NBA Power Rankings: Warriors return to dominance behind Stephen Curry
The 75th anniversary season of the NBA is officially underway, and the week of games offered plenty of excitement as the year is shaping up to be an entertaining one.
Some of the heavyweights of the league are back near the top of the standings, with some under-the-radar teams off to strong starts after a few games.
To make sense of it all, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We will come back each week and provide our latest assessment on the best teams and those that are rising.
Oklahoma City Thunder (0-3)
Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Thunder check in at No. 30 after an abysmal showing over the first week of the season. They lost by 33 points to a team on Friday in the Houston Rockets facing a similar rebuild and have had few positives to show for their season to this point. Josh Giddey at least looks like he’ll make the team worthy of a few League Pass watches.
For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire
Detroit Pistons (0-2)
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Last Rank: N/A
The Pistons have lacked a certain star power with Cade Cunningham nursing an ankle injury. The good news, despite losing their first two games of the season, is Cunningham looks to be close to returning to the court. They may not win very many games this season but at least we’ll soon be able to watch Cunningham.
Orlando Magic (1-2)
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
Orlando bounced back on Sunday from an absolute drubbing by the New York Knicks two nights prior by posting its first win of the Jamahl Mosley era. The first look at rookie Jalen Suggs has offered minimal excitement, but fellow lottery pick Franz Wagner has, at least, looked the part.
New Orleans Pelicans (0-3)
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Pelicans have a turnover problem, and it is really bad. They are currently last in the league in turnovers and are coming off of a game on Saturday in which they tied a franchise record with 30 giveaways. They have still seemingly had a chance to win, and may not be as bad as their record indicates. Zion Williamson is still set to return at some point so there is hope on the horizon.
Houston Rockets (1-2)
Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The lone win of the week came after the Rockets beat down the Thunder badly on Friday. We’re not quite sure what to make of the Rockets yet amidst a rebuilding year but they have proven to be entertaining so far. The debut of Jalen Green has been a mixed bag but the second overall pick has shown glimpses of his potential.
For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire
Toronto Raptors (1-2)
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: N/A
Toronto posted an impressive win over the Boston Celtics but has also had some bad losses to the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks. The team could surprise at certain points this season but it is hard to gauge them at the moment. However, the play of rookie Scottie Barnes has been tremendous so far.
San Antonio Spurs (1-2)
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
San Antonio opened up the season with a win over the Magic but has since lost to the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks. The team continues a rough start on the schedule with upcoming games this week versus the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Bucks again. It could get even uglier before it gets better.
Cleveland Cavaliers (1-2)
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
Last Rank: N/A
The Cavaliers still appear to be finding themselves on the court but picked up an impressive win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The early play of Evan Mobley has been incredible, after turning in a historic start. He became just the second rookie ever to record at least 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block in a debut game.
Boston Celtics (1-2)
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Celtics lost their season opener in double-overtime to the New York Knicks and were blown out by the Raptors before beating the Rockets on Sunday. They still look to be adjusting to new head coach Ime Udoka but it was a good sign they took care of business against the Rockets on Sunday.
For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire
Sacramento Kings (1-2)
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Kings opened up the season with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers but have since lost two straight to the Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. They hit the road this week on a four-game road trip with some tough matchups versus the Phoenix Suns, Pelicans, Mavericks and Utah Jazz. Suffice to say, Sacramento will be tested early to begin the year.
Indiana Pacers (1-2)
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Last Rank: N/A
Indiana blew a 23-point lead on opening night to the Charlotte Hornets to lose, then followed that up with another one-point loss to become just the second team in history to lose each of its first two games by exactly one point. They posted a strong win over the Miami Heat on Saturday and look to be back on track. Plus, how about the play of rookie Chris Duarte? He could be a Rookie of the Year darkhorse candidate.
Los Angeles Clippers (0-2)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
Paul George is coming off of a 41-point outing but it still wasn’t enough as the Clippers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies. He is going to continue to have to perform at Playoff P levels for the Clippers to have a chance this season without Kawhi Leonard, and even then it still may not be enough.
Dallas Mavericks (1-1)
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Mavericks lost to a good team in the Hawks, then beat a team they should have in the Raptors. It will be interesting to see how they come together under head coach Jason Kidd but having Luka Doncic certainly doesn’t hurt your chances of winning.
Atlanta Hawks (1-1)
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Hawks posted a curious loss to the Cavaliers but have a relatively easy schedule this week with the Pistons, Pelicans, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. They want to prove making the Eastern Conference Finals last season was no fluke so they’ll need to bank some wins early this year.
Phoenix Suns (1-2)
Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
Phoenix has had a tough schedule to open the season, facing the Nuggets, Lakers and Trail Blazers. With two games this week against the Kings and Cavaliers, they could get back on track and begin to build positive momentum.
Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)
Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
Portland manhandled the Suns on Saturday night, posting a 134-105 victory behind 28 points from C.J. McCollum. If they can continue to perform like that, the Trail Blazers could be a problem in the Western Conference this season.
Miami Heat (1-1)
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
We’re still in awe that the Heat crushed the Bucks just two nights after Milwaukee dominated the Nets on ring night. Miami then lost to the Pacers in overtime following that win but the play of Tyler Herro has been something to behold. He is eighth in the NBA in scoring at 28.5 points per game.
Brooklyn Nets (1-2)
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Nets sputtered on Sunday night in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets as they were outscored 61-37 in the second half. The team isn’t concerned and is still figuring things out without Kyrie Irving but with Kevin Durant and James Harden leading the way, they should have more than enough firepower this season.
For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire
Los Angeles Lakers (1-2)
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Last Week: N/A
The Lakers finally got into the win column on Sunday, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies. Surprisingly, the Lakers are fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made and first in 3-point percentage, yet it still feels like they need more floor spacing. They have also shown to have quite a bit of length, leading to plenty of steals in deflections. Once the new group can gain more chemistry, the Lakers could be exactly who they should be — one of the favorites in the West.
For more coverage on the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire
Washington Wizards (2-0)
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
After starting 2-0, we are going to soon find out just how real the Wizards are. They have the Nets on Monday, then play the Celtics, Hawks and Celtics again. Spencer Dinwiddie has been as advertised and the acquisition of Kyle Kuzma is looking really good right now.
New York Knicks (2-1)
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
New York had the chance to finish off the week 3-0 but instead suffered a questionable loss to the Magic just two nights after blowing them out in Orlando. We’re going to keep our eye on them but we think the Knicks are going to be legit once again this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0)
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards combined to score 81 points on opening night, leading the Timberwolves to a win over the Rockets. We’re going to pump the brakes on Minnesota as a playoff contender, based on their easy schedule to start, but the team could be dangerous if their Big 3 is clicking.
Philadelphia 76ers (2-1)
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Sixers are 2-1 without Ben Simmons and were nearly off to a 3-0 start had things not unraveled versus the Nets on Friday. Joel Embiid has stepped up on and off of the court amid the chaos surrounding Simmons’ status, and they project to be as good as he can play.
For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire
Chicago Bulls (3-0)
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Bulls are 3-0 for the first time since 2016 after defeating the Pistons twice and Pelicans once. They have the potential to be really good in the Eastern Conference, and a tougher schedule this week (@TOR, vs. NY, vs. UTA) could be an indication of how good they are.
For more coverage on Lonzo and the Bulls, visit Lonzo Wire
Memphis Grizzlies (2-1)
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
Your NBA scoring leader after the first week? That would be none other than Ja Morant. The third-year guard is having himself quite a start to the season, which could be a sign of things to come this season. Behind his play, the Grizzlies nearly walked out of a back-to-back at Staples Center with wins over the Clippers and Lakers. They have a tough week on deck (@POR, @GS, vs. Miami) so they will be tested.
Denver Nuggets (2-0)
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Nuggets are rolling to begin the season, led by Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Monte Morris and Aaron Gordon. Michael Porter Jr. is still finding himself but Denver should once again be one of the top teams in the West, even without Jamal Murray.
Charlotte Hornets (3-0)
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
LaMelo Ball has hardly looked like a second-year player this season, averaging 22 points, six assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. They overcame a 23-point deficit on opening night and have impressed head coach James Borrego with their hustle and effort. A win over the Nets on Sunday, in which they outscored them 61-37 in the second half, certainly showed their fight. If they can continue that, the Hornets may have found a winning recipe.
For more coverage on LaMelo and the Hornets, visit Lonzo Wire
Milwaukee Bucks (2-1)
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Bucks looked incredible on opening night, showing no signs of a championship hangover as they received their rings. That made their blowout loss on the road to the Heat rather questionable but they responded with a win over the Spurs. Giannis Antetokounmpo looks like an MVP, and even refined his shot a little bit. If he can continuously hit at an average clip from beyond the arc, he may very well be unstoppable.
Utah Jazz (2-0)
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The Jazz have benefitted from a soft schedule to open the season but have been dominant in wins over the Thunder and Kings. They will be tested a bit more this week but we should continue to see Donovan Mitchell & Co. perform well and rack up wins.
Golden State Warriors (3-0)
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: N/A
The exciting version of the Warriors is back, led by Stephen Curry. The team has displayed amazing ball movement over the course of the first week, a staple from when they were at their best. Curry is fourth in the NBA with 31 points per game, seemingly picking up right where he left off last season.
For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire
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