The honeymoon part of the NBA season is over, and we can stop celebrating basketball being back and focus on how the heck we’re supposed to get through this season.
One of my favorite activities going into NBA seasons is trying to decide who out of a maximum of 18 roster spots is going to wind up playing every night for these teams. We spend all offseason getting excited about roster moves, and you see coaches roll out 20 players during the preseason. Now, the hard decisions have been made, and most of the league gives a 10-game runway to see how the new rotations play out.
It is still early, and I did mention these Power Rankings would be quite volatile in terms of movement. It’s only been two weeks, which is about how long a playoff series goes and about how long a preseason is in terms of games played. Small-sample-size theater is still in effect, though I will always lean toward what we’ve seen rather than what some of you are hoping will appear at some point.
With all of that said, November will go a long way in shaping how the rest of the season will play out, and it is notable to get a look at the lineups these teams have chosen to set the foundation for the season. Every team has had to deal with some injuries, so some of these starting lineups have not been seen yet. I’m also limiting “key reserves” to three to five players, and I am excluding players who have not played yet or players who are already ruled out for the season.
A reminder: These Power Rankings will not just rank every team. We will retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers every 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
- Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear
For Week 2 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, let’s explore each team’s rotation to start the season. Win-loss records are through Monday night, and other analysis is through Sunday’s action unless noted otherwise for this week:
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W vs. Spurs, W at Trail Blazers, W at Clippers, W vs. Magic
Offensive rating: 110.9 (19th place)
Defensive rating: 93.8 (first place)
Starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren
Top reserves: Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Ousmane Dieng, Ajay Mitchell
The Thunder have rotated Wallace, Wiggins and Joe into the starting lineup, and they’re still waiting on the return of free-agent acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein from a fractured left (shooting) hand. Neither five-man group has been flawless — Wallace with the starters has been the best group because of how well the defense has been, but the offense has been poor. The Joe group is better offensively but closer to average defensively. The Wiggins group has been the worst of the three lineups. But the lineup inconsistency has not kept the Thunder from following up on last year’s top-seed performance by being the last undefeated team in the Western Conference.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-0)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W vs. Lakers, W vs. Magic, W at Bucks, W vs. Bucks
Offensive rating: 121.0 (second)
Defensive rating: 108.3 (fifth)
Starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Top reserves: Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, Ty Jerome
Max Strus’ right ankle sprain has opened the door for Wade to start, and the Cavaliers are the last undefeated team in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland has shown the ability to both blow teams out as well as come back in games and win them close, as Mitchell’s game-winner at the Milwaukee Bucks came after the Cavaliers trailed by 16 points.
3. Boston Celtics (7-1)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: L at Pacers, W at Hornets, W at Hornets, W at Hawks
Offensive rating: 121.8 (first)
Defensive rating: 107.7 (fourth)
Starters: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford
Top reserves: Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser
It has been a while since the Celtics were looking up in the East, but that’s what a loss early in the season will do. Boston is the rare team that is exclusively using players who were on the team from last season, and the Celtics are still waiting on Kristaps Porziņģis to return and complete what was a powerful starting five.
4. Golden State Warriors (6-1)
Last ranking: 10
In the last week: W vs. Pelicans, W vs. Pelicans, W at Rockets, W at Wizards
Offensive rating: 118.9 (fourth)
Defensive rating: 102.1 (second)
Starters: Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Top reserves: Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, Kevon Looney, Moses Moody
The Warriors have already won as many games with Curry out of the lineup this season (three) as they did all of last season. That is a fantastic sign of the strength of Golden State’s numbers this fall. Kuminga has been taken out of the starting lineup, a move that coincided with Curry’s ankle injury, but Kuminga has remained productive. Golden State wanted to benefit from the defensive presence of Green starting next to Jackson-Davis, and the Warriors have also been able to score at a high level with those two sharing the floor.
5. Phoenix Suns (6-1)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W at Clippers, W vs. Trail Blazers, W vs. 76ers
Offensive rating: 112.3 (16th)
Defensive rating: 108.8 (sixth)
Starters: Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkić
Top reserves: Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Ryan Dunn, Mason Plumlee
The Suns are off to a great start, but their starting lineup has not been good together, getting outscored by 7.6 points per 100 possessions in 51 minutes. The shooting off the bench from Allen, O’Neale and (surprisingly) first-round rookie Dunn has given Phoenix what appears to be sustainable lineup options, and the defense has helped this look like a team that could handle an injury if it comes.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. Dallas Mavericks (4-3)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W at Timberwolves, L vs. Rockets, W vs. Magic, L vs. Pacers
Offensive rating: 112.6 (15th)
Defensive rating: 109.4 (eighth)
Starters: Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford
Top reserves: Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, Spencer Dinwiddie, Maxi Kleber, Quentin Grimes
Many were expecting the Mavericks to start Lively this season over Gafford. Lively is the better player and the better fit with the starters to start this season; Dallas’ starting unit is getting outscored by 11.5 points per 100 possessions. But Lively allows the Mavericks to dominate second units; he is significantly more valuable against other teams’ reserves than he is against starters (or Gafford against backups). That arrangement worked last spring and helped the Mavericks come out of the West, so they’re not fixing what isn’t broken.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: L vs. Mavericks, W vs. Nuggets, L at Spurs, W vs. Hornets
Offensive rating: 114.0 (11th)
Defensive rating: 111.5 (13th)
Starters: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert
Top reserves: Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
The Timberwolves swapped Randle into their starting lineup in place of Karl-Anthony Towns, and it is still a work in progress on both ends of the floor. Minnesota’s starting five is basically as bad this year as it was good last year, getting outscored by 9.0 points per 100 possessions through seven games. The good news for Minnesota is that DiVincenzo’s addition has made the Timberwolves better when he and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Reid get on the floor.
8. Denver Nuggets (4-3)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W at Nets, L at Timberwolves, W vs. Jazz, W vs. Raptors
Offensive rating: 114.5 (seventh)
Defensive rating: 113.0 (17th)
Starters: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokić
Top reserves: Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther
The starting lineup isn’t the problem, at least offensively, as Denver has scored 131.7 points per 100 possessions with a five-man group that has played 118 minutes already together. The Nuggets are still trying to find a second unit that works with new backup point guard Westbrook, and that process is delayed while Murray recovers from a concussion. Denver is winning tight games against lower-tier teams, but you have to start somewhere.
9. Sacramento Kings (4-3)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: W at Jazz, W at Hawks, L at Raptors, W at Heat
Offensive rating: 116.0 (fifth)
Defensive rating: 111.1 (11th)
Starters: De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
Top reserves: Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Keon Ellis
The only new addition to Sacramento’s rotation is DeRozan, but Huerter’s retention of a starting role reinforced how important he is to what the Kings do offensively. Sacramento isn’t good enough defensively to take offensive shortcuts, and so far, the new Kings lineup has outscored opponents by 22.4 points per 100 possessions in 78 minutes. There’s still a place for lottery pick Devin Carter to contribute if he gets healthy sometime this winter.
10. Houston Rockets (4-3)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: W at Mavericks, L vs. Warriors, W vs. Knicks
Offensive rating: 114.3 (ninth)
Defensive rating: 109.6 (10th)
Starters: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün
Top reserves: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Steven Adams
This was too impressive a week for the Rockets to have them outside of the top 10. Not only are they a top-10 offense and defense through two weeks of play, but they are one of 10 teams in the league through 14 days with both a winning record and a positive point differential. The rest of the league has work to do, and Houston is helping itself by using the same starting five as last season while integrating a top-three pick at backup guard (Sheppard) and an upgrade at backup center (Adams).
Tier 3: The Bubble
11. Los Angeles Lakers (4-3)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: L at Cavaliers, W at Raptors, L at Pistons
Offensive rating: 115.2 (sixth)
Defensive rating: 117.6 (25th)
Starters: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
Top reserves: Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht, Jaxson Hayes
The Lakers don’t have much in the way of depth, but new coach JJ Redick has a starting lineup that works, especially defensively. All five starters are averaging more than 30 minutes per game, a testament to the power of that group but also an indictment on a bench of spare parts. The Lakers defense falls apart when the reserves start cycling in.
12. New York Knicks (3-3)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W at Heat, W at Pistons, L at Rockets
Offensive rating: 119.0 (third)
Defensive rating: 113.9 (19th)
Starters: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns
Top reserves: Miles McBride, Jericho Sims, Cameron Payne
It did not take long for Towns and Bridges to get acclimated with the Knicks, and the new starting lineup can be lethal offensively, as the Pistons found out this week. Like the Lakers, New York doesn’t have much in the way of depth right now, even with McBride’s Sixth Man of the Year push to start the season. That’s fine as long as New York’s starters can handle the playoff-type minutes in November.
13. Miami Heat (3-3)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: L vs. Knicks, W at Wizards, L vs. Kings
Offensive rating: 111.8 (17th)
Defensive rating: 111.2 (12th)
Starters: Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jović, Bam Adebayo
Top reserves: Alec Burks, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson, Thomas Bryant, Josh Richardson
The Heat are another team trying to balance continuity with a poorly performing starting five. In 79 minutes, the Heat starters are being outscored by 19.6 points per 100 possessions. Miami becomes so much better once Jaquez enters games. The only player new to Miami’s rotation to start the season has been Burks, while Kevin Love has yet to appear in a game so far this season.
14. Brooklyn Nets (4-4)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: L vs. Nuggets, W at Grizzlies, W vs. Bulls, L vs. Pistons, W vs. Grizzlies
Offensive rating: 114.4 (eighth)
Defensive rating: 114.2 (20th)
Starters: Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith
Top reserves: Jalen Wilson, Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams, Noah Clowney
It’s too bad Jordi Fernandez and the Nets don’t see the Grizzlies again this season. Brooklyn had to play five games in the last seven days, and it ended that stretch with a second victory over the Grizzlies despite having to rest Simmons. The starting lineup is much better offensively with Claxton (118.3 points per 100 possessions in 49 minutes) than with Simmons (104.5 points per 100 possessions in 61 minutes), but the fact that Simmons is playing and contributing to wins is a positive for a Nets team that is breaking even to start the year.
15. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L vs. Nets, W vs. Bucks, W at 76ers, L at Nets
Offensive rating: 114.3 (10th)
Defensive rating: 112.9 (14th)
Starters: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey
Top reserves: Jake LaRavia, Santi Aldama, Scotty Pippen Jr., Jay Huff, Jaylen Wells
Memphis’ preferred starting lineup lasted all of 11 minutes, and it will be a few weeks before you see it again due to injuries suffered by Bane (oblique) and Smart (ankle). Edey is the only player on the team to start every game, and Memphis is keeping him under 20 minutes a game. Taylor Jenkins has done a great job preparing younger players to step up, especially offensively. Not being able to beat the Nets keeps them in the middle of the pack.
16. Indiana Pacers (3-4)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W vs. Celtics, L at Pelicans, W at Mavericks
Offensive rating: 113.3 (13th)
Defensive rating: 117.7 (26th)
Starters: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Top reserves: Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, T.J. McConnell
The Pacers opened the season with an Achilles tendon rupture to new backup center James Wiseman, then they lost incumbent backup center Isaiah Jackson to another Achilles tendon rupture. Indiana’s depth was supposed to be its major hallmark this season, but it will have to address the center position at some point. For now, the Pacers are trying to get their offense going again while not being terrible defensively when the starters aren’t together. There is still a dangerous basketball team in there somewhere, as they are 2-0 against last season’s NBA Finalists.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
17. LA Clippers (3-4)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: L vs. Trail Blazers, L vs. Suns, L vs. Thunder, W vs. Spurs
Offensive rating: 109.5 (23rd)
Defensive rating: 109.0 (seventh)
Starters: James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., Ivica Zubac
Top reserves: Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Amir Coffey, Kai Jones, Kevin Porter Jr.
The Clippers have had a double-digit lead in all seven of their games. They wound up trailing at some point after building those leads in every game except their win at Golden State (the only time the Warriors have lost this season) and after trailing the Spurs by 26 points. It’s fair to say the only thing this Clippers team needs is Kawhi Leonard, but the waiting is going to stress out this offense, and LA might need to figure out a different starting lineup solution. In 105 minutes, the current starting five is getting outscored by 16.6 points per 100 possessions, and it is by far their worst defensive group that plays significant minutes.
18. San Antonio Spurs (3-4)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: L at Thunder, W at Jazz, W vs. Timberwolves, L at Clippers
Offensive rating: 107.6 (28th)
Defensive rating: 109.5 (ninth)
Starters: Chris Paul, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama
Top reserves: Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Malaki Branham
The Spurs are another team making things hard on themselves with a bad starting five, and they could use a healthy return from Devin Vassell to take some playmaking heat off Wembanyama and Paul. San Antonio has come a long way from being the NBA’s worst defense in the season before Wembanyama’s arrival, but it is very easy to defend right now.
19. Detroit Pistons (3-5)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W at 76ers, L vs. Knicks, W at Nets, W vs. Lakers
Offensive rating: 109.5 (21st)
Defensive rating: 112.9 (15th)
Starters: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Top reserves: Malik Beasley, Isaiah Stewart, Simone Fontecchio, Ron Holland
It took the Pistons until Dec. 30 to win their third game of the season last year, snapping a 28-game losing streak. This season, Detroit got its third win on the 14th day of the season, running circles around the Lakers on Monday. The Pistons took their lumps during an 0-4 start, but outside of their performance against the Knicks, they have shown they will compete consistently. Stewart comes in and makes the defense pop when he is with the starting unit in place of Duren.
20. Chicago Bulls (3-4)
Last ranking: 19th
In the last week: W vs Magic, L at Nets, L vs Jazz
Offensive rating: 108.1 (27th place)
Defensive rating: 113.0 (16th place)
Starters: Josh Giddey, Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vučević
Top reserves: Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, Lonzo Ball, Julian Phillips
LaVine missed his first game of the season Monday night, and the result was a complete defensive collapse that allowed Utah to win its first game of the season. But Chicago’s starting five is an eyesore. In 82 minutes to start the year, the Bulls starting five scores only 93.2 points per 100 possessions. Chicago makes only 29.9 percent of its 3s when the first unit is together and 40.4 percent of its 3s when any other lineup is on the floor.
21. Orlando Magic (3-5)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: L at Bulls, L at Cavaliers, L at Mavericks, L at Thunder
Offensive rating: 104.6 (29th)
Defensive rating: 107.5 (third)
Starters: Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Top reserves: Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner, Tristan da Silva, Jonathan Isaac
Banchero is expected to miss the rest of November with an oblique tear, and it is stunning just how bad Orlando is offensively with him off the floor. In 202 minutes so far, the Magic have scored only 93.6 points per 100 possessions with Banchero on the bench or inactive. Orlando has also taken Cole Anthony out of the rotation, while free-agent addition Caldwell-Pope is off to a horrendous start shooting the ball (29.2 percent field goals, 22.2 percent 3s). It has been a tough slate for the Magic, but it’s not like they have a track record for decent offensive play even with Banchero.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (3-5)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: W at Clippers, L vs. Thunder, L at Suns, W at Pelicans
Offensive rating: 108.9 (25th)
Defensive rating: 113.6 (18th)
Starters: Anfernee Simons, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton
Top reserves: Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, Kris Murray
Two of Portland’s wins have come against the Pelicans, but credit is due to the Blazers for competing early. Then again, this has always been Portland coming out of training camp under Chauncey Billups. The Blazers started 3-2 in 2021, 4-0 in 2022 and 3-3 in 2023. There is enough talent on Portland’s roster that it can beat a team that plays poorly, and most of Billups’ rotation is made up of players who were on last year’s team. The only exceptions are Avdija and top-10 draft pick Clingan.
23. Washington Wizards (2-4)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: W vs. Hawks, L at Heat, L vs. Warriors
Offensive rating: 109.3 (24th)
Defensive rating: 117.5 (24th)
Starters: Bub Carrington, Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Sarr
Top reserves: Corey Kispert, Jonas Valančiūnas, Kyshawn George
The Wizards are the youngest team in the league and have played the most minutes with a rookie on the floor, but those wins against the Hawks are holding some weight. Washington hasn’t been good, but it is really competing while seeing some positive signs from both rookies as well as veterans such as Poole (45.3 percent 3s).
24. Atlanta Hawks (3-5)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L at Wizards, L vs. Kings, W at Pelicans, L vs. Celtics
Offensive rating: 111.0 (18th)
Defensive rating: 117.8 (27th)
Starters: Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Clint Capela
Top reserves: Bogdan Bogdanović, David Roddy, Zaccharie Risacher, Onyeka Okongwu, Garrison Mathews
An Atlanta team that already wasn’t going to stand out for quality depth is going through it at the moment. Hunter has missed six straight games, with the Hawks winning only one of those games. Bogdanović might miss the rest of November. Their defense has been awful, but there is also too much on Young’s plate right now. He is shooting a career-low 39.2 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from 3 with a career-worst 4.9 turnovers per game.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (3-5)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: L at Warriors, L at Warriors, W vs. Pacers, L vs. Hawks, L vs. Trail Blazers
Offensive rating: 109.5 (22nd)
Defensive rating: 118.5 (28th)
Starters: Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson
Top reserves: Jordan Hawkins, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Javonte Green, Brandon Boston Jr.
It’s not a Pelicans season without some disaster-level availability reports. New Orleans just finished a stretch of five games in seven days, and the roster is already to the point where two-way contract Boston is starting games because of injuries to Murray, McCollum, Jones, Hawkins and Trey Murphy III. No one has even seen that starting lineup I posted; that’s just made up of players who haven’t come off the bench yet. It may be another couple of weeks before the Pelicans get anywhere close to full health.
Tier 5: Basement Floor
26. Milwaukee Bucks (1-6)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L at Grizzlies, L vs. Cavaliers, L at Cavaliers
Offensive rating: 110.1 (20th)
Defensive rating: 116.5 (22nd)
Starters: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Top reserves: Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis, Delon Wright
The Bucks have the longest losing streak in the league right now at six games. It’s the first time in 10 seasons that Milwaukee has had a stretch like this. Sure, the losses to the Cavaliers came down to the wire. But that was after getting pasted in Memphis with two days off against a team that was playing the second night of a back-to-back. Yes, Khris Middleton is missed. But the Bucks bench has been awful defensively.
27. Philadelphia 76ers (1-5)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: L vs. Pistons, L vs. Grizzlies, L at Suns
Offensive rating: 108.1 (26th)
Defensive rating: 115.9 (21st)
Starters: Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond
Top reserves: Eric Gordon, Kenyon Martin Jr., Kyle Lowry, Guerschon Yabusele, Jared McCain
The Bucks do have a win over the Sixers, so they have that going for them. The Sixers got George on the floor finally, but he had more turnovers than buckets in his debut at Phoenix. Tobias Harris went to Philadelphia to get his revenge, and Joel Embiid might be facing league discipline after he confronted a columnist over the weekend in the locker room. Of course, Embiid hasn’t played, which is the centerpiece of everything that is wrong with the Sixers. But some teams can avoid being a dumpster fire without their best player. Philadelphia has consistently shown it is not one of those teams.
28. Charlotte Hornets (2-5)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: W vs. Raptors, L vs. Celtics, L vs. Celtics, L at Timberwolves
Offensive rating: 112.6 (14th)
Defensive rating: 119.0 (30th)
Starters: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Miles Bridges, Nick Richards
Top reserves: Tre Mann, Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Moussa Diabaté, Cody Martin
On one hand, Charlotte has a real identity forming as it lets Ball (and to a second-unit extent, Mann) put up ridiculous scoring volume. The issue is that the Hornets are getting cooked on defense. No team has been worse defensively, and part of it comes from the fact that Miller, Green and Richards have yet to share the floor this season because of their injury absences. But Charlotte is leaning into its 3-point-heavy offense, and the lack of quality size shows up nightly.
29. Toronto Raptors (2-6)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at Hornets, L vs. Lakers, W vs. Kings, L at Nuggets
Offensive rating: 113.3 (12th)
Defensive rating: 118.9 (29th)
Starters: Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl
Top reserves: Ochai Agbaji, Chris Boucher, Davion Mitchell, Jonathan Mogbo, Ja’Kobe Walter
The Raptors have certainly played hard, but the personnel report has been a mess. Barnes is out for a few weeks, while Quickley has been available for only 14 minutes this season. Toronto has come close to beating the Lakers and had chances to put away the Nuggets multiple times, but its defense and late game execution have let it down. It will be interesting to see what this team looks like when it gets all of Quickley, Barnes and Barrett on the floor. We haven’t seen it this year, and that has exposed Toronto’s depth, albeit in a season where the Raptors are rebuilding.
30. Utah Jazz (1-6)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs. Kings, L vs. Spurs, L at Nuggets, W at Bulls
Offensive rating: 102.5 (30th)
Defensive rating: 116.9 (23rd)
Starters: Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson, Cody Williams, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler
Top reserves: Collin Sexton, John Collins, Johnny Juzang, Brice Sensabaugh, Patty Mills
The Jazz were the last team in the league to get a win, and they did it with Collins outscoring the Chicago bench by himself. And Utah is still the worst offense in the league even with that performance. Markkanen is already dealing with back spasms as well. Will Hardy has coached a .500 team the previous two Februarys, but Danny Ainge may not have to deal with the Jazz winning too many games this time around as he looks to give Utah their best chance at a premium pick.
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(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
