NBA Power Rankings: NBA Cup starts; Cavaliers at 15-0; Wemby, Giannis score 50-plus points

Posted by Admin November 18, 2024 NBA

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The 2024 NBA Cup has officially kicked off. The experimental event is to draw interest during the early portion of the league’s regular-season schedule. Through one week, it’s produced entertaining matchups.

The Cleveland Cavaliers remain undefeated. They’ve won 15 straight games to start their season. The Golden State Warriors sit in first place in the Western Conference standings by a slim margin. Expect another bloodbath out West this season.

Meanwhile, Giannis Antekounmpo, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox had spectacular individual scoring performances during this past week.

Throughout the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings. Here is the latest edition for the Nov. 11-17 week:

30. Toronto Raptors (2-12)

Previous Ranking: 30

The Raptors have lost seven in a row. A heartbreaking buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Jayson Tatum forced overtime and handed Toronto its worst loss of the year. The Raptors are well on their way to a high lottery selection.

29. Washington Wizards (2-10)

Previous Ranking: 28

Everything eventually corrects itself. That’s what’s happened with the Wizards’ current eight-game losing streak. Jordan Poole has put up decent scoring numbers in Washington. Kyle Kuzma is trying to shift the Wizards’ culture.

28. Utah Jazz (3-10)

Previous Ranking: 29

The Jazz enjoyed an upset win over the Mavericks. Outside of that, it’s been a ton of losing around Utah. This is the best strategy for them to use. Lauri Markkanen is a nice foundation piece, but he’s not a true franchise player.

27. Chicago Bulls (5-9)

Previous Ranking: 22

The Bulls were embarrassed in a 36-point loss to the Rockets. It’s been an up-and-down season for Chicago. At least they had a close win over the Knicks where Zach LaVine scored 31 points.

26. New Orleans Pelicans (4-10)

Previous Ranking: 20

The Pelicans’ season may be over before it even started. Injuries continue to pile up. No Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum and others have forced New Orleans to play non-NBA players. This could soon be a lost season.

25. Brooklyn Nets (5-9)

Previous Ranking: 21

The Nets have lost three in a row. A heartbreaker against the Knicks was their worst loss yet. At least Cam Thomas has put up scoring numbers. He’s averaged 25-plus points. That’ll surely be good enough to earn an All-Star bid.

24. Charlotte Hornets (5-8)

Previous Ranking: 23

LaMelo Ball is off to a hot start. He’s averaged nearly 30 points. The Hornets are fun this season. Ball’s health has played a huge role in that. He hasn’t been a winner yet but the bar is incredibly low in Charlotte that it doesn’t matter.

23. Miami Heat (5-7)

Previous Ranking: 16

The Heat suffered an avoidable loss when Erik Spoelstra was called for a technical against the Pistons. He called a timeout without having one. That gift-wrapped a loss to the Pistons when they hit their tech free-throw as the game-winner.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (2-10)

Previous Ranking: 19

A lot of leeway has been given to the Sixers because Joel Embiid and Paul George can’t stay healthy. Tyrese Maxey has been out too. Eventually, they need to collect wins to avoid missing the playoffs altogether. At least Jared McCain has put up monster numbers.

21. Milwaukee Bucks (4-9)

Previous Ranking: 18

The Bucks’ situation continues to get ugly. This feels like the end of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s era. Damian Lillard has struggled to make a winning impact. The old and expensive roster will need a miracle to turn this season around.

20. San Antonio Spurs (6-8)

Previous Ranking: 24

After being inconsistent, Victor Wembanyama exploded for a career-high 50 points against the Wizards. The second-year superstar has missed some recently, but San Antonio is on the league’s map merely because of his presence.

19. Atlanta Hawks (6-8)

Previous Ranking: 25

The Hawks’ upset win over the Celtics highlighted the first day of the NBA Cup. Dyson Daniels scored a career-high 28 points. He’s been a fantastic addition to Atlanta. He’s received some DPOY buzz for the job he’s done.

18. Portland Trail Blazers (6-8)

Previous Ranking: 27

A three-game win streak has likely helped Chauncey Billups catch up on lost sleep. Portland should still be one of the league’s worst teams but this has been a nice streak. Shaedon Sharpe went off for 32 points against the Hawks.

17. Indiana Pacers (6-7)

Previous Ranking: 15

The Pacers have had an inconsistent start to their season. They had a baseball series against the Heat and split the two games. Myles Turner totaled 34 points in a win over Miami. They still have plenty of time to make up ground in the standings.

16. Detroit Pistons (7-8)

Previous Ranking: 26

After years of historical losing, the Pistons have returned to being somewhat respectable. Cade Cunningham is off to the best start of his career. JB Bickerstaff has stabilized a rocky coaching situation over the years.

15. LA Clippers (7-7)

Previous Ranking: 10

James Harden made history when he became the second-leading all-time 3-point shooter ever. He now trails Stephen Curry. The future Hall-of-Famer is one of the greatest scorers ever. He’s held LA together this season.

14. New York Knicks (7-6)

Previous Ranking: 13

The Knicks had a thriller in their NBA Cup win over the Nets. Jalen Brunson scored the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds. New York has played better recently. Karl-Anthony Towns also scored a season-high 46 points this week.

13. Dallas Mavericks (7-7)

Previous Ranking: 9

The Mavericks continue to haunt the Thunder. In their first matchup since last year’s playoffs, Dallas picked up a road win over OKC without Luka Doncic. PJ Washington fittingly scored a season-high 27 points.

12. Sacramento Kings (8-6)

Previous Ranking: 14

De’Aaron Fox has been on a heater. He scored a career-high 60 points in an overtime loss to the Timberwolves. He then scored 49 points in a win over the Jazz. That’s over 100 points in just two games. Insane stuff from Fox.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-6)

Previous Ranking: 8

The Timberwolves capped their week off with a dramatic win. Julius Randle hit a game-winning 3-pointer against the Suns in the final seconds. Anthony Edwards has exploded into superstardom, but Minnesota has struggled to follow last year’s success.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (8-6)

Previous Ranking: 7

Ja Morant remains out but the Grizzlies have stayed afloat without their superstar. Jaren Jackson Jr. has stepped up as Memphis’ best player in his absence. Zach Edey also suffered an ankle sprain. The Grizzlies hope he misses minimum time.

9. Orlando Magic (8-6)

Previous Ranking: 17

It took a while, but the Magic have adjusted without Paolo Banchero. Franz Wagner has stepped up as Orlando’s best scorer. He dropped 31 points and 29 points during their current five-game win streak.

8. Denver Nuggets (7-5)

Previous Ranking: 6

The Nuggets desperately need Nikola Jokic back. He’s missed time due to personal reasons. The three-time MVP has looked like the early award favorite. If he wants to win it a fourth time, Denver will likely have to be a high seed.

7. Phoenix Suns (9-5)

Previous Ranking: 5

It was the story last season. But injuries have bit the Suns again. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal remain out. This has caused Phoenix to drop its last three games. Devin Booker has struggled without those two players.

6. Los Angeles Lakers (9-4)

Previous Ranking: 12

LeBron James recorded four straight triple-doubles in the Lakers’ active five-game win streak. Anthony Davis has played like an early MVP candidate. Dalton Knecht scored a career-high 27 points in a win over the Pelicans. The vibes are good in Los Angeles.

5. Houston Rockets (10-4)

Previous Ranking: 11

A five-game win streak has catapulted the Rockets near the top of the standings. They scored 143 points in a blowout win over the Bulls. Alperen Sengun recorded a triple-double. Houston is off to its best start in years.

Previous Ranking: 4

The Thunder have survived in the small-ball era since Chet Holmgren went down. Jalen Williams at center has proven to work. But Isaiah Hartenstein’s eventual return should help stabilize the starting lineup as a starting big.

3. Boston Celtics (11-3)

Previous Ranking: 2

The Celtics are off to another dominating start. The reigning NBA champions have been carried by Jayson Tatum’s best start to a season. Boston will be a title contender this year. Business as usual for them.

2. Golden State Warriors (10-2)

Previous Ranking: 3

The Warriors may be back. Not only have they racked up wins but they’ve done so in convincing fashion. They currently have a three-game win streak. Stephen Curry continues to break the game of basketball with a stellar campaign.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (15-0)

Previous Ranking: 1

The last undefeated team in the league. The Cavaliers are off to a franchise-best start. Donovan Mitchell headlines the best offense in the league. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have been awesome. Kenny Atkinson should be the early Coach of the Year favorite.