With another week in the books, the Golden State Warriors continued to flex their muscles after powering through the Brooklyn Nets on a successful East Coast road trip.
While the Warriors hum along, the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to 12 games on Sunday with a victory over the Denver Nuggets. With a relatively easy schedule ahead, the group could be riding a 15-game winning streak when they see the Nets in Brooklyn on Saturday.
To further make sense of it all, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We will come back each week and provide our latest assessment on the best teams and those that are rising.
Houston Rockets (1-15)
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 30
The Rockets have lost 14 in a row but rookie Jalen Green appears to be rounding into form. He has now scored in double figures in four straight games, his longest such streak this season.
For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire
New Orleans Pelicans (3-15)
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 29
The Pelicans went 1-3 last week but picked up an impressive win over the Los Angeles Clippers. However, they came out flat on Saturday, losing to the Indiana Pacers. The team is desperately trying to figure out how to be aggressive to start games, a reoccurring theme this season.
Orlando Magic (4-13)
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Last Rank: 28
Magic rookie Franz Wagner has been a nice early surprise this season but fellow lottery pick Jalen Suggs appears to be turning the corner as of late. He is averaging 16 points over his last three games, including a career-high-tying 21 points on Friday in a loss to the Nets.
Detroit Pistons (4-12)
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Last Rank: 27
The Pistons have gone 2-3 over their last five games, with two losses against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. They appear to be playing better basketball as of late with Cade Cunningham performing well in closeout situations. They may be without second-year center Isaiah Stewart after Sunday night’s altercation with LeBron James, though.
San Antonio Spurs (4-11)
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 26
As Zach Lowe recently pointed out, the Spurs are significantly better with Dejounte Murray on the floor, outscoring opponents by 10.3 points per 100 possessions. However, as Gregg Popovich hilariously noted, Murray can’t play all 48 minutes.
Sacramento Kings (6-11)
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 24
The Kings made headlines when the organization opted to fire head coach Luke Walton after a 6-11 start. The team has posted just one win over its last eight games, which ultimately led to Walton’s dismissal. Alvin Gentry will take over on an interim basis.
Oklahoma City Thunder (6-10)
AP Photo/Kyle Phillips
Last Rank: 21
The Thunder have dropped two straight as head coach Mark Daigneault is not with the team on its three-game road trip with his wife, Ashley, preparing to give birth. The team had won four straight but has since gone 1-4 since that stretch.
For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire
Indiana Pacers (7-11)
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 20
The Pacers have an innate ability to look great, then not so great. Remember when they beat the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers in consecutive games? They then lost three straight. However, they are back in the win column after beating the Pelicans on Saturday.
Toronto Raptors (8-10)
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 18
Toronto has struggled as of late and is just 2-7 over its last nine games. The team has desperately missed OG Anunoby, who is averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game. He has sat three straight but could return this week after dealing with a hip injury.
Memphis Grizzlies (8-8)
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 17
What the heck happened on Saturday? They trailed by as many as 45 points before eventually losing by 43 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The good news is the loss just counts as one and the team is back in action on Monday.
Minnesota Timberwolves (7-9)
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 25
The Timberwolves have won three straight as Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 25.8 points during that span. They are coming off of a 43-point drubbing of the Grizzlies, which is the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history. They nearly had a perfect week after narrowly losing to the Phoenix Suns on Monday, in which D’Angelo Russell missed a potential game-winner. Minnesota looks to be on the right track now after an up and down season.
Atlanta Hawks (8-9)
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 23
After dropping six straight, the Hawks have since reeled off four consecutive wins at home. They have one more game to finish off their homestand and then hit the road, where they are 1-8. They will need to carry that home momentum onto the road if they want to be relevant in the Eastern Conference.
Portland Trail Blazers (9-8)
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 22
The Trail Blazers have posted three consecutive wins, including a 20-point comeback over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. The play of Larry Nance Jr. has been key for Portland as has the emergence of Damian Lillard. He is averaging 28.3 points on 39.3% shooting from beyond the arc during the win streak.
New York Knicks (9-8)
Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 13
Remember when the Knicks were dominating and fans were losing their collective minds? That has seemingly dissipated after a tough stretch in which they have lost four of six. Also related: The Knicks have given the Magic (4-13) two of their four wins.
Cleveland Cavaliers (9-8)
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 12
The Cavaliers have lost three straight after an incredible stretch to begin the season 9-5. The team received some bad news when it was revealed rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-4 weeks with an elbow injury suffered on Monday. He has played an integral part this season and the team will look to move on without him.
Los Angeles Lakers (9-9)
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 14
LeBron James returned last week but didn’t make it through his second game back after his altercation with Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. The team will be hoping James won’t face a suspension after his hit on Stewart as it has lost four of six.
For more coverage on James and the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire
Boston Celtics (9-8)
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 19
The Celtics look to be getting past a slow start to the season, winning seven of their last 10 games. Jayson Tatum is also heating up as he is posting 34.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and four assists over his last three games on 45.5% shooting from 3-point range. The week also gave us a hilarious graphic that aired on NBC Sports Boston after the Celtics defeated the Lakers by 22 points on Friday.
For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire
This is an actual television chyron that ran tonight in Boston after former Lakers guard Dennis Schroder had 21 pts, 6 reb and 6 ast and was a +12 in a win while Russell Westbrook had 12 pts, 6 ast, 4 reb and was -12 in a loss pic.twitter.com/4lIzF3J972
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 20, 2021
Dallas Mavericks (9-7)
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 10
Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 26 points and 9.2 rebounds over his last five games but the Mavericks have dropped three straight. They have the Los Angeles Clippers again on Tuesday after losing to them Sunday on the road. Dallas hasn’t been able to beat the good teams, going just 2-6 against teams above .500, so we’ll see if they can pick it up.
Philadelphia 76ers (9-8)
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 8
The shorthanded Sixers continue to struggle without Joel Embiid as they have lost six of their last seven games. Tyrese Maxey continues to step up for the team, scoring 24.6 points on 50% shooting from 3-point range over his last five games.
For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire
Milwaukee Bucks (9-8)
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 16
Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play stellar basketball, erupting for a season-high 47 points on Wednesday in a win over the Lakers. He hit three 3-pointers in that contest, proving that if his shot is falling, there is not much you can do with him. The Bucks’ three-game winning streak could be extended with contests coming up versus the Magic and Pistons this week.
Charlotte Hornets (10-8)
AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman
Last Rank: 15
Charlotte recently won five straight games to get back above .500 on the season before losing on Saturday to the Hawks. Miles Bridges continues to perform at an elite level in a contract year, putting up a career-high 35 points in that loss to the Hawks.
For more coverage on LaMelo Ball and the Hornets, visit Lonzo Wire
Denver Nuggets (9-8)
Chris Coduto-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 5
The Nuggets have lost four consecutive games and have dealt with several injuries to this point of the season. The news on Michael Porter Jr. is also not encouraging as he could reportedly miss significant time with a nerve issue in his back.
Los Angeles Clippers (10-7)
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 11
The Clippers posted a strong win over the Mavericks on Sunday at home. Paul George is averaging 26.4 points over his last five games as the Clippers continue to stay hot in the Western Conference. We are still thinking about this finish by Reggie Jackson to put the Mavs away.
Miami Heat (11-6)
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 9
Jimmy Buckets is continuing to live up to his nickname, averaging a career-high 25.1 points this season. He even produced his fourth-career triple-double on Wednesday with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Pelicans.
Utah Jazz (11-5)
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 7
Utah has won three consecutive games and has seemingly done so with a different player leading the way each night. The team got Rudy Gay back on the court as he looks like he will be a key piece for them moving forward. In another good sign, the team is posting the second-highest point differential (plus-9.7) to begin the season.
Washington Wizards (11-5)
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 3
Even when things weren’t going well to open the week against the Pelicans, Washington stormed back in the second half to win. Their defense has been stout, ranking fourth in the league, and the offense continues to look great at times. Washington has a ton of road games on the schedule so we’ll soon find out just how legitimate they are in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn Nets (12-5)
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 2
Despite getting shown up to the Warriors on national TV, the Nets have won two straight games. They were flat in the second half of that contest and were simply outplayed down the stretch. However, the Nets are still likely the favorites in the Eastern Conference without Kyrie Irving.
For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire
Chicago Bulls (12-5)
Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 4
The Bulls have performed exceptionally to start the season with a rather tough schedule. They have gone 8-5 against teams above .500 and 4-0 against teams under .500. DeMar DeRozan continues to play lights out, and recently passed Michael Jordan for the most points scored (456) over the first 17 games in a Bulls jersey. It is usually pretty good if you pass Jordan in any stat category.
For more coverage on Lonzo Ball and the Bulls, visit Lonzo Wire
Phoenix Suns (13-3)
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 6
The Suns extended their winning streak to 12 games after defeating the Nuggets at home on Sunday. It is hard to believe Phoenix was 1-3 prior to the winning streak but the team is getting contributions seemingly from everyone on the roster. Cam Johnson was the latest to step up after producing a career-high 22 points on Sunday.
Golden State Warriors (15-2)
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 1
Golden State continues to reign supreme in our power rankings, holding onto the top spot for the third straight week. They absolutely embarrassed the Nets in the second half on Tuesday as the team continues to dominate teams in the third quarter, posting a plus-7.4 point differential in the period. The non-Stephen Curry players have seemingly all stepped up with the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Damion Lee among those performing well. With contributions like that, the Warriors are going to be tough to beat.
For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire
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