Stephen Curry and the Warriors are off to an NBA-best 8-1 start this season.
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Is reality sinking in yet?
Through Sunday, teams have played an average of 9.7 games, not enough for a full evaluation of where they stand in the NBA hierarchy, but perhaps enough for some truths to have been told. Just ask the Boston Celtics, who seem to have had a let’s-just-put-it-out-there moment after getting outscored, 51-19, by the Chicago Bulls over the final 14-plus minutes on Monday.
Some truths probably haven’t been voiced out loud (and to the media), but there’s no erasing the 8-11 games that have played thus far. And within those 8-11 games, there are some clues as to where these teams will finish in the standings come April 10 and as to which players will contribute most (or least) to those results.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Some teams have surpassed expectations thus far and are bound to remain on that path. The 7-3 Washington Wizards and 7-4 Cleveland Cavaliers are the two biggest surprises in the league, they rank sixth and seventh in this week’s rankings, and they’ll get to test themselves against each other when they meet in Cleveland on Wednesday.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Gary Payton II (GSW) was a plus-68 in three games last week.
- Wrong Way: Malik Beasley (MIN) was a minus-70 in three games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Philadelphia (4-0) — The Sixers took their winning streak to six games, picking up a couple of good wins over the Bulls last week.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Charlotte (0-4) — The Hornets remain entertaining, but the teams that got to eviscerate their 30th-ranked defense had most of the fun last week.
East vs. West
- The East is 22-16 (.579) against the West in interconference games after going 9-8 last week.
Schedule strength through Week 3
- Toughest: 1. Memphis, 2. Detroit, 3. Oklahoma City
- Easiest: 1. Minnesota, 2. Golden State, 3. Philadelphia
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: Cleveland (+13), Toronto (+6), Washington (+6)
- Free falls of the week: Charlotte (-10), L.A. Lakers (-8), Minnesota (-7)
Week 4 Team to Watch
- Philadelphia — The Sixers will remain shorthanded as they play a round-robin with New York and Milwaukee early this week, but playing shorthanded hasn’t kept them from winning six straight games. They’ll host the Knicks on Monday, the Bucks on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), and the Raptors on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV). Then they begin a six-game trip in Indiana on Saturday night.
Previous Power Rankings
- Last week: Heat, Knicks and Bulls surge into Top 5
- Thursday’s notebook: Early-season trends, changes around NBA
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league has averaged 100.0 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 106.4 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.
