NBA Power Rankings: Early overreactions for every team
NBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's basketball editors.
With two weeks of regular-season hoops in the rearview, we're jumping to conclusions with one overreaction for every team. Get ready for some hot takes.
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ATL | BKN | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN | NOP | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX | POR | SAC | SAS | TOR | UTA | WAS
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0)
Previous rank: 2
Send Isaiah Hartenstein back to NYC: OKC is rolling without the free-agent addition, dominating teams with depth and youth. Maybe the Thunder didn't need to sign him; they're 12th in rebounds per game.
2. Boston Celtics (7-1)
Previous rank: 1
Boston is going to repeat: The Celtics have looked nearly unstoppable with their scorching 3-point shooting, deep bench, and Jayson Tatum playing the best basketball of his career. Call this one a tepid take.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-0)
Previous rank: 12
Donovan Mitchell is a legit MVP candidate: Spida has guided the Cavaliers to the best record in the East, and he's shooting the lights out with career-best returns from the field (48%) and beyond the arc (40%).
4. Phoenix Suns (6-1)
Previous rank: 7
Give KD 40 shots a night: Phoenix can't go wrong by trusting Kevin Durant. He didn't just save the Suns in the fourth versus the 76ers on Monday, he shot a ludicrous 14-of-20 (70%) all game. He deserves double the attempts.
5. Golden State Warriors (6-1)
Previous rank: 16
Buddy Hield is better than Klay: The Warriors have begun this season 6-1, but instead of a Splash Brother, they've got a Splash Buddy. Hield is averaging 21.9 points per game and shooting 50% from beyond the arc.
6. Dallas Mavericks (4-3)
Previous rank: 6
Klay completes the puzzle: The Mavericks hit a home run with the acquisition of Thompson, who's averaging 14.7 points and cashing 39% from deep. His shooting and experience should help Dallas make a push.
7. New York Knicks (3-3)
Previous rank: 3
The rim defense stinks: Karl-Anthony Towns is the only Knicks big man who gets any meaningful minutes, so it's probably not ideal that he has a 2.2% block rate or that opponents are shooting 79.6% at the rim against him.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (4-3)
Previous rank: 17
JJ Redick is the answer: Redick seems to be the coach that will take the Lakers to the next level. Between his play-calling and making Anthony Davvis the focal point of the offense, L.A. should be back in contention despite a roster with many holes.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)
Previous rank: 11
Jay Huff's the real deal: The fourth-year center out of Virginia has been a pleasant surprise, providing some low-post scoring, floor spacing, and shot-blocking off the bench for the Grizzlies. He's also had a few nasty dunks.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3)
Previous rank: 8
Mike Conley is over the hill: The history of small guards pushing 40 is not promising. Conley, 37, is off to a horrific start, averaging a career-low 7.9 points while shooting just 30% from the field. No, that number isn't a typo.
11. Orlando Magic (3-5)
Previous rank: 13
Magic are trash without Paolo Banchero: After starting the campaign 3-2, the Magic have gone 0-3 since Banchero suffered a torn oblique. Breaking news: Orlando needs its star to take the next leap as a team.
12. Sacramento Kings (4-3)
Previous rank: 18
Keegan Murray has peaked: The Iowa product has been a great complementary piece for the Kings, providing an efficient floor-spacing threat. But he may never be more than that. And that's fine.
13. Denver Nuggets (4-3)
Previous rank: 4
Denver needs to trade Jamal Murray: Shooting just 37%, Murray hasn't looked like the $208-million star the Nuggets need. Nikola Jokic called out the team's lack of outside threats, and a Murray deal is their best chance to improve the roster.
14. Houston Rockets (4-3)
Previous rank: 21
Pump the brakes on Reed Sheppard: A preseason Rookie of the Year pick, Sheppard is averaging a scant 3.1 points on 9.3 minutes per game for a Rockets team blessed with heaps of young talent. Early days, but still.
15. Indiana Pacers (3-4)
Previous rank: 9
Tyrese Haliburton needs an intervention: After garnering early-season MVP chatter a season ago, Haliburton's numbers are down. He's shooting 38.2% from the field and put up zero points versus the Knicks.
16. Miami Heat (3-3)
Previous rank: 15
Jimmy Butler's washed: The Heat star's scoring is on pace to drop for the second straight season. Butler's 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage have also both dramatically decreased from the year prior. Yikes.
17. New Orleans Pelicans (3-5)
Previous rank: 14
Fall injuries will cost Pels in spring: Eight games in, the Pelicans are already down four rotation players: Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy. When New Orleans misses the playoffs, this stretch will be why.
18. San Antonio Spurs (3-4)
Previous rank: 20
Don't feed Wemby outside the paint: Victor Wembanyama is effectively unstoppable around the rim, but his field-goal percentage craters beyond 16 feet. The solution? Ignore the 7-foot-3 phenom until he improves.
19. Atlanta Hawks (3-5)
Previous rank: 23
The Trae Young era is over: The Hawks guard is averaging 23.9 points and is once again leading the league in assists, yet the club is still hovering around .500. He's taken Atlanta as far as possible and it's time to move on.
20. Los Angeles Clippers (3-4)
Previous rank: 19
Move back home: Until finally beating the Spurs on Monday, the Clippers were 0-4 in games at their brand-new Intuit Dome. The obvious remedy is to reunite as roomies with the Lakers until they're ready to move out again.
21. Brooklyn Nets (4-4)
Previous rank: 29
Cam Thomas will win scoring title: The Nets' No. 1 option has always been labeled a "microwave scorer". Brooklyn doesn't have many (or any) offensive weapons outside of Thomas, so he should continue to get the green light.
22. Chicago Bulls (3-4)
Previous rank: 22
Treys or bust in the Windy City: The Bulls have stumbled into a 3-4 record with some absurd shooting performances. Only the Celtics are making more triples than the Bulls' 16.4 per game.
23. Detroit Pistons (3-5)
Previous rank: 28
Jaden Ivey will be MIP: Ivey's sophomore season left people questioning his skills, but he is changing that discourse. He's averaging a career-high 19.6 points while shooting 47% from the field and 39% from three.
24. Toronto Raptors (2-6)
Previous rank: 24
RJ Barrett is an All-Star: The Canadian wing looks like an entirely different player to begin his first full season in his hometown, making noticeable strides not just as a scorer but as a facilitator, too. He's on pace for his first All-Star nod.
25. Philadelphia 76ers (1-5)
Previous rank: 5
Season's over, see y'all next year: Despite getting Paul George back against the Suns, the 76ers dropped to 1-5, and there's still no sign that Joel Embiid is close to returning. Call it a day and regroup next October.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (1-6)
Previous rank: 10
Trade Giannis now: The Bucks sit at the bottom of the East and show no signs of improving. Giannis Antetokounmpo, 29, wants to compete in the prime of his career. (Milwaukee won't do this, but imagine if it did.)
27. Charlotte Hornets (2-5)
Previous rank: 25
LaMelo Ball is a liability: When he's on the court, Ball is putting up video game numbers. The problem is that he can't stay on the floor in crunch time - he fouled out of three of his first seven contests.
28. Portland Trail Blazers (3-5)
Previous rank: 26
Why isn't Scoot Henderson starting? The Blazers are starting a bigger lineup to begin the season and bringing the former No. 3 pick off the bench. With no chance of being a good team, why is Portland limiting his minutes?
29. Washington Wizards (2-4)
Previous rank: 30
Alex Sarr is a bust: Six games into his career, the French big is looking like a terrible draft choice at second overall. Sarr is averaging 9.8 points, seven boards, and shooting just 36.2% as a 7-footer.
30. Utah Jazz (1-6)
Previous rank: 27
Lauri Markkanen's contract was a mistake: The Jazz are atrocious, and the Spurs, Warriors, Kings, and Heat were reportedly interested in the Finnish sniper before he signed his new deal. Now he can't be moved this season.