The NBA season is just a month old, and it's already delivered the remarkable and unprecedented. We've already seen five 50-point games, five game-winning buzzer-beaters, one of the best rookie classes in recent memory and three times in the ballpark of the best scoring differential in NBA history. And with a slew of potential star trades on the horizon, the chaos could just be beginning.
Here's our assessment of how each NBA team stacks up, plus some notes on a historic MVP race that has turned out to be about a lot more than a trophy.
NBA Power Rankings, Week 4
TEAM | RECORD | LAST WEEK |
|---|---|---|
1. Oklahoma City Thunder | 14-1 | 1 |
2. Denver Nuggets | 10-3 | 2 |
3. Detroit Pistons | 12-2 | 3 |
4. Houston Rockets | 9-3 | 4 |
5. Cleveland Cavaliers | 10-5 | 8 |
6. San Antonio Spurs | 9-4 | 5 |
7. Los Angeles Lakers | 10-4 | 7 |
8. Minnesota Timberwolves | 9-5 | 10 |
9. Toronto Raptors | 9-5 | 16 |
10. Atlanta Hawks | 9-5 | 18 |
11. New York Knicks | 8-5 | 6 |
12. Miami Heat | 8-6 | 11 |
13. Golden State Warriors | 9-6 | 15 |
14. Philadelphia 76ers | 8-5 | 12 |
15. Phoenix Suns | 8-6 | 20 |
16. Boston Celtics | 7-7 | 17 |
17. Orlando Magic | 7-7 | 19 |
18. Portland Trail Blazers | 6-7 | 14 |
19. Chicago Bulls | 7-6 | 9 |
20. Milwaukee Bucks | 8-7 | 13 |
21. Utah Jazz | 5-8 | 25 |
22. Charlotte Hornets | 4-10 | 21 |
23. Memphis Grizzlies | 4-10 | 24 |
24. LA Clippers | 4-10 | 22 |
25. Sacramento Kings | 3-11 | 23 |
26. Dallas Mavericks | 4-11 | 27 |
27. Brooklyn Nets | 2-11 | 29 |
28. New Orleans Pelicans | 2-12 | 28 |
29. Indiana Pacers | 1-13 | 26 |
30. Washington Wizards | 1-12 | 30 |
Why aren't the Lakers ranked higher?
The Lakers are ranked No. 7 in our power rankings, despite sitting above the Cavs and Spurs in the actual NBA standings. They're sitting in the same slot they were in last week, despite doing 2-1 in the past seven days. What gives?
The answer comes down to margin of victory and the level of competition. The Lakers have the fifth-best win percentage in the league so far but rank 16th in Net Rating, only outscoring opponents by an average of 1.6 points per 100 possessions, about the same as the Warriors and Magic. Their record looks much better than their overall statistical profile because they're 5-0 in close games so far this year. Luka Dončić and their insane free throw differential mean they'll probably continue to be one of the best clutch teams in the league, but it's unlikely they stay perfect.
When you include the fact that they're just 4-3 against teams that are currently in playoff position, you see a team that is good but not ready to be included in the top tier with teams like the Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets and Pistons.
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It's time to start taking the Raptors seriously
We've covered the Raptors' resurgence recently, both the unexpected chemistry between RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes and their status as a legit contender for a top-four seed in the East. Here are the Cliff Notes:
- They're one of only five teams in the top-10 in offensive and defensive efficiency — Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets and Rockets are the other four.
- They've been doing this even with Ingram and Barrett shooting terribly from beyond the arc, a trend that's unlikely to continue.
- They're tied with the Thunder for the best bench Net-Rating in the NBA.
- They've already beaten several East contenders like the Hawks (twice), Cavs (twice) and Bucks.
- The vibes are immaculate.
I don't know think they're ready for a Finals run, and they wouldn't actually scare any of the best teams in the West. But they're trending in the right direction, and they absolutely have the potential to create chaos in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić are taking the Best Player Alive race to new heights
Last week, we talked about the potential for a historic five-way NBA MVP race between SGA, Jokić, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo — 2011-12 was the last season when more than three different players received a first-place MVP vote. Injuries to Wemby and Giannis may, unfortunately, knock them out of the race, but it's possible that SGA and Jokić make those injuries moot anyway.
SGA is a career 35.7 percent 3-point shooter, but he's hit 38.7 so far this season, and turning just two of his 54 misses into makes would push him over 40 percent. That is to say, a 30-point, 50/40/90 season is very much in play for him. In case you forgot, the last (and only) player to pull that off was Steph Curry in 2015-16, when he became the first unanimous MVP in league history. With the Thunder off to a 14-1 start and outscoring opponents by 15.5 points per 100 possessions, he has the team success to recreate the other key piece of Curry's case that season.
And then there is Jokić. ALSO in the ballpark of a 30-point, 50/40/90 season, with his 85.7 free throw percentage as the biggest barrier. He's put up a 74.2 true shooting percentage so far, is leading the league in both assists and rebounds, and threatening to join Russell Westbrook as the only players to average a 30-point triple-double for the entire season. In case you forgot, Westbrook had a 55.4 true shooting percentage that season, nearly 20 percentage points below Jokić, and he still won MVP by a wide margin.
Luka Dončić is still lurking, and Giannis and Wemby still have a cushion before the 65-games-player threshold for awards comes into play. But right now we're watching two all-time greats putting up two of the greatest seasons in NBA history.