NBA Power Rankings: Miami Heat Are The Best Team In The League, Warriors And Bulls Behind Them

The 2021-2022 NBA season is underway with the majority of teams playing at least 7 games so far. While it is still too early to confirm all the playoff seedings in each conference, it is still pretty clear which teams will be ranked among the best and the worst in the NBA by the end of the year. There are also some surprising teams this season, along with some very disappointing ones.

There is no shortage of talent across the league with most teams having at least one recognizable star. The teams that do not have stars are committed to building their squad with young players in a modern style of play. With only a full month of the season underway, we have a pretty good indication of which teams are playoff-bound and which teams will be in the lottery. Without further ado, here are the latest power rankings for all the 30 teams in the NBA.

30. New Orleans Pelicans 1-7

The Pelicans are an utter disaster right now because Zion Williamson has yet to play a single game and looks completely out of shape. Not to mention, the team has performed terribly on both ends of the court without their superstar and even the firing of Stan Van Gundy has not helped one bit. There are rumors that Zion will soon want to leave New Orleans and at this point, who could blame him.

29. Detroit Pistons 1-6

The Pistons were looking very forward to Cade Cunningham performing on the floor, but the No. 1 overall pick has been very poor in his production through 2 games. While it is extremely early to judge his talent in the NBA, averaging 4.0 PPG on 13.6% shooting is a very ugly start. Literally, it cannot get uglier than that. But Cade will likely be fine going forward, although he won’t be able to save the Pistons from the lottery.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder 1-6

The Thunder are not expected to do much so they will not have any pressure from their fanbase, but the play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey has been exciting. Gorgeous-Alexander looks like an All-Star this season, averaging 22.9 PPG through 7 games. Meanwhile, Giddey has put up 11.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 5.9 APG as the anticipated No. 6 pick. The Thunder have a long way to go, but they seem to have some nice young players on the team.

27. Orlando Magic 2-7

Orlando will not be a playoff team for a while because they do not have much talent. They are still waiting on Jonathan Isaac to return to full health and will continue building around Wendell Carter Jr, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs. Suggs is averaging 13.0 PPG in his rookie campaign so far, so the Magic will be happy with slowly improving as they tank the season away.

26. Houston Rockets 1-6

Boy, how much have the Rockets imploded. After competing for the title in 2020, Russell Westbrook’s trade request killed the franchise’s contending days as James Harden soon followed suit. Without any true superstars on the roster, Houston have looked abysmal at times. But Jalen Green might be the best rookie in the league right now, averaging 14.6 PPG and having some big games to start the new season.

25. San Antonio Spurs 1-6

The Spurs will never be pushovers as long as Gregg Popovich is on the sidelines, but that doesn’t mean they will win many games. San Antonio is simply a very average team, and other than the promising play of Keldon Johnson, the franchise is clearly in rebuild mode. The only thing to look forward to in San Antonio is Gregg Popovich breaking the all-time wins record and that’s about it.

24. Indiana Pacers 3-6

Indiana should be much better than they are, especially when an All-Star like Domantas Sabonis is on the floor. The son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis is having another strong year, putting up 21.3 PPG and 11.4 RPG to start the season. But the Pacers are not clicking as a team just yet, as they hold a losing record in a much more competitive East this year.

23. Boston Celtics 3-5

Things are looking ugly in Boston, from bad losses to teammates calling each other out. The Celtics were supposed to be contending after multiple deep playoff runs in the past, but that does not seem to be in the cards just yet. In fact, things seem to be getting worse. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two All-Stars, but the rest of the team isn’t convincing. Marcus Smart may have placed himself in an uncomfortable position because he is most likely the one to be traded if Boston wants to make moves.

22. Portland Trail Blazers 3-5

Damian Lillard wants to stay….for now. Despite pledging his loyalty again and again, it does not seem like the point guard will win anything where he currently plays. The NBA is filled with talent across both conferences, something Portland does not have. CJ McCollum is a very good player, but he brings to the table what Lillard brings at a lesser level. Normal Powell and Jusuf Nurkic are good players, but neither will make Portland a scary team this year.

21. Sacramento Kings 3-4

Sacramento will likely be in the trade market until the trade deadline because they have a ton of tradeable pieces around their franchise point guard, De’Aaron Fox. The Kings are another team that is bang-average and can look like pushovers at times. Sacramento will try to make a run for the 8th seed but if that does not seem realistic by the trade deadline, tanking is a great strategy.

20. Los Angeles Clippers 3-4

Without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers are going absolutely nowhere. Paul George is a very good player, but he does not have enough help on a team filled with role players. Los Angeles have not looked intimidating in any way, even if George is averaging 28.3 PPG and leading the NBA in steals (3.3 SPG). Kawhi needs to come back quickly because the Clippers are getting bounced in the first round if they make the playoffs without him.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves 3-4

Minnesota are finally looking like a team with potential, even if their record is not convincing so far. Karl-Anthony Towns is doing what he always does, D’Angelo Russell is playing well, and Anthony Edwards is a future All-Star. This trio can do a ton of great things on the floor together, but they need appropriate coaching and determination to get them there. The nucleus of this team is still young so there is time for the Timberwolves to transform into a playoff team.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers 5-4

Evan Mobley can play, and we all knew that when he was selected No. 3 in the draft. Despite having big man Jarrett Allen on the roster, Cleveland went big by selecting Mobley to fill up a pretty strong frontcourt. With scorers such as Collin Sexton and Darius Garland on the court, the Cavaliers could be onto something barring injury or chemistry issues.

17. Phoenix Suns 3-3

Phoenix have started slowly, as other teams have, but they should be fine as the season progresses. Chris Paul solidified himself as one of the greatest players ever by passing Steve Nash in assists, and the nucleus of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton is still very promising. Ayton’s contract issues could end up becoming a problem, but the Suns will likely sort that out in some way before it affects team play.

16. Atlanta Hawks 4-4

Atlanta are another playoff side that will need time to get the wheels moving again because they have a very good roster. Trae Young is a bonafide All-Star, even if rule changes and the new “Wilson” ball is affecting him. Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, and John Collins are all great supporting players as well so expect the Hawks to grab one of the top-4 or 5 seeds in the East this year.

15. Denver Nuggets 4-4

The entire city of Denver held their breath until the positive news came out about Nikola Jokic and his apparent injury. The reigning MVP did not sustain any structural damage so he should be ripe and ready to be at his best in due time. As long as Jokic is on the floor, Denver will be competing in the West – especially when Jamal Murray makes his long-awaited return.

14. Milwaukee Bucks 4-4

Nobody is worried about the Bucks, because the reigning NBA champions are playing at a relaxed pace so far. They will turn it on when needed, as their team is filled with veterans who went through the trenches with each other last year. Milwaukee also happen to have 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on their side, so they will be one of the best teams in the NBA at the end of the year.

13. Washington Wizards 5-3

Washington is a pretty good team with the new players coming in to help Bradley Beal. In fact, they look better than last year despite Russell Westbrook’s absence. Kyle Kuzma seems happy to be in Washington, and so does Montrezl Harrell. Beal is off to the races again by averaging 24.3 PPG, so the Wizards will very likely be in the playoffs at the end of the season.

12. Charlotte Hornets 5-3

LaMelo Ball is receiving praise from everyone that follows the NBA in any way. He is truly a gifted ball-handler and passer and looks like a natural star on the court. Miles Bridges has been a pleasant surprise this year, so the Hornets should be pushing for a playoff seed after barely missing out last year.

11. New York Knicks 5-3

Who is not happy that the Knicks are a playoff team again? New York have a nice collection of talent under a great head coach, a recipe for winning success in the East. Most people expected Julius Randle to have a nice career, but he has become a dominant player thanks to improvements in his ballhandling and shooting. New York is bringing excitement to Madison Square Garden again and that is a great thing for the NBA.

10. Dallas Mavericks 5-3

Anytime Luka Doncic is on the floor, the Mavericks have a chance to beat anybody. Even with the Kristaps Porzingis experiment still not convincing anyone, Dallas have been solid to start the year. New head coach Jason Kidd is holding his players accountable and that could be a good thing as they look to get past the first round of the playoffs this year.

9. Memphis Grizzlies 5-3

Ja Morant is coming ladies and gentlemen. He looks like a young Russell Westbrook with his athleticism and explosiveness, except he has a more consistent jumper with a higher basketball IQ. That formula could mean that Ja will be a superstar very soon if he isn’t one already. With Jaren Jackson Jr returning to full form, things are extremely exciting in Memphis right now.

8. Toronto Raptors 6-3

Toronto has been a pleasant surprise because they are playing hard every night without the presence of their franchise player, Pascal Siakam. OG Anunoby has taken a massive leap in his play and Fred VanVleet is a great two-way player. Nobody will truly fear the Raptors come playoff time, but they have looked like a playoff team nonetheless so far.

7. Los Angeles Lakers 5-3

There was a ton of questions heading into the new season for the Lakers. How will Russell Westbrook fare off the ball? Can LeBron still play like the best player in the game? Can Anthony Davis dominate the floor? So far, we have some of those answers. LeBron is still the best player in the world, but he cannot do it every night. Westbrook started poorly but is getting acclimated, and Anthony Davis is simply an unbelievable talent. In a nutshell, the Lakers will be fine as long as their stars keep healthy.

6. Philadelphia 76ers 6-2

Despite the mess that Ben Simmons has caused, the 76ers have been really good. Joel Embiid has stated on multiple occasions that the team’s chemistry is great, and it looks like it so far. Tobias Harris looks free on offense and Philly have not had much trouble replacing Simmons’ playmaking. Going forward, they need to sort the Simmons situation out because a trade for another All-Star could do this team wonders.

5. Brooklyn Nets 5-3

Without Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn have looked uneasy on the floor. James Harden is getting back into his groove again and Kevin Durant is playing like the best offensive player in the world, but there are still issues to work out. The veterans are clearly past it, their defense comes and goes, and nobody knows if Kyrie will play this year. Despite this, the Nets have an incredible team with two top-50 players ever on one side.

4. Utah Jazz 6-1

Utah is proving that last year was no fluke, as Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are leading this team to a top seeding in the West again. Utah plays like a team, and have a roster that fits perfectly on both ends of the floor. They paid Michael Conley Jr to keep him motivated to help the team because the Jazz organization believes it is championship or bust going forward.

3. Golden State Warriors 5-1

People seem to have slept on Golden State after years of mediocrity without Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson on the roster. But Stephen Curry is looking like an MVP candidate once again and could end up being the top scorer in the NBA for the 3rd time. Otherwise, Klay is expected back at some point this season to join Curry and a bunch of improved role players including Jordan Poole. James Wiseman has yet to be healthy, so his return could make the Warriors a Western Conference Finals threat.

2. Chicago Bulls 6-2

It is obvious that Chicago were going to improve after they added Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan this offseason. But their play so far has been spectacular, with guys like Alex Caruso chipping in as well. The Bulls will not convince anybody until they rack up wins against the best teams in the NBA, but so far, they have been very impressive on both ends of the court.

1. Miami Heat 6-1

Miami is a problem, ladies and gentlemen. They were a decent side when they made the Finals in 2020, but adding Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker makes them even scarier. Jimmy Butler is turning into a sensational leader, Bam Adebayo is an All-NBA caliber big man, and Tyler Herro is playing for a big contract. With these pieces and a great coach in Eric Spoelstra, Miami have looked like a shoo-in for the Eastern Conference Finals so far.

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