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NBA Power Rankings: Memphis Grizzlies Cool As Ja Morant Drama Heats Up
With a couple weeks of NBA action under our belts, we now have a lot more information to sift through for the power rankings.
A handful of teams are already exceeding expectations, while others may have their fingers over the panic button. It's early, but there are already clear signs indicating where some teams will wind up.
In addition to those signs, we'll sort the entire league by the same criteria that has guided us for years: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.
30. Washington Wizards (1-7)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -15.8
The young, rebuilding Washington Wizards have been absolutely dreadful this season. That net rating is the worst in the league.
However, no reasonable observer of the NBA could have expected anything different from this group. This roster boasts nine players on their rookie contracts. Individual progress is far more important than wins and losses.
And second-year big man Alexandre Sarr is giving them plenty of progress to analyze.
Despite his team losing his minutes big, he is averaging 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 blocks, while shooting 45.5 percent from deep.
After a ho-hum rookie campaign, Sarr is showing enough to suggest he might develop into a real star. If we're still feeling that in the spring, this campaign will have been a success.
29. Brooklyn Nets (1-7)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -12.3
Michael Porter Jr. showed up for Wednesday's matchup against the injury-plagued Indiana Pacers with a fresh haircut, took 20 shots, scored 32 points and finally got the Brooklyn Nets off the 2025-26 schneid with a 112-103 victory.
The bigger story, though, may be the complete lack of impact from the five first-round picks Brooklyn took in the 2025 draft.
On Wednesday, Egor Demin played 13 minutes, went 0-of-6 from the field and didn't score a point. He's now averaging 5.3 points and hitting just 33.3 of his shots. Meanwhile, Drake Powell is out with an ankle injury and Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré have all been assigned to the Nets' G League affiliate.
If these five are truly bad enough that they can't get on the floor in a season that will almost certainly end with a trip to the lottery, the Nets could have a problem.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (2-6)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -12.6
It's going to take more than this little two-game winning streak over the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks to see this New Orleans Pelicans campaign as something other than a potential disaster.
It looks like they'll have a good shot at winning the lottery, but their 2026 first-round pick is headed to the Atlanta Hawks, thanks to the trade that landed Derik Queen in New Orleans.
There's at least a glimmer of hope here, though, thanks to the same young player who's often mentioned in descriptions of the disaster.
In the two wins, Queen averaged 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in just 21.9 minutes. He showed off feel for the game and a little playmaking upside. And while it's too early to say he's a future star or anything like that, it does look like there's some upside to uncover.
27. Utah Jazz (3-5)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -4.5
Lauri Markkanen is averaging 30.4 points, so he's understandably gotten most of the (limited) national attention directed at the Utah Jazz, but third-year guard Keyonte George may be the biggest story for this team right now.
After falling out of the starting five in 2024-25, George has seized control of his spot this season, with averages of 22.6 points and 7.9 assists and a much firmer grasp on the offense.
It's still far from a certainty that Utah has found a single sure-fire future star in the last few drafts (this year's No. 5 pick, Ace Bailey, is averaging just 5.1 points), but George is starting to look like a long-term rotation player.
For a team in the middle of a rebuild, that's a big deal.
26. Indiana Pacers (1-7)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -8.3
This Indiana Pacers season has become a borderline tragedy.
As if Tyrese Haliburton going down with a ruptured Achilles in the 2025 NBA Finals wasn't bad enough, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell and Johnny Furphy have all joined him on the injury report.
While everyone but Haliburton figures to be back in the next few weeks, Indiana could be in a real deep hole by the time it has any semblance of a rotation.
Being in the Eastern Conference helps. A win total in the mid-30s could be good enough for a play-in spot. But having to think about climbing the standings this early in the campaign is far from ideal.
25. Dallas Mavericks (2-6)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -6.9
There probably won't be a point when we can call the Dallas Mavericks a full-fledged disaster. Being blessed with the No. 1 overall pick, despite entering the lottery with a 1.8 percent chance to get it, keeps that off the table.
However, every fear that just about every reasonable NBA fan or analyst had in the immediate aftermath of the Luka Dončić trade is proving justified.
Anthony Davis is hurt (as he often was with the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers). Dallas' bigs aren't as productive without one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history to set them up. The Mavericks aren't getting as many quality looks generated outside, either.
A lot of that has to do with Cooper Flagg starting at the point, despite playing forward throughout high school and college. And while that might help the team and Flagg in the long run, it's been terrible for the Mavs' short-term prospects.
The rookie is averaging 14.4 points, 2.8 assists and 2.1 turnovers, while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 29.0 percent from deep.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (3-6)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -5.8
This week, the Memphis Grizzlies went 0-4, suspended Ja Morant for a game for conduct detrimental to the team and got multiple mercurial postgame press conferences from the longtime face of the franchise.
To make matters worse, Morant is shooting 38.3 percent from the field and 14.0 percent from three. With the way he's playing now, and with some consideration for his history of suspensions and injuries, it's hard to imagine him having much (if any) trade value.
Even if the Grizzlies did want a reboot, that probably prevents this from being the moment to go for it.
23. Charlotte Hornets (3-5)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: 0.1
In time, the Charlotte Hornets' top-10 offense will likely be overshadowed by its bottom-five defense. The losses are already piling up, and another year of looking up at the play-in crowd could be on the way.
However, No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel is giving Hornets fans something to look forward to, even in a campaign that will probably end earlier than most.
After going for 20 points in Tuesday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the rookie is up to 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 41.0 percent from deep.
At the very least, Knueppel looks like a steady-handed shooter and secondary playmaker who can smooth out just about any offense. At best, Charlotte has a legitimate point forward who can handle the volume going up on his passing and is capable of taking some pressure off LaMelo Ball.
22. Sacramento Kings (3-5)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -3.1
It took the entirety of the offseason for him to be signed, but Russell Westbrook is rewarding the Sacramento Kings for taking a chance on him.
Westbrook turns 37 this month, but he's still playing with more energy than any other King. Their net rating is 3.0 points better when he's on the floor. And in Wednesday's win, he notched a triple-double (only seven players have done so at a higher age).
There are still plenty of questions about the roster construction here. The Zach LaVine-DeMar DeRozan pairing didn't work for the Chicago Bulls. It's proved difficult to build a high-level defense around Domantas Sabonis. And following a bit of a production plateau from Keegan Murray, it's hard to point to a single member of the young core with star upside.
However, as long as Sacramento has the raw talent at the top of the roster and Westbrook approaching every regular-season game like it's the Finals, the Kings should be able to hang around the play-in range of the standings.
21. Phoenix Suns (4-5)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -1.6
Jalen Green appeared in his first game for the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. And while it came against the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers (missing both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden), the victory offered a glimpse of the Suns' blueprint for competitiveness.
Green and Devin Booker, who combined for 53 points in the win, can provide the firepower, while much of the rest of the roster brings the defense and grit.
The formula also worked earlier in the week against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, and that was before Green even came back.
Mark Williams is a solid defensive anchor, and Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen both bring plenty of effort to the less glamorous end of the floor.
All of the above won't lead to contention any time soon, but it is starting to feel like there's enough talent here to at least hang around the play-in mix.
20. Orlando Magic (3-5)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -1.5
The Orlando Magic are slowly working their way back from a 1-4 start, but frustration boiled over during Tuesday's blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Whether Desmond Bane's struggles (he's shooting just 30.3 percent from deep) contributed to that over-the-top foul would be a question for him, but there's no doubt they're a part of Orlando's generally slow start.
The Magic paid an NBA fortune (four first-round picks and another first-round pick swap on top of that) for him to help with the team's biggest weakness (lack of three-point shooting), and it's opened the season at just 33.3 percent.
If he and Paolo Banchero (24.2 percent) don't start hitting from behind the arc soon, it's going to be tough for Orlando to keep up with many opponents.
19. Toronto Raptors (4-4)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: 2.4
Thanks to a 3-0 week that included wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors are back to .500. And the vision for their top trio is becoming clearer.
Brandon Ingram (21.1 points on 54.5 percent shooting), Scottie Barnes (20.9 on 51.2 percent shooting) and RJ Barrett (20.8 on 55.4 percent shooting) are all over 20 points per game and have hit at least half their shot attempts. All three are also averaging at least 3.5 assists.
When they share the floor, the initiation, whether for themselves or others, can come from just about anywhere. That dynamism has defenses on their heels. Right now, the Raptors are tied for fifth in points per 100 possessions.
18. Atlanta Hawks (4-4)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -0.9
The Atlanta Hawks had a solid 2-1 week to get back to .500, and the obvious takeaway is who they did it without.
In the first win, Trae Young went down with a knee injury (later diagnosed as a sprained MCL), and the starting lineup without him is heavy on defensive talent.
For most of his career, the Hawks have been better with Young on the floor, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porziņģis can all be plus defenders at their position.
And if head coach Quin Snyder can piece together a ball-is-popping offense that relies a little more on team passing than Young's heliocentrism, Atlanta should be able to survive his absence (which could last a few more weeks).
17. Boston Celtics (4-5)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: 4.3
Wild net rating swings are one of the fun quirks in the early portion of an NBA season.
The Boston Celtics are below .500 and have a 27-point loss to the Houston Rockets under their belt, but they still have a top-10 net rating, thanks to a pair of drubbings against two of the worst teams in the league.
A week and a half ago, Boston beat the New Orleans Pelicans by 32. And on Wednesday, they wiped out the Washington Wizards by 29.
In the latter blowout, Jaylen Brown went for 35 points and raised his average to 27.7 for the season.
As long as he and the Celtics keep taking matchups against inferior opponents seriously, they should remain in the mix for a play-in spot.
16. Miami Heat (4-4)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 4.5
The Miami Heat, who were already without Tyler Herro, lost Bam Adebayo to a foot injury in Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. And if he has to miss much time, the Heat will have a hard time staying at .500.
However, this team's unique, revamped approach to offense, in combination with the effort everyone is bringing on both ends of the floor, has made Miami one of this season's more fun stories.
The Heat are relying heavily on the one-on-one scoring ability of everyone on the roster. They're almost never running pick-and-rolls, instead clearing out for whoever has the ball, letting him drive and relocating around him for potential kickouts.
The results have been great for Norman Powell (23.2 points and a 51.7 three-point percentage) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17.4 points and 4.3 assists). And if they keep producing like this once Herro and Adebayo are back, Miami will have a shot to finish above the play-in.
15. Los Angeles Clippers (3-5)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: -4.7
The Los Angeles Clippers again entered the season as a supposed contender, but it's already fair to wonder if their expectations need a little recalibration.
Kawhi Leonard is already missing games, this time with an ankle injury. And the supporting cast, while talented, has just looked old in multiple outings this season.
It was easy to write off the opening-night blowout loss to the Utah Jazz as the team still treating the game as the preseason, but it's been a step behind each of its younger opponents (the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns) in this current three-game losing streak.
It's fair to hang onto the upside with this group. And the Clippers closed 2024-25 on a 15-2 run. But this veteran-laden roster is going to have to string together a few wins before we can put them anywhere near the contenders' tier again.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (5-3)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: 3.3
After beating the reigning champion and then-undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, the Portland Trail Blazers are on pace for 50 wins and have two of this season's most dramatic comeback victories.
And what's even more striking is that those two wins came against potentially the two best teams in the West (the Denver Nuggets being the other).
This team is athletic, young, gritty and getting a legitimate star breakout from Deni Avdija.
Through eight games, the versatile forward is averaging 24.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 33.4 minutes.
13. Philadelphia 76ers (5-3)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 4.1
Things are still generally looking good up for the Philadelphia 76ers, but following up their 4-0 start with this 1-3 stretch is a bit of a reality check. And Joel Embiid's level of play on his current minutes restriction probably should be, too.
Right now, the Sixers are significantly better (by net points per 100 possessions) when Embiid is off the floor, and Tuesday's loss was a vivid example of why.
Despite building a 24-point lead against the Chicago Bulls, Philly lost on a last-second three from Nikola Vučević, and Embiid was 1-of-10 in the second half.
At least for now, while he's still getting back into regular-season shape, Embiid is having a hard time keeping up with Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. And he can't seem to get his legs right under his jumpers.
As long as he's on this minutes restriction, the 76ers might even want to think about saving him for second halves. Give him a good warmup at halftime, let him cook in the third and fourth quarters and don't give him quite enough time for those legs to get too heavy.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-4)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: -2.2
Anthony Edwards returned from a four-game absence on Wednesday, but that wasn't enough to get the Minnesota Timberwolves' dreadfully (and surprisingly) bad defense back on track.
The healthier T-Wolves surrendered 137 points in a loss to the New York Knicks and now have the fourth worst defense in the league.
For a team with Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and Edwards, that's alarming. And if Minnesota can't figure out how to seal some of the cracks on that end, we might be able to count out one of the preseason's supposed contenders (or fringe contenders).
11. Detroit Pistons (6-2)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 4.6
The Detroit Pistons went undefeated this week. And though each of the wins in this four-game streak were against sub-.500 teams, you still get some credit for taking care of business against weaker opponents.
Regardless of who's in front of him, Jalen Duren is also doing more than enough to establish himself as a bona fide No. 2 alongside Cade Cunningham.
During the streak, he has a game with 33 points and another with 22 rebounds. For the season, his averages are up to 17.0 and 11.4. And he's looking more and more like one of the game's most dynamic rim-runners.
As long as the two-man game with him and Cunningham is clicking, Detroit is going to be a tough out.
10. Chicago Bulls (6-1)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: 4.7
It might be time to start taking the Chicago Bulls seriously. Not as a title contender, but certainly as a team that can finish in the East's top six.
On Tuesday, Chicago found itself down to the similarly hot Philadelphia 76ers by a whopping 24 points. But the Bulls were relentless. They just kept running. They never folded on defense.
Thanks in large part to a 29-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist performance from Josh Giddey, they chipped away enough to give themselves a shot to win the game at the buzzer.
And Nikola Vučević delivered.
Few, if any, teams are playing with the energy Chicago has right now. And if it keeps this up much longer, the catalyst for Tuesday's comeback is going to start showing up on MVP leaderboards.
Through seven games, Giddey is averaging an eye-popping 23.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists, while shooting 41.9 percent from three.
9. Golden State Warriors (5-4)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 2.7
The Golden State Warriors got off to a hot start, but they've lost three of their last four and are starting to show some signs of age.
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have now all missed games. And for portions of the recent losses, they've looked a step slower than their opponents.
Things aren't too gloomy, though. Some of the young core looks a little better than expected, which should help the team keep Curry, Butler and Green fresh into the spring and summer.
Jonathan Kuminga is averaging 17.2 points and 3.1 assists. Moses Moody is averaging 13.0 points and shooting 51.2 percent from deep. And after dropping 30 in Wednesday's loss to the Sacramento Kings, rookie Will Richard is averaging 9.1 points.
8. Milwaukee Bucks (5-3)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 0.9
It's safe to say the "Giannis Antetokounmpo and shooters" model should make the Milwaukee Bucks better than many expected, and it helped lead them to an emotionally charged win over the Indiana Pacers this week.
However, it also means that bad shooting nights could doom them.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee went 11-of-38 from deep, which led to a 28-point loss to the then-below-.500 Toronto Raptors.
Giannis will be an MVP candidate (again). And the Bucks should threaten 50 regular-season wins, but two or three bad nights from the outside could be tough to overcome in a seven-game series, even for Antetokounmpo.
7. San Antonio Spurs (5-2)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 7.1
After starting the season 5-0, the San Antonio Spurs proved human this week, going 0-2 and finally getting some ho-hum performances from Victor Wembanyama.
During this little losing streak, Wemby is putting up 14.0 points and shooting 32.1 percent from the field.
The lull is nothing to be alarmed over. He is still a couple months shy of his 22nd birthday, and we've yet to see him on the floor with De'Aaron Fox this season.
At the very least, though, the star and his team showing signs of youth should probably have us a bit more cautious about proclaiming the Spurs contenders.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (7-2)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 2.6
Luka Dončić has missed four games. Austin Reaves has missed two. LeBron James has yet to make his season debut. And yet, the Los Angeles Lakers just had a 4-0 week and are just a game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the loss column for first place in the West.
The reason for the success is primarily the firepower being provided by Dončić and Reaves, though Deandre Ayton and his 17.5 points deserve a nod.
The sample sizes are small, but when Luka plays without Reaves, he's averaging 39.4 points per 75 possessions, while Reaves is putting up 36.6 per 75 possessions without Dončić.
It looks like as long as either is available, L.A. will have a puncher's chance against just about anyone.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-3)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 1.4
Despite Darius Garland only appearing in one game so far and Jarrett Allen being in and out of the lineup, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still on pace for 50 wins. And Donovan Mitchell's underappreciated, superstar-level play, is the biggest reason why.
After dropping 46 points on 15-of-21 shooting (an absurd shooting line for a 6'2" guard), Mitchell is averaging 31.9 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 threes, while shooting 45.5 percent from deep.
As the rest of the Cavs start to get healthy and filter back into the starting lineup with him, Cleveland should start stacking together wins.
4. New York Knicks (5-3)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 5.6
It took a little time for the New York Knicks to look like they had any kind of rhythm under new coach Mike Brown, but they may have found it this week.
After a road loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, they handed those same Bulls their first loss of the season on Sunday. Then, they got a tune-up game against the rebuilding Washington Wizards. And on Wednesday, they dropped 137 in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
New York is averaging 128.0 points during this streak, and it had six players in double figures in the latest win.
Brown came with the promise of a bit more varied, egalitarian offense, and we're starting to see that now.
3. Denver Nuggets (5-2)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 10.3
We've officially reached the "we might be taking this guy for granted" phase of Nikola Jokić's career. Tim Duncan went through it. LeBron James certainly did. Even Stephen Curry (though maybe to a lesser extent) did.
Now, Jokić has his Denver Nuggets two late meltdowns away from an undefeated start to the campaign, despite Cameron Johnson looking nowhere near his pre-Nuggets self, Christian Braun struggling to recreate last season's production and Jamal Murray shooting cold for most of this past week.
And while most of the NBA's fans and analysts are understandably talking about Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Dončić winning MVP, the man with three of those awards is quietly averaging 24.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, 12.0 assists and 2.3 steals.
2. Houston Rockets (5-2)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 12.3
After starting the season 0-2, the Houston Rockets have now rattled off five straight wins. And the scariest (for the rest of the league) may have happened on Wednesday.
Despite leading scorer Kevin Durant going 5-of-18 from the field and scoring just 11 points, the Rockets pounded the Memphis Grizzlies, 124-109. And though the Grizzlies are a mess right now, you'd think holding KD to that kind of line would give you a chance to win.
It didn't, because Houston's roster is absolutely loaded after Durant.
Amen Thompson went for 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Alperen Şengün added 20 points, 16 boards and seven assists of his own. And four others reached double figures.
With an aggressive, long and athletic defense and this balanced attack, the Rockets have looked about as good as anyone (but the top team) to start this season.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-1)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 11.9
The Oklahoma City Thunder ended the week with their first loss of the season, but it came on the road against a feisty Portland Trail Blazers squad and without Jalen Williams (who's yet to have his 2025-26 debut) and Chet Holmgren.
And even with all that working against them, the Thunder only lost by two and are still on pace for 73 wins this season.
Will OKC slow down at some point? Probably. There's only one 73-win team in NBA history, but there's also reason to believe the Thunder can still get better over the coming months.
Williams will be back eventually. Holmgren, Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell are all years away from their primes.
The Thunder tying the all-time record for wins in a season may not be a safe bet, but it's not ludicrous, either.
.jpg?w=600 "Wild Lottery Simulation 🫨")
