One of the biggest problems with the NBA is its predictability. For the most part, the standings are easy for even casual fans to guess without watching any games.
Unless we’re talking about this season.
The first two weeks of the 2014-15 campaign have been a tad bit crazy.
The Toronto Raptors—a team many thought were going to be pretty good—have been phenomenal and are tied for the league’s best record; the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers are still trying to find themselves and have suffered some surprising losses early on; the Golden State Warriors appear to have already taken that next step to legitimate title contention; and then there’s the best story in the NBA.
Believe it or not, the Sacramento Kings have come out hot. I repeat, the Kings are playing good basketball and have wins over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Clippers and the Phoenix Suns.
And here we were just talking about the NBA’s predictability.
| Rank | Team | Previous | |
| 1 |  |
Steph Curry is off to an MVP-calibre start, leading the league in scoring (27.7 points per game) and steals (3.5 per contest), he’s doing a little bit of everything for a team that’s already looking championship-quality. |
4 |
| 2 |  |
Sporting the best net rating in the league (12.5), Houston looks fantastic in the early going. James Harden is off to hot start, Dwight Howard is finally looking fully healthy and new acquisition Trevor Ariza is playing the “3-and-D” role Chandler Parsons assumed last season—but with stronger defence. |
9 |
| 3 |  |
The Raptors rocked the throwback purple dino jerseys, but they definitely haven’t played like those old teams. Off to their best start in franchise history, few teams have looked better in the early going. And this team still has plenty of room to grow. |
11 |
| 4 |  |
The Grizzlies are really going to benefit from a full season with Courtney Lee. Acquired via mid-season trade last year, Lee is a perfect fit for Memphis because of his commitment to defence and reliable three-point stroke (66.7 percent from deep this season). |
8 |
| 5 |  |
This isn’t a mistake. The Kings have started hot, picking up quality wins against the Trail Blazers, Clippers and Suns. DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay form one of the most potent two-man combinations in the league right now. |
23 |
| 6 |  |
Boy is it frustrating following Derrick Rose’s injury roller coaster. The 2011 NBA MVP has been battling ankle problems—forced to sit out four games already this season. Thankfully, Aaron Brooks has played very well in Rose’s absence. What is it with the Bulls and blossoming point guards? |
5 |
| 7 |  |
Remember when Chris Bosh was “the other guy” of the Big 3? Well, it turns out he was simply acquiescing to the needs of his team during the LeBron era. Now that coach Erik Spoelstra is structuring the offence around him, Bosh is averaging an impressive double-double (23.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game). |
15 |
| 8 |  |
It would appear the off-season ankle surgeries Deron Williams underwent were successful. The three-time all-star is looking like the player he was when he was first traded to the Nets in 2011. His three-point stroke isn’t there yet, but apart from that he’s been outstanding so far. |
14 |
| 9 |  |
The Clippers are still trying to find themselves. Their defence hasn’t been up to par, their pace of play has lagged and Blake Griffin is taking far too many mid-range jumpers. At least DeAndre Jordan is still doing his thing. |
2 |
| 10 |  |
Even without Bradley Beal, John Wall and the Wizards have played well in the first two weeks of the season. They laid an egg against Toronto and Paul Pierce hasn’t been quite as advertised, but give this team time—it’s going to be pretty good. |
13 |
| 11 |  |
Last season, Portland got by on the strength of its offence alone. This season, the Blazers look like they’ve tightened the screws on the other end. They’re one of three teams with a top-10 offence and defence (Houston and Toronto are the others). |
6 |
| 12 |  |
Gregg Popovich is already starting to rest his stars, but with San Antonio executing nowhere close to last season’s level on offence (96.7 points per 100 possessions compared to 108.2 last season), you have to wonder if Pop will keep up the practice. |
1 |
| 13 |  |
This wasn’t the start LeBron James and “the Land” were expecting. But as James put it just relax, super teams are still teams and need time to gel. Remember, the Heat started 9-8 in the first year of the Big 3 before they ripped off 21 wins in 22 games on their way to a second seed in the East. |
3 |
| 14 |  |
There were plenty of questions coming in, but the three-headed point guard monster of Isaiah Thomas, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe really does work. The trio combine for 45.4 points and 12.1 assists per game, and all three sport PERs above 15. |
12 |
| 15 |  |
The Mavericks boast the league’s best offence at 112 points per 100 possessions, but could stand to be a little more potent late in games. In the first half, Dallas is putting up a league-best 119.2 points per 100 possessions, a number that plummets to 104.3 after half. |
7 |
| 16 |  |
Who’s the best player in the world right now? If you said LeBron James, you’re incorrect. Anthony Davis is the best basketball player on the planet at the moment, and he’s got the numbers to prove it: 24.8 points per game (4th), 13 rebounds per game (1st), 4.2 blocks per game (1st), and a PER of 34.89. |
20 |
| 17 |  |
Atlanta is shooting an absurd 40.3 percent from deep, and they have Kyle Korver to thank for that. The dead-eye marksman is shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc and making a league-best 3.7 triples per contest. |
17 |
| 18 |  |
Rajon Rondo leads the league in assists and is a major reason why the Celtics have improved their putrid offensive rating of 99.7 from last season to a top-10 rating of 107.1 to kick off 2014-15. |
25 |
| 19 |  |
Milwaukee has been surprisingly competitive so far thanks to its improved defence. After giving up 108.9 points per 100 possessions last season, the Bucks now boast the fourth-ranked defence in the league (96.3 points allowed per 100 possessions). A big reason for that is a healthy Larry Sanders, who is averaging 2.1 blocks per game. |
29 |
| 20 |  |
More like the Charlotte clutch-shot masters, amirite? |
16 |
| 21 |  |
Thanks to the Hornets, the Jazz had no choice but to offer Gordon Hayward a max contract. So far, it’s looking like a good deal as the fifth-year man out of Butler has already hit a dramatic game-winner and is one of just four players to average at least 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. The other three? LeBron James, James Harden and Steph Curry. |
26 |
| 22 |  |
With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both out, Reggie Jackson has stepped up in a big way, averaging 20 points and 8.3 rebounds. Jackson is set to become an RFA at the end of the season, and you can hear the cha-ching with every sweet play he makes. |
10 |
| 23 |  |
Not like Minnesota was supposed to be good in the first place, but the injury to Ricky Rubio is something of a blessing in disguise for the Timberwolves. His time out of the lineup will almost assuredly mean more ping-pong balls. |
28 |
| 24 |  |
Just how bad a shooter is Josh Smith? He’s hitting 9.1 percent of his attempts from deep, yet still insists on taking almost two per game. He’s hopeless. |
21 |
| 25 |  |
Elfrid Payton is going to be a real player in the league. The rookie has a knack for finding people in tight spaces, is a tenacious defender and has a real competitive streak in him. Unfortunately, his shot is still a work in progress. |
27 |
| 26 |  |
Sorry Zen Master, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is right, the Knicks are still learning the triangle and, unfortunately for them, don’t have the personnel to run it with any great success. |
22 |
| 27 |  |
Denver has dropped five straight since they beat the Pistons to start the season. They remain one of the quickest teams in the league, averaging 101.3 possessions per 48 minutes, but that’s resulted in a lot of wasted trips as the Nuggets are only shooting 41.5 percent from the field. |
18 |
| 28 |  |
Indiana’s so out of sorts that somehow Roy Hibbert ended up taking a game-winning three-point attempt. |
19 |
| 29 |  |
Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s second leading scorer at 26.5 points per game, so ESPN may want to update their player rankings. Regardless of his individual brilliance, Kobe won’t be willing his team to many W’s this year—particularly with promising rookie Julius Randle done for the season. |
24 |
| 30 |  |
The 76ers are bad at basketball, but at least they have a couple rookies who can give us highlight-reel blocks in Nerlens Noel and K.J. McDaniels. |
30 |
