NBA Power Rankings: How LA Clippers' James Harden Trade Shakes Up the League
The first regular-season edition of our 2023-24 NBA power rankings is here. And there are already reasons for shakeups from the preseason order.
The Philadelphia 76ers finally traded James Harden in a move that might actually help them. The Boston Celtics look like a juggernaut. And the Milwaukee Bucks may have more adapting to do than we anticipated.
In the West, the Denver Nuggets have generally looked like worthy reigning champs, but they're far from invincible. Just one week into the season, they're already in danger of losing their spot atop these rankings.
Those are determined by the factors that guided us all last season: championship chances, recent play, team and individual numbers and plenty of subjectivity.
30. Washington Wizards (1-3)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -10.8
Jordan Poole has already had multiple memeable moments, and his 38.5 field-goal percentage isn't helping.
With him leading the way, a starting lineup that includes Tyus Jones and Kyle Kuzma hasn't been as competitive as some may have expected. That may mean leaning into losses and improved lottery odds earlier than anticipated.
29. Charlotte Hornets (1-3)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -6.7
The Charlotte Hornets appear to be cruising toward another lottery pick, which is probably for the best. If they make the playoffs this year, their 2024 first-round pick would convey to the San Antonio Spurs.
While it would be nice for LaMelo Ball and the rest of the young core to experience some success, another shot at a high-upside young player wouldn't hurt.
If the front office eventually embraces that path, veterans like Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier could wind up on the trade market.
28. Houston Rockets (1-3)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -8.4
After starting 0-3, the Houston Rockets needed a game like they had Wednesday, when they beat the Charlotte Hornets and led most of the way. For the first time this season, the summer vision of melding Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks' experience with the young core's upside was clear.
VanVleet had 11 assists. Brooks went 3-of-3 from deep. And Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. combined for 59 points.
The first few games of the season suggested Houston might still have a learning curve to get over, but Wednesday was a vivid display of the raw talent level that should make the Rockets far more competitive than they were in 2022-23.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (2-3)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -5.4
Scoot Henderson got off to an historically bad start, largely due to dreadful shooting, but he's shown signs of life as a playmaker over the last two games. In Wednesday's win over the Detroit Pistons, he had seven assists in 20 minutes before a sprained ankle ended his night.
If he focuses more on getting to the paint and distributing rather than scoring going forward, he'll be helpful sooner than later.
Other than that, the Portland Trail Blazers are getting solid (though maybe not inspiring) performances from Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III. If that keeps up, they should be able to add to the stockpile that started with the Damian Lillard trade.
That move gave them picks and Jrue Holiday, whom they flipped for Brogdon, Williams and more assets. The former Boston Celtics should be on the block next.
26. Memphis Grizzlies (0-5)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: -11.2
It might be time for the Memphis Grizzlies to hit the panic button.
Most assumed surviving Ja Morant's 25-game suspension would be tough, and things got far more dire when knee surgery knocked Steven Adams out of the rotation.
Since he joined the Grizzlies ahead of the 2021-22 season, they're plus-8.5 points per 100 possessions with Adams on the floor and plus-2.8 without him. Right now, they don't appear to have the bodies and grit necessary to replace him.
They just signed Bismack Biyombo in Adams' absence, but he's a below-replacement-level player for his career, according to box plus/minus. He isn't likely to dramatically change things.
Given the depth of talent in the West, staying within striking distance of a playoff spot for the rest of Morant's absence might require trading for a big.
25. Detroit Pistons (2-4)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -0.3
Is it OK to wonder about Cade Cunningham's shooting yet? After posting a well-below-average true shooting percentage and effective field-goal percentage over his first two injury-plagued seasons, he's in that same territory again in 2023-24.
After scoring 22 points on 22 shots in Thursday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, he has a 51.3 true shooting percentage that lags well behind his peers.
His patience and unselfishness as a playmaker remains encouraging (he had 11 assists on Thursday), but Cunningham will soon have to start connecting at a higher rate on his scoring opportunities if the Detroit Pistons are going to be competitive this season.
24. Chicago Bulls (2-3)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -7.2
After a mediocre 2022-23 campaign, the Chicago Bulls are off to an uninspiring 2-3 start and have already had a players-only meeting to talk about their struggles.
While it's easy to chalk up the middling play to the continued absence of Lonzo Ball, Chicago is suiting up three of its four highest-paid players, all of whom have been All-Stars.
If this kind of up-and-down play continues for the next few weeks, the Bulls might have to consider shopping DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević and Zach LaVine. The latter has already been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers in the wake of the James Harden trade.
This core isn't going to contend for a title, or even a deep playoff run in all likelihood. A fresh start around whatever those three might command in trades could be the wiser path forward.
23. Utah Jazz (2-4)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -3.4
The Utah Jazz's strengths and weaknesses are pretty clear. A lot of the former are in the frontcourt. Plenty of the latter are in the backcourt.
On Thursday, when the Jazz lost by two to the Orlando Magic, that dichotomy was painfully clear.
Lauri Markkanen capped off a furious comeback with back-to-back threes to put his team up by one, but he didn't touch the ball on either of Utah's last two possessions. The ball was dominated by Jordan Clarkson (who finished with six turnovers and 21 points on 5-of-20 shooting) and Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Jazz aren't taking anyone by surprise this season. If they want to be as competitive as they were in 2022-23 (or better), the ball needs to find its way to Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk and John Collins more often.
22. Toronto Raptors (2-4)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -0.8
In terms of Toronto Raptors wins and losses, this season hasn't started much different than 2022-23, when they hovered around .500 throughout the campaign.
After a convincing loss on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto is now 2-4 and is struggling to consistently put the ball in the basket.
There's at least one silver lining, though. After what felt like a plateau of a second season, Scottie Barnes is playing like a star and putting up star numbers.
After Thursday's loss, he's up to 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.
21. Indiana Pacers (2-2)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -5.5
The Indiana Pacers have gotten off to an up-and-down start. After beginning the season with wins over the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers, they dropped their past two games to the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics.
Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed Wednesday's 155-104 loss to the Celtics, but he helps more on offense than defense. He also wasn't going to make up that 51-point gap on his own.
Boston might be a juggernaut, though. And inconsistency comes with the territory when playing as many inexperienced players as the Pacers are.
On the bright side, Indiana has had its own gaudy totals on offense. It dropped 143 on the Wizards on opening night. When all the Pacers are available, there's an abundance of scoring and playmaking from Haliburton, Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard.
20. Miami Heat (1-4)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: -5.9
It's probably time to worry about the Miami Heat.
So much of their summer was spent waiting on the seemingly foregone conclusion of Damian Lillard ending up with them. While they waited, two starters (Gabe Vincent and Max Strus) went to other teams.
When Lillard wound up with the Milwaukee Bucks, the only additions they had to fall back on were Josh Richardson, Thomas Bryant and incoming rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. That might not have been enough.
In Wednesday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Richardson and Jaquez went 2-of-18 from the field, while Bryant had four fouls and two turnovers in 15 minutes.
Add that to a slow start from Jimmy Butler (that already includes one missed game), and the Heat are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference through five games.
Tyler Herro has had some big scoring games, and Bam Adebayo has had some moments as well, but it's hard to imagine the Heat making a repeat trip to the NBA Finals right now.
19. San Antonio Spurs (3-2)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -6.8
Victor Wembanyama is 19 years old. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are 24 and 23, respectively. And the San Antonio Spurs might just be a solid team anyway.
They showed the poise of a far more experienced team on Thursday, when they survived a furious rally from Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. San Antonio led by 24 in the second half, coughed up that lead entirely (Phoenix evened things up with 4:21 left) and then righted the ship down the stretch and still won by double digits.
Typically, a team as young as the Spurs would just fold under similar circumstances, especially against stars like Booker and Durant. The Spurs didn't.
That win was their second straight against the Suns, and it featured an eye-opening performance from Wembanyama, who's already doing things in just about every game that force double-takes.
On Thursday, he had 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting along with 10 rebounds and two blocks.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-3)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: -5.2
The Cleveland Cavaliers needed a win in a terrible way on Wednesday. They were 1-3 and coming off a loss to the New York Knicks team that crushed them in last year's playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell, and a strong defensive effort, delivered.
After dropping 30 in Wednesday's revenge win over the Knicks, Mitchell is now averaging 31.5 points. He'll have to keep up that kind of production while Darius Garland (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (ankle) are nursing injuries if the Cavs are going to get back over .500.
17. Orlando Magic (3-2)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: +3.8
The Orlando Magic being above .500 despite getting just one star-like performance from Paolo Banchero bodes well for their long-term prospects.
That first big game for the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year came in a road win against the Utah Jazz on Thursday. Banchero had 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in one of the league's most hostile environments.
Winning games without nights like that from Banchero is a plus. As he starts to provide them more regularly, the Magic should become a fixture in the playoff hunt.
16. New York Knicks (2-3)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +1.4
The New York Knicks had the second-best offense in the NBA last season, but their secret sauce—a combination of dominant offensive rebounding and plenty of trips to the free-throw line—hasn't carried over to this season yet.
It's too early to put a ton of stock in points or points allowed per 100 possessions, but New York has started in the bottom third of the league in offensive rating. And after shooting a dismal 3-of-15 from the field in Wednesday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Julius Randle is shooting 27.6 percent on the season.
On the bright side, RJ Barrett, who was one of the least efficient scorers in the league over his first four seasons, has a slightly above-average true shooting percentage right now.
If he can maintain that while Randle and Jalen Brunson hopefully return to last season's level of play, the Knicks should be OK.
15. Brooklyn Nets (2-2)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +1.3
He finally came down to earth in Wednesday's win over the Miami Heat, when he scored 13 points on 19 field-goal attempts, but Cam Thomas looked like a game-changing scorer over his first three games.
In those contests, two of which were starts, Thomas averaged 33.0 points and shot 61.4 percent from the field. He was never going to maintain that, but this start and his four games with at least 43 points last season should be enough to prove his importance to the rotation.
The versatility and largely positionless lineups made possible by players like Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith are fun for NBA hipsters, but sometimes you just need a bucket-getter. Thomas is that, and surrounding him with those wings will make for some fun hoops.
14. Atlanta Hawks (3-2)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +5.1
After an 0-2 start, the Atlanta Hawks have rattled off three straight wins to move above .500. Dejounte Murray—not Trae Young—is the electrifying guard largely responsible for the surge.
Murray dropped 41 in Monday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he backed that up with another 24 on 15 shots on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards.
With his offense seemingly clicked, and Young slowly thawing after an ice-cold start, the Hawks should be able to stay in the play-in picture. If they continue to get encouraging play from young reserves like Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, they might even rise above that.
13. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-2)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -1.3
Expectations may be tempered a bit by back-to-back losses to the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans, but the Oklahoma City Thunder's first three games featured much of what made everyone so excited for this team prior to the season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shown the upside of an MVP candidate. Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams will both be almost nightly matchup problems. And Chet Holmgren checks all of the boxes OKC couldn't last season.
With Holmgren's ability to protect the rim and space the floor on the other end, the Thunder now have a defensive safety net and wider driving lanes in which to operate.
There will be more stretches like this two-game losing streak, but it's easy to see their long-term vision.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +4.5
The Minnesota Timberwolves may have shown their long-term blueprint on Wednesday, when they clamped down on the Denver Nuggets, allowed just 89 points and won in blowout fashion.
With the defense of Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson and Anthony Edwards, Minnesota has the potential to dominate games on that end. From there, they just have to get average-to-good offense from Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid.
Yes, Naz Reid.
He had 16 points in 19 minutes Wednesday, matching his scoring average on the season. That spark he provides off the bench changes the dynamic of the frontcourt that can look clunky when Towns and Gobert are out there.
11. New Orleans Pelicans (4-1)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +0.2
The New Orleans Pelicans have somewhat quietly gotten off to a 4-1 start. The fourth win came in a game that Zion Williamson rested against the Detroit Pistons.
That might actually be the most encouraging early sign for this Pelicans team.
In the past, the Pelicans have been dependent on Zion. From the start of his rookie campaign through the end of last season, they were plus-3.7 points per 100 possessions with Williamson on the floor and minus-2.6 without him. This year, they're better when he's not on the floor. Dramatically so.
That trend isn't likely to hold, at least not to this degree. But if this is some indication of how the CJ McCollum-led supporting cast will perform in 2023-24, the Pelicans may be in better shape than anticipated.
10. Phoenix Suns (2-3)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +2.2
No one could've expected a 2-3 start out of these Phoenix Suns.
While it's easy to chalk the underwhelming record up to Bradley Beal missing all five games and Devin Booker missing three, back-to-back losses to the San Antonio Spurs have to be at least mildly concerning.
In the first of those two games, Phoenix led for all but the last two possessions and had a win probability that peaked at 98.5 percent in the second half. Then, this happened:
Everything could ultimately be fine whenever Beal, Booker and Durant are all available, but we're already getting a glimpse of what the Suns might look like without great health. That version of this team may not be as close to title contention as we thought.
9. Sacramento Kings (2-2)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +2.6
The Sacramento Kings are 0-2 against the Golden State Warriors and 2-0 against the rest of the league.
There's no shame in Stephen Curry and a handful of other four-time champions being your bugaboo, but the Kings will eventually have to figure out that puzzle to become legitimate contenders.
In the second loss—which ended with a Klay Thompson buzzer-beater—De'Aaron Fox was out with an ankle injury. So, it may be fair to withhold judgment. But a defense anchored by Domantas Sabonis might always struggle with Golden State's player and ball movement.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (3-2)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: -0.8
The Los Angeles Lakers finally ended a years-long losing streak against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, with a 130-125 overtime win that offered some big clues about L.A.'s shot at success this season.
First, the Lakers need Austin Reaves to be good. Although he had five turnovers and shot 5-of-13 from the field during the comeback win, he also had seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and some momentum-enhancing shots in the second half.
Second, as was the case when they won the title in 2020, the Lakers might just be better when they play big and bully people inside. They're plus-63 with Christian Wood on the floor and minus-67 when he's off. When he shares the floor with Anthony Davis, L.A. is plus-34.7 points per 100 possessions.
And, oh, LeBron James is still somehow one of the league's best offensive engines.
There have been plenty of concerning moments this season, as evidenced by that negative net rating. The struggles of Reaves and this offseason's additions (outside of Wood) are worth keeping an eye on.
But you can also see the blueprint for a contender here.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (3-2)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +11.6
The long-rumored James Harden trade finally happened for the Los Angeles Clippers. That basically eliminates any need for analyzing their first five games.
This is a completely different team now. The next several weeks will be about integrating one of the highest-usage players in NBA history with a roster that has three other ball-dominant players in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
Will it just be a your turn-my turn offense? Can Harden be convinced to play off ball, even a little bit? Will Westbrook move to the bench? Who's going to sacrifice the most shots?
From a pure talent standpoint, acquiring Harden makes sense, but there's so much to figure out now. Giving up multiple draft assets to put yourself in the middle of a giant puzzle is risky.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (2-2)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: -6.6
Well, the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo pairing may need a little time to jell after all.
After getting blown out by the sub-.500 Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, the Bucks are now 2-2. Their defense appears to have been more dependent on Jrue Holiday than we realized. And Giannis doesn't look quite as comfortable in a new, limited role as he did as the undisputed alpha before Lillard arrived.
Through four games, Giannis already has two games with a field-goal percentage below .500. He has 15 turnovers to just 10 assists. Getting him back to the offensive level he was at during his MVP campaigns might require more off-ball work from Lillard.
Khris Middleton getting healthy and back to starters minutes would surely help, but this early portion of the season is going to be more about finding the balance between Lillard and Giannis than anything else.
5. Dallas Mavericks (4-0)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +9.4
The Dallas Mavericks are 4-0 and coming off what may be their most encouraging win of the young season.
The Chicago Bulls aren't the most daunting opponent, but Dallas was without Kyrie Irving and had Luka Dončić shoot just 5-of-16 from the field. That game still ending with a victory is a testament to the overhauled supporting cast.
Dončić, who's averaging 33.8 points, is obviously their best and most important player, but the upside of the team will be determined by everyone else. On Wednesday, Grant Williams had 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Tim Hardaway Jr. had 24 off the bench.
It doesn't have to be the same guy every night, but if Dallas can get one or two performances like that from the non-stars on a given night, it'll be tough to beat.
4. Golden State Warriors (4-1)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +8.6
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors may not have been in everyone's top tier of contenders—with the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns—prior to the season, but they certainly should be now.
They're 4-1, with a plus-8.6 net rating. Chris Paul has more than stabilized the non-Curry minutes. And Curry himself looks like an early MVP candidate.
He's averaging 31.0 points and 5.6 threes while shooting 45.9 percent from deep and posting an 11.8 box plus/minus. His career high, which came during his legendary 2015-16 campaign, was 11.9.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (3-1)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +11.8
It's early, but it sure doesn't look like the Philadelphia 76ers needed James Harden.
He didn't log a 2023-24 second with the team prior to this week's trade, and Philadelphia raced out to a 3-1 start anyway.
Joel Embiid is still dominating, and he's doing a lot more distributing than he ever has before. Tyrese Maxey looks like he'll be in the mix for an All-Star nod. And the Harden deal landed the Sixers multiple switchable forwards in Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr.
They can either be ceiling-raising plug-and-play veterans, or they can be aggregated with the picks Philly acquired in a separate move for a star.
2. Denver Nuggets (4-1)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +7.8
The Denver Nuggets were routed on the road by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, one game after struggling to put away the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena. Last week, they couldn't get much separation from a Memphis Grizzlies team missing Steven Adams and Ja Morant.
The opening-night win over the Los Angeles Lakers and a blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder suggested there was no championship hangover, but the other three games weren't quite as encouraging.
That all sounds nitpicky for a 4-1 team coming off a title, though. And one of last season's biggest weaknesses—the non-Nikola Jokić minutes—look a lot better than they did in 2022-23.
With the athleticism and switchability of lineups that include Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji, Denver's bench might actually win it some games in 2023-24.
1. Boston Celtics (4-0)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +20.1
Through four games, there aren't any questions for the Boston Celtics' talented top six. Jayson Tatum is playing like an MVP candidate, and the balance behind him is the biggest reason the Celtics are undefeated.
What makes them look unbeatable, as they appeared in a 155-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, are big appearances from one or two players outside that top six.
In the obliteration of Indiana, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser combined for 32 points and shot 7-of-9 from three.
Stat of the Week
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After exploding for an early career high of 38 points on Thursday, Victor Wembanyama is up to 103 points, 40 rebounds, 11 blocks and seven steals through his first five games.
He's off to an absurd start, the likes of which we haven't seen since the San Antonio Spurs had the first overall pick in the 1987 draft.
David "The Admiral" Robinson is the only player in league history who matched or exceeded all four of those marks in his first five NBA games.
