Three weeks into the 2024-2025 NBA season, the injury bug had already passed on to multiple teams, resulting in missed games for multiple all-star players.
Some of the notable stars who are expected to miss time due to injuries are Ja Morant, Kevin Durant, Scottie Barnes, Zion Williamson, and Chet Holmgren. Add Joel Embiid to that list, too, as he hasn’t played a single minute this season yet.
Nonetheless, the games have continued to be exciting. This is the ranking for all 30 NBA teams after week three of action!
Who are the top-ranking NBA teams after week 3 of action?
30. Toronto Raptors (Last Week: 24)
The Raptors have now lost four straight games, resulting in a 2-9 record. Even with Immanuel Quickley back in the lineup, the team continues to struggle. Scottie Barnes is still out due to an injury. If they want to stay relevant and turn things around, they need Barnes’s services ASAP.
29. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 27)
The Bucks are at the 29th spot in the third week of the NBA rankings. Yes. You read that right. The team only managed to win one out of four games this week, and their only win was against the lowly Jazz. Giannis and Dame continue to perform at a superhuman rate, but their teammates have been playing like G-leaguers.
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28. Utah Jazz (Last Week: 30)
Surprisingly, the Jazz had a respectable week three, winning a couple of games in the process. While their starters have continued to struggle, their bench guys are picking up the slack as of late.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week: 29)
The Blazers managed to eke out a single win in week three, besting the depleted New Orleans squad at home. However, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Deandre Ayton continues to be mediocre, and now they’ve benched Deni Avdija due to his poor play at the start of the season.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week: 28)
Add Tyrese Maxey to the injury woes of this Sixers team. With him and Joel Embiid out, this squad is just horrendous to watch on the court. Going 1-3 in week three isn’t going to cut it. Paul George is struggling with his shot and has looked washed.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week: 20)
Just when you thought that things wouldn’t get worse! Already missing the services of CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans are now without Zion Williamson for an indefinite period of time due to a hamstring injury. This team could not catch any break.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams After Week 2 Games
24. Washington Wizards (Last Week: 22)
While the Jordan Poole show has continued, it’s important to note that the Wizards have yet to win a game this November. Should this continue, we can expect them to slide further in the NBA rankings as the season progresses.
23. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week: 19)
The Hawks’ hot start was nothing but a ruse. While the win against the newly revamped Knicks was nice, losing to Detroit and Chicago was an eyesore. Maybe it’s time to accept the fact that it’s time to trade Trae Young and enter a rebuild while his value is still high.
22. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 16)
This is not the sophomore campaign we expected from Victor Wembanyama after his stellar rookie season. He has regressed a bit. As a result, the Spurs have struggled mightily in the last couple of weeks. To make matters worse, Coach Pop is away from the team and dealing with a serious health issue.
21. Detroit Pistons (Last Week: 25)
The Pistons had a fairly good week. They blew out the Lakers and outlasted the Hawks in a tightly contested game. Even with their losses, they have looked competitive. Realistically, they have an outsider’s chance to sneak into the play-in games if they continue to improve as a squad.
20. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week: 26)
The Hornets have won two straight before bowing in overtime against the Sixers to close out week three. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have been balling as of late, which bodes well for this franchise’s future.
19. Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 12)
Forgive us if we prematurely praised the Bulls in the first two weeks of the games. The truth is, this is still a rebuilding team without a clear direction. Last week, they were beaten soundly by the Jazz, Mavs, and Wolves, thus their immediate fall from the NBA rankings.
18. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week: 18)
After their hot start, the Nets have cooled down considerably lately. No, they weren’t blown out. They just couldn’t close out games, resulting in a 1-3 slate in week three. Unlike other teams, though, the Nets are still a promising bunch. Even the contenders are wary of going up against them.
17. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week: 23)
It’s hard to judge this Clippers team properly. They were a disaster in week two but performed like a legitimate playoff-caliber team in week three. James Harden, with all his flaws and advancing age, continues to lead them to wins. They are riding on a four-game win streak right now.
16. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week: 6)
The biggest fall in this week’s NBA rankings belongs to Dallas. It’s safe to say that this is not the start the team has envisioned after their surprise run to the NBA Finals last season. Klay Thompson looks lost on offense, and Luka Doncic is playing a step below his capabilities this season.
15. Miami Heat (Last Week: 11)
The Heat was on the verge of a winless week but won a nail-biter on Sunday against Minnesota. Tyler Herro has performed admirably for this squad this season, but the same can’t be said for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
14. New York Knicks (Last Week: 8)
It’s clear that this newly revamped Knicks roster needs time to adjust when it comes to playing together on the court. Mikal Bridges’s shot looks broken, and it’s nowhere near close to how it looked during his time with the Nets. So far, Karl-Anthony Towns is their most consistent player this season.
13. Houston Rockets (Last Week: 15)
The Rockets are slowly gaining ground in the NBA rankings due to their stellar play in week three. They went 3-1, with wins against the Knicks, Spurs and Pistons. Alperen Sengun’s rise as one of the league’s top big men has been on display lately.
12. Sacramento Kings (Last Week: 14)
The Kings are starting to look like the team we all loved and supported a couple of years ago. After a slow start this season, they are slowly climbing near the top 10 of the NBA rankings due to their strong play on the court in recent games.
11. Orlando Magic (Last Week: 13)
A 2-2 week is passable for a young squad that’s missing its top player. Without Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner is doing everything in his power to put this young squad in a position to win almost every single game. They have not fallen drastically, as we have predicted in the past.
10. Indiana Pacers (Last Week: 21)
The biggest risers in this week’s NBA rankings edition are the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is not the sole reason for their rise, though. It has been a collective effort from the team. And oh…Ben Mathurin is a baller. Coach Carlisle should continue to start him over Aaron Nesmith.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week: 7)
Have you seen JJ Redick’s reaction to D’Angelo Russell’s missed shot against the Grizzlies? That lone play was all it took to know why Redick has pulled Russell out of the starting lineup. And it worked like magic, too, as the Lakers have now won two straight games since Russell’s demotion.
8. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week: 9)
Even though Ja Morant isn’t scoring as much as he used to a couple of seasons ago, the Grizzlies continue to win in the loaded Western Conference. Jaren Jackson Jr. is having a very nice season. Zach Edey’s demotion to the bench only fueled him to perform better, even on limited minutes.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week: 10)
Anthony Edwards is the best three-point shooter in the league after week three. That’s not a typo. He’s shooting at a 48% clip from downtown, making nearly 6 threes on 11 attempts per game. As a result of Ant-Man’s outbursts, the Wolves went 3-1 this past week.
6. Denver Nuggets (Last Week: 17)
Perhaps we judged the Nuggets too harshly in the first couple of weeks(sorry, Nikola Jokic.) Even with Jamal Murray out, 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook has turned back the clock for a couple of games, resulting in wins. They banked on the progress of their young guys to help them negate the loss of KCP, and so far, it has paid off.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week: 2)
After a hot 7-0 start, OKC lost some momentum in week three, resulting in a couple of losses. To make matters worse, prized center Chet Holmgren sustained an injury after a nasty fall during the first quarter of action against the visiting Warriors.
4. Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 5)
8-2 to start the season? This is not a fluke. The Warriors are for real. What’s impressive is that they are playing like a cohesive unit and not entirely relying on Stephen Curry to bail them out in tough situations. One fun fact is that Curry is only making 3.3 threes per game this season, which is his lowest per game since 2015.
3. Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 4)
Except for the overtime loss against the Kings to end week three, the Suns have been impressive on the court this season. Who would have thought that they would have a chance to be ranked third in our weekly NBA rankings? Nobody did, that’s for sure. But can they sustain their momentum with Kevin Durant out? Unfortunately, the injury bug has reached Phoenix.
2. Boston Celtics (Last Week: 3)
With a relatively easy schedule, the Celtics breezed through week three. Sure, their loss against the Warriors was kind of unexpected, but the team is still on track to win more than 60 games this season. This is a battle-tested team, and they know that the real games will start in the playoffs.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week: 1)
11-0. This has been the best start on the entire NBA landscape since the Warriors went 24-0 in the 2015-2016 season. The Cavs’ unprecedented hot start has inevitably garnered some haters along the way. However, this squad has been truly dominant on the court. They play with a sense of urgency, and their ball movement is crisp.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams’ Head Coaches From WORST To FIRST For The 2024-25 Season
