1. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-1): Oklahoma City keeps rolling after their historical championship season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing like an MVP candidate again, and the Thunder own the league’s best record while being top 5 in offensive and defensive efficiency. Their depth and late game composure has them looking like a clear juggernaut once again, and they are still waiting for the return of their star forward Jalen Williams from his wrist injury.
2. Chicago Bulls (6-4): It’s early in the season, but the Bulls’ chemistry looks better than it has in years, and they are playing like it. Coby White’s continued breakout and the emergence of Josh Giddey as a leading scorer have fueled an offense averaging over 115 points per game. They continue to beat quality opponents, though the team stumbled in a 128-122 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (8-3): The Lakers’ five game win streak was snapped by the Atlanta Hawks over the weekend, but they still have a lot of bright spots in their lineup. They rely on insane offensive production by Luka Doncic at 37.1 points per game and Austin Reaves stepping into the second option role. Deandre Ayton’s career rejuvenation and his ability to assert himself on the defensive end has made this team unstoppable in the paint. They are still awaiting the return of superstar LeBron James, but for now they look great without him.
4. Houston Rockets (6-3): After a disappointing loss on opening night to Oklahoma City, Houston has had a complete turnaround, winning six of their last seven games. Alperen Sengun continues to build his game as he becomes a 3-point threat, while other forwards like Tari Eason and Jabari Smith continue to improve their game for the better. At seventh in the league in points per game (122.8) and 12th in opponent points per game (113.1), they are one of the few teams that can hurt you on both ends of the floor.
5. Detroit Pistons (9-2): Detroit’s defense is legit, and Cade Cunningham looks like a budding superstar. After a huge jump last year they continue to build on their success as one of the league’s youngest teams. Young stars like Ausar Thompson and Jaden Ivey are becoming key pieces to their rotation. They are winning with toughness, forcing turnovers, crashing the glass and getting stops when it counts. For Detroit, it’s only up from here.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-4): The Cavaliers are starting to stabilize and get healthy after a few disappointing losses to the Knicks and Celtics. Donovan Mitchell is doing what he does best – scoring efficiently – and Evan Mobley continues to build off his DPOY win last year. With Darius Garland now back from his left big toe injury, this team is ready to return to the top similar to last year. The only question for this team is when the rebounding will come along. They are currently among the worst in the league in boards, so they look to their bigs in Mobley and Jarrett Allen to step up in the paint.
7. New York Knicks (7-3): After firing head coach Tom Thibodeaux after their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks have completely turned around their issues from last year. The big question coming into this season revolved around Mike Brown’s ability to transform this defense, and boy has he delivered. The Knicks currently rank sixth in the league in opponents points per game (112.7), and while they are sixth in scoring, having Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns on the roster means this will not be a long term issue. They are currently 7-0 at home, but if they want to compete for the one seed in the East, they will need to find ways to win on the road.
8. San Antonio Spurs (8-2): The long awaited return of Victor Wembanyama from his blood clot issues has transformed San Antonio’s defense overnight. They are only the second team behind the Boston Celtics in the league to hold opponents to under 110 points so far through this season. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have created a presence of perimeter athleticism that makes it difficult for guards to produce, and Wembanyama’s four blocks per game has made it nearly impossible to score on San Antonio in the paint. Wembanyama is almost a complete favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, and once De’Aaron Fox comes back, who knows what this team’s ceiling is?
9. Denver Nuggets (8-2) Jokic is doing Jokic things again — 25.2 points, 13 rebounds and 11.9 assists per game on absurd efficiency. The Nuggets remain one of the best half court offenses in the league, averaging 124 points per game (second in the league) and remaining undefeated at home. Newly acquired forward Cam Johnson has been disappointing so far at eight points per game, but if Denver can get bench production from players like Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown, this team could be among the best in the league.
10. Golden State Warriors (6-6): The Warriors have had a hot and cold start so far, with quality wins over the Lakers and Nuggets, but losses to the Bucks and Trailblazers. They have had two back to back stretches to start the season, the most in the league, and have struggled in those games as the oldest starting lineup in the NBA. They are hovering around the 20th ranked offense in the league despite Steph Curry’s 25 points per game and Jonathan Kuminga’s 14.9 points per game. If they want to jump to a contender, the Warriors are going to need rim protection and someone that can rebound on the offensive end.
