Written by Yaniv Horenstein, Tal Cohen, and Leo Schulhof
1. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-4)
While there were some projections before the season started about the Timberwolves being in the upper echelon of Western Conference teams, there weren’t many who predicted them to have the best record in the league up to this point. Anthony Edwards has been a star with averages of 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game. The supporting cast isn’t lacking star power either, with Karl Anthony Towns averaging 22 points on 51% shooting, accompanied by 9 boards, and a block and a steal apiece. Rudy Gobert has been a significant contributor on the defensive end, averaging 12 rebounds (fifth in the league) and 2.4 blocks (third in the league), though Gobert has been a defensive force in the league for years now, so this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
2. Boston Celtics (16-5)
The Boston Celtics are legit. Even with Kristaps Porzingis, their latest acquisition, out for a four-game stretch, the team has won three of those last four games lead by the spectacular play of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum is averaging 28 points and 9 rebounds, while his counterpart Jaylen Brown is averaging 22 points and five rebounds after a slow start to the season. This team has all the necessary pieces to compete for a championship, including Derrick White, a scrappy two-way guard averaging 15 points and five assists; Al Horford, a consistent veteran who plays his role to perfection; Jrue Holiday, averaging 12 points, five assists and seven rebounds, who has slowly but surely found his place on this loaded roster.
3. Milwaukee Bucks (15-7)
The Milwaukee Bucks have won 10 of their last 13 games and find themselves now in second place in the Eastern conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like the MVP caliber player he is, after getting off to a slow start this season. The two-time MVP and Finals MVP leads his team in points and rebounds with a 31 and 11 double-double average a game. Although Giannis can do a lot on his own, the success of the Bucks depends on other pieces stepping up, and recently, they have answered the call. Damian Lillard, to no one’s surprise, is leading the league in clutch-time baskets. His pick-and-roll game with Antetokounmpo is deadly, and one of the reasons Dame leads the team in assists. Brook Lopez is displaying his excellent rim protection, leading the league with 2.8 blocks per game. Finally, Malik Beasley is shooting a career-high, 45.5% from the three-point line. If the supporting cast continues to play at this level, the Bucks will find themselves fighting for the top spot in the conference.
4. Philadelphia 76ers (14-7)
The 76ers seem to be thriving following the James Harden trade. Nick Nurse finally has a drama-free locker room, and he is managing to get all players to buy into his system. While none of the assets they received in the trade have done much offensively, Robert Covington has made his presence felt on the defensive end averaging 1.5 steals in just 17 minutes a game. Tyrese Maxey continues to shine in his breakout season averaging 27 points a game. Tobias Harris has cooled down in recent weeks after his amazing start to the season. His drop-off started to occur around the time Kelly Oubre got hit by a car, which left him with fractured ribs. Oubre returned to the court on Wednesday after missing a month of action so it will be interesting to see how Harris plays with a fully healthy squad. The reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, has shown no signs of slowing down after dropping 50 points against the Wizards this past Wednesday. The dominant big man is having yet another amazing regular season averaging 33 points and 11 rebounds, but the real questions lie in how he will perform come playoff time.
5. Denver Nuggets (14-9)
Nikola Jokic has continued to add to his historic MVP campaign by carrying the Denver Nuggets in Jamal Murray’s absence. Murray returned to the team last week after missing 3 weeks with a hamstring strain. In that time, Jokic averaged a miraculous 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 11assists. Jokic is no stranger to playing without Murray considering he won the 2021-2022 MVP award when Murray was recovering from a torn ACL. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. havealso had great seasons continuing to build on the chemistry this team has developed over the last few seasons. Peyton Watson has rejuvenated this Nuggets team in his second season providing energy every night, especially on the defensive side. It’s hard to count out the defending champs and they continue to prove why they are the team to beat.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-7)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been turning heads so far this season. They are firmly the second-best team in a loaded western conference, with a record of 14-7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged in MVP conversation and is making a great case for First Team All-NBA as a perineal guard. He’s averaging 31 points, six rebounds, six assists, and a league-leading 2.8 steals. Not only was Shai a superstar on arrival, but Chet Holmgren is also competing with Victor Wembanyama for rookie of the year, averaging a phenomenal 17 points, eight rebounds, and 2.4 blocks on 52% shooting from the field. He is everything the Thunder hoped he would be and more in his first stint with the team, and complements Shai’s game extremely well. The supporting cast of Jaylen Williams, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey have been solid contributors as well, and while Giddey is amid an ongoing criminal investigation, a player like rookie Carson Wallace should be able to step up to the plate if Giddey is unable to continue playing for the team.
7. Orlando Magic (15-7)
The Orlando Magic are another team who are vastly outperforming their pre-season projections, as they are currently tied with the Bucks as the second best team in the eastern conference with a record of 15-7. Their schedule hasn’t been easy either; they’ve toppled the Bucks, Celtics, Lakers, Nuggets, Pacers and more on route to what could be their best potential season since Dwight Howard lead the team to 59 wins in 2010-2011. The team is being lead in points by second year forward Paolo Banchero, and third year guard-forward Franz Wagner, who are both averaging 21 points per game, respectfully. Jalen Suggs is also beginning to develop quite nicely for the Magic, averaging 12 points and 2 steals on the year. It’s hard to tell whether this early season success is an indicator of greater things to come for the Magic this year, but I wouldn’t risk being on the wrong side of history and counting them out just yet.
8. Dallas Mavericks (13-8)
Dallas started the season hot, but they have unfortunately lost five of their last nine games. Although basketball is a team sport, this is Luka Doncic’s team and it is not even close. The 24-year-old leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and minutes. The Mavericks wins and losses are often decided by the type of game Luka is having. He is joined in the backcourt by Kyrie Irving, whose contributions should not go unnoticed. Irving’s had to adjust to a role as an off-ball guard, and is still putting up 24 points a game, along with 5 assists. The rookie big man in Dallas, Dereck Lively II, has played surprisingly well for his first season in the league, and leads the team in blocks. Earlier this week in a game against the OKC Thunder, he put up 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks, the highest block count by a Maverick in almost a decade. Other role players like Derrick Jones Jr and Grant Williams have stepped up too, and their contributions will be essential to this Mavericks team making a run in early April.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (14-9)
The Lakers began this season with a 3-4 record and have since won 11 of their last 15. They sit atop the stacked Pacific division and have an excellent home record of 10-2. They made recent changes to their starting lineup, sending Austin Reeves to the bench to lead the second unit with 15 points a game. Their recent win stretch has been in the NBA In-Season Tournament, where they went undefeated and secured the tournament trophy over the Indiana Pacers in the game this past Saturday. At 38-years-old, LeBron James still dominates the league, and leads his team in points, assists, and steals. In the fourth quarter, LeBron is the difference-maker on the court, and he gives the Lakers opportunities to win games. The Lakers championship aspirations depend on the quality of play from Anthony Davis. Davis leads the team in rebounds and blocks, but at times his scoring is inconsistent, and it hurts the team. In the three games this season that Davis has scored ten points or less, the Lakers have gone winless. The performances of the two future hall of famers will be the factor of the Lakers success this season.
10. Indiana Pacers (12-8)
The Pacers are off to an incredible start this season thanks to the tremendous leap taken byTyrese Haliburton in his fourth season averaging 27 points, and a league-leading 12 assists. New additions Bruce Brown and Obi Toppin have proven to be amazing pieces to surround Haliburton, the floor general providing highlight plays on a daily basis. Miles Turner is also having a great season averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game. Head Coach Rick Carlisle has done an incredible job administering the fastest-paced offense in the NBA. The Pacers have now found themselves in the championship of the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament thanks to the stellar performance by Tyrese Haliburton against the Celtics and Bucks. Win or lose, Haliburton has put Indiana on the map as a team to watch out for in the future and solidified himself as one of the best guards in the league.
11. Sacramento Kings (12-8)
The Kings have one of the most dynamic duos in the NBA with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, with Fox showing substantial improvement to his overall game since entering the league as the fifth pick in the 2017 draft. He’s averaging an outrageous 31 points, 7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, putting him firmly in the All NBA conversation this year. He even stated earlier this week that he would be holding out on contract negotiations until the All NBA teams were announced, to potentially secure some more guaranteed money in his contract. Sabonis has been great in his second stint with the team after being traded from the Indiana Pacers midway through the 2021-2022 season, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on 58% shooting from the field. And while there have been reports of the Kings looking to trade pieces of the supporting cast to secure an X-factor type of player for a win-now season, Malik Monk has been an excellent bench piece who provides guard depth to help lighten the load for De’Aaron Fox. Monk is averaging 15 points and five assists in 25 minutes of play. Their other significant role players on the other hand, Davion Mitchell and Keegan Murray, haven’t played to the level expected of them so far this season. Keegan is averaging 13 points on poor shooting percentages, and Davion Mitchell, while still an important contributor to wins, isn’t doing anything out there that the stat sheet would reflect as positive. The good news, however, is that it’s a long season. Once this team clicks on all cylinders, they’ll be a difficult team to beat in a seven-game series.
12. New York Knicks (12-9)
The New York Knicks are an above average that is stuck in mediocrity. While they have a good record to start the season, they are yet to prove they can beat any of the top teams in the league. Their last 5 losses come from the Bucks twice, the Suns, the Timberwolves, and the Celtics. Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson are both having solid seasons so far. Brunson is shooting a very impressive 45% from 3-point range on 7 attempts a game. Expect New York to make a trade at the deadline for a player like Zach Lavine to add some much-needed star power to an already solid roster.
13. Phoenix Suns (12-10)
The Phoenix Suns have unfortunately battled a slew of injuries to their star players, which are fatal blows to a team that lacked depth to begin with. Devin Booker has only appeared in 13 of the Sun’s 22 games this season, and Bradley Beal has played in a mere three games. Luckily, Phoenix has one of the best scorers in basketball history in Kevin Durant, who is averaging 31 points a game in his 16th season in the league. Durant is shooting a career high 50% from behind the arc, he leads his team in assists, and he records over a block a game. His rim protection, along with that of Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks, has led to the Suns leading the league in blocks per game as a team. The Suns sit at three games above .500, but they will no doubt improve as the season carries on and their players get healthy. In the meantime, they will need to continue to get contributions from vital role players like Josh Okogie, Eric Gordon, and Grayson Allen.
14. Miami Heat (12-10)
The Miami Heat have dropped considerably in this week’s power rankings, but that’s not say they’re not a significant threat in the East. Since going on their seven-game win streak in early November, the Heat have only won four of their last ten games, with Jimmy Butler not playing particularly up to expectations following an incredible finals run in the year prior. Jimmy is averaging 22 points, four assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes of play. That’s not to say that his stats are egregious in any fashion, but if the Heat want to be taken seriously as a championship contender amongst the titans of the eastern conference, Jimmy is going to need to be a bigger contributor in winning efforts. Center Bam Adebayo on the other hand has been playing some great basketball this season, with averages of 22 points on a phenomenal 81% shooting, 10 rebounds, and over a block and steal per game. Tyler Herro of course is a big loss to this team, as he’s been sitting on the injury reserve since November 8th with an ankle injury. With that being said, if Jimmy Butler is able to play like playoff Jimmy during the regular season, and Bam continues playing how he’s playing, there’s no telling what this team’s ceiling will be once Tyler Herro returns to game action. Jaime Jaquez Jr., the young rookie out of UCLA, is worth mentioning. This week, he ranked fifth in rookie of the year rankings, and is averaging 12 pointson 52% shooting from the field. With a higher usage rate, we could see JJJ become a newfound weapon in the Miami Heat’s arsenal for years to come, and that’s something to be very excited about if you’re a Heat fan.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-9)
The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally starting to clique despite a slow start to the season. They have won 9 of their last 13 games including impressive wins over the Nuggets and 76ers. Jarrett Allen’s return to the team is a big reason for their increase in productivity. Allen missed the first month and a half of the season with an ankle injury. Allen’s frontcourt mate Evan Mobley is having an incredible season so far averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks a game, and really stepped up in his absence. Donovan Mitchell is having another great season so far,proving to be one of the best scorers in the league. When healthy, the Cavs are a very good team, but it is still unclear whether they are true contenders or not.
16. New Orleans Pelicans (12-11)
The Pelicans have been amongst the most inconsistent teams in the league. At times, they look incredible, with recent wins against the 76ers, the Clippers, the Nuggets, and three wins against the Kings. The flip side is rough, with losses to the Bulls, twice to the Jazz, and most recently, a 44-point loss to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals in Las Vegas last Thursday. Their inconsistency is a result of their players not being fully bought in. The biggest question mark going into every game is Zion Williamson. While the 23-year-old is still putting up an impressive 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists a game, at times his effort is sub-par, and he lacks aggression. Opposing defenses have been giving him the Ben Simmons treatment and stay below the free-throw line when he is handling the ball. Brandon Ingram on the other hand has played quite well. Ingram has struggled from three, but his overall field goal percentage is the highest since he has been a Pelican. The Pelicans faced some early injuries to key pieces in CJ McCollum, Jose Alvarado, and Trey Murphy III. Fortunately, all three have made their returns recently, and are hoping to raise the Pelicans’ win percentage over the rest of the season.
17. Brooklyn Nets (12-9)
After a slow start to the season for Mikal Bridges, he’s slowly beginning to find his rhythm. In his last ten games, Bridges has scored above the 30 point mark on three occasions, with two of those occasions having surpassed the 40 point mark, bringing his scoring average up to 23 points per game on the season. The team is on a three-game winning streak, one of those games being against the second-seeded Orlando Magic. Without a definitive star, the Nets have found a way to distribute ball usage to a plethora of players on the court, ranging from their number one scoring option, Cam Thomas, to their spark plug off the bench, Lonnie Walker IV, and everyone in between. The return of Nic Claxton who was injured in his first game of the season and returned after an eight-game absence, has been a big factor in the Nets finding success as of late. Upon return, it was clear he hadn’t a missed a beat since the breakout season he had last year. Claxton is averaging 12 points, nine rebounds, and an astounding 2.4 blocks per game. With each game played, it would be hard to believe that this Nets roster won’t find a way to build team chemistry more and more each day, and when they begin clicking on all cylinders, there’s no telling where they’ll rank against the best eastern conference teams in the league this year.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (11-10)
The James Harden era in Los Angeles had an abysmal start losing 6 straight games. With all the star power on the team, it was no surprise it was going to take some time to figure out how to make it work but I don’t think anyone expected them to start that poorly. Tyronn Lue had a tall task considering there’s only one basketball on the court, but the team is slowly starting to figure things out. The team has now won 7 of their last 10 games including an impressive win over the Nuggets. A lot of their success has to do with Russell Westbrook selflessly requesting to come off the bench for the betterment of the team. Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden have relatively similar stats, so it will be interesting to see who they dub as the head honcho of the team. Paul George and James Harden both have game-winners this season, but it is hard tooverlook Kawhi’s resume, as the only star on the team with a championship.
19. Houston Rockets (10-9)
The Houston Rockets have one of the most exciting young cores in the league, and luckily, their youth has not kept them from competing against the top teams in the West. The star of this season has been 21-year-old Alperen Sengun, who is averaging career highs across the board with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists a game. He has drawn comparisons to Nikola Jokic due to his playmaking ability and court vision in the post. The other young players in Houston like Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. are inconsistent, as young players normally are, but they’ll improve with the right coaching and player development. Other factors in the Rockets’ recent success have been their veteran players. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks do exactly what head coach Ime Udoka needs them to do. VanVleet leads the team in assist with 9, which is good for fourth in the league. Brooks plays stout defense and his aggression and energy, although at times over the top, are needed on a young roster.
20. Golden State Warriors (10-12)
Besides Stephen Curry who’s averaging 29 points, five rebounds and four assists, the rest of the Golden State Warriors squad can’t seem to find any rhythm. As a team, they stand at 10-12 on the season, though it’s important to note that their schedule as of late has been a tough one, facing off against teams like the Thunder (three times), the Timberwolves (twice), and the Kings, amongst others. Still, there isn’t much of an excuse for the disappearance of Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, who were once regarded as offensive weapons for the Warriors. Klay is averaging a disappointing 16 points on career low shooting percentages, and Wiggins is averaging 13 points on an abysmal 28% shooting from three-point range. Newly acquired Chris Paul has been struggling with his shot as well, averaging nine points on 32% from three and 40% from the field. Many are arguing that Steve Kerr should give more minutes to the young guys on the team, like Kuminga and Moody, and subject Klay and Wiggins to more of a bench role. Could this move help save the Warriors season? Maybe, but first their focus should be to fix what’s in their control; turnovers, fouls, and whatever else is the cause of their shortcomings. You must believe the shots will start to fall eventually, but until then, the Warriors may continue to fall down the western conference power rankings.
21. Atlanta Hawks (9-12)
The Atlanta Hawks’ performance this season has been marked by a mix of challenges and notable efforts. Trae Young has been playing up to par with his high expectations entering the season, averaging 27 points, 11 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, yet the Hawks are still finding ways to lose games. They had a strong start to the season, but since then they haven’t been able to find much of a rhythm. Much can be blamed on their defense, which ranks 26th in the league this year. Much like every year, the Hawks emerge as a mid-level team, not bad enough to contend for lottery picks, and not good enough to contend for a championship. They currently rank 10th overall in the eastern conference with a record of 9-12. Dejounte Murray noteably is having a down season, averaging 20 points, four rebounds and six assists, and while these numbers aren’t necessarily bad, Trae Young is going to need more help in the backcourt if this Hawks team wants to escape the play-in this year.
22. Toronto Raptors (9-13)
The Toronto Raptors find themselves in a recurring pattern of mediocrity. The front office’s unwillingness to make impactful trades that improve their roster is coming back to bite them. OG Anunoby, who is currently playing out of position as a guard, has been a coveted player throughout the league for his excellent defensive ability, and the Raptors could have dealt him in a trade for a starting caliber guard. Scottie Barnes is playing like he’s the future of the franchise, and it’s diminishing the role of Pascal Siakam. Siakam has an excellent skillset, but at this point it feels like his talent would be more effectively used elsewhere. Barnes leads his team in rebounds, steals, and blocks, and adds 19 points and 5 assists every game. The Raptors are now 3 games below .500, after missing the postseason all together last year. If Toronto wants to get better, they need stay busy during the trade deadline, and trade either Siakam or Anunoby to find a player that compliments Barnes’ game. Otherwise, Raptors fans will have to sit through yet another season of unexceptional basketball.
23. Chicago Bulls (9-14)
Zach Lavine has likely played his last game as a Chicago Bull. He is sidelined for the next 3 weeks with a foot injury, but with the team winning 3 straight games in his absence, both parties have subtly insinuated that it is time to move on. Coby White is having the best stretch of games in his career, averaging 23 points in the last 5 games. The Bulls have also looked a lot better defensively without Lavine allowing players like Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams to shine with their aggression on the defensive side of the ball. Demar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic are both having good years but have plateaued in numbers from where they were last year. This team desperately needs a fresh start and it will be very interesting to see what takes place in the next 2 months for this Bulls team.
24. Utah Jazz (7-15)
Lauri Markkanen is proving that last season was no fluke. The Power Forward is averaging 24 points and 9 rebounds a game this season. Markkanen is currently out with a hamstring injury that has kept him on the shelf for 2 weeks and is looking to return to the team soon which is struggling without him. Head Coach Will Hardy described their 50-point loss to Dallas on Wednesday as “A masterpiece of Dog-S***.” It really has been that type of season for Utah as there hasn’t been much else to root for. Walker Kessler is having a very disappointing season so far after exceeding expectations in his rookie season. John Collins has looked solid for the Jazz at times shooting a solid percentage from the field but hasn’t translated as the star Utah hoped they were trading or this offseason.
25. Charlotte Hornets (7-13)
The Charlotte Hornets have met the low expectations set at the start of the season. Lamelo Ball has gotten off to a great start averaging 25 points, 8 assists, and 1.5 steals a game. Unfortunately, Ball’s injury-riddled career is continuing to hold him back as he recently re-injured his ankle, resulting in him missing multiple weeks. Miles Bridges has returned to the court after missing all of last season due to his off-the-court issues. In that time, he has averaged 20 points and 7 rebounds, providing a nice scoring spark to the team. The number 2 overall pick, Brandon Miller, has had a solid start to his career averaging 14 points on efficient shooting coming off the bench. The Hornets hope Miller continues to improve throughout the season as he gets more comfortable against NBA competition. Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward have both had good seasons to this point, but this roster isn’t competitive enough in comparison to the rest of the league.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (6-15)
While the Blazers are far away from competing for anything important, this Blazers roster has so many points of optimism for fans to focus on. All season they’ve been without their best offensive player in Anfernee Simons, who returned just this week. The Blazers have struggled offensively, averaging the lowest points per game in the league, but the return of Simons adds adifferent dimension to their offense. In his first game back, Simons had 28 points, including six threes. The veteran leadership on the Blazers—Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon—have played their roles extremely well. Grant led the team in scoring in Simon’s absence, finishing with 20 points in 12 of the 19 games he’s played. Brogdon has been an excellent facilitator and has put up near triple double stats in several games. The rest of the Blazers’ young core has shined in certain moments throughout the season. Shaedon Sharpe has proven he can do more than dunk, as the 20-year-old is averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his second year in the league. DeAndre Ayton is averaging a double-double in his first season in Portland. The third pick in the draft, Scoot Henderson, has struggled more than people anticipated, but he’s now finding a role on the bench and leading the second unit. The 52nd-pick, Toumani Camara, acquired in the Damian Lillard trade, has proven he can play lockdown defense, and is now in the starting lineup, and often matched up against the best player on the opposing team. The team has been playing stout defense as of recent, and that has factored into big wins, including beating the Cavaliers and Pacers on the road last week.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (6-15)
The Memphis Grizzlies have struggled all season, but luckily their suffering may end soon. Ja Morant is set to make his return to the court on Tuesday, December 19th, and Grizzlies fans are hoping he turns this season around. In the meantime, they will continue to rely on Desmond Bane, who is averaging 25 points a game, and leading the team in assists and steals. This last week, Bane put up a monster performance and scored 49 points, to go along with 6 rebounds and 8 assists in a win over the Detroit Pistons. Jaren Jackson Jr. has proven he cannot be relied on as a consistent second option. The sixth-year big man out of Michigan State is averaging an impressive 20 points and 7 rebounds, but his efficiency has been below average. His field goal percentage from last year has decreased by almost 8%, and his three-point shooting has decreased by) 7%. The addition of Ja Morant will hopefully restore Grizzlies basketball to normal and allow Memphis to make a late push for the postseason.
28. San Antonio Spurs (3-18)
The San Antonio Spurs are currently tied with the Wizards as the second worst team in the league, only outperforming the Detroit Pistons, who are competing with the Spurs for longest losing streak in the league. The Spurs have lost sixteen straight games and boast an impressively horrendous 3-18 record. All the while, Victor Wembanyama has proven to be a force in the league thus far, putting up averages of 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, putting him in the top three for blocks in the league. The Spurs are also the youngest team in the NBA, so each game is more of a learning experience than anything, as the young squad is learning to gel together and execute on offense and defense in an effective way. Their roster is full of young talent, so while they are one of the worst teams in the league right now, there’s definitely a bright future ahead, especially if coach Popovich decides to continue being the guiding voice for these young players.
29. Washington Wizards (3-18)
The Jordan Poole experiment for the Wizards has gone off to a horrendous start. The young guard is averaging 17 points a game shooting 40% from field goal and 29% from three. Kyle Kuzma has attempted to take over as the leader of the team averaging 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists a game, but can’t translate his game into winning basketball. The duo is statistically the worst in the NBA with a net rating of –32 when they are on the floor together. It doesn’t look like the team takes themselves seriously so it’s hard for their opponents to treat them with any respect.
30. Detroit Pistons (2-20)
To put it lightly, the Detroit Pistons are a mess. Fortunately, the roster is young and did not have high expectations for this season. 2021 first pick, Cade Cunningham, is the leader of the team in points and assists, and he is the clear first option on offense. He is shooting 42% from the field, and has not found a consistent three-point rhythm. However, after missing most of last season, he may just need time. Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart have been solid front-court starters, averaging a combined 23 points and 18 rebounds. Unfortunately, Duren suffered an ankle injury on December 6, and will be out for at least two weeks. The Pistons’ lottery pick, Ausar Thompson, has received positive recognition for his defensive prowess and rebounding. The 20-year-old is averaging a steal and a block a game, and nine rebounds. The Pistons have been without veteran, Bojan Bogdanovic, who made his return his week and played two games, both of which he scored 22 points. Despite individual players having good performances, as a team,Detroit has several flaws. Amongst the 30 NBA teams, they place 29th in turnovers, 29th in steals, 28th in three-pointers made, 27th on points, and worst of all, 30th in win percentage. With playoff hopes eliminated early, this Pistons season will focus on player development and giving young players the chances to improve over the course of the season.