NBA Power Rankings: First impressions from every team

Scott Rafferty

NBA Power Rankings: First impressions from every team image

Opening week of the 2021-22 season is a wrap.

By now, we've seen every team play between two and three games. Which teams impressed in their first games of the season and which ones disappointed?

As a reminder, these rankings are not projections for how the final standings will look. There will be plenty of movement throughout the season.

Got it? Great. Onto this week's rankings...

NBA Power Rankings 2021

Giannis-Antetokounmpo-10042021-Getty-FTR

1. Milwaukee Bucks

Previous rank: No. 2

Last week: 2-1

Upcoming: at Pacers, vs. Timberwolves, vs. Spurs, vs. Jazz

The Bucks delivered the entire NBA a resounding message: “we’re the champs and the title still goes through us.” After an offseason in which everyone focused on the Nets and Lakers loading up, it took all of 48 minutes for Giannis Antetokounmpo to dunk all over anyone who had the audacity to sleep on Milwaukee’s title chances. If he’s actually going to start raining pull-up 3s — as he did against Brooklyn — then thoughts and prayers to the other 29 teams. — Micah Adams

2. Brooklyn Nets

Previous rank: No. 1

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Wizards, vs. Heat, vs. Pacers, vs. Pistons

It hasn’t been the smoothest start for the team widely considered to be the championship favorite, but the Nets must be pleased with the early performances of offseason addition Patty Mills. The veteran guard became the first player in NBA history to go 10-for-10 from 3-point range in the first two games of a season. He should continue to be a difference-maker for Brooklyn as it figures out how to play without Kyrie Irving. — Jordan Greer

3. Utah Jazz

Previous rank: No. 5

Last week: 2-0

Upcoming: vs. Nuggets, at Rockets, at Bulls, at Bucks

The Jazz continue to take care of business. After finishing with the best record in the league last season, Utah's off to a perfect 2-0 start following victories over Oklahoma City and Sacramento. The Jazz face their first real test of the season on Tuesday when they take on Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. — Scott Rafferty

4. Phoenix Suns

Previous rank: No. 4

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Kings, vs. Cavaliers

The Suns are still the best team in the West. After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, it seemed as though Phoenix was forgotten about during offseason chatter. It assured its name would be featured in the news cycle after dominating the Lakers, leading by as much as 32 points. The Suns, led by Devin Booker and Chris Paul – who is now the first player in NBA history to notch 20,000 points and 10,000 assists – made it clear they’re the team to beat despite a 1-2 start. — Kyle Irving

5. Los Angeles Lakers

Previous rank: No. 3

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at Spurs, at Thunder, vs. Cavaliers, vs. Rockets

So, uh, this isn’t going great. Russell Westbrook is either missing shots or standing around on the perimeter. Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard got into a heated confrontation in the second game of the season. Magic Johnson believes his old team has a “team issue and basketball issue.” (Really narrows it down!) It’s still early, of course, but the Lakers have a lot of work to do. — Jordan Greer

Westbrook, LeBron

6. Atlanta Hawks

Previous rank: No. 6

Last week: 1-1

Upcoming: vs. Pistons, at Pelicans, at Wizards, at 76ers

The Hawks are out to prove that last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals was legitimate. Atlanta opened the season with a statement 26-point win over the Mavericks in which six players finished in double figures, including Trae Young, who finished with 19 points and 14 assists. The Hawks will continue to be a pain to deal with this season as they have at least nine players capable of scoring 20 or more points on any given night. — Gilbert McGregor

7. Denver Nuggets 

Previous rank: No. 7

Last week: 2-0

Upcoming: vs. Cavaliers, at Jazz, vs. Mavericks, at Timberwolves

Nikola Jokic entered the season with the eighth-highest odds to win the 2021-22 NBA MVP award, per FanDuel. That just seems silly now. The reigning MVP has gotten off to a spectacular start, even with more weight on his shoulders as Jamal Murray recovers from a significant knee injury. Look no further than Jokic’s line in a win against the Spurs: 32 points (14-of-19 shooting), 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block. Oh, and he also threw one of the most ridiculous passes you will ever see. — Jordan Greer

8. Miami Heat

Previous rank: No. 8

Last week: 1-1

Upcoming: vs. Magic, at Nets, vs. Hornets, at Grizzlies

"I can be your Herro baby!" After scoring 27 points in Miami's season-opener, Tyler Herro exploded for 30 points and 10 rebounds in his second game of the season. Not that he's going to average around 30 points per game for the entire season, but a breakout season for Herro could be just what the top-heavy Heat need to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Those Sixth Man of the Year predictions are looking pretty good right now. — Scott Rafferty

9. Golden State Warriors

Previous rank: No. 10

Last week: 3-0

Upcoming: at Thunder, vs. Grizzlies, vs. Thunder

Believe the Jordan Poole hype. The Warriors had high hopes for the third-year guard after he emerged down the stretch last season and after he dropped 20 in the season opener against the Lakers, there’s every reason to expect big things for the sharpshooter. Especially until Klay Thompson returns, Golden State badly needs another creator to take some pressure off Stephen Curry. Poole making a leap could be the single-biggest X factor as the Warriors look to return to championship contention. — Micah Adams

10. Dallas Mavericks

Previous rank: No. 9

Last week: 1-1

Upcoming: vs. Rockets, vs. Spurs, at Nuggets, vs. Kings

Very few 22-year-olds have dealt with the amount of expectations that have been levied upon Luka Doncic, but there's a reason that so much is expected of him. Doncic is a legitimate MVP candidate and, after a loss in Atlanta, looked every bit of the part in a win over the Raptors, taking over in the second half to escape an 0-2 start for the team. How much will Luka have to take over like that this season? And is that a sustainable formula for season-long success? — Gilbert McGregor

Jason Kidd

11. Portland Trail Blazers

Previous rank: No. 12

Last week: 1-1

Upcoming: at Clippers, vs. Grizzlies, vs. Clippers, at Hornets

Is this going to be the Trail Blazers experience this season? They opened with a loss to the Kings only to turn around and put forth an impressive all-around showing in a dominant home victory over the Suns. There is going to be some growing that needs to be done under new head coach Chauncey Billups, but we know what we'll get from Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who scored a combined 101 points through the team's first two games. — Gilbert McGregor 

12. Philadelphia 76ers 

Previous rank: No. 13

Last week: 12-1

Upcoming: at Knicks, vs. Pistons, vs. Hawks

The 76ers have a crunch-time problem — with or without Ben Simmons. Philadelphia should have started the season 2-0, but the Nets outscored the Sixers 16-1 over the final five-plus minutes of Friday’s game at the Wells Fargo Center to steal a win. If Philly wants to join Brooklyn and Milwaukee in the upper tier of the Eastern Conference, it will need to answer a question that has been hanging over the team for years: Which player will get a bucket when the game is on the line? — Jordan Greer

13. New York Knicks

Previous rank: No. 15

Last week: 2-1

Upcoming: vs. 76ers, at Bulls, at Pelicans

Going into last year’s playoff series with the Hawks, New York’s biggest question mark was, who will score if Julius Randle and RJ Barrett don’t have it? Once Randle was shut down, the Knicks didn’t have anyone to go get them a bucket in a time of need and it resulted in a playoff shortcoming. After one game it looked like offseason signing Evan Fournier will fill that role, dropping 34 points against his former Celtics. If Kemba Walker can get going as well, the Knicks will be just fine on offense this season. — Kyle Irving

14. Boston Celtics

Previous rank: No. 11

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at Hornets, vs. Wizards, at Wizards

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to get going at the same time. In their season-opening thriller against the Knicks, Brown poured in a career-high 46 points while Tatum went 7-for-30 from the field in a double-overtime loss. The Celtics were then routed by the Raptors, held to 83 points with Tatum going for 18 points and Brown recording just nine points. We won’t know what this team is truly capable of until we see both All-Stars play better off of each other. — Kyle Irving

15. Chicago Bulls

Previous rank: No. 16

Last week: 3-0

Upcoming: at Raptors, vs. Knicks, vs. Jazz

There were plenty of question marks surrounding their offseason acquisitions, but the run-and-gun Bulls look like a perfect fit with Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball propelling them to a top 10 defence, while DeMar DeRozan is flourishing as a secondary scorer. This team might just be legit. — Benyam Kidane

16. Memphis Grizzlies

Previous rank: No. 18

Last week: 2-1

Upcoming: at Trail Blazers, at Warriors, vs. Heat

Ja Morant has made it clear that he wants to be an All-Star this season. Well, he sure looked like one in games No. 1, 2 and 3. After hanging 37 points on the Cavaliers to open the season, Morant led the Grizzlies to an impressive road win over the Clippers with 28 points and eight assists. He then dropped 40 points and 10 assists in a loss to the Lakers. He's picking up right where he left off and then some. — Scott Rafferty

17. Los Angeles Clippers

Previous rank: No. 14

Last week: 0-2

Upcoming: vs. Trail Blazers, vs. Cavaliers, at Trail Blazers

LA is going to miss Kawhi Leonard, but it will still be a very solid team. To open the season, each of the Clippers' first two losses came down to the final minutes, indicating that they can remain competitive even without their perennial MVP candidate. They did give up 45 and 28 points to point guards Stephen Curry and Ja Morant, respectively, which could be a cause for concern given the number of prolific guards in the West. — Gilbert McGregor

18. Charlotte Hornets

Previous rank: No. 21

Last week: 3-0

Upcoming: vs. Celtics, at Magic, at Heat, vs. Trail Blazers

LaMelo Ball remains a must-watch League Pass star. Ball’s sophomore campaign started with a bang as he engineered a stunning come-from-behind win over the Pacers in front of a delirious home crowd in Charlotte before melting Twitter with a Dick Tracy get-up immediately afterward. Only time will tell if the Hornets will actually contend for a playoff spot, but make no mistake, the Ball electricity is here to stay regardless of Charlotte’s record. — Micah Adams

19. Washington Wizards

Previous rank: No. 20

Last week: 2-0

Upcoming: at Nets, at Celtics, vs. Hawks, vs. Celtics

The Wizards have gotten off to as good of a start as they could've expected. Not only did they defeat the Raptors comfortably in their season-opener, but they were able to defeat the Pacers without Bradley Beal in overtime. Spencer Dinwiddie stole the show with 34 points while Kyle Kuzma finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. With more depth around Beal, this Wizards team might just have something. — Scott Rafferty

20. Minnesota Timberwolves

Previous rank: No. 22

Last week: 2-0

Upcoming: vs. Pelicans, at Bucks, vs. Nuggets

There’s a different energy in Minnesota this season, with second-year guard Anthony Edwards leading the charge alongside D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. Last season we barely saw them on court together, but the early returns are showing plenty of positives. Time for a two game overreaction: Minnesota has the fifth-best net rating in the league. — Benyam Kidane

LaMelo Ball had a monster night in Charlotte's win over Indiana

21. Indiana Pacers

Previous rank: No. 17

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Bucks, at Raptors, at Nets, vs. Raptors

Did the Pacers land the steal of the draft in Chris Duarte? The 13th overall pick lit up the Hornets for 27 points in the season opener, filling in admirably for Caris Levert and TJ Warren. Sure, a win would have been nice, but don’t sleep on Duarte’s brow-raising accomplishment. Of the over 4,000 players in NBA history, only 12 scored more points in their first career game. — Micah Adams

22. Sacramento Kings

Previous rank: No. 24

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at Suns, at Pelicans, at Mavericks

Being guarded by Davion Mitchell? Awful. Watching Davion Mitchell guard someone? Awesome. The former Baylor star was a big reason why Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell struggled against the Kings, shooting a combined 17-for-49 from the field (34.7 percent). This guy has definitely earned the nickname “Off Night.” — Jordan Greer

23. Toronto Raptors

Previous rank: No. 19

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Bulls, vs. Pacers, vs. Magic, at Pacers 

The Raptors have looked good defensively. Offensively, not so much. It's been particularly rough for them when the game has slowed down, as they're averaging only 76.4 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt, per Cleaning The Glass. Only one team has been worse. Small sample size, of course, but this was to be expected, especially with Pascal Siakam out. — Scott Rafferty

24. San Antonio Spurs

Previous rank: No. 26

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Lakers, at Mavericks, at Bucks

The Spurs might not win much this year, but they're going to be a fun team that plays hard all year, if nothing else. After an Olympics-induced confidence boost, Keldon Johnson is emerging as a franchise cornerstone-type talent, with other players falling in line. The rebuild is going to take time, but there will be some excitement along the way. — Gilbert McGregor

25. Cleveland Cavaliers

Previous rank: No. 25

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at Nuggets, at Clippers, at Lakers, at Suns

Evan Mobley looks pretty dang comfortable already. In his debut, the big fella finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists. He then had 13 points and five rebounds in Cleveland's loss to Charlotte, followed by a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in its win over Atlanta. I'm not sure how sustainable the Cavs' three-big lineups are, but Mobley's strong start is a great sign for them. — Scott Rafferty

Evan Mobley

26. New Orleans Pelicans

Previous rank: No. 23

Last week: 0-3

Upcoming: at Timberwolves, vs. Hawks, vs. Kings, vs. Knicks

As long as Zion Williamson is sidelined, New Orleans' mess of a situation is, well, messier. Without their superstar 21-year-old, the Pelicans have sputtered out of the gates, going winless in the opening week of action, including an awful road loss to the Timberwolves in which they committed 30 turnovers and shot 34.8 percent from the field. As good as Williamson is, even he cannot cover some of the deficiencies his team has shown to start the season. — Gilbert McGregor

27. Detroit Pistons

Previous rank: No. 27

Last week: 0-2

Upcoming: at Hawks, at 76ers, vs. Magic, at Nets

It’s hard to learn anything about the Pistons until the new franchise player, Cade Cunningham, suits up for the first time. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft missed the entire opening week of the season with an ankle injury that lingered from preseason. He is expected to return sometime this upcoming week, so we’ll have a better assessment of Detroit as a whole once he takes the floor for the first time. — Kyle Irving 

28. Houston Rockets

Previous rank: No. 28

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at Mavericks, vs. Jazz, at Lakers

-37. That was Jalen Green’s plus-minus in his NBA debut as the Rookie of the Year favorite scored nine points on 4-for-14 shooting in the blowout loss to the Timberwolves. While Green will surely have his moments, that minus-37 is likely just the first of what figures to be a season full of long nights for the rebuilding Rockets. Houston learned right from the jump that 2021-22 is about managing expectations and taking the longer-term approach towards building to the future. — Micah Adams

29. Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous rank: No. 29

Last week: 0-3

Upcoming: vs. Warriors, vs. Lakers, at Warriors

It’s going to be a long season in Oklahoma City. Getting blown out by the Jazz ... sure. Letting fellow rebuilders in the Rockets pile up 124 points ... not so much. The Thunder, like many young teams, are having a tough time stopping teams from scoring, and it’s not much better on the other end. Josh Giddey’s playmaking has been a bright spot — if only they could finish off the plays. It’s just Year 2 of their rebuild, and this season is very much about playing through mistakes and letting their young players make them. — Benyam Kidane

30. Orlando Magic

Previous rank: No. 30

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at Heat, vs. Hornets, at Raptors, at Pistons

It's also going to be a long season in Orlando, which lost its first two games by an average margin of — are you ready for this? — 25.5 points. At least Mo Bamba looks pretty good. Hopefully we see Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac back on the court soon. — Scott Rafferty 

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Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.