The 2022-23 NBA hierarchy already saw a fewer shake-ups successful its archetypal week.
The Portland Trail Blazers person taken an aboriginal pb connected the rubric for biggest astonishment of the play with a 4-0 start. Damian Lillard & Co. person not lone won but person notched meaningful victories implicit Western Conference rivals astatine the apical of this week's rankings, including the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.
The Utah Jazz joined Portland successful the amazingly undefeated nine with its 3 wins coming against contenders, including Denver and the Minnesota Timberwolves, earlier coming backmost down to world against the lowly Houston Rockets.
Still, astatine slightest 1 squad confirmed immoderate caller pessimism this week: The Los Angeles Lakers started the play 0-3, and they look mislaid from beyond the 3-point line. The Brooklyn Nets look similar they could beryllium a star-studded messiness themselves, with Ben Simmons lowlighting 1 of the NBA's worst defenses successful the aboriginal going.
Note: The NBA Power Rankings person recovered a caller location -- connected Wednesdays! Throughout the regular season, our sheet (Kendra Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk) is ranking each 30 teams from apical to bottom, taking banal of which teams are playing the champion hoops present and which teams are looking astir similar rubric contenders.
Previous rankings: Week 1
1. Milwaukee Bucks
2022-23 record: 2-0
Preseason ranking: 2
As evidenced by their opening-night triumph against Philadelphia, the Bucks' discourtesy mightiness beryllium a slog portion Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton stay sidelined, but Giannis Antetokounmpo looks acceptable to prime up the slack. Antetokounmpo enactment up 44 points connected 81% shooting to spell with 12 rebounds successful 28 minutes against the Rockets, the archetypal clip successful his vocation helium scored 40 successful little than 30 minutes of playing time. -- Collier
2. Boston Celtics
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 4
Monday's dud against the Bulls aside, it's been an awesome commencement to the play for Boston, with the Celtics looking similar they haven't missed a bushed from past season's NBA Finals tally -- adjacent arsenic they set to beingness nether interim manager Joe Mazzulla. Malcolm Brogdon, successful particular, has been a seamless acceptable coming disconnected the bench, giving Boston the benignant of off-the-dribble foodstuff this squad simply didn't person during the playoffs. -- Bontemps
3. Phoenix Suns
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 8
What a whirlwind of emotions for the Suns this week, arsenic they shook disconnected immoderate conception of offseason slippage by beating 3 Western Conference contenders successful the Clippers, Warriors and Mavs. The triumph implicit Golden State was a 29-point drubbing -- and a imaginable connection connected however Phoenix's play volition extremity up going. -- McMenamin
4. Memphis Grizzlies
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 6
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane evenly divided 76 points successful Monday's triumph implicit the Nets, breaking Memphis' franchise grounds for the highest-scoring show by a duo. The spectacular has been regular for Morant, the league's starring scorer (35.3 points per game). Bane, whom the Grizzlies judge tin marque the measurement to All-Star presumption this season, broke retired of a season-opening shooting funk against Brooklyn, registering much tract goals (14-of-21) and 3s (8-of-11) than helium did successful the archetypal 3 games combined. -- MacMahon
5. Golden State Warriors
2022-23 record: 2-2
Preseason ranking: 1
Following Golden State's nonaccomplishment to the Suns, which saw Klay Thompson get his archetypal vocation ejection, the Warriors offered a blunt appraisal of their 2-2 start. "A decent violative squad and a atrocious antiaircraft team," Draymond Green said Tuesday night. And he's correct. The Warriors person allowed opponents to people astatine slightest 70 points successful 1 fractional successful 3 retired of their 4 games. -- Andrews
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
2022-23 record: 2-1
Preseason ranking: 13
Welcome to Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell has been each spot arsenic bully arsenic advertised to commencement things disconnected for the Cavs, scoring 30 points oregon much successful each of the team's archetypal 3 games portion besides dishing retired 7 assists a night. The adjacent measurement volition beryllium integrating Evan Mobley, with the second-year star's shots per crippled down from 12 a play agone to lone 8.3 successful the aboriginal going. -- McMenamin
7. LA Clippers
2022-23 record: 2-2
Preseason ranking: 3
It's going to beryllium a portion earlier the Clippers spot what they genuinely tin beryllium astatine afloat strength. There's aboriginal interest with Kawhi Leonard, who volition question backmost to L.A. and miss some games astatine Oklahoma City aft experiencing stiffness successful his surgically repaired knee. Leonard was already coming disconnected the bench, having played 3 stints, with totals of 21 minutes (twice) and 28 minutes. John Wall has looked bully successful constricted minutes, Reggie Jackson has had to woody with a groin contented and Paul George missed Tuesday's crippled with non-COVID illness. And the Clippers' docket is packed, with 18 games successful 32 days, starting connected Sunday. -- Youngmisuk
8. Portland Trail Blazers
2022-23 record: 4-0
Preseason ranking: 21
There's thing brewing successful Portland. The Blazers are 4-0, with an overtime triumph against Phoenix, a thrilling two-point triumph implicit the Lakers and a rout of the Nuggets. Damian Lillard is heating up with 2 41-point games, Anfernee Simons drilled 7 3s against Denver, Jusuf Nurkic is steadfast and offseason summation Jerami Grant is starting to acceptable in. -- Youngmisuk
9. New Orleans Pelicans
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 14
Zion Williamson is back. Despite the fourth-year guardant missing Tuesday night's matchup due to the fact that of a close posterior hip/lower backmost contusion, Williamson made waves successful his archetypal 3 contests. He is backmost to his bruising aforesaid successful the paint, arsenic helium scored astatine slightest 25 points connected 50% shooting doubly successful 3 games. It was the 48th clip helium accomplished the feat successful 88 vocation contests. Only Walt Bellamy (57) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (54) registered much specified games successful their archetypal 100 vocation games, and Williamson has 12 much to go. -- Lopez
10. Denver Nuggets
2022-23 record: 2-2
Preseason ranking: 7
Sure, the Nuggets mislaid to the Jazz, but Denver rebounded nicely implicit the Warriors, scoring 70 points successful the archetypal half. Nikola Jokic has already tallied 2 triple-doubles and tied Wilt Chamberlain for astir triple-doubles by a halfway successful NBA history. -- Andrews
11. Dallas Mavericks
2022-23 record: 1-2
Preseason ranking: 10
Luka Doncic and Christian Wood fertile archetypal and second, respectively, successful Player Efficiency Rating. But those large numbers lone adhd up to a 1-2 grounds aft the Mavs blew a 22-point pb to the Suns successful the opener and managed to suffer to a New Orleans squad missing Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and antiaircraft stopper Herb Jones. -- MacMahon
12. Atlanta Hawks
2022-23 record: 2-1
Preseason ranking: 16
The Trae Young-Dejounte Murray concern is going to beryllium a enactment successful progress, but aboriginal returns are encouraging. Young is averaging 25.3 points and 11.7 assists contempt debased shooting numbers. (His 32.4% shooting and 25% clip from 3-point scope are definite to increase.) And Murray is averaging 19.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals successful his archetypal 3 games arsenic a Hawk. Young and Murray are some successful the apical 10 successful full assists successful the league and, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, could go conscionable the 4th acceptable of teammates since 2000 to each decorativeness successful the apical 10. -- Lopez
13. Utah Jazz
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 28
The Jazz became the 2nd squad implicit the past 3 decades to commencement 3-0 contempt being astatine slightest seven-point underdogs successful each game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The other: the 2013-14 76ers, who finished ... 19-63. Lauri Markkanen (21.5 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game) is disconnected to an awesome commencement successful Utah, pursuing up connected his phenomenal EuroBasket show for Finland. -- MacMahon
14. New York Knicks
2022-23 record: 2-1
Preseason ranking: 18
Through 3 games, Jalen Brunson has been everything the Knicks could person hoped for this season, and past some: 17 points and 7 assists per crippled arsenic compared to conscionable 1 turnover per contest, and, astir importantly, a dependable manus connected the wheel. It's been a precise encouraging commencement for the Knicks. Brunson is simply a large reason. -- Bontemps
15. Toronto Raptors
2022-23 record: 2-2
Preseason ranking: 15
No Eastern Conference squad has had a much hard commencement than Toronto, with a location crippled against Cleveland followed by roadworthy tilts versus Brooklyn and Miami (twice). What bash the Raptors get arsenic a reward for going 2-2 done that stretch? A shot bid astatine location against Philadelphia, followed by a sojourn from Trae Young and the Hawks connected Halloween. It's the cleanable encapsulation of the difficulties that beingness successful the league is going to supply connected a regular basis. -- Bontemps
16. Washington Wizards
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 22
The Wizards got disconnected to a 10-3 commencement past season, truthful it's champion to hold earlier making immoderate speedy judgments connected Washington's commencement to this season. Bradley Beal hasn't had to bash a batch of dense lifting truthful far, mounting up his teammates and averaging six assists truthful far. Kristaps Porzingis has remained healthy, and Kyle Kuzma is disconnected to a large start, scoring astatine slightest 22 points successful 3 of his 4 games. -- Youngmisuk
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
2022-23 record: 2-2
Preseason ranking: 12
The Timberwolves mislaid to the Jazz and had 2 adjacent games against the Thunder that, connected paper, should person been casual tasks. It volition instrumentality immoderate clip for the Wolves to find their individuality astir caller antiaircraft anchor Rudy Gobert, but successful the satellite of instant gratification, Minnesota has a batch of enactment to do. -- Andrews
18. San Antonio Spurs
2022-23 record: 3-1
Preseason ranking: 27
Gregg Popovich joked connected media time that nary 1 should beryllium heading to Las Vegas to spot bets connected the Spurs to triumph the NBA championship, but that hasn't stopped San Antonio from getting retired to a 3-1 start. After a disappointing nonaccomplishment astatine location to the Hornets to commencement the campaign, San Antonio rattled disconnected roadworthy wins against Indiana, Philadelphia and Minnesota. Devin Vassell has averaged 22.7 PPG during the triumph streak, marking the archetypal clip successful his vocation helium has scored astatine slightest 20 successful 3 consecutive games. -- Lopez
19. Philadelphia 76ers
2022-23 record: 1-3
Preseason ranking: 5
Philadelphia's hoops squad should beryllium thanking its fortunate stars that the city's shot squad is successful the World Series and its shot squad is the NFL's lone remaining undefeated squad this season. While Monday's triumph implicit the Pacers concisely calmed things down, the 76ers' quiet, drama-free preseason present feels similar a distant memory. -- Bontemps
20. Charlotte Hornets
2022-23 record: 2-1
Preseason ranking: 24
Kelly Oubre Jr. has provided a bully assistance for Steve Clifford successful the coach's archetypal regular-season week backmost connected the job. Oubre is averaging 17.3 points and six rebounds portion shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Gordon Hayward is averaging 19.3 points and has provided a coagulated beingness portion the Hornets hold for LaMelo Ball to instrumentality from an ankle injury. -- Friedell
21. Miami Heat
2022-23 record: 1-3
Preseason ranking: 9
This has not been the commencement that Erik Spoelstra & Co. were hoping for. Jimmy Butler has started disconnected strong, averaging 23 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists implicit his archetypal 4 games, but helium hasn't yet gotten the benignant of accordant assistance helium needs. Kyle Lowry went a combined 6-for-28 during Miami's 3 losses. -- Friedell
22. Brooklyn Nets
2022-23 record: 1-2
Preseason ranking: 11
The Nets are struggling to find immoderate benignant of antiaircraft rhythm. They person a league-worst 124.7 antiaircraft rating, according to NBA.com/stats. While manager Steve Nash remains assured his squad volition drawback its rhythm, the larger contented for Brooklyn is Ben Simmons. He did not person overmuch of an interaction implicit his archetypal week and fouled retired of 2 of his archetypal 3 regular-season games. -- Friedell
23. Chicago Bulls
2022-23 record: 2-2
Preseason ranking: 17
After going 1-14 against the 4 East semifinalists (Milwaukee, Boston, Miami and Philadelphia) past season, the Bulls picked up wins against the Celtics and Heat successful the season's opening week. The Bulls inactive person violative issues to robust retired (25th successful violative ratio and 28th successful 3-pointers per game), but they person been astir league mean connected defence to assistance substance a .500 start. -- Collier
24. Detroit Pistons
2022-23 record: 1-3
Preseason ranking: 23
Detroit's roster features 10 players 24 oregon younger, truthful immoderate ups and downs should beryllium expected passim the season. However, the Pistons person to beryllium encouraged by the starts of their 2 rookies. Jalen Duren, 18, is averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds portion shooting 58% disconnected the bench. And Jaden Ivey is averaging 17 points, six assists and 5 rebounds portion shooting 45% from 3. -- Collier
25. Los Angeles Lakers
2022-23 record: 0-3
Preseason ranking: 19
Things aren't conscionable atrocious successful L.A. They're historically bad. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, a squad has attempted astatine slightest 100 3-pointers successful a three-game span much than 6,100 times successful NBA history. The Lakers' 21.2% showing from heavy successful their 0-3 commencement to the play is the 2nd worst retired of each those instances, besting lone the Hawks 21.0% successful 2018. -- McMenamin
26. Indiana Pacers
2022-23 record: 1-3
Preseason ranking: 26
What a commencement for Pacers rookie defender Bennedict Mathurin. After a beardown preseason, the No. 6 prime enactment up 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists successful his opening week, which included hitting 42.9% of 3s connected 7 attempts per game. Mathurin volition beryllium idiosyncratic to support an oculus connected playing adjacent to defender Tyrese Haliburton. -- Collier
27. Houston Rockets
2022-23 record: 1-3
Preseason ranking: 30
Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. responded to a spot commencement astatine halfway with by acold the champion show of his young vocation successful Monday's triumph implicit Utah. He had 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, sealing the Rockets' archetypal triumph of the play with a brace of clutch escaped throws. -- MacMahon
28. Sacramento Kings
2022-23 record: 0-3
Preseason ranking: 20
Sacramento has been wrong 5 points of its contention successful the past 5 minutes during each of its games, each loses, and the Kings astir overcame a 50-point 2nd 4th by the Warriors and fought backmost from a 26-point deficit. The Kings are struggling connected the margins, specified arsenic escaped throws, negating stellar starts from rookie Keegan Murray and prima defender De'Aaron Fox. -- Andrews
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
2022-23 record: 1-3
Preseason ranking: 29
The Thunder took vantage of a Clippers squad without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to prime up triumph No. 1 connected the play Tuesday night, arsenic Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his beardown start. Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. It was the 3rd clip successful his vocation helium has had astatine slightest 3 blocks and 3 steals, and the Thunder person been victorious successful each 3 contests. -- Lopez
30. Orlando Magic
2022-23 record: 0-4
Preseason ranking: 25
The bully news: No. 1 prime Paolo Banchero appears to beryllium that good. In his archetypal 4 games, the rookie averaged 22.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3 assists. The atrocious quality is that the Magic inactive don't person a win. After re-signing successful the summer, large antheral Mo Bamba has had small interaction disconnected the bench, averaging 3 points and 2.8 rebounds successful conscionable implicit 13 minutes a contest. -- Friedell
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