Forrest Gump's mother once said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Well, that's actually total B.S., because all you have to do is look at the box and it tells you exactly what chocolates you're going to get. The NBA, on the other hand, is truly unpredictable -- especially early in the season.
Raise your hand if you had the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards pegged as three of the league's best teams prior to the opening week. Now raise your hand if you thought the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers would be among the NBA's worst. Hands down, Laker fans.
This is what makes the beginning of the season so much fun. You have to throw out your preexisting biases and expectations because the performances speak for themselves. The Blazers and Jazz are two of the three four-win teams in the league, and we can only judge them based on what they've done. So please keep that in mind when you're looking at the first in-season edition of the Power Rankings for 2022-23. Things will change from week to week, but as of now there are surprises throughout the list -- and it's hard to say that's a bad thing.
*Please keep in mind that our NBA Power Rankings are based on weekly performance, not the whole season.
Biggest Movers
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Jazz
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76ers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | The league's only remaining undefeated team checks in at No. 1 in the first edition of the rankings, and it's admirable how they've taken care of business without the services of Khris Middleton. Of course it helps that they have this guy named Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has put up 36 points, 13 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game so far. Brook Lopez looks healthy and has been a shot-blocking machine, racking up a ridiculous 13 rejections in three games. | 5 | 49-33 |
| 2 |  | The Blazers have been one of the best stories in the league to open the young season, as they raced out to a 4-0 start before losing to the Heat in a game in which Damian Lillard suffered a calf injury. Prior to that, he was off to a tremendous start, putting up 31 points and 4.6 assists per game on 39 percent 3-point shooting. More importantly, the defense looks quicker, longer and more athletic thanks to moves dating back to last season, which is necessary for Portland to compete in the West. | 18 | 21-61 |
| 3 |  | Many predicted a downturn for the Suns this season, but they've started off strong with a plus-11.4 net rating with wins over the Mavericks, Clippers and Warriors. Devin Booker has been simply unstoppable, putting up 32.5 points on 53/48/88 shooting splits in four games. Any chemistry issues involving Deandre Ayton seem to be moot to start the year, with the big man averaging 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds -- helping to make up for Chris Paul's inauspicious early shooting numbers. | 2 | 49-33 |
| 4 |  | Despite blowing a 19-point lead in a loss to the Bulls on Monday, the Celtics have picked up right where they left off after last season's second-half dominance and Finals appearance. The offense has looked great so far, led by Jayson Tatum's blistering start of 32.5 points per game on 56/38/90 shooting splits. One possible early warning sign is the defense, which has allowed 120 points in each of its last two games. | 1 | 64-18 |
| 5 |  | The Grizzlies have a big blip on their radar (a 41-point loss to Dallas), but outside of that they've been perfect, with wins over the Knicks, Rockets, Nets and Kings. Ja Morant apparently did not get worse over the summer, in case you were wondering. All the fourth-year guard is doing is putting up 32.6 points and 6.8 assists per game on 53/57/88 shooting splits through four games. Decent. Desmond Bane has been almost as impressive in his role, netting 22.6 points per game on 47 percent 3-point shooting. The Grizzlies continue to find ways to win with plug-and-play starters like Santi Aldama and John Konchar, so we'll continue to shower praise on Taylor Jenkins and his staff. | 5 | 27-55 |
| 6 |  | Ladies and gentlemen, your 4-1 Utah Jazz -- and these wins weren't over some slouches. They rattled off consecutive wins over the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Pelicans to start the season before losing to the Rockets on a back-to-back following an overtime game. Utah avenged that loss by beating Houston two days later. Lauri Markkanen has led the team in scoring, but it's been a complete effort from the entire roster -- from Jordan Clarkson to Mike Conley to Kelly Olynyk to Collin Sexton. They may not win 80 percent of their games for the rest of the season, but they're going to be competitive unless/until the front office breaks them up. | 20 | 31-51 |
| 7 |  | The Pelicans have been one of the more impressive teams of the early season, with their only loss coming by a single point, in overtime, after being forced to finish without Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson. When those two have been on the court with CJ McCollum, New Orleans has been absolutely dominant with a ridiculous plus-42.4 net rating in 39 minutes. It may be at least a few games until we see the trio again due to a couple of injuries, but the Pelicans look very dangerous when healthy. | 7 | 49-33 |
| 8 |  | Darius Garland has been on the floor for all of 13 minutes this season due to an eye injury, so the Cavs have to be thrilled with their 3-1 start. As you would expect, Donovan Mitchell has taken on lead scoring and playmaking duties, putting up 28.5 points and 7.3 assists per game. The improved defense that helped the Cavs take a leap last season has been there again to start the year, allowing just 102 points per 100 possessions. | 7 | 48-34 |
| 9 |  | Break up the Wizards. The defense has been excellent to start the season, which deserves much of the credit for their 3-1 record. Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma (the team's leading scorer) are still figuring out the chemistry, but the pieces seem to fit together if everyone can stay healthy. Denver imports Monte Morris and Will Barton have each shot better than 50 percent from 3-point range so far. | 13 | 15-67 |
| 10 |  | Though their wins haven't come against the league's heavy hitters, the Knicks are 3-1 to open the season, with their only loss coming in overtime to the Grizzlies. Jalen Brunson has been worth his offseason contract thus far, delivering 20 points, 8.5 assists and just 1.5 turnovers per game while hitting 41 percent of his 3-pointers, including some clutch ones along the way. He and Julius Randle have led the Knicks to a top-five offensive rating to start the season, and that's with RJ Barrett shooting the ball extremely poorly. | 11 | 50-32 |
| 11 |  | Granted they haven't faced the stiffest competition, but the new-look Hawks are 3-1 on the early season and the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray pairing seems to be doing just fine. Atlanta is outscoring opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions with both of them on the court, with a stingy defensive rating of 104.2, but we'll see how that holds up against stronger offenses. John Collins has also gotten off to a great start, averaging 19 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. | 2 | 36-46 |
| 12 |  | Coming into the season as a potential title contender, the Nuggets have been uneven to start the season. They lost to the Jazz on opening night and got blown out by the Blazers, but they also have a road win over the defending champion Warriors in addition to the Thunder and Lakers. Jamal Murray is still on a minutes restriction, so it's going to take some time to reincorporate him and Michael Porter Jr., along with a host of new faces. Nikola Jokic is nearly averaging a triple-double with 22.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game while shooting 66 percent from the floor, so certainly no complaints about the reigning two-time MVP. | 5 | 57-25 |
| 13 |  | Defense and the second unit have been the weak spots for the Warriors early this season, though both looked better in Thursday's win over the Heat. Steph Curry has been marvelous, averaging almost 31 points, six rebounds and six assists while hitting 47 percent of his nearly 12 3-point attempts per game. Just silly stuff. Andrew Wiggins has ridden the momentum he created with a great playoff run, putting up 20.2 points and seven rebounds per game thus far. Golden State has stayed afloat with Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson both having rough shooting starts, which means they should be due to explode some time soon. | 12 | 46-36 |
| 14 |  | If you threw down a few Slovenian tolars on Luka Doncic winning MVP this season, you're probably smiling right now. The 23-year-old guard has been breathtaking, averaging 36.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game -- and he hasn't even started making 3-pointers yet. The Mavericks are 2-2, but their losses to the Suns and Pelicans were by two points each. Christian Wood has looked like a great addition so far and seems to be making the most of his sixth man role, putting up 21 points and eight rebounds per game. He and Spencer Dinwiddie seemingly haven't missed a 3-pointer all season and, along with Tim Hardaway Jr., they're picking up the slack left by Jalen Brunson's departure. | 2 | 50-32 |
| 15 |  | Chicago has started off the season with wins over the Heat, Celtics and Pacers, while losing to the Cavs and Wizards. The Bulls showed resolve by coming back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Celtics on Monday, with DeMar DeRozan scoring 25 points in the process. Zach LaVine has found the 3-point stroke since coming back from more knee trouble to start the season, averaging 23.3 points on 58 percent from deep. Filling in admirably for Lonzo Ball in the starting lineup, Ayo Dosunmu has averaged 12.6 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists per game on 45 percent 3-point shooting. | 2 | 39-43 |
| 16 |  | The Raptors have navigated a pretty difficult opening schedule by beating the Cavs and 76ers, while splitting two games with the Heat and losing to the Nets. Pascal Siakam has looked incredible to start the season, averaging 25.2 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Gary Trent Jr. has been unconscious from deep, knocking down 41 percent of his nearly 10 3-point attempts per game. He's only been outdone by his teammate, Fred VanVleet, who's hitting 48 percent from beyond the arc. | 4 | 25-57 |
| 17 |  | The Spurs have an odd mix of journeyman veterans and unproven young talent, and it's ... kind of working? They beat two teams expected to be legitimate contenders in their conferences, the 76ers and Wolves, in consecutive games, and sit at 3-2 to start the season. Keldon Johnson has led the way with 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on 40 percent 3-point shooting, while old reliable Jakob Poeltl just continues to be a double-double machine. Josh Richardson, Devin Vassell and Doug McDermott have all lit it up from 3-point range to start the season as well. | 13 | 22-60 |
| 18 |  | Thanks to what looked like a favorable schedule, the Wolves had a real chance to open the season at 5-0. Instead they suffered home losses to the Jazz and Spurs. The defense that Rudy Gobert was supposed to help fix has been mediocre so far, but there's obviously a long way to go. Karl-Anthony Towns, whose numbers are down, is clearly still navigating his role alongside Gobert, and Anthony Edwards has scored at least 30 points in three of the first five games -- in the other two, however, he scored 20 points total and went 2 for 15 from 3-point range. | 7 | 56-26 |
| 19 |  | The reigning No. 1 seed in the East hasn't quite gotten its footing yet this season with a 2-4 record. Offense has been difficult to generate, despite Jimmy Butler's usual production of 22.6 points and five assists per game. Part of the reason for the futility could be Tyler Herro's relative struggles -- he's shooting just 44 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from the 3-point line -- but we know this team will continue to defend and play hard, and they've proven time and time again that those things will eventually translate to wins. | 10 | 46-36 |
| 20 |  | We knew load management would cost the Clippers some wins, and it already has with consecutive losses to the Thunder. Kawhi Leonard has only played in two of the five games so far, averaging just over 20 minutes. Paul George also missed a game, and then didn't look right when he returned on Thursday night. Players like Norm Powell were supposed to pick up the slack when the stars were unable to play, but he's struggled so far, averaging just 9.8 points per game while shooting 16 percent from 3-point range. The Clippers have a lot to figure out, but the good news is that John Wall looks ready to contribute in a meaningful way. | 18 | 51-31 |
| 21 |  | Not the way that Steve Nash wanted his team to come out of the box after a turbulent summer. The Nets have the worst defensive rating in the NBA after their 1-4 start, and their offense -- which is supposed to be their saving grace with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving -- is in the bottom half of the league. Ben Simmons looks understandably rusty and will surely garner a lot of negative attention, but one man cannot fix Brooklyn's problems. Durant and Irving have combined to average nearly 65 points per game, and it simply hasn't been enough. Seth Curry will come back at some point, but there just aren't a lot of answers on this roster. | 13 | 32-50 |
| 22 |  | Given their schedule and the injuries they've faced, the Hornets have played relatively well to start the season, with wins over the Spurs and Hawks and losses to the Pelicans and Knicks. Gordon Hayward has taken the scoring lead with LaMelo Ball missing all four games and Terry Rozier out for two, while Dennis Smith Jr. has been an amazing story, coming back from a dalliance with the NFL to average 13.5 points and 6.3 assists on 52 percent shooting. | 2 | 21-61 |
| 23 |  | OKC was winless on the year until the Clippers came to town, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped take down his former team in consecutive games. SGA has started the season brilliantly, averaging 29.3 points, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals in four games on 48/41/100 shooting splits. Josh Giddey put up 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and five assists in three games before an ankle injury, so if those two are ever on the court at the same time, the Thunder will stay competitive despite a rest of the roster that's in flux. | 6 | 57-25 |
| 24 |  | Perhaps the biggest early-season NBA surprise, the 76ers have looked rough while slogging out to a 1-4 start, including a shocking home loss to the Spurs. The pace is the slowest in the league and the transition defense has been atrocious, but all of that could be made up for if Joel Embiid were playing up to his lofty standards. Last season the Sixers had a plus-12.5 net rating with Embiid on the floor. This season, it's minus-two. James Harden has gotten off to a scorching start offensively, but it's clear that cohesion with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey has not yet coalesced. | 20 | 47-35 |
| 25 |  | The Rockets have faced a relatively difficult schedule to open the season, but they were able to come away with a win over the Jazz before losing to them two days later. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. have each averaged over 20 points, while Porter is also leading the team in assists and knocking down 40 percent of his 3-pointers. Alperen Sengun has missed the last two games, but he's averaging a double-double and while Jabari Smith Jr. has struggled shooting the ball to start the year, his talent on both ends is evident. | 2 | 41-41 |
| 26 |  | Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin comprise one of the most exciting young backcourts in the league, but it hasn't translated to wins yet for the Pacers. The defense has looked just as porous as it was to end last season, but rim-protector Myles Turner has only played one game after rolling his ankle on a ball boy before opening night -- he had four blocks in 24 minutes, by the way. Buddy Hield is off to a hot start, hitting 42 percent of his 3s as an audition for potential trade suitors down the road. | 3 | 47-35 |
| 27 |  | The Pistons beat the Magic on opening night, but haven't gotten into the win column since. The excitement of the young core is apparent, but it's going to take a while for them to figure out how to put it all together. Cade Cunningham has been up-and-down to start his second season, while rookie Jaden Ivey has been fantastic, averaging 16 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds on 43 percent 3-point shooting. Bojan Bogdanovic is looking like quite a steal, leading the team with 23.2 points per game on 51 percent 3-point shooting. | 2 | 14-68 |
| 28 |  | Those hopeful that this will be the year the Kings end their 16-year playoff drought had some wind taken out of their sails following an 0-4 start, but they can rest assured that it's still very early. Three of the losses were close, with Thursday's game against Memphis the only one that got out of hand. De'Aaron Fox has averaged over 30 points so far, but has also committed 4.3 turnovers per game compared to 5.8 assists. Keegan Murray has been a revelation in his young career, putting up 17.7 points per game on 51/42/100 splits. Domantas Sabonis seems to be a bit out of sorts in Mike Brown's offense, putting up just 13.5 points per game, but he has continued his excellent playmaking by leading the team with 6.3 assists per game. | 9 | 46-36 |
| 29 |  | The Lakers have been the most covered team in the NBA for all the wrong reasons. They're winless, are dead last in offensive efficiency by a mile, and to call the Russell Westbrook situation "volatile" would be far too kind. The silver lining is that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both averaging 24-plus points per game and that the 3-point shooting should at least improve marginally from the 22.3 percent mark they've notched thus far. Overall, however, there's just not much dynamism out there for Darvin Ham's squad, and the upcoming schedule isn't going to do the any favors. | 11 | 47-35 |
| 30 |  | The Magic don't LOOK like the league's only 0-5 team -- they've been competitive in pretty much every game -- but they haven't been able to pull one out just yet. No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is the real deal, averaging 24 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists through his first five games. Franz Wagner has also looked good, while both have picked up ball-handling and playmaking slack with Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony both missing some time. The Magic have an unconventional roster, to say the least, but the talent is there. It's just a matter of whether it will translate to wins. | 2 | 47-35 |
