The 2022-23 NBA season is finally underway. Through a week and change, we’re starting to get a sense of where each individual team is at. Some have started the season red-hot. Others are stuck in the mud, still trying to wrench their wheels free (see: the Philadelphia 76ers).
With every team having played between two and four games, let’s take a look at the NBA landscape. Where do the Sixers fall, and how concerned should we be? Who are the top-flight contenders, and who is destined to fade as the season progresses?
Let’s get started.
Early NBA power rankings: Are the Sixers in trouble?
OKC is routinely going 12, 13, even 14-deep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are electrifying talents, but the Thunder are not here to win games. It’s all about player development right now, and while there are positive indicators for the future, do not expect many wins in 2022-23.
The Magic have been treated to a historic opening stretch from No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, who looks more than ready to carry the burden of lead scorer for an NBA franchise. Orlando has also received strong performances from the rest of its young core: Cole Anthony in particular. Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. are legitimate NBA difference-makers, but the Magic are simply too young to compete right now.
The Cade Cunningham second-year leap hasn’t really happened yet, which is a bummer. That said, we’re four games into the season — plenty can and will change. Bojan Bogdanovic looks right at home spotting up along the perimeter while Cunningham and No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey take turns slashing the defense apart.
The Pacers have to been thrilled with the continued development of Tyrese Haliburton, who is thriving in the driver’s seat right now. He’s becoming more diverse as a scorer while maintaining his elite shooting efficiency and unrivaled penchant for playmaking. Indiana is another team that’s simply too young to compete, but a lot of the individual pieces are pretty tantalizing. Especially Bennedict Mathurin, who might be the underdog favorite for Rookie of the Year.
The Rockets have some great pieces. Jalen Green looks the part of franchise cornerstone and Kevin Porter Jr. has been out of his mind to start the season. Jabari Smith Jr. fits perfectly at the four spot and Alperen Sengun can put up numbers in limited minutes. There’s not enough experience on this roster to mount any sort of substantial run, but the Rockets will be a joy to watch all season.
… here we go again. The Kings look pretty bad. De’Aaron Fox has been productive and the early returns on No. 4 pick Keegan Murray are pretty encouraging, but what are we even doing here? How long until Domantas Sabonis gets traded again, until they say bon voyage to Fox in favor of young assets and draft picks? It might be time to rebuild. Again.
It’s hard to have confidence in the Hornets this season. Miles Bridges might never play basketball again, LaMelo Ball is currently injured, and there’s just no real sense of direction for the franchise. Terry Rozier’s scorching start to the season has earned them a couple of early wins, but I expect Charlotte to fade fast.
Welcome to the Devin Vassell show. He’s the captain now. San Antonio’s 3-1 start is probably misleading when trying to gauge the quality of that roster, but there’s no denying the immense promise of Vassell and Keldon Johnson on the wing. The Spurs have some veteran talent that will probably get traded before the deadline and Vassell’s hot start will inevitably bump up against regression — but he’s the real freakin’ deal.
The Lakers have stumbled blindly into purgatory with no clear means of escape. Russell Westbrook ain’t working — there’s no way around that now — but LA’s problems stretch well beyond Westbrook’s uneasy fit in the starting five. LeBron James is still magnificent and there have been fleeting flashes of the old Anthony Davis, but the roster around them is too shoddily constructed for it to matter much.
The Jazz are fun! And maybe even good? While Utah will probably sink into tank mode at some point, there’s a high volume of quality veterans in the rotation right now. The young pieces are great too: Collin Sexton hasn’t even worked back to full speed yet, Lauri Markkanen is the leading Most Improved Player candidate through one week, and Walker Kessler has All-Rookie potential.
The Ben Simmons not-shooting-at-all thing is not working out right now. The Nets simply cannot sustainably play two non-shooting bigs at the same time. Something has to give. The thing is, Nic Claxton is really good and I’m not sure Brooklyn can comfortably bench him for 30 minutes a night to clear the lane for Simmons. So… good luck with that!
Jalen Brunson looks right at home in New York. The Knicks finally have a real point guard to situate the offense and it has made life easier on everyone. Julius Randle has returned to his physically imposing roots too, bullying his way to the rim for points instead of leaning entirely on contested long 2s. I like Isaiah Hartenstein. He deserves more love.
The Wizards have come out of the gates strong. The offensive symbiosis between Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis is quite strong. Not to mention Kyle Kuzma, who is primed to build on his strong two-way performance last season. Washington does not have the top-to-bottom firepower to compete in the East, but they’re a definite play-in contender as long as everyone’s healthy.
The Bulls are stuck in the unfortunate middle ground of being far too good to tank and not nearly good enough to genuinely contend. They’re a postseason team for sure, and it’s hard to write off Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan entirely. But with Lonzo Ball’s return nowhere in sight and the general lack of two-way players on the roster, it’s hard to imagine the Bulls making any real noise late in the campaign.
The Heat were forced to recalibrate this offseason following P.J. Tucker’s departure. It’s pretty much the same group otherwise, save for some minor rotational tweaks (Tyler Herro in the starting five, Caleb Martin starting next to Jimmy Butler on the wing), but it does feel like Miami is quickly aging out of contention. This team has made the conference finals two out of the last three years, though, so don’t be shocked if they turn it around and make another run.
Am I concerned? Not really. James Harden looks unbelievable. That alone is enough to warrant optimism in the end result. This version of James Harden, paired with the individual excellence of Joel Embiid and the burgeoning brilliance of Tyrese Maxey, should mean Philly lasts deep into the postseason. Or at least has the chance to. That said, the lack of continuity and chemistry has been alarmingly evident to start the season. Guys don’t know where to stand on offense, a lot of possessions boil down to Harden playing hero ball, and the defense is momentarily in shambles. I expect the team to look much better as the season progresses.
The Timberwolves have some warps to work through, but the bones are strong. They’ve made a point to involve Rudy Gobert offensively and he has been dominant on the glass. Karl-Anthony Towns might need some time to adjust to his new surroundings, as will Anthony Edwards, but there’s reason to believe Minnesota can contend in the wide-open West.
Denver’s early season has been one of peaks and valleys. Lots of good, lots of bad. The defense needs some work and Jamal Murray is still working his way back into NBA form, but they have the two-time reigning MVP and more than enough firepower to command respect in the West.
Christian Wood looks great. He won’t be coming off the bench for long. Luka Doncic, also great. He’s on the shortlist of MVP favorites for a reason. The Mavs have been through a couple tough losses, but they also walloped Ja Morant and the Grizzlies by 40. It’s early, so you accept the good with the bad and embrace the positive indicators.
After the immense disappointment of last season, the Hawks might be back. Trae Young is ice-cold from the field right now and the Hawks have still managed to start the season strong. Dejounte Murray’s impact has been felt on both sides of the ball, while the lob duo of John Collins and Clint Capela continue to service the frontcourt well. Bogdan Bogdanovic’s looming return will only bolster the Hawks’ rotation further.
The Pelicans are currently without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, which will undoubtedly hurt in the short-term. But there aren’t many deeper teams in the NBA right now and it at least appears as though Williamson’s return will come sooner than later. When healthy, the Pelicans pack one hell of an offensive punch.
It hasn’t been the rollicking, dominant start many expected for the Clippers, but it’s hard to deny the sheer depth of talent on that roster. Kawhi Leonard has been severely limited — and might be dealing with fresh knee problems — but Paul George and Co. have weathered the storm just fine. They have the capacity to impose their will on both sides of the ball.
The Raptors are once again brimming with limbs. Very few teams can match Toronto’s length, switchability, and intensity on the defensive end. They’re one of the hardest-working contenders night to night. Pascal Siakam continues to produce like an absolute star despite the general lack of fanfare. It’s fair to wonder if the Raptors will be able to generate enough points in the playoffs, but they’re not an easy team to duke it out with in the regular season.
Donovan Mitchell has been historically productive across his first three games with the Cavaliers. Darius Garland has barely even suited up yet and the Cavs look every bit the contender we expected. Jarrett Allen is making a strong early impression on defense while depth pieces like Caris LeVert, Kevin Love, and Isaac Okoro make it easy to believe in this Cleveland team.
Dame is BACK. The Blazers are also back from the precipice — locked, loaded, and ready to make a run in the West. It is very early in the season and it’s unwise to draw sweeping conclusions from four games, but Lillard in superstar mode makes Portland a very real threat. Anfernee Simons has adjusted well to off-guard duties in the starting five and the addition of Jerami Grant looks like one of the offseason’s best moves.
The Warriors have stumbled ever so slightly out of the gates, but we’re talking about the defending champs here. This nucleus has won four rings now and there’s reason to believe they can add No. 5 before all is said and done. There’s some uncomfortable contract stuff looming in the offseason (looking at you, Draymond Green), but right now Golden State is fully in the contenders circle.
The Bucks are one of two undefeated teams left. They’ve only played two games (the least of any team in the NBA) and Khris Middleton’s absence is deeply felt, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in basketball. He alone raises the floor and ceiling of this Bucks team quite high. This roster has been to war together. They’re top-tier contenders.
Ja Morant would probably win MVP if the award was handed out after one week. He’s off to a scorching start and appears to have every intention of building upon last season’s breakthrough. The Grizzlies are a shockingly young team, currently relying on multiple rookies and second-year players… and it hasn’t stopped them from running out to 3-1. Their depth, matched with the top-end talent of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, makes Memphis a real threat in the West.
The Suns entered the season with more questions than answers, but it would appear many of those questions were blown out of proportion. The Deandre Ayton drama is finally in the rearview mirror and Phoenix looks like a regular season juggernaut only one year removed from appearing in the NBA finals. Devin Booker: really good!
Boston unsurprisingly tops the first round of NBA power rankings for the 2022-23 season. There’s just no team operating on their level defensively right now. All five players on the court work in harmony to make life difficult for the opposing offense. Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, is ready to make his pitch to MVP voters.