NBA · 1 year ago

NBA Power Rankings: Cavaliers Already Look Like NBA’s Best?

Ben DiGiacomo

Host · Writer

30. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz earned their first win of the season last night on the road against the Chicago Bulls, but make no mistake: this team stinks. Not trading away Lauri Markkanen this offseason for a king's ransom looks worse by the game, as in his brief game action this season, he hasn't looked like the all-star that he's been hyped up to be.

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers
I'm not looking to get ahead of myself just two weeks into the NBA season, but I will with these Cleveland Cavaliers. They are more than legitimate. Kenny Atkinson has this group playing unbelievable, cohesive basketball, and Donovan Mitchell appears primed to finally be a legit factor in the MVP conversation. If you haven't watched any Cavalier basketball thus far this season, that's your mistake.

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2. Oklahoma City Thunder
People have been bullish on the Oklahoma City Thunder for over ten months, and the team hasn't backed away from all the hype they received this summer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the deserved frontrunner out of the gate to start the season, and the West's No. 1 seed appears to be theirs to lose.
3. Boston Celtics
Sitting on a 7-1 record isn't nothing to laugh at, but we can't put the Boston Celtics ahead of the Cavaliers or Thunder right now because being undefeated deserves plenty of respect. Still, we all know that the C's are well-positioned to repeat as champions, so we won't sit here and overreact to their one loss.
4. Golden State Warriors
How about those Golden State Warriors? To start the season, the Warriors have been on fire, opening up with a 6-1 record where Stephen Curry has missed three games. The Warriors looked prime to be hanging around the top of the Western Conference all season with their insane depth, so it will be interesting to see if the front office elects to trade away some of their rebuilt assets for an immediate contributor alongside Curry.
5. Phoenix Suns
I haven't been overly impressed by the Phoenix Suns despite their 6-1 because they haven't dominated teams like they should have. With all their top-end talent, they don't have a single double-digit point win! Still, 6-1 is 6-1, and Suns fans have to be excited about the first two weeks of the Mike Budenholzer era compared to what they had to deal with last season.
6. Dallas Mavericks
The reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks have had a fine start, sitting on a 4-3 record currently. However, they have a tough week ahead, with an NBA Finals rematch with the Boston Celtics before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves look to be experiencing some growing pains with their new pieces, but we’re certainly not going to be overly concerned. Anthony Edwards is still elite, the defense is a force, and Julius Randle looks to be the ideal fit alongside Rudy Gobert that they hoped for. Still, the Wolves will take some time to hit the ground running.
8. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings ceiling is far higher than most want to admit, and through two weeks of action, it's evident that the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan will be game-changing for this Kings team that's been knocking on the door for years. Time will be needed, but you must like what you've seen.
9. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers look way more connected right now than I expected with JJ Redick, without any foundation behind him, so all the power to him for getting acclimated quickly. He's done way better than anticipated, and Anthony Davis is now playing MVP-level basketball. Maybe the Lakers aren't dead after all, but something has to be done about their defense if they want to continue to find success.
10. New York Knicks
I'm not trying to hate on the New York Knicks because I believe it's too early to write them off, but I can't see it with this group. They don't seem to have the "it factor" about them that won countless games last season. Jalen Brunson will continue to do his thing, but Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges don't appear to be the ideal supporting cast. Still, it's early November, but the Knicks don't seem to be the second-best team in the East at full strength or anything close.
11. Denver Nuggets
After a concerning 0-2 start where the Denver Nuggets looked completely disconnected, they woke up, winning four of their next five. We're still concerned about their bench, but Russell Westbrook appears fully committed to being a dynamic sixth man on this team. That's a start!
12. Miami Heat
I came into this season expecting to see the final rendition of this current era of Miami Heat basketball, and I'm sticking to that expectation. Jimmy Butler looks old, Bam Adebayo isn’t different, and Tyler Herro can't be the No. 1 option on a playoff team. Plus, this team has absolutely no depth on their bench. Still, the Eastern Conference has been relatively weak at the start of the season, so the window is open for this group to stack wins.
13. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets look ready to take that next leap in their rebuild, where the first two weeks of action included plenty of flashes from Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. This young squad will be a thorn in the side of the top Western Conference contenders all year!
14. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers didn't have a hot start, but they handed the Boston Celtics their first loss of the season and picked up an impressive road victory against the Dallas Mavericks last night.
15. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies appear to be coasting to start the season, as Ja Morant and other starters are averaging under 30 minutes per game. Still, after an ugly 2023-24 season rocked by injuries, you can't fault the Grizzlies for how they are approaching the start of the season.
16. Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic looked ready to take the leap into Eastern Conference contention right out of the gate. Still, those hopes quickly faded as Paolo Banchero suffered a torn oblique, likely keeping him out for at least another month. Regardless, after what we saw from Paolo in his brief action, it's safe to say that Paolo may have already taken the leap to superstar status. The Magic will be much higher on this list at their peak, but they'll look to stay afloat for the next month.
17. LA Clippers
As shiny as their new stadium may be, the LA Clippers look to be nothing more than a Play-In team as currently constructed. Their comeback win against the San Antonio Spurs was unexpected, but regardless, on the court, this team doesn't have enough top-end talent to truly compete in the West. James Harden can't do it alone at this stage of his career, and it's not like Kawhi Leonard appears to be walking through the door anytime soon.
18. Chicago Bulls
I'll continue to beat the drum for the Chicago Bulls to blow it up, but time and time again, we have no evidence that the Bulls even want to be anything more than mediocre. Mediocrity defines this team, and they have enough talent to float around the middle of the pack all season but nothing more.
19. San Antonio Spurs
I was ready to put the San Antonio Spurs much higher in these rankings until they blew a 25-point lead last night against the LA Clippers. For these Spurs, everything comes down to Victor Wembanyama, who has been ice-cold to start the year.
NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Phoenix Suns
At 1-5, the Philadelphia 76ers don't deserve to be as high as 20 in any power rankings given their record. Still, last night, we saw the first game with Paul George in the 76ers uniform, and despite being cold, his presence was enough to drastically change how the 76ers looked as they took the Phoenix Suns down to the wire. Now just wait until the Big Fella gets back....
21. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have lost five of their last six games, but it's difficult to be overly critical as they've yet again been dealing with injuries to their top players. What else is new?
22. Brooklyn Nets
Many were already slotting the Brooklyn Nets in as the recipients of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, and through two weeks, this group looks competitive! Sitting with a 4-4 record, kudos to Jordi Fernandez for the coaching job he's done with arguably the league's weakest team. These Nets have been more fun than anticipated, but it seems to be only a matter of time until they become sellers.
23. Atlanta Hawks
I was ready to anoint the Atlanta Hawks as a playoff team after they started the season 2-0, but they have, of course, gone 1-5 since. Oh well! Still, Trae Young has played like the best guard in the East, and they have to be hopeful about the development they've seen from Jalen Johnson, especially.
24. Detroit PIstons
After last year's misery, the Detroit Pistons ought to prioritize baby steps, and through the first two weeks of action, it hasn't been completely dreadful in the Motor City. JB Bickerstaff has this young roster playing together, and a young big three of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren appear to finally be laying the seeds to actually develop into something.
25. Toronto Raptors
Even though the Toronto Raptors aren't going anywhere this season, they must be excited about what they've seen to start the season. RJ Barrett has taken a leap to being a top-level scorer, Gradey Dick has been an elite scorer as well in his second season, and Scottie Barnes continues to be a foundational piece.
26. Charlotte Hornets
I was overconfident about the Charlotte Hornets coming into the season, and I was wrong about that trust. LaMelo Ball looks destined for an All-Star appearance, but Brandon Miller and the other young guys don't look ready. However, I'm unprepared to pull the plug on this group's potential!
27. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t been a complete dumpster fire to start the season, but unfortunately, none of their young talent has been impressive. Scoot Henderson still looks underwhelming, and Donovan Clingan has had limited opportunities. At least they may be able to offload DeAndre Ayton’s contract, or are we getting ahead of ourselves?
28. Milwaukee Bucks
After winning the season opener, the Milwaukee Bucks have gone downhill at an alarmingly rapid pace, sitting on a putrid 1-6 record. The team looks sluggish and lacks talent beyond its top two. Doc Rivers has already lost the locker room, and the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors have already started. It's not a fun time to be affiliated with this organization!
29. Washington Wizards
This season will be all about development for the Washington Wizards, and luckily enough for them, Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma are playing well enough that they might be able to trade them away. Who would have thought? Most importantly, it looks like they have a legit franchise building block with Bilal Coulibaly.
30. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz earned their first win of the season last night on the road against the Chicago Bulls, but make no mistake: this team stinks. Not trading away Lauri Markkanen this offseason for a king's ransom looks worse by the game, as in his brief game action this season, he hasn't looked like the all-star that he's been hyped up to be.

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers
I'm not looking to get ahead of myself just two weeks into the NBA season, but I will with these Cleveland Cavaliers. They are more than legitimate. Kenny Atkinson has this group playing unbelievable, cohesive basketball, and Donovan Mitchell appears primed to finally be a legit factor in the MVP conversation. If you haven't watched any Cavalier basketball thus far this season, that's your mistake.

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