NBA Power Rankings: Nuggets strike gold in win streak, take over No. 1 spot

By Kurt HelinDec 5, 2018, 1:49 PM EST

As it has been for weeks, there is little separation among the top five teams in these rankings, so whoever gets hot for a couple of weeks climbs to the top. This week that is the Denver Nuggets, but the margins remain slim.

1. Nuggets (16-7, last week No. 5).. They should be ranked this high just because of the sweet city jerseys, but also they are winners of a very impressive six in a row, which includes victories at Oklahoma City, Portland, Minnesota, and Toronto. They are the hottest team in the NBA right now. Much like the Nuggets’ season, it’s been a lot of Nikola Jokic with everyone else pitching in, for example, Gary Harris missed a couple of games then returned and dropped 27 on Portland. Paul Millsap has averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds a night, shooting 51.9% and knocking down 44.4% of his threes in the last five games. Also, I know the shot was late but this Jokic heave should have counted just because.

We still think this should've counted! #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/MDq0ps1HJV

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 4, 2018

2. Raptors (20-5, LW 1). What team has the best net rating on the road this season? These Toronto Raptors, who are +8.4 per 100 possessions when they travel south of the border this season. Monday’s loss to Denver snapped an 8-game winning streak that included knocking off Golden State and a win at Memphis. Toronto now has 5-of-7 on the road and the two home games in that stretch are the 76ers and Bucks. That road net rating is about to be put to the test.

3. Thunder (15-7, LW 4). Russell Westbrook has tied Jason Kidd on the all-time triple-doubles list and will pass him soon enough — and of late Westbrook has played more like late-career Kidd, taking more three pointers and attacking the rim a little less. The Thunder and their elite defense feasted on a soft November schedule — as they should — but now things get tougher as Monday’s win in Detroit started 5-of-6 on the road, and the opponents get tougher.

4. Clippers (16-7, LW 2). When Avery Bradley is on the court, the Clippers defense is good — 104.7 points per 100 possessions allowed, which would be top five in the NBA. When he is off the court their defense ranges between average and bad. The problem is when Bradley is on the court his lack of scoring drags one of the NBA’s top five offenses down to below average. It’s so bad the Clippers have been 2 points per 100 possessions worse with Bradley this season (there is a lot of noise in that number, but it has relevance). It leaves Doc Rivers with some tough choices to make, both at the end of games and overall as the season progresses. The Clippers need Bradley to find his shot.

5. Bucks (15-7, LW 3). The Bucks have lost 2-of-3 and what’s disturbing is who they lost to, Charlotte and the Knicks. The problem is on the defensive end, which has been bottom five in the league over their last five games. It’s likely just a blip, some mid-season slippage, but Mike Budenholzer and crew need to get it together fast because a tough stretch of games comes up including the Warriors (Friday) and at Toronto (Sunday). That Raptors game also starts a run of 7-of-9 on the road.

6. 76ers (17-8, LW 6). Obviously, the key to the team’s recent 8-of-9 win streak is the matching white headbands of Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons, the guys Brett Brown calls the “defensive brothers.” However, everything on the defensive end is based around the decisions Joel Embiid makes — they call his defensive position “Batman.” Literally. That’s the team name for it, because whatever he does everyone else has to read and play off or it.

7. Pistons (13-8, 9). Detroit had sone 5-in-a-row (including spoiling Stephen Curry’s return to the Warriors) before running into OKC Monday, and the Pistons still have won 9-of-12. The key? Health. Blake Griffin is playing the best basketball of his career as the fulcrum of the offense, he’s going to be in consideration for an All-NBA spot if he keeps this up, but the most important thing is he’s been in all 21 games. Same with point guard Reggie Jackson. The schedule gets tougher — the Bucks and 76ers are the next two games — but the Pistons look like a solid playoff team. If they can just stay healthy.

8. Warriors (16-9, LW 7). Stephen Curry is back in the lineup and will bring a boost to an offense that was good, but not special, without him. However, just how much the Warriors miss Draymond Green’s defense has been evident in the last 9 games he missed — the Warriors defense has been 20th in the league in those games, surrendering 110.8 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors defense has been 9.8 points per 100 better when Green is on the court this season. Getting Curry back helps, but Golden State needs Green, too.

9. Lakers (14-9, LW 11). Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant have expressed frustration with how the Lakers have started to run everything on offense through LeBron James, saying the Lakers are playing too much like last year’s Cavaliers. Which is true. But what exactly did Magic expect, this “roster of playmakers” he wanted doesn’t actually have quality playmakers outside LeBron and maybe Lonzo Ball (unless you want to run a lot of moderately efficient isolations for Brandon Ingram). The Lakers will look like the Cavs until they land another superstar. The Laker offense in the last 9 games, since Rajon Rondo went down, is bottom five in the league. However, the Lakers are 6-3 in that stretch thanks to top five defense and some timely plays from LeBron.

10. Celtics (13-10, LW 13). Since starting to come off the bench, Gordon Hayward has started to find his groove. Hayward is averaging 13.8 points per game on 47.4 percent shooting, up from 10.1 on 39.9 as a starter. Hayward is hotting 39.1 percent from three as a starter, his assists are up (4.5 a game) and he is an average of +8.3 per game in the bench role. Boston has won three in a row and is in a soft part of the schedule for the next couple of weeks, so the wins should keep piling up.

11. Pacers (14-10, LW 8). Indiana is 5-4 without Victor Oladipo in this stretch, and while the offense misses the All-Star the defense has (surprisingly) been one of the top 5 in the NBA in that stretch, allowing just 101.5 points per 100 possessions. The one guy who has stood out during the Oladipo absence has been Domantas Sabonis, who was looking like a Most Improved Player candidate before but in the last nine games Indiana has had to run their offense through him more and Sabonis has been up to the task. He looks like the big of the future in Indy (sorry Myles Turner, who has played decently).

12. Grizzlies (13-9, LW 10). Jaren Jackson Jr. is injecting himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation with his play, and he made a statement last Friday in Brooklyn scoring 7 points in the final 27 seconds to help force OT, and finishing the game with 36. He’s the best two-way rookie player by far. Despite Jackson’s play, the Grizzlies have hit a rough patch dropping 4-of-5, and now their next four games are other potential/likely West playoff teams (Clippers, Pelicans, Lakers, Nuggets).

13. Timberwolves (12-12, LW 21). Minnesota is now 8-3 since the Jimmy Butler trade and the key has been the second-best defense in the NBA in that stretch (despite not being able to stop Gordon Hayward last Saturday), led by Robert Covington, who even has Karl-Anthony Towns focused and protecting the rim well on that end. Towns has taken a step forward, Andrew Wiggins… is still Andrew Wiggins. Tonight against Charlotte is the end of a home-heavy stretch (10-of-12) and Minnesota heads out on the road for four, including at Portland and Golden State.

14. Mavericks (12-10, LW 16). Dallas has won 9-of-11, including knocking off the Clippers and Trail Blazers this week. The Mavericks have been solid on offense — with rookie Luka Doncic leading the way — but the big key to the streak has been on the defensive end, where they have allowed just 101.6 per 100 (third best in the NBA in that stretch). What’s most impressive is Dallas has done this against a run of games against other potential playoff teams in the West, the kind of wins that signal this could be a playoff team in Dallas after all.

15. Trail Blazers (13-11, LW 12). This ranking almost feels too high for Portland the way it has played the past couple of weeks, having dropped 6-of-7 with a -13.1 net rating. Damian Lillard and the offense have struggled some in those games, but by far the bigger problem is a disastrous defense surrendering 119.5 per 100 possessions in those seven games. Lillard said after the game the team needs to look at itself in the mirror. It does. Portland also needs a better effort on defense and to spread the floor more and have someone other than just Lillard and C.J. McCollum shooting threes.

16. Rockets (11-12, LW 14). Just when you think things are turning around… Chris Paul returned (they are 0-5 without him) and the Rockets’ offense clicked in weekend wins against the Spurs and Bulls, it felt like Houston was finding a groove, then Monday the Timberwolves smacked them around. That was a cold shooting night for Houston but they scored just 9 points in the fourth quarter, which is disturbing. Plus they could not slow Karl-Anthony Towns in the post, something they did last season in the playoffs (when Minnesota had less shooting, so help was easier to give) but had no answers for Monday. The issues with the Rockets are real.

17. Pelicans (12-13, LW 15). Julius Randle is having a Sixth Man of the Year level season in the Big Easy, scoring 18.3 points per game of 54.9 percent shooting, pulling down 9 rebounds a night, with career high PER of 22.6. But Randle and MVP-level performances from Anthony Davis are not enough right now, as the Pelicans have dropped 6-of-8 due to a struggling defense. That end of the court needs to get fixed fast as their next five games are against teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today.

18. Kings (12-11, LW 20). After Sacramento got a win with Willie Cauley-Stein’s putback dunk, the Kings improved to 9-3 in clutch games this season (within five points in the final five minutes). That’s likely not sustainable, and why they have the net rating of a 10-13 team, but to their credit this Kings team just keeps finding ways to win. Tuesday’s win in Phoenix started a string of 6-of-8 on the road where getting tough wins will be put to the test.

19. Magic (12-12, LW 19). They went a very respectable 3-3 on a six-game road trip, and two of those losses (Golden State and Portland) had something to do with Aaron Gordon’s back issues flaring up. Nikola Vucevic continues to put up numbers, and while it is tempting to think about the trade offers the Magic might get for him at the deadline, but this team is currently 7th in the East and if they are in the middle of a playoff chase he — or Terrence Ross, or anyone on the roster — is likely not available. At least at a reasonable price.

20. Jazz (12-13, LW 23). Last week the Jazz traded for Kyle Korver and he has been the spark they needed. Since the trade the Jazz are 3-1 and shooting 43.3% from three, including dropping a franchise record 20 threes on the Spurs Tuesday. That may not be sustainable (and the wins didn’t come against top tier talent) but it’s a start. The Korver effect will be put to the test with games against Houston and OKC this week, plus 4-of-6 coming up on the road.

21. Hornets (11-12, LW 17). Marvin Williams is going to miss at least a week with a shoulder injury, which isn’t major but the Hornets have been getting hit with a lot of bumps and bruises in the past couple of weeks and it exposes the lack of depth when this team’s key starters can’t go. The Hornets have lost 4-of-6 but have been able to hang around the playoff bubble in the East, but this team needs Kemba Walker to be Mr. Everything to win and he has been good but not his earlier MVP level of late.

22. Spurs (11-13, LW 18). They have had the worst defense in the NBA over the last 15 games allowing 115.4 points per 100, and with that have slid all the way down to the 14 seed (but still just two games out of the playoffs in the bunched up West). It’s just not like a Gregg Popovich team. Starting Friday when the Lakers visit the Spurs have six in a row at home and 8-of-10, this could be a springboard for them to bounce back up the standings in the West (if not… it would be concerning).

23. Heat (9-14, LW 26). The inconsistent Miami Heat continue along, a team that lost to Atlanta and followed it up with wins over New Orleans and Utah. The Heat have been a gritty, tough-to-play against team that has overachieved the past couple of seasons, we’ve come to expect that from them, but this season Miami only shows that in flashes. Friday night in Phoenix starts a six-game road trip through the Western Conference.

24. Wizards (10-14, LW 22). Tomas Satoransky has moved into the starting lineup, with Scott Brooks saying he likes having a player who will accept a role. That’s a hint. However, if you want to focus on the Wizards’ issues start with John Wall, both on defense and his speed of play.

John Wall? Hello? pic.twitter.com/hVinKQEKig

— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) December 4, 2018

New BIG Number!

The East's slowest player is now … John Wall.

John Wall?

John Wall

📽️: @Jade_Hoye
📺: full video @NBCSports https://t.co/lKvTfIautU pic.twitter.com/PXGxLMB2EU

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) December 5, 2018

25. Knicks (8-17, LW 24). New York has had a series of improbable wins this season, the latest one being an overtime win against the bucks last Saturday at the Garden. That despite the fact Tim Hardaway Jr. is in a deep slump, shooting 34.2% in his last five games (he’s under 40% for the season, this has not been his year, but it’s been worse lately). Of course, there is only one play everyone wants to talk about with the Knicks.

NASTY 😱 pic.twitter.com/nBmpRjhm7l

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 1, 2018

26. Cavaliers (5-18, LW 27). Collin Sexton continues to be up-and-down, he was red hot for five games, then in his last five he’s shooting 37.6% overall and 25% from three. Rookies, that’s what you get. The Cavaliers did well — or, as well as they were going to do at this point — in the Kyle Korver trade. While they will save money going into next season with Alec Burks off the books, this season he can give them some minutes and buckets off the bench — and he gave them a game-winning dunk this week.

Third game.
Exclamation dunk.
For the win!
Keep building, @AlecBurks10.
MORE HIGHLIGHTS → https://t.co/ejcPRvPlGD #BeTheFight pic.twitter.com/BZWcenwqKI

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 4, 2018

27. Nets (8-17, LW 25). Brooklyn’s net rating on the season of -2 suggests this team should have an 11-14 record, three games better than what it does. Why have the Nets been “unlucky?” Because they struggle to close out close games, having gone 4-11 in games that were within five points in the final five minutes. The Nets system and hustle make up for a lot, but in close games they just don’t have the talent of many of the teams they go up against. The Nets have lost seven in a row with the Thunder and Raptors next on the schedule.

28. Hawks (5-19, LW 28). Atlanta has moved Kevin Huerter into the starting lineup and Kent Bazemore to the bench, and that sparked them to a couple of wins before dropping their last three. Taurean Prince is going to be out at least three weeks with a sprained ankle, that is a blow the Hawks’ frontcourt rotation. Still, tune in to watch Trae Young because whether he’s red hot or ice cold — and it can be either at any time — he puts on a show.

29. Bulls (5-20, LW 29). Fred Hoiberg is out as coach and now Jim Boylen is tasked with getting this team to play with a little more grit and fire than the mild-mannered Hoiberg could get out of the crew. Smart move giving Boylen the head coaching job for the rest of the season — and saying they want him to be back next season — so he has some leverage to get the players to buy into whatever changes he makes. That said, the biggest problem with this team was not Hoiberg, he just wasn’t the answer either.

30. Suns (4-20, LW 30). They have dropped six in a row, but if you’re looking for a bright spot rookie De'Anthony Melton stepped up with 21 points in the Suns’ loss to the Kings and looked like a player who needs some more run. Melton was a second-round pick who barely played in college, but out of high school was considered a big-time talent, maybe the Suns lucked out and got a steal with him. We need to see more of him to understand just what the Suns might have.

Watch Klay Thompson putback own miss for game winner vs. Kings

Associated PressNov 25, 2018, 8:22 AM EST

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson will be thrilled with the winning shot any way it comes.

Kevin Durant will gladly accept that a jump ball he tipped away against Willie Cauley-Stein in the waning moments meant nearly as much as all those jumpers and free throws he hit in a sensational scoring performance.

Thompson put back his own miss with 5 seconds left, Durant scored a season-high 44 points, and the Golden State Warriors barely held off the Sacramento Kings 117-116 on Saturday night in a wild finish between the Northern California neighbors.

“I don’t know if I got fouled, but who cares I got the putback,” Thompson said. “You’ll take a game-winner any way you can get it I don’t care how ugly it is.”

Klay comes up clutch 💪 pic.twitter.com/l25KOJu51G

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 25, 2018

Durant tipped a jump ball to the backcourt just before the buzzer sounded, but a replay review was held to determine whether the Kings had called timeout – which was granted with 0.3 seconds on the clock.

The Warriors subsequently called their own, and the Kings failed to get a shot.

“I just tried to tip it as far away from their basket as possible,” Durant said.

Durant converted two free throws with 1:27 left and also had 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Thompson wound up with 31 points – the second straight night the two each scored 30 or more.

Buddy Hield had 28 points on 12-for-21 shooting and seven rebounds. Rookie Marvin Bagley III contributed 20 points and a season-best 17 rebounds off the bench, but missed the first of two free throws with 1:08 remaining.

“That was a very good basketball game to watch, to be a part of. I thought we competed our tails off,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said.

Thompson shot 12 of 26 with five 3-pointers as Splash Brother Stephen Curry missed his ninth straight game because of a strained left groin . Fellow All-Star Draymond Green is still nursing a sprained right toe.

Durant’s 3-pointer with 6:22 left got Golden State within 108-105, then he converted a tying three-point play the next time down before Quinn Cook‘s go-ahead 3 the following possession.

Durant had 16 in the second quarter, making all eight of his free throws. He finished with a season-high 16 free throws on 17 attempts. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP also committed seven of the Warriors’ 14 turnovers.

Damian Jones added 13 points and six rebounds in a stronger effort from the center position in Golden State’s fifth back-to-back, when the Warriors went just 10 of 34 from beyond the arc.

“He was a monster out there,” Thompson said.

The Warriors snapped a four-game losing streak, their longest under Steve Kerr and worst since early 2013, a night earlier against Portland.

Kerr stuck with the same starting lineup from that 125-97 win but the Warriors trailed by 10 late in the second before closing the half on an 8-2 run to get within 64-60 at intermission.

The Kings had won their previous two matchups at Oracle Arena, last season becoming just the third team over the past five seasons to win twice on Golden State’s home floor.

Report: Kings’ front office, coach Dave Joerger disconnect could lead to his firing

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By Kurt HelinNov 17, 2018, 9:59 PM EST

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The 8-7 Sacramento Kings are one of the best surprises of the young season. Sacramento has found an identity with point guard De'Aaron Fox pushing the pace — they are the second fastest team in the NBA at 106.3 possessions a game, with 20 percent of their trips down the court starting in transition (also second in the league). While the Kings are middle of the pack in both offense and defense ratings, that is a massive step up from where most predicted this young team to be this season.

So, of course, Sacramento is finding a way to screw that narrative up. Because… Kings.

A disconnect between the front office led by Vlade Divac and coach Dave Joerger could lead to the coach’s dismissal, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Joerger’s handling of 2018 No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III could eventually lead to the coach’s dismissal, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Sources said the franchise is growing frustrated with how Joerger is distributing minutes and assigning roles to the team’s young prospects.

The front office views this season as a development year, sources said, but it was still confident that the team would be competitive and grow with Bagley, promising guard De’Aaron Fox, and forwards Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere getting meaningful minutes. Joerger, generally regarded as one of the best X’s and O’s coaches in the league, has favored playing veteran players over developing youth, especially in crunch time.

Vlade Divac, the general manager of the Sacramento Kings, quickly came out in a statement given to NBC Sports and said:

“Dave has our full support and confidence. We continue to work together to develop our young core and compete.”

All season long Jeorger has gone with Nemanja Bjelica over Bagley down the stretch (Bjelica also starts over Bagley). When Kosta Koufos was healthy, he also was a guy Joerger trusted in key moments. Two-way contract player Troy Williams has earned a lot of minutes from Joerger, more than Bagley at times. Joerger’s rotations are not consistent and the report says players don’t feel the coach is communicating clearly about their roles.

All NBA coaches are constantly dealing with the developing vs. winning balance (even the elite teams like the Warriors have young players they are trying to bring along). It’s an age-old problem to have the GM wanting the youth learning on the fly and the coach wanting to win now.

Instability for coaches has been a hallmark of the Kings under owner Vivek Ranadive, going back to before when the Kings pushed out Mike Malone — a DeMarcus Cousins favorite — for George Karl. Malone had taken over for Keith Smart, who coached a season and a half. Jeorger took over for Karl and is in his third season.

The constant coaching upheaval leads to system upheaval and a lack of continuity. It’s been an ongoing issue for the Kings, but as their young players start to develop and show potential — Buddy Hield and Willie Cauley-Stein are playing well.

Expect denials all around, but this sounds like about the most Kings thing ever.

Three Things to Know: Celtics rain 24 threes on Bucks, but Milwaukee belongs

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By Kurt HelinNov 2, 2018, 9:13 AM EST

NBA Power Rankings: Warriors, undefeated Bucks top the list

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By Kurt HelinOct 31, 2018, 3:00 PM EST

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This early in the season there is still a lot of volatility in the rankings, with teams making big leaps (or big falls) as we start to figure out who they really are. We do know the Warriors are very, very good. Looks like the Bucks may be, too.

1. Warriors (7-1, last week No 3). Golden State’s offense has been incendiary to start the season — Stephen Curry had a 51-point game and is aggressively hunting his shot again, Kevin Durant knows he can score from anywhere at any time, and then Monday Klay Thompson unleashed 14 threes on the poor Bulls. The Warriors are scoring at a 120 points per 100 possessions pace, more than 5 points better than anyone else in the NBA this season and more than 7 better than they were last season. And it feels like they can sustain this.

All 14 👌s from Klay 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XAE62aDMG1

— NBCSAuthentic (@NBCSAuthentic) October 30, 2018

2. Bucks (7-0, LW 4). The NBA’s last undefeated team, the Bucks haven’t just won games they have dominated — Milwaukee has led by at least 16 points in every game this season. While coach Mike Budenholzer gets (and deserves) credit for opening up the offense, the real key is the Bucks have the second-best defense in the league (Boston) and is one of only two teams allowing less than a point per possession this season. The Bucks are playing a simpler, easier to understand system and are thriving in it. Great test Thursday night against those Celtics (on TNT).

3. Raptors (7-1, LW. 1). Tuesday night Kawhi Leonard showed what he means to this team — he smothered Ben Simmons and was a key reason the Sixers’ star had 11 turnovers on the night. Oh, and Leonard had 31 points in the game, too. It’s too early to use these words in any meaningful way, but Leonard has played at an MVP level to open the season. After a home-heavy schedule to start, the Raptors have 8-of-11 on the road starting Friday in Phoenix.

4. Nuggets (5-1, LW 2).. Denver’s offense still has not found it’s groove to start the season, specifically the team is taking 28.7 threes a game (25th in the league) and is shooting 29.7% on those so far (for comparison, the team took 30.9 threes a game last season and it 37.1%). Gary Harris is shooting 26.9% so far but that will improve. The Nuggets’ defense has slipped a little but is still third rated in the NBA and is covering for the offense until that train gets rolling. Good home tests Saturday and Monday with Utah and Boston.

5. Trail Blazers (5-2, LW 7). Damian Lillard finished fourth in the MVP voting last season and is coming out playing even better this season: 29.6 points per game, shooting 37.7 percent from three, with a 65.9 true shooting percentage and a 30.6 PER, every one of those a career best. So far 71 percent of his shots are threes or at the rim. It’s stunning. Lillard led the Blazers to a 3-1 record on a recent road trip with some quality wins (Indiana, Houston, if Houston is still a quality win) and now the Blazers are home for six in a row.

6. Celtics (5-2, LW 9). After a rough start to the season on offense the Celtics are starting to find their groove, including scoring 217 points in a home-and-home sweep of the Pistons. Kyrie Irving found himself in that second Pistons win, scoring 31 on 16 shots, before that the offense has leaned on Marcus Morris. Yes, Marcus Morris — and he’s been up to the task off the bench. Saturday starts a tough five game road trip for the Celtics.

7. Jazz (4-2, LW 14). Good to see Grayson Allen find a groove against Dallas, 11 points and a +17 when forced into a larger role. Donovan Mitchell has stopped pressing and the Utah offense is starting to fall into place during a three-game win streak on the road (the Jazz are an impressive 4-0 on the road to start the season). Utah’s offense is two points per 100 possessions better this season than last (so far) and improvement on that end is the key to taking the next step forward for this team. Fun Rudy Gobert vs. Karl-Anthony Towns showdown on Wednesday night.

8. Pelicans (4-2, LW 5). Two losses in a row for the Pelicans but both without Anthony Davis (elbow) so we’re not going to read much into that. The starting lineup is still a beast when Davis is healthy, outscoring teams by 34.4 points per 100 (and the elbow thing isn’t serious). The loss in Denver was the start of a five-game road trip against potential West playoff teams, a road trip where the Pelicans could use to get Davis back and make a showing because, while it’s early, in the ridiculously deep West these are the games that will matter in the end.

9. Pacers (4-3, LW 8). While the Pacers are 4-3 to start the season, they are outscoring teams by 6.3 points per 100 possessions, which is sixth best in the league (that per-possessions data suggests they should be at least 5-2). The big key for the Pacers is their shooting, they have hit a league-best 43 percent of their shots from three — but they take the league’s fewest shots from three, 22.6 per game. Victor Oladipo has found a groove and is back to being his old self, and with that the Pacers are showing last season was not some one-off fluke. Now we’ll see if they can take a step forward off it.

10. Pistons (4-2, 6). Boston’s defense made Blake Griffin look human again in a home-and-home, and the search for quality shooting and shot creators around him continues. All those wins count, but the Pistons have put together this quality start while having a -1.3 net rating, something that could catch up to them (or, they could swing their rating around) with 6-of-9 coming up on the road, almost all against other teams in the East.

11. Clippers (4-3, LW 12). The Clippers’ primary bench units are both destroying teams and are just a lot of fun to watch: Lou Williams, Mike Scott, Montrezl Harrell, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are killing it with either Milos Teodosic (+23.2 per 100) or Luc Mbah a Moute (+19.2 per 100) as the fifth man. Those bench units get out and run and Milos is just a walking basketball highlight show.

Another *assist* for Milos!@MilosTeodosic4 to @TeamLou23 on a frozen rope. pic.twitter.com/xTwvBfiLnU

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 29, 2018

12. Spurs (4-2, LW 10). San Antonio is off to a quick start but has a net rating of -3.5 per 100 possessions to start the season — either their record or that rating will correct itself. San Antonio is the second-best three-point shooting team in the league percentage wise, hitting 41.3 percent from deep this season, but with a team full of guys who like the midrange they are taking just 23 shots from three a game, third lowest in the league. What the Spurs are doing well is taking care of the ball, turning the ball over on a league-best 11.4 percent of their possessions.

13. Grizzlies (4-2, LW 17). Memphis is back to the formula we have seen for years: An elite defense that keeps them in games (fourth best in the NBA), which covers up for a bottom 10 offense. In the past that has worked well enough to keep them on the fringes of the playoff race and have a couple of good runs — when everyone stays healthy. Jaren Jackson Jr. update, the rookie is averaging 11.5 points a game on 46.3 percent shooting, with 5.2 rebounds a night and a PER of 16.7. He’s impressing.

14. Hornets (4-4, LW 16). New coach, same problem in Charlotte: The Hornets are outscoring teams by 6.1 points per 100 possessions, but have a .500 record (when they should be 5-3) because they keep losing close games. The Hornets have lost by two to the Sixers, two to the Bulls, and one to the Bucks — three losses by a total of five points. Kemba Walker continues to tear up the NBA, averaging 30.1 points and six assists per night, shooting 41.4 percent from three with a PER of 28.3.

15. 76ers (4-4, LW 11). The 76ers are taking a lot of threes, 35.9 a game (fifth most in the NBA), but they are hitting just 33.8% of them so far. Robert Covington (42.9%) and J.J. Redick (39%) are pulling their weight, but Dario Saric (23.4% on 5.9 attempts per game), Joel Embiid (29.4% on 4.3 attempts) and Markelle Fultz (30.8% but just 1.6 attempts) are building a brick house right now. When Fultz, Embiid, and non-threat from three Ben Simmons are on the floor together the Sixers are -14.2 per 100 possessions so far. The starting lineup with Fultz continues to struggle mightily on both ends of the court.

16. Kings (5-3, LW 25). I may have this team ranked too low — the Kings are playing good basketball right now, having won four in a row including a couple games on the road in Florida. De’Aaron Fox has been a second-season revelation, Willie Cauley-Stein is going to get paid like he wants if he keeps playing like this, and Buddy Hield is averaging 18.9 points per game shooting 44.7 percent from three. They have the point differential of a .500 team, so maybe this catches up with them a little, but the Kings are playing hard and much better than anyone expected.

17. Heat (3-4, LW 21). Hassan Whiteside has been critical for the Heat on both ends of the floor this season and the team has been 16.1 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court rather than sitting. We’ll see if he can keep it up as the season moves along (consistency has been an issue) but the start has been strong. That said, if your counting, Whiteside has yet to rack up a single assist this season.

18. Timberwolves (3-4, LW 13). Jimmy Butler has upped his distraction ante, deciding to sit out Wednesday’s game in protest of not getting traded yet (I love that the team is calling it “general soreness”). Those trade talks are heating up again, but nothing is imminent and the entire situation continues to be a cloud over this team. It is part of the reason they are inconsistent. Until the Butler situation gets resolved, fans will not know what they will get from this team night to night (and gamblers may want to stay away for the same reason).

19. Thunder (2-4, LW 22).. The Thunder have won a couple games in a row (Clippers and Suns), with Russell Westbrook and Paul George having a matching 55 points each across the two games. The Oklahoma City defense is also starting to come around, it’s sixth best in the NBA as of Wednesday. The second half against the Clippers was the model of what the Thunder want to be this season, Westbrook and George were playing with pace and running an entertaining offense while the defense got enough stops. Can they build off that is the question?

20. Mavericks (2-5, LW 18). Talking to a scout about the Mavericks yielded a couple of impressions: Luka Doncic runs hot and cold as a rookie but there is a lot to like. What impressed more is how well DeAndre Jordan passes out of the high post (he had 9 assists in a loss to Utah). Jordan seems to really enjoy being put in a new role, asked to do things the Clippers did not (they had Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, you’re not making DJ a playmaker when you have those two). Plus, DJ shooting better than 80% from the free throw line makes him far more dangerous.

21. Lakers (2-5, LW 23). It’s early, but how are things going so far with LeBron James and the young core? When LeBron and Kyle Kuzma are on the court together, the Lakers have a net rating of -0.8 (per 100 possessions), basically playing teams even. LeBron and Josh Hart have a +1.5 rating together. LeBron and Lonzo Ball are -5.3 per 100. LeBron and Brandon Ingram are -6.2 per 100 — and that’s troubling because that’s the one the Lakers really need to work out.

22. Rockets (1-5, LW 15). Mike D’Antoni threatened to move away from the all-switching defense the Rockets used last season. However, he didn’t when he looked at the film and saw the numbers because the switches have not been the problem. The bigger problem in Tuesday’s loss to a tired Portland team was heart: When the Blazers made a second quarter run you could see the “here we go again” reaction from the Rockets and they folded. The Rockets are already five games back of the Warriors, and now Houston heads out on the road for 6-of-7. Then they come home to the Warriors.

23. Knicks (2-5, LW 24). Knicks fans got to dream of Kevin Durant last week (and they should soon start watching Duke games and dreaming of drafting that talent), but the Knicks themselves are playing a little better than their record indicates. Eyes Kanter is not happy coming off the bench, but the way Kris Middleton went at him and abused him in the pick-and-roll for the Bucks is a reminder of why Kanter is nice in the regular season but is hard to play in the playoffs.

24. Nets (2-5, LW 28). Three straight losses, and while its easy to forgive the ones to the Warriors and the Pelicans, the Knicks handling handling them this week was a reminder of where this team really is. Still, there are positives: Jarrett Allen has evolved into a flat out beast of a rim protector (except against Noah Vonleh, somehow) and Caris LeVert continues to turn heads around the league.

25. Hawks (2-5, LW 26). While fans are tuning in to see Trae Young — who has good numbers but is up and down, as rookies tend to be — it is Taurean Prince that should be turning heads. In his third season he is averaging 16.7 points per game, and while his efficiency could be better he has become someone who can be a solid role player on a good team (but has to do more for the Hawks).

26. Magic (2-5, LW 19). There is only one team in the entire NBA scoring an average of less than one point per possession — and you guessed it, it’s Orlando. There are guys who can score on this team, but Nikola Vucevic has never been known as someone consistent, and Aaron Gordon is shooting a little less than he did a season ago but otherwise his numbers are just in line with before.

27. Bulls (2-5, LW 29).. If one player this season is making pundits and reporters eat crow, it’s Zach LaVine. Almost everyone (*raises hand*) ripped the $78 million offer sheet the Kings gave him, then were dumbfounded the Bulls matched. Yet through seven games he’s averaged 28.1 points per game, shot 38.6% from three, and has a PER of 22.7. He can’t defend, but if he can keep scoring like that it more than makes up for it — and makes that a not insane contract the Bulls agreed to.

28. Wizards (1-6, LW 20). Having watched this team in person, it’s hard to describe how bad things are for Washington. It’s not just the Xs and Os stuff — although they sluff their way through cuts and play half-hearted without the ball, especially John Wall — but its the chemistry issues. Bradley Beal gets knocked down going to the rim and no Wizard comes over to help him up so Tobias Harris has to. There are almost no high fives around the team pregame. Otto Porter might as well be on an island. Scott Brooks may find his seat getting hot, but the problems run well beyond what a coach can fix.

29. Suns (1-5, LW 27). Phoenix has the worst net rating in the NBA, with the third-worst defense and the sixth worst offense. Not picking up the fourth-year option on Dragan Bender was both the right move and a purging of the sins of the past administration. On the bright side, one move by the last GM looks good — Deandre Ayton is averaging 17.5 point and 10.3 rebounds a game, shooting 64.4 percent. He’s still learning how to defend, but he looks like he could be the franchise anchor the Suns were counting on.

30. Cavaliers (1-6, LW 30). Cleveland finally got a win, knocking off the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday. However, if you don’t have a coach — they fired Tyronn Lue over the weekend and Larry Drew has refused to take on the interim title without a healthy pay raise or some security — you don’t move to get out of the bottom of the rankings.