The Emirates NBA Cup(formerly called the In-Season Tournament) was in full swing in week 4, and as a result, the games were ultra-competitive.
However, due to the plethora of injuries from multiple stars across the league, some perceived contenders have continued to struggle on the court. It was a jam-packed week in the association, with some teams having a 5-game slate.
Here are the grades for each NBA team after week 4 of action.
Which NBA teams had the best and worst grades after week 4?
Atlanta Hawks: C+ (Last Week: D)
The Hawks surprised essentially everybody in the league when they won a nailbiter against the Celtics to open week 5. They quickly followed it up with a swift beating to the Hawks before falling short to the Blazers. Have they turned the leaf, or was this just a fluke?
Boston Celtics: A (Last Week: A-)
The Celtics could have had a perfect week if it wasn’t for the pesky Hawks. The Bucks and Nets were no match for them, but they almost fell to the Raptors if it wasn’t for a controversial Jayson Tatum three-pointer to win the game and end the week.
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Brooklyn Nets: C- (Last Week: B-)
Another tough week for Brooklyn. To be fair, they were pitted against stronger teams, which made their week extra miserable. Losing back-to-back games against the Knicks truly made it worse for them. And for all those Ben Simmons hopefuls? Just root for another guy, please.
Charlotte Hornets: D (Last Week: B)
The Hornets had a 1-3 week, and their lone win was against the struggling Bucks. They were manhandled by the red-hot Cavs and were decimated properly by the Magic. In hindsight, this team might not even crack 30 wins this year.
Chicago Bulls: D- (Last Week: D)
The Bulls’ weekly NBA grade took a step back, and we were almost tempted to give them an F if it wasn’t for their surprising win against the Knicks. As for their other games? It was a snoozefest. They lost to the Rockets by 36 points to end the week. Yikes.
Also Read: Grading 30 NBA Teams’ After Week 3 Games Of The 2024-25
Cleveland Cavaliers: A+ (Last Week: A+)
15-0 start. YES. You read that right. It’s not just Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. It’s a collective effort from all of their starters, plus their bench. They are rolling right now, and nobody has stopped them yet.
Dallas Mavericks: C- (Last Week: C)
The Mavs seemingly can’t win any close games this season. Had they closed out their games, they would be 10-3, not 7-7. As the days pass by, it certainly looks like Klay Thompson’s best days are behind him. Maybe it’s time to bench him in favor of Naji Marshall. Just saying.
Denver Nuggets: B (Last Week: A)
For a couple of games this week without Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets have struggled and looked like a mediocre team. As a result, their weekly NBA grade has taken a hit, going from A to B. Jamal Murray continues to struggle with his shot, and Michael Porter Jr is hesitant to create off the dribble.
Detroit Pistons: B (Last Week: C)
The Pistons have gone 3-2 this week due to the strong play of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. While the Tobias Harris signing was clearly a dud, forward Malik Beasley has been performing well as the third-option scorer for this rebuilding team.
Golden State Warriors: A+ (Last Week: A)
3-0 slate for the Dubs. Plus, all were against playoff-caliber teams too. The astounding part is that Steph Curry isn’t too burdened to carry their offense. He isn’t shouldering as much of it as it was before. The young guys have started to step up and score the ball when needed.
Houston Rockets: A (Last Week: B+)
We’ve discussed before the season started that the Rockets are going to be good this season. So far, they have shown everybody just that. All the guys in their starting five are averaging double figures, and that is a testament to their willingness to move the ball instead of playing iso ball.
Indiana Pacers: B (Last Week: B)
The Pacers neither improved nor regressed in week 5, which is usually a bad sign for a team with championship aspirations. It’s quite baffling to see that Tyrese Haliburton cannot muster to have consecutive efficient games.
Los Angeles Clippers: D (Last Week: B)
It’s hard to support the Clippers. They’d be hot for a week, then go freezing cold the next. James Harden isn’t even their top guy with Kawhi Leonard out. It’s Norman Powell. Yeah. No jokes on that one. Not Ivica Zubac, either.
Los Angeles Lakers: A (Last Week: B-)
The Lakers were hot to start the season, then went cold, then went hot again. Anthony Davis is becoming a legitimate MVP candidate, and LeBron James continues to keep father time at bay. Rookie Dalton Knecht seems to have found his range in the pros after a stellar college career with Tennessee.
Memphis Grizzlies: B (Last Week: B+)
With Ja Morant nursing an injury, the Grizzlies are finding ways to grind out wins. Desmond Bane is slowly finding his groove after a long break from injury. Santi Aldama is balling for them right now at the power-forward spot.
Miami Heat: C (Last Week: B-)
Is Jimmy Butler no longer the all-star he was before? It certainly looks so by the way he’s played this year. As a result, the Heat are looking mediocre on the court. The Terry Rozier experiment has been a failure, and they won’t simply admit it.
Milwaukee Bucks: D (Last Week: F)
From F to D, the improvement for this Bucks team has been minimal. If a month of basketball can’t fix their woes, their future looks bleak. They haven’t had a good weekly grade since the NBA preseason games. Even with Giannis playing like a Greek god in a Bucks uniform, he still can’t get the water out fast enough to save his sinking ship.
Minnesota Timberwolves: A (Last Week: B+)
Have you seen Julius Randle’s three-point buzzer-beater to win the game against the Suns? That was sick. They even outlasted the Kings in overtime, including De’Aaron Fox’s 60-point explosion. The Wolves are finally starting to gel on the court.
New Orleans Pelicans: F (Last Week: D)
It’s difficult to put the right words for this Pelicans team. If healthy, they are arguably one of the top teams in the West. Well…they haven’t been fully healthy since Zion Williamson’s arrival in 2019. Three out of their five starters are out with an injury today. Such a sad state for this franchise.
New York Knicks: C (Last Week: B-)
If we could sum up the Knick’s performance this season in one word, it would be ‘underwhelming.’ We basically thought that with a revamped roster, they could possibly go toe to toe with all the best teams in the league, including the Celtics. One look at them, and they are still far from contender status.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B- (Last Week: B)
OKC’s weekly NBA grades have continued to regress and that’s mainly due to the absence of Chet Holmgren. Their center rotation today is nonexistent as all of their big men are down because of injuries. They have resorted to playing the 6-foot-5 Jalen Williams at the center spot.
Orlando Magic: A (Last Week: B)
No Paolo Banchero, no problem for the Magic. After his initial struggles as the main man for this team with their star out, Franz Wagner has morphed into an all-star caliber guy. His versatility on the court is showing and as a result, Orlando is on a five game winning streak right now.
Philadelphia 76ers: F (Last Week: F)
Is it time to wave the white flag? Joel Embiid looks a couple of steps slower, and Paul George seemingly left his game somewhere at the old Clippers facility. For the last couple of weeks, the best player on this team has been rookie Jared McCain.
Phoenix Suns: B (Last Week: A)
I’m still certain that the Suns’ hot start was not a fluke. After all, their mini slide in week 4 is a direct result of Kevin Durant’s newest injury. As good as Devin Booker is as a player, he is still a tier below KD in terms of overall gameplay.
Portland Trail Blazers: C (Last Week: F)
I’m not overly pessimistic, but the Blazers are playing good basketball right now. Shaedon Sharpe has channeled his inner Tracy McGrady in the last couple of games, resulting in big performances for the young guard. Donovan Clingan has been playing exceptionally well for them in the starting lineup. Is Deandre Ayton the real problem here?
Sacramento Kings: B (Last Week: B+)
How did the Kings lose to the Wolves despite the otherworldly performance of De’Aaron Fox? Well, the season is still young, and there are plenty of times for this squad to improve. As one of the healthiest teams in the league in terms of injury woes to their roster, the Kings should capitalize on their full roster rather than give up games due to a lack of effort.
San Antonio Spurs: C (Last Week: D)
Victor Wembanyama must have read our pleas to him about having a subpar season so far. After asking whether he’d be assertive on his game, he went on to drop a 50-piece chicken nugget on the Wizards. Eight threes from a 7 foot 4 guy is crazy.
Toronto Raptors: F (Last Week: F)
The Raptors are still dead last in the Eastern Conference standings after week 4. There’s no other way to sugarcoat it – they are playing horrendous right now. Gradey Dick’s shot has gone cold after a blazing start to this season.
Utah Jazz: D (Last Week: D)
The Jazz had a relatively bad week, except for their lone win against the struggling Mavericks. Aside from Lauri Markannen, it seems like all of the other players on the roster have regressed. We were tempted to give this NBA team an F grade this week, but a win is still a win.
Washington Wizards: F (Last Week: D)
The Wizards are taking the “No Win November” challenge too seriously. Even with a healthy roster, this team still finds ways to lose games one way or the other. Their prized rookie, Alex Sarr, is nearly unwatchable on the court. Kyle Kuzma is still jacking up shots for empty stats. Such a sad state for the fans of this franchise.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams’ Owners From WORST To FIRST For The 2024-25 Season
