NBA Power Rankings: First-week stats and trends that stand out for all 30 teams — SkimNews
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- Oklahoma City Thunder held the No. 1 ranking at 4-0; Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 30 points with five assists in his first start while Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace dealt with injuries.
- Minnesota Timberwolves climbed from No. 5 to No. 2 at 3-1 with a 120.8 offensive rating when Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball shared the court, a mark that would have ranked second in the NBA last season; Edwards was expected to be sidelined for up to two months after right-knee arthroscopic surgery.
- Detroit Pistons rose from No. 7 to No. 3 at 3-1 and shot 42% from three in their first three games; Duncan Robinson led the league with 5.0 makes per game at a 54% rate, while John Collins averaged nearly five attempts at 50%.
- Houston Rockets jumped from No. 10 to No. 4 and became one of four undefeated Western Conference teams at 4-0; Fred VanVleet’s return restored the offense, Kevin Durant opened with four straight 20-point games, and Alperen Sengun became the third Rocket with multiple 25-5-5 games in the first four.
- Philadelphia 76ers slipped from No. 4 to No. 5 despite a 3-1 start, but their 8.8 offensive rebounds per game ranked 29th in the NBA and their total rebounds ranked 26th as injuries decimated the front court.
- Los Angeles Lakers jumped from No. 11 to No. 6 at 3-1; Austin Reaves averaged 26.7 points on 63.9% shooting, 61.5% from three and 89.7% from the line through three games, while Luka Doncic averaged 34.3 points and both ranked in the league’s top 10 for turnovers.
- San Antonio Spurs fell from No. 2 to No. 9 after opening 0-2 against Oklahoma City and Houston; coach Mitch Johnson said the growing pains of a new starting five had left their floor “way too low.”
Why it matters: Houston reaches a top-four ranking while going 4-0, with Fred VanVleet back and Kevin Durant producing four straight 20-point games; its rise from No. 10 reflects an offense restored by VanVleet and finally playing as expected. San Antonio falls from No. 2 to No. 9 after 0-2, and Mitch Johnson says its floor is “way too low.”
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