NBA Power Rankings Update: How the West Got Weird
Teams Ranked 30th to 21st
As of this writing, 17 NBA teams have a better record than the mighty Dubs. And -- surprise, surprise -- two of them rank in the bottom-third in nERD.
| Rank | Team | 2017-18 nERD | 2017-18 record | Last Update | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Phoenix Suns | 26.3 | 0-3 | 28 | -2 |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets | 28.0 | 2-1 | 30 | +1 |
| 28 | Los Angeles Lakers | 35.7 | 1-2 | 27 | -1 |
| 27 | Orlando Magic | 37.9 | 2-1 | 29 | -2 |
| 26 | Chicago Bulls | 38.0 | 0-2 | 26 | Even |
| 25 | New York Knicks | 39.6 | 0-2 | 25 | Even |
| 24 | Philadelphia 76ers | 39.8 | 0-3 | 23 | -1 |
| 23 | Dallas Mavericks | 41.3 | 0-3 | 22 | -1 |
| 22 | Sacramento Kings | 43.0 | 1-2 | 20 | -2 |
| 21 | Indiana Pacers | 43.2 | 1-2 | 24 | +3 |
The Expected
The Phoenix Suns aren't good at basketball. That was very expected.
The Phoenix Suns whacked coach Earl Watson after three games. That wasn't expected.
Little surprise that Chicago, New York, and Dallas have joined the Suns in the Land of the Winless. The Philadelphia 76ers also remain on the schneid, thus their drop. Sure, some had the Sixers pegged as a playoff team, but their roster's average age is, like, 12 (okay, it's really 24.2), so growing pains are to be expected.
The Unexpected
Holy moly, the Brooklyn Nets are above .500. But there's a good reason for the surprising start: Those dudes run.
The hyperactive Nets rank second in the league in pace, clocking in at a whopping 111.5. (The Lakers, FWIW, top the list at 112.0.) They lead the Association in scoring at 124.3 a night, and if they can amp of the defense just a scootch -- their 121.7 points allowed per night ranks 29th -- a .500 record isn't out of the question.
On Saturday night, Orlando delivered the most shocking upset of opening week, a 114-93 pasting of the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Magic center Nikola Vucevic has been a beast, averaging a 28-11 double-double. For the sake of comparison, Karl-Anthony Towns -- who we projected to be league's top center -- is putting up 21-11. Props to Niko.
As for the Magic's fall in the rankings, team nERD sometimes take a minute to catch up with team records. (See: Warriors, Golden State.)
