NBA Power Rankings: Cavs, Warriors fighting for No. 1 spot

Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey tells Blundell & Co. that with Jared Sullinger’s long-term injury, others will have to step up, even young guys like Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam.

The NBA regular season is upon us, and that brings with it hopes and dreams for all of the league’s 30 fan bases. But where does each team stack up on the eve of a new year? We asked our expert hoops panel to break it down for the first power rankings of 2016–17.

The panel includes Sportsnet NBA editor Dave Zarum, senior editor Craig Battle, associate editor Steven Loung and staff writer Donnovan Bennett.

Rank Team Previous
1

The Clippers boast the NBA’s best record thanks in large part to their top-ranked defence. Blake Griffin and Co. aren’t just beating teams, they’re dismantling them. LA has outscored its opponents by a whopping 15.1 points per game. (MH)
2016–17 record: 9-1

2
2

One of the biggest reasons for the Cavs’ success is their consistency from three-point range. Cleveland has hit at least 10 triples in each of its first nine games. That’s an NBA record. (MH)
2016–17 record: 8-1

1
3

The Warriors are starting to look like the team everyone envisioned. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are both racking up the points and Klay Thompson has broken out of his three-point shooting slump with a vengeance. Golden State’s past four games have been against some of the worst teams in the league, so this week’s matchups with the Raptors and Celtics will be worth tuning in for. (MH)
2016–17 record: 8-2

4
4

Finally healthy, the Spurs are 7-3 and have already avenged losses to both Houston and Utah. The margin of error has seemed lower without Tim Duncan anchoring the paint, but this is a team that will only get better as new pieces get comfortable. (CB)
2016–17 record: 7-3

3
5

DeMar DeRozan has arguably been the best player in the entire league this season. There is some concern with their defence slipping a little (they’re no longer a top-10 defensive team), and a brutal upcoming seven-game stretch, but this team is legitimately good, so things should work themselves out. (SL)
2016–17 record: 7-2

7
6

After getting out to a pedestrian 2-3 start, the Blazers have been on a tear, averaging 107.2 points per game during a 5-1 span. Their only loss coming at the hands of the league-leading Clippers. (SL)
2016–17 record: 7-4

5
7

Early-season surprise: The Hawks are currently leading the league in points per game (109.6) and differential (+10.7). They’re also 7-2, tied with Toronto for second spot in the East. (CB)
2016–17 record: 7-2

9
8

The more you see George Hill with the Jazz the more you start to think he was the missing piece. With Hill running point guard the Jazz have become a completely different team than in years past and make their 7-4 record and eighth-ranked net rating of 5.3 look anything but a fluke. (SL)
2016–17 record: 7-4

10
9

The schedule has been favourable, but the Hornets should enjoy this: They’ve got the second-best record in the East two weeks in on the back of solid defence and a return to health for the majority of the roster. (CB)
2016–17 record: 6-3

6
10

Dwyane Wade made his emotional return to Miami this week but there’s no doubt Jimmy Butler is the leader of this Bulls team. Butler is averaging strong offensive numbers across the board while continuing to frustrate opposing wing players with his defence. (MH)
2016–17 record: 6-4

14
11

Other than a surprising two-point victory in San Antonio, this team’s wins have come against Washington, New York and Dallas (twice). That said, hey, James Harden leads the league in assists per game by an absolute mile. (CB)
2016–17 record: 5-4

15
12

Some good news for the Celtics on the injury-front. Al Horford (concussion) was seen doing sprints and could return to action as soon as Monday, Jae Crowder (ankle) could be back in the lineup Wednesday and while Isaiah Thomas did suffer a sprained middle finger, he’s planning on playing through it. (SL)
2016–17 record: 5-4

13
13

Free of the Kobe Bryant retirement circus, the Lakers have been a huge surprise to this point. It’s been a balanced scoring attack that has led to the early success as five players are averaging 14 points per game or better. (MH)
2016–17 record: 6-5

12
14

The Thunder’s lack of talent outside of Russell Westbrook is becoming apparent. OKC has lost their last three straight, including a nail-biter to the Magic on a Serge Ibaka game-winner Sunday that saw Westbrook post a monstrous 41-point, 16-assist, 12-rebound triple-double. (SL)
2016–17 record: 6-4

8
15

The Pistons dropped three of their four games this week, but two of those losses came against Western Conference powerhouses in the Clippers and Spurs. Another tough four-game week awaits as Stan Van Gundy’s group goes through the ringer early. (MH)
2016–17 record: 5-5

11
16

It was a light week for the Bucks with only two games on the schedule. As has been the case for the past couple years, the roster is loaded with potential but we’re still waiting for this team to really take that next step forward. (MH)
2016–17 record: 5-4

17
17

This team is suffering from a total lack of the grit and grind they’ve become famous for. The defence has been uncharacteristically poor so far, and they don’t have the consistent scoring punch (97.0 points per game, 27th in the NBA) to make up for it. (CB)
2016–17 record: 4-5

18
18

The Nets don’t appear to be as awful as we first thought, coming away with a 2-2 week. The teams they beat, the Timberwolves and Suns, are nothing to write home about, but when you’re in the kind of unhopeful situation like Brooklyn’s in, you take the positive whenever you can. (SL)
2016–17 record: 4-5

23
19

Frank Vogel finally admits his mistake in starting Aaron Gordon at the three by moving him to the bench—and the offence returns enough to get a two-point win over OKC. Still, a net loss moving forward if they’re acknowledging they can’t play Gordon and Serge Ibaka together. (CB)
2015–16 record: 4-6

22
20

There aren’t many positives to draw from the Kings’ slow start, but Rudy Gay is having a fantastic start to the new campaign. He’s averaging better than 22 points through his first 10 games while shooting the ball at the most efficient clip of his career. (MH)
2016–17 record: 4-7

19
21

The story of Indiana’s season thus far has been its home and road splits. In the friendly confines of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers are 4-1. They’re winless in five tries as the visiting team, though. (MH)
2016–17 record: 4-6

20
22

Losers of five of their last six, and with five players all hurting already, it’s going to be a long season in the Mile-High City. (SL)
2016–17 record: 3-7

16
23

Maple Jordan has officially arrived. On Sunday, Andrew Wiggins put up a career-high 47 points on 14-of-21 shooting, going 2-for-5 from three-point range and 17-of-22 from the free-throw line. (SL)
2016–17 record: 3-6

26
24

The new acquisitions—Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee—in addition to Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis are all playing pretty well. But as long as New York remains the worst defensive team in the league, this group simply won’t win many games. (SL)
2016–17 record: 3-6

24
25

Phoenix put a scare into Golden State over the weekend, holding a lead late in the fourth quarter. The Suns then watched as the Warriors went on a 15-1 run to close the game. Three winnable games await this week as the Suns take on the Nuggets, Pacers and 76ers. (MH)
2016–17 record: 3-8

25
26

This team isn’t anywhere near good enough to survive a Goran Dragic absence. Things could get ugly quickly in South Beach. (CB)
2016–17 record: 2-6

21
27

Fighting through injury while playing for a bad team on the way to a major rebuild—not the way Dirk Nowitzki planned to go out (but not all that different from the way old friend Steve Nash did). He’ll likely return this week, but the Mavs are 0-3 so far when he’s played. (CB)
2016–17 record: 2-6

28
28

John Wall didn’t play Saturday as his coach tries to manage his minutes, and the Wizards lost to the Bulls. Note to teams: This is something playoff teams get to do with impunity in order to be better prepared for playing in May and June. You are not making the playoffs, Wizards. If you want to manage your star point guard’s minutes, please do it within games.(CB)
2016–17 record: 2-7

27
29

Joel Embiid is the truth. His team is absolute garbage but he’s definitely the best looking rookie so far this season, leading his team in points (18.8 per game), rebounds (6.8) and blocks (2.3). (SL)
2016–17 record: 1-8

30
30

The Pelicans got their first win, on the road no less, against the Bucks. But in the ensuing loss at home to the Lakers, Anthony Davis more than doubled the scoring output of the rest the Pelican’s starting five (34 points to 16), and they got destroyed. There isn’t a starting-calibre player on the active roster aside from Davis. (CB)
2016–17 record: 1-9

29

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