NBA Notebook: Power rankings after week 1

With so much turnover across the NBA this offseason, there was plenty of mystery surrounding all 30 teams heading into the opening week of the season. While acknowledging the usual caveats of a small sample size, let's take stock of some surprises and disappointments across the association after Week 1 and decide on an early pecking order.

30. Chicago Bulls (0-2): The worst team in the league from a talent perspective didn’t get much help last week when their two best power forwards (Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis) got into a fight in practice. Portis threw a punch and was suspended for eight games by the team, while Mirotic will be out for at least a month with a facial fracture. In a related story, they’ve lost their first two games by an average of 13.5 points.

29. Phoenix Suns (0-3): On paper, there is more talent here than last season but the lack of defense being played by this group is laughable. The guards (Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe) aren’t carrying their weight while the rest of the roster is littered with inexperience outside of Tyson Chandler. They are allowing an average of 128 points per game so far and have lost by 35+ points twice already.

28. New York Knicks (0-2): Kristaps Porzingis (32.5 ppg) is giving Knicks fans something to be excited about. The rest of this roster? Not so much. Joakim Noah is suspended for the first 12 games of the season but his return shouldn’t keep this team out of the East cellar for most of the year.

27. Dallas Mavericks (0-3): Dennis Smith Jr. was living up to the preseason hype in the regular season opener but a left knee injury has kept him on the shelf since. Since this roster didn’t make any meaningful upgrades outside of him this offseason, they have been overmatched by loaded Western Conference opponents.

26. Los Angeles Lakers (1-1): They outlasted one of the worst teams in the league (Phoenix) on Friday night but the lack of reliable shooting is going to be an issue all year long in la, la land. Lonzo Ball (near triple-double against Phoenix) is going to fill up the box score though as the losses pile up.

25. Philadelphia 76ers (0-3): It felt like a playoff atmosphere at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night for the home opener but it’s unclear how a lot of intriguing young pieces are going to fit together here. The veterans (Jerryd Bayless, J.J. Redick, Amir Johnson) aren’t good enough to win you games and when Joel Embiid rests, things could get ugly (as they did Saturday night in Toronto).

24. Sacramento Kings (1-2): Impressive balance by this squad early as six players are averaging double-digit points over the first three games. Unfortunately, none of them are scoring more than 14 PPG. De’Aaron Fox (13-5-5) has been a nice surprise early but there isn't a go-to offensive talent in this group.

23. Indiana Pacers (1-2): Defense is going to be optional for this crew all year long as they try to push the pace under Nate McMillan. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis have actually had strong starts, but there is not enough outside shooting here to consistently outscore teams (28 percent shooting from 3-point range in first three games).

22. Brooklyn Nets (1-1): A devastating blow to the start the season as Jeremy Lin went down for the year with a knee injury in the opener. However, D’Angelo Russell has embraced Kenny Atkinson’s uptempo offense and there is more perimeter depth in place now to spread the floor.

21. Atlanta Hawks (1-1): This will be one of the worst teams in the East this year, but Dennis Schroder should get enough of a green light on offense to make an All-Star case for himself. He’s averaging 26.5 points and 6.0 assists per game already while putting up an incredibly efficient 51% FG.

20. New Orleans Pelicans (0-2): Another year, another set of injuries out of the gate for the Pelicans. It’s Rajon Rondo (out 4-6 weeks with a sports hernia) this time around and the team signed free agent point guard Jameer Nelson to help captain the offense in his absence on Saturday.

19. Orlando Magic (2-1): How about a road win for the Magic in Cleveland without a pair of starters active (Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon)? It’s too early to get excited since they also lost to the Nets this week but Frank Vogel seems to be getting much more out of this roster in his second year at the helm. Nikola Vucevic (27.7 ppg, 68% FG) has been putting on a show thus far.

18. Detroit Pistons (2-1): Avery Bradley has had a strong shooting start to the season (50% 3-pt) but was expecting him to be more of an offensive contributor out of the gate (12.2 ppg). Lots of shoot-first players in Detroit could make it tough for Bradley to have another breakout season.

17. Charlotte Hornets (1-1): Without Nicolas Batum in the lineup for at least another month, this group is going to have to rely on its defense to win most nights. Dwight Howard’s presence in the middle (15 ppg, 15 rpg) will need to remain consistent for them to tread enough water to stay in East playoff hunt until Batum returns.

16. Portland Trail Blazers (2-1): Old friend Evan Turner looks much more comfortable in year two in the Pacific northwest (13.3 ppg, 4.3 apg) as he has returned to being a legitimate weapon as a sixth man off the bench. Keep an eye on local product Pat Connaughton since he’s emerged as a sharpshooting weapon (53.8 3-pt%) off the bench.

15. Miami Heat (1-1): Celtics fans probably want to know how Kelly Olynyk is doing in South Beach, but how about Jordan Mickey getting the start at power forward Saturday night? The third-year forward posted eight points and six minutes in just 13 minutes in a 112-108 win and looks like a guy that could have helped the C’s this year on the depth front.

14. LA Clippers (2-0): Don’t get too excited by this start just yet. Blake Griffin looks great and the new parts seem to fit, but they’ve also played two of the worst teams in the league (Suns, Lakers) in their blowout wins.

13. Denver Nuggets (1-1): There was an influx of talent to the Rockies this offseason with Paul Millsap, but it looks like there is going to be an adjustment period for Nikola Jokic playing in the frontcourt with him. The young center has scored just seven points in the first two games while attempting only 12 shots.

12. Boston Celtics (1-2): This could be a season-low spot in the rankings for these guys with the returns of Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart on the horizon but there is no denying the talent drop off this team is dealing with right now, particularly on the second unit. That issue goes away soon, even with Gordon Hayward out for the year.

11. Utah Jazz (2-1): The Jazz may have lost Hayward, but the return of a healthy Alec Burks and Derrick Favors have worked wonders for this group, helping them earn a pair of wins over likely playoff teams in Denver and Oklahoma City. Donovan Mitchell continues to look like the steal of the draft outside of the lottery.

10. Milwaukee Bucks (2-1): The MVP candidacy of Giannis Antetokounmpo got an early boost during week one. How does 38 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and 5.0 apg on 67% FG. If Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon continue to develop, the Bucks could make a push for one of the top spots in the East.

9. Memphis Grizzlies (2-0): A win over the defending champions will get you some notice in the early season power rankings. Marc Gasol looks incredibly healthy and even though his supporting cast with Mike Conley is full of no-names, head coach David Fitzdale seems to have found the right formula to push this group towards a playoff spot in the West.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1): Andrew Wiggins, not Jimmy Butler, has been doing the offensive heavy lifting for the Wolves over the first few games. He’s posted 23.5 ppg, while Butler is still finding his offensive footing in his new home (12.5 ppg).

7. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1): Russell Westbrook has not been shy about sacrificing shots for his new All-Star teammates. The defending MVP is averaging just 11.5 attempts per game, more than a 50 percent drop from last year.

6. Toronto Raptors (2-0): C.J. Miles may end up being one of the most underrated acquisitions of the offseason in the East. The veteran swingman has helped spread the floor more for the Raptors immediately with his high volume 3-point shooting. He’s averaging 3.5 makes from downtown in just 18 minutes per game.

5. Washington Wizards (2-0): This group will be shorthanded for the first month with Markieff Morris (sports hernia) sidelined, but it’s still going to be tough for opponents to slow down this backcourt (John Wall and Bradley Beal averaging a combined 52 ppg). The bench unit remains underwhelming but Kelly Oubre Jr. (9.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg) has made a nice early leap filling in for Morris.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1): The new-look Cavs can’t really afford more injuries to their backcourt but Derrick Rose has already gone down with a sprained ankle. Ty Lue was forced to start Jose Calderon in a blowout home loss to the Magic on Saturday night and with Dwyane Wade unable to find an offensive role early, even more pressure is going to be on LeBron James to carry this group nightly.

3. San Antonio Spurs (2-0): LaMarcus Aldridge followed up a contract extension with the Spurs with arguably his best week in San Antonio to date. He’s been an all-around force (26.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.5 apg) which has helped stabilize the lineup with Kawhi Leonard on the shelf. Rudy Gay (13.0 ppg) has adapted well to a sixth man role in his new home too.

2. Houston Rockets (3-0): This may be a little bit too high for Houston after news surfaced that Chris Paul (bruised knee) could miss up to a month with an injury, but there is enough firepower still in place here that it won’t matter. Any time you can steal a road win in Golden State, it pushes you towards the top of a crowded West pack.

1. Golden State Warriors (1-2): Steve Kerr believes this group is still in training camp mode and it’s hard to deny it with the defense they’ve played in the opening three games. Is it time to worry? Of course not. However, it’s clear the regular season just isn’t a huge priority for these guys right now and I can’t blame them for that given how easily they rolled through the postseason last year.