By Law Murray / The Athletic, 2026-11-03 00:03:58
常规赛才进行两周，关于球员健康状况——尤其是球星健康状况——的讨论已经到了一个令人不安的地步。
本周我更想聚焦各支球队在赛季开始时选择倚重的首发和主要轮换球员。多年来，我的部门项目之一就是球队位置排名，为每支球队介绍10名球员。在很多人眼里，这是一个由球星驱动的联盟，30名球员撑起了大部分话题。但在我看来，这是一个拥有300名球员的联盟。我们可以为伤停的球员感到惋惜，但我可以告诉你，球队在组建阵容时就知道板凳深度必须可靠。没有人会为这些球队感到难过，因为比赛还是要打的。
伤病永远存在。如今球员进入联盟时的身体状态不如一两代前，而有些伤病只是这项由世界上最高大、最快速的运动员进行的对抗性运动所带来的必然结果。也有人会说季前赛太短，球员经过休赛期后并没有做好比赛准备。许多伤病都发生在赛季全面展开之前。
话虽如此，在当前赛季之前的三个赛季里，共有46名球员至少入选过一次最佳阵容或全明星。这46名球员在2023-24赛季场均出战67.5场，2024-25赛季为62.8场，2025-26赛季为55场。在这一群体中，本赛季已经有安东尼·爱德华兹、阿尔佩伦·申京、杰伦·杜伦、杰伦·布朗、勒布朗·詹姆斯、保罗·班切罗、小贾伦·杰克逊、斯蒂芬·库里、卢卡·东契奇、切特·霍姆格伦、杰伦·威廉姆斯、科怀·伦纳德、布兰登·英格拉姆、泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿、凯里·欧文和乔尔·恩比德缺席过比赛。这已经占到了球星的35%。其中9名球员的恢复时间以周或月计算。联盟或许该为四月份更多的“65场出场”申诉做准备了。
在本期实力榜中，每支球队都会列出首发和主要轮换球员。如果一名球员尚未完成赛季首秀，或者本赛季不太可能复出，则不会列入。轮换球员每队限3至5人。现在还早，但已经过去的赛程大约相当于一轮漫长的季后赛系列赛。等到春天来临时，请记住这一点。
细则说明：这份实力榜不只是给每支球队排名。我们会保留球队升降级的分层机制。每周将有五个层级：
- 顶级争冠者 – 固定五队，他们是联盟的精英阶层
- 状态良好 – 可能是一支球队，也可能是七支
- 中游气泡 – 别和迪士尼世界搞混了。中游集团
- 不足为惧 – 打得不算联盟最差，但还有很多功课要做
- 降级威胁 – 今年我们改了规则！垫底的球队，如今在乐透抽签时理应感到痛苦
实力榜的看点：
- 我把这当作每周一次的球队选秀。这些是我的主观排名。我会参考各种客观指标，但最终由我拍板。
- 这份排名不只是回顾过去一周——我们也在展望未来，所以是两者的平衡。
- 这些排名是主观的，但不带偏见。实力榜没有任何私心，我们力求做到包容的唯才是举。
- 这份排名唯一的特质：“无情与侵略性”。
- 请享受比赛，也请享受这份排名！
胜负战绩及其他数据统计截至周日的比赛。
第一档：顶级争冠者
1. 休斯敦火箭 (6-1)
上期排名： 第四
上周战绩： 胜老鹰，客胜雄鹿，客负独行侠，胜雷霆
进攻效率： 121.2（第1）** 防守效率：** 108.9（第9）
首发： 弗雷德·范弗利特、阿门·汤普森、凯文·杜兰特、小贾巴里·史密斯、阿尔佩伦·申京
主要轮换： 马库斯·斯马特、塔里·伊森、里德·谢泼德、克林特·卡佩拉、博格丹·博格达诺维奇
火箭补强后的板凳深度还没能让防守变得特别出色，这也在情理之中。火箭缺乏出色的护框，首发阵容中有一名小个后卫，而他们最好的球员已经38岁了。在申京背伤缠身的情况下，火箭在达拉斯尝试了无中锋阵容，这也是他们不再保持不败的原因之一。但他们的进攻已经起飞，而且休斯敦的阵容深度达到了主教练伊梅·乌多卡执教以来的最佳水平。
2. 底特律活塞 (5-1)
上期排名： 第二
上周战绩： 客负尼克斯，胜黄蜂，客胜篮网
进攻效率： 111.3（第17）** 防守效率：** 103.2（第1）
首发： 凯德·坎宁安、邓肯·罗宾逊、奥萨尔·汤普森、约翰·科林斯、杰伦·杜伦
主要轮换： 达尼斯·詹金斯、保罗·里德、凯文·许尔特、贾冯特·格林、罗纳德·霍兰二世
活塞在纽约遭遇了一场40分的大逆转，这是他们美好开局中的最低谷。底特律还得再等至少一周才能迎回杰伦·杜伦（腿筋）。但保罗·里德的表现足够出色，为这套防守体系守住了阵地——对手的进攻面对他们依然举步维艰。
3. 费城76人 (6-1)
上期排名： 第七
上周战绩： 客胜步行者，胜尼克斯，客胜黄蜂
进攻效率： 106.9（第23）** 防守效率：** 103.3（第3）
首发： 泰瑞斯·马克西、VJ·埃奇库姆、杰伦·布朗、勒布朗·詹姆斯、乔尔·恩比德
主要轮换： 安芬尼·西蒙斯、迪恩·韦德、肯塔维奥斯·考德威尔-波普
76人已经拿到六场胜利，其中一半是在落后超过10分的情况下逆转的。他们把自己当成谁了，尼克斯吗？不过既然其中两场是击败卫冕冠军拿下的，请听我说完：马克西能成为这支球队的杰伦·布伦森吗？那是不是意味着恩比德是卡尔-安东尼·唐斯、布朗是OG·阿努诺比、埃奇库姆是米卡尔·布里奇斯？詹姆斯是加强版的约什·哈特？板凳深度将是必需品，尤其考虑到尼克·纳斯在常规赛压榨首发上场时间方面更像汤姆·锡伯杜，而不是迈克·布朗。
4. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (4-2)
上期排名： 第12
上周战绩： 胜国王，客胜爵士，胜森林狼
进攻效率： 115.2（第9）** 防守效率：** 108.5（第8）
首发： 达龙·福克斯、迪伦·哈珀、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔、德文·瓦塞尔、维克托·文班亚马
主要轮换： 朱利安·尚帕尼、卢克·科内特、凯尔登·约翰逊
马刺在三处本该拿下比赛的地方干净利落地完成了任务：一支羸弱的国王队、一支缺兵少将的爵士队，以及一支背靠背零休息、同样残阵出战的森林狼队。尽管如此，圣安东尼奥还是从维克托·文班亚马身上看到了令人印象深刻的表现，对阵森林狼一役他出手34次创下生涯新高。等托拜厄斯·哈里斯回归后，马刺的阵容深度将更上一层楼。
5. 波士顿凯尔特人 (5-1)
上期排名： 第11
上周战绩： 胜公牛，胜篮网，胜公牛，客胜魔术
进攻效率： 117.7（第5）** 防守效率：** 107.6（第6）
首发： 德里克·怀特、乔丹·沃尔什、保罗·乔治、杰森·塔图姆、米切尔·罗宾逊
主要轮换： 佩顿·普里查德、萨姆·豪泽、贝勒·谢尔曼、内米亚斯·克塔、乌戈·冈萨雷斯
现在是常规赛，而这支球队在冬令时生效后的表现就是赢球。凯尔特人在赛季初曾挥霍领先优势，最近也差点把两位数的领先拱手让人，但他们如今5胜1负，攻防两端都位居前十。乔·马祖拉周日在奥兰多让冈萨雷斯顶替沃尔什首发。我们都知道马祖拉不介意在缺兵少将时调整首发阵容，哪怕是在抢七大战中。扯远了。波士顿状态非常好，尤其是塔图姆和乔治的发挥。
第二档：状态良好
6. 孟菲斯灰熊 (6-0)
上期排名： 第10
上周战绩： 客胜爵士，客胜开拓者，胜国王
进攻效率： 118.8（第3）** 防守效率：** 104.1（第2）
首发： 泰·杰罗姆、塞德里克·考沃德、杰伦·威尔斯、卡梅隆·布泽尔、扎克·伊迪
主要轮换： 杰拉米·格兰特、以赛亚·斯图尔特、卡姆·斯宾塞、GG·杰克逊、小斯科蒂·皮蓬
NBA最后一支不败之师！而且这里确实有真正的上升空间：布泽尔投篮命中率虽然只有36.5%，但已经展现出拿下三双的能力。考沃德决定投进每一个三分、抢下每一个篮板，伊迪尽管深陷犯规麻烦依然统治着他的上场时间，孟菲斯在每个位置上都积累了深度。高质量胜利不多，但这支球队本来也不该是高质量球队。灰熊身材高大、阵容深厚，而且不需要泰·杰罗姆的手感爆发也能赢球。
7. 波特兰开拓者 (4-1)
上期排名： 第九
上周战绩： 客胜湖人，负灰熊，客胜爵士
进攻效率： 118.0（第4）** 防守效率：** 107.9（第7）
首发： 贾·莫兰特、达米安·利拉德、德尼·阿夫迪亚、图马尼·卡马拉、多诺万·克林根
主要轮换： 朱·霍勒迪、西迪·西索科、斯库特·亨德森、罗伯特·威廉姆斯三世、维特·克雷伊奇
莫兰特在一个艰难的节点倒下了——腿筋受伤，那正是他首次面对老东家灰熊、也是开拓者本赛季首败的比赛。但米卡·诺里让他的四名后卫全情投入并坚信不疑。如今诺里只剩下三名后卫（五人中，谢登·夏普还在膝盖手术后的数月恢复期），他们在十一月将被要求承担更多。开拓者的胜利方式多样且令人印象深刻：既能在对攻战中击败湖人，也能在客场锁死爵士。
8. 克利夫兰骑士 (4-2)
上期排名： 第15
上周战绩： 胜森林狼，胜奇才，客负老鹰，客胜雄鹿
进攻效率： 115.8（第8）** 防守效率：** 111.5（第17）
首发： 詹姆斯·哈登、多诺万·米切尔、佩顿·沃特森、埃文·莫布利、贾勒特·艾伦
主要轮换： 萨姆·梅里尔、杰伦·泰森、梅利克·托马斯、马里奥·赫佐尼亚
是的，骑士又一次挥霍了两位数的领先。但他们也扛过了爱德华兹手术前最后一场伟大表演，值得称赞的是克利夫兰在那一战中完成了逆转。骑士必须保证莫布利和艾伦的健康，因为他们唯一真正的替补内线是赫佐尼亚——好在他自上次NBA经历以来至少吃了些“超级蘑菇”。在泰森开局慢热的情况下，托马斯可能是球队最好的替补得分手。
骑士在埃文·莫布利和贾勒特·艾伦身后的前场深度并不充裕。（Benny Sieu / Imagn Images）
第三档：中游气泡
9. 洛杉矶湖人 (5-2)
上期排名： 第五
上周战绩： 负开拓者，客胜快船，客负勇士，胜猛龙
进攻效率： 119.9（第2）** 防守效率：** 113.9（第20）
首发： 卢卡·东契奇、奥斯汀·里夫斯、马蒂斯·蒂布勒、齐艾尔·威廉姆斯、沃克·凯斯勒
主要轮换： 昆汀·格兰姆斯、桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利、杰克·拉拉维亚、贾里德·范德比尔特、科林·塞克斯顿
对湖人来说是喜忧参半的一周，但只要东契奇在，他们就不会有太大问题。我选他做MVP是有原因的，而且不只是得分。东契奇让队友的比赛变得更简单，他拥有联盟最强的首节重拳，能凭一己之力在得分上压过整支球队。但湖人并没有自己以为的那么深。他们已经不得不让范德比尔特客串替补中锋。这套防守完全指望凯斯勒一人包办一切。而里夫斯连续两场出现8次失误。这支球队的上限完全取决于东契奇，而他们守不住两位数领先的挣扎表明，东契奇之火虽然炽烈，却并非无穷无尽。
10. 金州勇士 (4-3)
上期排名： 第27
上周战绩： 客胜掘金，客胜森林狼，胜湖人，胜快船
进攻效率： 117.2（第6）** 防守效率：** 114.9（第23）
首发： 斯蒂芬·库里、布兰丁·波杰姆斯基、吉·桑托斯、亚克塞尔·伦德博格、德雷蒙德·格林
主要轮换： 德安东尼·梅尔顿、乔治斯·尼昂、布兰登·威廉姆斯、艾尔·霍福德、威尔·理查德
“人多力量大”早已是陈年旧事。薪资单上有很大一部分躺在伤病名单上。库里、格林和霍福德年纪太大，目前无法出战背靠背。但勇士拥有库里，他依然能让MVP候选人在“绝对零度”的冰面上滑倒。而现在，勇士有了亚克塞尔！这位金州的高龄新秀自夏季联赛以来一直令人印象深刻，勇士已经开始围绕他组织进攻。伦德博格不只是“球总能找到他”的受益者，他在主动创造机会，这足以让人相信，在冬天看到吉米·巴特勒三世的真容之前，金州能在西部保持竞争力。
11. 达拉斯独行侠 (4-2)
上期排名： 第22
上周战绩： 客胜热火，胜雷霆，胜火箭
进攻效率： 114.1（第12）** 防守效率：** 111.3（第15）
首发： 凯里·欧文、马克斯·克里斯蒂、库珀·弗拉格、P.J.·华盛顿、丹尼尔·加福德
主要轮换： 扎卡里·里萨谢、凯莱布·马丁、纳吉·马歇尔、小莫雷兹·约翰逊、马库斯·萨瑟
独行侠度过了收获高质量胜利的一周，弗拉格做到了人们对一位球星期待的一切，除了稳定命中三分。弗拉格和欧文是独行侠仅有的两名场均得分超过14分的球员，而弗拉格的三分命中率只有26.9%。但弗拉格正在三分线内摧毁对手（场均26.8分，命中率55.7%），而欧文也是一位称职的副手。
12. 明尼苏达森林狼 (4-3)
上期排名： 第三
上周战绩： 客负骑士，负勇士，胜快船，客负马刺
进攻效率： 116.0（第7）** 防守效率：** 105.0（第4）
首发： 拉梅洛·鲍尔、安东尼·爱德华兹、贾登·麦克丹尼尔斯、乔纳森·库明加、鲁迪·戈贝尔
主要轮换： 阿约·多苏穆、琼·贝兰热、小特伦斯·香农、特雷·莱尔斯
爱德华兹在克利夫兰的失利中砍下47分回馈球迷，随后接受了膝盖手术，这可能威胁到他的奖项评选资格。对明尼苏达来说，好消息是只要鲍尔在，得分天赋就足够；麦克丹尼尔斯尤其能很好地提升输出，而多苏穆反正拿着首发的薪水。需要关注的一点是戈贝尔的健康状况。他本赛季已有三场比赛运动战颗粒无收（对阵热火、骑士和勇士合计15投0中），随后又因背部痉挛缺席了周六客场负于马刺的比赛。
13. 俄克拉荷马雷霆 (4-2)
上期排名： 第一
上周战绩： 胜太阳，客负独行侠，客负火箭
进攻效率： 108.7（第21）** 防守效率：** 109.4（第11）
首发： 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大、贾里德·麦凯恩、阿杰伊·米切尔、切特·霍姆格伦、以赛亚·哈滕施泰因
主要轮换： 亚历克斯·卡鲁索、杰伦林·威廉姆斯、贝内特·斯特茨、阿代·马拉、肯里奇·威廉姆斯
这是NBA球队赛季初经历过的最糟糕的几周之一。短短六天内，雷霆失去了一名遭遇改变生涯重伤的球星（杰伦·威廉姆斯）、一名很可能赛季报销的续约球员（卡森·华莱士）、另一名至少缺阵两个月的球星（霍姆格伦），以及一名因脚踝扭伤倒下的重要轮换球员（卡鲁索）。俄克拉荷马还在用两个阵容名额养着尚未从手术中恢复的2024年（尼古拉·托皮奇）和2025年（托马斯·索伯）首轮秀。而在卢盖茨·多尔特、阿隆·威金斯和以赛亚·乔休赛期离队后，这支球队的侧翼本就捉襟见肘。吉尔杰斯-亚历山大依然是MVP候选人，但这套进攻在一段时间内都会显得很挣扎。
14. 丹佛掘金 (3-2)
上期排名： 第14
上周战绩： 负勇士，客胜鹈鹕，客胜太阳
进攻效率： 112.4（第15）** 防守效率：** 114.1（第21）
首发： 贾马尔·穆雷、克里斯蒂安·布劳恩、卡梅隆·约翰逊、阿隆·戈登、尼古拉·约基奇
主要轮换： 德玛尔·德罗赞、特雷冯·布拉齐尔、阿尔法·迪亚洛、马文·巴格利三世、泰厄斯·琼斯
掘金只输了两场，尽管两场都输得相当难看。至少他们在变健康，约翰逊在揭幕战脚踝受伤后，已于客场击败太阳一役复出。由于斯宾塞·琼斯整个十月都在与严重的腿筋伤病作斗争，二轮新秀布拉齐尔获得了出场机会，而他可能是一笔捡漏——场均6.6个篮板，且不轻易犯规（场均22.8分钟仅1.8次犯规）。
15. 多伦多猛龙 (3-3)
上期排名： 第六
上周战绩： 胜魔术，负魔术，客负湖人
进攻效率： 115.1（第10）** 防守效率：** 107.3（第5）
首发： 伊曼纽尔·奎克利、RJ·巴雷特、科怀·伦纳德、斯科蒂·巴恩斯、雅各布·珀尔特尔
主要轮换： 贾科比·沃尔特、科林·默里-博伊尔斯、贾马尔·谢德、艾伦·格雷夫斯、贾米森·巴特尔
一周前我们就在这里敲响了警钟：伦纳德移动状态不佳，且因非负荷管理原因缺席比赛。赛程安排得很巧，伦纳德恰好可以在猛龙唯一一次南加州之旅期间休战，但如果你看过伦纳德的表现，他在场上并不显得威风凛凛。如今他因左膝问题进入逐周评估状态，考验着多伦多的阵容深度。伦纳德在十一月缺席的比赛可能会比英格拉姆上赛季整个赛季缺席的还多，但这只意味着巴雷特必须在支持巴恩斯方面挺身而出，而主教练达尔科·拉贾科维奇需要再培养至少一名稳定的贡献者（也许只能靠巴特尔来拉开对方的防线了）。
16. 华盛顿奇才 (3-3)
上期排名： 第16
上周战绩： 客负黄蜂，客负骑士，胜黄蜂
进攻效率： 110.5（第19）** 防守效率：** 109.3（第10）
首发： 特雷·杨、AJ·迪班萨、基肖恩·乔治、安东尼·戴维斯、亚历克斯·萨尔
主要轮换： 比拉尔·库利巴利、德安德烈·艾顿、特雷·约翰逊、克里斯·米德尔顿、布巴·卡灵顿
奇才本周客场难求一胜，而且这是一支投篮惨不忍睹的球队。但他们让六月份选秀状元迪班萨登上了球场。当迪班萨和库利巴利与其余首发一同在场时，奇才的防守表现不错。贾斯汀·尚帕尼（场均7.5个篮板）在夏洛特右脚骨折，无限期缺阵。
六月选秀状元AJ·迪班萨上周完成了NBA首秀。（Geoff Burke / Imagn Images）
第四档：不足为惧
17. 亚特兰大老鹰 (3-4)
上期排名： 第八
上周战绩： 客负火箭，负热火，胜骑士，客负鹈鹕
进攻效率： 112.4（第14）** 防守效率：** 111.4（第16）
首发： CJ·麦科勒姆、尼基尔·亚历山大-沃克、戴森·丹尼尔斯、杰伦·约翰逊、奥涅卡·奥孔古
主要轮换： 卢盖茨·多尔特、阿隆·威金斯、金斯顿·弗莱明斯、乔克·兰代尔
老鹰打出了一场对阵骑士的高质量逆转胜利，但总体而言这是糟糕的一周，部分原因是他们拥有联盟最差的护框。老鹰的内线很脆弱。这不是天赋问题——约翰逊是最佳阵容级别的球员，奥孔古面对埃文·莫布利和贾勒特·艾伦时表现出色。但亚特兰大需要2025年首轮秀阿萨·纽厄尔和2026年首轮秀祖比·埃吉奥福之间有人能成长起来。
18. 纽约尼克斯 (2-4)
上期排名： 第20
上周战绩： 胜活塞，客胜公牛，客负76人
进攻效率： 109.6（第20）** 防守效率：** 110.6（第14）
首发： 杰伦·布伦森、米卡尔·布里奇斯、约什·哈特、OG·阿努诺比、卡尔-安东尼·唐斯
主要轮换： 兰德里·沙梅特、安德烈·德拉蒙德、迈尔斯·麦克布莱德
还是那批尼克斯，但赛季开局他们的表现非常容易被遏制。除唐斯外，每名首发投篮命中率都低于40%，沙梅特和麦克布莱德同样低于40%。替补中锋德拉蒙德能抢篮板，但命中率只有45.7%。凭借布伦森的罚球逆转活塞一役令人振奋。但他们的进攻目前并不好，板凳席也没有展现出多少潜力。
19. 迈阿密热火 (2-4)
上期排名： 第26
上周战绩： 负独行侠，客胜老鹰，胜步行者
进攻效率： 113.6（第13）** 防守效率：** 117.2（第26）
首发： 达维恩·米切尔、克莱·汤普森、安德鲁·威金斯、扬尼斯·阿德托昆博、巴姆·阿德巴约
主要轮换： 佩勒·拉尔松、小博比·波蒂斯、小蒂姆·哈达威
热火在0胜4负的开局和一段惨淡的防守表现后，终于凭借两连胜开张了。即便在客场击败老鹰和主场战胜步行者的比赛中，热火的失分也超过了联盟平均的115分。迈阿密的首发阵容在65分钟里每百回合失分高达130.6分，令人咋舌。
20. 奥兰多魔术 (2-4)
上期排名： 第19
上周战绩： 客负猛龙，客胜猛龙，负凯尔特人
进攻效率： 108.6（第22）** 防守效率：** 116.9（第25）
首发： 杰伦·萨格斯、德斯蒙德·贝恩、弗朗茨·瓦格纳、保罗·班切罗、小温德尔·卡特
主要轮换： 安东尼·布莱克、特里斯坦·达席尔瓦、杰斯·理查德森、戈加·比塔泽、贾马尔·凯恩
魔术又回到了他们熟悉的状态——多名首发伤停。肖恩·斯威尼走重技术路线，把布莱克和理查德森放进首发。魔术在与猛龙的小系列赛中打成平手，表现尚可，但随后凯尔特人锁死了瓦格纳，迫使他打出20投5中的下午。这支球队抢篮板像“小小世界”一样袖珍，而防守也常常只是个想象。
21. 新奥尔良鹈鹕 (2-4)
上期排名： 第25
上周战绩： 负掘金，胜国王，胜老鹰
进攻效率： 112.0（第16）** 防守效率：** 110.3（第13）
首发： 杰迈亚·菲尔斯、德章泰·穆雷、特雷·墨菲三世、锡安·威廉姆森、伊夫·米西
主要轮换： 赫伯特·琼斯、萨迪克·贝、本尼迪克特·马图林、德里克·奎因、乔丹·普尔
鹈鹕目前还打不过掘金，但他们击败国王时打出了本赛季任何球队单场比赛中最高的内线得分和利用失误得分。随后鹈鹕又以一场大胜击败老鹰，为美好的一周画上句号。这些胜利是在穆雷缺阵、卡尔洛·马特科维奇顶替缺席的米西首发（德安德烈·乔丹让位）、琼斯获得解放的情况下取得的。新奥尔良是另一支“做减法可能更合理”的球队——这个管理层整个休赛期都有时间思考这个问题，却还是如此执拗地原班人马再战一年。
22. 夏洛特黄蜂 (3-4)
上期排名： 第17
上周战绩： 胜奇才，客负活塞，客负奇才，负76人
进攻效率： 101.3（第30）** 防守效率：** 109.6（第12）
首发： 丹尼斯·施罗德、布兰登·米勒、赛昂·詹姆斯、纳兹·里德、穆萨·迪亚巴特
主要轮换： 格雷森·艾伦、瑞安·卡尔克布伦纳、罗伊斯·奥尼尔
黄蜂击败了奇才，但那是本周唯一的胜利。夏洛特还在等待康·克尼普尔（腿筋）和科比·怀特（小腿）的增援，而布兰登·米勒在缺乏支援的情况下效率大幅下滑。至少怀特周一就能在对阵活塞的比赛中复出。纳兹·里德的表现也不尽如人意（命中率39.8%，场均1.9次助攻、3.0次失误），主教练查尔斯·李不得不在底特律的下半场把他按在板凳上。
23. 布鲁克林篮网 (1-5)
上期排名： 第28
上周战绩： 客负凯尔特人，负活塞，客胜步行者
进攻效率： 105.0（第28）** 防守效率：** 112.6（第19）
首发： 诺兰·特拉奥雷、叶戈尔·杰明、小迈克尔·波特、朱利叶斯·兰德尔、戴隆·夏普
主要轮换： 基翁·埃利斯、诺亚·克劳尼、小米克尔·布朗、莫里茨·瓦格纳、钱尼·约翰逊
篮网差一点就在波士顿爆出冷门。布朗（背部）还有需要学习的功课，他尚未进入首发，也仍需要一些负荷管理。杰明（右腿）也没有完全恢复健康。但特拉奥雷似乎迈出了一大步，而约尔迪·费尔南德斯让双向合同球员约翰逊去防守各个位置的球星。年轻球员在进攻端还谈不上可靠，球在波特（场均1.3次助攻）和兰德尔（场均4.2次失误）之间粘得厉害。但他们身体对抗强硬、拼劲十足，印第安纳周日就领教过了。
24. 印第安纳步行者 (2-5)
上期排名： 第13
上周战绩： 客负雄鹿，负76人，客负热火，负篮网
进攻效率： 111.0（第18）** 防守效率：** 114.4（第22）
首发： 泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿、安德鲁·内姆哈德、阿隆·内史密斯、帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆、伊维察·祖巴茨
主要轮换： 小凯利·乌布雷、奥比·托平、贾雷斯·沃克、杰伊·赫夫、昆顿·杰克逊
当哈利伯顿和祖巴茨都在阵容中时，这看起来是一支攻守均衡的球队。而两人目前都缺阵，他们看起来就像去年的步行者。当你看起来像去年的步行者时，你就会整周颗粒无收，输给雄鹿和篮网。印第安纳的阵容深度并不好。他们的拼图在完整时是合理的，但对一支NBA球队来说，整个赛季的大部分时间里保持完整并不现实。
泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿在印第安纳再度伤停。（Robert Goddin / Imagn Images）
25. 菲尼克斯太阳 (1-3)
上期排名： 第18
上周战绩： 客负雷霆，负掘金
进攻效率： 114.3（第11）** 防守效率：** 125.8（第30）
首发： 德文·布克、杰伦·格林、狄龙·布鲁克斯、迈尔斯·布里奇斯、哈曼·马卢阿奇
主要轮换： 科林·吉莱斯皮、奥索·伊戈达罗、乔丹·古德温、瑞安·邓恩、卢克·肯纳德
太阳的赛程还很轻松，但他们大概宁愿用轻松的赛程换一些赢球的机会。菲尼克斯在防守篮板上相当脆弱，这在替补阵容相对矮小、而格林和布鲁克斯又是篮板能力欠佳的侧翼的情况下是必然结果。太阳的首发阵容共同出战了47分钟，净负31分（96比131）。
第五档：降级威胁
26. 洛杉矶快船 (1-5)
上期排名： 第21
上周战绩： 负湖人，客负森林狼，客负勇士
进攻效率： 105.6（第26）** 防守效率：** 112.3（第18）
首发： 达柳斯·加兰、克里斯·邓恩、小德里克·琼斯、八村塁、以赛亚·杰克逊
主要轮换： 基顿·瓦格勒、科比·桑德斯、格雷迪·迪克、布鲁克·洛佩斯
先说好消息：全明星布兰登·英格拉姆、首发马克斯·斯特鲁斯和二年级生亚尼克·科南·尼德豪泽都已进入各自伤病恢复的“下放发展联盟”阶段。再说现实：这支球队不仅天赋严重不足，而且看起来在攻防两端都撑不住。面对缺少卢卡·东契奇、安东尼·爱德华兹和斯蒂芬·库里的球队，快船毫无竞争力。洛杉矶急需增援；他们已经不得不动用困难特例签下了布莱克·韦斯利的10天短约。
27. 犹他爵士 (1-5)
上期排名： 第23
上周战绩： 负灰熊，负马刺，负开拓者
进攻效率： 105.3（第27）** 防守效率：** 115.4（第24）
首发： 基翁特·乔治、达伦·彼得森、艾斯·贝利、劳里·马尔卡宁、小贾伦·杰克逊
主要轮换： 以赛亚·科利尔、贾克森·海耶斯、斯维·米哈伊柳克、布赖斯·森萨博、约什·奥科吉
这是威尔·哈迪执教爵士的第五个赛季。爵士距离追平哈迪任内最差开局，只差周一晚在圣安东尼奥的一场失利。杰克逊内侧副韧带撕裂，爵士将不得不在没有他的情况下想办法。他们的防守不够好，但在犹他这从来都是常态。最大的失望是进攻——不是靠罚球就是打铁。马尔卡宁的手腕曾让人虚惊一场，但如果他健康到能上场，那么他35.5%的投篮命中率在十一月必须提升。
28. 密尔沃基雄鹿 (1-5)
上期排名： 第29
上周战绩： 胜步行者，负火箭，负骑士
进攻效率： 106.6（第25）** 防守效率：** 119.4（第27）
首发： 瑞安·罗林斯、泰勒·希罗、小海梅·哈克斯、凯尔·库兹马、迈尔斯·特纳
主要轮换： 卡斯帕拉斯·雅库乔尼斯、凯尔·埃尔·韦尔、AJ·格林、内特·阿门特、布雷登·伯里斯
酿酒人队夺得了世界大赛冠军，包装工队五场比赛赢了四场，雄鹿击败了步行者。小加里·特伦特甚至在垃圾时间里投进了几个三分。记下这一天吧，威斯康星！这支由留守老臣、前热火球员和2026年乐透秀拼凑的球队，实在没什么可圈可点之处。但至少，泰勒·詹金斯手里还有一长串眼熟的名字可以轮换。
29. 芝加哥公牛 (1-5)
上期排名： 第24
上周战绩： 客负凯尔特人，负尼克斯，负凯尔特人
进攻效率： 105.9（第25）** 防守效率：** 121.6（第28）
首发： 乔什·吉迪、诺曼·鲍威尔、马塔斯·布泽利斯、凯莱布·威尔逊、杰伦·史密斯
主要轮换： 特雷·琼斯、伦纳德·米勒、艾萨克·奥科罗
我预料到公牛会打快攻并丢很多分，到目前为止，他们正是这么做的。史密斯继续镇守首发中锋的位置，而休赛期交易来的尼克·克拉克斯顿仍在养腿筋伤。公牛见人就犯规，六名球员场均犯规超过2.5次，其中史密斯和新秀威尔逊（各3.2次）领衔。
30. 萨克拉门托国王 (0-6)
上期排名： 第30
上周战绩： 客负马刺，客负鹈鹕，客负灰熊
进攻效率： 104.8（第29）** 防守效率：** 122.6（第29）
首发： 小达柳斯·阿卡夫、扎克·拉文、德安德烈·亨特、基根·穆雷、多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯
主要轮换： 伊曼纽尔·夏普、普雷舍斯·阿丘瓦、达克万·普劳登、乔纳森·莫格博
国王现在是“小达柳斯·阿卡夫秀”，这位选秀第七顺位新秀的场均出手次数几乎和拉文与萨博尼斯加起来一样多。他们的防守毫无还手之力，板凳席也破败不堪，而穆雷的脚踝伤病让这两个问题雪上加霜。国王除了主场揭幕战对阵开拓者一役外，其余比赛全部以两位数分差落败。
由生成式 AI 翻译，翻译内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
查看原文：NBA Power Rankings: Liftoff in Houston, and how far have the Thunder fallen?
NBA Power Rankings: Liftoff in Houston, and how far have the Thunder fallen?
We’re only two weeks into this regular season, and the conversation about player availability — especially star player availability — is at an uncomfortable place.
This is the week I prefer to highlight the starters and key reserves each team has chosen to roll with as the season begins. One of my departmental projects over the years has been team position rankings, where I feature 10 players for each team. To many, this is a star-driven league, where 30 players power the majority of discussion. To me, this is a 300-player league. We can feel sorry for players who are out, but I can tell you that teams build these rosters knowing that depth has to be viable. No one is feeling sorry for these teams, because the games still will be played.
There will always be injuries. Players are coming to the league in worse condition than a generation or two ago, and some of the injuries are just a consequence of a contact sport played by some of the largest and fastest athletes in the world. Some will also say that preseason isn’t long enough, and players aren’t as ready to play based on their offseasons. Many of these injuries are happening before we get into the full swing of the season.
With that said, there are 46 players who have been All-NBA or All-Star selections at least once in the three seasons before the current one. Those 46 players averaged 67.5 games played in 2023-24, 62.8 in 2024-25 and 55 in 2025-26. From that group, there have already been missed games this season by Anthony Edwards, Alperen Şengün, Jalen Duren, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr., Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Kawhi Leonard, Brandon Ingram, Tyrese Haliburton, Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid. That’s 35 percent of the stars already. Nine of those players have timelines that are defined in weeks or months. The league might want to prepare for more 65-game petitions in April.
In this edition of Power Rankings, each team will have starters and key reserves listed. If a player has not debuted or if a player is unlikely to return to play this season, they are not included. Reserves are limited to three to five players per team. It’s still early, but what has already passed is about the length of a long playoff series. Keep that in mind for when spring gets here.
Fine print: These Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We’ll retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers each week:
- Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
- In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
- The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
- Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
- Threat of Relegation – We changed it this year! Bringing up the rear, which is supposed to hurt at the lottery now
What to expect from Power Rankings:
- I approach this like a weekly drafting of teams. These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my final call.
- These rankings are not just a review of the past week — we are projecting forward as well, so it is a balance of the two.
- These are subjective, but not biased. There are no agendas in the Power Rankings, and we strive for an inclusive meritocracy
- The one quality that these rankings possess: “Ruthless aggression.”
- Enjoy the games, and enjoy the rankings, please!
Win-loss records and other statistical data are through Sunday’s action.
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Houston Rockets (6-1)
Last ranking: Fourth
In the last week: W vs ATL, W at MIL, L at DAL, W vs OKC
Offensive rating: 121.2 (first place)Defensive rating: 108.9 (ninth place)
Starters: Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün
Key reserves: Marcus Smart, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanović
Houston’s improved depth hasn’t quite made the defense special, which makes sense. The Rockets don’t have great rim protection, they have a small guard in the starting lineup and their best player is 38. The Rockets tried to get away with lineups without centers in Dallas with Şengün nursing a back injury, and it’s one reason they aren’t undefeated anymore. But this offense has taken off, and Houston is deeper than it has been at any point under coach Ime Udoka.
2. Detroit Pistons (5-1)
Last ranking: Second
In the last week: L at NY, W vs CHA, W at BRK
Offensive rating: 111.3 (17th place)Defensive rating: 103.2 (first place)
Starters: Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
Key reserves: Daniss Jenkins, Paul Reed, Kevin Huerter, Javonte Green, Ronald Holland II
The Pistons were on the wrong end of a 40-point turnaround in New York, the low point of a nice start to the season. Detroit has to wait for Jalen Duren (hamstring) to return for at least another week. But Paul Reed has done well enough to hold down the fort for a defense that is still a chore for opposing offenses.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (6-1)
Last ranking: Seventh
In the last week: W at IND, W vs NY, W at CHA
Offensive rating: 106.9 (23rd place)Defensive rating: 103.3 (third place)
Starters: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid
Key reserves: Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
The 76ers have six wins. Half of them have come after trailing by more than 10 points. Who do they think they are, the Knicks? But as two of them have come against the defending champions, hear me out: Can Maxey be this team’s Jalen Brunson? Does that make Embiid the Karl-Anthony Towns, Brown the OG Anunoby and Edgecombe the Mikal Bridges? Is James the souped-up version of Josh Hart? The depth will be necessary, especially since Nick Nurse is more Tom Thibodeau than Mike Brown when it comes to blowing out his starters’ minutes in the regular season.
4. San Antonio Spurs (4-2)
Last ranking: 12th
In the last week: W vs SAC, W at UTA, W vs MIN
Offensive rating: 115.2 (ninth place)Defensive rating: 108.5 (eighth place)
Starters: De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama
Key reserves: Julian Champagnie, Luke Kornet, Keldon Johnson
The Spurs handled their business in three spots where they should have handled their business: a woeful Kings team, a short-handed Utah team and a short-handed Timberwolves team traveling on zero days’ rest. Still, San Antonio got impressive performances from Victor Wembanyama, culminating in a career-high 34 field goal attempts against the Timberwolves. The Spurs will look much deeper whenever Tobias Harris can get back.
5. Boston Celtics (5-1)
Last ranking: 11th
In the last week: W vs CHI, W vs BRK, W vs CHI, W at ORL
Offensive rating: 117.7 (fifth place)Defensive rating: 107.6 (sixth place)
Starters: Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, Mitchell Robinson
Key reserves: Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, Hugo Gonzalez
It’s the regular season, and all this team does when daylight saving time is inactive is win. The Celtics smoked a lead to begin the season, and they smoked double-digit leads recently too, but here they are at 5-1 with a top-10 offense and defense. Joe Mazzulla started Gonzalez over Walsh on Sunday in Orlando. We all know Mazzulla doesn’t mind tinkering with the starting lineup when short-handed, even in a Game 7. I digress. Boston is in really good shape, especially with how both Tatum and George are playing.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. Memphis Grizzlies (6-0)
Last ranking: 10th
In the last week: W at UTA, W at POR, W vs SAC
Offensive rating: 118.8 (third place)Defensive rating: 104.1 (second place)
Starters: Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey
Key reserves: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cam Spencer, GG Jackson, Scotty Pippen Jr.
The last undefeated team in the NBA! And there’s some real upside here, with Boozer making only 36.5 percent of his field goals but showing that he’s already capable of producing a triple-double. Coward has decided to make every 3-pointer and grab every rebound, Edey crushes his minutes despite his foul trouble, and Memphis has compiled depth at every position. There aren’t many quality wins, but this wasn’t supposed to be a quality team either. The Grizzlies are huge, deep and don’t need a Ty Jerome heater to win.
7. Portland Trail Blazers (4-1)
Last ranking: Ninth
In the last week: W at LAL, L vs MEM, W at UTA
Offensive rating: 118.0 (fourth place)Defensive rating: 107.9 (seventh place)
Starters: Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan
Key reserves: Jrue Holiday, Sidy Cissoko, Scoot Henderson, Robert Williams III, Vit Krejci
Morant went down with a hamstring injury in a difficult spot — in his first game against the Grizzlies and in Portland’s first loss of the season. But Micah Nori got his four guards to buy in and believe. Now, Nori has three guards left (out of five, as Shaedon Sharpe still has months of recovery from knee surgery), and they’ll be asked to do more in November. The Blazers’ wins were impressive in their diversity, beating the Lakers in a shootout while shutting down the Jazz, both on the road.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-2)
Last ranking: 15th
In the last week: W vs MIN, W vs WAS, L at ATL, W at MIL
Offensive rating: 115.8 (eighth place)Defensive rating: 111.5 (17th place)
Starters: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Key reserves: Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Meleek Thomas, Mario Hezonja
Yes, the Cavaliers blew another double-digit lead. But they also survived the last great Anthony Edwards performance before his surgery, and credit Cleveland for coming back to win that one. The Cavaliers must keep Mobley and Allen upright because their one true backup big is Hezonja, who at least had some super mushrooms since his previous NBA experience. Thomas might be the team’s best bench scorer with Tyson off to a slow start.
The Cavs don’t have a ton of frontcourt depth behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. (Benny Sieu / Imagn Images)
Tier 3: The Bubble
9. Los Angeles Lakers (5-2)
Last ranking: Fifth
In the last week: L vs POR, W at LAC, L at GS, W vs TOR
Offensive rating: 119.9 (second place)Defensive rating: 113.9 (20th place)
Starters: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Walker Kessler
Key reserves: Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Collin Sexton
A mixed week for the Lakers, who are going to be fine as long as Dončić is around. He was my MVP pick for a reason, and it’s not just the scoring. Dončić makes the game simpler for his teammates, and he has the biggest first-quarter haymaker in the league, capable of outscoring entire teams by himself. But the Lakers aren’t as deep as they thought they were. They have already resorted to using Vanderbilt as a backup center. This defense just asks Kessler to do it all. And Reaves had back-to-back eight-turnover games. This team truly goes as far as Dončić goes, and their struggles to keep double-digit leads suggest that Dončić’s fire is powerful but finite.
10. Golden State Warriors (4-3)
Last ranking: 27th
In the last week: W at DEN, W at MIN, W vs LAL, W vs LAC
Offensive rating: 117.2 (sixth place)Defensive rating: 114.9 (23rd place)
Starters: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green
Key reserves: De’Anthony Melton, Georges Niang, Brandon Williams, Al Horford, Will Richard
Strength in numbers was a long time ago. There’s a massive chunk of the payroll on the inactive list. Curry, Green and Horford are too old to play back-to-backs right now. But the Warriors do have Curry, who is still capable of making MVP candidates slide on Sub Zero ground ice. And now, the Warriors have YAXEL! Golden State’s elderly rookie has been thoroughly impressive since summer league, and the Warriors are running offense through him. Lendeborg isn’t merely a product of the ball finding him. He’s making things happen, and that is enough to believe that Golden State can be relevant in the West until it can see what Jimmy Butler III looks like in the winter.
11. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
Last ranking: 22nd
In the last week: W at MIA, W vs OKC, W vs HOU
Offensive rating: 114.1 (12th place)Defensive rating: 111.3 (15th place)
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford
Key reserves: Zaccharie Risacher, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, Morez Johnson Jr., Marcus Sasser
A week of quality wins for the Mavericks, with Flagg doing everything you’d want a star to do except consistently make 3s. Flagg and Irving are the only Mavericks averaging more than 14 points per game, and Flagg is making only 26.9 percent of his 3s. But Flagg is burying opponents inside the arc (26.8 points per game, 55.7 percent field goals), and Irving is a worthy sidekick.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3)
Last ranking: Third
In the last week: L at CLE, L vs GS, W vs LAC, L at SA
Offensive rating: 116.0 (seventh place)Defensive rating: 105.0 (fourth place)
Starters: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Rudy Gobert
Key reserves: Ayo Dosunmu, Joan Beringer, Terrence Shannon Jr., Trey Lyles
Edwards gave the people a 47-point performance in a losing effort at Cleveland, and then had knee surgery that threatens his award eligibility. The good news for Minnesota is that there’s enough scoring talent as long as Ball is around; McDaniels in particular scales up well, and Dosunmu is being paid starter money anyway. One item to look out for is Gobert’s wellness. He has had three games this season where he failed to convert a field goal (a combined 0-for-15 against Miami, Cleveland and the Warriors) and then had to miss Saturday’s loss at San Antonio due to back spasms.
13. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-2)
Last ranking: First
In the last week: W vs PHO, L at DAL, L at HOU
Offensive rating: 108.7 (21st place)Defensive rating: 109.4 (11th place)
Starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein
Key reserves: Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams, Bennett Stirtz, Aday Mara, Kenrich Williams
This was one of the worst weeks an NBA team has ever had early in a season. In a matter of six days, the Thunder lost a star to a career-altering injury (Jalen Williams), a recent extension recipient to a likely season-ending injury (Cason Wallace), another star for at least two months (Holmgren) and a key rotation player to an ankle sprain (Caruso). Oklahoma City is also using two roster spots on 2024 (Nikola Topić) and 2025 (Thomas Sorber) first-round picks who haven’t recovered from surgeries. And this team was already short on wings after the offseason departures of Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate again, but this offense is going to look rough for a while.
14. Denver Nuggets (3-2)
Last ranking: 14th
In the last week: L vs GS, W at NO, W at PHO
Offensive rating: 112.4 (15th place)Defensive rating: 114.1 (21st place)
Starters: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Key reserves: DeMar DeRozan, Trevon Brazile, Alpha Diallo, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones
The Nuggets have only two losses, though both were quite bad. They’re getting healthier at least, with Johnson returning in a road win at Phoenix after injuring his ankle in the season opener. Second-round rookie Brazile is getting run with Spencer Jones nursing a bad hamstring all October, and Brazile might be a steal with his ability to rebound (6.6 per game) and not be a foul magnet (1.8 personal fouls in 22.8 minutes per game).
15. Toronto Raptors (3-3)
Last ranking: Sixth
In the last week: W vs ORL, L vs ORL, L at LAL
Offensive rating: 115.1 (10th place)Defensive rating: 107.3 (fifth place)
Starters: Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Key reserves: Ja’Kobe Walter, Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, Allen Graves, Jamison Battle
In this space a week ago, the alarm was sounded about Leonard not moving well and missing games for non-load management reasons. The schedule is convenient for Leonard to be out just as the Raptors make their lone Southern California trip, but if you saw Leonard, he didn’t look mighty out there. Now he’s week-to-week with a left knee issue, testing Toronto’s depth. Leonard might miss more games in November than Brandon Ingram missed all season last year, but that just means that Barrett has to step up in his support for Barnes, and that coach Darko Rajaković needs to develop at least one more consistent contributor (it might just have to be Battle to loosen up defenses).
16. Washington Wizards (3-3)
Last ranking: 16th
In the last week: L at CHA, L at CLE, W vs CHA
Offensive rating: 110.5 (19th place)Defensive rating: 109.3 (10th place)
Starters: Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr
Key reserves: Bilal Coulibaly, Deandre Ayton, Tre Johnson, Khris Middleton, Bub Carrington
The Wizards couldn’t win on the road this week, and this is a dreadful shooting team. But they got Dybantsa, the first pick of June’s draft, on the floor. The Wizards have been good defensively with both Dybantsa and Coulibaly with the rest of the starters. Justin Champagnie (7.5 rebounds per game) fractured his right foot in Charlotte and is out indefinitely.
AJ Dybantsa, the top pick in June’s draft, made his NBA debut last week. (Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
17. Atlanta Hawks (3-4)
Last ranking: Eighth
In the last week: L at HOU, L vs MIA, W vs CLE, L at NO
Offensive rating: 112.4 (14th place)Defensive rating: 111.4 (16th place)
Starters: CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu
Key reserves: Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, Jock Landale
Atlanta got a quality comeback win against the Cavaliers, but this was a bad week for the Hawks overall, in part because they have had the worst rim protection in the league. The Hawks are vulnerable inside. It’s not a lack of talent, as Johnson is an All-NBA player and Okongwu was outstanding against Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. But Atlanta could use some development between 2025 first-round pick Asa Newell and 2026 first-round pick Zuby Ejiofor.
18. New York Knicks (2-4)
Last ranking: 20th
In the last week: W vs DET, W at CHI, L at PHI
Offensive rating: 109.6 (20th place)Defensive rating: 110.6 (14th place)
Starters: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns
Key reserves: Landry Shamet, Andre Drummond, Miles McBride
It’s the same group of Knicks, but they have been very stoppable to begin the season. Every starter except for Towns is shooting under 40 percent from the field, with Shamet and McBride under 40 percent as well. Backup center Drummond can rebound, but he is at only 45.7 percent from the field. A comeback win against the Pistons, fueled by Brunson free throws, is encouraging. But the offense isn’t good right now, and the bench hasn’t shown much upside either.
19. Miami Heat (2-4)
Last ranking: 26th
In the last week: L vs DAL, W at ATL, W vs IND
Offensive rating: 113.6 (13th place)Defensive rating: 117.2 (26th place)
Starters: Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo
Key reserves: Pelle Larsson, Bobby Portis Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Heat finally got on the board with back-to-back wins after a 0-4 start and some awful defense. Even in wins at Atlanta and against the Pacers, the Heat allowed more than the league average of 115 points. Miami’s starting lineup is allowing an outrageous 130.6 points per 100 possessions in 65 minutes.
20. Orlando Magic (2-4)
Last ranking: 19th
In the last week: L at TOR, W at TOR, L vs BOS
Offensive rating: 108.6 (22nd place)Defensive rating: 116.9 (25th place)
Starters: Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Key reserves: Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, Jase Richardson, Goga Bitadze, Jamal Cain
We find the Magic in their usual state, which is dealing with multiple injured starters. Sean Sweeney is going skill-heavy, putting Black and Richardson in the starting lineup. The Magic did well enough to split the Raptors miniseries, but then the Celtics put the clamps on Wagner and forced him into a 5-of-20 afternoon. This team rebounds like it’s a small world, after all, and the defense has simply been imaginary too often.
21. New Orleans Pelicans (2-4)
Last ranking: 25th
In the last week: L vs DEN, W vs SAC, W vs ATL
Offensive rating: 112.0 (16th place)Defensive rating: 110.3 (13th place)
Starters: Jeremiah Fears, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Yves Missi
Key reserves: Herbert Jones, Saddiq Bey, Bennedict Mathurin, Derik Queen, Jordan Poole
The Pelicans can’t beat the Nuggets right now, but they beat the Kings with the most paint points and points off turnovers any team has scored in any game so far this season. Then the Pelicans ended a good week with a decisive win over the Hawks. The wins came without Murray in the lineup, Karlo Matkovic starting instead of DeAndre Jordan with Missi out and with Jones being freed. New Orleans is another example of a team that might make more sense with some subtractions, something this front office had all offseason to think about before running it back as hard as it did.
22. Charlotte Hornets (3-4)
Last ranking: 17th
In the last week: W vs WAS, L at DET, L at WAS, L vs PHI
Offensive rating: 101.3 (30th place)Defensive rating: 109.6 (12th place)
Starters: Dennis Schröder, Brandon Miller, Sion James, Naz Reid, Moussa Diabate
Key reserves: Grayson Allen, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Royce O’Neale
The Hornets beat the Wizards, but that was the lone win of the week. Charlotte is still waiting on reinforcements from Kon Knueppel (hamstring) and Coby White (calf), and Brandon Miller’s efficiency is in the tank without the help. At least White will be back Monday against the Pistons. Naz Reid hasn’t been very good either (39.8 percent field goals, 1.9 assists, 3.0 turnovers), and head coach Charles Lee had to sit him down for the second half at Detroit.
23. Brooklyn Nets (1-5)
Last ranking: 28th
In the last week: L at BOS, L vs DET, W at IND
Offensive rating: 105.0 (28th place)Defensive rating: 112.6 (19th place)
Starters: Nolan Traore, Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe
Key reserves: Keon Ellis, Noah Clowney, Mikel Brown Jr., Moritz Wagner, Chaney Johnson
The Nets came agonizingly close to upsetting Boston. There were teachable moments for Brown (back), who isn’t starting yet and still needs some load management. Demin (right leg) isn’t at full health either. But Traore appears to have taken a step forward, while Jordi Fernandez has asked two-way contract Johnson to guard stars of various positions. The young players aren’t any kind of reliable offensively, and the ball is very sticky between Porter (1.3 assists per game) and Randle (4.2 turnovers per game). But they are physical and will play hard, as Indiana found out Sunday.
24. Indiana Pacers (2-5)
Last ranking: 13th
In the last week: L at MIL, L vs PHI, L at MIA, L vs BRK
Offensive rating: 111.0 (18th place)Defensive rating: 114.4 (22nd place)
Starters: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac
Key reserves: Kelly Oubre Jr., Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff, Quenton Jackson
When Haliburton and Zubac are in the lineup, this looks like a well-rounded team. With both out for the time being, they look like last year’s Pacers. And when you look like last year’s Pacers, you strike out for the week and lose to the Bucks and Nets. Indiana is not a very deep team. Its parts make sense when whole, but being whole is not a realistic status for an NBA team for the majority of a season.
Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined again in Indiana. (Robert Goddin / Imagn Images)
25. Phoenix Suns (1-3)
Last ranking: 18th
In the last week: L at OKC, L vs DEN
Offensive rating: 114.3 (11th place)Defensive rating: 125.8 (30th place)
Starters: Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Khaman Maluach
Key reserves: Collin Gillespie, Oso Ighodaro, Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, Luke Kennard
It’s been a light schedule for the Suns, but they would probably trade that for some opportunities to win games. Phoenix has been quite vulnerable on the defensive glass, which is bound to happen with a relatively small bench and poor rebounding wings in Green and Brooks. The Suns starting lineup has played 47 minutes together and has been outscored 131-96 in those minutes.
Tier 5: Threat of Relegation
26. LA Clippers (1-5)
Last ranking: 21st
In the last week: L vs LAL, L at MIN, L at GS
Offensive rating: 105.6 (26th place)Defensive rating: 112.3 (18th place)
Starters: Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura, Isaiah Jackson
Key reserves: Keaton Wagler, Kobe Sanders, Gradey Dick, Brook Lopez
First, the encouraging news: All-Star Brandon Ingram, starter Max Strus and sophomore Yanic Konan Niederhäuser have graduated to the “assigned to G League” portion of their respective injury recoveries. Now for the real part: This team is not only woefully under-talented, but it looks incapable of holding up on either end of the floor. The Clippers were not competitive against teams missing Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry. LA needs reinforcements in the worst way; it’s already had to use a hardship exception 10-day contract on Blake Wesley.
27. Utah Jazz (1-5)
Last ranking: 23rd
In the last week: L vs MEM, L vs SA, L vs POR
Offensive rating: 105.3 (27th place)Defensive rating: 115.4 (24th place)
Starters: Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Key reserves: Isaiah Collier, Jaxson Hayes, Svi Mykhailiuk, Brice Sensabaugh, Josh Okogie
This is Will Hardy’s fifth season as Jazz coach. The Jazz are a Monday night loss at San Antonio away from tying their worst start under Hardy. Jackson has a torn MCL, so the Jazz are going to have to figure this out without him. The defense isn’t good enough, but it never is in Utah. The big disappointment is the offense, which is free-throw or bust. Markkanen had a wrist scare, but if he’s healthy enough to play, then his 35.5 percent mark from the field must improve in November.
28. Milwaukee Bucks (1-5)
Last ranking: 29th
In the last week: W vs IND, L vs HOU, L vs CLE
Offensive rating: 106.6 (25th place)Defensive rating: 119.4 (27th place)
Starters: Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner
Key reserves: Kasparas Jakucionis, Kel’el Ware, AJ Green, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries
The Brewers won the World Series, the Packers have won four out of five games and the Bucks beat the Pacers. Gary Trent Jr. even got some 3s in garbage time. Bookmark it, Wisconsin! There aren’t many redeeming qualities for this collection of holdovers, former Heat and 2026 lottery picks. But there is at least a surplus of recognizable names for Taylor Jenkins to cycle through.
29. Chicago Bulls (1-5)
Last ranking: 24th
In the last week: L at BOS, L vs NY, L at BOS
Offensive rating: 105.9 (25th place)Defensive rating: 121.6 (28th place)
Starters: Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Jalen Smith
Key reserves: Tre Jones, Leonard Miller, Isaac Okoro
I expected the Bulls to run and to give up a lot of points, and so far, that’s exactly what they’re doing. Smith continues to hold down the starting center position with offseason trade acquisition Nic Claxton still nursing a hamstring injury. The Bulls foul anything that moves, as six players are averaging more than 2.5 personal fouls per game, led by Smith and rookie Wilson (3.2 per game each).
30. Sacramento Kings (0-6)
Last ranking: 30th
In the last week: L at SA, L at NO, L at MEM
Offensive rating: 104.8 (29th place)Defensive rating: 122.6 (29th place)
Starters: Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
Key reserves: Emanuel Sharp, Precious Achiuwa, Daeqwon Plowden, Jonathan Mogbo
The Kings are the Darius Acuff Jr. show, as the seventh pick in the draft attempts almost as many field goals per game as LaVine and Sabonis combined. The defense has no chance, and the bench is dilapidated, two issues that the Murray ankle injury exacerbates further. The Kings have lost by double digits in all but one game, the home opener against the Trail Blazers.
By Law Murray / The Athletic