NBA power rankings
At quarter mark, Raptors and Clippers surprise
Every NBA team has played roughly a quarter of its schedule, and there’s only one way to describe the state of the league: messy.
Whether it’s Utah and Houston sitting tied for 13th place in the Western Conference or Memphis having a better record than Boston, these first six weeks have been remarkable. It’s still early, and these things usually have a way of correcting themselves, but for now, we’re just enjoying the ride.
Below are our power rankings at the quarter-pole of the 2018-19 NBA season — voted on by USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt, Martin Rogers and AJ NeuharthKeusch. (Note: Records and statistics through Wednesday.) 1. Toronto Raptors (18-4): We expected the Raptors to be near the top of the Eastern Conference, but we didn’t expect this. Fueled by the rise of Pascal Siakam, the addition of Kawhi Leonard and the resurgence of Serge Ibaka, the Raptors are off to the best start in franchise history. 2. Milwaukee Bucks (15-6): If you haven’t hopped on the Bucks’ hype train yet, it’s time to punch your ticket. The addition of coach Mike Budenholzer has unleashed this team’s full potential, and it couldn’t be more fun to watch. The Bucks are leading the NBA with 14.5 3pointers made per game, up from 8.8 last season. 3. Golden State Warriors (15-7): Take all of this early-season drama with a grain of salt, because the Warriors, when healthy and firing on all cylinders, are still the massive favorites to take home the title come June. As uncharacteristic as this early stretch has been, the Warriors are riding a three-game winning streak and expect to have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green back on the floor soon. 4. Los Angeles Clippers (14-6): One of the league’s biggest surprises, the starless Clippers — led by Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari and Montrezl Harrell — have been the best team in the Pacific Division and maybe even the whole Western Conference. 5. Denver Nuggets (14-7): The Nuggets have put together three winning streaks of four or more games and appear to have bounced back from their four consecutive losses this month. We know what to expect from their offense, but their defense, ranked third in the NBA, has been a pleasant surprise. 6. Oklahoma City Thunder (13-7): Oklahoma City has won 13 of 16 after a 0-4 start. Compared to this point last season, when it limped out of the starting gate and found itself at 8-12, this group is where it wants to be. 7. Philadelphia 76ers (15-8): It’s hard to ignore the home-road splits for the Sixers, who are 11-1 in the City of Brotherly Love and 4-7 elsewhere. It’s hard to ignore how ridiculously talented this team is after bringing in Jimmy Butler. The 76ers are only going to get better.
8. Indiana Pacers (13-8): The Pacers have won two in a row without Victor Oladipo, but all eyes remain on the franchise player, who has been sidelined since Nov. 17 with a knee injury. The Pacers’ supporting cast is enough to keep them afloat, but they’ll only go as far as Oladipo takes them, and that’s not very far if he’s not on the court.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (12-8): In case last year made you forget how good Mike Conley is, he’s back to remind you. The 31-year-old, who had season-ending heel surgery in January, has given new life to these Grizzlies, while rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marc Gasol are playing like one of the league’s best bigman duos. 10. Detroit Pistons (11-7): They’re not the sexiest team in the league, but they’re good enough to get back into the postseason for the first time since 2016. They have won three in a row and sit in fifth place in the Eastern standings.
11. Boston Celtics (11-10): The preseason favorite to make it out of the East, the Celtics have underwhelmed through their first 21 games. And that’s OK. This is a team that was a win from a trip to the Finals last year, without their two best players. Give it time. 12. Portland Trail Blazers (13-8): In case you thought that 10-3 start was too good to be true, it was. Portland is 3-5 since and lost back-to-back games to Milwaukee and Golden State by 71.
13. Los Angeles Lakers (11-9): Backto-back losses to Orlando and Denver have the Lakers in seventh place in the Western standings but only two games ahead of the 13th-place Jazz and Rock-
ets. Behold: the brutal nature of the Western Conference.
14. Houston Rockets (9-11): After coming oh-so-close to knocking off Golden State in last season’s Western Conference finals, the Rockets are headed in the wrong direction. They rank ninth in the league in offensive rating
(110.6 points per 100 possessions) and
28th in defensive rating (112.6) after finishing last season ranked first and seventh, respectively. They won five in a row shortly after putting an end to the Carmelo Anthony experiment, but they’ve since lost four consecutive.
15. Dallas Mavericks (10-9): After going a combined 57-107 the past two seasons, the 10-9 start is a step in the right direction for the Mavs, who have won seven of their last eight games. They’re not a playoff team, but they’re not bottom feeders, either. 16. Charlotte Hornets (11-10): Kemba Walker is playing the best basketball of his life, averaging career highs in points (27.4) and assists (6.3) while leading the NBA with 76 3-pointers made. And the Hornets have little to show for it. 17. New Orleans Pelicans (11-11): This should come as no surprise, but the Pelicans are 0-4 in games Anthony Davis has missed due to injury. They rank 26th in the league in defensive rating, allowing 111.6 points per 100 possessions.
18. San Antonio Spurs (10-11): With two decades of dominance in the rearview mirror, could their reign finally be nearing its end? They have the NBA’s 24th-ranked defense, allowing 110.9 points per 100 possessions, the franchise’s most since the 1996-97 season. 19. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-11): The T’wolves have gone 7-2 since the end of the Butler era, and while Andrew Wiggins and newly acquired Robert Covington and Dario Saric haven’t been able to buy a bucket, it’s been Karl-Anthony Towns who has thrived since Butler’s departure. The fourth-year big man is posting averages of 22.7 points and 14.0 rebounds during this stretch. 20. Sacramento Kings (10-10): We don’t care that this probably won’t last and that the Kings are more than likely bound for the lottery again. They’ve been one of the best stories in basketball, and De’Aaron Fox — one of five players in the league averaging at least
17 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal — is a star in the making.
21. Utah Jazz (10-12): The Jazz, who entered the campaign with sky-high expectations after last season’s secondhalf surge and trip to the Western semifinals, has been among the league’s most disappointing teams. Utah ranks
23rd with a net rating of -3.0, and Donovan Mitchell, though battling injuries, hasn’t taken the necessary step forward. 22. Orlando Magic (10-12): It’s Orlando and Charlotte, not Washington
and Miami, battling it out for the top spot in the Southeast Division. We don’t expect that to last too much longer, but the Magic — and Nikola Vucevic, who’s playing like an All-Star — deserve some recognition. 23. Washington Wizards (8-12): Washington’s disastrous start, both on and off the court, is certainly concerning, but they’ve won six of their last nine games — the most recent of which came in overtime against Houston despite James Harden and Eric Gordon combining for 90 points. Don’t forget: The Wizards started 2-8 two seasons ago and went on to finish with the franchise’s best record in 38 years. 24. Brooklyn Nets (8-13): They’re hardly a playoff team, and they’ve lost seven of their last nine, but the Nets have an undoubtedly bright future. Caris LeVert was near the top of the Most Improved Player conversation before his injury, Jarrett Allen has star potential and D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie have the makings of a dynamic backcourt duo. 25. Miami Heat (7-13): Could it be that the Heat need ... Dion Waiters? Miami’s offense ranks 26th in the league, and a scoring punch from a guy such as Waiters — who remains without a timetable for return after having ankle surgery in January — could go a long way. It doesn’t help that Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson have missed a combined 12 games, either.
26. New York Knicks (7-16): The Knicks jumped out to a 17-14 start last season and a 14-10 start the year before. At least there’s no false hope this time.
27. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-16): The post-LeBron era has been, for the most part, what we expected. But not all is bad in The Land. Rookie Collin Sexton is starting to show why the Cavs took him with the eighth overall pick, secondyear forward Cedi Osman looks like he could end up being a steal and the Cavs are near the top of the Zion WilliamsonR.J. Barrett-Cam Reddish sweepstakes.
28. Chicago Bulls (5-17): Zach LaVine has done his part in carrying the offensive load through the first 22 games, but his usage rate, which trails only that of Harden, isn’t sustainable. The good news? Lauri Markkanen is nearing a return, and Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis shouldn’t be too far behind. 29. Atlanta Hawks (5-17): The growing pains are sure to continue for Trae Young, who, among players with at least five 3-pointers attempted per game, ranks last in the league with a percentage of 25.4. 30. Phoenix Suns (4-17): The Suns still have a long way to go, but there’s hope for the future so long as Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and T.J. Warren continue to rise. Dare we say they’re building something special in Phoenix?