Official /r/nba Power Rankings (11.06.2023)

[25/30 rankers reporting this week.](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17bF–yJIj8G5O32Ii3aQ5QYAsUf45P6q46mKE4JZbKg/edit?usp=sharing) /R/NBA’s Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section.

\# | Team | Δ | Record | Comment |
–: | :– | :– | :-: | :– |
2 | [](/BOS) Celtics | — | 5-0 | The Celtics are the only undefeated team still standing. Albeit just under 2 weeks into the season, basically every metric says the Celtics are *by far* the best team in the league right now. The 76ers are 2nd in the league with a net rating of 11.8. The difference between the Celtics in 1st place and the 76ers in 2nd is the same as the difference between 2nd place and 8th place. The Celtics net rating is 18.1. It cannot be understated just how insane of a start this has been for the Celtics. If you want to be a downer, of course you could point to a lot of these stats being heavily inflated by the 51 point victory over the Pacers and their 19 point win over the Wizards (which was a 31 point lead going into the 4th before garbage time with no one in), but it’s fandom so who cares about being rational or realistic. Did you know this is the 11th time the Celtics have started 5-0 to start a season? All other 10 times they’ve made at worst, the ECF. Fuck it, hang the banner. |
2 | [](/DEN) Nuggets | -1 | 6-1 | The Nuggets have picked up right where they left off in June, streaking to a 6-1 start and leading the pack in the West. We could talk about Nikola Jokic and his gaudy stats that have become the norm, but instead, I’d like to highlight the bench play this week. Though the season is still young, perhaps the largest question mark for the Nuggets entering this season was whether or not the bench unit would survive the loss of super sub Bruce Brown and veteran Jeff Green. Thus far, they’ve passed with flying colors. Reggie Jackson has looked much more comfortable this season, after his struggles trying to mesh as a trade deadline acquisition last year. Christian Braun has excelled and built on his solid performance in last year’s playoffs. The biggest surprise, however, has been the emergence of Peyton (S)Watson. Picked at the end of the first round in 2022, Watson was a project who left UCLA after one season averaging 3 PPG off the bench. After splitting the season between Denver and the Grand Rapids Gold last year, Watson has emerged as a tough defender capable of scoring around the rim and has looked surprisingly comfortable. Credit should also be given to coach Michael Malone, who has been including Jokic and/or Murray in the second unit more frequently this year to provide some stability. |
3 | [](/PHI) 76ers | +4 | 4-1 | The Sixers are… fun? The James Harden saga ended with some picks that may well be beyond Morey (or even Embiid’s) tenure and some expiring contracts, but the biggest positive of this year is the Sixers actually look kinda fun. Nick Nurse has this offense moving with nice motions and cuts, and they have some nice athleticism from new additions like Kelly Oubre. Even Tobias Harris is contributing at a high level! The question is, how long does this last? |
4 | [](/GSW) Warriors | +1 | 5-2 | Back to back game winners separating the Warriors from being a top seed or a bottom at this way too early point of the season. The CP3 experiment is an interesting one. He has shot like Jordan Poole but everything else he is far better at. It’s not the improvement we thought we were getting but we will take it but bro please make more 3s. CP3 is now 2/26 from 3 on the season. |
5 | [](/DAL) Mavericks | +9 | 5-1 | What a start for the Mavericks at 5-1, with their lone loss against the reigning champs. A big part of this hot start is rookie center Dereck Lively, who outplayed Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut, and has matched that level of output already (against Charlotte for example). Another key for Dallas was that, before the Nuggets game Friday, Lka Doncic was putting in strong effort on the defensive end. Dallas will be tested in the span until the next rankings, playing just 3 home games to 5 road games with 3 back-to-backs in that window. If Dallas can survive that 8 game stretch, look for them to be a staple near the top of these rankings barring injury. |
6 | [](/MIL) Bucks | -3 | 3-2 | It’s been a bit of a strange start to the Bucks’ season with new head coach Adrian Griffin still figuring the team out — it’s encouraging to see him switch to a defense that Brook can actually play in — but strange that he tried something so ill-fitted to the teams’ personnel for 4 games. With Dame, Giannis, and Khris all playing themselves into shape I doubt we’ll see the best version of this team until Christmas, but Dame’s already flashed the 4th quarter-scoring dominance he was brought in for and Khris has probably been our best player so far when actually on the court. Also, I hope MarJon takes Beasley’s starting job sooner than later…. the kid can hoop and has clamps. |
7 | [](/LAC) Clippers | +3 | 3-2 | [Apply to be Clippers Ranker here](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/17e5erb/looking_for_a_hawks_hornets_clippers_lakers/) |
8 | [](/ATL) Hawks | +9 | 4-2 | John the Baptist was an Atlantan preacher active in the area of the Chattahoochee River in the early 21st century AD. John rose to fame by [baptizing non-believers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yb4ULeQ76w), and many of his followers considered him the messiah. John would rebuke those claims, saying that he was merely a prophet, and that the true messiah would come after him. John would eventually be sent into exile for a second round pick, and yet the faithful awaited the arrival of their savior. [And for their faithfulness they have been rewarded](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/17i1jf4/highlight_jalen_johnson_obliterates_two_knicks/). For even though He has been among us for two years, He has truly arrived this season. When His people stumbled against the Hornets and the Knickerbockers, He shouldered our burdens and entered the starting lineup. Ever since then, He has elevated His compatriots and helped lead them to four straight victories. His passing hones our sword, and His defense strengthens our shield. I come to you today as a humble prophet of His word, letting you know the glory of His works. [Praise be to the Savior- Jalen, son of John!!!](https://imgur.com/a/PtET5gC) |
9 | [](/NOP) Pelicans | +9 | 4-2 | The Pelicans have started strong led by the scoring of CJ McCollum and the defensive of Herb Jones. But they also have been without their complete duo of Zion and BI for half of their six games already. Fans wait with bated breath as the revamped medical staff was truly the most critical off-season change. |
10 | [](/MIN) TWolves | +5 | 3-2 | Wolves start the season with the best defense in the association having held 4 of their 5 opponents under 100 points. Gobert is back to his top performing self and looks like the player who has won 3 DPOY. Anthony Edwards has started the season strong, and Wolves are getting major contributions from Naz Reid off the bench. Wolves off to a solid start and look to make noise in a crowded West. |
11 | [](/PHX) Suns | -7 | 3-4 | The Suns Big 3 has disappointed so far: Bradley Beal has yet to play a game, while Booker has entered the lineup just twice due to nagging injuries. Kevin Durant is keeping the ship afloat, but this team is still learning how to play together. Two consecutive embarrassing losses at home to San Antonio have fed the haters and put fans on edge. |
12 | [](/ORL) Magic | +9 | 4-2 | Season started off strong and then a visit to the Crypto.com Arena changed things real fast. Early west coast trip ended .500 with the cherry on top being a blowout win on the return home against the Lakers. WCJ is probably out for a few months after getting surgery on his broken finger and with both Harris and Fultz nursing lower body injuries, the Magic bench has been asked to step up big time. Goga more than held his own against AD and Anthony Black showed much promise after an underwhelming preseason. Paolo and Franz seem to have left their very early season slump behind them and Jalen Suggs has had an All-Defensive caliber start to the season. Maybe this gets said too often but the future truly is bright in Orlando. |
13 | [](/LAL) Lakers | -7 | 3-3 | It has a been a mediocre(literally) start to the season, with a record of 3-3 to begin the season. It is pretty significant that our top wings in Rui, Prince, Gabe and Vando have been sidelined for half of these games(Vando is yet to debut), as the glaring weaknesses through this stint has been the lack of rebounding and stagnant offense during the non-LeBron minutes. Among the other playmakers, Reaves has picked up some steam after a poor start to the season since the OT-win vs. the Clippers (yay 11-game losing streak snapped), D’Lo has been alternating between great and awful games. AD, Wood and LeBron have been the bright spots so far, while the hope is that the physicality and rebounding is enforced as the injuries recede. Starting every single game with a massive 1st quarter deficit and LeBron solely being relied upon for offense is not sustainable in the long-term, hopefully some good health and urgency in games in on the way. |
15 | [](/CLE) Cavaliers | -6 | 3-4 | Starting the season 3-4 with each of Allen, Garland, Mitchell, LeVert, Okoro, Jerome and Wade missing at least one game wasn’t the ideal fast-start to the season the Cavs were looking for after an off season focused on adding spacing. Shooting just 32% from 3 to this point, the Cavs are now healthy and departing on a western road trip, so we’ll get a chance to see if Strus and Niang can settle into their roles as spacers to help bring this Cavs core to the next level. |
15 | [](/OKC) Thunder | +1 | 3-3 | The prayers of Thunder fans have been answered: Chet Holmgren is that guy. The Thunder’s inexperience continues to show in their ability to simultaneously play both the best and worst basketball you’ll see. That being said, this rollercoaster is to be expected until we find the consistency that Sam Presti is looking for. |
16 | [](/BKN) Nets | +4 | 3-3 | |
17 | [](/SAC) Kings | -6 | 2-3 | |
18 | [](/NYK) Knicks | -6 | 2-4 | Odd-Year Randle gets one grace period this ranking cycle before I go in. Otherwise, the team has been a top-3 defense but a bottom-5 offense. Keep an eye on RJ, he’s really taking the next step. Brunson is him. |
19 | [](/IND) Pacers | — | 3-3 | It’s been a mixed bag of results for the Indiana Pacers so far in the 2023 season. The new-look offense featuring Bruce Brown and Obi Toppin has been lights out; Indiana currently sports the 7th best team offensive rating in the league. Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 24 and 12, and elder statesmen Myles Turner is playing the most consistent basketball of his career so far. The bad news? The defense might be equally as bad as the offense is good. Indiana’s defensive rating is dead last in the league, and the effort was fully on display when the Celtics dropped 155 points in a 51 point blowout. Something needs to change, whether that’s switching up the starting lineup or maybe seeing if lottery pick Jarace Walker can bring any life to the unit. |
20 | [](/MIA) Heat | -11 | 2-4 | A rough start to the season as the Heat sees only 1 win in its first 5 games. Getting blown out by the Celtics, Timberwolves, and Bucks while losing pace in a close contest against the Nets. Tyler Herro is off to a great start however performing well overall after another summer of trade rumors. Spoelstra has the difficult task once again of figuring out the rotation because the starting 5 is almost unchanged from past seasons. Caleb Martin is missing in action however with no details as to how long he will be dealing with his knee ailment. Some of the reserve players have been heavily involved like Duncan Robinson and 2023 first rounder Jaime Jaquez Jr while others have been only given handful of minutes every other game or so. Seeing Strus and Vincent leave does create some large holes to fill in the rotation. Another few more weeks up to a month before things become more concrete in terms of how this year’s team will look. |
21 | [](/TOR) Raptors | +2 | 3-4 | A new season brings fresh opportunities for our team, showcasing notable strengths. Good news: we rank top 10 in defense, and Scottie Barnes shines with 22.6/9.9/5.9 stats. The downside? Our offense needs work, as Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal have struggled early on. |
22 | [](/SAS) Spurs | +3 | 3-3 | “Two weeks in to the Victor Wembanyama experience and it’s hard to say that the 7’4″” phenom has been anything other than what he was advertised. From jaw dropping offensive displays, especially in 4th quarters, to “”what the fuck just happened”” blocks that leave fans and seasoned league veterans shaking their heads in awe, Wemby has been miraculous in the first two weeks of his young career. The team has experienced some growing pains with the PGSochan experiment, but Sochan has also looked more and more comfortable over the last several games. Too many people (Spurs fans and third-party observers alike) want to correct the Spurs’ rotation for what’s most optimal to win *now* (and yes, Tre Jones has been an absolute game-changer off the bench), but the Spurs are playing the long game with their big-ball lineup and are wise not to panic only *6 games into this season*. This is the youngest roster in the league; there will be growing pains (as last night’s loss to Toronto showed us). Looking ahead, the Spurs have @IND, @NYK, MIN, MIA, @OKC, SAC, MEM, with MIN, @OKC and SAC being Tournament games. Enjoy the ride folks!” |
23 | [](/POR) Trail Blazers | +4 | 3-4 | Things are going unexpectantly well in Portland. Despite losing their first three games, they find themselves just a hair under 500 at 3-4, thanks to a 3 game winning streak. What makes this particularly surprising is that Portland has been without its best player, Anfernee Simons, and it’s #3 pick, Scoot Henderson. But while the wins might be unexpected, they’re also not particularly surprising. Portland always was going to be a stable team, if not a good one, thanks to a bevy of quality, established players like Brogdon, Ayton, and Williams. This team looks a lot close to the 2023 Jazz than the 2023 Rockets. |
24 | [](/HOU) Rockets | +2 | 2-3 | |
25 | [](/UTA) Jazz | -3 | 2-5 | Through 7 games Utah have already suffered 16,22 and 28 point losses, a stark difference to last season. In 2023 they didn’t lose by over 16 points until game 32 of the regular season. They also didn’t lose a 3rd game by 20+ until game 56 of the season. Bottom line is that this team is frankly not very good and while the recognised lack of a true point guard is glaring, a 28th ranked DRTG is more to blame. Olynyk, Clarkson, THT, Sexton are all playing at least 20 minutes per game as defensive liabilities and Kessler has had some early season struggles. Another year retooling for assets and picks would not be the worst result for the team but don’t expect a play-in push. |
26 | [](/DET) Pistons | +2 | 2-5 | We’ve accidentally won 2 games (Bulls and Hornets) thanks to hot shooting by Alec Burks in those contests. Our record may not show it, but we are the worst team in the NBA – trust me. Monty Williams is a basketball terrorist. There is absolutely no reason that Killian Hayes (and his 38.1% TS) deserves to start, let alone receive 30 MPG. Free Jaden Ivey (and his 60.9% TS). |
27 | [](/CHA) Hornets | +2 | 2-4 | Positives: Mark Williams is a great center and Brandon Miller has looked every bit the part of the #2 pick so far. The starting 5 is actually cohesive and even with Melo’s struggles has kept up with every team. The negatives – LaMelo’s shot is in California so far, he’s playing awful offensively, but I have faith it’ll improve as he gets his legs back. The glaring issue is that this bench is HORRENDOUS. The team goes 7 deep at best. Thor and Maledon are not NBA players, and the team has a glaring guard problem – this is what happens when you draft Kai Jones and Bouknight in 2021. With Rozier hurt it’s going to be tough to stay afloat with Melo off court. Also, fire Clifford. |
28 | [](/CHI) Bulls | -4 | 2-5 | Well this is a pretty disappointing start to the season. The Bulls have one of the worst offenses in the league, with terrible three point shooting being a big cause of that. Patrick Williams has shown no signs of improvement, and Coby White has become very inefficient. Lavine and Derozan both look worse than last year, and coaching is still garbage. The team has looked terrible the first 2 weeks of the season and if that continues, they need to blow it up. |
29 | [](/MEM) Grizzlies | -16 | 1-6 | |
30 | [](/WAS) Wizards | — | 1-4 | Despite the belief of media pundits who coerce fans into the idea of tanking, tanking is not an enjoyable experience and one that brings existential dread every night you attempt to watch your favorite team play the game of basketball. Even with expectations that tanking is miserable, I do not understand why I turn on the game, hoping for good basketball only to be gifted Jordan Poole making the case for why Draymond Green had a reason to punch him in the face. There have been complications – Daniel Gafford getting injured while being our only true center on the roster. But it doesn’t excuse Danilo Gallinari receiving minutes while also appearing like he may not get back up if he were to fall to the ground. Wes Unseld Jr has been able to prove that he is a decent coach – with the fourth quarter being shockingly good basketball from third/fourth string guys. But the talent gap on the Wizards is some of the worst in modern NBA history – which some can argue is good for tanking but is concerning from a new front office attempting to right the wrongs from the previous tenants. There have been some good points — Deni Avdija finds himself in a midst of a hot streak yet every year, this hot streak is followed by disappointing performances. And this year’s fan favorite “hustle” guy has emerged as Eugene Omoruyi. But again, life is miserable. Tanking is miserable as intended. |