30. Utah Jazz (2-9)
Previous Week Ranking: 30th
Utah is heading into this week following a 1-point win over the San Antonio Spurs. Wins do not come easy for the Jazz and you can already see teams lining up to inquire about trades for Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, and Lauri Markkanen.

29. Washington Wizards (2-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 29th
The nation’s capital is buzzing with the aftermath of the 2024 Presidential Election. Combine that with the success of the Washington Commanders and almost no one in the city or anywhere in the USA cares about the Wizards. I will say the Poole and Kuzma show is kind of entertaining if you want to tune in to a game on League Pass.

28. Philadelphia 76ers (2-7)
Previous Week Ranking: 27th
It’s curtains in Philadelphia, just tune out now. That negative Philadelphia mindset is permeating deeper with the news that Tyrese Maxey is out indefinitely now. The young guard was carrying an unsustainable load due to the early absences of Joel Embiid and Paul George and it is hard not to think that had a factor in him now being sidelined.

27. New Orleans Pelicans (2-7)
Previous Week Ranking: 16th
Continuing with the hamstring injuries, Zion Williamson has also been ruled out indefinitely. The injury-plagued star continues to struggle remaining on the floor for New Orleans and as seen last year, this team is night and day when he plays versus when he doesn’t. The Pelicans have lost four straight and their point differential has now crept into the double digits (-10.3).

26. Toronto Raptors (2-9)
Previous Week Ranking: 24th
The Raptors, like the Pelicans, are riding the longest active losing streak in the league of 4 straight games. The difference is Toronto did not have high expectations entering this season. The four losses also came against the Nuggets, Kings, Clippers, and Lakers, which are all much better teams.

25. Portland Trail Blazers (3-8)
Previous Week Ranking: 26th
As you go through the bottom of The Rankings, you really could argue any of the bottom 10 teams are the worst in the league. There is an overwhelming amount of subpar teams, much to the chagrin of Adam Silver, I am sure. Portland got the smoke from Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis), showing that teams can light them up in a number of different ways.

24. Milwaukee Bucks (2-8)
Previous Week Ranking: 28th
You can argue that there is no such thing as a good loss, but Milwaukee has had a few early in the season. It is a fact that they have a .200 winning percentage, but they also have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, at least for the time being. Milwaukee lost to the undefeated Cavaliers by 3 points total over two games and played the Celtics hard too. Give it a few more weeks before pushing the “trade Giannis” talks.

23. Atlanta Hawks (4-7)
Previous Week Ranking: 23rd
Atlanta reminds me of the Indiana Pacers from last season. That is not in the sense that they will eventually make the Eastern Conference Finals, but more so the speed with which they play. The Hawks are the eighth-highest-scoring team in the NBA, yet they still have lost 7 of 11 games. The reason is that they play absolutely zero defense. In order for that to be a somewhat successful formula, you need to have a better roster than they currently do.

22. Detroit Pistons (4-7)
Previous Week Ranking: 25th
It took the Pistons until January 15th, 2024 of last season to get their fourth win of the season. They are well ahead of that this year and it is likely due to player development. Monty Williams is a good coach, but this team needed another year of maturity and continuity to see mildly different results.

21. Chicago Bulls (4-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 20th
Zach LaVine is snapping which benefits the Bulls in a number of ways. He appears to be the team’s only player who can reliably create their own shot and is keeping them in games. On the other hand, his enormous contract could come off the books if they are able to find a trade partner. I know a number of contenders would want an athletic wing shooting over 43% from the three-point line.

20. Brooklyn Nets (4-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 22nd
Brooklyn has been a surprising team through their first 10 games. One thing unexpected is that they play most of their games close. Four of their six losses have come by five or fewer points. The competitiveness is a testament to the coaching and getting effort out of a bottom-tier roster.

19. San Antonio Spurs (4-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 19th
It’s funny that the media thinks Wemby is underperforming when they look at this year versus last year. Yet the last times he was on the floor he sank 6 three-pointers and added 7 blocks. The game before? His stat line was 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks. Wemby is the early leader for Defensive Player of the Year and is on pace for an easy All-Star selection.

18. Charlotte Hornets (4-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 21st
The best thing coming out of Charlotte is not LaMelo Ball’s on-the-court play, although that has been remarkable. The team is not losing because of him. The best part is honestly LaMelo’s postgame press conferences. If you have not seen them online, the consensus is he has had zero PR training and just says whatever the hell he wants to. Keep being you, Melo.

17. Orlando Magic (5-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 15th
Paolo Banchero’s absence has affected this team drastically. They hit a 5-game losing streak in the immediate aftermath and only righted the ship with wins over two of the worst teams at the moment, the Pelicans and Wizards. In NBA years past, this kind of difference in the team’s play could create an argument for Banchero being in the MVP discussion.

16. Miami Heat (4-5)
Previous Week Ranking: 13th
Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Who says no? Miami is a quickly aging team and may need to pick a direction soon. Pat Riley is not one to oversee a rebuilding team, but it is hard not to recognize this team has likely reached its’ ceiling. Even though they were only in the NBA Finals two years ago, they are not a contender this year.

15. Indiana Pacers (5-5)
Previous Week Ranking: 18th
One word to describe the Pacers is inconsistent. The perfect example is this week they beat the Mavericks and looked like the team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. That was followed up with a rout in Charlotte as the Hornets held the Pacers to a measly 83 points.

14. New York Knicks (4-5)
Previous Week Ranking: 8th
New York went 1-3 this week with losses to the Rockets, Hawks, and Pacers. Those three opponents averaged over 120 points per game which is a stunning statistic against a Tom Thibodeau-coached team. The Knicks were known for their defense last year and this year they have not been able to figure it out. If they want a chance to win the East, they need to start with defense.

13. Houston Rockets (6-4)
Previous Week Ranking: 14th
Contrary to the Knicks, the Rockets are playing defense which is instrumental in their wins. When you only have one player on the team averaging more than 17 points per game, defense is a non-negotiable. Having a more balanced offense is not a bad thing, but Houston does not have a guaranteed bucket. Jalen Green is beginning to make his case though.

12. Sacramento Kings (6-4)
Previous Week Ranking: 11th
If you want to see the Kings’ potential ceiling, look no further than their most reason matchup with the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns. Phoenix has been rolling teams early, but they met their match against Sacramento. DeRozan scored 34 points and was supported by Sabonis and Fox each going 20+ points, 11+ rebounds, and 5+ assists.

11. Los Angeles Clippers (6-4)
Previous Week Ranking: 17th
The Clippers are on a four game winning streak which included the revenge game against Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers. Norman Powell has stepped up in Kawhi Leonard’s absence leading LA with 25.5 points per game. Harden continues to control the game and is fourth in assists per game this season at 9.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (7-4)
Previous Week Ranking: 12th
Ja Morant has been dazzling as a human highlight reel in his return to action this season. Unfortunately, he became sidelined this week after suffering an injury to his hip against the Lakers. One bright spot for Memphis has been the emergence of Scottie Pippen Jr. who was simply discarded by the Lakers last year.

9. Los Angeles Lakers (6-4)
Previous Week Ranking: 7th
I am not an NBA head coach, but if I were, I do not think I would alienate my team by praising LeBron while critiquing every other player on the roster. It’s obvious JJ Redick’s relationship with LeBron was a factor in his hiring this summer and he is only creating a bigger distance between his aging superstar and the role players. Anthony Davis also suffered an eye injury this week adding to his list of innumerable concerns.

8. Dallas Mavericks (5-5)
Previous Week Ranking: 6th
Despite the Mavericks’ record, dropping them out of the top 10 in The Rankings would be ill-advised. Through ten games, they have played like one of the best teams in the league. Look no further than Dallas’ back-to-back losses to the Nuggets and Suns. Both opponents are considered title contenders and the Mavericks lost both games by a combined 3 points. Kyrie and Luka are still the best backcourt in the league and can beat any team in the league.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-4)
Previous Week Ranking: 9th
The Timberwolves should be given a couple of months to mesh together. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have both proven they can have significant roles on a team last seen in the Western Conference Finals. The individual talents need some time to discover how best to complement each other.

6. Denver Nuggets (7-3)
Previous Week Ranking: 10th
Were you worried about the Nuggets slow start? Well just as caution was advised with the team’s early struggles, caution should also be observed with the team’s league-leading five-game winning streak. As mentioned last year, this team has legitimate issues that need to be addressed to compete in the top-heavy Western Conference.

5. Phoenix Suns (8-2)
Previous Week Ranking: 4th
Phoenix looks to be a better team than they were last year. An interesting statistic though, of the league’s top 5 teams, the Suns are the only one that does not have a double-digit positive point differential. Even more telling is they are only averaging 2.1 points per game more than their opposition. That says they can win close games, but it is also the 13th-best in the NBA.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-2)
Previous Week Ranking: 1st
Two of the Thunder’s losses have come in their last three games to the Nuggets and Warriors. Those are two proven Champions with veteran presences that OKC will have to beat to get what they do not yet have. Jokic exposed a clear weakness that the Thunder hoped to address with Isaiah Hartenstein who has not yet played this season. The team unfortunately suffered a serious loss with Chet Holmgren likely missing months due to a pelvic fracture.

3. Boston Celtics (9-2)
Previous Week Ranking: 2nd
It can be argued that the Celtics are still the measuring stick in the NBA, as Kristaps Prozingis is out indefinitely and Jaylen Brown has played in just over half the team’s games. With all that, they are still off to a 9-2 start and Jayson Tatum looks better than ever. Boston, if healthy, is still my pick to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy.

2. Golden State Warriors (8-2)
Previous Week Ranking: 5th
Steph Curry and the band are continuing to prove the haters wrong. The Warriors had a murderer’s row this week having to play three road games in a row against the Celtics, Thunder, and Cavaliers. It truly does not get more difficult that that. Golden State went 2-1 beating the Celtics and Thunder and establishing themselves as a serious threat in the West.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (11-0)
Previous Week Ranking: 3rd
Respect must be paid! The Cavaliers are the only remaining undefeated team in the league and took it to the Warriors with a 136-117 win. Kenny Atkinson has Cleveland rolling to an 11-win start that has only happened 12 other times in NBA history. The last team to start 11-0 was the 73-9 Warriors in 2015-16.