NBA Power Rankings: Cavs, Celtics surge as East foes flop
NBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's basketball editors.
This week, we're assessing matters after one month of regular-season play as the contenders and pretenders sort themselves out in the standings.
Jump to:
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. Cleveland Cavaliers (15-1)
Previous rank: 3
No one expected the Cavaliers to win 15 straight to kick off the season, but Donovan Mitchell and Co. are rolling under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. A strong start at both ends of the court bodes well for playoff success.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-4)
Previous rank: 1
OKC continues to stay hot. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is surging and Jalen Williams is shining in a career year. J-Dub is currently averaging career bests in points (21.2), rebounds (6.6), assists (5.1), steals (2.2), and blocks (0.9).
3. Golden State Warriors (10-3)
Previous rank: 5
Head coach Steve Kerr is running a 12-man rotation that values ball movement and shooting, and it's working. The Warriors assist on 69% of their field goals, resulting in the league's fifth-best offensive rating (116.7).
4. Boston Celtics (12-3)
Previous rank: 2
Payton Pritchard has been a key part of the Celtics' hot start. The Oregon product is among the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year with career highs in points (15.3 per game) and 3-point percentage (42.3%).
5. Phoenix Suns (9-6)
Previous rank: 4
The Suns are missing Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, yet they have the league's second-best winning percentage in clutch games (7-2). An ability to win tight contests is why they boast a 9-6 record but have a negative point differential.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (10-4)
Previous rank: 8
The initial returns on JJ Redick have been encouraging. The first-year head coach has injected some creativity into the Lakers' offense and seems to be getting the most out of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
7. Houston Rockets (10-5)
Previous rank: 14
Ime Udoka's side boasts the league's third-best defensive rating at 105.2. The Rockets' effort on that end is helping to make up for the NBA's third-worst 3-point percentage (32.4%).
8. Denver Nuggets (8-5)
Previous rank: 13
Nikola Jokic might as well be a one-man team. The Joker is single-handedly willing this team to victory while averaging a career high in points (29.7) and leading the NBA in rebounds (13.7) and assists (11.7).
9. Memphis Grizzlies (8-7)
Previous rank: 9
The rookie tandem of Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey has stepped up for the Grizzlies as they grapple with persistent injury concerns. Edey and Wells are averaging 22.6 combined points, while Edey is tied with Yves Missi for the best rebounding rate among rookies (6.9).
10. Orlando Magic (9-6)
Previous rank: 11
The Magic have managed to stay afloat in the wake of Paolo Banchero's oblique injury, thanks largely to Franz Wagner's play. The German is averaging 26.3 points and 5.8 assists in Banchero's absence.
11. Sacramento Kings (8-7)
Previous rank: 12
De'Aaron Fox went scorched-earth and dropped a franchise-record 60 against the T-Wolves before Keon Ellis had a career-best 33 the very next game. Unfortunately for the injured Kings, they lost both games.
12. New York Knicks (8-6)
Previous rank: 7
The Knicks need better interior defense from Karl-Anthony Towns. Opponents are shooting a whopping 73.1% against Towns inside six feet, the worst mark of any 7-footer to defend at least 50 such attempts so far.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-6)
Previous rank: 10
T-Wolves fans envisioned a better start after last season's breakthrough run to the West final. Minnesota recently dropped back-to-back contests to the rebuilding Blazers, while Julius Randle is still working his way back into form.
14. Dallas Mavericks (8-7)
Previous rank: 6
Luka Doncic's defensive effort has been called into question throughout his career. Those concerns remain after he gave up a game-winning dunk to the Jazz. However, the Mavs are still a top-six team in defensive rating.
15. Los Angeles Clippers (8-7)
Previous rank: 20
The Clippers have been mediocre, so let's take a moment to toast James Harden's historic career. He's 14th all time in assists (7,764), 19th in scoring (26,186), and he recently passed Ray Allen for second in 3-pointers (2,977).
16. San Antonio Spurs (7-8)
Previous rank: 18
Victor Wembanyama is shooting 3.1 more attempts from deep compared to last season, connecting on 33.9% of those. The Spurs are allowing him to develop his shot, but he could also stand to shoot from literally anywhere else.
17. Indiana Pacers (6-8)
Previous rank: 15
The Pacers need Tyrese Haliburton to quickly rediscover his 3-point shot. He's shooting just 32.3% on wide-open threes this season.
18. Miami Heat (6-7)
Previous rank: 16
Tyler Herro is averaging a career-high 24.2 points on 48.6% shooting, but Jimmy Butler has regressed. He's generating his lowest point-per-game average (17.7) since joining Miami and is shooting 21.4% from three. That's not a typo.
19. Atlanta Hawks (7-8)
Previous rank: 19
The Hawks' overall defense might not stand out, but the team has taken a step in the right direction. Atlanta has the 10th-best field-goal percentage allowed within five feet and is second in total steals.
20. Detroit Pistons (7-9)
Previous rank: 23
Detroit has seven wins through 16 games, a mark the Pistons didn't reach until Game 44 last campaign. Jaden Ivey has flourished as a starter, averaging a career-high 18.5 points in 32.3 minutes a night.
21. Brooklyn Nets (6-9)
Previous rank: 21
The Nets have given some of the top teams a run for their money. That's a great sign for Jordi Fernandez as he looks to establish a culture and identity that'll carry over beyond this season. It could be worse.
22. Chicago Bulls (6-9)
Previous rank: 22
The Bulls have lost seven of their last 10 games and continue to pay Lonzo Ball $21.3 million to sit out with lingering injuries. Luckily, Coby White continues to improve, as he's averaging a career-high 19.9 points.
23. Charlotte Hornets (5-9)
Previous rank: 27
LaMelo Ball is getting the ball a lot. His usage percentage (37.16%) this season ranks 12th all time, joining the efforts of Russell Westbrook (2016-17) and James Harden (2018-19). Still, the Hornets are an incredibly flawed team.
24. Portland Trail Blazers (6-8)
Previous rank: 28
Portland has responded since Chauncey Billups blasted the team's effort in a 45-point loss to Memphis. Donovan Clingan had an eight-block display versus the T-Wolves, just one shy of the team's single-game rookie mark (Bill Walton).
25. Milwaukee Bucks (5-9)
Previous rank: 26
Maybe this will help assuage the early panic felt by Bucks fans: Five of Milwaukee's nine losses have come against the Cavs, Celtics, and Knicks, plus that controversial finish against the Hornets. We're grasping at straws.
26. New Orleans Pelicans (4-11)
Previous rank: 17
The Pelicans can't seem to catch a break, with several key contributors on the shelf for an extended period. New Orleans will lean heavily on Brandon Ingram over the next few weeks to keep its season alive.
27. Philadelphia 76ers (2-11)
Previous rank: 25
Paul George has struggled since returning, averaging under 20 points (16.7) for the first time since his sophomore season. Additionally, Joel Embiid has played three games and is shooting a career-worst 32.4% from the field.
28. Utah Jazz (3-11)
Previous rank: 30
The Jazz are last in the Western Conference with a 3-11 record while sitting 26th in offensive rating (108.2) and 29th in defensive rating (118.9). Keyonte George is shooting an abysmal 36.6% from the field. Yikes.
29. Toronto Raptors (3-12)
Previous rank: 24
The Raptors have been a tough watch, recording a league-worst 1-6 mark in clutch games. Injuries to Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley haven't helped either. Nobody said a rebuild would be easy.
30. Washington Wizards (2-11)
Previous rank: 29
It's not all bad for the Wizards. Despite a 2-11 record so far, they've trailed by at least 20 in nine of their games and own the league's worst point differential at minus-14.8. Oh, I guess it is all bad. Sorry.