1. Golden State Warriors (8-0) —
    The Warriors remain the only undefeated team in the NBA after going 4-0 last week. FiveThirtyEight’s Elo ratings and common sense tell us that they’re a top-three NBA team all-time. Steph Curry also made a point of saying he thinks they’re better than last year, which is scary.
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-1) —
    The Cavs shook off an opening night loss to the Bulls and have now won seven straight. Only one of these seven wins, however, was by more than 10 points. This is a team that will be unbeatable in the East once they put the pieces together and get everyone healthy. Kevin Love finally looks more comfortable in the offense.
  3. Los Angeles Clippers (5-2) +1
    The Clippers came within four points of beating Golden State, and could’ve had a chance had Chris Paul not been on the bench for the final possession of the game. Blake Griffin should be an MVP candidate if he can keep up his numbers, and he was super fun to watch playing point-forward on Monday.
  4. Toronto Raptors (5-3) +3
    Yes, they’ve lost three straight, but the Raptors also beat the Thunder this week. Jonas Valančiūnas is providing a much-needed presence down low. Once DeMarre Carroll is fully healed, this team will be dirty.
  5. Atlanta Hawks (7-2) +4
    The Hawks preyed on two winless teams (Nets and Pelicans) this week to continue their winning ways, then lost to a surprisingly scrappy T-Wolves team. Kent Bazemore is shaping up to be exactly what the team needed, and Kyle Korver has started hitting his threes. They should be able to beat the weaker teams in the East all season long.
  6. San Antonio Spurs (5-2) -1
    If there was any question whose team this was, it’s pretty obvious by now: this is Kawhi Leonard’s team. He’s shooting close to 53% from the field, and working well with new addition LaMarcus Aldridge. This team will only get better as the season goes on and the new pieces get more comfortable in the system.
  7. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3) -4
    Alright, so they had a three-game losing streak this past week. But those losses were to the Bulls, Raptors, and Rockets – three teams with a combined record of 14-8. They’re going to need to improve their defense and turnovers mightily if they want a top-four seed in the West, but the talent is clearly there after a defining victory at Washington.
  8. Chicago Bulls (5-3) -2
    The loss to the Hornets was embarrassing, but other than that, the Bulls had a decent week. All five of their starters are averaging at least 11 points per game, and Nikola Mirotic looks like the real deal. Derrick Rose looks better, but needs to develop his three-point shooting – he’s hitting about 1 out of 20 right now.
  9. Houston Rockets (4-3) +2
    That’s more like it. After losing their first three, the Rockets have won four in a row, including wins over the Thunder and Clippers. Their defense aneeds improvement, but James Harden looks much better, and has scored at least 28 in each of the Rockets’ four wins. This team will get more dangerous as Ty Lawson gets more comfortable playing alongside Harden.
  10. Utah Jazz (4-3) —
    The Jazz are by far the best defensive team in the NBA. Not having a true scorer will hinder them severely, but they’re making due right now with Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Rudy Gobert is averaging a ridiculous four blocks per game right now, and is a serious contender for Defensive Player Of the Year.
  11. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3) +6
    This team is making all the right moves right now. Their last two wins were against the Hawks and Bulls – who have a combined record of 12-5. Karl Anthony-Towns is going for 16 and 10 per game and shooting about 50%, and he’s only 19. The best part about the Wolves is that they’re young; if they can keep all the pieces, this team will rule the NBA in a few short years.
  12. Detroit Pistons (5-2) +1
    With wins over the Blazers and Suns, the Pistons are now 5-2. Andre Drummond is averaging a ridiculous 19 and 20 right now, and is the second player (Wilt Chamberlain) to have 135 points and rebounds through seven games. He could be the league MVP right now, and the pick-and-roll game with Reggie Jackson is going exactly like SVG planned.
  13. Miami Heat (5-3) -5
    The Heat, who have had arguably the hardest schedule of any team to this point (5 out of 8 games against over .500 opponents) stand at a respectable 5-3. They’re thriving on a lockdown post defense, led by Hassan Whiteside. Miami finally traded Mario Chalmers, and they probably won the trade.
  14. Memphis Grizzlies (3-5) -2
    It wasn’t such a good week for Memphis, who has now lost three in a row to Portland, Utah and the Clippers. Only Brendan Wright and Zach Randolph are shooting above 44% from the field.
  15. Portland Trailblazers (4-4) +6
    This is a team with a very confusing identity. Their guard play, however, has been outstanding, as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have combined for 49 points and 10 assists per game. They could be a sneaky playoff team down the road, but they’re still too young to compete in the West.
  16. Dallas Mavericks (3-4) —
    Two of their wins are against winless teams. Dirk is playing well, but is getting too old to log 35 minutes a game every game. Dwight Powell is playing very well off the bench, which is a nice sign for a team desperate for big men.
  17. Milwaukee Bucks (4-4) +3
    The Bucks are heating up and had won four straight before losing to Boston last night. Granted, they were against the Knicks, Nets, and 76ers – who are a combined 3-18. Still, they have five guys averaging 10 or more per game, and Greg Monroe (18 and 9) is looking better and better under Coach Jason Kidd. This team will continue to get better as Jabari Parker plays more and Michael Carter-Williams and O.J. Mayo come back from injury.
  18. Washington Wizards (3-4) -4
    Bradley Beal, John Wall and Otto Porter are carrying a team that is doing little else beyond those three. They have no great wins or losses so far, and haven’t been able to establish themselves in the Eastern Conference quite yet.
  19. Boston Celtics (3-3) —
    The Celtics have only played six games, which is a pretty small sample size. They don’t look like a top contender, but don’t look horrible either. The Atlanta-OKC-Houston stretch coming up will be interesting to watch.
  20. Indiana Pacers (4-4) +2
    The Pacers had a much better week after starting off 0-3. They limited the red-hot Pistons to only 82 points and are 6th in the NBA in points allowed. Paul George (24, 9 and 5) is officially back and playing at a superstar level, which might be enough to make the playoffs in the East.
  21. Phoenix Suns (3-4) -3
    They’ve also had a tough schedule so far. Eric Bledsoe isn’t necessarily providing the spark he needs to if the Suns are going to make the playoffs. Markieff Morris is shooting 36% and 26% from three-point range, so maybe trading his brother Marcus was a bad idea after all.
  22. Orlando Magic (3-5) +4
    The Raptors win looks really good, and four guys (Fournier, Oladipo, Vucevic, Harris) are averaging 14.8 points per game or more. With a healthy Vucevic and a continually improving Oladipo, the Magic could be looking at a .500 season.
  23. Denver Nuggets (3-4) —
    Again, this team doesn’t have a lot of bad losses, but Emmanuel Mudiay is not panning out how Denver has thought he would. He’s shooting just 33%, including 31% from two-point range, and he turns the ball over far too much. There are problems on both sides of the ball, and a rebuild is imminent if not already happening.
  24. Charlotte Hornets (3-4) +3
    Al Jefferson’s 31 point on 15 of 18 shooting against the Mavericks was a high point. The team also re-signed guard Jeremy Lamb to a 3-year, $21 million contract, who has played well since the signing. They’ll try to capitalize on a seven-game home stretch from November 18th to December 2nd.
  25. New York Knicks (4-4) —
    Kristaps Porzingis is already looking better than the mistake people pegged him for. Still, both him and Carmelo Anthony are shooting below 40%. In fact, Robin Lopez is the only starter shooting above 40%. Arron Afflalo’s return from injury will help the team’s shooting.
  26. Sacramento Kings (1-7) -2
    Though they’ve played a tough schedule, there’s no ignoring the Kings’ record. They’re giving up over 110 PPG and have yet to limit an opponent to under 100 points in a game. There have been 10 different players that have started a game, and only Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo have started all eight. Getting Boogie back will be huge for them.
  27. New Orleans Pelicans (1-6) -12
    What happened? Well, Quincy Pondexter and Norris Cole, two potential starters, are out. Tyreke Evans is day-to-day while recovering from surgery. Similar to the Kings, the Pellies have had nine different players start a game, and only Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon have started all seven. Coach Alvin Gentry needs a turnaround and a healthy roster.
  28. Los Angeles Lakers (1-6) +1
    Kobe Bryant is starting to become the Brett Favre of basketball. When will he retire? Hopefully, after this season. He’s shooting 32% and 21% from three. The problem is no one else on the team is ready to step up, and Byron Scott has never left the ’90s.
  29. Brooklyn Nets (0-7) -1
    The Nets simply aren’t playing well. They’re last in the NBA in points per game with 90. They don’t rank higher than 20th in rebounds, assists, and defense, either. The team is shooting less than 24% from three-point range. Only Brook Lopez is playing well for them, which isn’t news. Who will their first win be against?
  30. Philadelphia 76ers (0-7) —
    Jahlil Okafor is still looking good – really good (20 and 7 per game). Nerlens Noel is also developing himself. This team simply doesn’t have the pieces to win more than 20 games this season. Indiana and Charlotte in mid-November might be their first chance at a win.

    Image: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports