The NBA season has finally started and there is lots of excitement this year around the league. A good number of stars have teamed up and changed cities to challenge the Denver Nuggets’ reign at the top.
Some young teams such as the Orlando Magic, the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to make some serious strides this season while revamped contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns remain a threat to everybody in the league.
Today, we will be ranking all 30 NBA teams after week 1. There are some surprises in this list so let’s get into it.
Atlanta Hawks: D-
It seems like a full training camp under coach Quin Snyder didn’t do wonders for this struggling Hawks team. They lost their first two games of the season against the lowly Charlotte Hornets and the surging New York Knicks. Plus, Trae Young’s jump shots aren’t falling the way they used to.
Boston Celtics: A+
The newly looked Boston Celtics are quickly establishing themselves as an early favorite to win it all in just the first week of NBA action after they won a couple of games against playoff-caliber teams. Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White are balling for them right now. Jrue Holiday is also playing well for the Celtics.
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Brooklyn Nets: D
Brooklyn could’ve easily gone 2-0 had they executed well in the clutch. They lost to the Cavs by just one point and their morale was understandably deflated when Mavericks star Luka Doncic hit a ridiculous three-point shot to sink the Nets. On a side note, Cam Thomas is a certified baller.
Charlotte Hornets: C-
After suffering a blowout loss against the mighty Celtics in the opener, Charlotte bounced back and beat the Hawks in their second game. This young Hornets team has looked good on stretches but their young star, LaMelo Ball has struggled with his shot so far.
Chicago Bulls: C-
Chicago got a nice come-from-behind win against the Toronto Raptors in OT to boost their confidence but they expectedly fell flat against Minnesota despite 51 points from Zach Lavine. This is a mediocre team at its best.
Cleveland Cavaliers: C
The Cavaliers lost 2 out of 3 games to start their season. Their losses could be attributed to Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland’s absences due to injuries. Donovan Mitchell has played superbly to start the season.
Dallas Mavericks: A-
There are still some inconsistency problems with Dallas especially on the defensive end but we are starting to see the Luka-Kyrie pairing thrive on the floor. Doncic is already looking like a prime candidate to win MVP this season while Irving has finally felt comfortable in his role within the team.
Denver Nuggets: A+
After a summer of worry that Jokic’s play may have taken down a notch due to the partying and the horse races he attended while vacationing in his native Serbia, every bit of concern was quickly wiped out at the start of the season. Jokic is probably the NBA’s best player right now.
Detroit Pistons: B+
Detroit could’ve easily gone 3-0 had they held on the lead against the Miami Heat in their season opener. Cunningham has been a force after missing a lot of time last year. It proves that a coaching change might swing the fortunes of a struggling franchise.
Golden State Warriors: B+
Curry is currently adjusting to his new role as the team’s shooting guard now that Chris Paul runs the point for the Warriors. They had a nice win against the up-and-coming Sacramento Kings where Curry went supernova and showed everybody that he’s still one of the best players in the league today.
Houston Rockets: D-
Brooks and VanVleet’s addition to this team didn’t really move any needle for them to start the season. Losing to Orlando and San Antonio to start the year is not the right step toward success. Sengun has played great for them despite the losses.
Indiana Pacers: A+
Indiana started their season with a bang. They blew out the lowly Wizards and the Cavaliers, winning both games by more than double digits. This young Pacers team plays fast and moves the ball frequently to score efficiently on the floor.
Los Angeles Clippers: C+
Leonard and George are finally healthy enough to play for the Clippers. They blew out the rebuilding Blazers in their opening and lost a close game against the Jazz to close the week. How they’ll perform throughout the entire season will remain a mystery to the fans.
Los Angeles Lakers: B-
Even though LeBron stated that this is Anthony Davis’ team, everybody knows that he’s still the man in LA. Davis has been inconsistent since to start of the season. For them to strive for another championship, Davis should step up his game each night this year.
Memphis Grizzlies: D-
After a 0-3 start, it feels like the identity of this team has been altered in a not-so-good way. Morant is still out and Steven Adams will miss the entire year due to an injury.
Miami Heat: C-
Butler is already in “load management mode” in just the third game of the season. Losing Gabe Vincent and Max Strus was a huge blow for this team, but knowing how they truly operate, everybody is confident they’ll get things rolling by mid-November.
Milwaukee Bucks: B+
In just his first game in a Bucks uniform, Lillard already had a signature performance for the city. Antetokounmpo doesn’t have to do it all anymore because of Lillard’s presence in the lineup.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B-
Minnesota has looked good so far to start the season. They are currently 1-1, but the positives outweigh the negatives and the Towns-Gobert duo has been much smoother compared to last season. If Anthony Edwards gets it going, watch out.
New Orleans Pelicans: A-
As we’ve said all along, if Zion Williamson is healthy, this team will rise rapidly in the Western Conference. Williamson has been phenomenal for the Pelicans and he has looked strong to start the year. They might make some serious strides this season.
New York Knicks: C-
Randle has struggled with his shots and teams may have figured out how to stop diminutive point guard Jalen Brunson from scoring on the floor. If this continues, they might take a step back from the progress they made last season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B+
Now that talented big man Chet Holmgren is finally playing, this team is ready to make a playoff run this season. Their 2-0 start is not a fluke. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the verge of entering his prime years and this will be a dangerous team for years to come.
Orlando Magic: B+
The Magic has played great to start the season but we are wary about giving them an ‘A’ because their wins came at the expense of bad teams. However, seeing their progress as a young team has brought happiness and expectations to their fans. This team has the potential to rise in the standings.
Philadelphia 76ers: B+
Facing James Harden’s dilemma, the Sixers performed admirably during the first week of the season. Embiid is still very good at basketball and Tyrese Maxey is becoming a legitimate star right before our eyes. They still have internal things to go through but they will find their stride sooner rather than later.
Phoenix Suns: A-
Beal has not suited up yet but Phoenix has looked exceptionally good at the start of the season. Durant is still scoring like it’s 2014 and Booker has become an excellent playmaker for the Suns right from the get-go.
Portland Trail Blazers: D-
Anfernee Simons is out for 4 to 6 weeks due to a thumb injury and rookie Scoot Henderson has been underwhelming so far for the team. To add insult to injury, Deandre Ayton has been a disappointment on the court.
Sacramento Kings: B-
The Kings didn’t start the season like they hoped but there’s still a lot to like about their performance this week. The duo of Fox and Sabonis is still as dynamic as ever and once they have things sorted out, they are bound to win a ton of games this year.
San Antonio Spurs: B-
When your team has Wembanyama, the pressure to win will be a constant figure in your locker room. To be honest, Wembanyama will not lift this team to a postseason appearance this year but they will be competitive throughout the year.
Toronto Raptors: C-
If VanVleet was still here, they could have gone 3-0 instead of 1-2. Siakam is still a decent player but their team relies heavily on Scottie Barnes for now, which is a good thing if we’re looking at the future.
Utah Jazz: C-
Utah’s slow frontcourt was exploited by their opponents on a nightly basis. John Collins has struggled to fit in alongside Jazz star Lauri Markkannen and that may become a theme for them throughout the season.
Washington Wizards: B-
Surprisingly, the duo of Kuzma and Poole are keeping the Wizards afloat during the first couple of games in week one. They are still shooting the ball like there’s no tomorrow but other role players have stepped in to contribute for the Wizards.
