Let’s start this go-round of JR’s Power Rankings by stating that – I was wrong about a few teams. Yes, this is a formal apology, mainly due to the strong start of certain teams playing well above where I had them. Houston, Minnesota, Dallas and Philadelphia – I’m sorry. We’ll get into why in a few, but for now, so many moves and questions for these teams. We’re going to start with unpacking each team’s progress so far of the top 15 teams.

  1. Boston Celtics – (Up 1, Last POS: 2) The loss against Minnesota helped this team move up, more than it did hurt them. Why? Because that same team also beat Denver, a team ahead of Boston last week. This team has been playing the best, pinnacle-reaching basketball They are also 100% healthy 
  2. Denver Nuggets – (Down 1, Last POS 1) To all the fans of the Champs reading this – this position is temporary. My head needs to stay on my shoulders for, well, work purposes. That loss against Minny and Houston (yes, sans Murray), and that close win against a “we’re figuring it out” Clippers team just reflects how the whole team needs to be present to get them back to that number 1 spot. Elsewise, think of this as a 1B spot. 
  3. Dallas Mavericks – (Up 1, Last POS 4) Again, to Luka and Kai, sorry. I didn’t know y’all figured out your Batman/Nightwing tandem. I didn’t know y’all found your scoring efficiency. I didn’t know your bench (or that they have stepped up very well.) Hell, I just didn’t know what I was looking at. Now I know. This may be a great 1st half of the season for Dallas.
  4. Minnesota Timberwolves – (Up 19, Last POS 23) The only reason this team is ranked this high is because of their quality wins versus key teams (BOS, DEN, GS x2). Add in the improved “here today, may be gone by playoffs” play of Rudy Gobert and here the T-Wolves stand. Honestly the main force on this team is Anthony Edwards, who has made the most of his FIBA experience. He plays and looks more mature. Sorry about the whole diss (not really). About that loss against Phoenix tho….
  5. Indiana Pacers – (Up 6, Last POS 11) I’m this close to calling this team the All-NBA Replacements. No one wanted half of these players, the rest are using pure grit. You win against a tough Philly squad on a back-to-back, you get the big spots. You beat the Bucks, you get the big spots. It;s early, but this team is definitely the one to watch in the East. 
  6. Philadelphia 76ers – (Up 2, Last POS 8)  – Ok Philly fans. Again, I love my head. Leave it there. These rankings are temporary. This team lost on a back-to-back against Indiana, and because of my preseason pick of the Pacers, there’s a little bias. That doesn’t take away from the fact that Maxey is Him, that Embiid is rolling, the squad is playing playoff basketball before Thanksgiving and they look like they’ll be in the ECF at minimum. Keep that jawn rollin’.
  7. Houston Rockets – (Up 23, Last POS 30) Hmm. Yep. I’m sorry. I did not see a bunch of things going on here – Winning against Denver close and beating the Kings twice on a back-to-back. They’re on a 5-game winning streak with no signs of stopping.  It seems this team is in the best position to show a rocket-sized middle finger to myself and all of the pundits that counted this team out before the season started. 4th best in the West means you get a seat at the table where the bones are being washed! 
  8. Oklahoma City Thunder (Down 2, Last POS 8) – Like the Nuggets, this position is currently a reflection of complete teams, playing better basketball at the moment than OKC. It also includes this team continuing to step up on games against perennial powerhouses like Golden State and Cleveland. They’re not there yet (Kings held this team under 100, 1st time all season), but I believe this team is definitely on its way to the big dance. 
  9. Sacramento Kings – (Down 2, Last POS 7) The first thought is that this team is not DeAaron Fox’s team. It moves and flows around Domantas Sabonis, much like the Nuggets and Jokic. However, it needs more from both in order for its support to make an impact night in and night out. That fact is getting exposed and teams are cracking down on that. Mike Brown has to find these two some help to keep opposing defenses honest. Also, losing twice against Houston doesn’t help. 
  10. Milwaukee Bucks – (Down 5, Last POS 5) So, the Bucks’ record is more a reflection of their inability to help themselves against beatable opponents, combined with slightly less defense (Opp scoring – 117pts/gm vs 116.9 last season) and needing more volume scoring to win (made FG% down 1.7 from last season). So it’s no surprise when this team can win against Philly but blow it against the Magic and Hawks. This team is going to need a few more weeks to show some championship stride. The hope is that they’ll keep on the plus side of winning. So far, the bet is a toss-up. 
  11. Miami Heat – (Up 10, Last POS 21) I have to award this team for their grit, grind and ability to turn it on when the NBA Gods seem to turn on them. They don’t deserve any higher than this spot, because the quality of opponents are, so far, not that great. But, they did win, and even moreso, 7 straight games. We’ll see how they continue to roll in their back-to-back against a Chicago team with a fire sale and a Cavs team just itching to be considered a force this season. 
  12. New York Knicks – (Up 6, Last POS 18) – The Knicks are a funny team. It would be foolhardy to bet on them on any given night, but they manage to defy the odds on nights you’d bet against them. At one point, their showings against the Clippers, Hawks (twice) and a split with the Cavs make you think, “oh, this team’s got it.” Then they step onto a stage with some talent (BOS, Cleveland again) and then wet the bed. I don’t know if it’s missing RJ (migraines), the need to replace Josh Hart or which Randle will show, but I hope this team figures out who they want to be, and fast!
  13. Golden State Warriors- (Down 10, Last POS 3) – This team is down bad. Not only are they missing Curry and Draymond, but they’re also missing the offense from Klay Thompson. This player has not found his shot this season, and it is another of a slew of reasons why this team is losing games. The only saving grace for them not being on the bottom half of this list is in thanks to the missing members of this squad. Unless something breaks though, this team’s standings will too. 
  14. Atlanta Hawks – (Even) Since the last ranking, this team has played much better basketball. They are winning like they did against the Bucks with some stellar defense on guards, the shooting efficiency has improved and they’re starting to get better frontcourt play. This team is a middle-of-the-pack team that is only going to get as far as their defense lets them. They relied on scoring last season, and that got them an early playoff exit. 
  15. Orlando Magic – (Down 3, Last POS 15)This is a team I think can answer my question: “What’s happening in Orlando?” Ever since the end of last season, as Poalo got his ROY honors and the season moved on from this team, I never really knew what type of personnel the front office wanted to put on the court. Turns out, it didn’t matter. This team has shown it has improved and won’t back down from big named-challengers like Lebron and AD or Giannis and Dame. Maybe that’s what it’s going to take to get this younger team to know they’re professional hoopers too!

We’ll get to teams 16-30 shortly. The top 10 teams are really playing some decent basketball, and have positioned where they are thanks to that. The following 11-15 hare somewhat ok, but have just too many things going on to pinpoint how close they are to cracking the top 10. Where do you have these teams ranked? Who is playing the best ball right now?