If you're going to go with a logo design on the center of a basketball jersey, then this is one of the ways that you should do it. While this probably would've been better in the traditional shade of Knicks blue instead of navy blue, this is still a very interesting uniform, and it does a good job of emulating what a firefighter's uniform would look like if firefighters decided to form a basketball team. 

Despite what you'll hear from the Raptors about this uniform being representative of Toronto as the "North of North America," it's pretty clear from the color scheme that this is inspired by the team's global ambassador, Drake. The color scheme is what makes this uniform a solid one, and it'll definitely have the arena going up on a Tuesday once they officially unveil them. 

While some teams benefited from having City uniforms that deviated from their regular set uniforms, the Nets are an example of why they should stick to what the primary set looks like. You really have to pay attention to the details when it comes to this uniform, but once you take note of them, you'll see that this is a decent design. 

The Clippers continued their great turnaround from their disastrous rebrand in 2015 by releasing a uniform that took advantage of the color scheme that the franchise had when it moved to California as the San Diego Clippers back in the '70s. The uniform itself is very simple, but again, the main character of this story is the color scheme. This is definitely a color scheme that is very easy on the eyes. 

This uniform has plenty of white in it, but once again, the details play a huge role in making it a good one. There's a marble pattern going up the sides, and the white motif is done in order to pay tribute to the architecture that is present in the District of Colombia. It's a great nod to the city, which makes it a good City uniform. 

This uniform would rank a lot higher if it wasn't for one glaring inconsistency: the number placement. There's nothing wrong with the image that we've been provided. Instead, the numbers are purposefully placed like they are, and while it may fit the whimsy of Mardi Gras, it does take it down a notch. With that being said, this is absolutely a huge upgrade over the Pelicans' previous Mardi Gras-themed uniform. 

While a gray uniform would normally receive low marks, in this case an exception has to be made. Paying attention to the details pays dividends here, and in this case if you look at the uniform up close, you can see a parquet pattern that's very similar to what the players run on at the TD Garden. 

This is another example of what happens when gray uniforms are done correctly. When you think of a wolf, you think of a gray wolf, right? When you think of winter in Minnesota, you think of a cold, drab, gray and white horizon, correct? This uniform nails everything you can think of when it comes to Minnesota and Timberwolves. While putting white on gray isn't exactly the best idea, it's still a recipe for a distinctive and memorable uniform. 

While Portland's Statement uniforms may have been a swing and a miss, the Blazers' City uniform is a home run for sure. The sublimated plaid pattern works wonders and fits right in with what you perceive fashion trends in Portland to be like. Plus, the shade of red pops nicely off of the shade of black on the jersey. It's a great look and an improvement over their previous Rip City alternate. 

While other City uniforms used local iconography and symbols as inspiration for their looks, the Lakers decided that they'd use their City uniform to pay tribute to players from the past. As such, they've gone with a Black Mamba look in honor of Kobe Bryant. The uniform speaks for itself. There's a sublimated snakeskin pattern on a black uniform that's in the same pattern of classic Lakers uniforms. It's a modern twist on a classic look, and this should surely be popular among Lakers fans and fans who were just along for the Kobe ride. 

The Warriors have done a good job of adding twists to their primary uniform, and this is no exception. It's a perfect blend of honoring the Chinese culture in the Bay Area and making sure to stay consistent with what the Warriors normally wear. As such, it fits right in with Golden State's identity while being very distinctive as well. 

The uniform really speaks for itself. The Bucks play in Milwaukee, which is known as the Cream City. So, the Bucks went with a mostly cream-colored uniform. The uniform stays true to the rest of the team's identity while also being unique as well. While other unis don't really benefit from having a logo in place of a wordmark, it seems to work here due to the striping pattern on the jersey as well. 

At first glance, this appears to be a very dull and simple uniform. However, when you take into consideration the inspiration is behind the uniform, then you'll see that this is a a very good look and perfectly fitting for a city that served as a very important location for the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

This uniform probably serves as the biggest deviation from the norm when it comes to City uniforms and the team's primary uniforms. With that being said, it is just too good to be ignored. The uniform is inspired by the colors of the landscapes that can be found in Utah, and the color scheme is vibrant and warm enough to heat up any cold place that you can think of. 

The 76ers have a great set of uniforms, and this one is no different. The cream is meant to represent the parchment on which the the Declaration of Independence was written, which also explains the script logo on the jersey as well. As such, it's a lovely uniform, and it fits right in with the rest of Philadelphia's excellent uniform set.

When it comes to the pantheon of city flags, Chicago probably has the best of the bunch. Therefore, using the flag as a base for a basketball uniform was a no-brainer, and they absolutely nailed the execution. The classic script logo is a nice touch, and the stars from the city's flag are perfectly placed as well. This may not be a banner season for the Bulls, but when it comes to City uniforms, this will wind up being a memorable season for them.

Look at this uniform. Just look at it! This uniform just screams Miami. Whether you have memories of watching the classic TV show "Miami Vice" or causing chaos in the old "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" video game, this uniform just gives off so many vibes of Miami that it's outrageous. The only thing that this uniform shares with the rest of the Heat's uniform set is the number font, but other than that, it's a perfect uniform for Miami — and it's the best City uniform in the NBA this year.