The NBA season is young – we’re one week into it, and no team has played five games yet – yet injuries have already made a massive impact.
The names are significant, from Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, to Thunder star Jalen Williams, to Magic forward Paolo Banchero, these issues are certain to impact the immediate futures of their teams. And those are just a few of them.
But after one week of action, there are already significant risers and fallers from the power rankings once training camps opened. And no team has plummeted more than the Miami Heat, who made the massive offseason splash to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo but who have yet to win a game.
Here are the Week 1 USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings:
NBA Week 1 power rankings: Nos. 30-21
30. Sacramento Kings, 0-4 (-1)
They’re
oddly constructed, and, even though they have the game’s top rebounder (Domantas Sabonis; 16.5 per game), they rank 24th in that statistic. In fact, Sabonis has collected a staggering 39.8% of Sacramento’s 166 total boards.
29. Brooklyn Nets, 0-4 (-1)
Their loss Tuesday night against the Celtics proved how young and inexperienced this team is. All rookie Mikel Brown Jr. needed to do when he got the ball with 6.1 seconds left in overtime, with Brooklyn up one, was dribble it out, get fouled and go to the line. Instead he tried a contested layup, missed and Jayson Tatum hit the game winner on the other end.
28. New Orleans Pelicans, 0-3 (-1)
The Pelicans, unsurprisingly, lead the NBA in points in the paint per game (60.7). Also unsurprisingly, they’re tied for 28th in catch and shoot points per game (23.3).
27. Chicago Bulls, 1-3 (-7)
The Bulls entered the season with some intrigue, but new coach Tiago Splitter hasn’t gotten this group to gel, as Chicago ranks dead last in net rating (-18.3), field goal percentage (40.6%), 3-point shooting (23.8%) and second-to-last in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.13).
26. Milwaukee Bucks, 1-3 (+4)
Milwaukee has gotten decent early returns from the Heat package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and any time the Bucks can beat their hated rivals, the Pacers, it’s a positive.
25. Los Angeles Clippers, 1-2 (—)
They haven’t been efficient, ranking last in the league in turnovers (23.3 per game) by a wide margin.
24. Utah Jazz, 1-3 (-6)
Not only has Utah disappointed with its new-look roster, but now Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen, two front court pillars, are both contending with injuries.
23. Phoenix Suns, 1-2 (-6)
Starting with an embarrassing opener in which Phoenix fell into a 21-0 hole, it hasn’t been the best beginning for Phoenix. Making matters worse, they’re dead last in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 124.5 points per 100 possessions.
22. Golden State Warriors, 1-3 (-1)
Yaxel Lendeborg has been a solid addition, and leads all rookies in points (21.8 per game) and ranks second in rebounds (9.3). Still, Golden State’s defense is a liability.
21. Miami Heat, 0-4 (-13)
This looks very much like a team that still hasn’t figured out how to play together, but some serious flaws have emerged: defensive effort has been lacking and if perimeter shots don’t fall, spacing collapses and teams can crowd the paint to clog up driving lanes for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
NBA Week 1 power rankings: Nos. 20-11
20. Orlando Magic, 1-2 (-4)
The injury bug, again, has come for the Magic, who now face extended time without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. A nice win over the Knicks without Banchero, though, shows Orlando can still be feisty in his absence.
19. Washington Wizards, 2-2 (+5)
Trae Young leads the NBA in assists (11.0 per game) and Anthony Davis has been solid, but No. 1 overall rookie AJ Dybantsa (ankle) is yet to make his debut. It will be interesting to see how he changes things.
18. Dallas Mavericks, 2-2 (+5)
Cooper Flagg was spectacular in a come-from-behind win at Miami, and rookie coach Dusty May has this group playing competitive hoops, ranking fourth in effective field goal percentage (56.7%).
17. Charlotte Hornets, 3-1 (+5)
The Hornets haven’t had the most cohesive offense – they rank dead last in assists (21.5 per game) and are tied for 28th in field goal percentage (41.4%) – but Kon Knueppel (hamstring) is yet to play this season.
16. Memphis Grizzlies, 4-0 (+10)
A surprise undefeated, Ty Jerome has been an offensive powerhouse with 29.8 points per game. Rookie No. 3 overall forward Cameron Boozer is averaging a double-double. Their competition, though, hasn’t been all that stiff, so a larger sample size is necessary to judge this young squad. Solid rebounding metrics, though, are a positive sign.
15. Atlanta Hawks, 2-2 (—)
As they have under coach Quinn Snyder, the Hawks are once again prioritizing assists, leading the NBA with 31.5 per game. And though he doesn’t get the national recognition, Jalen Johnson (21.5 points per, 9.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists) is the offensive engine that makes it all work.
14. Indiana Pacers, 2-2 (—)
Indiana really missed Tyrese Haliburton, who ranks second in the NBA in assists (9.5 per game), but losses to the Mavericks and Bucks show that it may take some time for this offense to return to form from two seasons ago, especially as the Pacers incorporate Ivica Zubac into the system.
13. Toronto Raptors, 2-1 (-1)
Kawhi Leonard is banged up once again and will miss time, but the revelation has been RJ Barrett, who is leading the team with 21.0 points per game at a red hot 51% shooting clip.
12. Denver Nuggets, 1-2 (-3)
Could things be fraying in Denver? Three-time Most Valuable Player and all-world star Nikola Jokić was not only booed at home, but he also criticized the fans doing so.
11. Cleveland Cavaliers, 2-1 (—)
Peyton Watson has infused a solid defensive presence, even early on, averaging 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. In fact, Cleveland – not the Spurs – leads the NBA in blocks per game, with 8.7.
NBA Week 1 power rankings: Top 10
10. Portland Trail Blazers, 3-0 (+9)
The surprise of the first week, rookie coach Micah Nori has this group playing clean, efficient basketball. The addition of Ja Morant looks like it was an excellent low-risk, high-reward maneuver, and Portland’s offense is rolling, leading the league in several key categories.
9. New York Knicks, 1-3 (-7)
The Knicks desperately needed a win like they had Tuesday over the Pistons; entering the night, New York had ranked 29th in offensive rating (103.4).
8. Boston Celtics, 3-1 (+2)
There has been plenty of good – Boston entered Tuesday night as the best 3-point shooting team, at a blistering 42.4% – and the Celtics are still incorporating some new faces, so they should only get better from here on out.
7. Los Angeles Lakers, 3-1 (—)
Luka Dončić is once again leading the NBA in scoring (with 36.0 points per game) and could be on the path toward strong Most Valuable Player consideration. Walker Kessler has been a tremendous pairing with Dončić, and Los Angeles should figure to be one of the league’s top offenses, if healthy.
6. San Antonio Spurs, 2-2 (-1)
A slow start with losses to the Thunder and Rockets hurt San Antonio, but Victor Wembanyama has bounced back to lead the Spurs to convincing wins over the Mavericks and Kings.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves, 3-1 (—)
The Timberwolves were looking like they had found a winning formula with the Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball pairing. Now with Edwards out up to two months, Ball and backup Ayo Dosunmu will have to produce more offense. It’s a shame, because Minnesota looked like a legitimate title contender.
4. Philadelphia 76ers, 3-1 (—)
So far, so good. The 76ers are incorporating a new system with new stars, but the results have been promising. And Tyrese Maxey is fully coming into his own as the star of this team.
3. Houston Rockets, 4-0 (+3)
Fred VanVleet has stabilized the point guard position, and that has helped create easier offense for center Alperen Şengün (24.5 points per game) and forward Amen Thompson (17.0).
2. Detroit Pistons, 3-1 (+11)
They had been playing the role of giant slayers, taking down the Celtics, Heat and 76ers to start the season, but the toughest schedule to open the season eventually claimed Detroit Tuesday night when their comeback attempt against the Knicks fell short. Either way, Detroit, once again, looks like a player in the East.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-0 (—)
The loss of Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and the score of other injuries loom large, but the Thunder are the deepest team in the NBA, and they have plenty of experience finding ways to fill in for injured talent.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings: Injuries shake up league, winless Miami Heat plummet
