Now that we’re almost 20 games into the NBA season, it’s time to update our previous power rankings. We’re taking an optimist’s view (for the most part) and focusing on a player or two for each team.
(All records and statistics are through Monday’s games.)
Beasts of the East
Here are the best teams in the NBA through the first stretch of the season.
1. Boston Celtics: 15-3 (Previous ranking: 1)
Jayson Tatum is having the best season of his career and the Celtics are playing with that reigning champion swagger even though they have missed an integral part of the team (Kristaps Porzingis) most of the season.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: 17-1 (Previous ranking: 16)
Even after a brutal shooting night in Cleveland’s first loss of the season (3-for-21 from the field vs. Boston), Darius Garland is playing like an All-Star again and shooting career bests in field-goal percentage (48.8), three-point percentage (43.9) and free-throw percentage (93.5).
Western Conference wagons
These three teams are below the Beasts of the East by virtue of playing in a much, much better conference.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: 13-4 (Previous ranking: 2)
What a luxury it must be to have your starting two-guard, Jalen Williams, shift to small-ball center with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein out with injuries.
4. Golden State Warriors: 12-5 (Previous ranking: 14)
It turns out that a team apparently can play a 12-man rotation in the NBA, especially when one of the greatest offensive players in NBA history (Stephen Curry) is still humming at an All-NBA level as a 36-year-old.
5. Denver Nuggets: 9-7 (Previous ranking: 5)
Increasingly serious question: If Nikola Jokic wins another MVP this season — and he’d win in a landslide at the moment — is he a top-10 player in NBA history?
Defense wins championshups
Presenting the second- and third-best defensive teams in the NBA.
6. Houston Rockets: 12-6 (Previous ranking: 17)
The franchise that brought you the Twin Towers (Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson) now features the Terror Twins (Tari Eason, Amen Thompson), who come off the bench and create hell for opposing offenses.
7. Orlando Magic: 12-7 (Previous ranking: 11)
Franz Wagner has played like an All-NBA player in the 12 games without Paolo Banchero, averaging 25.4 points, 6.4 assists and 6.2 rebounds. He is keeping the Magic on the right side of .500 during this difficult stretch of the season.
Benefit of doubt
Although these teams have had their struggles, they all deserve the benefit of the doubt after their playoff runs last season.
8. Dallas Mavericks: 10-8 (Previous ranking: 6)
A sign of a good team is its ability to win games against good teams even when its best player is out, as Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks did against the Thunder and Nuggets with Luka Doncic sidelined.
9. New York Knicks: 10-7 (Previous ranking: 3)
Whether intentional or not, the ‘Nova Knicks have moved away from the rugged, defensive identity that worked so well for them last season and, instead, have played more like Karl-Anthony Towns — elite offensively and below-average defensively.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves: 8-8 (Previous ranking: 4)
Their chemistry is off and their defense isn’t nearly as good as it was last season, but trust Anthony Edwards and his Steph Curry-esque shot profile (43.8 percent from three on 11.1 three-point attempts per game).
NBA 2K title contenders
The great thing about playing NBA 2K video games is that injuries can be turned off.
11. Phoenix Suns: 9-7 (Previous ranking: 7)
This one is as easy as it gets: Phoenix’s record with Kevin Durant is 8-1. Phoenix’s record without Kevin Durant is 1-6.
12. Los Angeles Lakers: 10-6 (Previous ranking: 9)
A healthy Anthony Davis in JJ Redick’s system is proving to be an MVP candidate. He is averaging 30.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks and has excellent shooting splits (55.6-40.6-78.1).
13. Memphis Grizzlies: 11-7 (Previous ranking: 10)
The Grizzlies have the fifth-best offensive rating, sixth-best defensive rating and sixth-best net rating. It feels like they’re better than their record suggests, which is impressive because they’ve had Ja Morant less than half their games thus far.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: 8-9 (Previous ranking: 13)
Thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance (32.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 6.4 APG, 60.8 percent shooting) and the Eastern Conference’s general mediocrity, Milwaukee seems to have avoided letting go of the rope while they wait for Khris Middleton to return.
Play-in tournament
As constructed, none of these teams are contenders, but they’re definitely playoff-caliber teams.
15. Los Angeles Clippers: 11-8 (Previous ranking: 20)
Thanks in part to a breakout by 31-year-old Norman Powell, who is averaging a career-best 23.3 points on 49-48.7-81.7 shooting, the Clippers have outperformed expectations and should see if they can flip the perpetually injured Kawhi Leonard for assets to increase their trajectory.
16. San Antonio Spurs: 9-8 (Previous ranking: 23)
“Area 51,” the nickname for defensive standouts Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama, might be even better than the Houston’s “Terror Twins.”
17. Sacramento Kings: 8-10 (Previous ranking: 19)
The Kings would be an interesting five- or six-seed in the Eastern Conference with De’Aaron Fox playing like an All-NBA point guard. He scored 109 points in back-to-back games in November.
18. Miami Heat: 7-7 (Previous ranking: 18)
Stranger things: The Heat have only played 14 games and Bam Adebayo is shooting 42.4 percent from the field.
19. Indiana Pacers: 8-10 (Previous ranking: 15)
What a rough start for Indy, but Bennedict Mathurin’s making a nice leap, averaging 18.3 points and 6.8 rebounds and has 49.1-40.3-84.5 shooting splits.
20. Detroit Pistons: 8-11 (Previous ranking: 28)
The Pistons are one of the pleasant surprises in the NBA this season, and Cade Cunningham is emerging as an All-Star player, averaging 23.5 points, 8.9 assists and 7.2 rebounds.
21. Atlanta Hawks: 7-11 (Previous ranking: 21)
If a team makes a solid offer for Trae Young (21.9 PPG), the Hawks should strongly consider it because Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels are two-way building blocks for a better future.
22. Brooklyn Nets: 8-10 (Previous ranking: 30)
The Cam Thomas Show is much better than expected (24.7 PPG on 46.1-38.9-86.6 shooting) and so are the Nets!
23. Chicago Bulls: 7-11 (Previous ranking: 22)
At least they’re fun and play with the fastest pace in the league.
These teams might just stink
At a certain point, as the legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.”
24. Philadelphia 76ers: 3-13 (Previous ranking: 8)
Jaren McCain’s Rookie of the Year campaign is the only bright spot from the pathetic Sixers.
25. New Orleans Pelicans: 4-14 (Previous ranking: 12)
Unlike the 76ers, the Pelicans don’t have the luxury of playing in the weak Eastern Conference, so the brutal string of injuries they’ve suffered may have the cruel effect of forcing what should be a decent team into tanking.
Tuning into the Maui Invitational
Pump some dollars into that scouting budget and make sure this lost season yields a great draft return in 2025.
26. Portland Trail Blazers: 7-11 (Previous ranking: 27)
Despite having the worst offensive rating in the league, the Blazers have won a few games thanks to third-year guard Shaedon Sharpe, who has had two games over 30 points in only 10 appearances.
27. Charlotte Hornets: 6-11 (Previous ranking: 26)
It’s a shame this team is so crushed by injuries because LaMelo Ball is putting up All-NBA-level numbers (31 PPG, 6.9 APG, 5.1 RPG and 44-35.6-86 shooting splits).
28. Utah Jazz 4-12 (Previous ranking: 24)
Utah stinks, but Collin Sexton is shooting lights out (16.5 PPG on 47-46.2-88.2 shooting splits) and is going to get the Jazz a great return at the trade deadline.
29. Toronto Raptors: 4-14 (Previous ranking: 25)
Although it’s unclear what the plan is in Toronto, Gradey Dick (18.1 PPG) has emerged as a cornerstone piece in whatever the future may hold.
30. Washington Wizards: 2-13 (Previous ranking: 29)
If you ignore the fact that Wizards are dangerously close to having the triple crown of worst offensive rating (29th), worst defensive rating (30th) and worst net rating (30th), you can get excited about second-year swingman Bilal Coulibaly’s second-year leap (14.3 PPG).
