With the first week of NBA action behind us, what have we learned that we didn’t already know? We learned that the basketball gods can be ruthless to star players even in the first week of the season. We learned that a 36 year old Kobe Bryant can’t single-handedly carry a haphazardly thrown together Lakers team. And what we already knew about the world’s greatest sport was confirmed, that we really don’t know shit. Aside from the awful luck that has plagued the Thunder since the Durant injury, I’ll try not to overreact terribly to win-loss records so quickly into the season with teams from which we know what to expect.
Here are the power rankings following the first week of basketball. For week one, I won’t document the direction in which teams are trending, because all I had up so far was preseason rankings, but that feature will be added next week.
1. San Antonio Spurs (1-1)
Week 1-1 (W vs Dal, L @ Pho)
It just doesn’t feel right to drop the Spurs from the top spot, just because of an opening week loss. They barely squeaked by the Mavs in the opener, then dropped their next game at Phoenix. Historically, the Spurs crank out 50 win seasons year after year, so they’re the on squad that gets the benefit of the doubt.
2. Golden State Warriors (3-0)
Week 3-0 (W @ Sac, W vs LAL, W @ Por)
An impressive first week as a head coach involved Steve Kerr and the Warriors going into Sacramento to blow out a (dare I say decent?) Kings team, destroying the Lakers, and sneaking out of one of the toughest places to play in Portland with a win. It’s happy times in the Bay area as the Splash Brothers appear to be staying together long term.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1)
Week 1-1 (L vs NYK, W @ Chi)
In a shocker home opener for LeBron’s return to Cleveland, the Cavs looked shaky and out of position as James recorded 8 turnovers. It will take some time to get it all together, but after the Knicks disastrous home opener, this game caught many by surprise. The Cavs were able to salvage their spot in the top five with an impressive bounce back overtime win at Chicago.
4. Chicago Bulls (2-1)
Week 2-1 (W @ NYK, L vs Cle, W @ Min)
The Bulls made it look easy, running away from Madison Square Garden with a game that never really was much of a game to begin with. They had to run into the Cavs their next game, though, in a team that was eager to get a win after losing to the same Knicks team in their home opener. If it weren’t for some late game heroics from Jimmy Butler, Chicago would be staring down a 1-2 start to the season following that impressive opener.
5. Houston Rockets (4-0)
Week 4-0 (W @ LAL, W @ Uta, W vs Bos, W @ Phi)
What if I told you that the Houston Rockets are a top five defensive team? Small sample size, yes, cake walk opening schedule (every opponent is in the bottom ten of my power rankings), yes, but they have looked impressive in every game so far winning each game by double digits. Ariza has been knocking down threes at an impressively high clip, and making it equally as difficult for opponents to get shots off at the perimeter. While the schedule has indeed been easy, it’s never an easy feat to go into the high altitude of Utah on the tail end of a back to back and come away with a double digit victory.
6. Dallas Mavericks (3-1)
Week 2-1 (L @ SAS, W vs Uta, W @ NOP, W vs Bos)
The Mavs could very well be looking at 4-0 right now, but dropped a season opening nail biter to the Spurs on ring ceremony night. Since that they’ve followed up with three straight victories, although the Celtics gave them a scare in what seemed to be a blowout last night. Dallas, early on has been the most potent offense in the league, but with a shaky defensive back court, has ranked near the league’s worst in defensive efficiency.
7. Memphis Grizzlies (4-0)
Week 4-0 (W vs Min, W @ Ind, W @ Cha, W vs NOP)
Speaking of terrible defense…. just kidding. The Grizzlies have shown, that once again they’ll be the most intimidating defense in basketball with Gasol manning the interior, and plenty of defense all around on the post. The offense remains a slight question mark, but this appears to be one of those teams that will at least put up enough points to stay in the game, no matter who they play against.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (3-1)
Week 3-1 (W vs OKC, W @ LAL, L vs Sac, W vs Uta)
A win is a win. In the power rankings, though, an impressive win nets you a better rank. While it’s obvious the Clippers will be fine, the way they’ve started the season has been anything but impressive. Every game has been a single digit victory against less than impressive teams. Couple that with a home loss vs the Kings gives the Clippers barely enough cred to stay in the top ten. They’ll be fine, but the start of the season has been a bit shaky.
9. Miami Heat (3-0)
Week 3-0 (W vs Was, W @ Phi, W vs Tor)
Riding on a “see what we can do without LeBron” ecstasy, the Heat have been impressive out of the gate. With a couple of home wins and a road win vs the Sixers, the biggest test of the season so far comes to town tonight in James Harden and the Rockets. They may have been bummed out when LeBron left, but no one in Miami is complaining about being the last remaining undefeated team in the East.
10. Phoenix Suns (2-1)
Week 2-1 (W vs LAL, W vs SAS, L @ Uta)
The Suns started the season by blowing out the Suns, then used their three point guard tandem to stage a furious comeback in an impressive win over the Spurs, before laying an egg in a blowout at Utah. While the loss to the Jazz comes in a tough spot (tail end of a back to back, tough place to play), the fact that they weren’t even competitive in that game is concerning. It was a 27 point loss and the Jazz are still… the Jazz.
11. Toronto Raptors (2-1)
Week 2-1 (W vs Atl, W @ Orl, L @ Mia)
It’s looking like a three way fight for being the third best team in the East. The Rapts have a good opportunity to jump into early contention for that spot with Bradley Beal missing the first month for the Wizards. The third of those teams was able to win the first battle as the Heat knocked out the Raptors in their first match up. This came on the road for Toronto and on the second night of a back to back, but the wasted opportunities in this game still raise some concern.
12. Washington Wizards (2-1)
Week 2-1 (L @ Mia, W @ Orl, W vs Mil)
After opening the season with a loss at Miami, the Wiz got ample opportunity to end the week 2-1, as they played two of the league’s worst teams. They don’t play their first Western Conference team until November 19th, so they’ll have the opportunity for the next couple weeks to gain some headway in the East.
13. Sacramento Kings (3-1)
Week 3-1 (L vs GSW, W vs Por, W @ LAC, W @ Den)
The most surprising team in the first week was the Kings. After getting run out of their own stadium by the Dubs in the opener, the Kings were able to reel off three straight. All three of those were impressive wins with the biggest statement game coming as they came into Staples Center and knocked out the Clippers for their only loss of the season. Can the Kings be this season’s Suns?
14. Atlanta Hawks (1-1)
Week 1-1 (L @ Tor, W vs Ind)
The team that’s a lock to be the NBA TV series in the playoffs (unless they draw the Bulls or Cavs) look to jump into that middle echelon in the East with a healthy Al Horford this season. Re-integrating Horford into the team’s rotation may start as a work in progress, but Budenholzer is wasting no time giving his star big man minutes. The Hawks only got two games in the first week of basketball, but will have a tough road next week playing at San Antonio and Charlotte, which they’ll follow with back to back games against the Knicks.
15. New York Knicks (2-1)
Week 2-1 (L vs Chi, W @ Cle, W vs Cha)
Speaking of the Knicks, maybe it wasn’t as bad as it looked in their home opener trouncing they were given by the Bulls. They were able to take advantage of some early season jitters against the Cavs and followed up with an impressive win against Charlotte. One blowout loss and two close wins is what ya see on paper, but the important takeaway was that they were able to come out on top in both of the nail biters.
16. Portland Trailblazers (1-2)
Week 1-2 (W vs OKC, L @ Sac, L vs GSW)
I’m guilty of not watching more than give minutes of Blazer basketball in the first week of the season (there was just too much DAMN basketball to watch!) so perhaps I’m not giving them enough love. An impressive opening night win followed by two losses puts the Blazers in a tough position that may have them playing catch up early this season. Their next three match ups have them taking on the Cavs, Mavs, and Clips, in a stretch that they’d be very fortunate to be .500 after it completes.
17. Brooklyn Nets (2-1)
Week 2-1 (L @ Bos, W @ Det, W vs OKC)
Going to Boston and being given a beating on opening night gave Nets fans (I think those exist) worries that this team could be even worse this season as they adjust to a new head coach in Lionel Hollins. Since that, they were able to come away with a comfortable win at Detroit and demolished the depleted Thunder last night. Better yet, they got back their man down low Brook Lopez who turned in a nice game with 18 points and a career high 6 rebounds (I kid, I kid).
18. Charlotte Hornets (1-2)
Week 1-2 (W vs Mil, L vs Mem, L @ NYK)
Projected by many to be a top four team in the East, it’s been a discouraging start for the Hornets, who were a couple Kemba miracles away from starting the first week of action winless. There is hope for them as Kidd-Gilchrist no longer looks like his shooting coach growing up was a marionette, and it was expected to take some time to integrate Lance into the offense. Give it time, this team has talent.
19. New Orleans Pelicans (1-2)
Week 1-2 (W vs Orl, L vs Dal, L @ Mem)
Anthony Davis looks like a complete beast. Having him paired with Asik, the Pelicans are making it difficult for other teams to score inside. Ryan Anderson has been a welcome addition after missing almost the entire season last year. Figuring out how to pair Holiday, Gordon, and Evans still remains the question mark. If only they’d known Davis would be out of this world, they could have saved that money to pair them with talent that actually makes sense.
20. Denver Nuggets (1-2)
Week 1-2 (W vs Det, L @ OKC, L vs Sac)
The Nuggets bolster one of the league’s deepest rosters, and after an injury plagued nightmare last season it’s hard to blame them. While it’s been a struggle to get clicking in the early part of this season, coach Shaw is still plugging and playing guys into the rotation to figure out what works. All while trying to bring back the injured Gallinari, it’s no surprise that they’ve lacked success thus far.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)
Week 1-2 (L @ Mem, W vs Det, L vs Chi)
This League Pass Alert team has actually played surprisingly well so far this season, and could be more than just a League Pass team if they choose to keep their veterans. Kevin Martin has been ultra effective so far, and if the Wolves do choose to blow it all up, he’ll be a nice trade chip for a contender lacking perimeter scoring. If it weren’t for a silly foul of Jimmy Butler, the Wolves would be above .500 for probably the only time this season. There’s always next year.
22. Boston Celtics (1-2)
Week 1-2 (W vs Bkn, L @ Hou, L @ Dal)
Brad Stevens is going to try to win as many games as possible, which may hurt Danny Ainge’s tanking hopes. Rondo will be the team’s biggest trade chip for any hopes of bottoming out and it still seems most likely that they do trade him. Smart as had some wonderful flashes early on making Rondo that much more expendable as they look to make Smart the point guard of the future.
23. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-3)
Week 1-3 (L @ Por, L @ LAC, W vs Den, L @ Bkn)
It was a heartbreaking week for the Thunder as they lost Westbrook to a hand fracture in just their second game. He’ll look to rehab and hopes to be back in action about the same time that Durant gets back. There have been bright spots. Perry Jones looks terrific, Steven Adams is still beating guys up, and Lance Thomas appears that he can at least plug away as a rotational player for now. It’s still scary times in OKC, as they try to stay afloat early season in the Wild Wild West.
24. Utah Jazz (1-3)
Week 1-3 (L vs Hou, L @ Dal, W vs Pho, L @ Lac)
The Jazz proved that they still have one of the most effective home court advantages in basketball as they punked the Suns in the Jazz sole win so far this year. The young squad will continue to look to run teams off the floor as they gain experience playing together. They were able to crack the hundred point mark in all games but one so far this year.
25. Indiana Pacers (1-2)
Week 1-2 (W vs Phi, L vs Mem, L @ Atl)
While it already looks like it’ll be a throwaway season for the Pacers, they were able to salvage an opening night win against the league’s worst. When the majority of your scoring is coming from Chris Copeland, that’s a concern. Copeland is launching over 8 three point attempts per game (and hitting at an effective clip), and he has played one-third of the total minutes mark that he played all of last season.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (1-2)
Week 1-2 (L vs Cha, W vs Phi, L @ Was)
Still figuring out the Bucks rotation, head coach Jason Kidd has given just about everyone on the roster a little bit of grind early on. With the fan focus (rightfully) being on rookie Jabari Parker, the most impressive Milwaukee player early in the season has been point guard Brandon Knight. Kidd will soon trim down the rotation as he figures out which guys work together in an attempt to turn a 15 win team into a playoff team.
27. Detroit Pistons (0-3)
Week 0-3 (L @ Den, L vs Min, L vs Bkn)
An overwhelmingly popular pick as a 2014 lottery team to be a 2015 playoff team, Stan Van Gundy is still piecing together his rotation. Josh Smith has gotten ample playing time and still seems to think that he’s a shooter, though he’s cut down on his three point attempts (not likely by choice). Meanwhile, Brandon Jennings has seen his late game minutes cut in favor of DJ Augustin. It’ll take some time, but the mantra doesn’t change in Detroit, “In Stan We Trust.”
28. Orlando Magic (0-3)
Week 0-3 (L @ NOP, L vs Was, L vs Tor)
The Magic have gotten to see their highly coveted rookies start to get some play time and they’ve shown brilliant flashes despite limited production. Elfrid Payton has been making rookie decisions, but guess what, he’s a rookie so it’s all good. Aaron Gordon looks like a future beast. Vucevic is playing like an All NBA center. It’s all about development this year between the two rookies, Harris, Vucevic, and Oladipo. While Oladipo will have to wait a month, there will be plenty of court time for him once his face heals.
29. Los Angeles Lakers (0-4)
Week 0-4 (L vs Hou, L @ Pho, L vs LAC, L @ GSW)
Maybe Byron Scott is on board with making sure that the Lakers keep their 2015 draft pick with his theology that shooting three pointers don’t help win basketball games. With Julius Randle looking to miss the entire season after breaking his leg in the opener, the Lakers would love to keep their 2015 draft pick, but they only do so if it lands in the top five. They’ll have heavy competition with the Philadelphia Seventy Tankers if they’re going to make that happen.
30. Philadelphia 76ers (0-4)
Week 0-4 (L @ Ind, L @ Mil, L vs Mia, L vs Hou)
And at last we arrive with those Philadelphia Seventy Tankers. Week one of the NBA season was a complete success, although they had a couple scares last night against the Rockets when every time it looked at becoming a thirty point blowout, the Tankers were able to make a run. Brett Brown was able to keep them in check and lead them to losses in all four games so far this year, and he’ll look to build upon that. Nerlens Noel has made the team semi-watchable.
Dropping Dimes 