NBA Power Rankings: Suns, Magic surge near the top

Record: 13-4
Last Week: 2-2
Net Rating: +8.6
Stock Up: Payton Pritchard

The Celtics had a bit of a down week with most of their starters playing worse than usual. On the bright side, they had one of their biggest matchups this past week against the Bucks and beat them while in control of the entire game. They now have a fair share of injuries and could have a challenge next week if Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis miss extended time.

Record: 12-4
Last Week: 3-1
Net Rating: +6.4
Stock Up: Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley Jr.

The Timberwolves continue their great start to the season by taking control of the top seed in the West. Karl-Anthony Towns broke out and shot a ridiculous 56.4/61.5/90 percent split this week. The most encouraging sign for this team is that they continue to get quality wins despite missing Jaden McDaniels.

Record: 11-5
Last Week: 1-1
Net Rating: +8.3
Stock Up: Chet Holmgren

The Thunder continue to take care of business defeating inferior teams and holding a 7-1 record against teams below .500. They capped off their short week with a loss to the Sixers that will tip off a tough schedule next week against the Timberwolves, Lakers, and Mavericks. Their Top 10 offense and defense will soon get tested as their schedule gets tougher.

Record: 11-5
Last Week: 1-2
Net Rating: +6.5
Stock Up: De’Anthony Melton

The Sixers had a rough 1-2 week including an overtime loss to a shorthanded Cavaliers that controlled most of the game. They lost their next game to the Timberwolves without Joel Embiid before getting back on track with a close win over the Thunder. They remain with one of the top records in the Eastern Conference and are getting closer to a Kelly Oubre return to round out their roster.

Record: 11-6
Last Week: 2-2
Net Rating: +4.4
Stock Up: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Nuggets kept trucking along without Jamal Murray at the outset of his injury but his absence is starting to get felt in recent games. They’ve lost five of their last 8, including a near loss to the Pistons. Murray is expected to be back soon, but their lack of strength beyond their starters is starting to become apparent.

Record: 10-7
Last Week: 2-2
Net Rating: +2.1
Stock Up: Jaime Jaquez, Josh Richardson

The Heat simply could not lose coming into this week as they were 9-1 in their last 10 games with a seven-game winning streak. That included a blowout win against the Cavaliers without Bam Adebayo but then cooled down with two straight losses. Lead preservation could be something to monitor for this Heat team with two of their last three losses featuring blown 21-point leads.

Record: 11-6
Last Week: 4-0
Net Rating: +4.1
Stock Up: Devin Booker, Eric Gordon

The Suns are one of the hottest teams in the league and they’re mostly winning with just one star in the lineup. They haven’t had the toughest competition in their recent winning streak, but it’s encouraging that they’re winning the games they’re expected to win after a rough 4-6 start to the season. Head coach Frank Vogel seems to have finally figured out his main rotation, and that will make them dangerous once both their stars are healthy.

Record: 12-5
Last Week: 4-0
Net Rating: +5.6
Stock Up: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner

The Magic are the other hottest team in the league riding a seven-game winning streak all the way to the second seed in the East. This week included a couple of quality wins against the Nuggets and Celtics. Granted, both teams were missing key players with injuries, but the Magic have been doing this without Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz. They have a strong chance to extend their streak to 10 games next week with two matchups against the Wizards and one against the Nets.

Record: 12-5
Last Week: 3-1
Net Rating: +2.8
Stock Up: Brook Lopez

The Bucks have the fourth-best record in the league, but that doesn’t seem to reflect how their season is going. Their differential suggests they’re not an elite team, and their offense hasn’t been at the level they expected when they paired Giannis Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard. They still have time to clean things up, including not allowing the Trail Blazers to gain a 26-point lead on them.

Record: 10-7
Last Week: 2-1
Net Rating: +0.5
Stock Up: Anthony Davis

The Lakers have gone 7-2 in their last nine games after opening the season with a 3-5 start. They’ve had a couple of injuries this week to several role players but thankfully for them both LeBron James and Anthony Davis continue to play despite nursing injuries of their own. They will look to keep the intensity high entering December now that they advanced in the In-Season Tournament.

Record: 9-6
Last Week: 1-2
Net Rating: +0.2
Stock Up: Harrison Barnes

The Kings have started experiencing some bad injury luck over the past week with Kevin Huerter missing a game and Keegan Murray missing two. They dropped two consecutive games against the Pelicans but managed to steal an impressive win against the Timberwolves. Unlike last season, they have enough depth this year to weather occasional injuries.

Record: 8-6
Last Week: 2-1
Net Rating: +5.1
Stock Up: Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr.

The Rockets bounced back from their three-game losing streak in their California road trip with two straight wins, including a big one against the Nuggets. Their top-ranked defense appears real after a second straight win against Denver and a 6-2 record against teams above .500. However, all their wins have come at home as they currently sport a 0-5 record on the road.

Record: 7-8
Last Week: 3-1
Net Rating: +3.6
Stock Up: Paul George

The Clippers are almost at .500 again after winning four of their last five games since removing Russell Westbrook from the starting lineup. Their bench is thin to the point that Ty Lue generally plays just eight players, and one of them is recent addition Daniel Theis, who has played well. Their starting lineup is starting to come together with Terance Mann having his best week since coming back from his injury.

Record: 9-6
Last Week: 2-1
Net Rating: +3.6
Stock Up: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield

The Pacers were scorching this week scoring 424 points in three games, including 157 points in regulation against the Hawks on Tuesday. They also hit 56 three-pointers and scored 135 points per 100 possessions in that span. They are winning games purely by outscoring other teams with no hint of a league-average defense in sight, which was on display when they allowed the 22nd-ranked offense Raptors to score 132 points.

Record: 9-7
Last Week: 1-2
Net Rating: +4.2
Stock Up: Jalen Brunson

The Knicks had a tough week playing against three very strong opponents. They were only able to win one game against a hot Heat team where they managed to overcome a 21-point deficit. Despite barely being above .500, they rank 11th in offense and 6th in defense, suggesting that they are much stronger than their record indicates.

Record: 8-8
Last Week: 2-2
Net Rating: +2.3
Stock Up: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic

One of the biggest positives of this week is Trae Young looking like Trae Young again. He finally found his shot and averaged 35.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from three on 12 attempts per game. Unfortunately, they lost a key player with Jalen Johnson expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a wrist injury. Next week could be tough as they’re set to face the Cavaliers and Bucks.

Record: 10-6
Last Week: 1-1
Net Rating: +0.8
Stock Up: Kyrie Irving

After a strong 9-3 start to the season, the Mavericks have evened out to 10-6 following losses to the Bucks, Kings, and Clippers. Their strong start was carried by a 7-0 record against teams below .500 but have struggled against tougher competition. Their schedule doesn’t get harder until later in the season, but they could have some trouble now with the frontcourt missing Dereck Lively II.

Record: 9-8
Last Week: 3-1
Net Rating: +0.4
Stock Up: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram

The Pelicans are on a run right now having won five of their last seven games, including victories over the Nuggets, Clippers, and Kings twice. They are slowly getting back to full health with the recent returns of Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and Larry Nance Jr., and could get back on track to the pace they had at the beginning of last season. Most importantly, Zion Williamson is starting to look closer to the player they need him to be.

Record: 9-8
Last Week: 2-2
Net Rating: -2.0
Stock Up: Jarrett Allen, Craig Porter Jr.

The Cavaliers faced some tough competition this week with several key players missing time with injuries. They’re now hovering above .500 after a 4-6 start but have a chance to break above that mark next week with several weak opponents on their schedule.

Record: 8-9
Last Week: 2-1
Net Rating: +0.1
Stock Up: Dario Saric, Klay Thompson

The Warriors are fighting to stay afloat as they finally get through the last game of Draymond Green’s suspension. They ended their six-game skid in a close game against Houston and got another win against the Spurs. Unfortunately, they got blown out by Phoenix, and continue to struggle against against better teams. Hopefully, they get some stability next week upon Green’s return.

Record: 8-8
Last Week: 2-1
Net Rating: +0.4
Stock Up: Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie

The Nets missed several key players with injuries this week which resulted in heavy minutes for their top guys. Their highlight of the week was overcoming a 21-point deficit to the Bulls and making 25 three-pointers to defeat them. They could continue to tread around .500 if injuries persist.

Record: 8-9
Last Week: 2-2
Net Rating: -0.5
Stock Up: Dennis Schroder

The Raptors are currently on the outside of the Play-In Tournament as they struggle to get to .500. They have a ton of talent on the roster but the pieces don’t quite fit together. If their current trajectory continues, they will certainly be a team to monitor ahead of the trade deadline for the second consecutive year.

Record: 3-13
Last Week: 0-3
Net Rating: -8.3
Stock Up: Santi Aldama

Just when you thought the Grizzlies might start turning things around a bit, their season just gets worse. They got blown out in all three games this week leading to a -21 differential which was almost seven points lower than the next worst team. They might be starting to get to the point where a Play-In Tournament seeding is unrealistic and may need to start thinking about making decisions to prepare the team for next season.

Record: 5-10
Last Week: 2-1
Net Rating: -7.9
Stock Up: Miles Bridges

The Hornets managed to steal a win against the Celtics this week and Miles Bridges looks like he’s picking up from where he last left off. That could be their high point for a while as they’re set to face some brutal competition over the next two weeks and potentially without LaMelo Ball.

Record: 5-13
Last Week: 0-4
Net Rating: -5.9
Stock Up: Coby White

It feels like the Bulls roster is aware that the writing is on the wall for them with the way they’ve been playing. They’ve now lost seven of their last eight games and lost by an average of 15 points per game this week. It may only be a matter of time before key veterans finally get traded.

Record: 5-11
Last Week: 1-2
Net Rating: -6.5
Stock Up: Keyonte George

The Jazz snapped a four-game losing streak this week with a close win over the Pelicans without Lauri Markkanen and with a strange starting lineup. Some positive notes for them include Walker Kessler finally returning from his elbow injury and Keyonte George having his best week so far.

Record: 4-12
Last Week: 1-2
Net Rating: -8.4
Stock Up: Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon

The Trail Blazers snapped an eight-game losing streak this week with a win over the Jazz. They could potentially steal a few wins over the next few weeks now that they’re slowly getting healthier. Malcolm Brogdon returned to the lineup and Anfernee Simons could be back soon.

Record: 3-14
Last Week: 0-4
Net Rating: -12.7
Stock Up: Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs continue to play Jeremy Sochan at point guard despite how disastrous their offense is instead of playing Tre Jones. After decades of winning at the highest levels, it almost feels like head coach Gregg Popovich is now attempting to lose at the highest levels. They are now on a 12-game losing streak that could potentially extend into December.

Record: 2-14
Last Week: 0-4
Net Rating: -9.2
Stock Up: Jordan Poole

The Wizards had the worst defensive outing in the league last week allowing teams to average 128 points per possession against them. The one positive of last week was Jordan Poole playing better and Tyus Jones getting a little more consistent.

Record: 2-14
Last Week: 0-2
Net Rating: -7.2
Stock Up: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey

The Pistons remain win-less in the month of November extending their losing streak to 13 games. They only played in two games this week including a 23-point loss to the Pacers on Friday. They could be on the verge of a win with Jalen Duren recently returning and Bojan Bogdanovic getting close to his return.