Week 2 of NBA action has gone by, and the team rankings have gone all over the place. After a few perceived contenders stumbled right out of the gate, they finally found some footing and performed well this past week.
This season has been full of surprises so far. So many stars have struggled to start the season, but quite a few role players have emerged as potential all-stars as each week passes. Can they sustain their pleasant play for a full 82-game schedule?
Who are the top-ranking NBA teams after week 2 of action?
30. Utah Jazz (Last Week: 30)
An 0-6 start is glaring for a Jazz team that came into the year with playoff aspirations. What’s even more concerning is that most of the losses they had suffered were blowouts. The games weren’t even close. Are they already waving the flag for a shot at Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft?
29. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week: 29)
The Blazers stumbled into a 1-3 performance in week 2. To be fair, they were against playoff-caliber teams, and the results they obtained weren’t that surprising. Just as we predicted, this squad may have the talent to pull off some surprises, but they are missing an alpha player who can lead them in tough situations.
28. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week: 22)
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At 1-4 to start the season, it’s quite obvious that the Sixers are a lottery-bound team without the services of Joel Embiid and Paul George. Both stars are out due to injuries. And oh…even without playing, Embiid also managed to have a bad week as he reportedly had a minor scuffle against a columnist off the court.
27. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 16)
Losers of five straight, you can feel the tension in the air inside the Bucks locker room. Even with Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard scoring at a high rate to start the season, the wins have been elusive for Milwaukee. A dagger by the Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell during their recent game not only pierced the hearts of the Bucks duo but also raised some serious questions about coach Doc Rivers’s competence in leading a team with championship aspirations.
26. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week: 25)
The Hornets were predictably the LaMelo Ball show on week two. For the rest of the starters? Not so much. As a result, they only went 1-2. Brandon Miller’s ascension as one of the league’s best two-guards has not yet materialized after a stellar rookie campaign last year. One positive sign for them, though, is Tre Mann.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams Starting Centers From WORST To FIRST For The 2024-25 Season
25. Detroit Pistons (Last Week: 28)
A 1-2 record in week two is an improvement for this team. Cade Cunningham and the rest of the squad are starting to figure out that they have what it takes to close out games. While they still have a long way to go in order to be respectable, they are on the right path this year, and you can expect this team to stay clear away from the bottom part of this season’s NBA rankings.
24. Toronto Raptors (Last Week: 18)
The Raptors managed to keep their games close in week two but still fell flat with a 1-3 record. RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick have been balling like crazy, though, which is a positive sign. Don’t expect this team to fall further in the NBA rankings in the future, as they will become a better squad once Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley recover from their respective injury woes.
23. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week: 11)
Uh oh…It seems like the Clippers overachieved during opening week. Losers of three straight, it’s hard to find positive adjustments for this team moving forward. The only solution to their woes is Kawhi Leonard, but there’s no timetable for when he’ll be ready to go. Can James Harden keep their boat afloat despite having a mediocre supporting cast?
22. Washington Wizards (Last Week: 29)
Back-to-back wins against Atlanta are a positive improvement for this young Wizards squad. Jordan Poole’s swag is back after an abysmal season with the team last year. As the weeks pass by, it looks like Kyle Kuzma’s services are no longer needed for this team. Time to ship him out before the trade deadline and give the minutes to their young guns.
21. Indiana Pacers (Last Week: 23)
The Pacers generally seem to have the right mix of players to stage an upset against the mighty Celtics. One proof of this is their overtime win against Boston in week 2. However, the rest of their games have been substandard so far. They need to bring their A-game every single night to compete in the suddenly loaded Eastern Conference.
20. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week: 15)
Just when you thought that the Pelicans were going to have an injury-free year, then BOOM! Out goes Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum. They just could not catch a break. As a result, the team only went 1-3 in week two. The basketball gods are truly brutal when it comes to this up-and-coming team.
19. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week: 9)
And we all thought that this would be the year for the Hawks, right? Maybe no. While losing to OKC and the Kings was understandable, losing back-to-back games against the Wizards was just atrocious. As a result, the Hawks stumbled from 9 to 20 in this week’s NBA team rankings. Brutal.
18. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week: 18)
Forget Cam Thomas and Cameron Johnson. The man in Brooklyn is none other than Dennis Schroder. He’s balling right now. The rest of the team is pumped up as well. They don’t back down from anybody. This squad loves to outrun its opponents. As a result, they were impressive in their wins against Milwaukee, Memphis, and Chicago.
17. Denver Nuggets (Last Week: 27)
The Nuggets jumped 10 spots in this week’s NBA team rankings solely due to Nikola Jokic’s brilliance on the court. He’s a three-time winner of the MVP award, after all. However, two of their starters, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., continue to struggle this season. It’s hard to fathom that they will rely on Jokic to carry them for all 82 games. The Serbian big man needs help.
16. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 20)
Just when we thought Chris Paul’s best days were over, he played well for the Spurs in week two. Victor Wembanyama’s shots are starting to fall again, which bodes well for San Antonio’s morale as a team. Their growth will be closely monitored as the season progresses.
15. Houston Rockets (Last Week: 20)
The Rockets had a relatively good week, posting wins against their Texas rivals, the Mavericks and the Spurs. Alperen Sengun’s start this season has been rather slow, a far cry from his all-star-worthy year a season ago. Rookie Reed Sheppard’s presence has been non-existent so far. To be fair, the rest of the 2024 NBA Draft class has been extremely underwhelming this season.
14. Sacramento Kings (Last Week: 26)
Week two was a good one for the Kings. They posted a 3-1 record, with wins against Portland, Utah and Atlanta. DeMar DeRozan fits nicely in this squad, providing timely buckets whenever De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are struggling with their shots. After all, they brought in DeRozan to make some noise in the crowded West.
13. Orlando Magic (Last Week: 4)
This young Magic squad has fallen quite a bit in the NBA team rankings. Losing Paolo Banchero to an injury truly contributed massively to their demise. He’ll be expected to be sidelined for at least a month. Ouch. Now, it’s up to Franz Wagner if he can elevate his game to the next level and help this team land some wins during Banchero’s absence.
12. Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 17)
The Bulls aren’t contenders, but they sure know how to grind out some wins. Even if they only have a 3-4 record this season, three of those wins came at the expense of playoff-caliber teams such as Milwaukee, Orlando, and Memphis. Perhaps this is a good year to support them again.
11. Miami Heat (Last Week: 14)
The Heat took care of business in week two, posting wins against cellar-dwelling teams such as the Pistons and the Wizards. While they lost to the Knicks, the team still showed that they have what it takes to compete at a higher level when needed. Jimmy Butler woke up from his opening-week slump and has been playing well as of late.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week: 8)
The Wolves only played in a couple of games this week, posting a 1-1 record. They outlasted Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a high-scoring contest before falling to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in their next game.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week: 7)
Losing to Chicago and Brooklyn definitely stung for a team with higher expectations, such as the Grizzlies. Even though Ja Morant continues to garner enough highlights for the crowd, he has yet to recapture his old magic a couple of years ago. Are they contenders or not? We might not know the answer to that yet.
8. New York Knicks (Last Week: 12)
The Knicks are starting to hit their groove, posting impressive wins against the Heat and the Pistons in week two. They lost a close one against the red-hot Cavaliers but still came away with some positives from that game. Karl-Anthony Towns fits nicely in this squad, and Jalen Brunson’s shots are starting to fall again. This should be an exciting year for all Knicks fans.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week: 4)
After an astounding opening week, the Lakers stumbled a bit in week two. They lost a close one against Kevin Durant and the Suns and were obliterated by Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers in their next contest. One positive sign for this team, though, is that it looks like Anthony Davis has fully embraced his role as this team’s franchise player, taking the reign from LeBron James.
6. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week: 13)
While Klay Thompson has cooled down a bit this week, the opposite happened to Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Irving has been scoring in a variety of ways for the Mavs and is just fun to watch. Doncic, who missed all of the preseason games, is slowly getting back to his old form. Should this continue, the league is in trouble.
5. Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 10)
Have we counted the Warriors out too soon? Even without Stephen Curry, the Dubs continue to find ways to win. They swept the Pelicans in a couple of games this week and executed down the stretch to come out on top against the Rockets. Buddy Hield is shooting the ball like crazy from downtown. Can they keep this up? Warriors fans sure hope so.
4. Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 6)
The Suns had an impressive week, going 3-0. Kevin Durant has been playing like it’s 2014, the year when he won his only MVP trophy. Devin Booker, now back at the shooting guard spot, is back to his former ways, which is scoring the ball efficiently. This is a far different squad from last year. They look very confident on the floor together.
3. Boston Celtics (Last Week: 1)
This was a tough one, putting the Celtics at the third spot in this week’s NBA team rankings, but it had to be done. While the C’s had an impressive week, going 3-1, a couple of teams just had a better week than them, that’s all. Hats off to Payton Pritchard, though. He’s an early favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award if he can sustain his fine play for an entire season.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week: 2)
6-0 record. This Thunder squad is for real. And no…they are not heavily relying on SGA’s production this season, too. Much of their improvement as a team is due to the leap of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s games. Both of these young stars are having themselves a hell of a start for the 2024-2025 season.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week: 3)
What’s better than the Thunder’s 6-0 start? Well, how about Cleveland’s 7-0 record? The Cavs get the nod as the number-one team in the NBA rankings after a couple of impressive weeks to start the season. The bulk of their wins also came at the expense of contenders such as the Lakers, Magic, Bucks, and the Knicks. Cavs basketball is back, baby!
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams Starting Small Forwards From WORST To FIRST For The 2024-25 Season
