The Wizards have one of the NBA’s top offenses. The defense is a smoldering mess. It happens. Bradley Beal is an All-Star, and one might argue a fringe MVP candidate if it weren’t for Washington’s collectively poor record. Isaiah Thomas is showing flashes of his old magic, to boot.
There are genuinely fun players and genuinely fun moments from this Washington squad. Things are looking up more than most pundits expected coming into the season. For now, there’s not enough to warrant a higher ranking.
The Cavaliers have gone as expected under John Beilein, which the occasional offensive explosion and some surprisingly disciplined play. It’s still a young team, save for the frontcourt duo of Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. There’s too much youth to expect Cleveland to rise much higher than this.
The Pistons have struggled after a quick start, even in lieu of Blake Griffin‘s return. Andre Drummond‘s statistical profile is monstrous, but Detroit needs depth and chemistry to improve. Injuries have been a major struggle early on.