Week 1 Power Rankings + Rookie of the Year Ladder!
After one week of NBA basketball, it’s time for my first power rankings of the year. We have seen the first product for a lot of NBA teams and it’s been a mixed bag.
These power rankings will not be entirely based on results, for obvious reasons. The teams that make my list will be talented, regardless of record. You may or may not like this edition of my power rankings.
#10 – Miami Heat
Record: (1-1)
The Good
The Heat’s retooled roster looked incredibly dominant against the Bucks. Kyle Lowry is that floor general that they missed last season. Hard-nosed defenders like PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris give them good depth.
Tyler Herro has turned the page from his 2021 campaign and is in the running for 6th man of the year. The defense in that Bucks game was incredible. Their new additions looked worthwhile in that game.
Oh yeah. There are these other two guys called Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. They’re pretty good if you haven’t heard.
The Bad
The depth is a little shaky. Other than Kyle Lowry, they don’t have a backup point guard. I don’t love their depth overall. They’re going to have to rely on Victor Oladipo and Gabe Vincent a lot. Not exactly ideal. The bench lacks scoring outside of Tyler Herro and that’s scary.
Speaking of scoring, the Heat looked terrible offensively against the Pacers. Lowry wasn’t there, but they just couldn’t create good looks. When Lowry comes back that should help things, but I have a feeling the offensive production will fluctuate this season.
If they want to be great, they need better bench depth and offensive production. That might mean making a trade for somebody. Maybe somebody like Thaddeus Young? Just an idea.
#9 -Denver Nuggets
Record (2-0)
The Good
They’re frickin’ good. Even without Jamal Murray, they are one of the most talented rosters in the NBA. They dismantled the Suns to open their season and remain a threat in the West.
Jokic is one of the most underrated superstars in the NBA. Michael Porter Jr. is poised for an excellent season. The coaching is great, the depth is good, this team has it all.
They might be the best overall team in the NBA. I’m being serious. They are just a machine.
The Bad
Jamal Murray is hurt. That’s about it. Until then, they can only tease us with how good they are.
#8 – New York Knicks
Record: (2-1)
The Good
The Knicks offseason additions have already shined for them. Guys like Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker give them so much more offense.
It makes it easier for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to score after they had to deal with limited spacing all of last season.
The defense looked pretty bad against Boston, but I think that they should remain elite defensively. They have great depth for Tom Thibodeau to use and that improved offense helps them a lot.
The Bad
How will they fare against legit teams? They haven’t faced a contender yet and they just lot to the Orlando Magic. Losing to one of the worst teams in the NBA doesn’t exude dominance.
If they want to be a top seed in a now-loaded Eastern Conference, they have to show it. They have to beat the likes of Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Miami. If they can do that, they have my confidence.
#7 – Chicago Bulls
(Note: I think the Bulls and Knicks are interchangeable as of right now.)
Record: (3-0)
The Good
They’re 3-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 season. That says something. Their new acquisitions in DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso have been amazing. While most people didn’t like some of those moves, particularly the DeRozan one, it’s looking good.
Zach Lavine continues to play at an All-Star level and the chemistry is very good already. The bench has looked surprisingly good and that’s without Coby White. Great start for the Bulls.
The Bad
They’ve played the Pistons without Cade Cunningham twice and the Pelicans. They haven’t played a real team yet and similar to the Knicks, how will they fare when they do play a great team?
Nikola Vucevic hasn’t been great to start the season and the Bulls overall just lack size. Hard to beat Philadelphia/Milwaukee with that type of problem.
I think unproven is the word I keep coming back to for the Bulls. Let’s see how they do when they’ve been punched in the mouth a few times.
#6 – Utah Jazz
Record: (2-0)
The Good
The Jazz are always going to be a good regular-season team. They are a great shooting team, they have a few All-Stars, and they play some defense. They’re smarter than most other teams.
I guess that’s something to talk about. Even if I don’t think they’re contenders, they are going to be near the top of the conference again.
The Bad
They just aren’t built for the playoffs. They don’t have great size down low outside of Gobert. They lack defenders on the perimeter/wing. They live and die by the 3-pointer. They rely on Donovan Mitchell too much.
You get the point. At best they can make a Conference Finals with some luck, but realistically, they’re not making it past the 2nd round. Enjoy this 6th place spot while you can.
#5 – Atlanta Hawks
Record: (1-1)
The Good
The Hawks are one of the best-constructed teams in the NBA. They have so much depth and so much talent, it’s unbelievable. They have shooters, defenders, versatility, everything you need to win in the NBA.
They have good veterans and emerging young players. Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter just have to stay healthy at all costs for this team to succeed.
Nate McMillan is a great coach, it’s impressive how quickly they’ve built a contending team after being bottom feeders 1-2 years ago.
The Bad
Reddish and Hunter have dealt with injuries in the past, so that’s something that could happen again.
What are they going to do with Danillo Gallinari? They gave him that big contract but now they’re looking to trade him? Interesting to see what happens there.
And they lost to the Cavaliers. Maybe they’re not so good after all?
(Joke)
#4 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (3-0)
The Good
The Warriors look back in peak form. While we have come to expect greatness from Steph Curry, the help around him has been excellent.
Jordan Poole looks much improved from last year and is the Warriors’ go-to option off the bench. Veterans like Damion Lee, Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr, and Nemanja Bjelica have been very good this season. The Warriors have won close games this season thanks to them.
The depth is good, the passing is great, the Warriors’ evil empire is back. This wasn’t part of the plan.
The Bad
Will the Warriors’ veterans hold up over a whole season? It’s a question I’ve had about the Lakers as well. Can the veterans hold up for the entire season and not deal with injuries?
Will Klay Thompson come back like the 77th best player all-time or a shell of his former self? If Thompson doesn’t come back 100%, can they rely on guys like Wiggins and Poole to score for them?
I get that these are nit-picky things, but the Warriors still have a lot of questions. Yes, it’s a great start, but let’s see their progress in a few weeks.
(Also, can they stop turning the ball over?)
#3 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (1-2)
The Good
Even with their “slow” start, the Suns are one of the best teams in basketball. Their sole win was a complete domination of the Lakers and their two losses came against two teams that made the playoffs last year.
They are a very deep team with lots of really good veterans across the board. Youngsters like Ayton and Bridges should continue to get better with every game, complimenting guys like Booker and CP-3 even better.
Their bench got better and they have great coaching. They have all the makings of a winner and they remain an elite Western Conference team.
The Bad
They lack good depth behind Deandre Ayton. Dario Saric tore his ACL last year and is unlikely to play for a large portion of this season. I can’t say I trust Javale Mcgee that much, although he isn’t terrible.
Another center would help them a lot, so look for a trade from James Jones to try and fix things on that end.
The only thing that could plague them is injuries, something that they didn’t sustain last season. Other than that, they’re still a great team.
#2 – Brooklyn Nets
Record: (1-2)
The Good
When you have Kevin Durant and James Harden on your team, you’re pretty much set. The roster around them is very, very good. They have good shooting and a lot of good plug-and-play guys at Steve Nash’s disposal.
Having Kyrie Irving would make them a lot better, but they are still an elite team. When they want to be.
The Bad
The defense is still a work in progress. As I’m writing this, Ish Smith just dominated them in the 4th quarter, giving them their 2nd loss of the season. Not ideal.
The bench unit’s production will be spotty when you’re relying on Jevon Carter, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Paul Millsap for key minutes.
Steve Nash has shown a hesitancy to use Bruce Brown and rookie Cam Thomas, for some reason. Without Kyrie Irving, this team will have to figure some things out and then start to hit the ground running.
But when they do hit the ground running? Hide the women and children.
#1 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (2-1)
The Good
They dominated the Nets on opening night, reinforcing that they are still the team to beat in the East.
Their big of Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday is the perfect blend of scoring, playmaking, and versatility. The role players around them are dependable and they are deeper than they were last year.
They have an elite defense and the offense isn’t that far behind. They are going to be a powerhouse in the East and the only thing that can stop them is, themselves.
The Bad
While Mike Budenholzer was excellent in the playoffs last year, he was still terrible in 2019 and 2020. There’s not a whole lot stopping him from reverting to that form and holding the Bucks back.
Like the Suns, the Bucks didn’t have injuries in the regular season to their main group of guys. Other than Donte DiVincenzo, they are healthy right now. But if they do injured, the gap between them and the Nets certainly gets closer.
Rookie of the Year Ladder
Which rookies have been performing the best thus far? It’s only been a week, but some rookies have already been making an impact. I know it’s a small sample size, but as of right now, who would be taking home rookie of the year?
#3 – Scottie Barnes
Scottie Barnes has had an impressive start to his career. The 6’9″ guard has already shown those flashes of potential that got him drafted so highly. He’s already a good defender and while his half-court offense needs work, he’s showing you he’s going to be a really good player.
While the Raptors aren’t going to be great this season, Barnes will be a bright spot for them;
18.0 points – 10.0 rebounds – 57% TS
The turnovers (2.3) and fouls (3.7) are a little high, but Barnes has been highly productive. He’s finding ways to score with his lack of a jump shot and doing so efficiently.
The playmaking has yet to take form thus far as it did in the preseason, but he’s already a terrific rebounder. Great start from Barnes who should have a great rookie campaign.
#2 – Evan Mobley
While I loved Evan Mobley’s talent out of USC, his lack of strength made me skeptical that he would be this good this fast. He has proven me wrong. The talent was never the problem. While Mobley is a 7-footer, he can do everything. He is a great rim protector who can also guard 1-5. He can stretch the floor on offense, pass, handle, the whole nine yards.
I thought that Mobley would only truly dominate when he bulked up. Mobley being productive has come earlier than I expected;
15.7 points – 8.3 rebounds – 2.3 blocks – 1.3 steals – 63% TS
He’s been efficient, great defensively, and everything the Cavs dreamed he would be. He’s already drawing fouls pretty well and hitting his free throws (83% on 4 attempts per game). Mobley has already shown that he’s supremely talented and the combo of Allen and him should be very, very good.
#1 – Chris Duarte
Duarte might win the ‘late first-rounder who plays like a veteran’ award this season. And it makes sense since Duarte is 24 years old and somehow a rookie. Last year we saw it with Tyrese Haliburton and I think Duarte can do a lot of the things that Haliburton did last year.
Due to injuries, he’s starting for a solid Pacers team and he hasn’t backed down. He’s a good shooter, a solid ball-handler, and a smart player. Rick Carlisle trusts him in big moments and so do his teammates. He’s renewed their confidence in him so far;
20.3 points – 40% FG – 46% 3-PT
Duarte has shown some flashes off the dribble and I think that he’s going to have a really solid rookie season. He’s going to make an impact and likely be Indiana’s 6th man when Levert comes back. Just need to make some more of his mid-range shots. That’s about it.
Most Valuable Player Ladder
Since we’ve only played a week of basketball, we might have the most candidates we’ll ever have in an MVP race. But in a month or two, we’ll see our list narrow down to just a couple of amazing players.
The MVP award has strayed farther and farther away from what it’s supposed to be, so I’ll make this simple. Some players will be on here because they’re incredibly valuable. Others will be here because they’re off to great starts this season. Pretty easy rules to follow, right?
#3 – Luka Doncic
Any player who can make this Mavericks team a playoff team deserves recognition. Taking that one step further, any player who has to be coached by Jason Kidd has to be given the purple heart. Doncic is an incredible talent and while he likely won’t win MVP because the Mavericks are so bad around him, he’s keeping them afloat. Singlehandedly.
While Doncic’s numbers through two games don’t scream MVP, he’s going to have another incredible season, doing incredible things with a crappy team around him. If that doesn’t scream MVP at you, I don’t know what will.
Once Luka gets some good teammates around him, the rest of the NBA is in trouble.
#2 – Kevin Durant
Again, like Doncic, I find it unlikely that KD will win MVP this season. Nobody will give him the award when he’s flanked by James Harden and vice versa. It just won’t happen. But KD has had to go to great lengths to keep this Nets team afloat thus far and he’s going to have to continue to do that.
While the Nets are one of the best teams in the NBA, they are beatable. Durant makes them a lot less beat-able. His talent is unmatched, but without a great defense and Kyrie Irving, he’s going to have to carry the load until Brooklyn figures things out.
Too bad the voters don’t care about this and will just move on to the next candidate. When did this award become so political?
#1 – Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis was my pick for MVP and that still stands. While voter fatigue might slow him down, he’s a likable player and he has seemingly cracked the code for winning MVP.
He is an elite defender, perhaps the best overall defender in the NBA. Offensively, while it might not be as pretty as guys like KD or Luka, it works. He is incredibly efficient and it takes defenses selling out to Giannis to stop him. That says something.
It also says something that as soon as Giannis reached this level, the Bucks were contenders in the East. Giannis is the best player on the Bucks. I think the Bucks are the best team in the NBA and Giannis is the reason for that. Expect him to be near the top of the MVP Ladder throughout 2022.
What Are Your 1st Week Power Rankings Looking Like? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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