Only four teams remain unbeaten after just a few games, and the 3-0 Jazz are the biggest surprise of the young season. Six teams, including the 76ers and Lakers, are still looking for their first victory. Below we’ll list NBA Power Ranking Week 1, let’s show it.
NBA Power Ranking Week 1: First looks at each team
SUMMARY
- Boston Celtics (Record: 3–0)
- Golden State Warriors (Record: 2–1)
- Milwaukee Bucks (Record: 2–0)
- Phoenix Suns (Record: 2–1)
- Utah Jazz (Record: 3–0)
- Los Angeles Clippers (Record: 2–1)
- Dallas Mavericks (Record: 1–1)
- Portland Trail Blazers (Record: 3–0)
- Memphis Grizzlies (Record: 2–1)
- Denver Nuggets (Record: 2–1)
- New Orleans Pelicans (Record: 2–1)
- . Brooklyn Nets (Record: 1–1)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (Record: 2–1)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Record: 2–1)
- Charlotte Hornets (Record: 2–1)
- Atlanta Hawks (Record: 2–1)
- Miami Heat (Record: 1–2)
- Toronto Raptors (Record: 1–2)
- New York Knicks (Record: 1–1)
- Washington Wizards (Record: 2–1)
- Chicago Bulls (Record: 1–2)
- San Antonio Spurs (Record: 2–1)
- Philadelphia 76ers (Record: 0–3)
- Los Angeles Lakers (Record: 0–3)
- Sacramento Kings (Record: 0–3)
- Indiana Pacers (Record: 1–2)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Record: 0–3)
- Detroit Pistons (Record: 1–2)
- Orlando Magic (Record: 0–3)
- Houston Rockets (Record: 0–3)
Let’s get to it.
1. Boston Celtics (Record: 3–0)
Tatum leads the league in scoring, and the Celtics, led by first-year coach Joe Mazzulla, have the best offense in the league.
The defense that carried the team last season has yet to emerge, which was to be expected with Robert Williams III out.
2. Golden State Warriors (Record: 2–1)
The Warriors’ defense has not been at its usual championship level, but they are getting by just fine.
3. Milwaukee Bucks (Record: 2–0)
Despite not being at full strength, the Bucks continue to dominate their opponents. Plenty of teams put up ridiculous point totals last week, but Milwaukee’s defense, which is holding opponents to less than 100 points per game, is the best in the league.
4. Phoenix Suns (Record: 2–1)
Given how they humiliated the Suns in Game 7 of the conference semifinals, a season-opening victory over the Mavericks meant a little more.
There’s no shame in losing in overtime to the Trail Blazers—a game that could have gone either way—and the Phoenix defense put it all together in a dominant road win over the Clippers.
5. Utah Jazz (Record: 3–0)
The first three games on Utah’s schedule could have been penciled—perhaps even Sharpied—as losses before the season began. The Jazz, on the other hand, annihilated the three playoff teams that stood in their way and now boast the NBA’s highest-scoring offense.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (Record: 2–1)
The Clippers technically have their full roster in place, but it will be some time before they take the court without restrictions.
7. Dallas Mavericks (Record: 1–1)
Dallas apparently took Phoenix’s loss personally and took it out the next game against Memphis.
The Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies by 41 points, the biggest win of the week, and it was another outstanding performance for Christian Wood, who is quietly averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (Record: 3–0)
Chauncey Billups has kept his rotation as tight as possible. Only nine Trail Blazers have played in their unbeaten start, and all five starters have averaged 30-plus minutes and 10-plus points.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (Record: 2–1)
The shocking defeat to the Mavericks spoiled an otherwise promising start to the season. The Grizzlies’ defensive numbers will be inflated for a while after allowing 137 points, but they also didn’t lock down the Knicks, whom they beat in overtime, or the Rockets.
10. Denver Nuggets (Record: 2–1)
Following the surprising loss to the Jazz, the Nuggets got right back to work against the Warriors. Nikola Joki already has a pair of triple doubles under his belt, and the promised reinforcements have arrived.
11. New Orleans Pelicans (Record: 2–1)
Zion Williamson made his return to the court with a 22-point victory over Brooklyn on the road.
He’s been everything the Pelicans hoped he’d be efficient, dominant, and, most importantly, available. (He did, however, suffer a hip contusion in Sunday’s one-point loss, and Brandon Ingram also left early with a head injury, so both their statuses should be monitored.)
12. Brooklyn Nets (Record: 1–1)
The Nets were relatively quiet last week, which may have been for the best given the previous few years.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record: 2–1)
There is no getting around it: Losing to the Jazz in the first meeting following the Gobert trade is a tough pill to swallow.
But Minnesota’s new big man has been a rebounding machine, averaging 18 boards per game, and there’s still plenty of offense left after what the Timberwolves gave up getting him—seven players have averaged 13 or more points through the first three games.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record: 2–1)
Cleveland bounced back from a loss to the Raptors with a rout of the Bulls and an overtime victory over the Wizards in their home opener.
15. Charlotte Hornets (Record: 2–1)
The Hornets can still score at a breakneck pace even without LaMelo Ball. Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are leading the offensive charge in Charlotte, and the defense has surprisingly held up in road victories over the Spurs and Hawks.
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16. Atlanta Hawks (Record: 2–1)
The Hawks’ offense sputtered in a 23-point loss to the Hornets, preventing Atlanta from completing an undefeated homestand after beating the Rockets and Magic to start the season.
17. Miami Heat (Record: 1–2)
The Heat started the season with a pair of conference losses. DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points in a Bulls victory, and the Celtics, who defeated the Heat in the East finals, defeated Miami once more.
18. Toronto Raptors (Record: 1–2)
The schedule makers appear to be on Toronto’s side, as the team begins the season with seven games against play-in or playoff teams.
19. New York Knicks (Record: 1–1)
In the season opener in Memphis, New York almost played spoiler. The Knicks lost in overtime in Jalen Brunson’s debut, but they bounced back to beat the Pistons at Madison Square Garden.
20. Washington Wizards (Record: 2–1)
The Wizards’ 3-0 start was halted by an overtime loss to the Cavaliers. Although the competition (Indiana and Chicago) was questionable, Bradley Beal’s performance was anything but.
21. Chicago Bulls (Record: 1–2)
Zach LaVine made his season debut against the Cavaliers on Sunday. Chicago had split its previous two games without LaVine, winning against the Heat and narrowly losing to the Wizards (knee).
22. San Antonio Spurs (Record: 2–1)
The Spurs survived Joel Embiid’s 40-point outburst on the road to hand Philadelphia another loss and maintain their respectable start.
A 27-point home loss to the Hornets to start the season was about par for the course given where San Antonio was heading into the season, but it then went on the road and lit up the Pacers with 17 made threes and survived against the 76ers.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (Record: 0–3)
The 76ers’ bench is averaging a league-worst 11.3 points per game, which helps explain why their offense ranks among the worst in the NBA despite Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey all averaging more than 20 points per game.
24. Los Angeles Lakers (Record: 0–3)
The Lakers’ losses to the Warriors and Clippers weren’t necessarily cause for concern, but they did confirm many doubts about this team’s viability that had existed since last season’s disappointment.
25. Sacramento Kings (Record: 0–3)
The Kings have little to show for an otherwise promising week in which they pushed some of the best teams in the league to their breaking point, and Keegan Murray looked solid in his first NBA action.
26. Indiana Pacers (Record: 1–2)
Tyrese Haliburton will sling the ball all over the court to a young, fun squad this year, causing Indiana to get up and down the court at an alarming rate. And, if the first few games are any indication, the Pacers will let teams run with them as well.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record: 0–3)
A more fully realized Thunder team will take the court a year from now, when No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren makes his debut, along with what is almost certain to be yet another lottery pick from Sam Presti’s war chest.
28. Detroit Pistons (Record: 1–2)
Detroit’s future backcourt debuted with a home victory in the season opener, only to be blitzed on a two-game road trip.
29. Orlando Magic (Record: 0–3)
Paolo Banchero has more than lived up to his billing as the favorite for Rookie of the Year. The No. 1 pick has scored at least 20 points in each game and is converting free throws like a pro. Orlando is still winless.
30. Houston Rockets (Record: 0–3)
No amount of offense can make up for how bad Houston’s defense has been. It’s allowing 123.7 points per game with a 0-3 start and a minus-12.4-point differential to boot.
