We are three weeks into the NBA season, and lot of things are going as we all expected. The Bucks, Suns, Celtics, and Nuggets are all still elite teams in this league. The Donovan Mitchell trade has taken the Cavs to the next level. Giannis and Luka are sprinting ahead of the pack in the early-season MVP race. The Lakers still stink.

A lot of things, however, have surprised us. The Utah Jazz are good. The reigning NBA champions are 4-7. The Heat and Sixers are both below .500.

Power rankings are just as fun as they are controversial. No matter how good or bad your favorite team is, no fan will ever agree with where their team is ranked (unless they are #1, of course). Although we cannot guarantee that you will agree with our rankings, we firmly believe that they are the most accurate NBA power rankings out there. Enjoy!

1. Milwaukee Bucks (9-1)

Ryan: 9-1 and Khris Middleton, Joe Ingles, and Pat Connaughton have yet to play a minute. Getting a healthy Brook Lopez back into the fold is huge for this team. The big man leads the NBA in both 3 pointers made per game and blocks per game among centers. Fear the deer.

Ben: The Bucks have stampeded out to a 9-1 record, and while their schedule hasn’t been very impressive thus far, Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly has. He’s averaging 32/12/5/1/1 on 54% shooting. Jrue Holiday is aging like fine wine. Milwaukee is the undisputed top dog in the NBA right now.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-2)

Ryan: The Cavs lead the NBA with an average point differential of +10.9. The biggest reason for that? They finally have their star. The newly acquired Donovan Mitchell is averaging 31.2/4.1/6.0, making a serious case for his name belonging in the superstar conversation.

Ben: The Cavs are the most exciting team in the NBA. You want high flyers? Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen command the skies in Cleveland. You want defensive dominance? Look no further than Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro. You want fundamental two-way basketball? Darius Garland, Kevin Love, Dean Wade, and Caris LeVert have you covered. They’ve already notched two wins against the Celtics, and the vibes of this team get better and better with each passing game.

3. Boston Celtics (7-3)

Ryan: My fears about a slow start in the wake of the Ime Udoka suspension have been put to rest very quickly. Joe Mazzulla has done a phenomenal job getting these guys focused on the task at hand: winning basketball games. The scariest part about this team is that Robert Williams will make them even better on both ends of the court when he returns in the second half of the season.

Ben: Boston has put together some impressive performances, playing exceptional team basketball behind the brilliant performances of Jayson Tatum. He’s averaging 31/7/4 on an excellent 65% true shooting, and his defensive impact and versatility should not go unnoticed. This Celtics team is on a mission to avenge their Finals loss last June.

4. Phoenix Suns (7-3)

Ryan: 7-3 and the second best average point differential in the NBA. Like I said in our NBA Preview Blog, I really don’t understand why people were so low on this team coming into the season.

Ben: Phoenix’s recipe for dominant regular season basketball hasn’t reached it’s expiration date just yet. While Chris Paul is showing signs of regression, things are trending in the opposite direction for Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges. Their skillsets work in tandem efficiently and consistently, and with reigning Coach of the Year Monty Williams at the helm, the Suns are still in good shape.

5. Denver Nuggets (7-3)

Ryan: Nikola Jokic isn’t quite putting up the numbers we have become accustomed to with him but having a healthy Murray and Porter Jr. back in the mix is the reason why. Murray has been inconsistent, but he has shown signs that he is close to getting back to his NBA bubble level of play that sparked the “is Jamal Murray a superstar?” conversation.

Ben: This Nuggets offense is an absolute juggernaut. With Jokic as the focal point, Denver’s perimeter spacing knows no bounds. They’re leading the league with a 41.9% three point percentage as a team, and they’re second in the league in assists per game with 29. As long as the Joker’s supporting cast can stay healthy – particularly Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. given their recent injury history – the sky is the limit in the Mile High city.

6. Dallas Mavericks (6-3)

Ryan: Luka is at peak MVP level early in the season, averaging 36.0/8.4/8.3/1.9 steals per game. I know he carried this team to the WCF last year, but I still don’t think he currently has enough help around him to make the Mavs a serious title threat yet. They need to pick up another piece or two before the trade deadline.

Ben: It hasn’t been easy, but the Dallas Mavericks are finding ways to win. Head coach Jason Kidd promised JaVale McGee a spot in the starting five when he signed for the Mavs this offseason, but that experiment has been a complete disaster thus far. However, fellow newcomer Christian Wood has been a revelation at sixth man, headlining the best bench in the NBA thus far. The starting lineup is held together by whatever magic Luka Doncic can conjure. The Slovenian superstar is leading the NBA in scoring, posting an absurd slash line of 36/8/8 on 63% true shooting. The Mavs are on a four game win streak right now, and they’re showing signs of putting it all together to become a top-tier contender.

7. Utah Jazz (9-3)

Ryan: The Jazz are the surprise story of the NBA season thus far. They may not have a star, but they have a lot of talented guys playing with a chip on their shoulder. Lauri Markkanen is averaging 22 points and 9 rebounds per game in the early going, making him an early season frontrunner for MIP.

Ben: Who needs Victor Wembanyama? The Utah Jazz are destroying whatever plans that GM Danny Ainge may have had for a complete tank by being really good at basketball. This is a team full of castaways and misfits, guys who were left for dead by other teams around the association. They wear uniforms more ugly and simplistic than most NBA practice jerseys, they’re coached by a first year head coach, and they play in one of the smallest markets in the entire league. They also play aesthetically beautiful team basketball and refuse to be outworked on either end of the court. What a wonderfully weird team to defy all expectations and capture the attention of NBA fans everywhere.

8. Atlanta Hawks (7-3)

Ryan: This team just beat the undefeated Bucks by 20. Without Trae Young. They are really good. Mark me down as saying the Hawks can absolutely contend in the East this season.

Ben: The DejounTrae experiment is taking the NBA by storm. Trae is averaging 28/9 and Dejounte is averaging 22/8/7/2. While Trae hasn’t been as efficient as he normally is and his fit as a catch and shoot option when Dejounte is the primary ball handler is still questionable, the Hawks are still winning. Atlanta might be ready to win now.

9. Toronto Raptors (6-5)

Ryan: I’m not sure that there is a better starting 5 in basketball than VanVleet, Trent Jr., Barnes, Anunoby, and Siakam. Depth is an issue, but this starting 5 is so freaking good on both ends of the floor. Anunoby is averaging an unbelievable 3.1 steals per game in the early going.

Ben: North of the border, it’s all about defense, as they rank 6th in the NBA in defensive rating. OG Anunoby is emerging as a frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 3 steals and nearly 1 block on a nightly basis. The Raptors roster is full of length, led by Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes. Siakam is having a career year, averaging 25/9/8 on relatively efficient shooting splits, and the reigning Rookie of the Year has picked up where he left off with some impressive performances. Fred VanVleet is battling a back issue, but even when he’s not firing on all cylinders, the Raptors are still a very good team who are playing better than their record currently suggests.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (7-4)

Ryan: Desmond Bane has taken another step forward early this season, averaging 23.5 points on 46% 3-point shooting. This team, however, is sorely missing the shot blocking and perimeter shooting abilities of Jaren Jackson Jr.

Ben: Ja Morant is still utterly spectacular, Desmond Bane is taking another leap, but the Grizzlies have some issues they need to fix if they want to have another amazing regular season. JJJ’s long-term injury is a major blow to the Grizzlies’ defense, as they’re 21st in defensive rating thus far. A contender of Memphis’ stature shouldn’t have to rely so much on inexperienced players such as Santi Aldama, John Konchar, David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, and Kennedy Chandler (the latter three of which are all rookies). The Grizzlies might just be a weaker team than they were last season.

11. New Orleans Pelicans (5-5)

Ryan: This team is really deep and really fun to watch. When Zion and Ingram both play, this team is tough to beat. But can those two stay on the court? Through 10 games, Zion has already missed 2 and Ingram 4.

Ben: The Pelicans are just as fun as they are inconsistent. Zion, Ingram, and CJ are all averaging over 20 points per game, and there is young talent at just about every position on the team. This team can compete in the present and in the future, but New Orleans has to find some consistency (they just lost to the lowly Pacers) if they are to separate themselves from the rest of a stacked Western Conference.

12. Golden State Warriors (4-7)

Ryan: Steph Curry is averaging 33 points on 51/43/93 percent shooting splits. On top of that, he’s averaging 7 boards and 7 assists per game. Curry is playing at an MVP level right now, and yet the Warriors are just 4-7. Everyone around Curry needs to pick it up and give their guy some support.

Ben: The Golden State Warriors are having a classic case of championship hangover. Their bench has been atrocious to start the season without the consistent veteran presences of Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. to guide them. The young guys (Wiseman, Moody, and Kuminga) aren’t ready to fill that void yet, and it doesn’t help that the veteran starters (Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney) are seeing their performances decline as well. The only consistent source of production for the Warriors has been Steph Curry, who is averaging career highs in PPG and RPG so far this season. It seems unlikely that the Warriors will continue to be this bad moving forward, but stranger things have happened.

13. Portland Trail Blazers (7-3)

Ryan: I’m still very unsure what the plan is in Portland. With vets like Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, and Jerami Grant, the Blazers are going to be good enough to contend for a playoff spot, but they have no title hopes. So, they will get another middle of the first-round draft pick. Great. Congrats on your awesome start, but anything outside of blowing it up and fully rebuilding is a disappointment in my eyes. Blow it up and let Simons run the show. See if he can be the center of the rebuild or not. This team is stuck in mediocrity.

Ben: The Trail Blazers are pretty weird, pretty fun, and pretty good. Damian Lillard has missed four games due to injury already, but he has been at his best in the games that he has played. However, this isn’t the same team as other iterations of Lillard’s Blazers. Portland is 10th in defensive rating, and the addition of Jerami Grant has been a big reason why. On a different note, Anfernee Simons has proven himself to be a consistent source of offense, and he essentially operates as the new CJ McCollum alongside Dame. With some exciting role players making some meaningful contributions thus far, Portland could be in for a fruitful season if they are able to sustain their early success.

14. Chicago Bulls (6-6)

Ryan: Much like the Blazers, the Bulls are another team stuck in mediocrity. With a prize like Victor Wembanyama waiting, it’s shocking to me the number of teams that don’t have a future that are okay fighting for a 7-10 seed. The Bulls are a first-round playoff exit team if I have ever seen one. But hey, at least they’ll make the playoffs.

Ben: Stifling defense, inconsistent offense in Chi-town. DeMar DeRozan has gone back and forth between red hot and ice cold to start the season, while Zach LaVine has missed a few games due to load management. Ayo Dosunmu is taking another leap, putting him on track for a long, prosperous career as a do-it-all guard, but his improvement is a direct result of Lonzo Ball’s long term injury. The Bulls have role players who are productive enough, and the team in general is good enough for the play-in tournament, but they probably don’t have the ceiling to be a true contender at season’s end.

15. Philadelphia 76ers (5-6)

Ryan: Joel Embiid has already missed 4 games this season and James Harden is in a walking boot. But I am not the least bit worried about this team. Tyrese Maxey is scoring 24 a night and shooting 42% from deep. I still believe that this team will be in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ben: The Sixers are way too talented to not figure it out. Tyrese Maxey is taking another leap in his young career, and Joel Embiid getting back to full health will be a big boost for this struggling team. It’s too early to overreact in Philly, but their fans probably will anyway.

16. Los Angeles Clippers (6-5)

Ryan: What in the world is going on in LA? This season was supposed to be about the return of Kawhi. Instead, he is now without a timetable to return. Something doesn’t add up.

Ben: Kawhi Leonard has played just 2 games this season, and despite the fact that he was supposedly healthy to start the season, the load management scheme has turned into an unspecified timetable for the Clippers superstar swingman. Paul George is playing very well, John Wall’s return to action has been very fun, and Ivica Zubac is steadily improving (especially on defense), but without Kawhi, this team is play-in caliber. They need to figure this out before another season is lost for a franchise that’s been in “all-in” mode.

17. Miami Heat (4-7)

Ryan: I think the slow start shows just how valuable guys like PJ Tucker actually are. I am, however, not the least bit worried about this team. They’ll end up as a 4-6 seed and be a really tough out in the playoffs. I would like to see them add a legitimate PF at the deadline to really bolster their roster. Maybe the buyout market will help with that?

Ben: There’s legitimate cause for concern in Miami. The big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro are their typical selves, but the rest of the team is far from it. With the exception of Max Strus, the Heat’s role players are nowhere to be found. Kyle Lowry in particular is regressing with each passing game. With many bloated contracts on the roster, it will take a lot of work by the Heat’s front office to fix this team before it’s too late.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-6)

Ryan: The Timberwolves went all-in to get Rudy. This was a make or break move for the franchise, and the early results are dismal. This roster is made up of guys who excel at playing a 5-out, high pace offense. Instead, Anthony Edwards is greeted by 3 defenders every time he drives because Rudy Gobert is always clogging up the paint. Can head coach Chris Finch figure out how to make this all work? I’m sure he can, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t worried.

Ben: The Minnesota Timberwolves are the worst offense in the entire NBA with Rudy Gobert on the floor, and the 3rd best offense in the league with him off the floor. His fit in the Wolves frontcourt next to Karl-Anthony Towns is dubious to say the least. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards looks out of shape and disengaged. Quite frankly, this team needs to get it together.

19. Brooklyn Nets (4-7)

Ryan: For two years now, I have defended the Nets and believed that they would eventually figure it out. I’m done believing in this train wreck of an organization. I have just three words to say to the Nets: FREE CAM THOMAS!

Ben: The Nets are a total circus. Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, and Joe Tsai are embarrassing excuses for “professionals” in their respective roles for a lot of reasons I won’t get into here. This is a team without a head coach, without a properly constructed roster, and without a winning identity on or off the court. The vibes are bad in Brooklyn.

20. New York Knicks (5-5)

Ryan: The Knicks aren’t going anywhere. Their “big 3” of Brunson, RJ, and Randle is not good, and this team has very little depth/talent around those 3. Coach Thibs refuses to let Obi Toppin play bigger minutes. He’s averaging 10.8 points on 50/42/100 percent shooting, but he’s playing just 17 minutes a night as a result of his head coach’s stubbornness. The young man is on fire, so let him show what he’s got!

Ben: The Knicks are perfectly average. A .500 record with a +0.0 point differential. 16th in offense rating, 16th in defense rating, 15th in strength of schedule. Jalen Brunson is proving why he earned the big bucks this past summer, and Julius Randle is enjoying a good season so far in spite of his haters, but RJ Barrett needs to step up and be a star if the Knicks are to be anything special this season.

21. Indiana Pacers (5-5)

Ryan: I cannot believe how good Bennedict Mathurin has been. He’d finish second in ROY voting if the season were to end today. I knew the kid had talent, but I didn’t expect this kind of immediate impact.

Ben: Tyrese Haliburton has ascended his play to an all-star level, averaging 22/10/5. He’s also posting 64% true shooting including 46% from beyond the arc on nearly 7 three point attempts per night. The Pacers kicked off their rebuild at the trade deadline a mere 9 months ago, but their young core of Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin is already very strong. The future is bright in Indiana.

22. Washington Wizards (5-6)

Ryan: If the NBA wanted to create a definition of what a play-in team is, it would be the 2022-23 Washington Wizards!

Ben: Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma are both healthy, and they’re both putting up great numbers on offense. That’s the extent of my praise for this painfully mediocre franchise.

23. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-6)

Ryan: I came into the season knowing how good Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is. I had him as a borderline superstar. He’s even better than I thought. I have seen enough, SGA is a superstar in this league.

Ben: SGA and Lu Dort are untouchable pieces of the Thunder’s rebuild, but we’ve known this since last season. Josh Giddey is battling a foot injury and Chet Holmgren is out for the season, so I’m interested to see which of the massive young crop can step up and add their name to the Thunder’s aforementioned list of untouchable players.

24. Los Angeles Lakers (2-8)

Ryan: I knew this team wasn’t good, but I thought that they would at least contend for a play-in spot. Nope. They suck. Frank Vogel was a scape goat. Darvin Ham will soon suffer the same fate. This roster is putrid. Gregg Popovich couldn’t even make this team successful.

Ben: Rob Pelinka and the rest of the Lakers front office deserves endless scrutiny for blowing up the roster which won it all in 2020. The roster they’ve constructed around LeBron and AD since then has been an embarrassment, and even with Russell Westbrook thriving in his role as sixth man, the Lakers aren’t good enough to make the play-in, never mind contend in the Western Conference. Is this really how LeBron is spending his final few years in the NBA? Pathetic.

25. Sacramento Kings (3-6)

Ryan: I still can’t believe the Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton.

Ben: It may be early in the season, but the Kings have been on the wrong end of some absolutely atrocious refereeing which has cost them a handful of wins already. Deja vu to 2002. I’m sorry, Kings fans.

26. San Antonio Spurs (5-6)

Ryan: The fact that *this team* is 5-6 is even further proof that Gregg Popovich is the greatest coach of all-time.

Ben: Keldon Johnson deserves way more attention. He’s averaging 24/5/4/1 on 49/45/84 shooting splits, and the fact that he’s managed to be this efficient with an awful supporting cast speaks volumes about his ever-improving skillset. I fully expect him to be snubbed when it’s time to pick the All-Star team.

27. Charlotte Hornets (3-8)

Ryan: Is LaMelo ever going to play? At the start of the season, he was set to miss a week. We are now 3 weeks into the season, and he has yet to play a single minute. This is starting to feel like the Zion situation from a year ago all over again.

Ben: Just blow it up and tank already, Charlotte. This team isn’t going anywhere and there’s way too many veterans hogging minutes for my liking. At least Hornets fans have Dennis Smith Jr.’s resurgence to feel good about right now.

28. Orlando Magic (2-9)

Ryan: Paolo Banchero is unbelievable, but my favorite part of this Magic team is that they are unleashing Bol Bol. With their unlimited supply of raw talent and length, Orlando has proven themselves to be a must-watch League Pass team.

Ben: I knew Paolo Banchero was the best player in his draft class, but for him to be this dominant this quickly was something I didn’t expect. He’s thrown the learning curve out the window, and while his production can be attributed in part to the offensive volume that comes with playing for a horrible team, Paolo is absolutely the real deal.

29. Houston Rockets (2-9)

Ryan: The good news? Jalen Green and Alperen Se ngun have both been awesome. The bad news? Jabari Smith Jr. has been putrid. But hey, it’s still really early, so he’ll probably be fine in the long run.

Ben: In his second season in the NBA (9 games played, 6 starts) Alperen Sengun is averaging 17/10/2 on 64.5% true shooting. If that slash line holds, he’ll join an elite group of players to have finished a season averaging 17/10/2 on at least 64% true shooting: Nikola Jokic, Charles Barkley, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Sengun absolutely belongs in the MIP conversation.

30. Detroit Pistons (3-8)

Ryan: Can Cade Cunningham develop a consistent three-point jumper? If he can even shoot in the 35% neighborhood, this kid is going to be really special. The Pistons are too young to make real noise, but they’re worth keeping an eye on for the future.

Ben: Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are absolutely electric young players. The efficiency isn’t really there yet for either of them, but they’re both showing flashes of their All-Star potential at a really early stage in their NBA careers.

Which teams are ranked too low? Which are ranked too high?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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Authors: Ben Pawlak and Ryan Macdonald

Published: 11/9/22 at 3:00pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.

“NBA.com.” The Official Site of the NBA for the Latest NBA Scores, Stats & News. | NBA.com, https://www.nba.com/.

Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com – Basketball Statistics and History. https://www.basketball-reference.com/. 7 February 2022.

StatMuse, https://www.statmuse.com/.