The surprises proceed crossed the NBA arsenic the 3rd week of the 2022-23 play gets underway.
The 6-0 Milwaukee Bucks basal unsocial arsenic the past undefeated team, and get due placement astatine the apical of this week's powerfulness rankings. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. haven't had the toughest docket truthful acold but clutched retired important wins against different apical Eastern Conference contenders, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers presently beryllium close down Milwaukee successful the East, arsenic the offseason summation of Donovan Mitchell has helped jumpstart Cleveland's instrumentality to superior postseason contention this year.
Meanwhile successful the West, the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers beryllium atop the conference, but the astonishing 6-2 Utah Jazz haven't faltered similar galore expected them to, truthful far. Utah notched back-to-back location wins against the Memphis Grizzlies. Whether the Jazz tin support it up has yet to beryllium determined, but their aboriginal occurrence is inactive recognized successful this week's rankings.
The Miami Heat person amazingly underperformed truthful far, joining the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers connected a database of teams built to beryllium win-now contenders connected insubstantial but haven't lived up to expectations connected the tribunal yet. However, Miami's outlook for the remainder of the twelvemonth is inactive overmuch much affirmative compared to Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
Note: 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 | Week 2 |
1. Milwaukee Bucks
2022-23 record: 6-0
Previous week's ranking: 1
The Bucks are 6-0 for the 3rd clip successful franchise history. In the erstwhile 2 instances (1971-72 and 2018-19), they finished with 60 wins and the league's MVP (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo, respectively). It's inactive early, but Antetokounmpo is showing signs of asserting himself into contention for that grant again, racking up astatine slightest 30 points successful 5 consecutive games, the second-longest streak of his vocation (six consecutive successful November 2019). -- Collier
2. Phoenix Suns
2022-23 record: 6-1
Previous week's ranking: 3
It has been a week afloat of past for the Point God. On Saturday against the Rockets, Chris Paul finished with 15 assists and zero turnovers. It was the ninth clip helium has had astatine slightest 15 assists successful a crippled with nary turnovers, which is 2nd each clip successful NBA past down lone John Stockton (14) since idiosyncratic turnovers were archetypal tracked successful 1977-78. Paul is besides the oldest subordinate to person a 15-assist crippled since a 38-year-old Steve Nash did it for the Suns connected March 28, 2012. And connected Tuesday against the Wolves, Paul joined LeBron James arsenic the lone players successful NBA past with 21,000 points and 10,000 assists.
-- Lopez
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
2022-23 record: 5-1
Previous week's ranking: 6
Kevin Love was hotter than food grease successful Sunday's triumph against the Knicks, scoring 29 points successful 22 minutes. He did his harm with 8 3s and 8 rebounds to widen the Cavs' winning streak to five. Just hold until Darius Garland gets back from his oculus injury. Cleveland looks similar the existent deal.
-- McMenamin
4. Boston Celtics
2022-23 record: 4-2
Previous week's ranking: 2
Predictably, the Celtics are struggling without large antheral Robert Williams III connected the glass. They presently fertile 24th successful rebounding rate, per NBA.com precocious stats. In the meantime, they're cobbling unneurotic a big-man rotation of Noah Vonleh, Blake Griffin and Luke Kornet down starter Al Horford.
-- Bontemps
5. Portland Trail Blazers
2022-23 record: 5-1
Previous week's ranking: 8
Damian Lillard suffered a strained calf and volition beryllium reevaluated successful 1 to 2 weeks. Without the team's franchise player, Anfernee Simons went for 30 points against Houston, sliding backmost into the relation helium had past play erstwhile Lillard was retired and CJ McCollum was traded. Jusuf Nurkic had his champion crippled of the play against the Rockets with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Portland volition soon find retired whether it is for real: Six of its adjacent 7 games are connected the road, portion its adjacent 3 games are against Memphis and a back-to-back astatine Phoenix.
-- Youngmisuk
6. New Orleans Pelicans
2022-23 record: 4-2
Previous week's ranking: 9
The Pelicans were without Zion Williamson for 2 games and person been without Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram for 3 each. Naji Marshall is the crushed they've made it done those games. Starting successful spot of Jones, Marshall has averaged 17.7 points connected 57.1% shooting (6-of-14 from deep) portion drafting Jones' emblematic duty of guarding the opposing team's apical perimeter player.
-- Lopez
7. Memphis Grizzlies
2022-23 record: 4-3
Previous week's ranking: 4
How overmuch does Memphis miss Jaren Jackson Jr., who is recovering from country aft breaking his ft this summer? The Grizzlies fertile dormant past successful antiaircraft rating, allowing 119.5 points per 100 possessions. Memphis had a 106.0 antiaircraft standing with Jackson connected the level past season, erstwhile helium led the league with 2.3 blocks per crippled and earned first-team All-Defensive recognition.
-- MacMahon
8. Toronto Raptors
2022-23 record: 4-3
Previous week's ranking: 15
Pascal Siakam has played arsenic good arsenic anyone to commencement this season. Averaging 26.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists -- each of which would beryllium vocation highs --- Siakam has helped Toronto spell 4-3 done a brutal opening agelong afloat of playoff contenders.
-- Bontemps
9. Denver Nuggets
2022-23 record: 4-3
Previous week's ranking: 10
The Nuggets are shooting astir 39.4% from heavy -- fifth-best successful the league -- but are successful the mediate of the battalion successful violative efficiency. On the different extremity of the floor, the Nuggets are struggling with the fifth-worst antiaircraft efficiency. Nuggets manager Michael Malone said his squad has defended particularly poorly successful each roadworthy crippled this year.
-- Andrews
10. Golden State Warriors
2022-23 record: 3-5
Previous week's ranking: 5
The Warriors are present 0-3 connected their existent five-game roadworthy trip, are winless connected the roadworthy and are disconnected to their worst eight-game commencement since 2019-20. That year, they went 15-50. After their nonaccomplishment to the Heat, Warriors manager Steve Kerr said helium was starting to consciousness a consciousness of urgency from his team, thing helium said helium was antecedently lacking. But the Warriors' defence and seat proceed to outgo them games.
-- Andrews
11. Utah Jazz
2022-23 record: 6-2
Previous week's ranking: 13
Malik Beasley declared aft Monday's triumph implicit the Grizzlies that Lauri Markkanen is an All-Star. Markkanen appreciatively acknowledged that the archetypal 8 games is simply a spot aboriginal for specified discussion, but there's nary uncertainty he's performing astatine that level, averaging vocation bests of 22.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per crippled for 1 of the NBA's astir astonishing teams.
-- MacMahon
12. Dallas Mavericks
2022-23 record: 3-3
Previous week's ranking: 11
The Mavs person blown double-digit leads successful the 4th fourth successful 2 of their 3 losses. The location overtime nonaccomplishment to Oklahoma City connected Saturday nighttime was particularly egregious. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, teams that led by astatine slightest 16 successful the last 4 minutes of regularisation implicit the past 25 years had been 9,975-1 earlier the Mavs' meltdown, which manager Jason Kidd attributed to an experimentation with the closing lineup that went awry. "We near [Christian] Wood retired determination with that group, and it didn't spell good connected either end," Kidd said.
-- MacMahon
13. Atlanta Hawks
2022-23 record: 4-3
Previous week's ranking: 16
Atlanta started their five-game roadworthy travel with back-to-back wins implicit the Pistons earlier falling to the Bucks and Raptors. In Friday's crippled against the Pistons, Trae Young finished with 36 points and 12 assists portion playing conscionable 30:07. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the lone players to play less minutes successful a 35-point, 10-assist show are Luka Doncic (once) and James Harden (three times).
-- Lopez
14. Philadelphia 76ers
2022-23 record: 4-4
Previous week's ranking: 19
After falling to 1-4, it looked similar the 76ers were perchance entering a tailspin. But Philadelphia has responded with 3 consecutive wins -- 2 without All-NBA halfway Joel Embiid -- to get backmost to .500 and stabilize things.
-- Bontemps
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
2022-23 record: 4-4
Previous week's ranking: 17
The Timberwolves person a top-five defense, which is what they should person with the roster they've constructed. However, their archetypal week was against teams adjacent the bottommost of the league (or thought to be, successful the Jazz's case). So however precisely volition that defence clasp up against amended violative teams, specified arsenic the Suns -- to whom Minnesota mislaid connected Tuesday -- Bucks and Grizzlies, who are each coming up connected the schedule. -- Andrews
16. San Antonio Spurs
2022-23 record: 5-2
Previous week's ranking: 18
During his archetypal 2 NBA seasons, Keldon Johnson made 73 3-pointers successful 86 games. In his 2nd season, helium was shooting 33.1% beyond the arc connected 3.3 attempts per game. Johnson upped some his ratio and measurement past season, shooting 39.8% connected six attempts per game, and helium has taken it adjacent further this year. In 7 games, Johnson is shooting 43.5% from deep. Heading into Tuesday's play, lone Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Bojan Bogdanovic had made much 3s than Johnson's 27. Also, helium has deed astatine slightest 3 3s successful six of the Spurs' 7 games.
-- Lopez
17. New York Knicks
2022-23 record: 3-3
Previous week's ranking: 14
The Knicks person had a world cheque aft a 3-1 start, dropping back-to-back roadworthy games to the Cavaliers and Bucks implicit the play -- the commencement of a agelong of 7 consecutive games against projected playoff teams for New York.
-- Bontemps
18. LA Clippers
2022-23 record: 3-4
Previous week's ranking: 7
The Clippers mightiness beryllium front-runners for astir disappointing commencement to the season. They were hyped arsenic title contenders with possibly the deepest roster successful the NBA but present look wholly retired of sync. Even if Kawhi Leonard has had a flare-up with his surgically repaired close genu that volition support him retired done this week, the Clippers person much than capable endowment and the coaching to win. They were outplayed doubly successful OKC and needed Paul George to rack up 35 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals and 2 massively clutch shots successful the last 40 seconds conscionable to flight astatine location against Houston. With the adjacent 2 games astatine Houston and San Antonio, possibly the Clippers tin yet get going.
-- Youngmisuk
19. Washington Wizards
2022-23 record: 3-4
Previous week's ranking: 16
The Wizards' 3-1 commencement has been wiped distant aft losing 4 of their past five. Washington's three-game descent is successful information of continuing with games against Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Memphis up next. On the agleam side, Kristaps Porzingis had his champion crippled of the play with 32 points and 9 rebounds against the Sixers.
-- Youngmisuk
20. Chicago Bulls
2022-23 record: 4-4
Previous week's ranking: 23
After struggling defensively astatine the extremity of past season, the Bulls person been successful the apical fractional of the league (13th entering Tuesday) connected defence to commencement the play acknowledgment to the pesky contributions of Alex Caruso and Javonte Green. Both Caruso and Green fertile successful the apical 5 successful the NBA successful deflections, and Green leads the NBA successful deflections per 36 minutes.
-- Collier
21. Miami Heat
2022-23 record: 3-5
Previous week's ranking: 21
Miami has struggled retired of the gate, but it picked up a comeback triumph implicit the Warriors connected Tuesday night. Max Strus has recovered a bully rhythm, averaging 16.3 points implicit his past 4 games. Jimmy Butler had 23 points, 8 assists and six rebounds against the Warriors and is going to person to transportation Miami done its unsmooth aboriginal agelong arsenic the radical continues to find its way. -- Friedell
22. Charlotte Hornets
2022-23 record: 3-4
Previous week's ranking: 20
Charlotte has dropped 3 of its past four, giving up 118.8 points per crippled successful the process. P.J. Washington is successful the midst of a bully stretch, however; helium has recorded 59 points and 12 rebounds implicit his past 2 games.
-- Friedell
23. Brooklyn Nets
2022-23 record: 2-6
Previous week's ranking: 22
It was a heck of a week for Brooklyn -- adjacent judged against the precocious standards the Nets person created for themselves successful caller years. They've mislaid 4 of five, Kyrie Irving remains embroiled successful controversy and manager Steve Nash and the Nets decided to portion ways. It's ne'er a dull time successful Netsland.
-- Friedell
24. Oklahoma City Thunder
2022-23 record: 4-3
Previous week's ranking: 29
Despite trailing Dallas by 16 points with nether 4 minutes to play Saturday, the Thunder stormed backmost to triumph 117-111 successful overtime. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, this was the 9,977th clip successful the past 25 seasons a squad led by 16 oregon much with 4 minutes remaining successful regulation. This was lone the 2nd clip a squad successful that script came backmost to win, with OKC's effort joining the Kings' comeback against Minnesota connected Jan. 27, 2020.
-- Lopez
25. Indiana Pacers
2022-23 record: 3-5
Previous week's ranking: 26
Myles Turner made headlines for his comments connected "The Woj Pod" this week erstwhile said the Lakers should "take a hard look" astatine making a commercialized with the Pacers: "I cognize what I tin supply for a team," helium said. However, Turner is disconnected to a dilatory commencement since returning from an ankle injury, averaging 13.0 points and 7 rebounds connected 34% shooting (27% from 3).
-- Collier
26. Los Angeles Lakers
2022-23 record: 1-5
Previous week's ranking: 25
Has Russell Westbrook yet recovered a functional relation successful Los Angeles? While astatine archetypal reluctant to presume the seat relation that Darvin Ham envisioned, Westbrook looked mighty effectual arsenic the Lakers' superior playmaker successful the 2nd unit. He averaged 18 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists successful 2 games arsenic a reserve, including successful the Lakers' archetypal triumph of the play against Denver.
-- McMenamin
27. Sacramento Kings
2022-23 record: 2-4
Previous week's ranking: 28
De'Aaron Fox near midway done the Kings' crippled against the Hornets due to the fact that of close genu soreness. It's the past happening Sacramento needs close now. The Kings managed to squeak retired that win, but if the wounded persists, they would beryllium losing 1 of their fewer agleam spots connected the level this season.
-- McMenamin
28. Detroit Pistons
2022-23 record: 2-6
Previous week's ranking: 24
Cade Cunningham is shooting 49.5% portion putting up 25-5-5 successful his past 4 games, the lone Piston not named Grant Hill to bash truthful successful the past 30 seasons. Overall, Cunningham enactment up 27.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists during that span.
-- Collier
29. Houston Rockets
2022-23 record: 1-7
Previous week's ranking: 27
The Rockets' winless four-game roadworthy travel was particularly unsmooth for Jalen Green. He changeable lone 25.7% from the level and 22.6% from 3-point scope connected the trip, and Houston was outscored by 44 points with him connected the level successful the 4 losses.
-- MacMahon
30. Orlando Magic
2022-23 record: 1-7
Previous week's ranking: 30
Aside from No. 1 prime Paolo Banchero's blistery commencement to his career, the Magic person gotten a bully assistance from Wendell Carter Jr. He's averaging 20 points and 8.7 rebounds implicit his past 3 games. Both proceed to enactment up coagulated numbers and large minutes for a squad that needs much from its young core. -- Friedell
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