NBA Power Rankings: Full Standings for All 30 Teams
The NBA season has gotten off to an interesting start, and we're starting to already see which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.
Most of the teams that everyone expected to win plenty of games have done just that so far. However, a few have surprisingly struggled, and they could continue to slide down the rankings as the season continues.
Here are the updated power rankings as of November 21, breaking down all 30 teams.
30. Utah Jazz
It's easy to have the Utah Jazz at the bottom of the rankings right now. They have the worst record in the NBA and could easily be 0-13 right now.
It says a lot about this team that Gordon Hayward leads all players in scoring. This roster has a lack of talent, and Utah might want to start looking ahead to the draft.
29. Milwaukee Bucks
Asking O.J. Mayo to be the superstar of a team without any help around him is a recipe for disaster.
That's not to say that he is a bad player. He's not. However, the Milwaukee Bucks need someone else to be an effective and athletic scorer to complement Mayo and give the team opportunities to put up more points, because 89.4 per game aren't going to cut it.
28. Boston Celtics
The only thing you can say about the Boston Celtics right now is that they're an incredibly streaky team. They started the year at 0-4 before winning four straight games, but now they've lost five straight and are sitting at 4-9.
Brad Stevens has the task of rebuilding this team, so don't expect them to be a playoff contender anytime soon. When Rajon Rondo is back, maybe we can talk, but I doubt that he will help much.
27. Cleveland Cavaliers
There are signs that the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be moving up this season, but it's not going to happen overnight.
Kyrie Irving started off a bit slow, put he's blown up the past two games, scoring 69 points and making 23 of 42 shots.
It will be up to him to lead this team, but the rest of the guys are going to have to start picking up the slack. The Caves have to score more than 92.4 points per game.
26. Sacramento Kings
Back-to-back wins have the Sacramento Kings moving up a little bit, but that shouldn't last for too long.
DeMarcus Cousins is off to a promising start, averaging 21.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. With other young pieces in the backcourt, this team is close to being a respectable franchise once again.
25. New York Knicks
At least for now, the New York Knicks are near the bottom of the power rankings. They're just 3-8 to start the year and have lost their last four games.
As good as Carmelo Anthony is, the Knicks can't have him attempting 22.3 field goals per game, especially when he's only sinking 41.6 percent of them. With Tyson Chandler out for four to six weeks, someone else needs to step up and score points.
24. Brooklyn Nets
Much like the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets haven't lived up to expectations at this point.
Paul Pierce hasn't been the same player since coming over from Boston. For someone who used to score at least 20 points on a regular basis, he has yet to score more than 19 in any game.
This team has a lot of talented players, but now they need to figure out how to mesh together, much like last year's Los Angeles Lakers.
23. Washington Wizards
Two straight wins have the Washington Wizards in business, but we'll see if they can keep it up after posting losing streaks of three and four games already this season.
John Wall is putting up 15.8 points, 9.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game, but he's also shooting just 35.9 percent and turning the ball over nearly three times per contest.
22. Detroit Pistons
For a team that brought in big names like Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith, the Detroit Pistons still haven't impressed anyone through the first 11 games.
With how weak the Eastern Conference is, the Pistons still have a shot to make the playoffs, but don't expect much from them if they make it.
21. Toronto Raptors
Solid defense and players like Rudy Gay show that the Toronto Raptors have potential.
The Raptors are seventh in the NBA in defense, allowing 97.2 points per game. To make things even crazier, the Raptors are currently first in the Atlantic Division despite their losing record.
20. Philadelphia 76ers
Everyone was jumping on the Philadelphia 76ers' bandwagon after the 3-0 start, but a four-game losing streak now has the team at 5-8.
Michael Carter-Williams has looked like the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year award, but when the team is allowing 109.8 points per game, it's going to be hard to win a lot of games, even with a talented young guard.
19. Orlando Magic
It looks like the Orlando Magic are rebuilding more quickly than expected.
Nikola Vucevic is averaging a double-double, Victor Oladipo is scoring 12.5 points per game, and Arron Afflalo is shooting nearly 50 percent and leading everyone with 22.5 points per game. Orlando has very few seasoned veterans, but the Magic have some awesome young talent.
18. Denver Nuggets
The loss of Andre Iguodala has hurt this team a bit, but Denver has players who could help this team win games.
Ty Lawson is putting up 22 points and 8.6 assists per game, doing a very nice job of running the offense. However, only two other players, Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried, are averaging more than 10 points per contest.
As of now, the Nuggets are near the bottom of the West, but that could change if other players start making plays.
17. Los Angeles Lakers
Brace yourselves, Los Angeles Lakers fans. Kobe Bryant is coming.
We don't know exactly when he will return, but after he was cleared to resume basketball activities, we could see him in the near future. A 5-7 record isn't great, but the Lakers will likely be a lot better with the Black Mamba back in the lineup.
16. Charlotte Bobcats
The fact that the Bobcats are ranked so high says a lot more about how many bad teams there are in the NBA right now than how good Charlotte really is.
Still, the Bobcats deserve credit for starting the season with a respectable 6-6 record. They're allowing just 92.8 points per game, and although they rank last in scoring, the defense combined with a lot of young talent could take them a long way.
15. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns were supposed to be really bad this year, but so far they're holding on with a decent 5-6 record.
Four straight losses, including two to the Kings, aren't exactly what the team was hoping for, but this is still a better team than we were expecting.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
With a new name and almost a completely new roster, the New Orleans Pelicans are showing some potential this season.
Ryan Anderson is going off for about three three-pointers per game, while sophomore Anthony Davis is living up to the high expectations he had entering the NBA draft, averaging 21 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
All in all, this roster has a lot of solid players, and once they mesh, the Pelicans could be a legitimate playoff contender.
13. Atlanta Hawks
Even without Josh Smith, the Atlanta Hawks seem to be in decent shape.
Jeff Teague is becoming a great point guard, averaging 18.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. As a team, the Hawks play unselfish basketball, putting up 25.7 assists per game.
It's an odd transition year with a new head coach and Smith gone, but the Hawks are looking solid under new management.
12. Memphis Grizzlies
We saw more of the defense we were used to last season from the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game, when they held the Golden State Warriors to just 81 points in an overtime victory.
The Grizzlies have so many good players, but they're still a superstar short of being one of the best teams in the NBA.
11. Houston Rockets
Sure, the Houston Rockets have the league's best offense, but the defense that's giving up 105.9 points per game is going to be a problem down the road. In fact, they've given up at least 100 points in seven of their last eight games.
Dwight Howard, James Harden and Jeremy Lin keep putting up big numbers, and they've won three of their last four games, but the defense could be the team's downfall at the end of the season.
10. Chicago Bulls
We don't have a huge sample size with the Chicago Bulls, but the fact that they have been the only team to take down the Indiana Pacers is promising.
Defensively, the Bulls are playing great basketball, allowing just 89 points per game. The offense is struggling a bit, but that's mostly because they're waiting for Derrick Rose to get back in the swing of things. He's shooting just 34.4 percent to start the season.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
A 1-3 record over their last four games isn't what the Minnesota Timberwolves had in mind after a 6-3 start to the year, but things are still looking up for this rising contender in the West.
Kevin Love is putting up MVP-like numbers, averaging 25.4 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while others like Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic are putting up plenty of points as well.
8. Dallas Mavericks
In a less demanding scoring role, Monta Ellis may have finally found the perfect fit with the Dallas Mavericks. He is scoring 23.3 points per game and shooting 49.5 percent from the field.
His addition has been a big one, and with a 5-1 record over the past six games, the team seems to be jelling together quite nicely.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder started out 5-1, but a 2-2 run has hurt the team in terms of power rankings, at least for now.
With 46.9 rebounds per game, the Thunder lead the NBA in rebounding. However, they need to find ways to make more plays on defense, as they're still giving up 102.1 points per game.
6. Golden State Warriors
Few teams are as entertaining to watch as the Golden State Warriors, and an emerging defense that's allowing just 95.6 points per contest is helping them win games.
Klay Thompson is off to a terrific start, shooting 52.5 percent and scoring 20.6 points per game. Stephen Curry continues to effectively run the offense, while the addition of Andre Iguodala has been a welcome one. He's shooting 55.7 percent and scoring 13.5 points per game.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
The talent on the Los Angeles Clippers is terrific, and they're a top-tier contender in the Western Conference once again.
Chris Paul is having such a good start that he's recorded a double-double in every single game so far, averaging 12.5 assists and 19.5 points per game. Blake Griffin is developing into a more efficient player overall, shooting 56.8 percent from the field while averaging 22.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford keep making big plays in the backcourt as well, while DeAndre Jordan rounds out what is a top-tier team in terms of talent and overall play.
4. Portland Trail Blazers
Are the Portland Trail Blazers the real deal? Through the first 12 games, it appears so.
Not only are they 10-2 and on top of their division, they're also the only team that has taken down the San Antonio Spurs. That game doesn't appear to have been a fluke, as the Blazers are riding an eight-game win streak and don't look to be slowing down anytime soon.
3. Miami Heat
No one should be surprised that the Miami Heat continue to stay near the top of the rankings. A 9-3 record has quickly quieted anyone who was panicking about their 1-2 start, and they've now won eight of their last nine games.
LeBron James keeps playing like, well, LeBron James. He's shooting a ridiculous 60.1 percent from the field and filling out the stat sheet nicely. Dwyane Wade keeps playing well when not resting, and Chris Bosh rounds out the Big Three with 16.3 points per game while shooting 57.9 percent.
With a stretch of about five games coming up against weaker opponents, the Heat seem to be in pretty good shape once again.
2. San Antonio Spurs
Even as this team gets older, the San Antonio Spurs just keep finding ways to win.
The Spurs are allowing just 89.6 points per game and have one of the best scoring differentials at 9.5 points per game. Tony Parker leads all scorers on them by quite a bit with 18.5 points per game and is shooting 53.8 percent, which is just insane for a point guard.
This looks like the same Spurs team we saw go all the way to the NBA Finals last year, but one other team could be considered better than them.
1. Indiana Pacers
When it comes down to it, no one in the NBA right now is better than the Indiana Pacers, who are 10-1 and coming off of a statement overtime win over their hated rivals, the Knicks.
Paul George continues to make a case for the MVP award this year, even if James will likely be the winner again. He's scoring 24.4 points per game while adding 6.8 rebounds and a player efficiency rating of 24.5. The starting five as a whole is terrific, with all of them scoring at least 11 points per game.
The Pacers also have the best defense in the league, allowing just 87.2 points per game. The big concern last season was their lack of bench depth, and with players like Luis Scola and C.J. Watson coming in, the Pacers have answered all of the questions this year as they try to win it all.
