NBA Power Rankings: Contenders Fighting for Spots Behind Untouchable Warriors
If you've been even a casual follower of the NBA this year, you're well aware of how little mystery there is about the identity of the league's best team.
Last week, the power rankings were divided into two distinct categories: the Golden State Warriors and everyone else. And the same is true this time around. To any of you domiciled in underground bunkers or just now getting acquainted, first of all, welcome. And second, sorry to spoil the suspense.
There's drama elsewhere in the rankings, though, as hot starts have given way to cold streaks and means have been regressed toward—sometimes at high velocity. Virtually every team has changed spots since last week, and we've had a significant shake-up in the top five.
More change is on the way as we get into the middle of November. The rust is coming off for some teams. For others, the wheels.
Here's where we stand so far.
30. Philadelphia 76ers
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Last Week: 28
In some ways, these don't feel like the same old Philadelphia 76ers.
Jahlil Okafor has been scoring reliably and, even better, setting up his teammates with in-to-out passing that should produce better results when said shooters develop (or are eventually replaced by superior players).
Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com likes what he's seen of Okafor: "He's recognizing double-teams earlier and making correct passes to stationed shooters behind the three-point line more regularly, and that's even with the perimeter players, in my opinion, not yet fully realizing how to play off of Okafor and what rotations to make."
Nerlens Noel has been battling sore wrists lately, but he looked as quick and active on defense as ever before getting hurt.
Basically, there's a sense of hope that feels different with this year's Sixers, and that's to say nothing of the avalanche of draft picks coming in the 2016 draft.
And yet, these are the same Sixers in the most important sense: They're the worst team in the league—as measured by both net rating and record. Hope and positive signs are fine, but when you're the last winless team left, you have to rank last.
Them's the rules.
29. Brooklyn Nets
2 of 30
Last Week: 29
Break up the Brooklyn Nets!
Joe Johnson and friends deserted the NBA's winless ranks with a 106-98 win at the Houston Rockets, a result that vaulted them into the...oh, forget it.
The Nets are bad—bad in all the big ways and bad on both ends. Bad. Just bad.
They're in the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency and the bottom five on offense, and it's not like there's a deliberate effort to tank behind those crummy rankings; Brooklyn's unprotected 2016 first-round pick belongs to the Boston Celtics.
According to Rod Boone of Newsday, general manager Billy King has already made exploratory trade calls. But, like, what's the point? And who's taking those calls?
Yes, hello, this is Billy. So, I know Joe Johnson is making $24.9 million this year. And I know he's shooting 32.6 percent from the field, but I really think you'd...
Raucous laughter. Click. Dial tone.
28. Los Angeles Lakers
3 of 30Last Week: 30
As much as we'd all like to see more avant-garde basketball art like this from Marcelo Huertas, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott seems to have finally relented in his late-game ban on rookie D'Angelo Russell.
L.A.'s No. 2 overall pick played 31 minutes in a 101-99 loss to the Orlando Magic on Nov. 11, and if not for a Nikola Vucevic buzzer-beater, the story could have been about how Russell looked perfectly steady in his seven stretch-run minutes. Prior to that Nov. 11 contest, Russell had been repeatedly benched in the final period, with Scott citing a desire to make Russell earn those minutes.
Scott deservedly caught heat for putting short-term wins above long-term development on his priority list, but to his credit, he seems to have seen the light. Russell matters to the Lakers' long-term plans, and if throwing him into the fire makes the present a little uglier, it should effectively make the future look better.
Though it has little to do with Russell, the Lakers made the momentous leap out of the bottom spot this week—thanks to that Nov. 6 win over the Nets.
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27. New Orleans Pelicans
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Last Week: 27
Well this isn't any fun at all.
Anthony Davis was supposed to ascend to the heavens, the New Orleans Pelicans were supposed to threaten 50 wins and Alvin Gentry was supposed to fix everything that was wrong last year. We all wanted those things.
Instead, we've got Davis banged up with a hip contusion, a Pelicans team that has one win in its first eight games and a roster so blighted by injury that no true measure of Gentry's impact is even possible. A wasted year in the early prime of Davis' career is looking likelier by the day, and that might wind up being the best (though also most painful) thing for this team.
New Orleans needs another marquee talent or two to pair with AD, and the draft is the best way to get that done. When you consider that the alternative is working like hell for an eighth seed and a first-round elimination, giving the year away doesn't sound so bad.
It's early, but the Pelicans are playing the worst defense in the league, and even a fully healthy version of this team would struggle to reach 48 wins. The hole's already that deep.
26. Sacramento Kings
5 of 30
Last Week: 25
And now, let's cut to the voice mail transcripts chronicling Marco Belinelli's phone calls to San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich:
Hello, it's me. I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet to go over everything.
They say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing.
Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be.
Wait, sorry. That's Adele's new song.
The sentiment works, though, as Belinelli's free-agent exit from the oh-so-perfect Spurs landed him in a dysfunctional quagmire bordered on all sides by a tire fire...in a dumpster...in a sulfur mine...buried deep beneath the earth.
He's on the Sacramento Kings, who've already had a superstar go on a locker-room tirade, seen rumors leak about a potential fourth coach firing since 2013 and conducted a team meeting that didn't do much to tamp down fears of a forthcoming implosion.
But hey, Belinelli and the Kings beat the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 11 to move to 2-7. Rajon Rondo assist-hunted his way to a triple-double in that game, DeMarcus Cousins hung 33 points on Andre Drummond, and the Kings get a crack at the hapless Nets Nov. 13.
So everything's fine, right? Right?!
Hello from the other siiiiiiiide....
25. Denver Nuggets
6 of 30
Last Week: 23
Here's your Holy S--t Quote of the Week, offered up by Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post:
"He’ll be better. He’s better already. Being able to run an NBA team at 19 is not easy. You look at some of the greats—Magic (Johnson) was able to do it. And you’re looking at this kid Mudiay, who has the opportunity to do something special. So, I would encourage him to be better than me, and I think he will be at the end of the day."
Kidd said Emmanuel Mudiay will be better than he was. This...this is something. But only if you're among the unanimous masses who view Kidd as one of the five greatest pure point guards to ever play. Which you should, because he is.
Mudiay put up 16 points and 11 assists in a win over Kidd's Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 11. Two days before that, he dropped 18 points, six rebounds and five assists (plus a pair of rude blocks against Damian Lillard) in another victory against the Trail Blazers.
If the Nuggets can defend and rebound a bit better going forward, they'll be able to play at the kind of pace that should further elevate Mudiay's effectiveness in the open floor. This is his team, and the Nugs need their 19-year-old stud to take on an even bigger role—especially after the brutal news that Wilson Chandler's season is over because of a torn labrum in his hip.
If Kidd thinks the kid's ready, that should be good enough for the rest of us.
24. Washington Wizards
7 of 30
Last Week: 9
This has been a brutal week for the Washington Wizards, who looked strong after jumping out to a 3-1 start punctuated by a big home win over the San Antonio Spurs. Three straight losses to the Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder by an average of nearly 20 points have the Wiz looking awfully vulnerable these days.
"It looked like we did not believe we could win," a frustrated Randy Wittman told reporters after the Nov. 10 blowout loss to the Thunder. Though Washington's terrifying turnover woes (49 in the two preceding losses to Boston and Atlanta) didn't crush them against OKC, the injury absences of Bradley Beal and Nene sure did.
Not to mention the lack of intensity Wittman highlighted.
Look, John Wall is an absolute stud—a brilliant creator for others who may also be the best defender in the league at his position. But the Wizards have routinely put him on the floor without any secondary facilitators and/or too few shooters. It also bears mentioning that Wall is often tasked with leading a stripped-down roster because Washington is positioning itself financially for a run at Kevin Durant this summer.
It had better pay off, because Wall can only do so much, and a sub-.500 record is a real possibility if no more help is forthcoming.
23. Memphis Grizzlies
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Last Week: 16
Hey, small sample-sizers and anti-alarmists: Can we worry about the Memphis Grizzlies now?
It was en vogue to ignore Memphis' behind-the-times offense, aging core and troubling decline in intensity during the first two weeks of the season. These were the Grizzlies, after all, a team that has bludgeoned its way to 50-plus wins with outdated tactics and stubborn defense for years.
Why worry about a rough start?
Well, how about because it contained signs that the problems were much more than the correctable, slow-start variety. Last week, Memphis went 0-3 against an admittedly tough schedule that included the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. But since when do we cut the rough-and-tough Grizz slack for a rugged slate of opponents?
And why should we ignore the fact that Memphis' refusal to shoot and inability to hit three-pointers has resulted in the lowest true shooting percentage in the league?
You can post-score and defend your way to success if Zach Randolph and Tony Allen are still viable two-way threats. So far, neither has looked the part.
Maybe Memphis recovers by doubling down on its identity. Maybe the aging vets will look a little younger as the season progresses.
But for the first time in a half-decade, "maybe not" feels likelier.
22. Orlando Magic
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Last Week: 22
Outside of a 97-84 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 9, every one of the Orlando Magic's games has been a single-digit affair. Those narrow margins hurt them early on, as their first three losses of the year came by a combined nine points. But the odds have evened out recently, especially in a 101-99 win over the Lakers that Nikola Vucevic made possible with a ridiculously tough turnaround game-winner over Roy Hibbert on Nov. 11.
Vucevic needs to hit shots like those because Orlando is 9.4 points per 100 possessions better on defense without him. It defended better without him on the floor last year, too.
A 3-1 record over the past week has the Magic at 4-5 overall, and you have to believe the embarrassment of wing riches will eventually find the right roles under Scott Skiles. If he can push the right rotation buttons with Mario Hezonja, Evan Fournier and Victor Oladipo (who was concussed on Nov. 11), something special could happen.
There's still a ton of talent here that feels largely untapped. And I think we'd all like to see what a frontcourt duo of Tobias Harris and Aaron Gordon could do with heavy playing time (they've seen just 20 minutes on the court together so far, though they've posted a positive net rating in that span).
That'll be something to look forward to as the Magic try to push over the .500 barrier this week.
21. Milwaukee Bucks
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Last Week: 26
The clear leap forward from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the predictable productivity from Greg Monroe haven't been enough to overshadow the Milwaukee Bucks' troublesome scoring droughts—barren periods that seem to arise in every game and have too often cost them leads and wins.
Much of this stems from substandard point guard play. Michael Carter-Williams has been out nursing a sprained ankle, and Greivis Vasquez hasn't been up to the task of replacing him.
There have been positive signs (Milwaukee scored 64 points in the first half against the Nuggets on Nov. 11), and the broken defense that was among the league's best last year will benefit from the return of John Henson.
Overall, though, it feels like the Bucks have taken a step backward. Given the roster's youth, that's not so surprising.
By going 2-2 after a 2-3 start, Milwaukee still moves up a few spots. But it gets Cleveland twice in its next three contests, so another dip could be coming.
20. Phoenix Suns
11 of 30
Last Week: 14
Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have quietly been one of the better scoring backcourts in the league this year, but their 63 combined points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 12 was plenty loud.
Those two wins over the Blazers in the season's opening week look better now that we know Portland is no pushover, and even if the Clips are struggling lately, that Nov. 12 victory is solid. With the Pelicans slipping out of the picture, there may be another low playoff spot in the West available, and many had the Suns in contention for the postseason regardless.
It's far too early to be certain, but if the Suns build chemistry while hovering around .500 like they have been to start the year, it's not hard to see a late push in March or April.
For now, a 2-2 week isn't quite good enough to avoid some rankings slippage—even though much of that has to do with teams previously ranked lower hitting their strides.
19. Dallas Mavericks
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Last Week: 15
We'll skirt the headline angle here, DeAndre Jordan's boo-riddled first visit to the Dallas Mavericks since last summer's free-agent fiasco, in the interest of a much more inspiring, less annoying one: Dirk Nowitzki's still got it.
The Diggler hit up Jordan's Clippers for 31 points in a 118-108 win on Nov. 11. The buckets came on a rather silly 11-of-14 effort from the field—marked, naturally, by buried contested jumpers and flamingo-legged fallaways. It was Dirk being Dirk, which, at 37, is not something we should expect.
Yet here we are, with Nowitzki's scoring, rebounding and efficiency numbers all higher than last year's averages. He's hitting more than half of his shots from the field and long range while converting better than 90 percent of his free throws.
Barring the kind of serious injury Nowitzki has avoided throughout his career, there's little reason to believe he'll fall off or pack it in.
"I always said that when the body is hurting every day, and when you’ve got to do all this extra stuff to just play, I think that’s when it’s time to go," Nowitzki told Sam Amick of USA Today. "But I feel good."
Regression is coming, but it'll clearly be of a gentler sort than normal for a player Dirk's age. And as long as he looks mostly like himself, the Mavs are fine.
18. Boston Celtics
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Last Week: 19
When you don't have a fix-it-all superstar to erase mistakes and mask flaws, you operate with a slimmer margin for error. The Boston Celtics are such a team—built around many capable players but no transcendent ones.
So it's no surprise that a 102-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 11 resulted largely from three turnovers on Boston's first three possessions and then seven more giveaways in the fourth quarter. Bookending an otherwise well-fought game with concessions like those won't cut it for the C's.
Brad Stevens knows it, which explains why the generally mild-mannered head coach ripped into Isaiah Thomas after the point guard gave up a three on a botched switch against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 10.
Despite a 3-4 mark, Boston's net rating remains in positive territory. As the bodies get healthier and Stevens settles on rotations that make sense (this is another challenge more prevalent with deep, starless rosters like Boston's), the Celtics should see better results.
They'll have to be better about not beating themselves, though. Otherwise, it'll be hard to move out of the mediocre middle portion of these rankings.
17. Portland Trail Blazers
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Last Week: 12
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are still everyone's new favorite backcourt tandem, but the scoring-charged surprise run they engineered early has given way to a fun-dampening slide. Losses to the Pistons, Nuggets and Spurs (in LaMarcus Aldridge's return) have revealed the lack of veteran experience and defensive holes most expected would sink the Blazers before the season started.
And losing Meyers Leonard to a dislocated shoulder is further proof the injury gods have no chill. At least Gerald Henderson is back now, which should help with the wing depth and/or allow McCollum to take on second-unit leadership duties when Lillard rests.
The optimism of a hot start has dissipated a bit, but Lillard and McCollum are still going to be tons of fun.
They probably won't be quite good enough to keep the Blazers in the top half of the rankings going forward, though.
16. Indiana Pacers
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Last Week: 24
Good news: Paul George is essentially the exact same player he was before his broken leg. With per-game averages and shooting percentages looking almost identical to his 2013-14 season numbers, George is, once again, among the league's 10 or 15 best players.
He scored at least 26 points in every game since the last edition of these rankings, helping the Pacers to a 3-1 mark during that span.
Bad news: Intriguing rookie Myles Turner sustained a thumb fracture that will cost him at least a month of court time. That's a real bummer, as Turner's rim protection in spot minutes made him look like a potential anchor in the middle down the road. Four weeks out is really just a speed bump in his development, but it's still discouraging to see such a promising prospect run into bad luck this early in his career.
Indiana isn't all that deep, and its big-man rotation could use some help. But the early returns suggest a playoff berth is a legitimate possibility.
15. Houston Rockets
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Last Week: 20
It's never a good look to give a winless team its first victory this deep into the season, and that Nov. 11 loss to the Nets is even uglier when paired up with the Houston Rockets' shaky opening stretch—the one where they lost three straight by 20 points.
"We had a couple games in a row there where I thought we were coming out of some stuff," a frustrated Kevin McHale told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle after the 106-98 loss to the Nets. "Our defense has had way too many individual breakdowns, way too many mistakes. That just can't happen."
Houston has allowed 106.5 points per 100 possessions through its first eight games, a bottom-five figure in the league.
We've heard of a championship hangover before, but maybe the 4-4 Rockets are suffering from a conference finals hangover. How else do we explain one of the top defenses in the league last year turning into such a mess?
A very soft schedule for the rest of November should give Houston the time it needs to sort things out. But if the problems McHale described persist through this upcoming stretch, it'll be time to worry.
14. New York Knicks
17 of 30
Last Week: 17
You can watch all the tape you want, study the numbers and trust your gut. But sometimes, you still need that on-the-ground, firsthand report to really get a sense of what makes a player so intriguing.
"He's f-----g tall as s--t and he's aggressive,” Knicks forward Lou Amundson told reporters in his assessment of rookie teammate Kristaps Porzingis on Nov. 10. "He hits the glass and he's got good timing and he's got long arms."
So...there you go.
This has been your Kristaps Porzingis scouting report of the week.
13. Detroit Pistons
18 of 30
Last Week: 13
The Detroit Pistons defense looks legit, which is a testament to Stan Van Gundy's chops as a schemer, because much of what he's done to space out the offense should have diminished his team's stopping power.
Yet even with the likes of Ersan Ilyasova playing significant minutes, the Pistons have stymied most opponents. Credit Andre Drummond and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (who gave Stephen Curry the hardest time of anyone so far this year) for upticks in intensity as well.
Offensively, Reggie Jackson is the culprit.
His tunnel vision, poor perimeter accuracy and turnover problems are hugely responsible for the Pistons' scoring woes. His reluctance to give up the ball on the pick-and-roll has been a real issue.
Detroit's roll men finish pick-and-rolls on just 4.2 percent of the team's possessions, the second-lowest rate in the league. That's not the best utilization of resources when Andre Drummond, in addition to being the league's biggest monster on the glass, has posted 1.31 points per play as a roll man, good enough to rank third in the league among players with at least 15 such chances, per NBA.com.
The D is there, but Jackson must change his approach for the offense to catch up.
If he can do that, the Pistons can build on their solid 5-3 start.
12. Charlotte Hornets
19 of 30
Last Week: 21
This year's Charlotte Hornets so far have not resembled the abject disaster that slogged its way to a 6-19 start last fall. A moderate offseason rebuild and the decidedly more adaptable rotation decisions of head coach Steve Clifford will make sure that continues.
A rough start has given way to steadier play, and Charlotte's "whoever's hot will play" approach is a big reason why. Al Jefferson didn't log a fourth-quarter minute in the Hornets' Nov. 10 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves or their nail-biting victory against the New York Knicks on Nov. 11.
Instead, bench units led by Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb shouldered the scoring load while Cody Zeller saw time inside. Zeller, in fact, made up for a pair of late free-throw misses with a game-winning duck-in layup against New York.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer: "This is Team Gyration. They will be more entertaining than the two previous seasons. They will also be more unpredictable in both their highs and lows."
So far, so good. Charlotte has climbed to 4-4 after a 1-3 start.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
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Last Week: 18
If the Minnesota Timberwolves could figure out this whole win-at-home thing, they'd really be in business.
Unfortunately, after two very impressive road triumphs over the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks, the young Wolves dropped home contests to the Hornets and Warriors. In a truly bizarre split, the Timberwolves have won all four road games and none at home.
Even in defeat, Minnesota showed some great signs against the Warriors on Nov. 12. Down big most of the game, the Wolves continued to compete, putting together a 14-0 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters and eventually cutting the deficit to just five points. Remarkably, most of that run came against the Dubs' starting unit.
And listen: There's no shame in falling short when Stephen Curry hangs 46 on you, which he did.
Andrew Wiggins had back-to-back games of at least 30 points in those two road wins against strong East teams, and Karl-Anthony Towns just keeps piling up double-doubles. He's had one in each of his last four games.
The Wolves are good and getting better. Another couple of weeks like this, and we'll have to start seriously thinking about a playoff spot.
10. Chicago Bulls
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Last Week: 10
It's funny: Whenever a new head coach takes over a team, we expect him to effect measurable change one way or the other, to extract different kinds of performances from players (for better or worse) through scheme, attitude or playing-time distribution.
But the changes almost never turn out to be that sweeping—probably because players, mostly, are who they are, and a new voice doesn't change that.
Such is the case with the Chicago Bulls, who've looked a lot like they did under their old coach through the first three weeks of the season, per B/R's Sean Highkin:
"The inconsistent energy, the long scoring droughts, the general burnout—these are all things that were blamed on Tom Thibodeau's uncompromising coaching style. Fred Hoiberg's more player-friendly approach, as well as his more dynamic offensive system, were supposed to put those issues to bed.
So far, that hasn't been the case.
"
Hoiberg continues to mess around with lineups in hopes of finding the right combination (Hint: It does not involve playing Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol together), and most of the Bulls' higher-usage units have suffered because of Derrick Rose's cratering efficiency.
There are problems to address here, even if the Bulls have roller-coastered their way to a 5-3 start.
I guess the good thing is the problems are familiar ones.
Or maybe that's bad. I don't know. The Bulls are tough to figure out.
9. Toronto Raptors
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Last Week: 2
A 5-0 start had the Toronto Raptors flying a little too close to the sun, but as the only other undefeated team left at the time, they deserved the No. 2 spot in the rankings last week. Now, following a 1-3 stretch in which the lone victory came against the Sixers, it's time for Toronto to go hurtling back to earth.
Despite the rough patch, they're not necessarily going down in flames, though.
DeMarre Carroll's plantar fasciitis is a problem, and it's no surprise the Raps have struggled in the three games he missed from Nov. 8-11. Terrence Ross has missed time, too, which helps explain how the Raps have gone so cold from long range.
They've made five or fewer threes in six straight games.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN laid out a scary but perhaps optimal plan of attack until Carroll and Ross are ready to return:
"As most teams around the league continue to emphasize the three-point shot more and more, Toronto may in fact be better off biting the bullet, bucking the trend and playing to its offensive strengths - generating scoring opportunities in the paint (Valanciunas, DeRozan and Lowry each do it well) and getting to the free throw line.
"
There are potential fixes out there, and maybe that's one of them. For now, Toronto takes a big tumble.
8. Utah Jazz
23 of 30
Last Week: 8
The Utah Jazz hold steady at No. 8 because their defense still looks as strong as ever, and their last two losses (by a combined total of just five points) came on the road against teams who (spoiler) will rank ahead of them here.
Trey Burke's perimeter accuracy has been a nice surprise, though Utah's point guard play continues to be shaky—especially with Raul Neto rapidly running out of time to prove he's worthy of starting. Derrick Favors is probably the best player you never watch, and Alec Burks just keeps scoring with serious efficiency. He pumped in 24 points on just 16 shots against the Miami Heat on Nov. 12.
This is still a young team that may need a little more time to figure out how to perform on the road, but all of the pieces—defense, effort and youth—are there. Don't let a tough stretch sour you on the Jazz.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
24 of 30
Last Week: 3
You don't have to look hard for ways to excuse the Los Angeles Clippers' recent skid. They've lost four of their last five, sure, but consider the underlying circumstances. The Warriors beat everyone, so a four-point loss to the Dubs on Nov. 4 isn't a big deal. James Harden dropped 46 points in a Houston win on Nov. 7—also a four-point margin. Then the Mavs won an emotionally charged 10-pointer in DeAndre Jordan's return to Dallas, and Blake Griffin got an early ejection in a Nov. 12 defeat at Phoenix.
Those are decent rationalizations, and the Clips are still sitting above .500. Long term, it's tough to be worried about them—especially since head coach Doc Rivers has finally dispensed with the all-bench units that were giving away every lead his starters built.
But for now, last week's No. 3 team has to take a dive. The Clips can't stay in the top five when the only thing that separated them from an 0-4 week was a narrow two-point win over the reeling Grizzlies.
6. Miami Heat
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Last Week: 11
Welcome to the Tyler Johnson era! It's exciting!
Granted, there are bigger names and more productive performers on the Miami Heat roster—like Chris Bosh, who single-handedly beat the Jazz with 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks on Nov. 12. But Johnson's role is going to expand substantially now that Mario Chalmers has been traded to the Grizzlies.
Johnson is an athletic guard who shot 17-of-31 from the field over his four games since the last rankings installment. Beno Udrih came over from the Grizzlies in the Chalmers deal, but he shouldn't be pushing the promising Johnson for minutes behind Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade.
"He has emerged," Wade said, speaking of Johnson's rise to Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald. "We've all seen it. When we got into this season, we all looked at each other and said, this guy’s made a big jump. He’s going to be important to us."
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
26 of 30
Last Week: 7
A 3-0 start followed by three straight losses has now given way to two consecutive wins. Add all that up and you've got a 5-3 record and an up-and-down season for the Oklahoma City Thunder to this point.
Fortunately for OKC, the rest of November's schedule is heavy on home games and Eastern Conference opponents, two sure ways to push that win-loss mark in the right direction. Unfortunately, Kevin Durant's strained hamstring means OKC will be a one-superstar outfit for a good chunk of that time.
According to an official team release, KD will be reevaluated in seven to 10 days, so the Thunder will have to find 28.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game somewhere else for at least the next week. That's not ideal, especially considering OKC hasn't looked like a juggernaut to start the campaign.
Remember, OKC couldn't crack the top eight in the West last year when Durant was out. As great as Russell Westbrook has been this season, we still know the Thunder need KD to be their best.
4. Atlanta Hawks
27 of 30
Last Week: 6
So, here's something to think about: The Atlanta Hawks won 60 games last year, but their early returns this season are already way ahead of that franchise-best pace.
Through their first 10 games in the 2014-15 season, the Hawks were just 5-5 with a minus-1.5 net rating, per NBA.com. We know things got much better from that point on, but it's worth noting that through their first 10 contests this season, the Hawks are 8-2 with a net rating of plus-4.9.
Even an improved version of the Hawks shouldn't be expected to win another 60 games; their peripheral numbers suggested they belonged somewhere in the low 50s last season. But that's not really the point.
Atlanta lost DeMarre Carroll over the summer and was supposed to take a step back without its top wing defender. Instead, Paul Millsap has upped his production, Al Horford has stayed as steady as ever and the Hawks look every bit as dangerous as they did last season.
The expected drop-off hasn't happened.
Cleveland and Utah are the only serious threats on the schedule over the next couple of weeks, so Atlanta could stick around this lofty position for quite a while.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
28 of 30
Last Week: 4
It must be the shorts.
LeBron James has gone with snugger trunks and a tighter jersey this year as he does his best to convey a "renewed emphasis on professional appearance when it comes to the size of his uniform as well as his pregame and postgame attire," according to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have kept things tight so far, running out to a 7-1 record and ranking among the league leaders in offensive efficiency.
A 118-114 comeback win over the Utah Jazz on Nov. 10 (who at the time boasted the top defense in the league) erased any doubts that may have arisen from a relatively soft schedule. James scored 17 points in the fourth quarter of that one, and he looks more than professional enough to keep the Cavs cruising until reinforcements (read: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert) get healthy enough to contribute.
Nobody in the East is on Cleveland's level right now, and the gap is only going to get bigger—unless the Hawks or Heat one-up James and go with Speedos. It's the only way.
Your move, fellas.
2. San Antonio Spurs
29 of 30
Last Week: 5
Since last we ranked, the Spurs have tidily dispatched three straight foes by double digits by relying on Kawhi Leonard's continued development, Tim Duncan's infallible circuitry and the gradual assimilation of LaMarcus Aldridge into the franchise's hive mind.
Tony Parker has looked young one day and old the next, but Manu Ginobili has been shooting the lights out and doing the required number of weird, delightful Ginobili things.
Basically, the Spurs are the second-best team in the league so far, and they have almost no reasons to worry about the next six weeks of a comically soft schedule.
Maybe we should scrounge around for reasons to be concerned, just for kicks.
Oh, hey, here's one from Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com about Danny Green's shooting struggles:
"According to the tracking data, Green's frequency of open looks is indeed down, though not by much. It's what he does with those looks that is the problem. Here's where it gets interesting: According to SportVu's classification for open and wide-open looks, Green hit about 44.6 percent on those last season. This season, that number is 16 percent!
Believe it or not, that's good news. If Green is getting the same looks as ever, he's been too good of a shooter for too long to keep posting such ugly stat lines.
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Never mind. Even potential points of concern turn into hopeful omens when you're dealing with the Spurs.
Moving on.
1. Golden State Warriors
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Last Week: 1
With a perfect 10-0 record, the Warriors are off to the best start in franchise history. Stephen Curry continues to lead the league in scoring and that-was-not-humanly-possible shots, while Draymond Green's 66 assists through 10 games give him more dimes than all but five other players in the league.
He's a power forward, by the way, known as one of the two or three best defenders in the league. And now he's facilitating like a point guard.
The Warriors, already rich, are just getting richer.
And then there's this comment from Warriors executive Jerry West, which should concern the rest of the league as well as the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who hold the single-season record with 72 wins: "Honestly, I don't think we've played that well recently at all," he told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
Crazy as it sounds, West is right. There's room for improvement here—from the defense to Klay Thompson's scoring to Andrew Bogut's health. All should get better going forward.
Yeah. Yikes, right?
Stats accurate through games played Nov. 12 and sourced from NBA.com unless otherwise indicated.
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