NBA Power Rankings: Bucks Stay Perfect, Cavaliers Surge

Here’s where things stand in the association entering Week 3.

The second week of the NBA season saw a few top teams pull forward, some supposed contenders slip further in the standings and a muddied middle emerge.

Milwaukee is the last remaining undefeated team and after the Lakers’ win Sunday there are no winless teams left. Teams like the Spurs and Thunder surprisingly had a great week, the 76ers corrected course and things look bleak for the Los Angeles teams and the Nets.

Here’s where things stand in the association entering Week 3.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are the last remaining undefeated team.  :: Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports

1. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 5–0

Previous ranking: 3

The Bucks are the only team that made it through the second week of the season without a loss. They have their league-best defense to thank for their perfect start, led by the frontcourt unit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez, all of whom are pulling down rebounds and swatting shots with ease. After downing the Nets, Knicks and Hawks last week, Milwaukee’s six-game homestand continues with back-to-back games against the Pistons.

2. Phoenix Suns

Record: 5–1

Previous ranking: 4

The Suns are essentially a play away from an undefeated start. As it stands, a two-point overtime loss in Portland is the only blemish on their sterling résumé, which they added to this past week with double-digit wins against the Warriors, Pelicans and Rockets. Phoenix owns the best net rating in the NBA, Devin Booker is sleepwalking to a near-30 ppg average and Chris Paul leads the league in assists (10.8). This start is a great sign for the Suns after the offseason they had. Their six-game homestand continues this week with three more games in the desert, two of which are on national TV.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 5–1

Previous ranking: 14

The hottest team in basketball plays in Cleveland, and it’s on a five-game winning streak without one of its top players. Darius Garland (eye injury) hasn’t played since the season-opening loss to the Raptors, and the Cavaliers haven’t lost since. They took care of the Magic and Knicks at home and also went into Boston and beat the Celtics in overtime behind a combined 82 points from Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell, who’s pouring in more than 32 ppg. Cleveland owns the No. 2 net rating in the league and will face the C’s again Wednesday at home on ESPN.

4. Boston Celtics

Record: 4–2

Previous ranking: 1

The Celtics’ defense—or lack thereof—caught up to them in losses to the Bulls and Cavaliers. Boston was also held to a season-low 102 points against Chicago in its first defeat. Then Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert each scored 41 in an overtime Cleveland win a few nights later as the C’s allowed a season-high 132 points. The offense is holding up thanks to sharp outside shooting and 58 combined ppg from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but Boston is getting beat on the boards. The Celtics will get another shot at the two teams that downed them last week in the coming days on national TV.

5. Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 5–1

Previous ranking: 8

Damian Lillard, the engine behind Portland’s 4–0 start, exited last Wednesday’s game against Miami with a calf strain. Without their leading scorer, the Trail Blazers fell apart at home against the Heat and dropped their first game of the year by double digits. Two nights later, Anfernee Simons stepped up and scored a season-best 30 points (on seven made threes) to lead the Blazers to a win against the Rockets. Chauncey Billups will need more of that out of his third-year guard for his team to weather Lillard’s absence, especially with an upcoming game against the Grizzlies and then a back-to-back with the Suns.

6. New Orleans Pelicans

Record: 4–2

Previous ranking: 11

Even though Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram missed a handful of games last week, New Orleans still looks formidable. The Pelicans beat the Mavericks without either of their All-Stars and handed the Clippers a 21-point defeat when Williamson returned to the lineup Sunday in L.A. It was a 2–2 week for Willie Green’s team with justifiable losses against the Jazz in overtime (Williamson and Ingram both exited early) and the Suns (a game which they both missed). CJ McCollum is expertly quarterbacking the Pelicans to a top-five offensive rating, and players like Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall are stepping up.

7. Utah Jazz

Record: 5–2

Previous ranking: 5

Utah’s surprise undefeated start was spoiled by a road loss to the Rockets—Houston’s first and only win. That result was more in line with general expectations for the Jazz this season. Will Hardy’s team rebounded later in the week with a one-point win against the Ja Morant–less Grizzlies, another close win against a quality opponent. Few teams hit more threes, steal more passes or dish more dimes than Utah. A four-game road trip this week will reveal more about one of the biggest surprises of the young season.

8. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 4–2

Previous ranking: 9

The Grizzlies have the league’s highest-scoring offense and get their 120 ppg however they want it. They score the second-most points in the paint and hit the fourth-most threes per game (on nearly 40% shooting). The issue in Memphis is that even with that awesome offense, led by a truly unstoppable force in Ja Morant, it can’t stop teams on the other end of the court. The Grizzlies can and will win shootouts, as they showed in a 134–124 victory against Brooklyn, but they also have to be able to slow down their opponents, which doomed them in a 124–123 loss to the Jazz without Morant, who was out due to a non-COVID-19 illness.

9. Denver Nuggets

Record: 4–3

Previous ranking: 10

Denver lost both games outside of Colorado last week and became the first team to lose to the Lakers. The Nuggets are now 3–0 at home and 1–3 on the road on the year, and it’s a wonder they’re above .500 with a bottom-10 net rating. Nikola Jokić is doing Nikola Jokić things, but his scoring numbers are down so far from his back-to-back MVP averages. It’s a light week ahead for Denver with just two games against the Thunder and Spurs, though both opponents have been playing well.

10. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 3–3

Previous ranking: 7

This week didn’t reveal a whole lot about the Mavericks that wasn’t already known—they won the two games where Luka Dončić scored 40 and lost the two that he didn’t. He leads the NBA in scoring (36.7 ppg) and became the first player to score 30-plus points in his first six games of the season since Michael Jordan did so in 1986–87. Dallas has the best offensive rating in the NBA and ranks top-five in net rating as a result. Christian Wood’s hot start to the season cooled off a bit this past week, but Dončić has gotten his other teammates involved. Dallas has only two games over the coming week, and both are at home.

11. Atlanta Hawks

Record: 4–2

Previous ranking: 16

Middling shooting from outside hasn’t held the Hawks back at all, largely due to how well they’ve defended the three themselves. Atlanta took care of business early in the week with back-to-back wins in Detroit before it fell in Milwaukee despite Trae Young’s 42 points. It’s been a relatively light schedule to start the season for the Hawks, and they’ve held up well, but the level of difficulty rises this week against the Raptors, Knicks and Pelicans.

12. Golden State Warriors

Record: 3–4

Previous ranking: 2

Opposing offenses are going at the defending champs every night, and they’ve been met with little resistance. Golden State dropped three games this week, two of which—a 134–105 loss in Phoenix and a 128–114 defeat versus Detroit—were blowouts. The Warriors who won 50-plus games en route to the title a season ago did so with a defense that was No. 2 in defensive rating—they’re currently 23rd. Steph Curry has been sensational, but the defense is allowing more than the Warriors can score, and they’re scoring plenty.

13. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 5–2

Previous ranking: 22

Few teams score more than San Antonio, and they had a great time putting the ball in the basket last week in three bouts with the Timberwolves and a win against the Bulls. The Spurs lead the NBA in assists per game at 31.1 and everyone is getting in on the action—five players average at least three dimes. San Antonio’s defense is going to let teams race up and down the floor and keep pace with them, but so far they’ve come out on top more often than not in their high-scoring contests.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 4–3

Previous ranking: 13

The T-Wolves have stumbled at times already against a relatively light schedule. Up against the Spurs three times this past week, they lost twice, beat them once and also handled the Lakers. Rudy Gobert has Minnesota in the top five by defensive rating though the offense has been inconsistent. The Timberwolves scored a season-low 98 points (and connected on only four threes) Sunday in San Antonio. Three-point shooting has been a struggle so far after they led the league in made threes last year.

15. Charlotte Hornets

Record: 3–3

Previous ranking: 15

The Hornets are a high-variance team. That was exhibited last week when they followed up a 20-point loss to the Magic with an overtime win against the Warriors the very next night, a feat accomplished without leading scorer Terry Rozier. Dennis Smith Jr. has been a pleasant surprise as a solid shooter and great distributor, and Nick Richards has provided quality minutes off the bench and leads the team in rebounds. Charlotte still leaves much to be desired defensively, but its offense is keeping it afloat for now, and that’s without LaMelo Ball running the show.

16. New York Knicks

Record: 3–3

Previous ranking: 19

The week began with a pair of wins against the Magic and Hornets to make it three in a row for the Knicks. Then New York ran into the Bucks and Cavaliers on the road and dropped both by double digits. Oddly enough, it’s the Jalen Brunson–led offense that has this team competing, while the defense has been lacking. Three tough games against conference foes await this week with the Hawks, 76ers and Celtics on deck.

17. Toronto Raptors

Record: 3–3

Previous ranking: 18

Pascal Siakam’s All-NBA play did not tail off the second week of the season. He led the Raptors to wins against the Heat and 76ers, and his impressive playmaking peaked in a 13-assist outing against Philadelphia. On offense, Toronto lags behind most of the league but its defense—which picks off more passes than almost any other team—has been so limiting it makes up for that deficiency. That defense will be tested against the Hawks, Spurs and Mavericks this week.

18. Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 3–4

Previous ranking: 23

The 76ers needed the week they just had after their poor start. Philadelphia picked up wins against the Pacers, Raptors and Bulls as James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid traded turns leading the team in scoring, highlighted by Maxey’s 44-point explosion at the expense of the Raptors. Philadelphia’s defense impressed after its Week 1 lapses led to an 0–3 start. Rebounding and reliable offense outside of the Big Three remain concerns, but the arrow is pointing up heading into two games in a row against the Wizards.

19. Chicago Bulls

Record: 3–4

Previous ranking: 21

The Bulls downed the Celtics and Pacers to start the week at home and then dropped a pair of close contests to the Spurs and 76ers. Somewhat surprisingly, Chicago’s defense grades out better than its offense so far. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have been and are going to get their points nightly, but there’s not much help on offense coming from the rest of the roster, especially for a team that isn’t doing much damage from deep. The Bulls have two big tests against conference opponents on national TV this week on the road in Brooklyn and Boston.

20. Washington Wizards

Record: 3–3

Previous ranking: 20

Washington was competitive, if not dominant, through the first four games of the year. Then things unraveled over the weekend. The Wizards allowed a season-high 127 points to the Pacers in a loss at home Friday, and then the offense cratered Sunday against the Celtics and finished with a season-worst 94 points in another defeat. As Bradley Beal’s scoring slowed down, so did the offense in the nation’s capital. But the defense is holding up its end of things thus far.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 3–3

Previous ranking: 27

Week 2 was a sharp heel turn for OKC. After a winless week, the Thunder ripped off three wins in a row—two against the Clippers and a gutsy, overtime win in Dallas. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is good for 30 points pretty much every night and he’s been propping up the offense in Oklahoma City. The defense, powered by nine steals a game, ranks sixth in defensive rating. The upcoming week presents challenges against the Magic, Nuggets and Bucks.

22. Indiana Pacers

Record: 3–4

Previous ranking: 26

It’s evident Indiana has something special with its rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin, who went for a season-high 32 points in a road win against the Nets over the weekend. That was the second road win in a row for the Pacers, who also put on an offensive clinic in a victory against the Wizards. Tyrese Haliburton’s playmaking was at the heart of both wins as he leads the team in scoring and ranks second in the NBA in assists. Indiana’s awesome offense can’t entirely compensate for what it gives up on defense, though. It’s a light week for the Pacers ahead with just two games on the schedule: Brooklyn and Miami.

23. Miami Heat

Record: 2–5

Previous ranking: 17

Miami’s only win last week came on the road in Portland after Lillard left with an injury. The Heat had the advantage of having the highest-scoring second unit in the league a season ago, but with Tyler Herro now in the starting lineup coach Erik Spoelstra isn’t getting much offensively from his bench. That, along with some spotty three-point shooting, is why this offense finds itself among the worst units in the league. Miami’s defense has more or less held up, but its lack of size has led to a dip in rebounds. And the Heat are again the worst shot-blocking team in the league.

24. Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 2–4

Previous ranking: 6

It’s time to talk about the Clippers. They’re in the midst of a four-game losing streak that includes two losses to the Thunder, and the only team with a worse offensive rating than them is their Crypto.com Arena roommate, the Lakers. Kawhi Leonard has appeared in only two games and he’s already been ruled out of Monday’s game against the Rockets. And after Paul George erupted for 40 points in the second game of the season, he scored as many points across his next three games. Tyronn Lue’s defense is still stout, and L.A. will lean on it this week to correct course against a relatively soft slate in the days ahead.

Kevin Durant and the Nets have struggled to open the season.  :: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

25. Brooklyn Nets

Record: 1–5

Previous ranking: 12

The Nets have lost four straight and their issues extend well beyond basketball. Kyrie Irving was condemned by team owner Joe Tsai for a tweet about an antisemitic film (the league also issued a statement condemning hate speech that did not name Irving). On the court, Brooklyn is in shambles, too. Kevin Durant and Irving both average better than 30 ppg but there’s no offense to be found anywhere else on one of the worst shooting teams in the league. Ben Simmons has done little to help on that front and his prowess on defense isn’t back to where it once was. The week ahead (Pacers, Bulls, Wizards, Hornets) should see Brooklyn net a few victories; any further struggles will reveal just how low this team’s floor is.

26. Sacramento Kings

Record: 1–4

Previous ranking: 20

Sacramento scored its first win Saturday against the Heat after four straight losses to start the season. Aside from a 15-point loss to the Grizzlies, the Kings have generally been in games. Their offense will keep them competitive, but the defense has let up at least 110 points in every game this year. After playing four of their first five at home, Sacramento heads East this week to begin a four-game road trip that includes a battle of top-five picks between Paolo Banchero and Keegan Murray.

27. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 1–5

Previous ranking: 25

The Lakers were the last team in the league to record a win. It came Sunday night at home against the Nuggets, and Russell Westbrook had an efficient 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists off the bench. LeBron James and Anthony Davis each had 20-plus points and L.A.—still the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA—connected on 13 threes. A single victory doesn’t remedy the issues that plagued this team across its 0–5 start, but the winless modifier no longer hangs over this team as it tries to crawl out of the hole it dug itself with three more home games this week.

28. Detroit Pistons

Record: 2–5

Previous ranking: 28

The Pistons shrugged off two 20-plus-point losses this week and beat the Warriors, 128–114, at home Sunday. That was one of the better defensive showings of the season for Detroit, which is allowing more than 120 ppg and gave up 136 to the Hawks in a loss. Dwane Casey has gotten good individual outings out of Bojan Bogdanović, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Saddiq Bey so far, and they all put it together against Golden State. The Pistons have more chances to pull off another major upset with two in a row coming up against the Bucks.

29. Orlando Magic

Record: 1–6

Previous ranking: 29

Paolo Banchero’s transition to the NBA has been seamless. He went for 21 points and 11 boards in Orlando’s first win of the season against the Hornets and is scoring better than 20 ppg. But beyond the No. 1 pick, the Magic haven’t had much, well, magic. The lack of a true playmaker due to injuries at the guard spot puts a hard cap on the offense—they average the fewest assists in the league and the third-fewest made threes.

30. Houston Rockets

Record: 1–6

Previous ranking: 30

Houston’s early-season schedule isn’t doing it any favors. The Rockets are winless in five tries on the road, and all but one of their games so far have come against teams that made the playoffs last year. They managed to wedge a win against the Jazz in between a pair of three-game losing streaks but have otherwise been losing and doing so by a lot. Houston maintains the worst point differential in the league (-9.7). The individual play on the team is promising; that just hasn’t coalesced into winning basketball.