The opening week of the NBA season saw the return of many of the league’s most prominent stars who missed the previous year. Zion Williamson, Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray all took the court for the first time in 2022, as did James Wiseman and John Wall.
Only four teams remain undefeated after just a handful of games and the 3–0 Jazz have been perhaps the biggest shock of the young season. On the flip side, six teams are still in search of their first victory, including the 76ers and Lakers.
Let’s have the Celtics’ midseason turnaround stand as a stark reminder of how quickly things change and to not overreact to less than a week’s worth of games. That said, here’s the first ranking of the best to worst teams in basketball so far.
1. Boston Celtics
(Record: 3–0)
Jayson Tatum has the early-season MVP award on lock following a 40-point outing in Orlando over the weekend. That was on the second night of a back-to-back after he hung 29 on the Heat and went for 35 against the 76ers in the opener. Tatum leads the league in scoring and first-year coach Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics have the best offense in basketball. The defense that propped up the team a season ago has yet to show itself, though, which was to be expected with Robert Williams III sidelined.
2. Golden State Warriors
(Record: 2–1)
The Dubs’ defense has not played to its usual championship level, but the Warriors are still getting by just fine. Steph Curry has scored at least 33 points in each game, which has compensated for Jordan Poole’s cold-shooting start. Victories against the Lakers and Kings are to be expected at this point, but it’s always good to take care of home court. The Nuggets avenged their first-round playoff loss to Golden State and did so on the road without Jamal Murray in the first leg of a season series worth following as the year goes on.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
(Record: 2–0)
Though the Bucks are not yet at full strength, they’re still bullying their competition. Plenty of teams put up ludicrous point totals last week, but Milwaukee’s defense, which is holding opponents below 100 ppg, stands alone atop the league. Bottling up Joel Embiid is a feat worth celebrating, and Giannis Antetokounmpo followed that up with a 44-point outburst against the Rockets. That game began a stretch of seven straight at home, a prime opportunity to pull ahead of the crowd early in the season.
4. Phoenix Suns
(Record: 2–1)
A season-opening win against the Mavericks meant a little something extra considering how they showed up the Suns in Game 7 of the conference semifinals. Devin Booker is shouldering much of the offensive load on ludicrous 50/50/90 shooting splits, while Chris Paul’s point god capabilities have generally compensated for a poor shooting start. There’s no shame in an overtime loss to the Trail Blazers—a game that easily could have gone the other way—and the Phoenix defense put it all together in a dominant road win against the Clippers.
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5. Utah Jazz
(Record: 3–0)
Before the season began, the first three games on the Utah schedule could have been penciled—perhaps even Sharpied—as losses. But the new-look Jazz laid waste to the three playoff teams that stood in their way and have the claim to the highest-scoring offense in the NBA. The surprising start began with a 21-point win against the Nuggets, then came an overtime victory against Rudy Gobert’s Timberwolves and then another versus the Pelicans, also in overtime. To win these games at all, let alone in OT, with a team that is getting its first action together is a remarkable feat. Racking up victories seems to go against what many envisioned to be the plan for Utah’s season, but for now, the Lauri Markkanen–led Jazz are fun.
6. Los Angeles Clippers
(Record: 2–1)
The Clippers technically have their full roster in place, but it’s still going to be a while before it takes the court without limitations. Kawhi Leonard came off the bench, played just over 20 minutes per game and sat out the second night of a back-to-back (L.A.’s lone loss). Tyronn Lue’s defense is as advertised, but the offense, even with a 40-point Paul George performance, is the lowest-scoring unit in the league. Luckily for the Clippers, the upcoming schedule is about as soft as it gets: Thunder twice, Pelicans, Rockets twice, Spurs, Jazz.
7. Dallas Mavericks
(Record: 1–1)
Dallas apparently took its loss to Phoenix personally and took it out the very next game against Memphis. The Mavericks trounced the Grizzlies by 41 points, the biggest win of the week, and it was another great outing for Christian Wood, who’s not-so-quietly averaging 25 points and 10 boards off the bench. Of course, everything Dallas does revolves around Luka Dončić and he dazzled in both games, too. The three-and-D Mavericks are raining down threes and bottling up opposing offenses; Jason Kidd’s recipe is working.
8. Portland Trail Blazers
(Record: 3–0)
Chauncey Billups has kept his rotation very tight. Only nine Trail Blazers have touched the floor across their undefeated start and all five starters average 30-plus minutes and 10-plus points. Each of Portland’s games has come down to the wire—including an overtime win against the Suns—which is part of the reason why Billups hasn’t been able to empty the bench just yet. Damian Lillard still makes it look easy to put up 40-plus in back-to-back games, and even more promising for this team’s postseason hopes is its play on defense, unlocked in part by Jerami Grant.
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9. Memphis Grizzlies
(Record: 2–1)
The stunning loss to the Mavericks marred an otherwise solid start to the season. The Grizzlies’ defensive numbers are going to be inflated for a while after it allowed 137 points, but they didn’t necessarily lock up the Knicks, whom they outlasted in overtime, or the Rockets, either. The gulf between the play of Ja Morant and Memphis’s second-best player is rather large with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks out and Desmond Bane still finding his range.
10. Denver Nuggets
(Record: 2–1)
After the surprising loss to the Jazz, the Nuggets got right next time out against the Warriors. Nikola Jokić already has a pair of triple doubles under his belt and he finally has the reinforcements that were promised. Michael Porter Jr. has been knockdown from deep, Jamal Murray is getting back into the swing of things and Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have been welcome additions to what’s so far been an offensive juggernaut.
11. New Orleans Pelicans
(Record: 2–1)
Zion Williamson’s return to the court came in a 22-point win against Brooklyn on the road. He’s been every bit the player the Pelicans hoped he would be—efficient, dominant and, above all else, available. (He did, however, suffer a hip contusion in a one-point loss Sunday and Brandon Ingram also left early with a head injury, so both their statuses are worth monitoring.) Williamson, CJ McCollum and Ingram each average better than 20 ppg for a top-three offense. New Orleans’s size with Williamson alongside Jonas Valančiūnas has already been to its advantage as it has the largest rebounding differential in the league. The Pelicans will be further tested against the Mavericks, Suns and Clippers this week.
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12. Brooklyn Nets
(Record: 1–1)
The Nets were kind of quiet last week, which might be for the best given how the last few years have gone. Ben Simmons fouled out in his Brooklyn debut, a home loss, but the team bounced back to beat a good Raptors team. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving traded 30-point outings, but the best development for Steve Nash’s squad was Nic Claxton coming out the gate with a pair of double doubles and swatting shots with ease. The Nets need a presence in the middle and perhaps the fourth-year forward is coming into his own.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
(Record: 2–1)
There’s no way around it: Losing to the Jazz in the first meeting after the Gobert trade is a tough look. Minnesota’s new big man has been a rebounding machine, though, grabbing 18 boards per contest, and there’s still plenty left on offense after what the Timberwolves traded away to get him—seven players average 13-plus points through the first three games. It’s hard to read much into a pair of wins against the Thunder, and the upcoming schedule against the Spurs (three times within a week), and the Lakers won’t tell too much about the state of the T-Wolves, either.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
(Record: 2–1)
Donovan Mitchell is off to the best scoring start for a Cavaliers player ever, and they’ve certainly needed it after Darius Garland exited the opener with an eye injury. Cleveland responded to a loss to the Raptors with a trouncing of the Bulls and an overtime win over the Wizards in the home opener. Luckily, Garland isn’t expected to be out for too long, but with Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the team is in good shape and once again playing phenomenal defense.
15. Charlotte Hornets
(Record: 2–1)
The Hornets can still score at a breakneck pace without LaMelo Ball running the show. Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are leading the offensive charge in Charlotte and, surprisingly enough, the defense more or less held up in road wins against the Spurs and Hawks. When the Pelicans came to town, the Hornets got pushed around, but it’s hard to fault them for that. The upcoming schedule is friendly enough as the team awaits Ball’s return from an ankle injury.
16. Atlanta Hawks
(Record: 2–1)
The early returns on the Trae Young–Dejounte Murray pairing are positive. Together, they account for 45 points and 20 assists per game, and John Collins is chipping in a double double as well. The Hawks’ offense sputtered in a 23-point loss to the Hornets that prevented what would’ve been an undefeated homestand after Atlanta handled the Rockets and Magic to start the year. A five-game road trip is next up, starting with back-to-back games against the Pistons.
17. Miami Heat
(Record: 1–2)
The Heat began their season with a pair of losses to conference foes. DeMar DeRozan went for 37 points in a Bulls win and then the Celtics, who sent the Heat home in the East finals, again got the better of Miami. With Tyler Herro inserted into the starting five, Max Strus stepped into his sixth-man role to provide the spark off the bench, which was crucial in the first win of the season against the Raptors, who the Heat play back-to-back before they head out west.
18. Toronto Raptors
(Record: 1–2)
The schedule-makers seem to have it out for Toronto, which begins its season with seven games against play-in or playoff teams. Pascal Siakam is playing at an All-NBA level, but a 37-point triple double was not enough to upend Brooklyn on the road. Nick Nurse’s defense is holding up as the Raptors’ length is a nightmare for opposing teams, but beyond Siakam, the offense could use a boost with upcoming games against the 76ers (twice) and Hawks.
19. New York Knicks
(Record: 1–1)
New York nearly played spoiler in Memphis for the season opener. The Knicks ended up falling in overtime in Jalen Brunson’s debut though they returned home to blow out the Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Julius Randle looks a bit more like the player he was two seasons ago, Brunson is orchestrating the offense to a T, and RJ Barrett is sure to overcome his shooting struggles.
20. Washington Wizards
(Record: 2–1)
An overtime loss to the Cavaliers stopped the Wizards from getting off to a 3–0 start. The competition—Indiana and Chicago—was perhaps questionable, but Bradley Beal’s play is anything but. Armed with a new contract, he’s hitting everything he takes and leading Washington in assists. The Wizards get the Pistons and then the Pacers again before the schedule picks up, and the offense will need to as well.
21. Chicago Bulls
(Record: 1–2)
Zach LaVine made his season debut Sunday in a blowout loss to the Cavaliers. Chicago split its prior two contests—a win against the Heat and a close loss to the Wizards—without LaVine (knee). DeMar DeRozan picked up where he left off last year with a pair of 30-point outings. The Bulls are built around their Big Three of LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vučević, but without Lonzo Ball they’ll need a fourth or fifth player to step up in this offense.
22. San Antonio Spurs
(Record: 2–1)
The Spurs survived a 40-point barrage from Joel Embiid on the road to hand Philadelphia another loss and continue their respectable start. A 27-point home loss to the Hornets to begin the year was more or less par for the course given where San Antonio stood ahead of the season, but then it went on the road and lit up the Pacers with 17 made threes and survived against the 76ers. Keldon Johnson has at least 20 points in each contest and has been deadly from three to lead a surprisingly lethal offense.
23. Philadelphia 76ers
(Record: 0–3)
Casualties against the Celtics and Bucks, Philadelphia’s competition in the conference, can be understood. But the skid somehow didn’t end Saturday when the Spurs came to town. The 76ers are getting a league-worst 11.3 ppg off their bench, which helps explain how their offense ranks among the worst in the NBA despite Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey each averaging better than 20 ppg. Their struggles are only magnified in contrast to how well the rest of the city’s teams are performing. Philly will look for its first win against the Pacers on Monday at home before it embarks on a five-game road trip.
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24. Los Angeles Lakers
(Record: 0–3)
The Lakers’ losses to the Warriors and Clippers weren’t necessarily worth sounding the alarm over, though they did confirm many doubts about this team’s viability that dated back to last season’s disappointment. Another defeat against the Trail Blazers pushed the panic meter up a notch, especially considering the gantlet schedule Los Angeles has ahead. Even in his 20th season, LeBron James has to do it all for the Lakers, but he’s incapable of overcoming Russell Westbrook, the team’s supposed third star, shooting 29% from the field and 8% from three. A move may have to happen sooner rather than later before the situation becomes truly unsalvageable.
25. Sacramento Kings
(Record: 0–3)
The Kings have little to show for an otherwise encouraging week in which they pushed some of the best teams in basketball to the brink, and Keegan Murray looked solid in his first NBA action. Narrow losses to the Trail Blazers, Clippers and Warriors sting for a team that truly needs every victory it can come by in its quest to end its playoff drought, and the upcoming schedule against Memphis and Miami isn’t forgiving. De’Aaron Fox is scoring at a ferocious clip; now to get Domantas Sabonis going and shore up that defense a bit.
26. Indiana Pacers
(Record: 1–2)
Indiana is going to get up and down the court at an alarming rate this year with Tyrese Haliburton slinging the ball all over to a young, fun squad. And if the first few games are any indication, the Pacers are going to let teams run with them, too. Bennedict Mathurin is already a hit in the Hoosier State—he leads all rookies in scoring, and he’s part of the best bench unit in basketball. After starting the season with a three-game homestand, Indiana won’t play again at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse until November.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder
(Record: 0–3)
A more fully realized version of the Thunder will take the court a year from now when No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren makes his debut along with what’s almost to be yet another lottery pick from Sam Presti’s war chest. Still, the current team in place in OKC sure does fight. Oklahoma City figures to have more moral victories than actual wins this season and that’s O.K.—they played the Nuggets and Timberwolves (twice) tight last week, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey continued to prove they’re worthy building blocks in the long trek back to fielding a winning Thunder team.
28. Detroit Pistons
(Record: 1–2)
Detroit debuted its backcourt of the future in the season opener with a victory at home and then got blitzed on a two-game road trip. Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham have worked well next to each other, and offseason acquisition Bojan Bogdanović has lit it up from beyond the arc. Downing the Magic was a positive mark for Dwane Casey’s squad, but the defensive showing in lopsided losses to the Knicks and Pacers, neither a heavyweight offensive force, were reminders of the Pistons’ shortcomings on the other side of the ball.
29. Orlando Magic
(Record: 0–3)
Paolo Banchero has more than lived up to his billing as the Rookie of the Year favorite. The No. 1 pick has scored at least 20 points in each game and is getting to the line like a veteran. Still, Orlando is winless. The Magic’s defense can’t stop anyone, and the injury bug took another swipe at the team when second-year guard Jalen Suggs went down with a sprained ankle. To Orlando’s credit, it played the Celtics and Pistons close, which is about all you can ask for from a young team still fighting to get to full strength.
30. Houston Rockets
(Record: 0–3)
No level of offense can compensate for how poor Houston’s defense has performed. It’s allowing 123.7 ppg across an 0–3 start with a minus-12.4 point differential to boot. In defense of the Rockets, the Hawks, Grizzlies and Bucks are three of the best offenses they’ll face. And this team has no designs on competing this season, so racking up losses early and often is probably for the best. Second pick Jabari Smith Jr.’s shot is shaky so far, but Jalen Green is off to a scorching start in his second season.
