Surprisingly, we’ve already navigated through about one-eighth (or the eighth-way point?) of the NBA season, given that teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder—and many others—have participated in over 12.5% of their scheduled games.
Those Thunder are truly remarkable. They maintain their winning streak, even when All-Star forward Jalen Williams is unavailable.
Credit Mark Daigneault, who arguably deserves the Coach of the Year award. And credit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP. Together, they’ve cultivated an admirable culture within the Oklahoma City team. Could we perhaps suggest that it reminds us of the harmonious relationship between Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan, or Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry?
Multiple championships are needed to join that level of conversation, but it is safe to say they are heading in the right direction.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
Who can rival them? The Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons are performing very strongly with only two losses each. The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, even considering some initial challenges, have managed to limit themselves to three losses, similar to the impressive Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Every game is an intense struggle in this NBA. Just consider Monday’s matchups, where we witnessed Desmond Bane’s buzzer-beating game-winning shot, Cade Cunningham’s remarkable 46-point performance during an overtime victory, and the Miami Heat surprisingly defeating the Cavs.
The natural order is emerging. The Chicago Bulls have returned to a more expected level, and only a few other teams are holding positions above .500. This emerging order also involves a somewhat regrettable bottom five, featuring teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Utah Jazz, whom we anticipated would be deliberately losing to secure better draft picks. And then there are the Indiana Pacers, dealing with a lot of player injuries. Luckily, they have control over their own draft pick. This isn’t the case for the New Orleans Pelicans, who traded theirs (unprotected), leading to their current rapid decline.
The pressure is mounting for several coaches. And speaking of pressure: Here are this week’s power rankings.
Previous rank: 30
Jordi Fernandez was among the initial coaches to attribute blame to himself for his team’s subpar performance. He stated, “It’s simply not good enough. We desire more, and we expect better. I’ll be the first to demand that. And if we don’t achieve it, I’m the one who has to take the responsibility first. I need to critically assess my own performance.”
Previous rank: 29
Similarly, Wizards coach Brian Keefe acknowledged his responsibility, saying, “It’s my responsibility to ensure that we play to a higher standard. We need to establish consistency at an elevated level. It’s all about building on positive habits. That’s the most critical aspect for us moving forward. Stacking consecutive good days and good habits.”
Previous rank: 27
Rick Carlisle is trying to keep his team together, stating, “We have to discover positives and emphasize them. We need to stay engaged in the fight. This is a particularly challenging segment of games, with a lot of travel. There are excuses readily available. But this is a period where we can truly unite and become stronger if we fight alongside each other.”
Previous rank: 28
Willie Green accepts accountability, noting, “When you accept these roles, this comes with it. There’s no way to evade it. When the team doesn’t perform well or have the desired start, I am front and center, and it is my responsibility to continually assist these players in getting back on track.”
Previous rank: 24
One of the ongoing humorous aspects of the game is Will Hardy’s candor regarding his struggling Jazz. He stated, “It’s yet another occasion where the game slipped away in a brief period. This time, it occurred within the initial six minutes. … It becomes a difficult game to participate in when you’re trailing by 28 at the conclusion of the first quarter.”
Previous rank: 23
An anonymous scout offered a harsh assessment of LaMelo Ball to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, stating, “Yes, he possesses talent, but he doesn’t approach basketball with sufficient seriousness. It’s difficult to build a winning team with him due to his style of play and the liberties he takes for himself during games.” Ouch, that is harsh.
Previous rank: 22
What’s the issue with the Kings? Rookie Maxime Raynaud stated, “I believe there are numerous factors.” Coach Doug Christie put it more directly, saying, “Just unacceptable. We have to ensure that we can contain the basketball. Allowing sixty points in the paint is excessive. We have to improve, and we will.”
Previous rank: 20
Dirk Nowitzki expressed, “I feel sympathy for my Mavs fans. This has been a disastrous beginning. Clearly, there’s a gap at the point guard and playmaking positions… regarding shot creation and shot making. They struggle to shoot, can’t create plays… and no one can make shots. It’s been difficult to watch.”
Previous rank: 14
How does Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo feel about his team, now that Ja Morant has returned after his one-game suspension for showing insubordination? He stated plainly: “Our offense, both player and ball movement, is very stagnant, and that’s something we need to rectify.”
Previous rank: 8
The veteran Clippers seem to be struggling to find their footing. Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t mince his words, saying, “We need to improve everything. Passing, dribbling, shooting, finishing at the rim. We need to work on everything to improve so we can win games.”
Previous rank: 18
Jamahl Mosley’s Magic are maintaining their confidence. He said, “Lulls occur. They happen throughout a season. Ours simply appears to be happening right now. As we progress, we’re getting it out of the way early, so we understand how to rectify issues as we advance through the season.”
Previous rank: 21
Meanwhile, in Boston, coach Joe Mazzulla is playing machine gun sounds during practices. Derrick White described it as, “The soundtrack was insane. And he insisted, ‘Play the music,’ and suddenly, you feel like you’re in a real war zone. It was unbelievable.” That is one way to describe it.
Previous rank: 25
Darko Rajaković stated, “We demonstrated glimpses of how we can be aggressive offensively and score in transition. All of those are positive aspects. Everything else, from playmaking, organization, spacing, making shots, all of that is part of the process.”
Previous rank: 17
Luke Kennard spoke about the Hawks, who have a 4-2 record in Trae Young’s absence, saying, “Just moving the ball, moving bodies. With his absence, we need to continue to play collectively, play fast, remain ourselves, avoid overthinking, and continue to play the right way and play together.”
Previous rank: 19
Deni Avdija said: “Opponents can’t compete against us; they can’t play on our level. We’re tough, aggressive, talented, young, fast, and on the rise. There’s something special in Portland, and we’re steadily improving. I believe the future holds great promise.”
Previous rank: 26
Jalen Green is injured once again, but Jordan Ott isn’t allowing his Suns to succumb to it, stating, “It’s challenging to remain healthy for 82 games. We’ll face more challenges, but we won’t make any excuses. This team won’t offer excuses. We lace up our shoes, go out, and play. The objective is to discover a method to beat the opposing team by a single point.”
Previous rank: 12
Paul George remains sidelined, and Joel Embiid’s involvement is still limited, but Andre Drummond stated, “We are a solid team. I believe we simply need to continue figuring things out. We have players returning from injury. So, once we’re at full strength, I believe we’ll be a formidable team to contend with.”
Previous rank: 16
Josh Giddey, whose Bulls have suffered three consecutive losses, stated, “We lack that definitive go-to player whom we consistently pass the ball to for isolation plays.” Billy Donovan added, “That’s just how we’re structured. Opponents won’t focus on preventing specific players from receiving the ball. We’ll need to generate our own opportunities and support.”
Previous rank: 13
Miami’s distinctive, fast-paced style was influenced by their first-round playoff defeat to the Cavaliers last season. Erik Spoelstra described it as “embarrassing.” “And credit should be given to Cleveland for that. It sparked a lot of reflection, leading us to believe that we needed to improve and approach things differently.”
Previous rank: 4
The Warriors have lost four of their last six games, and coach Steve Kerr commented, “We’re clearly not performing very well. However, I have great confidence in this team. We’ll get to where we need to be. I can envision the team and the type of team we’ll become, but we haven’t fully established our identity yet.”
Previous rank: 11
Ant Edwards is back, and Julius Randle stated, “We’re only going as far as he takes us. We need to assist him in regaining his rhythm and integrating back into everything.” Similarly, Chris Finch added, “He’s our leading light, and he must be aggressive and genuine to himself. That’s what we require.”
Previous rank: 15
Giannis Antetokounmpo shared his mental approach, stating, “We handed them the game. But we have another opportunity. That’s the great thing about the NBA. Regardless of whether you win or lose, there’s another game tomorrow, another chance to redeem yourself. But this is a must-win situation. We can’t afford to lose two consecutive games.”
Previous rank: 6
Even after a dominant win over the Wizards, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson recognized, “We’re not at the same level we were last year; I believe we’re still in the process of discovering ourselves.” He mentioned that Darius Garland’s health is a contributing factor, and “Evan [Mobley] is still trying to find his niche, to be honest.”
Previous rank: 5
Mike Brown stated, “Yes, we possess talent. Regardless of our actions on the court, we’ll have the ability to score. But you utilize the regular season to prepare for the postseason. If you simply play the wrong way and still win, it won’t benefit us later on.”
Previous rank: 10
There are some inquiries regarding how LeBron James will integrate with the Lakers’ success, but Luka Dončić isn’t concerned. He stated, “The offense has the potential to be much better. LeBron is returning, although I’m uncertain when, but I feel there’s still significant room for improvement in our offense.”
Previous rank: 7
With Amen Thompson also making strides, Rockets center Alperen Şengün wisely stated, “Kevin [Durant] can have an off night, I can have an off night, but we’re confident that someone will step up. We have so much talent on the team, and everyone comes prepared to win each night.”
Previous rank: 9
Cade Cunningham commented, “It’s been a challenging journey, filled with highs and lows. It’s still early. I’m not arrogant because we’re 8-2. I believe this is something we all desire, but we’re aiming for something greater. So we just want to remain humble and continue working.”
Previous rank: 3
As De’Aaron Fox stated, “I’m skilled at basketball,” and he’s back in San Antonio, where Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised his impressive debut, saying, “He’s dynamic. He’s demonstrated this numerous times throughout his career. It’s great to have him back on the court, and we hope to continue building upon this.”
Previous rank: 2
Nuggets coach David Adelman rightfully described Nikola Jokić as “the most efficient basketball player I’ve ever witnessed.” “And I acknowledge that there were players from the past whom I didn’t have the opportunity to see, but please point out someone else who plays with this level of efficiency on offense.”
Previous rank: 1
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stated, somewhat ominously, “It feels like we’re an improved team. We’ve had a year to improve, learn about each other on and off the court, and it feels like we’ve had a head start this season. And, honestly, we’re dealing with some injuries. We’re definitely a better team.”
