Sunday Standings: NBA Weekly Power Rankings 10/20-10/27

How do the Hawks stand up against the rest of the NBA teams heading into this week?

Oct 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) in action against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the NBA season starting up next week, it's time for power rankings. The off-season, Summer League and preseason have all concluded and rosters are officially set for action.

Heading into the first week of the season, where do the Hawks find themselves?

It is important to note that these rankings are subject to change and reflect my opinion on how these teams should be ranked heading into the given week.

Capturing the Flagg

30) Washington Wizards (preseason record of 2-3) - In my opinion, this is the worst team in the NBA at the moment, but they are embracing the rebuild with rookies Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr poised to play big roles alongside second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly. Expect them to be in contention for Cooper Flagg at the top of next year's draft.

29) Brooklyn Nets (preseason record of 1-3) - Cameron Johnson, Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith are helpful veterans, but I expect one or multiple of these players to be traded at the deadline for picks and young players as they shoot for the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Quietly, they have a few interesting young forwards in Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson.

28) Detroit Pistons (preseason record of 3-2) - The Pistons brought in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr to give Cade Cunningham a little more spacing, but the plan for Detroit is still unclear. They're banking on shooting improvements from Ausar Thompson and rookie Ron Holland II, as well as a renewed Jaden Ivey under new coaching. It's hard to see Detroit as anything other than one of the five worst teams in basketball.

27) Utah Jazz (preseason record of 4-2) - Lauri Markkanen is great, but the Jazz are trying to balance the development of multiple young players at the same time. Keyonte George could take a leap in his second season as the lead ball-handler. It's going to be a season full of growing pains for a very young Utah roster.

26) Chicago Bulls (preseason record of 3-2) - Lonzo Ball is one of the best stories of this season, but the Bulls have one of the worst rosters in the NBA. There's solid pieces in Zach LaVine, Coby White and Ayo Dosomnu, but the rest of the roster is a massive question mark.

25) Charlotte Hornets (preseason record of 2-3) - The core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams is fairly talented when healthy. Unfortunately, Ball and Williams are far from durable and the rotation is very thin. I think they're a sneaky contender for the play-in, but it all comes down to their three best players staying healthy and delivering on their potential.

24) Portland Trail Blazers (preseason record of 3-1) - I think Jerami Grant, DeAndre Ayton and Anfernee Simons along with new addition Deni Avdija gives the Blazers a somewhat respectable floor. They'll need a better sophomore season from Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe will need to show he's firmly a part of Portland's future.

23) Los Angeles Clippers (preseason record of 4-1) - James Harden being the primary option is not as effective as it once was and Kawhi Leonard's health continues to be a serious question. I think this team is going to be towards the bottom of the West even though their top two players are good when healthy.

22) San Antonio Spurs (preseason record of 2-3) - At the risk of stating the obvious, Victor Wembenyama is pretty incredible. He will certainly carry the Spurs to some wins practically by himself. That being said, the roster is pretty barren after Devin Vassell - who will miss time early with a injury. I do not expect the offseason additions of Chris Paul , rookie Stephon Castle and Harrison Ingram to elevate this team much higher than this spot.

21) Toronto Raptors (preseason record of 3-2) - Toronto's core of R.J Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes is not bad, but it does not stand out, either. It gives the Raptors a stable floor and I expect Barnes to make another push for an All-Star team, but I do not expect them to impress early.

20) Golden State Warriors (preseason record of 6-0) - Placing the offense on Steph Curry's shoulders is a strategy that is going to get less reliable with every year. Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga both have intriguing upside, but they're more of complementary pieces than players who can really take on a heavy offensive workload.

19) Los Angeles Lakers (preseason record of 2-4) - As we saw in the Olympics, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still a great duo. However, the roster around them is arguably the worst of the James-Davis era and neither star is the regular-season force they once were. LA is also short on wing talent and are going to be very reliant on rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht to improve their spacing.

18) New Orleans Pelicans (preseason record of 1-2) - There's a lot of NBA talent on this team, but it's not clear how it fits together. The lack of a true center on this roster is going to make things difficult despite Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, C.J McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray all being individually talented players.

17) Sacramento Kings (preseason record of 0-5) - It was a little concerning to see Sacramento go winless in preseason, but a trio of Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan gives the Kings a firm floor as a play-in team. They do not have the highest ceiling, but they've surrounded their trio with solid complementary pieces like Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis.

16) Phoenix Suns (preseason record of 3-2) - If rookie wing Ryan Dunn's shot is here to stay, the Suns may have unearthed an impact two-way wing that they desperately need. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are some of the NBA's best offensive players, but their supporting cast leaves something to be desired. That being said, it would be hard to see Phoenix as a play-in team as long as Booker and Durant are active.

15) Houston Rockets (preseason record of 3-1) - I'm very high on what this young Rockets team can do. Alperen Sengun should continue to grow as the main playmaker for the Rockets' offense and adding rookie guard Reed Sheppard should give them an intriguing scoring punch off the bench. They lack the high-end talent or experience of some of the teams below them, but their roster depth cannot be discounted.

14) Miami Heat (preseason record of 4-1) - The Heat are usually not a very imposing regular season team. While I expect Jimmy Butler to be especially motivated in a contract year, the overall roster for Miami lacks the star power of peers in the East and its depth is not quite elite. Still, Butler and Bam Adebayo should give the Heat a solid floor.

13) Cleveland Cavaliers (preseason record of 0-4) - New coach Kenny Atkinson will need time to implement his ideas, but the overall floor of Cleveland's roster is set. They're going to be in the mix for a playoff spot as long as Donovan Mitchell is leading the charge and some growth from Evan Mobley as an offensive player could drive them further up this list.

12) Atlanta Hawks (preseason record of 1-3) - This might be a little bold, but Trae Young is still one of the best offensive engines in the NBA and the Hawks put complementary pieces around him this offseason. I think Atlanta will get off to a good start on offense, but Dyson Daniels won't be enough to fix the defense right away.

11) Memphis Grizzlies (preseason record of 3-2) - Rookie center Zach Edey is a favorite for Rookie of the Year for a reason - he should form instant chemistry with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane while freeing up Jaren Jackson Jr to make his presence felt on defense. After a season lost to injury, expect the Grizzles to come out with something to prove.

10) Indiana Pacers (preseason record of 2-2) - Excuse the pun, but the Pacers' pace is always going to make them a dangerous regular season team. They should be better defensively with a full season of Pascal Siakam, who came over mid-season from the Raptors.

9) Dallas Mavericks (preseason record of 1-3) - Superstar Luka Doncic traditionally starts the season slow and that has to be accounted for early in the year. I expect Dallas to compete for a top seed in the West, but they'll need to integrate new arrival Klay Thompson into their starting lineup. That could slow things down early in the season.

8) Milwaukee Bucks (preseason record of 1-3) - I have Milwaukee above teams like the Pacers and the Mavericks because they will be itching to prove that the Giannis-Dame combo works. Khris Middleton might miss some time early with injuries, but I expect the Bucks to start the season off strong even in his absence.

7) Philadelphia 76ers (preseason record of 3-3) - New acquisition Paul George and MVP center Joel Embiid are both in danger of missing the season opener as the Sixers attempt to keep their stars healthy. As a result, Philadelphia could experience an early drop in the standings as they go in and out of the lineup. However, a mostly healthy Embiid practically guarentees the Sixers a top-four seed in the East, so they cannot fall too far down this list.

6) Orlando Magic (preseason record of 1-2) - The Magic are a young team that plays aggressive defense and just added a floor spacer in the aforementioned Caldwell-Pope. It gives them a boost in the regular season that could falter come playoffs. However, their continuity should help them start fast in the East.

5) Denver Nuggets (preseason record of 1-4) - It's hard to predict a Nikola Jokic-led team from finishing outside the top three of the West. Still, Jamal Murray had a rough Olympics performance and longtime two-way wing Kentavius Caldwell-Pope left for the Magic. It's a lot of ground for Denver to make up, but I expect them to start the year strong.

4) Minnesota Timberwolves (preseason record of 2-3) - This was one of the NBA's deepest teams last year and they added Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. The offense may take some sorting out, but Minnesota has a lot of continuity and their new additions should give them a firm regular-season floor as a top-three seed in the West.

3) New York Knicks (preseason record of 4-1) - Adding Karl-Anthony Towns was a massive swing for the Knicks that addressed a gaping hole at center with Mitchell Robinson's injury. There will be some adjustment, but KAT should immediately improve the Knicks spacing and help them establish themselves as one of the East's best teams early as he takes some defensive attention away from superstar guard Jalen Brunson.

2) Oklahoma City Thunder (preseason record of 4-1) - Losing Isaiah Hartenstein to a hand fracture is unfortunate, but the Thunder have the roster talent to weather his absence. New addition Alex Caruso should make an immediate impact and help the Thunder be a top-five offense and defense early.

1) Boston Celtics (preseason record of 4-1) - Even sans Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are the best team in the league and will be looking to prove that is the case after a summer filled with discussion over how legitimate their championship run was last season.