NBA Power Rankings: Milwaukee Bucks Slide, Los Angeles Lakers Rise

We're only a week and change into the NBA season, but a handful of teams are already challenging our preseason notions about them.

The Denver Nuggets (particularly, their bench) and Milwaukee Bucks look worse than anticipated. The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, have played like a juggernaut. The Los Angeles Lakers charged out of the gate, too. And several in between have moved the needle one way or the other.

With a handful of games and last year's criteria (championship chances, team and individual numbers, recent performance and plenty of subjectivity) to guide us, here is how all 30 teams stack up right now.

Previous Rank: 28

Net Rating: -17.0

After starting a little stronger than rebuilding teams maybe should in 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Utah Jazz appear to be firmly in the hunt for the top pick this season.

They're winless, with three of their losses being blowouts (one was by 41 points). No one is anywhere near as bad as them in the net rating category. And the young, nowhere-near-ready-to-win prospects look like they'll be given plenty of opportunities to develop.

Keyonte George, in particular, is leading the team in minutes per game at 31.6, despite shooting 28.0 percent from the field and averaging 4.0 turnovers (to 6.2 assists).

Previous Rank: 23

Net Rating: -7.9

The Toronto Raptors have been hampered by injuries to their best player (Scottie Barnes) and arguably second-best player (RJ Barrett), and their record and net rating reflect that.

For the season, the duo has only appeared in one game and played 22 minutes together.

And with Cooper Flagg potentially available in the draft this summer, all of the above is probably fine. If they can add a bona fide star to this core (Barnes may be one, but he needs some help), the Raptors' foundation will feel a lot stronger.

Previous Rank: 29

Net Rating: -5.8

The Portland Trail Blazers' 2-3 record suggests they've been feistier than expected, and that's probably true on the defensive end, where they rank in the top half of the league.

But the indicators on the other end are genuinely terrible. They're 25th in points per 100 possessions and 27th in both effective field-goal percentage and true shooting percentage.

Their top three scorers—Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Scoot Henderson—are all below average in each of those latter two categories.

Even if the Blazers aren't able to unload some of their veterans, they should remain firmly in the hunt for the top pick all season.

Previous Rank: 27

Net Rating: -4.1

The Detroit Pistons got off the schneid with a week-ending win over the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. And though it was just their first victory of the season, Detroit has been better than its record suggests.

After a disastrous 2023-24 that included a 28-game losing streak, the Pistons were within single digits in three of those four losses, all of which came against 2024 playoff teams.

And what's most encouraging is how good Cade Cunningham has looked. After struggling to make shots in each of his first three years, Cunningham is averaging 25.6 points, 7.4 assists and 2.8 threes while shooting 40.0 percent from deep.

Previous Rank: 25

Net Rating: -0.2

LaMelo Ball is healthy, and the Charlotte Hornets have unsurprisingly been competitive in each of their four games with him in action.

The former All-Star is averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 threes per game. And he has his Hornets at .500, despite Brandon Miller being limited to 11 total minutes on the season.

Once he's back and spacing the floor for Ball (or attacking defenses scrambled by Ball), Charlotte should be a tough out against most opponents.

And the Hornets fans might be able to expect a push for a play-in spot.

Previous Rank: 22

Net Rating: -6.2

The banged-up Atlanta Hawks were missing Bogdan Bogdanović, Dyson Daniels and De'Andre Hunter for Wednesday's loss to the Washington Wizards, but this start to the campaign still feels pretty underwhelming with a team that certainly has some promise.

That's especially true with two of the three losses coming against one of the East's 2023-24 cellar dwellers, the Washington Wizards, and the season-long defense looking sketchy, at best. Atlanta has surrendered at least 120 points in four of its five games.

On the bright side, Trae Young looks like his old self now that Dejounte Murray is gone. Through five games, he's averaging 28.2 points, 11.6 assists and 3.0 threes.

Previous Rank: 30

Net Rating: -4.6

The Washington Wizards started their campaign with a pair of blowout losses to 2024 playoff teams (the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers), but the vibes shifted quickly after a home-and-home with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Wizards won both of those contests against Atlanta, and they have a couple of young Frenchmen who've shown some upside, particularly on defense.

Alexandre Sarr's shot looks as shaky as it did in summer league (he's shooting just 29.7 percent from the field), but he's averaging 2.5 blocks in 24.2 minutes. And Bilal Coulibaly looks like a highly switchable perimeter defender while averaging 18.8 points with a 42.1 three-point percentage.

Previous Rank: 26

Net Rating: -0.1

After they traded Mikal Bridges and reacquired control of their 2025 first-round pick, the Brooklyn Nets seemed like one of this season's more obvious tanking candidates, but they may have to move some veterans to really race to the bottom of the standings.

The Nets have wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks and a competitive loss to the Denver Nuggets. And a handful of potential trade candidates are playing well enough to improve their value.

Dennis Schröder is averaging 24.6 points and 8.2 assists. The 6'8" Cameron Johnson's size and 37.2 three-point percentage should be intriguing for a team in need of depth on the wing. And though he's probably young enough to be withheld from this conversation, 23-year-old Cam Thomas is averaging 27.4 points and 2.8 threes.

Previous Rank: 17

Net Rating: -8.5

It's early, but the New Orleans Pelicans' front office has to have its collective hand near the panic button.

New Orleans is second-to-last in net rating. Not having a starting-caliber center on the roster has been a disaster. And Zion Williamson is off to the worst start to a season in his career.

Through five games, Zion is at 18.3 points while shooting 36.4 percent from the floor. And the Pelicans are handily losing his minutes.

On the other hand, Brandon Ingram (22.4 points and 4.0 assists) may be playing well enough to have juiced his trade value a bit, and New Orleans desperately needs a 5. If the Pelicans can turn him into a floor-spacing big, things might turn around.

Previous Rank: 20

Net Rating: -2.7

The San Antonio Spurs have one quality win (in their second game of the season, against the Houston Rockets), and Victor Wembanyama hasn't quite picked up where he left off in 2023-24, at least not as a scorer.

He's averaging 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.2 blocks per game, but his 18.2 points are well shy of the 23.5 he put up post-All-Star break last season.

That can be pretty easily chalked up to his jumper. He's taking 6.8 threes per game and only shooting 23.5 percent from deep.

And while no one should be trying to talk Wemby out of dropping the long-rangers altogether, having Chris Paul on the team should encourage him to do a little more rim-running or cutting inside the three-point line.

Previous Rank: 18

Net Rating: -3.1

Things seem a little shakier for the Miami Heat than their even record suggests.

The two wins came against the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons. Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo's season-long plus-minuses are all way under water. And the team has a bottom-10 true shooting percentage.

For a team that was haunted by offensive woes for much of last season, it's a mildly concerning start.

Previous Rank: 21

Net Rating: +1.7

Despite losing Paul George in free agency and not getting a single minute from Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers have been, at the very least, frisky.

They've lost two games to the Phoenix Suns, but they had them on the ropes both times. They beat the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors on the road. The only really concerning outcome was a one-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

And James Harden's "I am a system" approach from his days with the Houston Rockets is a big reason why. After registering a triple-double in Thursday's loss to the Suns, he's now averaging 23.8 points, 11.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds.

His playmaking in the middle of the floor is pretty clearly driving Ivica Zubac's breakout, too. As Harden's primary pick-and-roll target, Zubac is averaging 19.2 points and 13.2 rebounds.

Still, with Harden's age, Kawhi's health and the lack of starpower throughout the rest of the roster, it's tough to buy this team as a strong playoff contender.

Previous Rank: 24

Net Rating: -3.2

The Chicago Bulls look more than capable of replacing DeMar DeRozan's production with a platoon approach to scoring and playmaking that has them over .500 through the first week and change of this season.

Zach LaVine (23.0), Nikola Vučević (20.2) and Coby White (19.0) are all averaging at least 19 points. Five players, led by Josh Giddey's 5.8, are averaging at least three assists (and LaVine isn't far behind, at 2.8).

And while wins might be a little bittersweet for Bulls fans angling for a top pick in this summer's draft, that dream isn't out of reach either.

It's still early, and if LaVine keeps this up, some team might be willing to give up some real value for him ahead of the trade deadline.

Previous Rank: 15

Net Rating: -5.9

After starting the season 1-3 and looking nothing like the offensive juggernaut that went to the conference finals last year, the Indiana Pacers needed a get-right win something fierce. And they got one against the best team in the league.

Coughing up a 24-point, second-half lead and letting the game get to overtime wasn't great, but closing out the defending champs in the extra period was.

And even if the Pacers are below .500, and Tyrese Haliburton is shooting just 34.6 percent from the field, there's a new reason for optimism on the roster in 2024-25.

After missing most of last season with an injury, 22-year-old Bennedict Mathurin has come out of the gates with 15.8 points, 1.4 threes and a 38.9 three-point percentage.

Previous Rank: 4

Net Rating: -7.2

Whether he's playing or not, Joel Embiid is the story for the 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers.

He's yet to appear in a game this season, and the team just got fined for not being forthcoming about his status.

The bigger problem, of course, is that his absence, however it's explained, makes Philadelphia an underdog against just about anyone.

Two of the Sixers' losses came to the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons (neither of whom made the 2024 playoffs), and Tyrese Maxey is taking on an unsustainable burden without the former MVP.

Through four games, Maxey is averaging a whopping 27.8 shots per game.

When Embiid and Paul George come back, things should instantly look better, but this kind of a start could haunt them with only the top six in the East guaranteed a playoff spot.

Previous Rank: 8

Net Rating: -8.2

The Milwaukee Bucks aren't just losing games. They're getting embarrassed.

That net rating is 28th in the league right now. Only the Pelicans and Jazz are worse in that category. This week alone, they lost by double digits to the Nets and got blown out by a short-handed Memphis Grizzlies team that was missing Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart.

And when your numbers are this bad, the problems typically aren't confined to one end of the floor. Teams are scoring at will on the Bucks, who simply look old on defense.

And on the other end, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only reliable source of offense. Damian Lillard is averaging 23.2 points, but he's shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from deep.

It's fair to point out that Khris Middleton is missing, but it's also hard to imagine a 33-year-old wing coming off surgery on both ankles being an instant fix.

Last season, Milwaukee thought a midseason coaching change would provide the jolt of life it desperately needed. At this point, it's fair to say that jolt never came. And now Bucks fans have to be wondering what's next.

X is already teeming with speculation about coach Doc Rivers' future and possible Giannis trades. And if this trend doesn't change soon, something might have to happen on one of those fronts.

Previous Rank: 12

Net Rating: +4.8

The Orlando Magic have lost two of their last three. And after a quick start to the season for Franz Wagner, an illness has slowed him.

But it was easy to be encouraged by what we've seen from this young team anyway. The defense is still stout (it's in the top five right now). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looks like an easy fit, even as he's struggling with his outside shot. Anthony Black suddenly looks like a contributor. And Wagner's threes are falling.

Most importantly, Paolo Banchero appeared to be making a genuine star turn. He had a 50-point, near-triple-double in a win over the Indiana Pacers. And for the season, he's averaging 29.0 points 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 threes.

Unfortunately, his last game was followed up with some terrible news for the Magic and their fans.

If Banchero is out for much longer than that evaluation timeline, Orlando might have some serious ground to make up in the standings upon his return.

Previous Rank: 11

Net Rating: 0.0

The brightest timeline for the Memphis Grizzlies would've been Ja Morant coming back, everyone staying healthy, Zach Edey being ready to start right away and the team instantly being back in the playoff (and maybe even contender's) mix.

And while that first box has been checked, injuries have already started to creep up for this team again. GG Jackson has been out since early September. And Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard all missed Thursday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The learning curve has been pretty evident for Edey, too. Through six games, Memphis is handily losing his minutes, and he has almost as many fouls (17) as baskets (20).

But even with all the bumps in the road, the Grizzlies are .500. And Ja Morant looks ready to lead a playoff team again. His jumper isn't falling yet, but he's averaging 20.4 points and 9.4 assists. And Memphis is plus-39 in his 135 minutes.

Previous Rank: 19

Net Rating: +5.6

After a 1-2 start that included a season-opening home loss to the Hornets, the Houston Rockets closed out the week with back-to-back wins over a pair of in-state rivals.

On Thursday, they beat the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks in a game in which Jalen Green went toe-to-toe with one of the league's most talented backcourts and came out on top.

For the season, Green is averaging 27.6 points, 4.4 threes and 3.0 assists, while shooting 40.7 percent from deep.

If he and the Rockets keep this up, he could be a fringe All-Star candidate.

Previous Rank: 16

Net Rating: +6.2

The Sacramento Kings opened the season with a pair of losses, but one was on the road and both were to teams that look poised to be in the playoff mix all year (the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves).

They quickly got back on track with back-to-back wins over the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz, and the new starting lineup with DeMar DeRozan is jelling quickly.

The Kings are plus-46 in the 89 minutes he's been on the floor with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. And each of the three stars is averaging at least 21 points and four assists.

Previous Rank: 13

Net Rating: -2.4

The vibes from the Los Angeles Lakers' 3-0 start have mellowed a bit, thanks to back-to-back losses to the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Neither should be all that alarming, though. Both opponents could be title contenders this season, and both those losses were on the road. There's still a lot to be encouraged about.

Other than an off shooting night against the Suns, 39-year-old LeBron James hasn't looked any older than he did last season. And Anthony Davis has been playing like a legitimate MVP candidate.

Through five games, AD is averaging 30.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals.

Previous Rank: 14

Net Rating: +20.2

The Golden State Warriors had one of the league's easiest schedules to start the season, especially when you factor in the New Orleans Pelicans being worse than expected.

But they still deserve credit for being 4-1 in spite of Stephen Curry missing their last two games. And Klay Thompson's replacement, Buddy Hield, may deserve the lion's share of it.

Through five games, Hield leads the team in scoring at 21.2 points, and he's shooting 50.0 percent from deep.

Previous Rank: 3

Net Rating: -3.4

To put it generously, it's been an uneven start for the Denver Nuggets. And it's pretty easy to identify what's up and down here.

Despite opening the season 0-2, with those losses happening in Denver, the starting five has won its minutes in each of its four contests. The bench, on the other hand, up until Tuesday's overtime win in Brooklyn, has been repeatedly steamrolled.

The additions, Russell Westbrook and Dario Šarić, have ranged from looking out of place to being actively detrimental. Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther are flying around on defense, but their effort has yet to be harnessed for much positive impact.

At best, it's going to take a while for that second unit to find its way.

In the meantime, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić looks ready to keep this team afloat. His team's season-long plus-minus may be under water, but it's plus-15 when Jokić is on the floor. And the big man is averaging 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.8 threes, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals, thanks in large part to back-to-back 40-point outings.

Previous Rank: 9

Net Rating: +0.6

The Minnesota Timberwolves are adjusting to life with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo on the fly, and their two losses have come at the hands of two of the West's hottest starters (the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks).

All things considered, their 2-2 start is probably fine, especially when you zero in on how Anthony Edwards has played.

Randle's shaky jumper and tendency to stop the ball on offense made his acquisition a bit of a head-scratcher, since his skill set doesn't seem like an easy fit alongside Ant.

But Edwards and the T'Wolves seem to be tackling that potential issue by just making him the high-volume floor spacer. Through four games, he's averaging 30.0 points and a whopping 5.5 threes.

Previous Rank: 6

Net Rating: +2.6

After an opening-night shellacking by the Boston Celtics, things have started to stabilize for the New York Knicks.

The consternation over Mikal Bridges' jumper may be a little overblown. His 36.0 three-point percentage is right around his career mark of 37.5. Jalen Brunson is averaging 22.8 points and 5.8 assists, and the Knicks have won his minutes over these first four games. And the latest addition, Karl-Anthony Towns, showed how dramatically he can raise the ceiling on Wednesday.

In a road win over the Miami Heat, KAT went off for 44 points, 13 rebounds and four threes. And for the season, he's shooting 72.7 percent from deep.

Previous Rank: 5

Net Rating: +1.0

The Dallas Mavericks ended the week with a home loss to the Houston Rockets, but being 3-2 with their best player and perennial MVP candidate struggling to warm up is probably a good sign.

Through five games, Luka Dončić is shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from three. His assist average is down a bit, too.

But newcomer Klay Thompson looks plenty comfortable in a streamlined, floor-spacing role alongside Luka and Kyrie Irving.

And once Dončić's shots start falling, an offense led by that trio should be a nightmare to stop.

Previous Rank: 7

Net Rating: +3.5

The Phoenix Suns are looking a lot more like the team that many expected them to be in 2023-24.

And while that obviously has a lot to do with the starpower of and additional chemistry between Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, simply plugging a more traditional point guard into the mix may be the biggest factor.

Tyus Jones had 11 assists and was plus-12 in a come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, and he's now averaging 7.0 dimes for the season.

Previous Rank: 10

Net Rating: +17.7

The Cleveland Cavaliers bet on continuity this offseason, and few teams have looked better over the first week and change.

Three of their five wins have come against teams that aren't likely to make the playoffs, but three also came on the road. And they closed out their week with a blowout victory over the Lakers.

Perhaps most importantly, some of the pairings that looked like tough fits last year have been just fine in 2024-25. There are plenty of possessions to be shared between Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. The floor doesn't feel cramped when Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are both on it.

Each of those four is averaging between 17 and 24 points, and Garland and Mitchell are both averaging at least five dimes.

Previous Rank: 2

Net Rating: +17.1

The Oklahoma City Thunder are undefeated. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks) is in form, and Chet Holmgren just dominated his matchup with rival Victor Wembanyama in Wednesday's win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Chet went for 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Wemby finished with just six points on 1-of-5 shooting.

And yet, things can get better for the Thunder, who are 27th in the league in three-point percentage and haven't even had Isaiah Hartenstein play yet.

Previous Rank: 1

Net Rating: +11.6

The Boston Celtics ended their week with a loss to the Indiana Pacers, but even that was somehow impressive.

Despite being down 24 in the second half, Boston charged all the way back to send the game to overtime. And as their 10 second-half threes poured in, you couldn't help but think this team can overcome just about any deficit.

One competitive road loss is far from enough to knock the Celtics from this perch.

Over the last few years, the three-point revolution had sort of stalled a bit. It seemed like we may have hit some kind of ceiling on the attempts. The leaguewide record for three-point-attempt rate (the percentage of total shots that came from deep) seemed relatively safe at 39.9 (set in 2021-22).

But this season, the NBA has pushed that mark up to 41.9. And a whopping 10 teams—one-third of the league—is averaging over 40 three-point attempts per game.

At 51.6 per game, the Celtics are on track to absolutely smash the 2018-19 Rockets' record of 45.4. And those 10 teams over 40 are all on pace to finish in the top 25.