Album of the Week: “All Killer No Filler,” Sum 41 (2001)
Not to get in too deep here, but can we talk about the idea of optimism as it relates to sports and basketball teams? When a season begins, every team has to find its purpose. Do you really believe that you can win a championship? Or are you just happy to make the playoffs? Do your players feel like they can be a part of a bright future? Or is your team just looking for its next star, a player who is not on the current roster?
We’re not dealing with teams that are 0-0 anymore. In fact, we have now gotten to the point of the season finally where every team has won and lost at least one game. It is easy to focus on why your team won’t win the title (as stated before, your team will not win the title this season and will be asterisked if it does). But it is still early in the season. There might be something good to notice about all of these teams!
So we’re bringing back the “Say Something Nice Challenge.” I know, it sounds wild to say something positive about the team I had ranked 20th a month ago (or the team I have 20th this week), but I’m sure everyone will be understanding, just as they always are.
Fine print: these Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We’ll retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers each week:
Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear
What to expect from Power Rankings:
These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my final call.
These rankings are not just a review of the past week — we are projecting forward as well, so it is a balance of the two.
These are subjective, but not biased. There are no agendas in the Power Rankings, and we strive for an inclusive meritocracy
The one quality that these rankings possess: “Ruthless aggression.”
Enjoy the games, and enjoy the rankings, please!
For Week 4 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, we will explore something nice for each team. Win-loss records and other statistical data are through Sunday’s action.
Tier 1: Top Contenders1. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-1)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W at LAC, L at POR, W at SAC, W at MEM
Offensive rating: 118.0 (seventh place)
Defensive rating: 104.5 (first place)
Say something nice: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is inevitable.
Back in April, Ja Morant said that he had the Thunder figured out, after he fell from the sky in a game the Grizzlies blew a 29-point lead. On Sunday, Morant’s Grizzlies had a 19-point lead but no Luguentz Dort to worry about. And the Thunder did it to them again, hitting Memphis with another 35-point turnaround to become the first team to reach 10 wins this season. Gilgeous-Alexander had another 35 points in 35 minutes; the Portland loss was the only game this week in which Gilgeous-Alexander had at least two more minutes than points in a game.
2. Denver Nuggets (7-2)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: W vs SAC, W vs MIA, W vs GS, W vs IND
Offensive rating: 121.1 (third place)
Defensive rating: 108.1 (second place)
Say something nice: The Cameron Johnson fit is working out.
Johnson is having a brutal start to the season individually. He’s at 8.0 points per game on 37.7 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from 3. Those would all be career lows, as would be the rebounds (2.7) and blocks (0.1), while the fouls are at a career worst 2.6 per game. But Denver’s starting lineup is outscoring foes by 9.4 points per 100 possessions, which isn’t that far off from last season’s 10.6 net rating with Michael Porter Jr. Those numbers likely improve once Johnson remembers where he put his jumper, because he makes the right play and has helped Denver defend better than it ever has.
3. San Antonio Spurs (7-2)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: L at LAL, W vs HOU, W vs NO
Offensive rating: 118.1 (sixth place)
Defensive rating: 110.8 (sixth place)
Say something nice: De’Aaron Fox picked a good time to assert his position.
Fox’s return came during rookie Dylan Harper’s calf injury and after Stephon Castle had his sixth game of the season with at least five turnovers; last year, Castle had only four five-turnover games all of his rookie season. But no matter, Fox is here to make it easier on Castle and everyone else. He got buckets against the Pelicans, while Castle came up with a career-best 14 assists to go with – surprise! – a season-low two turnovers.
4. Houston Rockets (6-3)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W vs DAL, W at MEM, L at SA, W at MIL
Offensive rating: 121.7 (first place)
Defensive rating: 112.1 (eighth place)
Say something nice: Steven Adams is unmovable.
Adams only averages 22.2 minutes per game, but he is grabbing 4.8 offensive rebounds per game, nearly a third of the league-leading 15.3 offensive rebounds Houston collects as a team. The Rockets have inspired many with their double big lineups from the 2025 postseason, but they also inspired themselves as well, as they brought back Clint Capela so that he could spend 10 minutes a night grabbing multiple offensive rebounds. The extra emphasis on second chances has been a major factor in the Rockets having the league’s most efficient offense despite turning the ball over more than every team except for the Jazz and the Wizards.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-3)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: W vs PHI, W at WAS, W vs CHI
Offensive rating: 117.2 (ninth place)
Defensive rating: 112.2 (ninth place)
Say something nice: We might be getting peak Donovan Mitchell.
This is Mitchell’s final season in his 20s, and he has been a devastating offensive force. Mitchell is up to 30.7 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting from the field and 6.4 free-throw attempts per game; all would be career bests. When Mitchell is on the floor, Cleveland is destroying teams; now, Mitchell has some relief on the ball with the return of All-Star point guard Darius Garland.
Tier 2: In a Good Place6. Detroit Pistons (8-2)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: W at MEM, W vs UTA, W at BRK, W at PHI
Offensive rating: 115.1 (16th place)
Defensive rating: 109.5 (third place)
Say something nice: The Pistons have legitimate award candidates.
First of all, Cade Cunningham is going to be in MVP conversations. He didn’t have his best stuff in Philadelphia until after the Pistons fell behind by 13 points. Then Cunningham went off to erase the lead, treated Andre Drummond like Grant Hill did Alonzo Mourning and essentially closed out the game. But the leap Jalen Duren has made in his fourth season has been remarkable, as he is harnessing his physical tools into buckets that matter. Duren is up to 19.4 points per game while doubling his free-throw attempts and grabbing an offensive rebound basically once a quarter. That makes Duren an early Most Improved Player candidate.
7. New York Knicks (6-3)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: W vs WAS, W vs MIN, W vs BRK
Offensive rating: 121.6 (second place)
Defensive rating: 112.5 (10th place)
Say something nice: Karl-Anthony Towns found something this week.
It took a soft schedule, but Towns had his two highest scoring performances of the season at home this week, giving the Wizards 33 points while scoring 28 on the Nets. The Sunday game against the Nets was one where all 10 of Towns’ baskets were in the paint. He is playing with a mean streak, and he has double-digit rebounds in all nine games this season as well.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (7-3)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W at POR, W vs SA, L at ATL
Offensive rating: 116.3 (12th place)
Defensive rating: 116.1 (21st place)
Say something nice: This offense is efficient in unorthodox places.
No team is hitting a higher field goal percentage than the Lakers, even after a game in Atlanta dropped their conversion rate down to 51.3 percent. It all comes down to how well the Lakers make shots from areas that defenses would prefer to permit compared to the alternatives. The Lakers shoot 7.7 percent better than any other team in the league in the non-restricted area paint, and they have made half of their non-paint 2-point field goals as well.
9. Miami Heat (6-4)
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: W at LAC, L at DEN, W vs CHA, W vs POR
Offensive rating: 115.9 (13th place)
Defensive rating: 110.5 (fifth place)
Say something nice: Pace makes sense for the Heat.
Cheap plug, but a little update to my story on Miami electing to finally use its world-class conditioning to the league-wide trend of playing faster – they just tagged the Charlotte Hornets for 53 first-quarter points! And they did it with Bam Adebayo out because of a big toe sprain, not to mention while waiting for Tyler Herro to make his season debut. Miami’s pace is eye-opening, but it is effective because the Heat are still making it hard for opponents to be efficient offensively despite the extra possessions.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-4)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: W at BRK, L at NY, W vs UTA, W at SAC
Offensive rating: 120.3 (fourth place)
Defensive rating: 115.5 (20th place)
Say something nice: Jaden McDaniels’ offensive breakout appears to be here.
The Timberwolves got trounced in Anthony Edwards’ return from injury at New York, and that was against the one quality opponent that the Timberwolves have played in the last five games. But McDaniels has been looking great offensively, bumping his scoring to 18.6 points per game on 55.9 percent shooting from the field and 54.1 percent from 3. McDaniels already has five 20-point games in three weeks this season after having 12 20-point games all of last season. Minnesota has been disappointing defensively, but McDaniels’ shooting improvement has taken the Timberwolves’ offense to another level.
Jaden McDaniels dribbles around Austin Reaves. Jesse Johnson / Imagn Images)
11. Milwaukee Bucks (6-4)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: W at IND, L at TOR, W vs CHI, L vs HOU
Offensive rating: 117.5 (eighth place)
Defensive rating: 116.1 (22nd place)
Say something nice: The Giannis Antetokounmpo carriage plan continues.
We are already tracking to see just what kind of awesome feats yeoman Antetokounmpo pulls off this year on this team. And Antetokounmpo’s latest trick was to save new Pacers troll and current Bucks center Myles Turner some face by hitting his second career game-winning buzzer-beater field goal to win at Indiana. The only other time Antetokounmpo walked a team off previously was in January 2017 at New York.
12. Chicago Bulls (6-3)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: W vs PHI, L at MIL, L at CLE
Offensive rating: 115.8 (14th place)
Defensive rating: 114.7 (17th place)
Say something nice: That was a great comeback against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Bulls’ defense has started to crack overall, as they have allowed more than 125 points in each of their three losses, all away from the United Center. It looked like the Bulls would drop Tuesday’s game against the Sixers as well, as they gave up 45 first-quarter points and trailed by 24 points in the first half. But the Bulls held the Sixers to 42.6 percent shooting and prevented the Sixers from scoring during the last 4:26 of the game. That’s the kind of win that makes you think the Bulls are never out of a game.
Tier 3: The Bubble13. Philadelphia 76ers (6-4)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: L at CHI, L at CLE, W vs TOR, L vs DET
Offensive rating: 120.1 (fifth place)
Defensive rating: 116.1 (22nd place)
Say something nice: It’s Tyrese Maxey’s team.
Twenty years ago, Allen Iverson averaged a career-high 33.0 points per game while leading the NBA in minutes at 43.1 per game. Now, Maxey is wearing the black threads Iverson wore while averaging 33.2 points per game, the only player in the league averaging 40 minutes. The Sixers are going to need to find Maxey some relief at some point, but for now, he is putting up the numbers of an MVP.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (5-4)
Last ranking: 10
In the last week: L vs LAL, W vs OKC, L at MIA
Offensive rating: 114.9 (17th place)
Defensive rating: 112.5 (11th place)
Say something nice: There are no undefeated teams!
The Trail Blazers even being in discussions where they can have a letdown like they had against a visiting Lakers team last Monday is a nod to the respect they’ve earned in the first two weeks of the season. And that respect was validated again when they defeated the defending champions. The Trail Blazers are pressure or bust defensively, but that pressure is busting pipes, as they lead the NBA in opponent turnover percentage.
15. Golden State Warriors (6-5)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W vs PHO, L at SAC, L at DEN, W vs IND
Offensive rating: 114.0 (19th place)
Defensive rating: 111.4 (seventh place)
Say something nice: Will Richard might have been a steal late in the second round.
Six Warriors are averaging double figures in scoring through three weeks. One of them is Richard, the national champion out of Florida who was plucked with the 56th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Richard has played in nine games and averages only 17.3 minutes, but he is averaging 10.1 points on 59.6 percent shooting from the field and 40.7 percent from 3. Only Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler III average more steals on the Warriors than Richard (1.1). Richard is a 3-and-D guard with great length, and he might have passed Gary Payton II in the rotation.
16. Toronto Raptors (5-5)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: W vs MIL, W at ATL, L at PHI
Offensive rating: 116.4 (10th place)
Defensive rating: 114.2 (15th place)
Say something nice: The bench pieces have been solid.
The Raptors’ starters are still figuring things out together, as the foursome of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have been outscored by 32 points in their 160 minutes together. But the bench trio of Gradey Dick, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jamal Shead have allowed the Raptors to outscore opponents by nine points in their 50 minutes on the floor together. Dick has shot the 3 well, Mamukelashvili should probably get more minutes given how efficient his offense is and Shead averages nearly five assists per turnover.
17. Atlanta Hawks (5-5)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: W vs ORL, L vs TOR, W vs LAL
Offensive rating: 112.9 (22nd place)
Defensive rating: 112.7 (12th place)
Say something nice: There may be hope for Atlanta’s offense.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder shared with me this weekend that Atlanta has been trying to foster a more egalitarian approach to offense, even with Trae Young on the roster. It took Young, Jalen Johnson and a host of other rotation players being out (and the Saturday night defense of the Lakers) to see that vision fully realized, as the Hawks were able to get their biggest win of the season while Mouhamed Gueye led the team in scoring and Dyson Daniels led them in assists. There is some depth on this team, and the Hawks just need to commit to playing fast and aggressively to realize it.
18. Boston Celtics (5-6)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: L vs UTA, W vs WAS, L at ORL, W at ORL
Offensive rating: 116.3 (11th place)
Defensive rating: 113.8 (13th place)
Say something nice: Jaylen Brown keeps showing up.
And no, I don’t mean Brown’s spray-on hair line that appears on defenders’ jerseys. Brown isn’t just scoring at a higher volume than ever this season with Jayson Tatum out. Through 10 games, Brown is mixing 28.1 points per game in with fantastic efficiency, shooting what would be a career-best 53.5 percent from the field. Brown’s midrange jumper in particular has been lethal, as he has nailed 50.8 percent of his 65 non-paint 2-point shots; Brown’s current career best percentage in the midrange is 50.0 percent in 2020-21, when he attempted only 158 that whole season.
19. Phoenix Suns (5-5)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: L at GS, W vs LAC, W at LAC
Offensive rating: 114.9 (18th place)
Defensive rating: 115.4 (19th place)
Say something nice: See Donovan Mitchell; apply to Devin Booker.
This is Booker’s final season in his 20s as well, not counting whatever October games he plays next season, and he is off to a shining start to Year 11 in the Valley. Booker has never seriously threatened a 50/40/90 season, but here Booker is shooting 50 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3 and 87.2 percent from the line on a career-high 29.3 points per game. Throw in a career-high 7.2 assists per game as Jordan Ott’s point guard as well. Booker is going to need to keep it up, because Jalen Green’s comeback from a hamstring injury lasted five quarters before he aggravated it Saturday.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear20. Orlando Magic (4-6)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: L at ATL, W vs BOS, L vs BOS
Offensive rating: 113.9 (20th place)
Defensive rating: 114.1 (14th place)
Say something nice: Jalen Suggs is Orlando’s heart and soul.
Suggs finally had his minutes limit increased above 21 minutes, as he reached 28:39 in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics. When Suggs was on the floor, the Magic outscored the Celtics by 21 points, as Suggs put in a full line of 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers. In the 19:21 that Suggs was off the floor, the Magic were outscored by 25 points. That’s the trend all season: When Suggs is on the floor, the Magic are at their best, particularly defensively. And when Suggs is not on the floor or inactive, Orlando doesn’t have an identity on defense.
Orlando is at its best when Jalen Suggs is on the court. (Brett Davis / Imagn Images)
21. Memphis Grizzlies (4-7)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L vs DET, L vs HOU, W vs DAL, L vs OKC
Offensive rating: 110.6 (25th place)
Defensive rating: 115.4 (18th place)
Say something nice: Cedric Coward was worth trading up for.
The Grizzlies didn’t have a lottery pick, but they sent a 2028 first-round pick and two second-round picks to Portland to get Coward 11th overall in June’s draft. Coward is off to a remarkable start for a Grizzlies team that has otherwise terrible vibes. Through 11 games, Coward is averaging the most points on the team besides underwhelming stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., clocking in 14.8 per night on a 50/40/90 (52.9 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from 3, 91.7 percent free throws).
22. Utah Jazz (3-6)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: W at BOS, L at DET, L at MIN
Offensive rating: 109.1 (26th place)
Defensive rating: 117.2 (25th place)
Say something nice: Pour one out for Walker Kessler
Kessler’s season has ended with shoulder surgery after only five games. But what a strong five games they were, as Utah won Kessler’s minutes as he looked like an impact player on both ends of the floor. Kessler made as many 3s in 154 minutes this season (6-of-8) as he did in his 1,740 minutes last season (6-of-34). He is one of the better centers in the league, and hopefully, he will be able to show it more often on his next contract (he’ll be a restricted free agent in the offseason).
23. LA Clippers (3-6)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: L vs MIA, L vs OKC, L at PHO, L vs PHO
Offensive rating: 113.6 (21st place)
Defensive rating: 119.0 (26th place)
Say something nice: Cam Christie got to play.
This was a thoroughly rotten week for the Clippers, as they lost a home game with two days off against a Heat team that played the night before, lost Kawhi Leonard to an ankle injury, got blown out by the defending champions and lost twice to a Suns team they blew out in Week 1. The Clippers’ veteran depth is already looking expired. That makes it all the more notable that 2024 second-round pick Christie looks to have broken into the rotation. Christie has already more than doubled his scoring output from his entire rookie season while making 52.2 percent from the field and 50 percent of his 3-point attempts.
24. Sacramento Kings (3-7)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: L at DEN, W vs GS, L vs OKC, L vs MIN
Offensive rating: 111.9 (23rd place)
Defensive rating: 119.9 (27th place)
Say something nice: The guard depth has been solid.
Sacramento needs Keegan Murray back badly, as the Kings are way too small and have resorted to starting Precious Achiuwa at power forward. But they do have the luxury of always having enough guard talent on the floor. Malik Monk has been very efficient offensively and should probably have the most trade deadline interest. And Russell Westbrook has been Russell Westbrook, a player still capable of scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 10 assists.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (2-7)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W vs CHA, W at DAL, L at SA
Offensive rating: 108.4 (27th place)
Defensive rating: 120.4 (28th place)
Say something nice: More DQ.
As in Derik Queen, the second of the Pelicans’ lottery picks and the one that New Orleans coveted so much that they punted on the 2026 lottery. Watching Queen this week, you’d kind of understand that thinking. Queen’s feel for the game is strong, especially considering how much time he missed this offseason because of wrist surgery. It’s not hard to see a future where Queen is an offensive hub for a team if he can figure out where he’s going to win as a scorer – his passing ability is that good.
Tier 5: Basement Floor26. Charlotte Hornets (3-6)
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: L at NO, L at MIA
Offensive rating: 115.5 (15th place)
Defensive rating: 117.0 (24th place)
Say something nice: The rookie class has been impactful.
The Hornets wound up with Kon Knueppel (fourth pick) in the lottery, Liam McNeeley (29th) in the first round and Sion James (33rd), and Ryan Kalkbrenner (34th) in the second round. All have made some kind of contribution, with Knueppel lapping the rookie field in 3s made (30 in 9 games, at 40.5 percent) while trailing only third overall pick VJ Edgecombe in points per game (16.4). Kalkbrenner has started every game and leads all rookies in rebounds (6.9 per game, 3.3 offensive) and blocks (2.6 per game) while making an absurd 81.3 percent of his field goals. James is making 60 percent of his field goals and 3s while playing 25.2 minutes per game. And the Hornets are winning the minutes that Knueppel, James and Kalkbrenner are on the floor; McNeeley has shown the least so far, but he has played every game that Brandon Miller has missed.
27. Dallas Mavericks (3-7)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at HOU, L vs NO, L at MEM, W at WAS
Offensive rating: 103.7 (29th place)
Defensive rating: 109.9 (fourth place)
Say something nice: The Mavericks have a top-five defense!
This was the vision all along, right?! Perhaps teams aren’t scoring much on the Mavericks because they don’t need to; the Mavericks average 106.5 points per game. But the saying wasn’t defense wins games, now was it?
28. Brooklyn Nets (1-9)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs MIN, W at IND, L vs DET, L at NY
Offensive rating: 111.3 (24th place)
Defensive rating: 126.6 (30th place)
Say something nice: Terance Mann at point guard.
The Nets came into the game at Indiana winless, so you know what they did? They made Mann the starting point guard, and behind his most aggressive game of the season, Brooklyn got a win! Unfortunately, Cam Thomas injured his hamstring in Indiana, and the Nets also decided that they can’t have Mann leading Brooklyn to wins, so the blowouts are back on track with rookie Egor Demin assuming his rightful spot as the new Brooklyn starting point guard. The Nets are 0-9 when Demin, fellow rookie Ben Saraf or Tyrese Martin start at point guard this season.
29. Indiana Pacers (1-9)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L vs MIL, L vs BRK, L at DEN, L at GS
Offensive rating: 102.8 (30th place)
Defensive rating: 114.2 (16th place)
Say something nice: They made a great trade with the Pelicans during the NBA Finals.
There have only been six teams that ever made the playoffs after starting 1-9 or worse through 10 games. The 2005 Bulls were the only one of those six teams that finished with a winning record. The Pacers getting their 2026 first-round pick back instead of selecting 23rd overall this year was clutch, because the wave of critical injury afflicting this team (the Pacers are using two hardship exception players) suggests that players such as Bennedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin won’t be rushed back to save this team.
30. Washington Wizards (1-9)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L at NY, L at BOS, L vs CLE, L vs DAL
Offensive rating: 105.8 (28th place)
Defensive rating: 122.1 (29th place)
Say something nice: Alex Sarr has gotten a lot better.
The bar for improvement was quite low for Sarr, the second pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, especially offensively. Sarr made only 39.4 percent of his field goals as a rookie despite his height and athleticism and nascent skill level. He looks good in his second season, as he is shooting 52.7 percent from the field (a normal big man number instead of that of a small guard at the end of the line), while pitching in 4.0 assists per game and shooting 34.5 percent from 3 and 75.8 percent from the free throw line. He’s gone from 1.5 blocks as a rookie to averaging 2.5 blocks, to go with 7.7 rebounds per game. Sarr still needs to keep getting better defensively, and Washington lost this week to the only team (Dallas) it beat this season, but Sarr’s bump in performance is a win for the Wizards organization.