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NBA Power Rankings: Week 3

 

  1. Golden State Warriors 11-2 SAME

Quinn Cook came in for the injured Stephen Curry and scored 27 points to help the Warriors beat the Nets on Saturday. The Warriors lost just their second game of the year earlier in the week to Milwaukee in a 23-point blowout loss. Golden State has a busy week with games against the Clippers, Hawks, Rockets, Mavericks and Spurs.

  1. Toronto Raptors 12-1 SAME

Toronto looks unstoppable lately. The Raptors had a four-game road trip to the west and won every game by an average margin of 11 points. Even when Kawhi Leonard rests, the team still looks very good. The Raptors play New Orleans, Detroit, Boston and Chicago this week.

  1. Milwaukee Bucks 10-3 SAME

Milwaukee has cooled off after their hot start, losing three of their last five games. The Bucks did hand Golden State its second loss of the season on Thursday in Oakland. The Bucks start a long homestand this week with games against Memphis and Chicago.

  1. Portland Trail Blazers 10-3 UP 2

Portland has won three in a row with wins over Minnesota, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Blazers have gotten great contributions from Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins this season along with the star play of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Portland starts a six-game road trip this week against the Lakers, Timberwolves and Wizards.

  1. Denver Nuggets 9-4 SAME

Denver has lost two games in a row by a total of just four points against Memphis and Brooklyn. Nikola Jokic had a monster 37-point 21-rebound performance against the Nets but couldn’t push the team to a win. Jamal Murray also posted a career-high 48-points in a win over Boston on Monday. The Nuggets play Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans this week.

  1. Oklahoma City Thunder 7-5 UP 9

Oklahoma City rattled off seven-straight wins after starting 0-4 before losing to Dallas on Saturday. The Thunder had a scare with Russell Westbrook rolling his ankle, but MRI results came back negative and he is listed as day-to-day. OKC plays Phoenix and New York at home this week and goes on the road to Phoenix to end the week.

  1. Boston Celtics 7-6 DOWN 3

Gordon Hayward returned to Utah on Friday for his first game against the team in a Celtics uniform. The fans all booed him vigorously as Utah would defeat Boston by seven with Hayward only scoring 13 points. The Celtics have hit a rough patch losing three of four with their only victory coming in overtime against the Suns. Boston plays Chicago, Toronto and Utah this week.

  1. Indiana Pacers 8-6 DOWN 1

Victor Oladipo continues to light it up for the Pacers, now having led the team in scoring in 10 of its 13 games. The Pacers have gotten much needed scoring out of Domantas Sabonis and Tyreke Evans has helped the team off the bench with over 10 points per game as well. Indiana starts a three-game homestand Friday against Miami with Atlanta Saturday and Utah next Monday.

  1. Philadelphia 76ers 8-6 SAME

Philadelphia made a huge splash over the weekend by trading for Jimmy Butler. The Sixers hope Butler will be able to take them to the top of the Eastern Conference and gave up key players Robert Covington and Dario Saric to get him. Philadelphia has games against Miami, Orlando, Utah and Charlotte this week and hope to get Butler suited up by Wednesday’s game against the Magic.

  1. San Antonio Spurs 7-4 DOWN 2

The Spurs have played extremely well with DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge leading the charge. San Antonio is shooting over 39 percent from three-point range, good for third-best in the NBA. The Spurs look to take on the Kings, Suns, Clippers and Warriors this week.

  1. Utah Jazz 6-6 DOWN 1

Utah ended its four-game skid with two wins this week over the Mavericks and Celtics, both at home. Jae Crowder has helped the team greatly by scoring close to 15 points per game, which would be a career high for the sixth-year forward. Utah has a five-game road trip ahead with games this week against Memphis, Dallas, Philadelphia and Boston.

  1. Memphis Grizzlies 7-4 UP 2

Memphis had a good week that finished with two wins at home against Denver by two and Philadelphia by six in overtime. The Grizzlies don’t have a single player averaging over 20 points per game but have five averaging over 11 points per game thus far this season. Memphis looks to take on Utah, Milwaukee, Sacramento and Minnesota this week.

  1. Houston Rockets 5-7 DOWN 1

Houston’s rough start to the season continued this week with losses to the Thunder and Spurs in which they were unable to crack 90 points. Carmelo Anthony has looked horrible for the team lately, and rumors are circulating that his time in Houston may be coming to an end soon. The Rockets will play Denver, Golden State and Sacramento this week.

  1. New Orleans Pelicans 6-6 DOWN 1

The Pelicans ended their six-game losing streak with wins this week over Chicago and Phoenix. The team has been very top-heavy this season with four players putting up over 18 points per game but only two others averaging over 7 points per game. New Orleans looks to take on Toronto, Minnesota, New York and Denver this week.

  1. Detroit Pistons 6-6 DOWN 2

The Pistons ended their five-game skid by beating Orlando and Atlanta on the road this week before losing to Charlotte on Sunday. Drummond continues to have strong play for the team and is now averaging over 19 points and 16 rebounds per game. Detroit heads to Toronto on Wednesday for their only game of the week.

  1. LA Lakers 7-6 SAME

The Lakers picked up Tyson Chandler after he was bought-out from Phoenix this week and he has already helped them with 20 total rebounds in the two games he’s played. LeBron James is still playing 35 minutes per game, which will need to decrease in order for him to have energy at the end of the season. The Lakers play Portland at home before starting a road trip at Orlando and Miami this week.

  1. LA Clippers 7-5 SAME

The Clippers managed to beat Milwaukee on a buzzer-beater from Lou Williams in overtime on Saturday. Los Angeles has a strong rotation of guards and forwards but doesn’t have much of a presence down low at this point. The Clippers look to take on Golden State, San Antonio and Brooklyn this week.

  1. Charlotte Hornets 7-6 SAME

Charlotte has won three of four with their only loss coming in overtime against the 76ers. Miles Bridges has been a highlight real for the Hornets this year, throwing down dunks like this in several games so far. Charlotte will play Cleveland and Philadelphia this week.

  1. Miami Heat 5-7 SAME

Dwyane Wade has a new daughter and will miss at least another week before returning to the Heat. If this was five years ago, it might have had a big impact on the team, but it doesn’t this year. Josh Richardson has been stellar in his new scoring role with the team, putting up almost 21 points per game while making 2.8 threes per game at over 41 percent. The Heat play the 76ers, Nets, Pacers and Lakers this week.

  1. Sacramento Kings 7-6 UP 1

Sacramento has lost three of four and is starting to look like what we thought they would be this season. Willie Cauley-Stein decided he wanted to become a scorer this year and is putting up a career high 16.8 points per game so far this season. The Kings look to get back on track this week against the Spurs, Grizzlies and Rockets.

  1. Brooklyn Nets 6-7 UP 1

Caris LeVert’s game-winning floater in Denver gave Brooklyn extended its only win streak of the year to three before the team would lose at Golden State on Saturday. The Nets identity seems to be built around team-play with no individual player averaging over 20 points per game. Brooklyn plays Minnesota, Miami, Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers this week.

  1. Minnesota Timberwolves 4-9 DOWN 2

Minnesota finally traded Jimmy Butler and got back solid players Robert Covington and Dario Saric with a 2022 second round pick as well. Karl-Anthony Towns had a monster game Friday against Sacramento with 39 points and 19 rebounds but was unable to lead the team to a win as Minnesota dropped its fifth game in a row. The Timberwolves look to get back on track this week starting a five game homestand against Brooklyn, New Orleans, Portland and Memphis.

  1. Orlando Magic 6-7 UP 3

Orlando has won four of their last five and destroyed the Knicks on Sunday night in New York. The Magic have a balanced scoring attack, with three players putting up more than 16 points per game and five with over 10 points per game. Orlando goes to Washington Monday before starting a homestand against the Sixers, Lakers and Knicks this week.

  1. Dallas Mavericks 4-8 DOWN 1

Luka Doncic has found his touch and led the Mavs in scoring in each of their previous three games. Doncic is leading all rookies in points and points per game. Dallas looks to take on Chicago, Utah and Golden State this week.

  1. New York Knicks 4-10 SAME

New York has lost four of five and looked atrocious in a loss to the Magic at home Sunday. Enes Kanter led the team with 23 points, 24 rebounds and seven assists in a one-point double-overtime loss to the Bulls on Monday. The Knicks go on a three-game road trip to Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Orlando this week.

  1. Atlanta Hawks 3-10 DOWN 2

Atlanta has lost seven of their last eight games and has given up over 111 points in all but one game this season. Trae Young has been a bright spot for the team, putting up 18.4 points per game and 7.8 assists per game. Young leads rookies in assists per game and total assists. The Hawks play Golden State, Denver and Indiana this week to finish their four-game road trip.

  1. Washington Wizards 3-9 SAME

Washington is yet to beat a team over .500 but manages to defeat Miami on Saturday. Dwight Howard finally has some games under his belt but looks like a below-average center at this point in his career. Will the Wizards look to trade John Wall or Bradley Beal this season? Washington has starts a five-game homestand this week against Orlando, Cleveland, Brooklyn and Portland.

  1. Chicago Bulls 4-9 SAME

Chicago barely beat the Knicks in double-overtime Monday behind 41 points from Zach LaVine. The Bulls are yet to beat any good teams this year and likely have a top-five pick to look forward to in next years draft. Chicago plays Dallas, Boston, Milwaukee and Toronto this week.

  1. Phoenix Suns 2-10 SAME

Devin Booker said he was “done not making the playoffs” last year but isn’t going to make it this year unless the Suns trade him to a playoff team. Booker has gotten a lot of help from rookie DeAndre Ayton, but the team is struggling to find a competent point guard. Phoenix plays the Thunder twice this week and Spurs once.

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers 1-11 SAME

Cleveland has claim to the worst record in the league and have lost five in a row. A report came out this week that Cavs veterans think that rookie Collin Sexton doesn’t know how to play. Sexton will likely be taking on a bigger role this month with Kevin Love out with an injured toe. The Cavs play Charlotte and Washington this week.

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