NBA Power Rankings: Celtics take the top spot behind high-octane offense

The early NBA season provided yet another great week of action behind several elite-level performances from some of the top players in the game.

Joel Embiid asserted his dominance over the weekend with over 100 points in two games to lead the Philadelphia 76ers. Elsewhere, Jayson Tatum put up yet another 40-point effort as the Boston Celtics look to be nearly unstoppable at the moment.

While the best of the best continue to show out, the rookie class is also making a name for itself. Paolo Banchero and Bennedict Mathurin have established themselves as the top first-year players in the early going while others are also performing at a high level.

To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We come back each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.

Houston Rockets (2-11)

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Last Rank: 30

Houston only has one win over its last nine games. However, the team is much more competitive than its record may indicate. Jalen Green is blossoming into a franchise cornerstone. Alperen Sengun is quietly averaging nearly a double-double (16.1 points, 9.1 rebounds) and Jabari Smith Jr. appears to be bouncing back from a recent slump. Tune in to watch the Rockets on League Pass. You won’t regret it.

For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire

Detroit Pistons (3-11)

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Last Rank: 29

Though the Pistons have lost three straight, rookie Jaden Ivey is proving to be the real deal in the early going. He is coming off a career-high 26-point performance for his 12th game in double figures, the most by a rookie this season.

Charlotte Hornets (3-11)

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Last Rank: 25

The Hornets have the longest losing streak in the NBA at eight games. The team did get LaMelo Ball back for the first time this season on Saturday after missing the first 13 games due to an ankle injury. He scored 15 points, six rebounds and six assists in a loss to the Heat.

Los Angeles Lakers (3-10)

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Last Rank: 28

The Lakers snapped a five-game skid on Sunday with a win over the Nets without LeBron James. Anthony Davis led the way with a season-high 37 points and 18 rebounds in that contest. It was their first wire-to-wire victory of the season.

For more coverage on LeBron and the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire

Orlando Magic (4-9)

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Last Rank: 27

The Magic have won two straight games entering play on Monday after defeating the Mavericks and Suns last week. Wendell Carter Jr. scored a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Bol Bol added 13 points and 15 rebounds for his third career double-double versus Phoenix. The team won without Paolo Banchero, who has missed two straight games with an ankle injury. He will likely return on Monday after practicing over the weekend.

Chicago Bulls (6-8)

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Last Rank: 21

Chicago went 1-2 last week to continue its fall down the standings. Despite the inconsistent play, DeMar DeRozan continues to perform at an All-Star level. He is averaging 23.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 14 games.

For more coverage on the Bulls, visit Bulls Wire

Oklahoma City Thunder (6-7)

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Last Rank: 24

The Thunder offense completely exploded on Sunday in a 145-135 win over the Knicks. Their 145 points scored were the most since January 2018 as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 37 points. Meanwhile, Josh Giddey put up his first triple-double of the season with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 assists. He became just the second player ever (Wilt Chamberlain, 1968) to record triple-doubles in their first two games at Madison Square Garden.

For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire

San Antonio Spurs (6-7)

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Last Rank: 22

The Spurs snapped a five-game losing streak on Friday with a win over the Bucks. Keldon Johnson continued a strong start to the season in that contest, recording 29 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. He has scored in double figures in all 13 games.

Sacramento Kings (6-6)

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Last Rank: 26

Since losing their first four games, the Kings have gone 6-2 and are winners of three straight. Their streak could have been even longer had they not blown an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to the Warriors on Nov. 7. Still, things look to be turning around in Sacramento.

Washington Wizards (8-6)

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Last Rank: 23

The Wizards are suddenly hot again after winning four straight. They had dropped to two games under .500, but have turned things around with the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma stepping up in a major way. They should also get Bradley Beal back soon, who has missed five straight due to the health and safety protocol.

Miami Heat (6-7)

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Last Rank: 19

Miami is coming off two straight wins, both of which were over the Hornets. Max Strus finished just shy of a career-high in their win on Saturday, recording 31 points on 8-of-14 shooting from 3-point range. It marked only the second time the Heat have won consecutive games this season. They will face a tough test with Phoenix on Monday before beginning a four-game road trip on Wednesday in Toronto.

New York Knicks (6-7)

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Last Rank: 18

The Knicks have been an average team to this point and have alternated wins and losses since Nov. 4. Julius Randle is experiencing a great start to the year, averaging 20.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. To illustrate just how average New York has been, we present this gem from John Hollinger.

Minnesota Timberwolves (6-8)

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Last Rank: 16

Minnesota has gone 2-6 over its last eight games and snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday with a win over the Cavaliers. D’Angelo Russell led the way after finishing with a season-high 30 points and 12 assists. It was his fourth career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists.

Brooklyn Nets (6-8)

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Last Rank: 15

Kevin Durant continues to lead the Nets without Kyrie Irving and the team is 4-3 over its last seven games. Ben Simmons continues to be the biggest question mark with the team and still hasn’t quite looked like himself in nine games. The Nets may very well just be an average team at this juncture.

For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire

Toronto Raptors (7-7)

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Last Rank: 17

The Raptors are at .500 again this season after dropping two straight games. However, they are in the top 15 in offense and defense, and ninth in net rating. That indicates Toronto is likely going to be OK this season but the group will need to weather the storm without Pascal Siakam, who is expected to be out at least one more week due to an adductor strain.

Indiana Pacers (6-6)

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Last Rank: 20

The Pacers look like a team that can compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Myles Turner is having his best season yet. Tyrese Haliburton is taking the next step in his third year. Even rookie Bennedict Mathurin is off to a tremendous start. Things look to be going very well in Indy at the moment.

Los Angeles Clippers (7-6)

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Last Rank: 14

Paul George has led the Clippers in scoring over their last seven games. The team has gone 5-2 as George is averaging 28.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals over that stretch. Included is a 114-101 win over the Lakers last Wednesday. The Clippers have won nine straight over the Lakers.

New Orleans Pelicans (7-6)

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Last Rank: 11

The Pelicans have gone 2-3 over their last five games but are coming off a win over the Rockets. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to panic, though. New Orleans is in the top 10 in offense, defense and net rating — an indication they have the pieces to be good this season.

Atlanta Hawks (8-5)

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Last Rank: 12

The Hawks handed the Bucks their first loss of the season on Monday, and did so without Trae Young. Dejounte Murray stepped up to lead the Hawks without Young while others are also performing at a high level. Murray is currently posting a career-high 21.7 points per game.

Golden State Warriors (5-8)

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Last Rank: 10

The Warriors appear to be recovering from a horrendous road trip in which they went 0-5 out east. The group has since won two of three games with Stephen Curry continuing to play at an MVP level. We saw Curry go Super Steph mode on Monday after dropping 47 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter to overcome an 11-point deficit and beat the Kings.

For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire

Dallas Mavericks (7-5)

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Last Rank: 9

The Mavericks lost two games last week to the Magic and Wizards as Luka Doncic was held under 30 points in each contest for the first time this season. He bounced back on Saturday, though, recording 42 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a win over the Trail Blazers. He became just the sixth player ever to record four career 40-point triple-doubles.

Philadelphia 76ers (7-7)

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Last Rank: 13

Joel Embiid is on a complete tear at the moment. He had 42 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks on Saturday in a win over the Hawks. He followed that up with a career-high 59 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, seven blocks and one steal in a win over the Jazz. Embiid became the first player ever to have at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a game. He may very well be your MVP front-runner at the moment.

For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire

Utah Jazz (10-5)

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Last Rank: 6

The Jazz have lost two straight and are coming off a game in which they gave up 59 points to Joel Embiid on Sunday. However, they are still tied for the most wins in the West and have the fourth-best offense and eighth-best defense. That should ensure Utah gets back on track this week. They will see New York, Phoenix and Portland.

Cleveland Cavaliers (8-5)

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Last Rank: 4

Cleveland has now lost four straight after winning eight in a row. The team posted a 2-3 record on its recent West Coast road trip to fall to fourth in the East. Darius Garland briefly had the only 50-point game (51) in the NBA on Sunday before Joel Embiid erupted for 59 points. Still, the outburst by Garland was great news for the Cavs, who hope that game can get him into a groove on offense.

Denver Nuggets (9-4)

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Last Rank: 8

The Nuggets are a season-high five games over .500 after wrapping up their four-game road trip on Sunday with a win over the Bulls to finish 3-1. Nikola Jokic seems to be getting some help on offense with Michael Porter Jr. breaking out after a season-high 31 points over the Bulls.

Portland Trail Blazers (9-4)

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Last Rank: 7

The Trail Blazers posted a 4-2 record on their six-game East Coast road trip. The team had several players step up, from Jerami Grant to Josh Hart. Of course, Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons continue to lead the way for Portland as the duo looks to be one of the best in the league. Lillard (28.6 points) and Simons (22.3) are each averaging over 20 points, respectively.

Phoenix Suns (8-4)

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Last Rank: 2

The Suns have gone 1-2 on their East Coast road trip after falling to the Magic on Friday. Chris Paul has missed their last two games after suffering a heel injury on Wednesday versus the Sixers. Their recent issues don’t appear to be serious but they do have a tough upcoming slate (at Miami, vs. Golden State, at Utah and vs. New York).

Memphis Grizzlies (9-5)

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Last Rank: 3

The Grizzlies dropped a key matchup against the Celtics on Monday and then went 2-1 over the rest of the week. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane continue to prove themselves on a nightly basis and are leading the Grizzlies in scoring this season. They recently became the first pair of teammates in team history to have at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in the same game.

Milwaukee Bucks (10-2)

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Last Rank: 1

The Bucks have gone 1-2 since starting 9-0 and needed two overtimes to top the Thunder on Wednesday. But, armed with the top defense in the league, there is hardly any reason to worry at this point. They have six out of their next seven at home so the Bucks will have a great opportunity to add some distance on the Celtics in second in the East.

Boston Celtics (10-3)

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Last Rank: 5

The Celtics take the top spot for the first time this season after winning six straight after beating the Pistons on Saturday. Jayson Tatum dropped a season-high 43 points in that win for his second 40-piece of the season. He is third in the NBA in scoring at 32.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

He has helped Boston put up the highest-scoring offense in the NBA to this point with 119.4 points per 100 possessions. Despite a defense that ranks 22nd, the Celtics still have the third-best net rating in the league. With a relatively easy schedule this week (vs. OKC, at Atlanta and at New Orleans), the Celtics could continue to roll.

For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire