• Sign Up
• Contact Us

Power Ranking - Week 2 Power Rankings

	Rank	Rating	Team		Record	Comment
	1 (1)	77	LAC		7-1 Den 94, LAC 116 W GS 92, LAC 118 W LAC 130, Sac 79 W LAC 131, Bkn 122 W LAC 99, OKC 116 L Por 73, LAC 136 W Min 77, LAC 118 W LAC 117, SA 84 W	The Clippers have been the beneficiaries of a relatively soft schedule thus far, minimal injuries, and a loaded team. Their biggest challenges to date came in back to back games against Brooklyn and Oklahoma City. They handled the Nets but faltered against the Thunder. Those two teams will face each other twice more this season and one can only assume they'll be meeting each other in the Western Conference Finals. As long as they stay healthy, the Clippers should be near the top of the power rankings throughout the season.
	2 (6)	73	Dal		7-1 Dal 119, Hou 93 W LAL 103, Dal 113 W Mia 92, Dal 85 L Sac 54, Dal 111 W Dal 119, Den 107 W GS 75, Dal 121 W Dal 118, SA 99 W Sac 86, Dal 118 W	What a shakeup. Second in the Power Rankings, currently the top seed in the Western Conference, and GM Smokey announces that he's stepping away after 18 years. They are a talented team to be sure, but Smokey has always had a knack for managing his team to a far better record than what most would expect. It seems unlikely that Smokey's replacement will be able to keep them atop the standings, but who knows? He could have a few tricks up his sleeve.
	3 (9)	69	Cha		6-1 Phi 124, Cha 116 L Por 76, Cha 92 W SA 88, Cha 108 W Cha 99, NO 67 W Chi 79, Cha 123 W Min 54, Cha 147 W Tor 107, Cha 119 W	After the opening game loss against the powerhouse Sixers, the Hornets have reeled off six straight, including a 93 point win against the T-Wolves. Yes, you read that right. Though the loss against Philadelphia might have brought them down to earth a bit, Charlotte remains a top contender in the Eastern Conference and the league.
	4 (5)	67	Mil		6-0 Mil 145, Sac 93 W Mil 119, SA 74 W Mil 124, Orl 76 W Mil 115, NO 90 W Mil 127, Por 76 W Mil 121, Ind 93 W	The Bucks are beating teams. By a lot. Their closest game thus far was the one they just played against the Nuggets. And that's primarily because they have seven players on the injured list, including Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jusuf Nurkic. This will be a tough week for them to stay undefeated, particularly with a matchup with Brooklyn looming. But with their absurd depth of talent, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they end the week at 10-0.
	5 (8)	63	Bkn		6-2 Atl 103, Bkn 125 W Bkn 120, Utah 113 W Chi 73, Bkn 120 W LAC 131, Bkn 122 L Bkn 133, Mem 72 W Cle 111, Bkn 102 L Bkn 120, Atl 97 W Det 95, Bkn 117 W	They may have two losses already, but nobody will argue that the Nets are not one of the powerhouses of the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn had a heartbreaking collapse against the Clippers in week one and an odd hiccup against the struggling Cavs in week two. Aside from those two games, the Nets have been winning games handily, thanks largely to the efforts of Steph Curry who is currently averaging almost 40 points per game.
	6 (2)	61	OKC		6-1 NO 64, OKC 106 W Min 91, OKC 126 W OKC 101, Orl 84 W OKC 119, Utah 111 W LAC 99, OKC 116 W OKC 115, Phi 116 L Atl 86, OKC 110 W	The Thunder are scary. Like the other top teams, they have been demolishing opponents. Kawhi has been leading the way for Oklahoma City, but they've also got this dude named Lebron who's been contributing on all ends of the floor. This team has a dangerous combination of scoring ability and lockdown defense, which makes them a challenging matchup for anyone. Which is why the team currently sitting atop the power rankings had their only loss come to this Oklahoma City team. The 6th spot in this list seems low for a team this good.
	7 (11)	61	Phi		6-0 Phi 124, Cha 116 W Phi 119, NY 107 W NO 97, Phi 115 W Phi 146, Orl 58 W NY 93, Phi 116 W OKC 115, Phi 116 W	Speaking of teams being ranked too low, what the hell are the Sixers doing down here at #7? Not only are they undefeated, but two of the teams ahead of Philadelphia in the rankings, Charlotte and Oklahoma City, each have one loss. Who'd that loss come against? Yep, Philadelphia. With a team boasting a lineup that includes Damian Lillard, James Harden, Zion Williamson and Rudy Gobert as their starters, how do you not consider them a title favorite? Were it not for injuries (and there will be many this season), I can't see the Sixers losing a game.
	8 (13)	53	Hou		6-2 Hou 102, Min 111 L Dal 119, Hou 93 L Bos 89, Hou 113 W Hou 163, Atl 153 W Hou 139, Por 118 W Hou 115, Ind 108 W GS 81, Hou 124 W Hou 125, Chi 117 W	Some may find it surprising to see Houston this high up. After all, they're not unbelievably loaded with talent like teams 1-7 on the list are. But the Rockets have The Joker. And what more do you need than that? Averaging 30 points, 18 boards, 6 assists, and over two blocks per game, Jokic is a one-man wrecking crew. But they've been getting solid contributions across the board. This is a team that is clicking. And they could easily remain a top contender in the West.
	9 (7)	52	Was		5-3 SA 87, Was 104 W Was 135, Den 71 W Was 95, Utah 97 L Was 109, NY 105 W Was 125, Sac 68 W Was 109, Ind 99 W Was 114, Chi 117 L Pho 111, Was 106 L	The Wizards faltered a bit in week 2, dropping two close ones against Chicago and Phoenix. Week three could be equally rough with Ben Simmons out. Kyrie has been incredible thus far, averaging over 32 points per game and shooting 55% from three-point territory, but it would be shocking if they didn't take at least one loss in week 3.
	10 (4)	46	Tor		5-2 Den 119, Tor 122 W Tor 120, Bos 85 W Tor 108, Mem 85 W Chi 87, Tor 104 W Tor 103, Pho 108 L Tor 105, Utah 85 W Tor 107, Cha 119 L	Toronto lucked into a somewhat soft schedule in week one, but got exposed in week two with losses to Phoenix and Charlotte, despite being fully healthy. Now with LaMarcus Aldridge out and week 3 games against Philadelphia, New York and Phoenix looming, the wheels are about to come off.
	11 (10)	45	Det		5-1 Det 103, Pho 83 W Det 94, Min 73 W Det 101, GS 84 W Det 99, Utah 74 W Atl 93, Det 108 W Det 95, Bkn 117 L	Though he says (frequently) that he needs a reserve big man, Detroit sure seems to be doing just fine without one. And they are getting Derrick Favors back into the lineup for week 3. But this week is going to be a mammoth test for the Pistons, as they face New York, Philadelphia and Washington. This is probably why he wanted that backup big.
	12 (15)	37	Mia		4-3 Mia 92, Dal 85 W Cle 93, Mia 71 L SA 97, Mia 90 L Mem 68, Mia 84 W Sac 68, Mia 101 W Mia 110, Bos 114 L NY 85, Mia 109 W	For a team that finished last season dead last in the Eastern Conference, Miami's start to the 2021 season has been remarkable. Malik Beasley is having his best year as a pro thus far, averaging more than 21 points per game. But what seems to be behind the Heat's impressive start is primarily their stout defense, allowing just 87 points per game, behind only Milwaukee and Charlotte in points allowed.
	13 (3)	35	Ind		4-3 Ind 116, Pho 91 W Bos 91, Ind 114 W Ind 109, Chi 98 W Cle 88, Ind 116 W Was 109, Ind 99 L Hou 115, Ind 108 L Mil 121, Ind 93 L	Fans in Indianapolis were losing their collective minds as their Pacers reeled off four straight wins to start the season, despite not having CJ McCollum in the lineup. But week 2 had a tougher slate of matchups, which resulted in three straight losses. Week 3 should be a bit lighter and Indy should come out of it with at least a couple wins. Luka has been downright dominant, averaging 32 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. As long as they've got Doncic, the Pacers should continue their winning ways.
	14 (16)	31	LAL		4-4 LAL 91, Chi 79 W NY 117, LAL 108 L LAL 103, Dal 113 L LAL 77, Pho 87 L Mem 90, LAL 91 W Min 82, LAL 91 W Pho 106, LAL 89 L LAL 92, Orl 67 W	The Lakers bounced back from a rough week 1 (1 win and 3 losses) with an impressive week 2 (3 wins and 1 loss). Unfortunately, they lose rookie sensation James Wiseman for week 3. He's been their second leading scorer with 13 ppg, and is averaging close to 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. With games against the Spurs, Pacers, Celtics and Bucks, they will have their work cut out for them.
	15 (21)	29	Pho		4-3 Det 103, Pho 83 L Ind 116, Pho 91 L Por 100, Pho 83 L LAL 77, Pho 87 W Tor 103, Pho 108 W Pho 106, LAL 89 W Pho 111, Was 106 W	After starting the season with their big 3 (Durant, Butler, Lowry) out, the Suns are ready to start tearing up the competition now that everyone is healthy. With this firepower, Phoenix should easily be a top 10 team, maybe even top 5. But week 3 is not a cakewalk as they face the Spurs and Hornets. The struggling Spurs already notched a win against them, so the Suns likely need to do some fine tuning to get this team humming.
	16 (19)	19	Cle		3-4 Cle 81, Mem 100 L Cle 114, Utah 116 L Cle 88, Ind 116 L Cle 93, Mia 71 W Cle 106, Atl 99 W Cle 84, Bos 103 L Cle 111, Bkn 102 W	What to make of this Cavs team. They opened the season with three straight losses and have since bounced back with four wins in five games. Maybe Cleveland has got some things figured out and they're ready for greater things. Collin Sexton has been having a great start to his season with 23 points and 7 assists per game. Mo Bamba has also been impressive, averaging almost 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. Keep an eye out for the Cavs. They could be dangerous.
	17 (24)	18	Bos		3-4 Bos 112, Orl 105 W Bos 91, Ind 114 L Bos 89, Hou 113 L Tor 120, Bos 85 L Cle 84, Bos 103 W Mia 110, Bos 114 W Bos 98, Chi 108 L	The Celtics are far lower than they should be, through no real fault of their own. They haven't been close to healthy yet. And week 3 is no exception. In week 2, they got to see Paul George and Russell Westbrook on the floor together, but they were still missing some crucial pieces. But now, Paul George is out for the week, and they've been without Jonas Valanciunas all three weeks. If they can get all of their stars healthy at once, Boston will be a tough matchup for most teams in the league.
	18 (25)	18	NO		3-4 NO 64, OKC 106 L NO 97, Phi 115 L Cha 99, NO 67 L Min 97, NO 107 W Mem 83, NO 109 W Mil 115, NO 90 L Den 105, NO 112 W	Last year's bottom dweller has put together a respectable start to their season, thanks in large part to Nikola Vucevic and his 23 points and 13 rebounds per game. John Wall has also been in solid form, contributing 21 points and 8 assists. While they're probably not yet a playoff contender, this team is certainly stronger than the one that only managed 16 wins last season.
	19 (26)	14	SA		3-5 Mil 119, SA 74 L SA 87, Was 104 L SA 88, Cha 108 L SA 97, Mia 90 W SA 113, Orl 76 W Dal 118, SA 99 L Min 102, SA 109 W LAC 117, SA 84 L	The Spurs are the biggest mystery of this young season. They started off the season fully healthy and dropped three of four games in week one. But those losses came to strong teams (Bucks, Wizards, Hornets). Then they split their games in week 2, which was without Anthony Davis. In week 3, they're back to full health and already notched a win against a mostly healthy Suns team. San Antonio won't stay down here long. They just happened to have an unbelievably tough schedule to start the season.
	20 (18)	13	GS		3-4 Mem 103, GS 118 W GS 92, LAC 118 L Det 101, GS 84 L GS 104, Orl 89 W GS 75, Dal 121 L GS 101, Utah 92 W GS 81, Hou 124 L	The Warriors are doing their best to battle but they've had a challenging schedule to start the season. Unfortunately, they've already dropped their first game of week 3 to the struggling Hawks. And they have to face the Clippers again this week. But they could notch a win against Minnesota, who only has one win so far this season.
	21 (12)	11	Atl		2-6 Atl 93, Orl 80 W Atl 103, Bkn 125 L Por 88, Atl 126 W Hou 163, Atl 153 L Cle 106, Atl 99 L Atl 93, Det 108 L Atl 86, OKC 110 L Bkn 120, Atl 97 L	Atlanta is one of those teams that seems like they are capable of pulling off runs that could them in playoff contention. They always seem to squeeze the maximum out of the talent they have. But so far this season, some of their top talents (TJ Warren, Spencer Dinwiddie) are on ice. And with Gary Harris joining the injured list, they're going to have to do some serious squeezing. They did pull off a nice win, however, for their first game of week 3, handily beating the Warriors. So maybe we're seeing them start to turn the corner.
	22 (17)	11	NY		2-4 NY 117, LAL 108 W Phi 119, NY 107 L Was 109, NY 105 L Por 96, NY 102 W NY 93, Phi 116 L NY 85, Mia 109 L	New York is a team that many projected at the beginning of the year to be a solid playoff contender. And with that starting lineup (Dragic, Mitchell, Bridges, Randle, Drummond), why wouldn't you? But the Knicks have been struggling to string some wins together. They were without both Mitchell and Dragic in week 2 but are back to full strength in week 3. So this should ideally be their week to get back in the win column.
	23 (14)	11	Utah		2-5 Cle 114, Utah 116 W Bkn 120, Utah 113 L Was 95, Utah 97 W OKC 119, Utah 111 L Det 99, Utah 74 L GS 101, Utah 92 L Tor 105, Utah 85 L	Week 2 was tough on the Jazz with Devin Booker out. But Booker is back and Utah is ready to roll. They've got what should be a winnable game against Minnesota and then a tough matchup with Dallas and their new GM. A 2-1 week would be a nice confidence boost, but a 3-0 week that includes a win against a top team in the Western Conference would be a significant statement for the Jazz.
	24 (28)	5	Chi		2-6 LAL 91, Chi 79 L Ind 109, Chi 98 L Chi 73, Bkn 120 L Chi 87, Tor 104 L Chi 79, Cha 123 L Was 114, Chi 117 W Bos 98, Chi 108 W Hou 125, Chi 117 L	If the power rankings were based on the number of injuries, Chicago would undoubtedly be top contender. In week one, they had six guys out. In week two, just three. Fortunately, they've corrected things for week three and are now back to six guys out. So they're back on track. But as for wins? Well, they dropped their first game of the week against the Cavs but they do have a potential win against the Grizzlies coming up. And maybe even one against the Hawks? Well, even if the wins don't come, they'll always have the Injury Power Rankings to hang their hat on.
	25 (29)	1	Den		1-5 Den 94, LAC 116 L Den 119, Tor 122 L Was 135, Den 71 L Dal 119, Den 107 L Sac 79, Den 107 W Den 105, NO 112 L	Has anyone had a tougher schedule to start the season than Denver? They've had to play the Clippers, Raptors, Wizards, Mavericks, Nets, Bucks, and Thunder. So, of their 9 games played thus far 7 of them have come against teams in the top 10 of the Power Rankings. Brutal. Their week 3 schedule alone is Brooklyn (6-2), Milwaukee (6-0), Oklahoma City (6-1), and Dallas (7-1). OK, so this might not be the week that the Nuggets start piling up those wins.
	26 (20)	-3	Mem		1-6 Cle 81, Mem 100 W Mem 103, GS 118 L Tor 108, Mem 85 L Mem 68, Mia 84 L Bkn 133, Mem 72 L Mem 90, LAL 91 L Mem 83, NO 109 L	If Chicago is leading in the Injury Power Rankings, Memphis can't be far behind. They're actually ahead of Chicago this week with seven guys out. The big one is Karl-Anthony Towns, and he has yet to play this season. Another one that's going to hurt is Marcus Smart. Fortunately Towns should be back in action next week, so the Grizzlies may be able to put together a few wins soon.
	27 (22)	-10	Por		1-6 Por 76, Cha 92 L Por 88, Atl 126 L Por 100, Pho 83 W Por 96, NY 102 L Hou 139, Por 118 L Por 73, LAC 136 L Mil 127, Por 76 L	Portland is a team loaded with young talent that hasn't yet reached anything near their potential. So teams are walking over them. But it doesn't feel like we're too far away from this being a team that's stacking up win after win. Maybe that's naive optimism. But this really does feel like a team that's better than their 1-8 record might suggest.
	28 (23)	-12	Min		1-7 Min 91, OKC 126 L Hou 102, Min 111 W Det 94, Min 73 L Min 97, NO 107 L Min 82, LAL 91 L Min 54, Cha 147 L Min 77, LAC 118 L Min 102, SA 109 L	Minnesota may have set a record in week 2 that might never be broken. They lost to the Charlotte Hornets by 93 points. I can't recall a blowout of that magnitude and it's hard to imagine that even being possible. To be fair, they've been without two of their stronger players in Kevin Love and Avery Bradley for all of their games this season, so they haven't really been able to field their best lineup. Not that they would have won that game, but maybe some of their closer losses. They do have three potentially winnable games in week 3, but they've also lost Larry Nance, so maybe not.
	29 (27)	-24	Orl		0-8 Bos 112, Orl 105 L Atl 93, Orl 80 L OKC 101, Orl 84 L Mil 124, Orl 76 L GS 104, Orl 89 L SA 113, Orl 76 L Phi 146, Orl 58 L LAL 92, Orl 67 L	Don't look now, but Orlando just got their first win. And not only did they get a win but they did it in convincing fashion against the 7-3 (at the time 6-2) Rockets. So while the Power Rankings have the Magic battling for the bottom spot based on their winless record, perhaps this is a sign that Orlando is ready to start their climb. They've still got to face Brooklyn and Indiana in week 3, so maybe it will be a slow climb.
	30 (30)	-30	Sac		0-7 Mil 145, Sac 93 L LAC 130, Sac 79 L Sac 54, Dal 111 L Sac 79, Den 107 L Was 125, Sac 68 L Sac 68, Mia 101 L Sac 86, Dal 118 L	When you look at a team's stats to determine where they're struggling, you'll usually see that a team might be a strong offensive team, but not have much defense. Or a strong defensive team, but not much offense. Then there's Sacramento. They are dead last in offense, averaging 74 points per game (the next lowest is Orlando at 82. Milwaukee is the highest at 124). And then they are also dead last in defense, allowing 119 (Denver is next to last at 114. Milwaukee is again in the top spot at 86). So when you're charting a path for the Kings to start their rebuild, should they focus on offense or defense? Yes.

Week 1 · Week 2 · Week 3 · Week 4 · Week 5 · Week 6 · Week 7 · Week 8 · Week 9 · Week 10 · Week 11 · Week 12 · Week 13 · Week 14 · Week 15 · Week 18 · Week 19 · Week 20 ·