This season, our regular Wednesday edition of The Whiteboard will focus on updating our NBA Power Rankings. This week, we're looking at how the Bucks have begun to turn things around, why the 76ers and Nuggets might be better than ever and what's ailing the sinking Kings.
The Wizards lone win came against the Memphis Grizzlies, the second-worst team in the league, and three of their five losses came by 15+. They are B-A-D.
The Grizzlies picked up their first win over the season but they'll need to do a lot more to get out of the hole they've dug themselves. Eighteen more games until Ja Morant's suspension is over.
Since last week, the Jazz dropped games to the Timberwolves, by 28, and the Bulls, by 17 — hence dropping four spots in these rankings. Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker are both really struggling from the field and neither the offense nor defense has been good enough.
Terry Rozier could be out for weeks with a groin strain and the more the losses pile up, the more likely it is that Charlotte explores trading Gordon Hayward and/or P.J. Washington leaning more into youth. At least Mark Williams and Brandon Miller have been bright spots.
The Pistons have so many talented pieces and Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson look like terrific building blocks. But the offensive spacing is so bad and they still need a lot of ancillary pieces before it all really comes together.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are putting up points but nothing looks smooth or efficient, Patrick Williams has washed out as the starting 4 and Coby White looks overmatched as a starting point guard. This doesn't look like a playoff team and changes could be coming.
Thanks to the Pistons, Grizzlies and Raptors, the Blazers were able to put together a three-game winning streak. But it was ended by the previously winless Grizzlies. Shaedon Sharpe is making a leap but there are still far too many holes on this roster.
The Spurs have shown flashes but a 41-point loss to the Pacers shows just how far they still need to go. At this point, consistency is the name of the game — for Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the young core.
The Rockets have won three in a row and Dillon Brooks has been on fire, hitting 59.3 percent from the field and 56.5 percent from beyond the arc. I don't expect it to last but when the veterans are clicking they look like an entirely different team.
The Kings' vaunted offense has been an absolute mess, and back-to-back losses to the Rockets by 20+ points are embarrassing. But things should improve quickly and significantly when De'Aaron Fox is healthy and back in the lineup. The bigger concern is a huge sophomore regression from Keegan Murray.
The Heat have started to turn the corner thanks to some big games from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. But they still have some big holes on the roster and will need more from the supporting cast to repeat last year's magic.
The Pelicans have lost two in a row by 15+ and look like an entirely different team without CJ McCollum. He may be out for weeks after suffering a collapsed lung and they'll need rookie Jordan Hawkins to keep stepping up in his absence.
The Cavs look much better with Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen back in the lineup but Max Strus and Caris Levert are still struggling and they need a lot more from Evan Mobley on offense if they're really going to challenge the top-tier in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks have been winning big and losing close games, which means they could be much better than their record indicates. But they'll need to sort out their clutch rotations and offensive execution in those scenarios if they want it to work out.
Scottie Barnes has finally started hitting jumpers and has, overall, been fantastic this season. OG Anunoby is, likewise, making everything and Dennis Schroder has been a great pick-up. If Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. were playing up to their normal standards, the Raptors could be pushing for the top 10.
The Nets are below 0.500 but the offense is working, thanks to explosive output from Cam Thomas, and they have only had Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson on the floor for one game each. This is a team that should get better as the season goes along.
Same formula as last week — phenomenal offense, atrocious defense. Rick Carlisle is still working through rotations and figuring out how to find a balance. But Tyrese Haliburton is a star, the offense is rock solid and even a slight defensive improvement should have them moving up.
Injuries are already mounting for the Lakers and LeBron needing to play 35.9 minutes per game just to keep them near 0.500 could put them in position for a bigger collapse later on. But they've also missed a lot of open outside shots and some progression to the mean in their 3-point percentage could take a lot of pressure off.
The Thunder are still striving for consistency but getting tremendous contributions from their newest rotation players — Chet Holmgren has been transformative and Cason Wallace is giving them everything they could have hoped for as a two-way, combo guard off the bench. The pieces are all here.
The Magic offense is a work in progress but they're already one of the better defenses in the league, playing an aggressive, high-pressure system that is creating a ton of turnovers and disruptions. If any of their young guards improve as a shooter they could be really dangerous.
I might be giving the Suns too much credit for on-paper talent that hasn't been healthy enough to actually get on the floor. But Bradley Beal could make his return this week and Devin Booker could as well. Four of their next seven games come against struggling teams — Bulls, Jazz (twice), Blazers — and this is a chance for them to get right and start building momentum.
The Clippers have so much talent and such a weird collection of skills and personalities. I think James Harden probably makes things messier and I'm skeptical it works out the way they're hoping. But they also have more depth to survive injuries and they should stay in a solid spot in the standings.
I have a really hard time trusting the Hawks. Trae Young is shooting 33.6 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc but leading the Hawks in field goal attempts at 17.4 per game. It feels like a recipe for disaster but they have so much depth around him that they've been able to keep winning. I just don't know how long it lasts.
The Bucks won key games against the Knicks and Nets and appear to have made some meaningful changes and improvements at the defensive end of the floor. They have too much talent to fall far but they're starting to move in the right direction. Their next six games are against middle- and bottom-tier teams in the East so now is the time to make a move.
The Timberwolves have been fantastic on defense, Anthony Edwards has completely taken over on offense and they've now notched signature wins over the Celtics, Nuggets and Heat. They're on a three-game winning streak and they're definitely a team on the rise.
The Mavericks have beaten everyone but the Mavericks, Luka Doncic has been lights out and they're getting fantastic contributions from the supporting cast — Grant Williams, Dereck Lively and Josh Green. The defense has still sprung some leaks but this group looks as well-rounded and deep as any roster the Mavs have yet put around on Doncic.
Everything is working for the Warriors right now. They've definitely caught some lucky breaks but the Chris Paul experiment is working, Steph Curry is playing like an MVP candidate and Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody both look like they can be trusted in big minutes. Once Andrew Wiggins and Paul start hitting their open 3s, they'll be even more dangerous.
Tyrese Maxey has been absolutely phenomenal. Joel Embiid is leading the league in scoring again, with elite efficiency in large part because he's continued with some of the changes he made to accommodate James Harden. It's still early, but this might be the best version of the Embiid 76ers we've seen so far.
The Celtics reverted to some of their worst iso-ball tendencies down the stretch of their overtime loss to the Timberwolves. But they're still elite at both ends of the floor with perhaps the best five-man unit in the entire league. They still need to prove it in the playoffs but there's no reason to think they won't finish the season as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the East.
The Nuggets look every bit as good as they did last season, with Nikola Jokic throwing up effortless-looking triple-doubles, the supporting cast playing at an elite level and their revamped bench units looking dominant despite being stacked with young, inexperienced players. Until someone can prove otherwise, the Nuggets are the best team in the NBA.
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