While the Western Conference has — as expected — looked dominant and deeper this season, there are five East teams in the top 10 of this ranking.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
(20-1, last week No. 1)
If you're searching for a way to put a scratch on Oklahoma City's nearly perfect paint job to start the season, the only knock is that they have played the easiest schedule in the league to this point, and with that have the toughest remaining schedule. That's about it. Oklahoma City got Jalen Williams back this week and, while his shot looked understandably rusty in his first game, his playmaking and defense were instant difference makers. OKC will need more from him with Isaiah Hartenstein out for a couple of weeks (calf). Oklahoma City made it to the finals of the NBA Cup a season ago, and they are back in the quarterfinals (knockout round) as the top seed in the West, with a game against Phoenix on Dec. 10 to earn a return trip to Vegas for the semi-finals and a shot at redemption.
2. Houston Rockets
(13-4, last week No. 4)
Reed Shepard got off to a slower than hoped for start this season, but he seems to have found a comfort level. The second-year point guard is averaging 16.8 points a game while shooting 46.3% from beyond the arc across his last 10 games, giving the Rockets a little stability at the point. Another positive sign: The Rockets picked up wins last week against good teams in Golden State and Phoenix without Kevin Durant.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
(15-4, last week No. 5)
The Lakers are racking up wins to start the season — including seven in a row — but there is a looming concern: They have a pedestrian defense (17th in the league). Things have not been better of late, after some unimpressive defense against the Pelicans Sunday, the Lakers D has been -3.3 points per 100 possessions worse in its last five games. This has not gone unnoticed, with J.J. Redick saying their in-house stats show things they are doing better in some areas on defense, but he also understands what they need to do to improve: "We're giving up points in [isolation], and we're giving up points on drives, and we've got to do a better job. We can obviously watch on film, but we're gonna do a better job in those areas ... I think the big picture for us in terms of the defense is there's some things we've done really well. There's some things that we have to do better, and we have to do better because that's our personnel, and we've got to be able to cover for each other." The Lakers' next five games are a tough stretch against all teams over .500, starting with the Suns on Peacock NBA Monday.
4. Detroit Pistons
(16-4, last week No. 2)
No team has been better in the clutch than the Pistons this season, who are 11-3 with a +27.2 net rating in games that are within five points in the final five minutes. That said, Detroit dropped two of those games last week — to Boston and Orlando — and with that fell out of the NBA Cup chase. Of concern was Cade Cunningham having 16 turnovers across the team's last two games (the loss to Orlando and then a bounce-back win against the Heat), which can't become a trend for Detroit.
5. Denver Nuggets
(14-5, last week No. 3)
This summer, Peyton Watson and the Nuggets could not come to terms on an extension of his rookie contract, meaning he will head to restricted free agency next summer. With Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) out for weeks still due to injuries, Watson is getting the chance to prove to the Nuggets why they need to step up and pay him — and to show other teams why they should poach him. As a starter this season, Watson is averaging 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds a game, and the team is outscoring opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court. A couple of notes of some concern: Denver has dropped three straight home games, and Nikola Jokic only took nine shots in a win against Memphis and eight in a loss to San Antonio recently. Just things to watch and see if they are more than a blip.
6. New York Knicks
(13-6, last week No. 14)
Ask Bucks coach Doc Rivers or Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic what has sparked the Knicks' turnaround after a rougher-than-expected start to the season, and they agree that Mike Brown has tweaked his system and has New York playing into the strengths of their personnel more. Put more bluntly, more pick-and-rolls for Jalen Brunson and more chances for Karl-Anthony Towns to attack downhill. Here is how Rajakovic put it, via Stephan Bondy of the New York Post, "First 10 or 12 games, 15 games, whatever it was, they were running more. And now it looks like they're settling into more personnel and how they're playing more to the strengths of their players, trying at the same time to implement ball movement and body movement. Obviously they are a very talented team, a lot of great players. So it's the right thing to concentrate on the strengths of those guys and let them be who they are."
7. Toronto Raptors
(14-7, last week No. 6)
Brandon Ingram is averaging a team-high 21.5 points a game, and he's doing it the old-school way. Almost a third of Ingram's shots this season have come from the midrange outside the paint but inside the arc, and he is hitting an impressive 49.1% on those. Also, more than half of Ingram's shot attempts are pull-up jumpers and he is shooting 48.5% on those. Toronto advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup and will travel to New York to face the Knicks on Dec. 9.
8. Miami Heat
(13-7, last week No. 10)
It took a little bit for Kel'el Ware to get comfortable in his second season, he seemed a bit lost in his first 10 games or so, when he averaged 9.7 points a game on 48.7% shooting, plus grabbed 7.7 rebounds a game. It's on the glass that you first noticed the change in Ware's game this season, and in his last 10 games he is dominating inside and grabbing 13.7 rebounds a game, plus scoring 15 a night on 57.1% shooting next to Bam Adebayo. I'm not convinced Ware and Bam can be played together in clutch minutes or the playoffs — does it mess up the spacing too much? — but Erik Spoelstra has time to experiment and find out. Miami advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals as the wild card and will face off against Orlando on Dec. 9.
9. Orlando Magic
(12-8, last week No. 13)
Orlando has found its footing of late thanks to improved ball movement, great play from Desmond Bane, and a defense starting to resemble last season's elite version again. Orlando has gone 6-2 without Paolo Banchero (who remains out with a groin strain) and in that stretch knocked off Philadelphia and Detroit last week to advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup as the East's top seed. The Magic's ceiling his higher with Banchero, but hopefully in his time on the bench he has seen how he needs to fit his game into what is working, make quick decisions and keep the ball moving, not slow things down to attack in isolation.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
(12-8, last week No. 8)
How good is Minnesota? They are one of only five teams that meet the traditional metric for a contender: Top 10 in the league in both offense and defense, and they are eighth in net rating (+4.7). Then you watch this team blow leads — leading Phoenix by eight with 1:09 left and losing, leading Sacramento by 10 with 3:04 left and losing in overtime — and you start to have questions. Two games against the Pelicans and one against the Clippers this week should help the Timberwolves rack up a few wins.
11. San Antonio Spurs
(13-6, last week No. 11)
San Antonio has gone an impressive 5-2 without Wembanyama, thanks to great play from DeAaron Fox leading the seventh-best offense in the league over that stretch (unsurprisingly, their defense is 20th in the league in that same time without Wemby in the paint). This run shows what a smart pickup Luke Kornet was over the summer, his sold play — setting good screens, being strong on the glass, just playing smart hoops — is exactly what this team needs until Wembanyama returns.
12. Boston Celtics
(11-9, last week No. 12)
The Celtics have found their offense behind elite play from Jaylen Brown — Boston has the third-best offense in the league during the last 10 games, and has gone 7-3 in that stretch. That streak has not come against a soft schedule either, Boston snapped Detroit's win streak last week and beat Cleveland. Things do not get easier this week with games against the Knicks — on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock — the Lakers and the Raptors.
13. Phoenix Suns
(12-9, last week No. 9)
Devin Booker is in a shooting slump, averaging 21.2 points a game on 36.4% shooting overall (25% from 3-point range) in his last 10 games. (For comparison, in his first 10 games this season, Booker averaged 29.3 points on 50% shooting and 41% from beyond the arc.) It was bad timing that this slump continued as Phoenix's schedule grew tougher last week, and they lost to Houston, Oklahoma City and Denver. Things do not get easier this week as the Suns go on the road to face the Lakers — part of Peacock NBA Monday — then the Rockets, Timberwolves, and Thunder again.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
(12-9, last week No. 7)
If the postseason started today, the Cavaliers would be in the play-in — a very disappointing start to the season for this team. Injuries are part of it, and right now Jarrett Allen (finger) joins Larry Nance Jr. and Max Strus in street clothes (plus Lonzo Ball and Sam Merrill were out Sunday). Rather than taking the step forward on offense that Cleveland needed this season, Evan Mobley has taken a slight step back in usage and efficiency. The result was the Cavaliers dropping three straight last week to the Raptors, Hawks and Celtics (all on the road). The schedule gets softer this week but not easy with the Pacers, Trail Blazers, Spurs and Warriors coming up.
15. Atlanta Hawks
(13-8, last week No. 15)
Trae Young is making progress toward a return, but he is going to be out at least a couple more weeks. The thing is, the way the Hawks are playing without him, they can afford to be patient. Atlanta has gone 11-5 in the games Young has missed, posting a +3.8 net rating while playing top-10 league defense. Considering all the injuries so far this season, the Hawks have to be happy sitting fifth in a tightly-bunched East. Also, I could watch replays of this all day long.
16. Golden State Warriors
(11-10, last week No. 18)
Stephen Curry missing a week does not help for a team that is hanging around .500 even with him, much to the frustration of Draymond Green, who knows the problem: "Our defense is s***… All of us that end up on point of attack, we're getting f****** blown by. And then our rotations suck." Jimmy Butler agrees: "We don't box out. We don't go with the scouting report. We let anybody do whatever they want - open shots, get into the paint, free throws. It's just sad." The thing is, the Warriors' defense is actually sixth-best in the NBA over the last five games, and seventh for the season. It's the Warriors' offense — 21st in the league over the last five games, 22nd for the season — that is the bigger issue, and Curry being out doesn't help.
17. Philadelphia 76ers
(10-9, last week No. 16)
Sunday was the day Philadelphia had been waiting for: Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George were all in the lineup in the same game for the first time this season. And, the 76ers lost in 2OT to the Hawks. There are plenty of reasons for concern in the City of Brotherly Love, including VJ Edgecombe hitting the rookie wall early (a calf injury had something to do with that) and Embiid being willing to settle for jumpers rather than be physical in the paint. The schedule does not get easier with the Warriors, Bucks and Lakers coming up this week.
18. Milwaukee Bucks
(9-12, last week No. 19)
Milwaukee went 0-4 without Giannis Antetokounmpo when he missed time with a groin strain, and it was a reminder that this team — even with Myles Turner and the leap Ryan Rollins has made this season — goes nowhere without the Greek Freak. Speaking of Rollins, who is averaging 18.3 points and 6 rebounds a game this season, Antetokounmpo had nothing but praise for him (via Michael Scotto of Hoopshype): “I've been in the NBA 13 years. I've had 200-300 teammates. A jump for a guy that came two years ago to a two-way contract, non-guaranteed, a guaranteed deal, to the player he is today. I don't think I've seen a jump like that in my career."
19. Memphis Grizzlies
(9-12, last week No. 22)
If one stat sums up how this season has gone in Memphis, it is this: Rookie Cedric Coward leads them in total minutes played. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a close second, but Ja Morant is ninth on that list. The Grizzlies have gone 5-4 with Morant out of the lineup (calf strain), which adds to the questions about whether this team might test the trade market for him around February's deadline (they may test it, but the potential returns likely will disappoint them). Also, who had the Zach Edey breakout game on their bingo card?
20. Chicago Bulls
(9-10, last week No. 17)
There are some reasons to be optimistic in Chicago for the long term. Matas Buzelis has taken a big step forward in his second season and is averaging 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, both of which are well improved from a season ago. Then there is Ayo Dosunmu, who is averaging a career-best 15.6 points a game and is shooting 47.8% from 3-point range. That depth is not translating to wins on the court, however, with the Bulls having dropped three in a row and 9-of-12.
21. Portland Trail Blazers
(8-12, last week No. 20)
After a fast 5-3 start to the season (with one of those wins being the only dent in OKC's record), Portland has gone 2-9 with a below-average offense and a bottom-10 defense over that stretch. Coach Tiago Splitter is searching for lineups that work, which is why Shaedon Sharpe has been coming off the bench in the two games since returning from injury, with two-way player Sidy Cissoko continuing to start because he is showing chemistry with Deni Avdija.
22. Dallas Mavericks
(6-15, last week No. 24)
In recent weeks, Cooper Flagg has looked every bit the unquestioned No. 1 pick we have all expected. He stumbled a little out of the gate this season, asked to play out of position as a point forward and initiate the offense, and the result was that in his first 10 games, Flagg averaged 13.9 points per game on 40.3% shooting. However, moved to his natural spot on the wing of late, Flagg has started to look like the guy we expected, averaging 20.2 points a game on 48.1% shooting in his last five. That includes scoring 35 against the Clippers, becoming the youngest player ever to score 35 in an NBA game (passing LeBron James, who is the only other player to score 35 while not yet turning 19).
23. Charlotte Hornets
(6-14, last week No. 25)
Miles Bridges had high praise for Kon Knueppel: "He's been great for us. He's been our best player this year." The rookie is averaging 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc — he deserves the praise. That said, Bridges has been the best Hornets player all season, averaging 22.4 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. It was the combination of those two — 35 points from Bridges, 20 from Knueppel — that had Charlotte snapping the Raptors' win streak.
24. Utah Jazz
(6-13, last week No. 23)
The Jazz are 3-9 against teams with an above .500 record this season, but are a respectable 2-3 against teams below that mark, which includes a win against the Kings last week. The latest trade rumor is that Utah is looking to add at the trade deadline, not move on from Lauri Markkanen. Maybe. However, with their first-round pick owed to OKC but top-eight protected (Utah would currently enter the draft lottery ninth and have a 79.7% chance of losing their pick), a decision on this team's direction this season and beyond is looming.
25. Indiana Pacers
(4-16, last week No. 29)
The Pacers helped their cause with a couple of wins last week, knocking off the Wizards and then the Bulls. Both of those wins came after Rick Carlisle moved Jay Huff into the starting center spot, and he scored a combined 26 points in those games and, more importantly, had four blocks in each of those games. He may have unlocked a little something in Indy.
26. Sacramento Kings
(5-16, last week No. 27)
This is where things are in Sacramento: Kings fans were hyped on X that their team outscored the Grizzlies in the first quarter on Sunday, 35-31, because it was the first time in 10 games they had not trailed after 12 minutes. The other thing that has summed up Sacramento is that they brought in Dennis Schroder to be a stopgap after having to trade away De'Aaron Fox, but the German lost his starting spot to Russell Westbrook — and the Kings have a 124.5 defensive rating when he is on the court this season (that would be the worst in the league for a team).
27. Los Angeles Clippers
(5-15, last week No. 21)
The Clippers were 2-9 without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup, but since his return things have not gotten better — they are 0-4 since he re-entered the lineup, including dropping games to Memphis and Dallas. There are a lot of issues for Tyronn Lue to fix — the 28th-ranked defense tops that list — but one area of focus needs to be that the Clippers are one of the worst second-half teams in the league. The Clippers have a -11.5 net rating in the second half of games (-11 in the third quarter and -11.9 in the fourth). Ivica Zubac put it this way: "Every second half, we don't come out right. We're not playing the right way. It feels a little bit mental."
28. New Orleans Pelicans
(3-18, last week No. 28)
Watching the Pelicans in person, one thing leaps out: Derik Queen is going to be very good (that doesn't justify the process or price to land him, but that's not on the rookie). While he needs to polish his skills, he has a great touch, fantastic court vision, knows how to draw contact on drives, and hustles. With little else going well in New Orleans, coach James Borrego is focused on developing the young talent, such as Queen and Jeremiah Fears. "This is a process of learning, exploring, seeing what lineups, giving guys opportunities to grow, to lean into mistakes, to take risks, to fail, to succeed. That's all part of growth. That's life," Borrego said. "So these are wonderful moments for our young guys to experience. And obviously, it might ding you a little bit in the result column, but in the process column, it's wonderful. It's beautiful watching these guys go through it."
29. Brooklyn Nets
(3-16, last week No. 26)
This team misses Cam Thomas (still out with a hamstring strain). Michael Porter Jr. is doing his best, averaging 24.3 points per game this season, but he has missed the last two games with a back issue, and this team struggles mightily to score without him. The Nets are 0-9 at home and 1-13 against teams over .500.
30. Washington Wizards
(2-16, last week No. 30)
The Wizards snapped their 14-game losing streak by beating the Hawks, behind a 46-point night from C.J. McCollum. While he can dial up some games like that still, his 11 points against the Pacers in the next game were a reminder of his and this roster's inconsistency. Washington will face Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston and Atlanta this week.
