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?
We mentioned it last week but 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
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
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
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 McGregor12. 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
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
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
