NBA Power Rankings: Unbeaten teams edge Celtics for No. 1; Warriors and Lakers in top 10 after first week

1

Cavaliers

Well OK then, Cavs. After being a middle-of-the-pack offensive team a season ago, Kenny Atkinson has revitalized the league-best attack that has averaged over 123 points per 100 possessions during their perfect start. Evan Mobley has been handling the ball more on the perimeter with outstanding results, as the fourth-year big man has put up 19 points and eight rebounds per game on 57% shooting (he’s even gone 4 of 8 from 3-point range). He, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are all averaging over 18 points per game, and Ty Jerome has been a godsend as backup point guard. And let’s not forget that the defense is still elite.

10

5-0

2

Thunder

OKC’s defense has been laughably dominant, allowing just 91 points per 100 possessions during a perfect start. The offense hasn’t been great, but it doesn’t have to be when the other team is in a straight jacket for 48 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already launching his MVP campaign, putting up 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, six assists and 2.5 steals per game, while Chet Holmgren has also been stellar with 22.5 points, 11 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.

—

4-0

3

Celtics

Boston nearly kept its perfect record alive after a remarkable comeback capped by Jayson Tatum’s cold-blooded 3-pointer to force overtime against the Pacers on Wednesday. Alas, they lost, but that doesn’t change how great the Celtics have looked so far. Even without Kristaps Porzingis, they’ve put up a 123 offensive rating and a plus-12 net rating. Tatum is making an MVP push, averaging 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists to go along with his normal brand of stellar defense. Yeah, Boston is ready to defend its title.

2

4-1

4

Suns

The Suns are 3-1 despite the trio of Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal sporting an ugly minus-5.4 net rating in 61 minutes. The supporting cast looks much better than last season, highlighted by true point guard Tyus Jones and impressive rookie Ryan Dunn. Oh yeah, and remember all of Phoenix’s notable crunch-time struggles last season? In two clutch games so far, they’re 2-0 with an absurd plus-39 net rating.

5

3-1

5

Mavericks

So far so good for the Mavs, off to a 3-1 start punctuated by another Luka Doncic dagger step-back 3-pointer to beat the Timberwolves. The defense that coalesced last postseason seems to have carried over, while floor-spacer Klay Thompson is thriving in his new surroundings, averaging 16.5 points on 43% 3-point shooting.

1

3-1

6

Warriors

After setting an NBA record by winning their first two games by a combined 77 points, Golden State received a gut punch when Steph Curry limped off the court with an ankle/foot injury in the home opener. The Warriors showed some serious resilience, though, beating the Pelicans in consecutive games despite being without Curry, Andrew Wiggins and De’Anthony Melton. Steve Kerr’s deep rotation has gotten a lot of attention, but their commitment to launching the 3-ball has been the story of the season. They’ve put up 45 longballs per game, second only to the Celtics’ aerial insanity.

10

4-1

7

Knicks

The new-look Knicks are 2-2, but they lost to the two best teams in the Eastern Conference so far in Boston and Cleveland. Karl-Anthony Towns put his stamp on his debut Knicks season with 44 points and 13 rebounds in Wednesday’s win over the Heat, and the big man is averaging 22.5 points on 8-for-11 (LOL) 3-point shooting. For all of the hullabaloo about his shooting form, Mikal Bridges is putting up 18 points per game on 36% 3-point shooting. As expected, New York’s offense is among the best in the league.

4

2-2

8

Lakers

JJ Redick was about one win away from having his statue constructed outside of Crypto.com Arena after a 3-0 start, but a loss to the Suns and a drubbing at the hands of the Cavs caused some necessary brake-pumping. Still, the Lakers seem much more dynamic offensively this season with Anthony Davis making an early MVP case by averaging 31 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks on 55% shooting. LeBron and Bronny made improbable history on opening night, and the elder James has been solid so far — 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 49/39/77 splits, but much of that damage came in a monstrous game against the Kings. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have been excellent in support.

9

3-2

9

Magic

Paolo Banchero’s 50-piece is the highlight of the Magic’s early season, while the defense has been just as stout as last year’s. Lest you think Jalen Suggs’ marksmanship from last season was a fluke, he’s averaging nearly 17 points per game on 43% 3-point shooting in five games.

4

3-2

10

Timberwolves

Outside of some Luka Doncic PTSD, the new-look Wolves have gotten off to a decent start with Julius Randle putting up over 23 points per game while going 10 for 16 from 3-point range in four games. Speaking of 3s … Anthony Edwards, ladies and gentlemen! The rising superstar is hoisting over 13 3s per game — which some might attribute to a lack of spacing with Karl-Anthony Towns no longer looming behind the 3-point line. Hey, if Edwards is going to continue shooting 42% from deep, he might up the volume even more.

3

2-2

11

Bulls

Chicago has a winning record despite having the league’s third-worst offense, so you can probably surmise that their defense has been pretty good despite losing All-Defense guard Alex Caruso. The guy they got for him, Josh Giddey, has been awesome, averaging 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 59% 3-point shooting. As expected, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White are the main sources of scoring.

12

3-2

12

Clippers

The brand-new Intuit Dome is beautiful and the Clippers … aren’t that bad? Despite being without their top two scorers from last season in Kawhi Leonard (injured) and Paul George (injured, but also not on the team anymore), the Clippers beat the Nuggets and Warriors — two teams expected to at least be in the playoff picture, if not loftier status. James Harden is doing his thing, but the real stepping up has come from Norm Powell, leading the team with 26 points per game on 51/43/87 splits, and Ivica Zubac, who’s putting up 18.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.

7

2-2

13

Grizzlies

It’s already been a weird year for the Grizzlies, who have beaten the Magic but also lost to the Nets. Taylor Jenkins is playing a lot of guys — like, a LOT of guys — in search of winning combinations. Twelve players are averaging at least 15 minutes per game, with nobody over 28. Ja Morant has struggled mightily from 3-point range, but is still putting up 19 points and eight assists per game.

1

2-3

14

Pacers

They nearly blew it, but the Pacers picked up a much-needed boost of morale by beating the big, bad Celtics in overtime on Wednesday. The high-octane offense of last season has yet to fully arrive, with engine Tyrese Haliburton struggling to the tune of 15 points and seven assists per game on 35/25/67 shooting splits. The good new is, Pascal Siakam has been great and the season is young.

—

2-3

15

Kings

The Beam hath been lit … eth. DeMar DeRozan has already fit beautifully alongside De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, as the Kings boast a ridiculous plus-23 net rating (including a 125 offensive rating) with all three on the floor. They’re each averaging over 20 points and four assists per game, and good early news for Kings fans — Sabonis is shooting 55% on nearly three 3-point attempts per game after being encouraged to let it fly during training camp.

—

2-2

16

Heat

A weird opening-night loss in which Jimmy Butler scored just three points set an odd tone for the Heat’s first week — losing to the two good teams they played and beating the two bad ones. Tyler Herro has taken the lead offensively, averaging 22 points and five assists per game, but another oddity is Bam Adebayo putting up only 11 points per game. Something just seems off with this team right now.

2

2-2

17

Rockets

The Rockets have a lot of dudes who are good at basketball, so naturally Ime Udoka is experimenting with different combinations in the early season. One of the league’s most anticipated rookies, Reed Sheppard, is getting fewer than 10 minutes per game because of players ahead of him like Jalen Green, who’s putting up almost 30 points per game. Outside of a 128-point outburst against the Grizzlies, Houston has scored 106 points or fewer in each game, but things could improve as the rotation gets whittled down.

3

2-2

18

Nuggets

“Slog” would be a good term to describe Denver’s season thus far — not great for a group that should have a renewed sense of focus after failing to defend its championship last year. Were it not for overtime wins over the Raptors and Nets, things could look even uglier. Jokic is Jokic, but he’s not getting much from his cohorts so far, as Jamal Murray is shooting just 38% from the field and Michael Porter Jr. is making less than 30% of his 3-pointers.

13

2-2

19

Hornets

It’s only been a week, but the Hornets have the league’s fifth-ranked offense — a far cry from the 28th they finished last season. It helps that LaMelo Ball is healthy, averaging a gaudy 28.5 points, seven assists and six rebounds while shooting 40% on 12 3-point attempts per game. Tre Mann has developed into the second option with Brandon Miller missing all but one game, and Nick Richards has been solid in the middle in the absence of Mark Williams.

11

2-2

20

Nets

Expected to be an Eastern Conference doormat, the Nets picked up wins against playoff hopefuls Milwaukee and Memphis to earn a respectable record, with Dennis Schroder taking full advantage of his opportunity as a scorer and creator. The veteran point guard has averaged 25 points and eight assists on absurd 55/55/87 shooting splits in five games. Cam Thomas hasn’t been nearly that efficient, but he’s still putting up 27 points per game, while Ben Simmons has averaged close to a 5-5-5-5, with the fourth column unfortunately being fouls.

8

2-3

21

Bucks

Last season’s disappointment has carried over to the start of 2024-25, with the Bucks struggling mightily out of the gate. Losing to the Bulls at home could be chalked up to a bad night, but dropping a game in Brooklyn by double-figures rightfully sounds off alarm bells. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are both averaging over 28 points per game, but Milwaukee is minus-19 with them on the floor together. Yeesh.

13

1-3

22

76ers

Remember how excited you were when Paul George teamed up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this summer? Yeah, the 76ers start has basically been the exact opposite of that. Embiid and George have yet to play, forcing Maxey to carry the load with a group of role players designed to surround superstars. The result is one win in four games, despite Maxey averaging 32 points and five assists.

16

1-3

23

Pelicans

Ugh, why can’t the Pelicans have nice things? Zion Williamson missed the opener, the same one in which Dejounte Murray broke his hand. They’ve also seen CJ McCollum and Herb Jones miss games, while Trey Murphy III has yet to make his season debut. All the discontinuity has led to a dreadful 106 offensive rating and three straight losses, as Brandon Ingram leads the way with 22 points per game. Williamson is averaging 18 points on (eek) 36% shooting.

13

2-3

24

Trail Blazers

After giving up 140 points to the Warriors in the opener, the Blazers have actually been quite stout defensively over their last four games, allowing just 109 points per 100 possessions. Offense has been a struggle, with Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Deni Avdija all shooting below 40% from the field, but they’ve managed to pick up two wins despite the bricklaying tendencies.

3

2-3

25

Wizards

Being .500 at any point this season is frankly shocking when it comes to the Wizards, but they found a team they could beat with consecutive wins over the Hawks this week. Jordan Poole has built off of his strong finish to last season, putting up 23 points and six assists per game on 47/57/100 shooting splits. No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr has blocked 10 shots in four games (ignore the 30% field goal shooting), and second-year wing Bilal Coulibaly looks to be making the leap.

4

2-2

26

Hawks

The 2-0 start was promising, but injuries and abysmal defense have led to three straight losses for Atlanta — two of which came to the rebuilding Wizards. Trae Young is putting up crazy numbers, averaging 28 points and 12 assists, but is shooting just 40% and committing six turnovers per game. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is getting some early run, and has endured some expected offensive struggles. He’s been solid defensively, though, collecting six blocks and four steals in five games.

4

2-3

27

Spurs

Those expecting Victor Wembanyama to steamroll through the league in his second year have to be a bit more patient, as the wunderkind has struggled (relatively) thus far. He’s averaging 16.5 points, shooting just 19% from 3-point range and has nearly twice as many turnovers as assists. Hey, it’s a long season. He’s still cleaning up on the boards and blocking shots, but the Spurs aren’t going to make any sort of postseason push unless Wembanyama is at an All-NBA level.

6

1-3

28

Pistons

Detroit got into the win column, at last, with Wednesday’s victory over the shorthanded Sixers after four straight losses to open the season. Jaden Ivey has built off of his strong preseason, averaging 21 points per game on impressive 48/43/75 shooting splits. Franchise guard Cade Cunningham is also off to a great start, putting up 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game on 47/40/86 splits.

3

1-4

29

Raptors

Toronto’s only win this season came against an undermanned 76ers team, but the Raptors don’t want to hear any excuses about being shorthanded. They’ll be without Scottie Barnes for a few weeks now, and that will leave the offense in the hands of RJ Barrett — who’s averaging 25.5 points in two games — until Immanuel Quickley returns to action. The defense is the worst in the NBA, and there aren’t going to be many wins in Raptorland until that end is shored up.

3

1-4

30

Jazz

Depending on your perspective, this is either a horrific or tremendous start for the winless Jazz. How would Cooper Flagg look in a Utah uniform? We may find out if this continues. Defense is always an issue for the Jazz, but the league-worst 100 points per 100 possessions is shockingly bad. Good news is, there’s plenty of room for improvement with Lauri Markkanen shooting just 38% from the field.

6

0-4