Grading Every Team's 1st Week of the 2023-24 NBA Season
It's never too early for a progress report. So, after the first week of the 2023-24 season, Bleacher Report's NBA writers are here to give you grades for all 30 teams.
Who's outperforming expectations? Which teams look worse than we thought they would? How are big-name stars fitting alongside new teammates?
All of that and more is on the rubric, and the letter grades for each team can be found below, organized by division
Atlantic Division: Philadelphia 76ers
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Joel Embiid playing like an All-NBA candidate hasn't been a surprise, but Tyrese Maxey doing it as well is a game-changer.
His ability to space the floor for Embiid, get downhill against just about any perimeter defender and burn people in transition has this looking like a top-tier duo.
And Maxey being ahead of schedule may have made it easier for the Philadelphia 76ers to justify being a little quicker timeline on the James Harden trade.
All the drama surrounding that situation is now gone, and the Sixers can focus on a "two stars and depth" model built around Embiid and Maxey.
Grade: A
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics
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The most important thing to watch for the Boston Celtics at the outset of this campaign was how Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis would fit alongside their new teammates.
Through the first handful of games, it's hard to imagine them fitting much better.
Porziņģis' range was almost certainly going to be a plus, and it has been. His ability to hit shots from several feet beyond the three-point line has dramatically opened up the paint for Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But he's also punishing smaller defenders inside.
And alongside Derrick White, Holiday is now part of what feels like the best defensive backcourt in basketball.
Grade: A
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Nets
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The Brooklyn Nets have started off the season below .500, with Ben Simmons averaging fewer than 10 points, but there are pretty clear reasons for optimism.
Simmons may still be averse to shooting the ball, but he's averaging 10.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists while posting his best box plus/minus ("...a basketball box score-based metric that estimates a basketball player's contribution to the team when that player is on the court") since his rookie year.
And the team finally embracing Cam Thomas as a starter is paying early dividends. He's gotten to at least 30 points and been a positive in the raw plus-minus column in each of his three appearances (two of which were starts).
Grade: C+
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: New York Knicks
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RJ Barrett is off to one of the better starts he's had, but much of the rest of the New York Knicks' rotation is struggling (sort of the inverse of what New York dealt with the last couple years).
Julius Randle, in particular, has been all over the place, with 3.7 turnovers per game and a 27.7 field-goal percentage through three games. He'll obviously start putting up better numbers than that, but having one of his cold streaks at the outset of a season makes it feel worse than if it happened in a random three games in January.
Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo are likely to find their shots as well, but cold starts for those three are more pronounced because they're happening in New York.
Grade: C
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: Toronto Raptors
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The Toronto Raptors are off to a 1-3 start. And, unsurprisingly, they appear to be plagued by one of the issues that hurt them last season.
Toronto is in the bottom third of the league in threes per game and 21st in three-point percentage. Its top two scorers—Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam—are both well below average from deep.
Turning this around in both the short and long term may require some pretty dramatic moves. Barnes' playmaking has been a bright spot, and it's time for the Raptors to do what they need to to surround him with shooting.
Grade: C-
Central Division: Detroit Pistons
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Pistons fans should be quite pleased by what they've seen from their young team. Detroit is an extra bucket away from being 3-1, even with Bojan Bogdanović sidelined due to a right calf strain.
The most important part this season has been the return of Cade Cunningham, who looks fully recovered from shin surgery. He's averaging 21.0 points and 7.5 assists while shooting 40.0 percent from three, and he's proving to be the driving force behind the Pistons' offense.
We'll see how long Killian Hayes can outlast Jaden Ivey as the starting shooting guard, though, as the former continues to be a non-factor when it comes to scoring.
Grade: A-
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Indiana Pacers
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It's tough to get a good read on these Pacers just yet.
They beat the tires off a bad Washington Wizards team on opening night (while scoring 143 points in regulation), took down an injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers squad but then lost to the struggling Chicago Bulls at home after a day off.
Indiana has yet to play a good, healthy team thus far, even if there's reason to believe it could do so. Tyrese Haliburton's 12.3 assists per game are currently first in the NBA, Myles Turner has continued his strong play from last season, and Bruce Brown has shined in his Pacers' debut (15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 60.0 percent from three).
Still, we need more evidence to say Indiana is truly off to a good start.
Grade: B-
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Milwaukee Bucks
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Damian Lillard's debut with the Bucks couldn't have gone much better. The All-Star point guard put up a whopping 39 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Unfortunately, his second game couldn't have gone much worse, as he managed a measly 2-of-12 shooting performance to tally his six points in a 17-point beating by the Atlanta Hawks.
While Lillard works to find his rhythm in Milwaukee, the Bucks' main concern should be that of Khris Middleton, who needs to get back to being a reliable No. 3 option. His first two games (5.5 points, 33.3 percent shooting in 16.5 minutes) haven't shown us much evidence of that.
Grade: B
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Chicago Bulls
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The Bulls got pummeled in their home season opener, a 20-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that sparked a comically early players-only meeting.
The next two games didn't go much better, though, as Chicago barely beat a Toronto Raptors squad that is now 1-4 by one before suffering a 16-point loss to the Detroit Pistons.
A solid win over the Indiana Pacers officially has the Bulls as a .500 squad in the early going, but don't let that record fool you. Chicago is just 23rd overall in net rating (minus-6.7) with no answer at point guard in sight.
This looked like a team that needed to swing an impact trade during the offseason, a stance we still stand by.
Grade: D+
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Cleveland Cavaliers
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It's hard to grade the Cavs, a team that has been stung by injury early and often thus far.
Cleveland still hasn't played a game with its healthy Big 4, and only Evan Mobley has suited up in every contest this season.
Jarrett Allen has yet to make his season debut after an ankle injury suffered in training camp, and Darius Garland hasn't played since injuring his hamstring on opening night.
In their healthiest game (with Donovan Mitchell, Garland and Evan Mobley), the Cavs did pick up their only win of the season, a 114-113 opening-night victory over the Brooklyn Nets thanks to a late-game three by Mitchell.
The addition of Max Strus (18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 39.4 percent from three) has been huge for Cleveland, especially with so many bodies out right now.
Grade: Incomplete
—Greg Swartz
Southeast Division: Atlanta Hawks
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The Hawks were historically meh last season, and so far it's been more of the same.
They survived their first tilt against the new-look Milwaukee Bucks and did well to rally back from a 21-point, second-half deficit to topple the Minnesota Timberwolves, but a season-opening loss to the Charlotte Hornets is one they'll want to have back.
It's too early to say this for certain, but it appears the Hawks are who we thought they were. Trae Young still looks great by volume but not by efficiency. Dejounte Murray can look great, but his offensive output gets held back by inconsistency. The Jalen Johnson breakout has been fun, but Onyeka Okongwu is still stuck on the launch pad.
Atlanta doesn't look much different than before: Above-average on offense, below-average on defense and perfectly average overall.
Grade: C+
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Miami Heat
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The Heat were quietly one of the teams to watch early on, as there were unanswered questions about who they really are: The team that lost 38 games last season and nearly got knocked out of the play-in tournament, or the one that caught fire in the playoffs and reached its second Finals in four years?
The early answer is neither, as they haven't played up to their 2022-23 regular-season form. They've stumbled out to a 1-3 start and are just a one-point home win against the rebuilding Detroit Pistons away from being winless. The offense remains a mess—Tyler Herro might be taking a leap, but Jimmy Butler has been a non-threat away from the foul line—and the defense has backtracked in a big way.
It's still early obviously, but you wonder if this team simply needs to finally get one of these big deals done. Miami has been connected to virtually every net-shredder on the market, and it must feel deflating to always hear how major help could be on the way only for it to never arrive.
Grade: D+
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Orlando Magic
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The Magic have the only winning record in the division.
They might have the schedule-makers to thank for that, since their two triumphs have come over the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. Still, a big chunk of any successful playoff plan is winning the games you should, and Orlando has done that.
The Magic still don't look like they can shoot, and they've seen slower than expected starts by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both of whom are shooting below 40 percent. But they have gotten a nice jolt from Cole Anthony, and it's been fun to watch Jonathan Isaac play defense again.
If the supporting cast keeps this up, and Banchero and Wagner have the seasons many expect to see, Orlando should be a factor in at least the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
Grade: B
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Charlotte Hornets
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The Hornets should be prioritizing development over their place in the standings, so we won't spend too much time dissecting their 1-2 start.
We'll just note, though, that both of those losses were decided by double digits, and each was keyed by a breakdown on different ends of the court.
On the development front, No. 2 pick Brandon Miller looks great (rookie-best 17.3 points per game) and might already need more than his 31.3 minutes. LaMelo Ball, on the other hand, can't find his shooting touch from anywhere, though he is nearly tripling his 3.3 turnovers with 9.0 assists. Mark Williams has mostly been steady and is again pushing for more playing time.
Grade: C+
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Washington Wizards
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Year one of a youth movement is almost always rough, but the hope is you can have some fun along the way.
That isn't happening much with the Wizards, who are keeping a neon-green light on the quantity-over-quality combo of Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. The former is at least capitalizing on some of his chances, but the latter looks abysmal: 38.5/21.7/78.6 slash line with 12 turnovers and only nine assists.
Tyus Jones predictably looks rock solid, though you can argue how much that matters when he's a 27-year-old on an expiring deal. Corey Kispert shooting the daylights out of the ball matters, though. So, too, will Washington's willingness to live with Bilal Coulibaly's growing pains. Maybe Johnny Davis even becomes interesting with what should be a regular rotation role.
You don't want to ding Washington too much when it only just started its (overdue) rebuild, but bright spots have been hard to find.
Grade: C-
—Zach Buckley
Southwest Division: San Antonio Spurs
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First impressions of the Spurs are really first impressions of top overall pick Victor Wembanyama. And so far, he's impressive...and quite tall.
How well the team does in the standings isn't especially relevant. The development of this year's No. 1 pick is everything, and he's already shown incredible glimpses of what he'll be as he grows into his 7'4" frame and adapts to the NBA game (at just 19 years old).
And the Spurs aren't bad beyond Wembanyama. Fresh off his multi-year extension, Devin Vassell is averaging over 20 points per game. Others like Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Zach Collins and Jeremy Sochan are contributing.
The Spurs may be a couple of years behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in stockpiling exciting, young talent (that may compete for a playoff spot). Still, the franchise is moving in a positive direction.
Grade: B+
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: Memphis Grizzlies
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The Grizzlies miss Ja Morant, who is out for 25 games (suspension). The team also lost vital rotation players like Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks, and while replacement Marcus Smart has been fantastic (17.3 points, 5.8 assists a game at a career-high efficiency), the results have not been good.
Memphis hasn't won a single game, and Morant isn't coming back any time soon. While the Grizzlies "should" be among the better teams in the West, competition is tight enough that a slow start may be too much to overcome.
That said, the Los Angeles Lakers rebounded from a 2-10 start last year to make the Western Conference Finals.
Grade: D-
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: New Orleans Pelicans
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The Pelicans haven't been able to stay healthy the last few years, and continuity is an issue for a team loaded with talent.
The good news is that Zion Williamson is playing 30 minutes per game. But Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall are dealing with knee issues, and Jose Alvarado is working his way back from an ankle injury.
If head coach Willie Green can have his entire roster, the team might be more of a significant force in the West.
In the meantime, the team has been good but not great in the early going. The Pelicans have a winning record but score just 103 points a night (giving up 107). But it's great to see Williamson averaging 22 per game after making just 29 appearances over the last two seasons.
Grade: B+
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: Houston Rockets
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The Rockets took steps to join the playoff contenders, adding veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green. But the core is still very young and needs to learn how to win games.
Alperen Şengün has been a force; Jalen Green is still a work in progress (he can score, but not yet with efficiency); and Jabari Smith Jr. looked ready to take a big step forward, but that hasn't come yet.
Brooks has been the most efficient addition, but it will take some time before the newcomers mesh with the developing roster. Houston is winless so far, giving up 116 points per night against 101 scored—the worst point differential in the league.
Grade: D
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: Dallas Mavericks
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Reminder: Luka Dončić is incredible.
With last year's disappointing finish in Dallas a hazy memory, the Mavericks look much improved with the additions of Grant WIlliams, rookie Dereck Lively II and Derrick Jones Jr. But the story will always be about Dončić, who is averaging 39 points per night.
Kyrie Irving (foot injury) has struggled a bit with his shot but is still a high-volume point creator (19.5 a game, 6.0 assists). He provides Dončić with a secondary creator, so teams can't just throw everything they have at the 24-year-old star.
Williams adds some needed toughness, and Lively is hitting 85.7 percent of his attempts for almost double digits (9.0 points a game). It's early, but the Mavericks are off to a hot start.
Grade: A
—Eric Pincus
Northwest Division: Denver Nuggets
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The only real concern for the reigning champion Denver Nuggets coming into the season was how the bench would look after the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. Early indications suggest it might just be better.
Whatever Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji lack in experience, they seem to be making up for it with explosiveness, energy and a dynamic, switchable defense that could make the non-Nikola Jokić minutes as challenging for opponents as they've been in years.
If this trend holds, Denver is going to be a nightmare in any seven-game series.
Grade: A+
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Portland Trail Blazers
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It's hard to really judge the Portland Trail Blazers. They're going to give big minutes to players in unfamiliar roles, like NBA point guard for Scoot Henderson and second or third option for Shaedon Sharpe. Even Deandre Ayton is in a different situation than he's been in the last couple years.
The losses are going to pile up, and that's almost certainly fine. This stretch is about lottery odds and growth for the prospects already on the roster.
Having said that, neither Henderson nor Ayton has shown as many flashes of star upside as Portland fans may have wanted. Ideally, in a rebuilding season, the potential stars actually look like stars every once in a while.
Grade: C
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Oklahoma City Thunder
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have picked up just about where they left off at the end of 2022-23. And outside of a blowout loss to the Nuggets, the Oklahoma City Thunder have looked almost dominant through their 3-1 start.
The most important difference between last season's team and this one, though, is obviously Chet Holmgren.
OKC's weaknesses last season were on the boards and around the rim. And Holmgren looks like a more-than-NBA-ready big man who'll have some huge block totals this season.
Grade: B+
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Minnesota Timberwolves
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The Minnesota Timberwolves moved to 1-2 with a loss on Monday in which they led by 19 at the half. And the misfit between Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns has yet to be worked out.
So far, the duo has played 59 minutes together, and the Wolves are minus-nine in those. At risk of stating the obvious, it's not ideal to lose the minutes when your two highest paid players on the floor.
After a 2022-23 in which those puzzle pieces never quite clicked together, it's hard to imagine the runway for this duo is much longer. The only thing that might save it now is a super(duper)star turn from Anthony Edwards, which isn't out of the question.
Grade: C-
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Utah Jazz
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The Utah Jazz are 1-3, but there couldn't have been many who expected much better. All four of the teams they played were in the 2023 postseason, and two of those games were on the road.
And despite the losses, Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk have generally been solid, though Walker Kessler may be going through a bit of a sophomore slump.
The problem for Utah is the backcourt, where Kris Dunn, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton have all been dramatically below replacement level, according to box plus/minus.
It may already be time to turn the reins over to rookie Keyonte George. He'd endure some growing pains, but early experience could pay dividends later.
Grade: C
—Andy Bailey
Pacific Division: Phoenix Suns
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The immediate grade for the Suns is "incomplete."
The team is built around the three-star lineup of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but only Durant has been available each game. Beal has yet to play (back), and Booker (foot) hasn't featured since he scored 32 in the season opener.
Phoenix resembles the Brooklyn Nets when they were just Durant and role players (with Kyrie Irving sidelined by injury or traded to the Dallas Mavericks and James Harden pushing for a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers).
Durant is an elite talent, and some have already stepped up such as Eric Gordon, Josh Okogoie and Jusuf Nurkić. Phoenix is rushing to build chemistry despite the initial absences. But how good is the star trio? Still TBD.
Grade: Incomplete (B+ if forced to choose)
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Golden State Warriors
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The Warriors are still very, very good. Stephen Curry is taking almost 13 threes per game (hitting 47.1 percent) for 33.5 points per game. Klay Thompson is leading the team in minutes (and hitting 40 percent from deep). Chris Paul has fit in very well as a distributor, although his three-point shot has been missing.
The team got Draymond Green back from an ankle injury, pushing Paul to the bench. But whatever the combination, the wins keep coming.
Coach Steve Kerr has given more prominent rotation roles to Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, who increasingly look like valuable contributors this season. They represent badly needed youth for a team with older but still elite veterans.
Grade: A
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Los Angeles Lakers
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The Lakers aren't quite clicking yet, at .500 with perfect records at home (2-0) and negatively on the road (0-2).
Coach Darvin Ham seems to be experimenting with newcomers Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent in his rotation. And some of the returnees (Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves) are struggling a bit to find their spots.
The bigger lineup with Anthony Davis and Wood has shown signs of being a productive defensive tandem, but that's pushed Hachimura out of his better position (power forward).
Reddish has yet to stand out after displacing second-year player Max Christie, while Vincent has been a mixed bag. Perhaps it's from his long summer (Western Conference Finals, Team USA), but Reaves may have tired legs initially.
LeBron James is still LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell has been solid, and Davis has been tremendous.
The team may need more time to build out some chemistry.
Grade: C+
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Los Angeles Clippers
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Do any first impressions of the Clippers matter on the heels of the pending Harden blockbuster?
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are healthy—crucial and rare for the team over extended periods. Bringing in Harden should give the Clippers enough offense to compete among the best in the West, even if one of George or Leonard is out for a stretch.
What matters most is a healthy playoff roster, not initial takeaways. Even after the Harden deal, the Clippers will have depth with Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann, Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Mason Plumlee and Bones Hyland.
L.A. could use replacements for those on their way to the 76ers (Robert Covington, Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum and KJ Martin), with the need primarily at the power forward position.
Grade: Incomplete (B+ if forced to choose)
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Sacramento Kings
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The Kings are still good, if that was a concern.
The team could be better defensively, but continuing on last year's playoff push, Sacramento will outscore most opponents.
De'Aaron Fox suffered a moderate ankle sprain in the win over the Lakers without a definitive timetable for a return. He is the engine that drives that offense, so that's an obvious concern over the next few weeks.
But it will allow Chris Duarte, Davion Mitchell and Malik Monk to carve out more significant roles in the interim. Meanwhile, Kevin Huerter has struggled early with his shot, but Harrison Barnes can't miss.
Grade: B+
—Eric Pincus
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