NBA power rankings — Heat, Nets, Warriors
- 3. Miami Heat (7-3)
The Heat have the look of a real contender. Jimmy Butler is a top-12 player, both Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry are legitimate All-Stars, and the supporting cast is littered with high-level role players. P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris, Duncan Robinson, and most notably Tyler Herro have all made their presence felt this season. Miami’s star trio fits together beautifully, and Erik Spoelstra is the crème de la crème when it comes to NBA coaches.
- 2. Brooklyn Nets (7-4)
There are still some very real issues to sort out in Brooklyn, where it does not appear Kyrie Irving will be available any time soon. James Harden has looked out of sorts to begin the season, in part due to rust, and in part due to the NBA’s revised officiating. Until he looks more like the James Harden of old, this team will be heavily reliant on Kevin Durant to do just about everything. Luckily, Kevin Durant is the best player in basketball.
- 1. Golden State Warriors (9-1)
Stephen Curry dropped 50 points to extend the Warriors’ record to 9-1 on Monday. It would appear Golden State has every opportunity to return to championship contention this season, with Klay Thompson and James Wiseman still waiting in the wings, and Curry well on his way to another historic offensive season. Golden State’s refurbished bench has done a lot of good, and it’s just impossible to bet against Curry. He reminds us almost every game of why he’s an all-time great.