NBA Power Rankings: Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers Both Moving Up
It's time for another edition of Bleacher Report's NBA Power Rankings, where there's still plenty of early-season volatility.
Yes, it's already becoming clear that a handful of teams will probably be around the top of the rankings for most of the season, and there are a few others who'll likely be on the opposite end of the spectrum.
However, there's still tons of movement in the middle. Parity is off the charts, and many teams seem to at least be in the hunt for a play-in spot.
To try to sort through all of them, we'll look at the same factors that have guided this exercise for years: championship chances, recent performance, numbers and plenty of subjectivity.
30. San Antonio Spurs (3-8)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -13.4
As long as the San Antonio Spurs persist with this "Jeremy Sochan at point guard" experiment, they're going to keep losing. And they're probably going to keep losing big.
Tuesday, they dropped their sixth straight, this time by 36 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And even without Tre Jones available, the contrast between Sochan's minutes and those of a natural guard was stark. He was minus-31, while Devonte' Graham was plus-five in 17 minutes.
Simple plus-minus is one thing. What this experiment is doing to Victor Wembanyama is another. The No. 1 pick has been dramatically better when sharing the floor with Jones than he is with Sochan. And while it might be nice to have the latter develop into a bona fide playmaker for some future run, fostering Wembanyama's confidence now should be the priority.
29. Washington Wizards (2-9)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -7.4
An optimistic view of the Washington Wizards relied on the veteran know-how of Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones as well as the explosiveness we'd occasionally seen from Jordan Poole with the Golden State Warriors.
But those three are all currently below-average in box plus/minus. Poole is worse than an end-of-bench player in that metric.
And he already looks comically disengaged on the bench.
Less than a month into the season, it already feels like Wizards fans' only reasonable hope is that this disastrous year might result in another high lottery pick.
28. Charlotte Hornets (3-7)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -6.9
The Charlotte Hornets have lost four of their last five and appear headed toward another lottery pick, but there are certainly some bright spots in the rotation.
After a slow start, LaMelo Ball is averaging 29.8 points, 8.6 assists and 4.0 threes while shooting 44.4 percent from deep over his last five games.
And if the losses keep piling up while Gordon Hayward plays the way he has to start the season, Charlotte might be able to get some value for his expiring contract before the trade deadline. Through nine appearances, he's putting up 17.2 points, 5.2 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 39.1 percent from deep.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (3-8)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -6.7
There was a brief stretch early this season when it looked like the Portland Trail Blazers might be feistier than expected, but that's gone now.
Malcolm Brogdon is on the shelf with a hamstring injury. Scoot Henderson is out as well, although his absence is probably good for the team's plus-minus. And Robert Williams III is going to miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury.
Now, it feels like this campaign is all about 2024 lottery odds and the respective trade values of Jerami Grant and Brogdon. The latter can't do much for his while he's out, but Grant's 6'7" frame and 22.5 points per game could be intriguing to some playoff team.
26. Memphis Grizzlies (2-9)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -7.1
Another losing week is in the books for the Memphis Grizzlies. And while the addition of Bismack Biyombo has certainly stabilized the interior, they're still losing his minutes.
And as the losses pile up, bouncing back upon Ja Morant's return from a 25-game suspension gets less and less likely.
Desmond Bane (25.5 points and 4.5 assists) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (19.4 points and 1.7 blocks) are doing what they can, but Memphis might still need a trade for a starting-caliber center to survive Morant's exile and a season-ending surgery for Steven Adams.
25. Detroit Pistons (2-10)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -4.5
The Detroit Pistons have generally avoided any embarrassing performances. For the most part, they've at least been competitive. But at a certain point, the losses are undeniable, and Detroit has nine straight.
That certainly has a lot to do with Cade Cunningham's continued struggles as a shooter. His 29.7 three-point percentage is somehow lower than his career mark of 30.7. Injuries to Bojan Bogdanović, Joe Harris and Alec Burks haven't helped either.
But there's at least one silver lining in rookie Ausar Thompson, whose wide-ranging contributions have him at 12.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals.
24. Utah Jazz (4-7)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -5.3
The Utah Jazz closed the week with back-to-back wins, but they came against two of the worst teams in the league in the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers.
There are still real concerns about Utah's guard play, and those would probably be magnified against tougher opponents. There are at least some signs of optimism, though.
Jordan Clarkson dropped 30 in Tuesday's win over Portland, and he's now putting up 29.7 points and 4.0 assists in his last three games. And while his shot hasn't been falling, rookie Keyonte George started each of those three games and averaged 9.0 assists.
If those two settle in as the Jazz's starting backcourt and play close to this level going forward, they and a frontcourt led by Lauri Markkanen could get Utah back in the hunt for a play-in spot.
23. Chicago Bulls (4-8)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -3.7
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Tuesday that the Chicago Bulls are increasingly open to exploring trade options for Zach LaVine. That got speculation rolling about a full rebuild.
Following up that news with a home loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, a game in which LaVine was 6-of-16 from the field, didn't help matters.
It's long past time for the Bulls to turn LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević and maybe even Alex Caruso into whatever assets they can get. It sounds like they've finally come to that realization, at least with regard to LaVine.
22. Toronto Raptors (5-6)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -2.0
They had a come-from-behind win against the dreadful Washington Wizards, but the rest of this week for the Toronto Raptors included blowout losses to the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
While Scottie Barnes—who's averaging 20.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks—appears to be making a star turn, the rest of this roster could be headed for more mediocrity.
The Raptors are 13th in combined winning percentage since Kawhi Leonard left after the 2019 Finals. Getting out of the middle of the pack might require some win-later moves like trading Pascal Siakam for long-term assets before the trade deadline.
21. New Orleans Pelicans (5-6)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -4.0
The New Orleans Pelicans needed a win badly, and they finally got one on Tuesday against the red-hot Dallas Mavericks.
But even after the 21-point win, New Orleans is in the bottom 10 of the league in net rating. Zion Williamson still doesn't look as explosive as he has in years past. And injuries to CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III are going to be hard to overcome.
On a positive note, rookie Jordan Hawkins had 25 points in the win over Dallas. And he's quietly putting together a solid All-Rookie case. Through 11 games, he's putting up 13.7 points and shooting 36.0 percent from deep.
20. Golden State Warriors (6-7)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +0.5
This is a massive drop. In a couple weeks, it could look like quite an overreaction.
But after Thursday's blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors have now dropped five straight. Stephen Curry is suddenly missing time with knee soreness. And thanks to a full-blown rear naked chokehold on Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green is now serving a five-game suspension that will have him out till November 28.
All of that would be bad enough, but the Warriors are also getting dreadful performances from both Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins to this point in the season. Those two were indispensable during Golden State's 2022 run to a title, but they're shooting a combined 40.1 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from three in 2023-24.
Until the Warriors prove whole and anything like previous versions of themselves, the benefit of the doubt that had them at No. 5 last week is gone.
19. Los Angeles Clippers (3-7)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.1
The Los Angeles Clippers' losing streak stretched to six games on Tuesday. They're now 0-5 with James Harden in the lineup, but there were at least some signs of life in the last loss.
In one of the league's toughest road atmospheres, against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, L.A. erased a 13-point deficit and took a fourth-quarter lead before eventually falling short.
The Clippers played a lot of small ball, bothered Nikola Jokić into an uncharacteristic 8-of-23 shooting performance and threw waves of switchable, perimeter defense at everyone else.
There's still plenty of sorting to be done with the offense. It was still a lot of "your turn, my turn" against Denver, and it only (kind of) worked because Paul George was on fire. But there's still time for that sorting to be done. And if L.A. plays with the kind of energy it had in Denver against lesser opponents, the wins will come.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.5
It's been an up-and-down first 11 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who've had to deal with injuries for Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen and a relatively slow start from Evan Mobley, who's just 1-of-7 from three.
After a promising All-Rookie campaign in 2021-22 and an All-Defense nod in 2022-23, it still doesn't quite feel like Mobley has truly broken out. But the Cavs closed the week with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers and perhaps a glimpse of Mobley's upside.
In that contest, he was plus-26, scored 21 points on only 11 shots, grabbed 12 rebounds, handed out three assists and blocked three shots. It was the kind of versatile, wide-ranging contributions that Cleveland should maybe expect at this point given his level of talent.
Over the course of his career, the Cavs are 11-6 when Mobley gets to at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (6-6)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -3.0
LeBron James is having a preposterous season for his age and experience level.
After notching a triple-double in a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, he's now averaging 24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals. Kevin Garnett has the second-highest box plus/minus on record for a 21st season, and his averages that year were 3.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.7 steals.
The Los Angeles Lakers needing that level of production from soon-to-be-39-year-old LeBron is far from ideal, though. However, the revamped supporting cast that received plenty of praise and attention this offseason isn't doing enough to spare LeBron the wear and tear of dragging this team to a .500 record.
James has 1.9 wins over replacement player (value over replacement player times 2.7), while while Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, Christian Wood and Max Christie have combined for minus-2.2.
Either the back end of the rotation has to be better, or the Lakers might need to package players like D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura in a trade for more help.
16. Orlando Magic (6-5)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +1.8
The Orlando Magic have had one winning season since 2012-13. Given that context, being above .500 with a positive net rating is encouraging on its own.
Being those things without Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner playing like stars yet might make this start even more exciting.
Both are averaging under 19 points, the team is losing Banchero's minutes, and Wagner is shooting 40.9 percent from the field. Breakouts could be on the way for either or both.
If they arrive, and Orlando's third-ranked defense holds, the Magic will almost certainly stay in the mix for a playoff spot.
15. Brooklyn Nets (6-6)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +0.5
Injuries have hammered the Brooklyn Nets this season.
Nic Claxton has only appeared in four games. And just as Cameron Johnson returned from a seven-game absence due to a calf injury, Cam Thomas went down with an ankle issue and Ben Simmons left the rotation with another back problem.
But the depth on this roster has helped them survive this adversity and even sport a positive point differential through the first few weeks of the season.
Brooklyn has seven players averaging double figures (in part because those injuries open up opportunities for others) and is getting a borderline breakout campaign from reserve Lonnie Walker IV.
After going for 23 points off the bench in Thursday's loss to the Miami Heat, the 24-year-old is putting up 15.7 points in just 21.6 minutes. And he's currently top-20 in the league in box plus/minus.
14. Atlanta Hawks (6-5)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +2.9
Trae Young was one of the league's most consistent and effective offensive engines over the four seasons prior to this one, but the Atlanta Hawks have actually had a slightly better point differential when he's off the floor this season. And his shooting is getting worrisome.
He had 17 assists in Wednesday's loss to the New York Knicks, but he was 4-of-12 from the field. He's made just 35.6 percent of his shots on the year and is at 27.8 percent from deep.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are dominating opponents when Dejounte Murray plays without Young. In those minutes, Murray is putting up 25.5 points and 8.2 assists per 75 possessions.
There's still plenty of time for Atlanta to figure out the balance between its two star guards, but head coach Quin Snyder may have to more aggressively stagger their minutes in the rotation.
13. New York Knicks (6-5)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +4.5
It's taken a while, and the shooting percentages still leave a lot to be desired, but Julius Randle finally seems to be warming up after an ice-cold start to the season.
Over his first six games, he averaged 13.7 points and shot 27.1 percent from the field. In the last five, he's averaging 25.4 points and 5.2 assists while shooting 44.4 percent.
If he maintains production around that level when RJ Barrett returns and Barrett continues to buck his career-long shooting trends, the New York Knicks should be in good shape.
12. Sacramento Kings (6-4)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +0.3
At the risk of stating the obvious, it turns out that starting point guard De'Aaron Fox is important for the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings had already started to right the ship by winning their last two games during Fox's sprained ankle-induced absence, but they've dominated his minutes since he came back.
Fox appeared in each of Sacramento's last two games (both wins) to score 56 points and hand out 11 assists. His plus-minus in those contests was plus-32.
11. Miami Heat (8-4)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +0.4
The Miami Heat have suddenly won seven straight, are making everyone reconsider an offseason previously seen as a failure and again getting major contributions from unexpected places.
They certainly don't miss Gabe Vincent or Max Strus (at least not yet), because Duncan Robinson is having a bounce-back campaign with 14.3 points, Haywood Highsmith looks like a bona fide rotation player and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is ahead of schedule.
His opportunities were becoming more regular even before Tyler Herro's injury, but that has accelerated Jaquez's rise. Over his last five games, the 22-year-old is putting up 13.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 threes, while shooting 38.9 percent from deep.
10. Houston Rockets (6-3)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +5.1
The Houston Rockets' winning streak swelled to six games on Sunday when they beat the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. And through nine games, they look like one of the league's more balanced teams on both ends of the floor.
Alperen Şengün is leading the way with 19.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists, but Jalen Green is playing a more controlled brand of basketball. Fred VanVleet's playmaking and leadership are clearly having a positive impact. Jabari Smith Jr.'s length makes him a dynamic perimeter defender. And Dillon Brooks is playing the best basketball of his life.
The schedule is about to get tougher, and there's plenty of time for this team to come down to earth, but it looks good enough to compete for a playoff spot.
9. Phoenix Suns (5-6)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +1.6
The Phoenix Suns have yet to have a single game in which all three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were available. Durant has played in every contest, but the increasingly rare appearances from Booker and Beal have all featured one without the other.
That remained true on Wednesday, when a late swerve kept Beal out of the lineup.
That didn't throw Phoenix off. In Booker's return from a calf injury, he matched KD with 31 points. The Suns cruised past the previously red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves with an 18-point win. And the star duo showed off the offensive upside that makes this team so scary.
Booker and Durant can get good shots for themselves on most possessions. Choosing which one to put your second-best perimeter defender on is an exercise in futility. He's probably going to get burned either way.
If we ever do see all three of the stars on the floor at the same time, Beal taking on opponents' No. 3 defenders will make the Suns' attack the stuff of nightmares.
8. Indiana Pacers (7-4)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +3.5
The Indiana Pacers are legit. And they may have a contender for first-team All-NBA to thank for it.
Yes, Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić have the inside track to the two guard spots for that honor, but Tyrese Haliburton is leading the league's best offense, averaging 24.7 points and 12.5 assists and shooting 43.6 percent from deep.
And the attack he's orchestrating is one of the game's most balanced.
Myles Turner is averaging 17.9 points, and then six Pacers are between 11 and 13 points per game.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (7-4)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: -0.7
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's posting his lowest box plus/minus since 2015-16, was out on Wednesday, and Damian Lillard had what was probably his best game as a Milwaukee Buck.
With the offense completely and unquestionably running through him, Lillard put up 37 points and 13 assists in a road blowout win over the Toronto Raptors. He was 9-of-18 from the field and 4-of-10 from deep, pulling his season-long percentages up to 38.6 and 28.6, respectively.
Whether the breakout was the result of Giannis' absence or just a coincidence, the performance and the team's generally underwhelming play all season suggests the fit between those two stars won't be as seamless as we may have anticipated.
Both players have spent most of the last several years in complete control of their teams. Figuring out how to share that responsibility will take some time.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-4)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +5.8
The Oklahoma City Thunder's wealth of positional size and playmaking has them looking like one of the most dynamic two-way teams in the league.
They're top 10 in both offense and defense, can attack from at least three spots in their starting lineup (with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey) and have a backline defensive anchor in Chet Holmgren who reads opposing offenses like a 10-year vet.
Their youth makes it hard to put them in the same tier as genuine contenders like the Denver Nuggets or Boston Celtics, but the raw talent on this roster can go toe-to-toe with most.
5. Dallas Mavericks (9-3)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +4.3
The Dallas Mavericks suffered an unexpected blowout at the hands of the struggling New Orleans Pelicans this week, but they bounced back with Wednesday's win over the Washington Wizards and are still on pace for 60-plus wins.
That'll probably slow down. Sixty-win seasons are rare. But the Mavs have shown enough to forget about the 2022-23 campaign that ended with a trip to the lottery.
Kyrie Irving had an offseason and training camp to assimilate with the team, and the rest of the supporting cast fits Luka Dončić better than it did last season. This team is different, and Luka might be too.
With the improved roster around him, Dončić looks more committed defensively. And at least for now, his outside shot is as dialed in as ever.
Prior to 2023-24, his career-high three-point percentage was 35.3. Through 12 games of this campaign, he's shooting 42.0 percent from deep on a career-high 9.9 attempts per game.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-3)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +5.8
The Phoenix Suns dropped 133 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but that shouldn't sour the vibes around this team much. Even after the blowout loss, Minnesota comfortably has the best defensive rating in the league.
Anthony Edwards looks like a star with per-game averages of 26.3 points and 5.2 assists. Rudy Gobert has surged to the shortest odds to win Defensive Player of the Year. And Karl-Anthony Towns, who's averaging 26.2 points and shooting 45.2 percent from deep over his last five games, appears to be finding his place on this version of the team.
Every team is afforded some nights when it doesn't look great. The Wolves had one Wednesday, but they're in the hunt for a top-six finish in the West and avoidance of the play-in tournament.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (8-3)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +7.4
Ending the week with back-to-back losses to the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics made the Philadelphia 76ers look a bit more mortal.
Joel Embiid having a below-average effective field-goal percentage is moderately concerning, too. He's still a dominant scorer, but without James Harden setting him up, that dominance is as reliant on trips to the free-throw line as ever.
But that's all pretty nitpicky. The trips to the line aren't going to stop. He's getting 10.7 free-throw attempts per game right now. And whatever might be lost without Harden in the rotation is more than being made up for by Tyrese Maxey's star turn.
He cooled off a bit during the two-game losing streak, but Maxey is still putting up 27.6 points and 6.7 assists while shooting 42.9 percent from three and looking like an All-Star lock.
2. Boston Celtics (9-2)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +13.4
The Boston Celtics made a statement on Wednesday when they beat the 76ers in Philadelphia without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis. It was an illustration of just how talented and malleable the top of this roster is.
Without its second- and third-leading scorers, Boston leaned harder into the defensive upside provided by Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. Even Al Horford, plugged into the starting five for Porziņģis, changed the game with five blocks.
With perhaps the league's best top six, the Celtics can afford random absences here and there (Porziņģis and Brown's absences aren't long term) as well as anyone.
1. Denver Nuggets (9-2)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +9.0
The Denver Nuggets bounced back from a road loss to the surging Houston Rockets on Sunday to beat the desperate Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
That they won without Jamal Murray while shooting a below-average three-point percentage and getting one of Nikola Jokić's worst shooting performances of the last four years is encouraging.
This team is showing that it can win in more than one way. It's more enjoyable to watch the Nuggets when the ball is popping, jumpers are falling and opponents are running out of gas at high altitude, but being able to win ugly can come in handy in the postseason.
Stat of the Week
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As noted on the Lakers slide, less than 20 percent of the way into their season, LeBron James already has 1.9 wins over replacement player.
Prior to 2023-24, the all-time high in a 21st season was 1.4, a mark reached by Kevin Garnett in 2015-16 and Vince Carter in 2018-19.
To put into perspective how absurd LeBron's 24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks are, here are the basic numbers of those two in their 21st seasons:
- Garnett: 3.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks
- Carter: 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks
LeBron has crushed a number of records and expectations over the course of his career, so we shouldn't be surprised he's still doing it now.
But the degree to which he's outperforming everyone else who's ever appeared in a 21st season is hard to overstate.
Put another way, the combined Year 21 wins over replacement player of everyone else who's made it that far is 1.1 (because some besides Garnett and Carter finished below zero).
