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NBA Power Rankings: LA Lakers fall, Chicago Bulls reach top-10

By Dylan Jackson

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 24: James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets, NBA Power Rankings. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 24: James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets, NBA Power Rankings. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 19: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring during the second half against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 19: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring during the second half against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

NBA Power Rankings Tier 1: The Contenders

1. Milwaukee Bucks

The reigning champions are still the first overall team in these power rankings. You can’t put anyone else here yet. YET. Giannis Antetokounmpo is an amazing player, and the supporting cast has not gotten any worse since last year. There’s a chance the Bucks repeat, and I think the odds of it happening are a bit underrated.

2. Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry is going to Steph Curry. The Golden State Warriors are going to rely on him heavily – but Klay Thompson should start practicing next month. If he comes back and is even close to the level of player he was before – the Warriors will look like a top-3 seed in the Western Conference – a threat that shouldn’t be ignored.

3. Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are really good, but I will say that they have not beaten the best competition so far this season, having wins over the Thunder and Kings. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert is good, and the shooting should at least be similar to what it was last year.

4. Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers need shooting. They need so much shooting. Having your three major players being Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis simply is not advantageous to the overall shooting. With that said, Malik Monk has been good for this squad, as has Carmelo Anthony. Depth is a real concern in LA, though – and it’s not going to be good if one of their two major stars goes down.

5. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets still have Kevin Durant and James Harden at the end of the day. Still, they’ve been disappointing to open the year. They’ve lost to the Bucks and Hornets, while besting the 76ers. Their depth is much improved since last season, but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t miss their All-Star caliber point guard so far this season.

6. Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic is an incredible basketball player for this Denver Nuggets team, but Michael Porter Jr. is only averaging 11 points per game (through two games) so far. It’s not concerning, but it is something to watch.

7. Phoenix Suns

The DeAndre Ayton contract situation is truly baffling, but the Suns should still be a top-5 seed in the Western Conference this season so long as Chris Paul doesn’t fall off of a cliff. There is way too much talent and depth in Phoenix for them to be any lower on this list.

dark. Next. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball is becoming a superstar

That’s it for this week’s power rankings. I’m sure you agree with everything 🙂

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