November 28th - Renowned basketball reporter Marc Stein updated his latest power rankings, with the top five teams being the Thunder, Rockets, Pistons, Lakers, and Nuggets.
Here are some of Stein's reasons for his selections:
1. Thunder (18-1, ranked #1 last month)
Undoubtedly, the defending champions have enjoyed a "favorable schedule" this season—their opponents have an average winning percentage of only 43.1% so far. However, the Thunder's average net rating of +16.5 points per game (which, if maintained, will easily break the NBA single-season record) undermines the "favorable schedule" argument. The upcoming return of All-Star wing Jalen Williams will only make them better—note that the Thunder are now one of only five teams in history to have started the season with an 18-1 record or better in their first 19 games.
2. Houston Rockets (12-4, ranked 6th in last month's power rankings)
The Rockets, obsessed with their "death lineup," are truly playing their own way: although Fred VanVleet's injury currently prevents them from orchestrating the offense through a traditional point guard, and they attempt the fewest three-pointers per game in the league, they've found another solution: missing shots doesn't matter, just get the ball back—the Rockets are currently converting two out of every five missed shots into offensive rebounds, and when you create so many extra offensive opportunities every game, it's hard to lose.
3. Detroit Pistons (15-3, ranked 12th in last month's power rankings)
If we only consider the regular season, last season's Pistons were arguably the most inspiring and moving story in the entire NBA (excluding the Pacers in the playoffs). They only needed one season to increase their wins from 14 to 42 and proudly entered the playoffs after a long absence.
This season, a fairytale-like 15-3 start has propelled them steadily towards the title of "most inspiring team," proving to everyone that they are no longer the team that suffered a 28-game losing streak two years ago.
4. Lakers (13-4, ranked 11th in last month's power rankings)
The Lakers are always a high-profile team, but surprisingly, the praise for this team, currently tied with Denver for the second-best record in the Western Conference, is relatively scarce. While the Lakers' shooting is indeed poor, and their defensive efficiency ranks only 16th in the league, it's important to note that this is with LeBron James having played only three games so far. As the season progresses, the Lakers' offense has quietly entered the top ten and will certainly continue to rise in the future.
However, their primary focus should be on this Friday's (US time) game against the Mavericks—especially with the likely return of the "familiar stranger," Anthony Davis.
5. Denver Nuggets (13-4, ranked #2 last month in the power rankings)
Nikola Jokic recently stated that the Nuggets' 12-4 start was "not a true reflection." Of course, they are now 13-4, but the long-term injuries to Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) inevitably raise questions about the impact this winter will have on Jokic. Even if the All-Star center and his partner Jamal Murray both start the season at their peak, Denver may have to begin testing the effectiveness of their new bench lineup earlier than expected.
In Stein's list, the teams ranked 6th to 30th are: Raptors, Cavaliers, Heat, Knicks, Magic, Spurs, Hawks, Celtics, Suns, Timberwolves, Bulls, Warriors, 76ers, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Bucks, Clippers, Mavericks, Jazz, Kings, Pelicans, Pacers, Hornets, Nets, and Wizards.
