Sportskeeda's NBA Power Rankings for Week 3

Here are the NBA power rankings for the third week.

#1 Ranks 30-25

Reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter Williams made a return from injury but couldn’t change the fortunes of his team as the Philadelphia 76ers remain winless

Teams	Rank	Last week’s rank	Week 3 record	Comments
Philadelphia 76ers	#30	#30	0-4	The Sixers remain the only team to have not won a game yet although they did come might close to upsetting the Houston Rockets before James Harden beat them with a game winner. Using the word blowout for their 53 point loss to the Dallas Mavericks would be an understatement. The return of Michael Carter Williams from a shoulder injury was the silver lining
Los Angeles Lakers	#29	#28	0-4	The miserable season for the Lakers continued strong into the third week. It’s only been Kobe Kobe and Kobe for the team so far. This is officially the worst start in franchise history. A winnable game is next against the Atlanta Hawks.
Oklahoma City Thunder	#28	#25	1-3	They have looked competitive and really good once in a while but given their performance in general its clear the wins are just a flash in the pan. Reggie Jackson playing floor general is coming into a form of his own and has been the star so far.
Minnesota Timberwolves	#27	#23	0-3	Now that Ricky Rubio is out, the only positive they have is having a young and promising squad because the average margin of their most recent three losses this week was 25 points. Andrew Wiggins did record his career high this week on an efficient night of shooting.
Denver Nuggets	#26	#29	2-2	They capped off a week which started with an embarrasing blowout to the Portland Trailblazers with a win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers but things are not looking to great for the once ever competitve Nuggets. Kenneth Faried is playing like a ghost of what he was in the FIBA World Cup.
Detroit Pistons	#25	#24	1-3	The Pistons are back to square one after a decent two game stretch over the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks. A star studded line-up that should be ruling the East is presently ruling the lottery spots. Head Coach and President Stan Van Gundy has loads of issues to solve.

#2 Ranks 19-24

Charlotte Hornets should be much higher on the standings that they are right now.

Teams	Rank	Last week’s rank	Week 3 record	Comments
New York Knicks	#24	#19	1-3	Phil Jackson was not amused when Adam Silver made comments about his team still learning the triangle. As unfortunate as it is, that is the truth. After a positive 2-1 start the Knicks lost their next seven before winning over the Nuggets to wrap up the week. Off the eight, the last two could have been avoided. One needed Carmelo Anthony to have the ball instead of JR Smith and the other needed better defense (lost on a game winner).
Boston Celtics	#23	#17	0-3	The C’s might have lost all their games of the week but the fans could take pride in the fact that it took some LeBron James needed to score a season high 41 points to lead the Cavs comeback win at the TD Garden. Rondo has been on fire almost averaging triple double with 10.6 points, 11.8 assists and 8.4 rebounds.
Utah Jazz	#22	#22	1-2	Gordon Hayward is earning the contract he signed this summer with stellar performances for the Jazz. They needed two buzzer beaters to win games against New York and the Cavaliers which is an achievement enough for the season.
Indiana Pacers	#21	#27	2-1	Frank Vogel is getting a lot more from his squad than he might have expected at the start of the season. They beat the Heat at Miami in an exciting contest and then upset the Bulls who were coming off a win over the Raptors in a showdown of East giants.
Charlotte Hornets	#20	#18	1-3	A roster having the kind of talent that they have should have a better record 4-7. Lance Stephenson’s move to Charlotte was a still a good trade for the Hornets but he is still yet to make a game changing impact like we were used to seeing him make in Indiana last season.
Orlando Magic	#19	#26	3-1	Victor Oladipo is back but Aaron Gordon is out. Nonetheless, the Magic have been quietly going about their business beating the teams they are supposed to. Nikola Vucevic has been a flat out stud cleaning the glass and racking up points in the paint. They are easily the best non-Playoff team in the East right now.

#3 Ranks 13-18

Miami Heat has had a disastrous season so far after a 3-0 start.

Teams	Rank	Last week’s rank	Week 3 record	Comments
Milwaukee Bucks	#18	#21	2-1	The formula of a young coach+young team seems to be coming together in Milwaukee. Jason Kidd has run his magic and the team now stands at .500 even after 3 weeks of action. Brandon Knight has had a breakthrough season so far and Jabari Parker is on track so far to win Rookie of the Year honors.
Atlanta Hawks	#17	#20	2-1	They were getting into their stride of being the Spurs of the East before the Cavaliers dismantled them by 33 points. They play six of their next seven games at home, just what they need to pick up their morale and form.
Brooklyn Nets	#16	#9	0-4	Whether it was the West Cost road trip or the “being selfish on offense” comment by Joe Johnson, the Nets had a forgettable week to say the least. They have lost four in a row with the average margin of defeat being 10, not too high but not too less either.
Miami Heat	#15	#8	1-3	After a strong 3-0 start to the season, Miami have gone 3-5 in their next eight games. The 3 out of the last 5 losses for the Heat came in the last week agaisnt non-contenders like the Pacers, Bucks and the Hawks. Bosh’s strong form to start has disappeared and Wade has started sitting games again.
Phoenix Suns	#14	#12	2-2	If the Spurs are starting to become consistent again, the Suns are teaching the league how to be inconsistent. Their 3 guard line-up to finish games with Isiah Thomas, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe hasn’t got them the results every game like they expected.
Cleveland Cavaliers	#13	#15	2-1	Cavaliers and the Big 3 seem to be finding a rhythm with their unbeaten week. The teams made its first 11 three point shot attempts, a regular season record. They suffered a disappointing home loss to a lack luster Nuggets team which was the first home game of a comfortable long home stand ahead.

#4 Ranks 7-12

The machine known as the Spurs is gaining speed. The team breaks into the top 10 of the rankings for the first time

Team	Rank	Last week’s rank	Week 3 record	Comments
Los Angeles Clippers	#12	#13	1-1	Not a very activve week for the Clippers. Steve Balmer might have brought a lot of energy and optimism to Los Angeles still the team has failed to put up any good performance on the court thus far. They got run down at home by a Bulls squad that had no Rose and no Pau Gasol.
New Orleans Pelicans	#11	#14	2-1	They demolished the Timberwolves by 48 points and have in general looked more competitive than previous seasons. A healthy squad ready to unleash its true potential is doing exactly behind a superstar in the making and MVP front runner Anthony Davis.
Sacramento Kings	#10	#6	1-2	After a red hot start to the season, the Kings falling into the not so good habit of throwing away leads. All their games this week, they blew leads going into the fourth quarter. The most heartbreaking was the game against Memphis where they led by 22 but lost on a buzzer beater by Courtney Lee. Fortunately against the Spurs, they held their nerve and got the W.
Dallas Mavericks	#9	#11	4-0	A hot week for the Mavericks as they dished out blowouts to the Timberwolves, Hornets and the Sixers. It would be tough to access how well the team is playing if they are winning big against lowly ranked non-Playoff teams.
San Antonio Spurs	#8	#15	3-1	When will the media learn to stop doubting the ever consistent Spurs? A late game blunder cost the game against the Kings otherwise they would be unbeaten this week. Their statement game was the win over the Warriors where it was their second night of a back to back while their opponents were rested. Patty Mills and Splitter are still to take the court.
Washington Wizards	#7	#7	2-0	Considering that the team is 7-2 overall with Bradley Beal, a key member of their team yet to return from injury says a lot about how good this team has become with the addition of Paul Pierce and the elevation of John Wall’s game to the next level.

#5 Ranks 6-1

Complementing strong defense with fluent offense, the Memphis Grizzlies take the top spot

Team	Rank	Last week’s rank	Week 3 record	Comments
Portland Trailblazers	#6	#10	4-0	The Blazers registered a record 84 points in a half against the Nuggets still more importantly for the team, their wins are coming off with LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum sitting out a couple of games. Their bench production has been a lot more consistent and reliable this season.
Toronto Raptors	#5	#4	2-1	Currently leading the East but the Raptors have failed to win the big games like the ones against the Heat and the Bulls. Tough road up ahead as the Grizzlies come to visit and then Cavaliers welcome them in Cleveland.
Chicago Bulls	#4	#5	2-1	The Bulls are going strong with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah sitting out games or playing reduced minutes. They were upset by the Indiana Pacers Sunday night but their win in the big match of the East against the Raptors keeps them at 4th.
Houston Rockets	#3	#3	3-1	Despite their strong 3-1 record the Rockets do not move further on the rankings. They have had the good fortune of a favorable schedule for the first three weeks. Both their losses came against West Playoff teams while 6 of their 8 wins agains non-Playoff teams.
Golden State Warriors	#2	#1	2-1	They lost two games on the trot but bounced back strongly blowing out the Hornets by 25 and the Lakers by 21. They are still one of the most versatile squads in the league. They are 8-3 with David Lee yet to make a return to the court.
Memphis Grizzlies	#1	#2	4-0	They are complementing their grit and grind defense with good and fluent offense. Courtesy of Courtney Lee, they just about kept their 17 game home winning streak alive with a win over the Kings. This is the best start to the season in franchise history.

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