2015-16 NBA Power Rankings: How Teams Stack Up in Early December
Following a Thanksgiving hiatus, NBA power rankings return—this time with a whole lot more Paul George and an appropriate portion of praise for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
You may have heard: They've been pretty good lately.
The big story in this batch is the growing number of elite and hopeless teams, which is a significant change from the last edition, when it felt as though the NBA's middle class was expanding to an unsustainable size. Supporters of a stratified NBA will be happy about some of those middling squads moving more toward the extremes.
That's what George's Indiana Pacers did, for example.
As always, rankings are based on overall performance with an eye toward recent trends. And there's always room for some gut feeling, though we do our best to let the numbers run the show.
Rank on!
30. Philadelphia 76ers
1 of 30
Last Week: 30
That long-coveted first win of the season finally came, as the Los Angeles Lakers, for a night, were mercifully worse than the Philadelphia 76ers. Mark it down, folks: Dec. 1, 2015, was the day Philly's hopes of a winless regular season were dashed.
No matter. That tank continues apace.
The problem now (or one of the problems anyway) is that the assets Philly has been stockpiling of late aren't looking so hot. Nerlens Noel has taken a step back and has yet to find an offensive niche, while Jahlil Okafor got himself suspended after video of a second, yes, second street fight emerged.
Okafor is 19 years old, losing games for the first time in a while and probably struggling with a tougher-than-average NBA transition. So it's not all that hard to fathom why he's acting like a knucklehead. But this is a bad look, and it's probably fair for critics of the Sixers' process, which doesn't involve veteran mentors to help a young roster cope with failure, to cite this as an example of something an analytical approach can't account for.
It's hard to see how the 76ers will ever climb out of the No. 30 spot.
29. Los Angeles Lakers
2 of 30
Last Week: 28
In addition to the first performance of the season that could reasonably be described as "Vintage Kobe," the Los Angeles Lakers got something else this past week: clarity.
Because while it's nice that Kobe Bryant's 31 points helped the Lakers get by the Washington Wizards, and while it's downright amazing that he hit two go-ahead shots in the final minute for the first time in more than a decade, the real game-changer for L.A. was Bryant's retirement announcement.
Even if his poor play made it feel like a foregone conclusion, Bryant gave the Lakers a gift by making it official.
Now, they can call this season what it is: a farewell tour, a favor to a franchise great and, basically, an exhibition meant to tide over fans until the real work of rebuilding can start. The Lakers have a clearer purpose this season, and their long-term future is one free from the complications of Bryant's presence.
For a team as muddled and directionless as the Lakers, a little clarity should help.
Clarity doesn't move you up in the rankings, though—not after losing to the Sixers. We have standards around here.
28. Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
Last Week: 27
Maybe Lionel Hollins is on to something.
"I don't try to analyze everything," he said, per Matt Moore of CBS Sports.com, before a 90-88 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Nov. 28. "I see it and I know what it is. But what good does it do me to stay up all night analyzing it and trying to figure out how to make it different when we don't have Kevin Durant and we don't have Westbrook, and we don't have LeBron James. We are who we are."
If that feels like a mailed-in, painfully obtuse, old-school-to-the-point-of-parody comment from a coach who is notoriously dismissive of all things analytical, well...that's partly because it is. But here's the thing: Hollins' Brooklyn Nets could easily have beaten the Cavs if not for a blown call (which the NBA admitted it missed), and they went on to log wins against the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns in the two games afterward.
Maybe the Nets really are what they are, as Hollins suspects: a team with no hope for the future (Brooklyn doesn't control the rights to any of its first- or second-round selections until 2019) but enough talent to not be embarrassingly bad in the present.
This is a team with a four-game home winning streak and victories over the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks this year. At 2-1 since Hollins' comments, Brooklyn is looking like the semi-respectable, known commodity he described.
For all that, it's just too tough to move the Nets up from their previous ranking because there's a clear cutoff between them and the next group of teams, all of whom have superior top-end talent and/or better records on the year.
27. Denver Nuggets
4 of 30
Last Week: 23
Sometimes, these are pretty simple.
The Denver Nuggets put together an eight-game losing streak from Nov. 18 to Dec. 2, and very few of those games were close. Emmanuel Mudiay's shooting woes are getting serious, Danilo Gallinari has struggled to score efficiently, and whatever defensive identity coach Mike Malone might have hoped to establish hasn't taken root.
Outside of Kenneth Faried, the bigs are mostly young. So maybe there's hope for improvement from Nikola Jokic and Joffrey Lauvergne. Jusuf Nurkic isn't back yet, and his size could help, too. Plus, Gary Harris looks a lot like an NBA player after a rookie year that raised some doubt about that.
Denver has come back to earth quickly after a respectable start, and it may be a while before this team climbs back out of the bottom five spots.
26. Milwaukee Bucks
5 of 30
Last Week: 22
It might take a think tank and a whole lot of venture-capitalist backing, but eventually somebody is going to figure out how the Milwaukee Bucks went from having the second-best defense in the league a year ago to the third-worst now.
It's hard to believe replacing Zaza Pachulia with Greg Monroe is the sole reason. Then again, Pachulia is getting his own slide later on, so maybe we're underselling his importance.
A bottom-10 offense is only compounding matters, and Milwaukee's scoring troubles prompted coach Jason Kidd to shake up the first unit, swapping out Michael Carter-Williams and Jabari Parker for Jerryd Bayless and O.J. Mayo. Given the Bucks' lack of floor spacing, the move made sense. It also revealed organizational priorities that might be a little out of order; MCW and especially Parker need to develop, and giving their starting minutes to veterans like Bayless and Mayo suggests a win-now philosophy.
That's understandable after a playoff berth last year, but it might not be the best way to mold such a young team for long-term success.
At least the Bucks have a blueprint to follow after the San Antonio Spurs trounced them by 25 on Dec. 2.
"You look at San Antonio, they gave a great clinic on how to move the ball," Kidd told reporters afterward, per Paul Garcia of Project Spurs. "This is a good tape for us to go watch tomorrow on how to move the ball, even if you're not making shots."
A little film study couldn't hurt, but Milwaukee is reeling on both ends. Here's hoping the young talent on hand remembers what made this team so competitive a year ago.
25. Houston Rockets
6 of 30
Last Week: 24
OK, so here we are in a familiar scene. You know it almost by heart after watching a hundred movies and network hospital dramas.
There's a patient clinging to life in a hospital bed. Everything in the room is sterile. Metallic. The patient is surrounded by doctors who are scrambling to stabilize him.
"Get me 100 cc's of adrenaline, stat! We're losing him! Don't you die on me!" an overwrought M.D. shouts above the commotion.
Inevitably, and despite everyone's frenzied efforts, the EKG beeping out the patient's pulse slows, slows, slows and stops. That notorious, sustained tone of a flatline punctures the room as the assembled medical staff slowly back away from the bed, distraught, confused and resigned.
A few seconds pass. They feel like hours.
Then, inexplicably, the EKG emits a faint tone, suggesting a heartbeat. Then another, and another. Slow, almost sheepish beeps sound out in an off-time rhythm. The patient is alive but only just barely. And still, nobody is sure what's wrong with him or if another flatline is just seconds away.
Ladies and gentlemen: the Houston Rockets!
24. New Orleans Pelicans
7 of 30
Last Week: 29
Maybe we should use this space to talk about Ben Simmons instead of the New Orleans Pelicans' ongoing struggles—if only because it might make a Pellies tank marginally more likely.
That's the move for New Orleans this year, by the way. Because while it's fun to imagine what a thrilling surge to playoff contention might mean for Anthony Davis' legacy, the Pelicans need the lottery odds a tanked season could provide much more.
Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole are back in the rotation after missing the first quarter of the season with injury, and Ryan Anderson's game is back near its peak Orlando levels. Davis, of course, is still wildly productive.
But after three straight wins ran the Pelicans' record to 4-11, they dropped four straight. Now, reaching the 44-win mark they set a year ago will require a 40-23 record the rest of the way. That's a 63 percent clip and a 52-win pace. The team with the worst defense in the league just isn't going to play at that level the rest of the way.
So pushing for a playoff spot is a fool's errand.
Meanwhile, Simmons, the local LSU product and likely top pick in the 2016 NBA draft, put up 43 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and five steals in a win over North Florida on Dec. 2.
Just saying.
23. Sacramento Kings
8 of 30
Last Week: 25
The Sacramento Kings are 6-6 with DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup and 1-7 without him, so as much as everyone is getting wrapped up in Rajon Rondo's stat binge, let's all keep in mind that there's really just one guy who determines the fate of this team.
The always-interesting Kings had yet another high-level discussion about their direction, this time with Cousins and Rondo imploring head coach George Karl to slow down the tempo. According to Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports, it worked, and Rondo explained afterward, "It was a powerful meeting for all three of us."
Slowing the pace runs counter to the trends sweeping the rest of the league, but if it's what Cousins and Rondo want, Karl is not really in a position to fight it.
Sacramento's No. 23 net rating suggests change is not the enemy.
22. Portland Trail Blazers
9 of 30
Last Week: 26
Watching Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum keep the Portland Trail Blazers watchable on most nights has to be worth something. And in this case, that something is a four-spot move up the rankings.
Doing more, despite one win over the Clippers, one over the formidable Indiana Pacers and two over the Lakers since the last edition, doesn't feel justified. This is a team whose youth has cost it a handful of fourth-quarter leads and whose schedule has been relatively easy to this point.
Still, that youth also isn't bothered by big early deficits, as a strong rally from a first-quarter hole against Indiana showed.
With December sending the Blazers out on the road for 11 of their next 15 games, the so-far-respectable record is going to take a hit.
The good news is that the teams ranked lower than Portland are unlikely to play well enough to overtake them next time around.
Glass half-full.
21. Washington Wizards
10 of 30
Last Week: 18
Maybe the Washington Wizards just weren't committed enough.
A team that spent the offseason talking about going smaller and playing faster (for good reason; Paul Pierce at the 4 unlocked some darn good offense for the Wiz during their 2015 postseason run) hadn't really delivered on those promises.
But when injuries and foul trouble pushed Nene, Drew Gooden and Marcin Gortat off the floor in a 97-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 1, Washington tossed out a lineup that was smaller, faster and more skilled than anyone could have imagined.
Jared Dudley manned the center spot, with Otto Porter, Bradley Beal, Garrett Temple and John Wall lining up alongside him in an ultra-small quintet that gave the Cavs fits.
"I had some lineups out there tonight that I don't know if I would have dreamed about," Wizards head coach Randy Wittman told reporters afterward. Maybe it's time for Wittman to dream bigger.
Or...smaller, I guess.
Because there's sense in Washington leaning on smaller groups. Wall has had a down year, hampered by his shaky shooting and generally poor spacing in the Wizards offense because, it turns out, opponents don't really honor Kris Humphries and Gooden shooting threes.
But if anyone has shown a knack for slicing up a spread-out defense, though, it's Wall. So even if the Wizards can only go to their super-small unit for short stretches, it could have the effect of getting him rolling.
And the fastest way to fix a season that has been mostly disappointing might be to focus on doing everything possible (even if that includes heretofore undreamed-of lineup ideas) to turn Wall loose.
Oh, and also maybe stop losing to teams like the Lakers, which the Wizards did Dec. 2.
20. Phoenix Suns
11 of 30
Last Week: 13
Things haven't gone great for the Phoenix Suns since we last ranked, with a 1-6 stretch marked by persistent fourth-quarter failures causing some real alarm. The Detroit Pistons, owners of one of the league's least threatening offenses, erased a 16-point fourth-period deficit and beat the Suns in overtime Dec. 2.
That would qualify as a low point, folks. But it's not one that should come as a surprise, per Dave King of Bright Side of the Sun:
"After a somewhat strong start at 7-5, the Suns have lost 6 of their last 7 games in awful fashion. Most were close. All were lost in part by playing the league's worst 4th quarter defense. And it's not particularly close. The defensive problems don't just start in the 4th. The Suns are also the league's worst second half defense over these past seven games, and the third worst defense over all four quarters.
"
Well then.
In the aggregate, Phoenix has still outscored its opponents on the season, so that's a plus. And maybe the fourth-quarter problems are just the result of integrating so many new pieces. That's what King goes on to conclude anyway.
Whatever the cause, though, the Suns need to find a solution. They're on the fringe of playoff position despite their slide, and many of the teams ahead of them look vulnerable. To capitalize, Phoenix must first learn how to close.
19. New York Knicks
12 of 30Last Week: 16
The New York Knicks keep hovering around .500, though they've done it in streaky fashion. Losing four in a row after winning four straight and then notching a must-win success against the Sixers hasn't helped much to move them out of the NBA's middle tier.
And because the Knicks have been particularly shaky of late, they lose ground in the rankings.
They gain ground in my heart because of Robin Lopez, who in addition to pummeling mascots whenever he gets the chance, is also probably a comedic genius. His explanation of how and why knighting is relevant to his cat is the easy front-runner for sound bite of the year.
If you're curious, yes, discussion of the Knicks' relative mediocrity and Lopez's cat is just a way for me to resist my true impulse when it comes to this team: repeatedly typing Kristaps Porzingis' name as a tribute to the most joyfully talented phenomenon in memory. He won Rookie of the Month, you know.
So anyway: Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps Porzingis.
Kristaps Porzingis.
18. Detroit Pistons
13 of 30
Last Week: 17
Stan Van Gundy's motivational tactics are unconventional, but they've been mostly effective with this year's Detroit Pistons, a team that has defended well enough to overcome a seriously rickety offense.
You could chalk that up to personnel (Detroit doesn't have much in the way of wing scoring, though it has Andre Drummond in the middle, which is a good start for sound D). But I like to credit the Pistons' work so far to biting comments like this, which SVG made after Detroit's comeback win over the Suns on Dec. 2:
"We tried making as many adjustments as we could, matchups, schemes, went zone. What we were searching for, quite honestly, was a defensive scheme that would work with a total lack of effort. And we couldn't find it. And so we just went back to our normal stuff and guys played harder, which is usually the adjustment you need to make, play harder. No, really—try, try, really give an effort. That's usually the adjustment you need to make.
"
If you know you're going to get zinged by your coach for weak effort, chances are you'll try a little harder.
So far, so good for the Pistons, who face a soft schedule over the next week. Expect to hear about it from Van Gundy if they don't work hard enough to take advantage of it.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
14 of 30
Last Week: 20
The Minnesota Timberwolves are pretty average.
If this feels like damning with faint praise, it shouldn't—not in light of where these Wolves have been in recent years and certainly not in light of the wonky lineup choices head coach Sam Mitchell keeps making.
Despite Mitchell's continued efforts to use Zach LaVine at point guard, surprisingly short minutes for superstar-in-training Karl-Anthony Towns and a troublesome reliance on Tayshaun Prince and Kevin Martin, the Timberwolves have played opponents to a near-perfect draw this year, scoring 1,813 points while allowing 1,820 through their first 18 games.
Not bad for last year's lottery winner, especially considering Mitchell's suboptimal management.
They're bound to be better than average ahead, as the Wolves will face just one team (the Los Angeles Clippers) with a record over .500 in their next nine games.
16. Dallas Mavericks
15 of 30
Last Week: 11
The Dallas Mavericks haven't had a quality win since beating the Utah Jazz way back on Nov. 20, and they've only had two or three others all year—depending on how you feel about the Los Angeles Clippers.
But Deron Williams hung 30 points on the Trail Blazers in the Mavs' overtime win Dec. 1, and Zaza Pachulia continues to look like one of the best dollar-for-dollar acquisitions of the offseason. He hauled in 21 rebounds in that same win over the Blazers, and he's been a smart, effective team defender.
Offensively, Pachulia's skill as a screener has become undeniable, per Mike Prada of SBNation: "Deron Williams' true shooting percentage is more than 15 points better with Zaza in, per NBAWowy. Wes Matthews' is 11 points better. Dirk Nowitzki is deadly no matter what, but even he's two points better with Zaza in the game. Dallas has plenty of scorers and Pachulia gets them open."
Dallas' repeated big swings in free agency tell us its goal is never modest, qualified success. But that's what it has in Williams, Pachulia and a decent first quarter of the season. A tough stretch that included Oklahoma City, Memphis and San Antonio contributed to a 1-4 record in the Mavs' final five November games, and that hurts them here.
But all things considered, Dallas is still an above-average bunch.
15. Orlando Magic
16 of 30
Last Week: 19
We have two positive developments to report for the Orlando Magic, and both of them have contributed to their recent five-game winning streak.
First, Andrew Nicholson has resurrected his career, hitting threes and seeing real rotation minutes for the first time all year. And remember, this is a guy who fell out of the Magic's plans entirely just last season. With scoring efforts of 18, 14, 15 and 14 points over the past two weeks, the sweet-shooting big man seems to have carved out a real niche.
Second, Victor Oladipo's demotion to the bench has been a rousing success. He's stabilized the second unit with major production in shortened minutes, with the added benefit of Evan Fournier and his superior shooting playing alongside starter Elfrid Payton.
Scott Skiles is best known as a taskmaster, but the Oladipo move was a sound strategic one.
Now, if Skiles can find a way to get Nikola Vucevic to play some defense, the Magic will really be on to something.
14. Memphis Grizzlies
17 of 30
Last Week: 21
We buried the Memphis Grizzlies too early, and that was true even before Marc Gasol erupted for a career-high 38 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 1.
Since killing the Grizz for their lack of shooting and diminishing defense, we've watched them stabilize a shaky season behind the usual suspects: Gasol and Mike Conley. But it would be unfair to overlook Matt Barnes, whose reliable scoring on the wing and typical defensive agitation have made it easier to justify paring down Tony Allen's role.
Barnes scored in double figures in every game from Nov. 20 to Dec. 1.
Are the Grizzlies the 50-win playoff lock they've always been? Are they sure to scare whichever foe they might meet in the postseason?
Probably not. But they're not totally washed up either, and that's a relief after a start that sure made it look that way.
13. Chicago Bulls
18 of 30
Last Week: 10
This is a funny question to ask about a team with an 11-5 record through its first 16 games, but here goes: Are we sure the Chicago Bulls are this good?
They've outscored their opponents by less than one point per 100 possessions on the year, per NBA.com, and Basketball Reference's pythagorean wins stat (which assigns an expected record based on how many points a team scores against how many it surrenders) says Chicago is really a 9-7 team.
There have been points in the Bulls' favor; they schemed smarter against the Warriors (in a loss) than almost anyone else this season. But there have also been some scary stats that don't bode well for the future.
Derrick Rose, for example, has the second-lowest effective field-goal percentage in the league this year among players who average at least 10 shots, per Basketball-Reference.com. That's worst than Bryant, by the way, whom we've been criticizing relentlessly.
Jimmy Butler's heel is clearly bothering him, and signs of life from Joakim Noah merely offset Taj Gibson's struggles.
For every plus, there's a minus.
Given all that, we're either looking at a .500 team that is enjoying a bit of luck or a gritty outfit that just knows how to overachieve by winning ugly. It's hard to say which.
12. Utah Jazz
19 of 30
Last Week: 9
Rudy Gobert is out indefinitely with a sprained MCL suffered in a Dec. 2 practice, the Utah Jazz announced.
This is a problem—one that can't necessarily be solved by using Derrick Favors, who is awesome, at center in Gobert's stead. Through the first quarter of the season, Utah's net rating is 9.7 points per 100 possessions better with Gobert on the floor than off, while the on/off Favors bump is a mere plus-1.6, per NBA.com.
Favors' impact could certainly improve, and it's possible his presence as the lone big man will help Utah's sputtering offense kick into gear. But saying the Jazz won't sorely miss Gobert (however long he's out) is to badly underestimate how terrific the Stifle Tower has been this season.
No defender changes more shots inside, and a Jazz team that depends on its defense just won't be the same without its centerpiece.
I'll keep caping for the Jazz, who've done their best against a tough schedule and whose three-wing lineup continues to intrigue me. But it'll be tough to keep them hovering around the top 10 if their performance during Gobert's absence plays out like I expect it to.
11. Los Angeles Clippers
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Last Week: 7
Quick: What's the last objectively good, surefire playoff team the Los Angeles Clippers have beaten?
Depending on your estimation of the Memphis Grizzlies, who still have a negative point differential on the year, this might be a trick question. Because if you reasonably believe the Grizz are, at best, a possible playoff team (one L.A. beat way back on Nov. 9), the answer to the question is: The Clips haven't beaten any such foe all year.
Maybe this is an overreaction, but it kind of feels like we're watching the beginning of the end in Los Angeles. Chris Paul has been banged up, Blake Griffin's early-season dominance has mellowed, and the wings and bench have, again, disappointed.
More than that, the Clippers just look like a team that's not having any fun.
As an acknowledgment of the talent on hand, we can't send the Clips hurtling down the rankings too far. But we can at least express concern that this era, the best in Clippers history, is starting to show its age.
10. Atlanta Hawks
21 of 30
Last Week: 5
Playing .500 ball against a recent schedule that included the Cavs, Celtics, Grizzlies, Spurs, Thunder and Raptors is no great disaster, but the Atlanta Hawks haven't won back-to-back games since Nov. 6 and 7. That kind of inconsistency won't keep you in the top five around here.
That last loss, to the Raptors, is the one to take special note of, as it might have been a hint about the stratifying levels of the East. Based on that game, which Toronto won behind Kyle Lowry's 31 points, it's hard to say Atlanta belongs in the group just below the conference-leading Cavaliers.
Toronto just looked better.
"Of course, we have to be more consistent," early-season standout Paul Millsap said afterward, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Defensively. Offensively. More consistency. More focus. So we can put together three, four games and get back on the right track."
Until the Hawks prove they can string some wins together, they'll reside here, beneath a handful of Eastern Conference squads who've been better overall and, especially, of late.
9. Charlotte Hornets
22 of 30
Last Week: 15
It's not fair to use the Warriors as a measuring stick against everyone. You might as well be measuring forearm strength against Superman or, I don't know, chiseled jaw structure against George Clooney.
Everybody is going to fall short, and there's no helping it.
Still, the Charlotte Hornets' run-in with Stephen Curry and the Dubs on Dec. 2 was instructive, per a tweet from Matt Moore of CBSSports.com: "I’ll have to watch but CHA-GSW seems like an indicator of 'Hey you’re a pretty good team in the East!… The Warriors play a different sport.' "
No, Matt, you don't need to watch. This is accurate.
Charlotte is a good team in the East, led by an offensive revamp that has it shooting more threes and relying less on Al Jefferson, who's out for two to three weeks with a strained calf anyway. Kemba Walker has had his moments and has generally played at career-best levels, while Nicolas Batum is right there with him.
I mean, the Hornets have done a lot of things really well, and they deserve to be ranked this high.
But there's just a level above them they can't even sniff. The good news is that they're not alone.
8. Boston Celtics
23 of 30
Last Week: 8
We have to call this overachieving, right?
I mean, the Celtics don't have anything close to a star player. Marcus Smart has missed a ton of time, and coach Brad Stevens has had to shuffle through a deep stable of mostly one-way players to create lineups.
Yet 10 of the Celtics' first 11 wins of the year came by double digits, and the team's net rating during its first 19 games ranked seventh in the league, per NBA.com.
So, eighth in the power rankings just feels reasonable.
There are challenges ahead. Chief among them may be figuring out how to trim the rotation in a way that helps players feel safe in their roles. Jae Crowder expressed some concerns about that Nov. 29, telling Jay King of MassLive.com: "We haven't built our identity yet as a unit. (The) coaching staff hasn't figured it out yet. We don't have set rotations. A lot of guys don't know where we're going to play or what time we're going to play. It's affecting us a little bit."
Crowder, who ranks in the league's top 30 in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus, will certainly be a part of whatever rotation Stevens settles on. But nobody else on the roster should be so sure.
Given the success the C's have enjoyed so far, it's probably a bad idea to expect Stevens will make the wrong decisions.
7. Toronto Raptors
24 of 30
Last Week: 12
Kyle Lowry has never been better, and his production and leadership have guided a Raptors team that is still working through some issues to the borders of elite territory in the East.
You've already heard about the physical transformation that should help him avoid the second-half collapse he suffered last year, but Lowry's improvement has just as much to do with a philosophical change: He's ramping up his efficiency by focusing on high-value plays.
Lowry's three-point and free-throw rates are both at or near career-high levels, resulting in a true shooting percentage of 58.5 percent through Toronto's first 19 games. That's a comfortable career best, and you'd have to think his improved conditioning will continue to help him get to the spots he needs to sustain those high-efficiency chances.
Jonas Valanciunas remains sidelined with a broken hand, and DeMar DeRozan will always hijack possessions, but so long as Lowry is playing like this, the Raptors will be just fine.
6. Indiana Pacers
25 of 30
Last Week: 14
We owe the Pacers an apology.
An 0-3 start colored our perception too strongly, and even if Indy was just 7-5 when we last ranked, we should have seen the signs that would eventually turn this squad into one of the very best teams in the East.
Near the top of the conference in net rating and simple rating, Indiana has ridden a terrific defense and a better-than-ever Paul George to a major (and deserved) leap into the top six. George has been fantastic, registering career highs in, well, everything. Scoring, rebounding, assists, three-point percentage—he is surpassing his previous bests across the board, turning his first full season back from a broken leg into one of the happiest storylines of the year.
Maybe it's a risk to slot the Pacers no higher than sixth, given George's play and their by-the-numbers dominance. But it's just too hard to push them ahead of the NBA's superstar-laden, championship-chasing top five.
Obviously, though, we've underestimated Indy before.
5. Miami Heat
26 of 30
Last Week: 4
The Heat have had it pretty easy since they climbed all the way to the No. 4 spot in our last edition, notching a win over the Sixers and two over the Knicks. Losses to the Pistons and Celtics have to count a bit more than those victories, though, because Miami's high ranking means it has a lot to live up to.
A stirring 97-95 win over the Thunder on Dec. 3 stands out as a legitimate statement, though. So it's just not fair to drop Miami too far.
In addition to some extra ranking-related scrutiny, the Heat's little tumble has to do with teams previously stationed below them deserving a move upward. We'll get to the specifics shortly, but suffice it to say we've undersold the Pacers and Raptors for too long.
One thing to watch for Miami going forward: The Celtics had success exploiting Hassan Whiteside's reluctance to leave the lane on defense, stationing shooters around the perimeter they knew he wouldn't get out to cover. Not everybody has bigs who can shoot, and it's no great revelation that most rim-protectors prefer avoiding the perimeter. But we could see enough copycatting to force Miami into some kind of strategic change defensively.
And almost any change would be a concern, as the Heat have ranked among the league's top five on defense for most of the year.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
27 of 30
Last Week: 6
Remember when we were all enraptured by Russell Westbrook's terrifying takeover last year but still quietly wished he'd get his numbers with a little more efficiency?
Wish fulfilled.
He is still physically dominating games, scoring nearly as much on a per-minute rate as he did a year ago. But he's rebounding and assisting more frequently, shooting the ball more accurately from the field than ever and, incredibly, besting the 29.1 player efficiency rating he piled up last year.
Through his first 18 games of the 2015-16 season, Westbrook's PER of 31.9 would be the highest in league history, according to Basketball-Reference.com—except for the absurd 35.1 Stephen Curry is posting so far.
Coupled with a healthy Durant—and he is healthy after missing time with a hamstring—this version of Westbrook gives the Oklahoma City Thunder the best one-two punch it's ever had. And that's saying something.
Now, it's true that OKC has to sort out its defense, find a wing combination that works and prove Billy Donovan's scheme is different than the bland one that got Scott Brooks fired. But the pure top-end talent here is undeniable.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
28 of 30
Last Week: 3
It's certainly not time to panic, and the Cavs will enjoy lenient treatment here so long as they're playing well without their starting backcourt on the floor. But it shouldn't take a blown call and a running hook from LeBron James to beat the lowly Nets, and it shouldn't be a given that Cleveland dozes through so many first and second quarters against subpar opponents.
That home loss to the Wizards on Dec. 1 also looms as a worrying omen.
Sure, this is a team that we suspect can flip the switch, and leading the conference in wins suggests that even at half-strength, it's reasonable for Cleveland to channel its best self only when necessary. James and friends know better than most that only April, May and June matter.
But challengers for this top-three spot are distinguishing themselves.
Both Indiana and Oklahoma City have superior net ratings, per NBA.com, and simple ratings (which incorporate strength of schedule), per Basketball-Reference.com.
Cleveland's goals extend far beyond the regular season, but don't be surprised if more coasting and shaky wins result in some power-rankings pain eventually.
2. San Antonio Spurs
29 of 30
Last Week: 2
The Spurs are the best defensive team in the league by a mile, and while Kawhi Leonard gets the MVP-conversation buzz and absolutely deserves it, Tim Duncan is anchoring things in the middle. At 39, he might be the best defender in the league.
That's ridiculous, but so is Duncan's refusal to age like everyone else.
San Antonio is playing bigger and slower than it has in years, relying on conventional frontcourts as everyone else's power forwards turn into centers and spacing takes precedence over bulk. And you know what? It's working.
Whether this is a temporary measure designed to keep LaMarcus Aldridge happy or a genuine change in approach meant to eventually bother the smaller, faster Warriors is hard to say. Knowing Gregg Popovich, it could all be a smoke screen, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News: "One guarantee: How Pop approaches Warriors in January will not be how he approaches them in decisive moments of a playoff series."
Whatever is going on, the result is the same: San Antonio is crushing everyone just like it always has.
And yet, the Spurs aren't even close to being the league's best team.
1. Golden State Warriors
30 of 30
Last Week: 1
The league's most exciting team has taken the fun out of power rankings.
Golden State keeps adding to the best start in NBA history, and Stephen Curry keeps obliterating our understanding of what's possible on a basketball court. Drilling three 30-footers in a quarter, on pace to hit more than 400 three-point shots on the year and bumping up his numbers after an MVP season, Curry is cementing himself as a league-altering figure.
You run into some Curry backlash every once in a while. Between those suggesting he's the product of a system (he is the system) and those unconvinced he's worthy of all the attention he's getting, it can sometimes feel like we're not all fully understanding what's going on here.
Curry, right now, is changing the way basketball is played. Defenders have to account for off-the-dribble 30-footers. Coaches have to devote all of their resources to preventing fallaway heaves. The most dangerous spots on the floor are no longer the ones near the rim; they're the ones Curry occupies with the ball—wherever that happens to be.
This is a paradigm shift.
A No. 1 ranking will have to suffice until we eventually decide to just remove the Warriors altogether and rank the 29 teams that don't have Curry.
That seems like the only way to change the occupant of the top spot at this point.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and current through games played Dec. 3.
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