{"id":958460,"date":"2026-11-09T18:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T18:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/958460\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T18:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T18:30:16","slug":"power-rankings-week-4-spurs-thunder-wolves-take-over-top-3-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/958460\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Rankings, Week 4: Spurs, Thunder, Wolves take over top 3 spots"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Last week, Victor Wembanyama became the 1st player in 50 years to tally 50+ PTS, 20+ REB &amp; 5+ BLK in a game.<\/p>\n<p>There was a widely held assumption that this was going to be the East\u2019s year.<\/p>\n<p>The Western Conference has had a better record than the East in interconference games in 24 of the last 27 seasons. But this year, the East added LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis, while also getting Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum back to full strength.<\/p>\n<p>There were going to be 11 good Eastern Conference teams competing for 10 playoff and Play-In spots, with the West not quite as deep. Heck, even though the West had the better overall record last season, the East had 10 teams that were at least four games over .500, while the West had only seven.<\/p>\n<p>Yep, this was the year.<\/p>\n<p>And through three weeks? The West has won 23 of its 29 games against the East.<\/p>\n<p>The Hawks and Raptors are a combined 11-2 within the conference, but they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?Conference=East&amp;VsConference=West&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=L\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">1-6 against the West<\/a>. And the East hasn\u2019t even played any games against the Spurs yet.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s still early. Only 6% of the interconference schedule has been played, and neither the Knicks nor Sixers have faced a Western Conference opponent. But 23-6 is still<\/p>\n<p>wild given the preseason expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Plus-Minus Players of the Week<\/p>\n<p>Teams of the Week<\/p>\n<p>Make It Last Forever: Oklahoma City (4-0) \u2014 Next man up.<br \/>\nSomething Just Ain\u2019t Right: Memphis (0-3) \u2014 Losses to the Pelicans and Pacers, along with a 31-point loss to the Thunder, make for a rough way to come down from a surprising 6-0 start.<\/p>\n<p>East vs. West<\/p>\n<p>The West is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?Conference=West&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;VsConference=East&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=W_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">23-6<\/a> (.793) against the East in interconference games after going <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?Conference=West&amp;DateFrom=11\/02\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/08\/2026&amp;VsConference=East&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=W\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">13-4<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n<p>Movement in the Rankings<\/p>\n<p>High jumps of the week: Minnesota (+9), Golden State (+5), Oklahoma City (+5)<br \/>\nFree falls of the week: Memphis (-10), Detroit (-7), Orlando (-5)<\/p>\n<p>Week 4 Team to Watch<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/raptors?cal=4&amp;pd=false&amp;region=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Toronto<\/a> \u2014 There are seven East teams currently at .500 or above, and the Raptors are the one that hasn\u2019t faced any of the other six. After hosting the Grizzlies on Monday, they\u2019ll play five of their next six games against the Celtics, Sixers, Knicks (x 2) and Pistons.<\/p>\n<p>Previous Power Rankings<\/p>\n<p>Key Stats to Know<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced\/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">OffRtg<\/a>: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced\/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">DefRtg<\/a>: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced\/?sort=NET_RATING&amp;dir=-1\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NetRtg<\/a>: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)<\/p>\n<p>The league has averaged 112.4 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.3 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.<\/p>\n<p>A rest-advantage game (or rest-disadvantage game) is one where one team played the day\/night before, but the other (the team with the advantage) did not. Teams are 15-12 (.556) in rest-advantage games, 10-3 at home and 5-9 on the road, this season.<\/p>\n<p>* = <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nba-cup\/2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Emirates NBA Cup<\/a> game<\/p>\n<p>NBA.com\u2019s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man\u2019s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/johnschuhmann.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">contact him via Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>#1<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612759\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/spurs\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">San Antonio Spurs<\/a>Last Week:4\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 8-2<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 117.2 (5) DefRtg: 107.1 (5) NetRtg: +10.1 (3)<\/p>\n<p>The Spurs\u2019 winning streak is at eight games, over which they\u2019ve ranked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?DateFrom=10\/24\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/08\/2026&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">in the top three<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?DateFrom=10\/24\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/08\/2026&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">both ends of the floor<\/a>. They\u2019re 8-2 for the second straight season, though they have a better point differential than they had through 10 games last year.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Victor Wembanyama scored 52 points (adding 24 rebounds and eight blocks) against the Mavs on Wednesday \u2026 with a broken jump shot. After that game, he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shooting?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Wembanyama&amp;DateTo=11\/04\/2026&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">7-for-29<\/a> (24%) from mid-range and 12-for-50 (24%) from beyond the arc. But he scored 45 of those 52 points in the restricted area (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shooting?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Wembanyama&amp;DateFrom=11\/04\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/04\/2026&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">13-for-16<\/a>) or at the free throw line (19-for-23), and he may have found his shooting stroke over the weekend. He wasn\u2019t as dominant inside, but made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1641705\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">seven of his 12 3-point attempts<\/a> in Sacramento and Portland.<\/p>\n<p>The Spurs\u2019 starting lineup still doesn\u2019t play a ton of minutes; at 10.5 minutes per game, it ranks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/lineups\/traditional?CF=GP*GE*5&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">13th<\/a> among lineups that have played at least five games together. It was also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612759\/lineups-traditional?GroupQuantity=5&amp;DateFrom=11%2F06%2F2026&amp;DateTo=11%2F06%2F2026\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">outscored by the Kings<\/a> on Friday. But it\u2019s allowed just 85.8 points per 100 possessions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/lineups\/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*50&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the best mark<\/a> among the 22 lineups that have played at least 50 total minutes, and it\u2019s been much better offensively (114.9 scored per 100) than the Spurs were when De\u2019Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle shared the floor last season.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Spurs had the league\u2019s best interconference record last season, going <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?Conference=West&amp;Season=2025-26&amp;VsConference=East&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=W_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">26-4<\/a> in regular-season games (that counted in the standings) against the East. Their first interconference game this season is Wednesday in Chicago, the end of a four-game trip.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/spurs?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ PHX, @ CHI, vs. GSW*, @ UTA<\/p>\n<p>#2<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612760\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/thunder\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>Last Week:7\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 8-2<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 113.4 (17) DefRtg: 105.5 (3) NetRtg: +8.0 (5)<\/p>\n<p>Despite the injuries, the Thunder are one of five teams with only two losses. And they\u2019re looking dominant again, having beaten the Grizzlies and Wizards by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612760\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a total of 70 points<\/a> over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Over the course of 27 hours, the Thunder climbed from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?DateTo=11\/05\/2026&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">12th<\/a> to third on defense. The Grizzlies\u2019 97 points on 104 possessions on Friday was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612763\/boxscores-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">their worst offensive game<\/a> of the season, and the Wizards\u2019 75 on 99 was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/boxscores-advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING&amp;Season=2026-27\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the worst offensive game<\/a> for any team by a wide margin. The two teams combined to shoot just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/shooting?PerMode=Totals&amp;DistanceRange=By+Zone&amp;OpponentTeamID=1610612760&amp;DateFrom=11%2F06%2F2026&amp;DateTo=11%2F07%2F2026\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">32-for-76<\/a> (42%) in the paint.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Thunder\u2019s longest road trip of the season is only four games long, and it begins with a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back in Portland. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/okc-vs-por-0022500180\/game-charts\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">blew a 22-point lead<\/a> and suffered their first loss of the season at the Moda Center around this time last year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/thunder?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ POR, @ POR, @ LAC*, @ SAC<\/p>\n<p>#3<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612750\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/timberwolves\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>Last Week:12\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 8-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 116.2 (8) DefRtg: 105.1 (1) NetRtg: +11.1 (2)<\/p>\n<p>The Wolves lost two of their first three games without Anthony Edwards, but they\u2019ve since won <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612750\/boxscores-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">four straight<\/a>. They handed the Rockets their first home loss (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612745\/boxscores-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">and worst defensive game<\/a>) of the season on Wednesday and then ended the Pelicans\u2019 four-game winning streak two nights later.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>All three of the Wolves\u2019 losses came on their first stretch of five games in seven days, with two of them being rest-disadvantage games on the road. The other one (vs. Golden State) doesn\u2019t look as bad now that the Warriors have won seven straight games as it did at the time, and the three losses have come <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612750\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">by a total of just 17 points<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Wolves\u2019 win over Utah on Sunday was the start of an eight-game homestand (tied for the longest in the league this season). They have a league-low five rest-advantage games this year, with the first of the five being a visit from the Bulls on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/timberwolves?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. DAL, vs. CHI<\/p>\n<p>#4<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612745\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/rockets\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Houston Rockets<\/a>Last Week:1\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 7-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 118.6 (2) DefRtg: 109.4 (10) NetRtg: +9.2 (4)<\/p>\n<p>After a West-best 7-1 start, the Rockets have lost two straight games to slide out of the top four in the conference. They still have a league-high six wins over teams that enter Week 4 with winning records. (No other team has more than four.)<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Durant is the most efficient high-volume scorer (25-plus points per game) in NBA history, and his true shooting percentage of 64.9% would be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/201142\/advanced?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">his highest mark<\/a> in the last four seasons. But his usage rate (23.1%) is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/201142\/usage?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the lowest of his career<\/a> and he took just six shots from the field in the Rockets\u2019 win over Boston last Monday. The other three returning starters have also seen (smaller) drops in usage, with Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart both carrying more of a load than their \u201925-26 counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Rockets have outscored their opponents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?Location=Home&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">11.4 points per 100 possessions<\/a> at home, and they\u2019re back at the Toyota Center for three more games this week. The homestand begins with a marquee matchup with the Nuggets on Monday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/rockets?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. DEN, vs. GSW, vs. UTA*, @ WAS<\/p>\n<p>#5<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612755\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/sixers\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>Last Week:3\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 9-2<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 110.3 (20) DefRtg: 107.6 (6) NetRtg: +2.7 (15)<\/p>\n<p>The Sixers suffered their first loss with Joel Embiid in the lineup on Friday, unable to make another comeback from a huge deficit against the Cavs. But they got a big win in Detroit (avenging their previous loss) earlier in the week and remain at the top of the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Sixers already have as many clutch wins (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/clutch-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=W\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">eight<\/a>) as the Nets had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/clutch-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;Season=2025-26&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=W\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">all of last season<\/a>. The flip side of that is that, while they\u2019re tied with the Lakers for the league\u2019s best record, they have the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?dir=A&amp;sort=PLUS_MINUS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">15th-best point differential<\/a> (plus-3.1 per game), that of a team that\u2019s 7-4. They\u2019ve now scored 79 points on 57 clutch offensive possessions (139 per 100), getting contributions from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/clutch-traditional?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*PHI&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=-1&amp;sort=PTS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">almost everybody<\/a> who\u2019s seen the floor with the score within five points in the last five minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: Jaylen Brown won\u2019t make his return to Boston until Jan. 21, but he\u2019ll face his former team for the first time on Tuesday. That\u2019s the start of what could be a big, three-game homestand, especially if Tyrese Haliburton is back in the Pacers\u2019 lineup by Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/sixers?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. BOS, vs. TOR, vs. IND<\/p>\n<p>#6<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612738\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/celtics\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Boston Celtics<\/a>Last Week:6<\/p>\n<p>Record: 8-2<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 117.9 (3) DefRtg: 106.3 (4) NetRtg: +11.6 (1)<\/p>\n<p>The Celtics lost in Houston (without Paul George) last week, but they\u2019ll be playing for first place in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday. Having won their last two games by a total of 59 points, they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?CF=OFF_RATING_RANK*LE*5:DEF_RATING_RANK*LE*5&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">in the top five<\/a> on both ends of the floor for what would be the fifth straight season.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Celtics have been switching up their starting lineup. Neemias Queta has replaced Mitchell Robinson as the starting center (though they\u2019ve also played a few minutes together), while Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez and Mike Conley have all taken turns in the starting backcourt. Payton Pritchard remains a reserve, while Sam Hauser only started the game (Wednesday vs. Milwaukee) that Jayson Tatum missed. But Pritchard has played <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612738\/players-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the fourth-most minutes<\/a> on the team, and the Celtics have been at their best (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612738\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=D&amp;sort=ON_NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">plus-21.2 per 100 possessions<\/a>) with Hauser on the floor.<\/p>\n<p>The Celtics shoot a lot of 3s, but their opponents shoot more. Boston opponents have taken 51.2% of their shots from 3-point range, which would be the highest opponent rate in the 48 years of the 3-point line by a wide margin. Only 47% of their opponents\u2019 3-point attempts (the league\u2019s eighth lowest rate) have been wide open, but they\u2019re probably getting a little lucky, with opponents shooting just 32.7% (second lowest) on those wide-open 3s.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: There are just six teams with winning records in the Eastern Conference, and the Celtics\u2019 first games against two of the six will be a road back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday. First up is a visit to Jaylen Brown and the Sixers, with first place in the East on the line.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/celtics?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ PHI, @ TOR, vs. DAL<\/p>\n<p>#7<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612752\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/knicks\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New York Knicks<\/a>Last Week:10\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 5-4<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 114.1 (15) DefRtg: 108.3 (7) NetRtg: +5.8 (9)<\/p>\n<p>After a 0-3 start, the Knicks have won five of their last six games to climb over .500 for the first time. They\u2019re one of two teams (the Rockets are the other) that haven\u2019t lost a game that wasn\u2019t within five points in the last five minutes, and last week\u2019s three wins all came by double digits.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are both still shooting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612752\/players-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3A\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">below 30% from 3-point range<\/a>, while Jalen Brunson is just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shooting?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Brunson&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">28-for-71<\/a> (39.4%) in the paint. But the offense has picked up (119.6 points scored per 100 possessions) over the 5-1 stretch. The shooting has been a little better, but they\u2019ve also cut down on turnovers and continued to give themselves a ton of second chances.<\/p>\n<p>The regular starting lineup has still scored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612752\/lineups-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">less than a point per possession<\/a> in its 95 total minutes. But last Monday, the Knicks turned their game against Brooklyn around with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/bkn-vs-nyk-0022600161\/box-score?range=21614-24186\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a 16-2 run<\/a> with both Brunson and Bridges off the floor to start the fourth quarter. And with Josh Hart (ankle) out the last two games, the new starting lineup (with Landry Shamet) outscored the Bulls and Cavs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612752\/lineups-traditional?DateFrom=11%2F04%2F2026&amp;DateTo=11%2F07%2F2026&amp;PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">by 16 points<\/a> in its 23 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Knicks had a rest advantage when they won in Cleveland over the weekend, but they\u2019ll be at a disadvantage when the two teams meet again at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Then they\u2019ll head out of a four-game trip that includes their first two meetings with the Raptors. The Knicks won <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612752\/boxscores-traditional?Season=2025-26&amp;OpponentTeamID=1610612761\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">all five meetings<\/a> last season by at least 16 points.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/knicks?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. MIL, vs. CLE, @ IND*, @ TOR<\/p>\n<p>#8<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612747\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"http:\/\/nba.com\/lakers\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>Last Week:11\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 9-2<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 121.7 (1) DefRtg: 114.1 (21) NetRtg: +7.5 (7)<\/p>\n<p>The Lakers have won five straight games and have the best record in the Western Conference. They\u2019re also 2-0 without Luka Don\u010di\u0107, having held on after blowing almost all of a 26-point lead against the Pistons on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s usage rate (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/usage?CF=MIN*GE*100&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=USG_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">39.8%<\/a>) has dipped below the play-by-play era record of 40.2% (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/usage?CF=MIN*GE*500&amp;Season=2016-17&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=USG_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Russell Westbrook in 2016-17<\/a>), but his efficiency remains high, and he had 18 free throw attempts as he recorded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/boxscores-traditional?dir=D&amp;sort=PTS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">his second 50-point game<\/a> of the season against Portland on Friday. His 40.1 points per game would be the third-highest mark in NBA history, and his true shooting percentage of 67.9% would be the highest for a player who averaged at least 32 (37 total instances).<\/p>\n<p>The Lakers have a bottom-10 defense, even though they\u2019re one of five teams that rank in the top 10 in both opponent field goal percentage in the paint (55.1%, seventh lowest) and the percentage of their opponents\u2019 shots that have come in the paint (46%, ninth lowest). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/opponent?dir=D&amp;sort=OPP_FG3M\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Only the Heat<\/a> have allowed more 3-pointers per game, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/misc?PerMode=PerGame&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=OPP_PTS_2ND_CHANCE\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">no team<\/a> has allowed more second-chance points per game.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Lakers\u2019 win in Detroit on Sunday was the start of a four-game trip, and they\u2019ll be at a rest disadvantage in Atlanta on Monday night. But after that, their next six games are against teams with a cumulative record of 10-48 (.172).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/lakers?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ ATL, @ MIL, @ PHX<\/p>\n<p>#9<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612765\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/pistons\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Detroit Pistons<\/a>Last Week:2\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 6-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 113.2 (18) DefRtg: 105.4 (2) NetRtg: +7.8 (6)<\/p>\n<p>The Pistons dominated the Hornets (x 2) and Nets on a three-game winning streak, but couldn\u2019t handle a step up in competition, falling to the Sixers and Lakers (without Luka Don\u010di\u0107) last week. They also announced Sunday that Jalen Duren (who\u2019s been out since the first half of Game 2) won\u2019t be back for at least another two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Pistons have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?GameSegment=Second%20Half&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the league\u2019s best second-half team<\/a>, outscoring their opponents by 16.5 points per 100 possessions after halftime. But they\u2019ve been outscored by 0.9 per 100 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?GameSegment=First+Half&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">19th<\/a>) in first halves, and they couldn\u2019t recover from a 37-14 Sixers run spanning the first and second quarters on Wednesday or a 38-14 first quarter from the Lakers over the weekend. They\u2019ve trailed by double digits in six of their nine games, having done so in only 29 (35%) of their 82 last season.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Pistons don\u2019t have any road trips longer than four games this season, and their first of four four-game trips begins in Washington on Thursday. The road team will have a rest advantage in both games against the Wizards this week.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/pistons?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. WAS, @ WAS, @ MIA<\/p>\n<p>#10<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612744\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/warriors\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Golden State Warriors<\/a>Last Week:15\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 7-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 116.7 (6) DefRtg: 112.1 (13) NetRtg: +4.6 (13)<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Curry is on a heater and the Warriors have won seven straight games, even though they\u2019ve trailed four of them by double digits. They ranked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?DateFrom=&amp;DateTo=10\/25\/2026&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">29th<\/a> defensively over their 0-3 start, but are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?DateFrom=10\/26\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/08\/2026&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sixth<\/a> on that end of the floor over the course of the winning streak.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Curry has averaged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612744\/players-traditional?DateFrom=10%2F26%2F2026&amp;DateTo=11%2F07%2F2026\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">33.8 points<\/a> on a true shooting percentage of 73.3% over the streak, and he had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/clutch-traditional?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*GSW&amp;DateFrom=11\/07\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/07\/2026&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=-1&amp;sort=PTS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">17 of the Warriors\u2019 29 clutch points<\/a> in their overtime win over Orlando on Saturday. His season-long true shooting percentage of 70.8% would be the highest in NBA history for a player who averaged at least 30 points, topping his own mark of 66.9% in 2015-16.<\/p>\n<p>Yaxel Lendeborg would have the highest true shooting percentage (63.0%) in NBA history for a rookie who averaged at least 20 points. He\u2019s only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shots-general?CF=FG3A*GE*25&amp;GeneralRange=Pullups&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">7-for-30<\/a> (23%) on pull-up 3-pointers, but he hit a huge one in overtime on Saturday. The Warriors had shot 1-for-13 on clutch shots over their first three games that were within five points in the last five minutes, but were 10-for-15 against the Magic.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Warriors won both of their games in San Antonio (a two-game series) last season, with Curry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/201939\/boxscores-traditional?Season=2025-26&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;OpponentTeamID=1610612759\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">totaling 95 points<\/a> on 57% shooting and 23-for-24 from the line. They\u2019ll be back at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, with first place in West Group C (both teams are 1-0 in Cup play) on the line.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/warriors?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. NOP, @ HOU, @ SAS*<\/p>\n<p>#11<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612757\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/blazers\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Portland Trail Blazers<\/a>Last Week:9\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 6-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 117.6 (4) DefRtg: 112.2 (14) NetRtg: +5.5 (11)<\/p>\n<p>The Blazers won six of their first seven games for the first time in 27 years, and they ended a 12-game losing streak in Denver last Monday. But they then ran into Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Victor Wembanyama over the weekend, and their schedule will remain tough for the next few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Blazers were held <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612757\/boxscores-advanced?Season=2026-27\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">under a point per possession<\/a> by the Spurs on Saturday, and their starting lineup with Scoot Henderson in Ja Morant\u2019s place has scored an anemic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612757\/lineups-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">83.2 per 100<\/a> in its 52 minutes. Henderson has shot just 6-for-36 (17%) from 3-point range, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/traditional?CF=FG3A*GE*25&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the third worst mark<\/a> among 185 players with at least 25 attempts.<\/p>\n<p>But the Blazers still rank as the league\u2019s second most improved offensive team, having scored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612757\/advanced?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">4.5 more points per 100 possessions<\/a> than they did last season. They\u2019ve seen the biggest jump in effective field goal percentage, the second biggest jump in free throw rate, and the third biggest drop in turnover rate. The context is that six of their nine games have come against teams that currently rank in the bottom 10 defensively.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: Their loss to the Spurs over the weekend began a stretch where the Blazers are playing eight of 10 against teams that currently rank in the top seven defensively. The first of a league-high six sets of games where they\u2019re playing the same team twice in a row is a back-to-back against the Thunder (to whom they\u2019ve lost 19 of their last 20 games) on Tuesday and Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/blazers?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. OKC, vs. OKC, @ SAC*<\/p>\n<p>#12<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612739\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/cavaliers\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>Last Week:8\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 5-5<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 115.0 (10) DefRtg: 112.4 (16) NetRtg: +2.6 (16)<\/p>\n<p>The Cavs got an impressive win (without Jarrett Allen) over the Sixers on Friday, but were swept in a home-and-home set by the Thunder earlier in the week and lost another game to the Knicks on Saturday night. They haven\u2019t found much consistency on either end of the floor.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>When you take the drop-off in league-wide efficiency into account, the Cavs\u2019 drop-off has been about even on both ends of the floor. They haven\u2019t finished well in the paint (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shooting?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*CLE&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=Restricted%20Area%20FGA\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">where James Harden has shot just 35%<\/a>) and they\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest drop in opponent turnover rate, from 14.9 per 100 possessions (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?Season=2025-26&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OPP_TOV_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">10th<\/a>) last season to just 13.0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?Season=2026-27&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=OPP_TOV_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">29th<\/a>) this season. Their defense ranks last (by a healthy margin) in average pick-up distance, according to tracking data.<\/p>\n<p>The Cavs have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?sort=NET_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;StarterBench=Bench\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a top-10 bench overall<\/a>, but they\u2019ve been without Jaylon Tyson (ankle) for the last five games, and Allen\u2019s absence has had Thomas Bryant in the rotation for the last few. They\u2019ve been outscored by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612739\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=A&amp;sort=ON_NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">almost 30 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in Bryant\u2019s 60 total minutes on the floor this season.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Cavs have played the East\u2019s third toughest schedule to date in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.592). Things will be a little easier in that regard over the next few weeks, and they\u2019ll have a rest advantage for their rematch with the Knicks on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/cavaliers?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ CHA, @ NYK, @ MIA*, vs. DAL<\/p>\n<p>#13<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612743\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nuggets\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Denver Nuggets<\/a>Last Week:13<\/p>\n<p>Record: 5-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 115.3 (9) DefRtg: 113.7 (18) NetRtg: +1.6 (17)<\/p>\n<p>The Nuggets blew a double-digit, second-half lead against the Blazers last Monday, but they\u2019ve won four of their last five games, with their best win of the season coming against Toronto on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Aaron Gordon and Nikola Joki\u0107 are a combined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612743\/players-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3A\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">18-for-69<\/a> (26%) from 3-point range, while Jamal Murray is just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shooting?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*DEN&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">6-for-24<\/a> (25%) from mid-range. But the Nuggets outscored the Raptors by 30 points (76-46) in the paint on Wednesday, with Joki\u0107 scoring all 32 of his points in the paint (13-for-17) or at the free throw line (6-for-7). His free throw rate (25.2 attempts per 100 shots from the field) would still be the lowest of his career.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The 5-3 Nuggets will face the 7-3 Rockets twice in the next 12 days, with the first meeting in Houston on Monday. Denver won three of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612743\/boxscores-traditional?Season=2025-26&amp;OpponentTeamID=1610612745\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the four meetings<\/a> (with a 36-point victory in March) last season, with Joki\u0107 and Murray <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612743\/players-traditional?OpponentTeamID=1610612745&amp;Season=2025-26&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=PTS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">combining to average 55.3 points<\/a> over the four games.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/nuggets?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ HOU, @ MEM, @ NOP<\/p>\n<p>#14<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612742\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mavs.com\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas Mavericks<\/a>Last Week:14<\/p>\n<p>Record: 6-4<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 114.1 (13) DefRtg: 109.3 (9) NetRtg: +4.8 (12)<\/p>\n<p>The Mavs allowed the Kings to get off the schneid last Monday, but they\u2019re 6-2 with Kyrie Irving in uniform, with the two losses having come in Houston (on opening night) and San Antonio (by one point).<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Mavs had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612742\/lineups-traditional?CF=GROUP_NAME*E*Washington:GROUP_NAME*NE*Gafford:GROUP_NAME*NE*Johnson&amp;DateFrom=11\/04\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/04\/2026&amp;GroupQuantity=5&amp;PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">some modest success<\/a> with P.J. Washington as the lone big in their loss to the Spurs on Wednesday, when Victor Wembanyama scored 52 points. But for the season, they\u2019ve been outscored by 29 points (allowing 137 per 100) in 57 total minutes with Washington as the only big on the floor. The good news in that regard is that Santi Aldama made his season debut on Friday and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1630583\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">totaled 20 points and 11 rebounds<\/a> in less than 28 minutes against Utah and Brooklyn.<\/p>\n<p>Aldama\u2019s two games were the Mavs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612742\/boxscores-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">two best rebounding games<\/a> of the season by a wide margin, and they outscored the Jazz and Nets by 24 points (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612742\/boxscores-misc\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">37-14<\/a>) on second chances. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s second biggest jump in offensive rebounding percentage, from 27.9% (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?Season=2025-26&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=OREB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">27th<\/a>) last season to 34.6% (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?Season=2026-27&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OREB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sixth<\/a>) this season.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Mavs are one of three teams with a league-high 14 rest-disadvantage games, and the first of the 14 is their game against the Pacers on Monday. Then they\u2019ve got a tough, three-game trip and will be at a disadvantage again in Boston on Sunday night.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/mavericks?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. IND, @ MIN, @ CLE, @ BOS<\/p>\n<p>#15<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612763\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/grizzlies\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Memphis Grizzlies<\/a>Last Week:5\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 6-3<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 114.5 (12) DefRtg: 108.6 (8) NetRtg: +5.8 (8)<\/p>\n<p>After a 6-0 start, the Grizzlies fell back to earth last week. They lost close games to the Pelicans and Pacers, and then got clobbered by the Thunder. And with the West off to a strong start, the losing streak has taken them from first to seventh place.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The difference between the first six games and the last three has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612763\/advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">about even<\/a> on both ends of the floor. The Grizzlies scored efficiently in the overtime loss to New Orleans and allowed only 107 points on 102 possessions in the loss to Indiana, but the two opponents combined to score 33 points on 25 clutch possessions.<\/p>\n<p>The Grizzlies still rank as the league\u2019s most improved defensive team, having allowed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612763\/advanced?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">9.8 fewer points per 100 possessions<\/a> than they did last season. Some of that is 3-point luck, but they\u2019ve also seen the third biggest drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint and the biggest jump in defensive rebounding percentage. It helps that Zach Edey has already played <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1641744?PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">more than half as many minutes<\/a> as he did all of last season, and Cedric Coward has also grabbed 22.1% of available defensive boards, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1642907\/advanced?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">up from 16.0% last season<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/advanced?CF=GP*GE*5:MIN*GE*10&amp;Height=LT%206-7&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DREB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the best mark<\/a> among 147 players 6-6 or shorter who\u2019ve averaged at least 10 minutes per game.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Grizzlies are one of three teams with a league-low seven rest-disadvantage games, with the first coming against Brooklyn on Saturday. That\u2019s the second game of their only stretch of five in seven days.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/grizzlies?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ TOR, vs. DEN, @ NOP*, vs. BKN<\/p>\n<p>#16<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612761\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/raptors\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Toronto Raptors<\/a>Last Week:16<\/p>\n<p>Record: 5-4<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 116.5 (7) DefRtg: 110.9 (11) NetRtg: +5.6 (10)<\/p>\n<p>Still playing without Kawhi Leonard and missing at least one other starter in a couple of games last week, the Raptors went 2-2 on their first extended road trip of the season, with RJ Barrett leading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612761\/players-traditional?LastNGames=4&amp;PerMode=PerGame&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=PTS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">seven guys<\/a> who averaged double figures over the four games.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Raptors lost some depth in the summer and have been dealing with more absences than that of Leonard, but they\u2019ve had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?sort=NET_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;StarterBench=Bench\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the league\u2019s fifth-ranked bench<\/a> through the first three weeks. They\u2019ve been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612761\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=D&amp;sort=ON_NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">at their best<\/a> with Allen Graves or Collin Murray-Boyles on the floor, and they got 30 points off the bench from Alijah Martin in Milwaukee on Saturday. (His previous career high was nine.)<\/p>\n<p>The Raptors are the only team that\u2019s won the possession game in every game they\u2019ve played. Their opponents have a true shooting percentage of 59.9% (fourth highest) and the Bucks even had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?Conference=East&amp;DateFrom=11\/06\/2026&amp;DateTo=11\/06\/2026&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=TS_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a higher mark<\/a> (57.5%) than they did (56.7%) on Friday. But the Raptors had 14 more shot opportunities, taking their season-long average to plus-11.3 per game, which would be the highest mark in NBA history by a healthy margin.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Raptors will play eight of their next 10 games at home, but after they host Memphis on Monday, they\u2019ll play five of their next six against the Celtics, Sixers, Knicks (x 2) and Pistons. They went <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612761\/traditional?Season=2025-26&amp;Split=opp&amp;VsConference=East\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">3-13<\/a> against that group last season, with two of those three wins coming against Philly.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/raptors?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. MEM, vs. BOS, @ PHI, vs. NYK<\/p>\n<p>#17<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612737\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/hawks\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Atlanta Hawks<\/a>Last Week:19\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 7-4<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 114.7 (11) DefRtg: 111.6 (12) NetRtg: +3.1 (14)<\/p>\n<p>A four-game winning streak, including two wins over Trae Young\u2019s Wizards, has the Hawks in the top four in the Eastern Conference. Three of the four wins were within three points in the final minute, but Onyeka Okongwu made some big plays (a running hook in Indiana and some rim protection the other two nights) in the clutch.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Kingston Flemings returned from his one-game suspension and replaced CJ McCollum in the starting lineup for the last three games. Flemings shot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1643412\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">16-for-26<\/a> (62%) over his three starts and blocked Michael Porter Jr. on a huge possession in the final minute of the Hawks\u2019 rest-disadvantage win over Brooklyn on Saturday. McCollum was the closer the night before and the two small guards have played just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612737\/lineups-advanced?CF=GROUP_NAME*E*Flemings:GROUP_NAME*E*McCollum&amp;GroupQuantity=2\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">five total minutes<\/a> together.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Hawks are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612737\/boxscores-traditional?VsConference=West\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">0-3 against the Western Conference<\/a>, but they\u2019ll have a rest advantage when they host the Lakers on Monday. Then they\u2019ll play six of their next eight games on the road, a stretch that begins with visits to two teams \u2013 Chicago and Milwaukee \u2013 that are a combined 2-17.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/hawks?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. LAL, @ CHI*, @ MIL<\/p>\n<p>#18<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612748\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/heat\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miami Heat<\/a>Last Week:17\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 4-6<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 111.1 (19) DefRtg: 116.8 (26) NetRtg: -5.6 (22)<\/p>\n<p>The Heat doubled their win total last week, but the two wins came against the Clippers and Kings and by a total of just seven points. They came back from 20 points down in L.A., with Klay Thompson draining <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/watch\/video\/klay-thompson-hits-the-game-winning-3-pointer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the game-winner<\/a> with one second left in overtime.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Prior to Sunday (when the Kings shot 11-for-37), the Heat were getting hammered from 3-point range, with their opponents having made at least 16 3s in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/boxscores-traditional?OpponentTeamID=1610612748\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">eight of their first nine games<\/a>. According to tracking data, only 40% of their opponents\u2019 3-point attempts (the league\u2019s lowest rate) have been wide open, but their opponents have shot a league-high 46.4% on those wide-open attempts. Overall, they\u2019ve had the league\u2019s worst luck in regard to how well their opponents have shot.<\/p>\n<p>Pelle Larsson was in the starting lineup on Sunday, with Andrew Wiggins coming off the bench for just the 14th time in 894 career games. The Wiggins lineup has still played <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/lineups\/advanced?dir=D&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the most minutes<\/a> (109) of any lineup in the league, but it\u2019s allowed 127 points per 100 possessions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/lineups\/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*50&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the second worst mark<\/a> among the 22 lineups that have played at least 50 minutes. Some of that, of course, goes back to opponent 3-point shooting (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/lineups\/opponent?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;slug=opponent&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">50-for-101, 49.5%<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: After finishing their five-game road trip in Utah on Tuesday, the Heat will have two days off and then begin a five-game homestand. They\u2019ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Pistons on Saturday night, having lost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/0022600098\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the first meeting<\/a> (also at home) by 17 points.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/heat?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ UTA, vs. CLE*, vs. DET<\/p>\n<p>#19<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612764\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/wizards\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Washington Wizards<\/a>Last Week:20\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 4-6<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 108.1 (23) DefRtg: 113.0 (17) NetRtg: -4.8 (21)<\/p>\n<p>Anthony Davis played in the Wizards\u2019 first eight games, but he\u2019s missed the last two with a right ankle sprain. The Wizards have dropped three straight, losing both ends of a home-and-home set with Trae Young\u2019s former team and getting clobbered in Oklahoma City on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1629027\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">totaled 41 points<\/a> in the two losses to the Hawks, but had almost as many turnovers (13) as assists (16). He\u2019s still getting to the line a lot and his field goal percentage in the paint (57.8%) would be the best mark of his career, but his effective field goal percentage (46.9%) is still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1629027\/advanced?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the lowest of his career<\/a>, because he\u2019s shot just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shooting?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*WAS&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">7-for-20<\/a> (35%) from mid-range and just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1629027\/traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">18-for-63<\/a> (29%) from beyond the arc. The Wizards\u2019 offense has actually been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612764\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=A&amp;sort=DIFF_OFF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">better with him off the floor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Wizards have seen the league\u2019s biggest drop in pace, from 102.5 possessions per 48 minutes (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?Season=2025-26&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=PACE\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sixth<\/a>) last season to 99.7 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?Season=2026-27&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=PACE\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">21st<\/a>) this season. They\u2019ve slowed down a bit offensively, but have also seen the fourth biggest drop in the percentage of their opponents\u2019\u00a0possessions that have been in transition.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: Over their four meetings last season, the Wizards had 58 fewer shot opportunities than the Pistons, the worst total discrepancy for any team against any opponent in \u201925-26. They\u2019ll face each other three times this year, with the first two of those meetings coming this week.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/wizards?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ DET, @ IND, vs. DET, vs. HOU<\/p>\n<p>#20<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612756\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/suns\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Phoenix Suns<\/a>Last Week:22\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 3-5<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 113.8 (16) DefRtg: 119.5 (27) NetRtg: -5.7 (23)<\/p>\n<p>After a 1-5 start, the Suns have won two straight games, outlasting the Rockets (after blowing a 19-point lead) on Saturday. This is the same spot (3-5) they were a year ago, but might the West be stronger this season?<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The two wins have coincided with a change to the Suns\u2019 starting lineup, not in the backcourt (as might have been expected), but with Oso Ighodaro replacing Khaman Maluach at the five. The new lineup (which they used for their first two preseason games) was good against Orlando on Thursday, but bench minutes were huge in the win over Houston two nights later. Overall, the Suns have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612756\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=D&amp;sort=ON_NET_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">at their best<\/a> with reserves Ryan Dunn and Luke Kennard on the floor.<\/p>\n<p>Devin Booker\u2019s usage has been more consistent over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1626164\/boxscores-usage\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the last four games<\/a> than it was over the previous four. After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1626164\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">two games of 30-plus points<\/a>, he had just 24 against the Rockets on Saturday, but that included all seven of the Suns\u2019 points on the game-deciding, 7-0 run with less than four minutes left. That included a pull-up 3-pointer and Booker is now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/shots-general?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*Booker&amp;GeneralRange=Pullups&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;Season=2026-27&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"tsats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">10-for-27<\/a> (37%) on pull-up 3s after shooting just 30% on them in each of the last two seasons.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: All three of the Suns\u2019 wins have come at home, and they\u2019ve still got four games left on their seven-game homestand. The Spurs are at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Monday, with the home team having won the last eight meetings between Phoenix and San Antonio.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/suns?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. SAS, vs. LAC, vs. CHA, vs. LAL<\/p>\n<p>#21<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612740\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/pelicans\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>Last Week:21<\/p>\n<p>Record: 4-6<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 114.1 (14) DefRtg: 114.5 (23) NetRtg: -0.4 (4)<\/p>\n<p>The Pelicans won four straight games and handed the Grizzlies their first loss last Monday. But the streak ended with a loss to the Wolves on Friday, and then they were on the wrong side of the Clippers\u2019 second win on Sunday night.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Pelicans continue to have the most paint-heavy offense we\u2019ve seen in a long time. They\u2019ve taken 60% of their shots in the paint, the highest rate for any team in the last 14 seasons, topping their own mark of 58% last season. And their 57.8% shooting in the paint (ninth best) is a big improvement from last season (55.4%, 29th).<\/p>\n<p>The Pels\u2019 wins over Memphis and Utah last week were their second and third overtime games, and they\u2019ve now played <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/clutch-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">more clutch minutes<\/a> (34) than any other team. Zion Williamson has been on the floor for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/clutch-traditional?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*NOP&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">all 34<\/a>, and he\u2019s shot 12-for-12 on clutch free throws. Both his overall free throw rate (60 attempts per 100 shots from the field) and his free throw percentage (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1629627?PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">76.4%<\/a>) would be the highest marks of his career.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Pels\u2019 loss in L.A. on Sunday was the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days. They\u2019ll be at a rest disadvantage at Golden State on Monday night and again against the Nuggets over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/pelicans?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ GSW, vs. BKN, vs. MEM*, vs. DEN<\/p>\n<p>#22<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612754\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/pacers\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Indiana Pacers<\/a>Last Week:24\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 3-7<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 109.0 (22) DefRtg: 112.4 (15) NetRtg: -3.4 (19)<\/p>\n<p>Tyrese Haliburton remains out, but the Pacers almost beat the Hawks with only six guys on Monday, they ended their five-game losing streak in Memphis two nights later, and T.J. McConnell made his season debut over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Pacers\u2019 five-game losing streak coincided with Ivica Zubac\u2019s five-game absence, though they were outscored by 22 points (and he scored just one) in his 19 minutes when he made his return in the win in Memphis. The Pacers have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612754\/onoffcourt-summary?Season=2026-27&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=ON_OFF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">struggled offensively<\/a> with Zubac and\/or Aaron Nesmith on the floor, but they\u2019ve had the league\u2019s third most improved bench, getting some good minutes from guys like Quenton Jackson, Larry Nance Jr. and Jalen Slawson.<\/p>\n<p>Zubac has been critical on the glass. The Pacers have outrebounded their opponent in only one of their 10 games and rank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?dir=D&amp;sort=REB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">29th<\/a> in rebounding percentage (46.9%) overall. But that mark is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612754\/onoffcourt-advanced?dir=D&amp;sort=REB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">51.0%<\/a> with their starting center on the floor and 45.9% otherwise. He ranks third in both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/advanced?CF=GP*GE*5:MIN*GE*10&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DREB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">defensive rebounding percentage<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/advanced?CF=GP*GE*5:MIN*GE*10&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=REB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">total rebounding percentage<\/a> among 311 players who\u2019ve averaged at least 10 minutes in five games or more.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Pacers trailed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/dal-vs-ind-0022600095\/game-charts\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">as many as 37 points<\/a> when they lost (with Haliburton) to the Mavs in Week 1. They\u2019ll have a rest advantage when they meet again in Dallas on Monday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/pacers?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ DAL, vs. WAS, vs. NYK*, @ PHI<\/p>\n<p>#23<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612753\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/magic\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Orlando Magic<\/a>Last Week:18\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 2-7<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 107.6 (24) DefRtg: 116.1 (25) NetRtg: -8.5 (24)<\/p>\n<p>Still playing without Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero, the Magic have lost four straight games, with the good news being that there are only six teams with winning records in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Magic have seen the third biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions and the fourth biggest jump in points allowed per 100 from last season. The defense is obviously the bigger disappointment, though five of their nine games have come against teams that currently rank in the top eight offensively. They rank 12th in defensive shot quality (according to tracking data), but they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?dir=D&amp;sort=OPP_EFG_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">25th<\/a> in opponent effective field goal percentage.<\/p>\n<p>Before this season, Franz Wagner had at least 10 assists in just two of his 344 career games. But he\u2019s had 10 or more in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1630532\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">four of his last five<\/a>, with a career-high 15 in Phoenix on Thursday. His 8.0 minutes of possession per game rank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/touches?dir=D&amp;sort=TIME_OF_POSS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">seventh<\/a> in the league and are up from just 3.0 minutes per game (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/touches?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*ORL&amp;Season=2025-26&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=TIME_OF_POSS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">fifth on the Magic<\/a>) last season.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Magic are just two games into a stretch where they\u2019re playing 10 of 13 on the road, but the schedule certainly eases up this week. There are four teams with only one win, and the Magic will play three of them in the next five days.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/magic?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ SAC, @ UTA, vs. MIL*<\/p>\n<p>#24<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612746\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/clippers\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LA Clippers<\/a>Last Week:26\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 2-7<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 110.2 (21) DefRtg: 113.9 (20) NetRtg: -3.7 (20)<\/p>\n<p>The Clippers lost a couple of nail-biters before finally putting an end to their seven-game losing streak on Sunday with a comfortable win over the Pelicans. They ranked 26th offensively prior, but then had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/boxscores-advanced?dir=D&amp;sort=OFF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the third most efficient offensive game<\/a> for any team this season, 139 points on 100 possessions.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Keaton Wagler is coming off the bench, but his minutes have been pretty consistent, and he\u2019s scored in double figures in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1643413\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">seven<\/a> of the Clippers\u2019 nine games. He shot 6-for-8 from 3-point range over the last two games and, among the 209 players with at least 50 field goal attempts, only Rudy Gobert has a higher free throw rate than the Clippers\u2019 rookie, who has 52 attempts to go with his 73 shots from the field (71 per 100).<\/p>\n<p>Kris Dunn is providing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1627739?PerMode=Per36\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a little more offense<\/a> than he did in his first two seasons with the Clippers, and he remains essential on the other end of the floor. His 6.1 deflections per 36 minutes rank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/hustle?CF=MIN*GE*200&amp;PerMode=Per36&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DEFLECTIONS\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">second<\/a> among 173 players who\u2019ve played at least 200 minutes, and the Clips have allowed 15.3 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (105.4) than they have with him off (120.7).<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Clippers have lost nine straight games to the Thunder, though the score was tied with less than six minutes left when they met in Week 1 in Oklahoma City. The Clips will hope to commit fewer turnovers than the 26 they had that night when they meet again in Emirates NBA Cup action on Friday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/clippers?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ PHX, vs. OKC*, vs. CHA<\/p>\n<p>#25<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612762\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/jazz\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Utah Jazz<\/a>Last Week:25<\/p>\n<p>Record: 1-9<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 102.8 (29) DefRtg: 114.5 (22) NetRtg: -11.7 (26)<\/p>\n<p>The Jazz almost put their losing streak to an end in New Orleans on Wednesday, but Keyonte George\u2019s game-winning jumper at the end of regulation came a fraction of a second after the buzzer. They\u2019ve now lost twice in overtime, with their opponents (the Spurs and Pelicans) going on 12-0 and 14-0 runs in the extra period.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Offense has been a struggle, with the Jazz having scored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612762\/advanced?DateFrom=10%2F26%2F2026&amp;DateTo=11%2F08%2F2026\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">less than a point per possession<\/a> over their last seven games. They\u2019re the only team that ranks in the bottom 10 in field goal percentage in the paint (26th), mid-range field goal percentage (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/shooting?DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FG%20PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">22nd<\/a>) and 3-point percentage (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">26th<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The Jazz do rank as the league\u2019s fifth most improved defensive team, in part because they ranked 29th on that end last season. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest change in how they defend ball-screens, switching a lot less and playing drop coverage a lot more. That\u2019s helped them go from 30th (62.0%) to fourth (54.0%) in opponent field goal percentage in the paint.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: Having played their first 10 games within the Western Conference, maybe the Jazz just need a couple against the East to get things going. They\u2019ll host the Heat and Magic this week before playing (at least) their next 11 within the West.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/jazz?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. MIA, vs. ORL, @ HOU*, vs. SAS<\/p>\n<p>#26<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612751\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nets\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brooklyn Nets<\/a>Last Week:28\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 2-8<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 105.6 (28) DefRtg: 114.8 (24) NetRtg: -9.1 (25)<\/p>\n<p>The Nets got their second win of the season on Wednesday, avenging their opening-night loss to Charlotte with their best offensive performance (114 points on 94 possessions) of the season. But they blew a 17-point lead in Atlanta and got clobbered in Dallas over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>The Nets lead the league in the percentage of their minutes (33%) that have come from rookies or second-year players, and another member of last year\u2019s Draft class was back in the rotation last week. Danny Wolf gave them some good minutes off the bench and was on the floor down the stretch against the Hornets, then started both games of the Nets\u2019 weekend back-to-back. The offense has been at its best (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612751\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=D&amp;sort=ON_OFF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">115.8 points scored per 100 possessions<\/a>) with him on the floor.<\/p>\n<p>In a game (in Atlanta on Saturday) that they lost by three points, the Nets had 10 more turnovers than the Hawks. They\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?dir=D&amp;sort=TM_TOV_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">in the bottom four<\/a> in turnover rate for what would be the third straight season, and Julius Randle is registering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/203944\/advanced?Split=yoy\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the highest rate of his career<\/a> (15.0 per 100 possessions used). The Nets have been without Egor D\u00ebmin for the last six games, but their turnover rate has actually been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612751\/onoffcourt-four-factors?dir=D&amp;sort=TM_TOV_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">highest<\/a> with him on the floor.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Nets should have some practice time this week, with two days off before playing in New Orleans on Wednesday and another two before they complete their four-game trip in Memphis.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/nets?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ NOP, @ MEM<\/p>\n<p>#27<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612766\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/hornets\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charlotte Hornets<\/a>Last Week:23\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 3-7<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 99.7 (30) DefRtg: 113.8 (19) NetRtg: -14.2 (29)<\/p>\n<p>Coby White and Kon Knueppel each made their season debut last week, but White has shot just 6-for-26 (23%) in his first three games and Knueppel played less than six minutes before re-injuring his left hamstring in the Hornets\u2019 loss in Brooklyn. Two nights later, Brandon Miller left their 39-point loss to the Celtics with a hip strain.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>In each of the last two seasons (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/boxscores-advanced?CF=OFF_RATING*L*85&amp;Season=2024-25&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=TEAM_NAME\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">2024-25<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/boxscores-advanced?CF=OFF_RATING*L*85&amp;Season=2025-26&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=TEAM_NAME\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u201925-26<\/a>), no team scored fewer than 85 points per 100 possessions more than twice. The \u201926-27 Hornets have scored fewer than 85 per 100 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612766\/boxscores-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">three of their 10 games<\/a>. Overall, the 99.7 points per 100 that they\u2019ve scored are 11.1 fewer than their worst 10-game stretch of offense last season.<\/p>\n<p>The Hornets remain one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?CF=OREB_PCT_RANK*LE*10:DREB_PCT_RANK*LE*10&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OREB_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">five teams<\/a> that rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage, but they were outrebounded for the first time on Friday, when Moussa Diabat\u00e9 missed their loss to the Celtics. Both Diabat\u00e9 and Ryan Kalkbrenner are rebounding like Steven Adams, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612766\/players-traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=OREB\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">more offensive boards<\/a> than defensive boards, in part because the Hornets have shot a lot worse than their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: Knueppel is out at least another four weeks, and Miller is listed as out for the Hornets\u2019 game against Cleveland on Monday. They\u2019ve lost their last 16 (and 28 of their last 30) games against the Clippers, who they\u2019ll visit on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/hornets?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. CLE, @ PHX, @ LAC<\/p>\n<p>#28<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612741\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/bulls\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Bulls<\/a>Last Week:27\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 1-8<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 107.4 (26) DefRtg: 123.6 (30) NetRtg: -16.2 (30)<\/p>\n<p>The Bulls still have just one win (which came against the Bucks), having lost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612741\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">their last seven games<\/a> by an average of 16.3 points. But they did hang around with the Sixers for all 48 minutes on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Defense remains a big problem. The Bulls rank in the bottom six in each of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/four-factors?dir=A&amp;sort=OPP_EFG_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the four factors<\/a> (shooting, free throw rate, turnovers and rebounding) on that end of the floor and they\u2019ve allowed 11.2 more points per 100 possessions than the league average. That would be the worst differential (by a wide margin) for any team in the 31 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll see if Nic Claxton can make an impact, having made his season debut on Sunday, when he blocked two shots in less than 18 minutes off the bench against the Sixers. Of course, Brooklyn\u2019s 25th-ranked defense was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612751\/onoffcourt-summary?Season=2025-26&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DIFF_DEF_RATING\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">much better<\/a> with Claxton off the floor than it was with him on the floor last season.<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The schedule isn\u2019t getting any easier in regard to opposing offenses, with six of the Bulls\u2019 next eight games coming against teams that rank in the top 11 on that end of the floor. They\u2019ve got three games left on a stretch of nine straight against teams that currently have winning records.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/bulls?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. SAS, vs. ATL*, @ MIN<\/p>\n<p>#29<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612758\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/kings\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sacramento Kings<\/a>Last Week:30\u2191<\/p>\n<p>Record: 1-9<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 107.5 (25) DefRtg: 120.1 (29) NetRtg: -12.6 (27)<\/p>\n<p>The Kings got off the schneid with a comfortable win in Dallas last Monday, outscoring the Mavs by 36 points from 3-point range. But they then returned home and have lost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612758\/boxscores-advanced\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the first three games<\/a> of a seven-game homestand. This is the first time since 1990 that they\u2019ve lost (at least) nine of their first 10 games.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Less than 17 months after being selected with the 24th pick in the 2025 Draft, the Kings traded Nique Clifford to the Thunder for two second-rounders. Clifford isn\u2019t particularly young (he\u2019ll be 25 in February) and was somehow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612758\/onoffcourt-traditional?PerMode=Totals\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a minus-48<\/a> in just 50 minutes this season, but 50 minutes over nine games isn\u2019t much of an opportunity for a second-year player (who showed some signs of promise last season) on a team that\u2019s not competing for anything. It will be fascinating to see how he develops in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n<p>Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis have now played 1,281 minutes together over the last three seasons, and the Kings have been outscored by an incredible 12.5 points per 100 possessions over those minutes, with defense being the much larger issue. But they got good bench minutes in the win in Dallas last week, with Malik Monk scoring more points (24 on 9-for-14 shooting) than he had in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1628370\/boxscores-traditional\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">his first five games<\/a> combined (19 on 6-for-27).<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Kings have four games left on their seven-game homestand and will be hosting the Blazers for the second time on Friday. They lost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/por-vs-sac-0022600103\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the first meeting<\/a> despite getting 33 points from Darius Acuff Jr. and a 27-point triple-double from Domantas Sabonis.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/kings?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: vs. ORL, vs. POR*, vs. OKC<\/p>\n<p>#30<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612749\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" title=\" Logo\" alt=\" Logo\" class=\"TeamLogo_logo__8OGEP\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/bucks\/\" class=\"Anchor_anchor__wnmj2 ArticlePowerRankings_prTeam__LzUML Link_styled__TysPH\" data-is-external=\"false\" data-has-more=\"false\" data-has-children=\"false\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>Last Week:29\u2193<\/p>\n<p>Record: 1-9<\/p>\n<p>OffRtg: 106.5 (27) DefRtg: 119.6 (28) NetRtg: -13.1 (28)<\/p>\n<p>The Bucks erased a 22-point deficit in Boston on Wednesday and had a 15-point lead against the Raptors two nights later. But they\u2019ve been unable to put four quarters together and have lost six straight games, tying the worst 10-game start in franchise history.<\/p>\n<p>Two takeaways<\/p>\n<p>Tyler Herro had a knee scare in the third quarter of another loss to the Celtics on Sunday, but he returned to the game. The Bucks have been one of the healthiest teams in the league, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612749\/players-traditional?PerMode=PerGame&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=MIN\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">their top nine guys<\/a> in minutes per game having played in all 10 games. They\u2019ve been outscored by just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612749\/lineups-advanced?GroupQuantity=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">1.9 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in 143 minutes with their four full-time starters all on the floor, but have been outscored by 18.0 per 100 in 337 minutes with at least one of the four on the bench.<\/p>\n<p>Brayden Burries replaced Ryan Rollins in the starting lineup last week and has averaged 13.0 points in 28.6 minutes in his four games as a starter, up from 8.8 in 15.9 in his six games off the bench. He\u2019s only 6-4, but he\u2019s had much more success in the paint (63% shooting) and in getting to the free throw line (42 attempts per 100 shots from the field) than he\u2019s had from the outside (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/traditional?CF=FG3A*GE*35&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">8-for-36 from 3-point range<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Coming up: The Bucks\u2019 last six games have come against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively, and they\u2019ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Lakers\u2019 top-ranked offense on Wednesday. Luka Don\u010di\u0107 scored 41 points in a Lakers\u2019 win in Milwaukee last November.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/schedule\/bucks?pd=false&amp;cal=4\" target=\"stats\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Week 4<\/a>: @ NYK, vs. LAL, @ ORL*, vs. ATL<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last week, Victor Wembanyama became the 1st player in 50 years to tally 50+ PTS, 20+ REB &amp;&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":958461,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,189174,62385,15666,85],"class_list":["post-958460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-nba-power-rankings","tag-nba-rankings","tag-power-rankings","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=958460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/958461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=958460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=958460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=958460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}