Power Rankings: Undefeated Grizzlies surge into Top 5

Record: 6-1

OffRtg: 121.2 (1) DefRtg: 108.9 (9) NetRtg: +12.3 (2)

The Rockets lost for the first time when they played without Alperen Sengun and missed some critical free throws in Dallas on Friday. But Sengun was back in the lineup the following night, when they beat the Thunder by 21 points.

Two takeaways

• According to tracking data, the Rockets have seen the league’s biggest improvement in shot quality, jumping from 22nd last season to seventh through the first two weeks. Kevin Durant’s shot quality is his highest mark in the 14 seasons for which we have tracking data, and he’s also registering a career-high free throw rate of 63 attempts per 100 shots from the field. But he went 0-for-2 from the line with the Rockets down two and less than two minutes left in Dallas on Friday.

• The Rockets held the Bucks to fewer than one point per possession without Sengun last week, but the defense has still been at its best (99.4 allowed per 100) with him on the floor. Some of that is opponent 3-point shooting (25%), but it’s also about free throws and rebounding.

Coming up: The road team has won the last five meetings between the Rockets and Celtics, with both of last season’s games decided by more than 20 points. Their meeting in Houston on Monday will be the Rockets’ fourth game against an Eastern Conference opponent.

Week 3: vs. BOS, vs. MIN, @ PHX

Record: 5-1

OffRtg: 111.3 (17) DefRtg: 103.2 (1) NetRtg: +8.1 (6)

The Pistons were outscored by 38 points (63-25) in the second and third quarters in New York on Tuesday, losing to the Knicks for the first time in almost 18 months. But they took care of business against the Hornets and Nets and are off to their best six-game start (5-1) in the last 11 years.

Two takeaways

• The Pistons held their opponent to fewer than one point per possession just twice through Dec. 31 last season. They’ve already done so three times this year, even with Isaiah Stewart in Memphis and Jalen Duren having played just 38 total minutes. They’ve allowed just 91.3 per 100 in 78 minutes with Ausar Thompson and Paul Reed on the floor together.

• But their current starting lineup (with Reed in place of Duren) has struggled offensively, scoring just 62 points on 79 possessions (78.5 per 100). After some terrific first quarters on their three-game road trip, the Pistons trailed by double digits in the first half against both Charlotte and Brooklyn last week.

Coming up: The Pistons have two games left on a stretch where they’re playing six straight against teams that rank in the bottom 11 offensively. They’ve played a role in where those teams rank, of course, with their Week 1 win in Philadelphia being the Sixers’ worst offensive game of the season. They were without Joel Embiid, who could be available in Detroit on Wednesday.

Week 3: @ CHA, vs. PHI, vs. LAL

Record: 6-1

OffRtg: 108.6 (23) DefRtg: 104.9 (3) NetRtg: +3.7 (11)

The Sixers are 6-1, even though they have just the league’s 11th-best point differential (plus-3.9 per game). All six wins were within five points in the last five minutes, while the one loss (a rest-disadvantage game without Joel Embiid against Detroit) was not.

Two takeaways

• VJ Edgecombe is just 8-for-27 (29.6%) on non-clutch 3-pointers, but he’s 2-for-4 in the clutch, having given the Sixers 4-point leads in almost identical scenarios against New York (a catch-and-shoot 3 with 32.6 seconds left) and Charlotte (a step-back 3 with 35.4 seconds left). Tyrese Maxey is tied for the league lead with 21 total points scored in the clutch, and the Sixers have scored 59 points on their 45 clutch offensive possessions (131 per 100).

• Maxey is averaging nearly 38 minutes per game (second in the league), and the offense has struggled (94.4 points scored per 100) with him off the floor. But Anfernee Simons has averaged 20 points off the bench over the last three games, and he was on the floor down the stretch in both games of their weekend back-to-back.

Coming up: The Sixers won’t have another back-to-back until Nov. 15-16, and they’ll have a pair of marquee rematches when they visit the Pistons and Cavs on the three-game trip that begins Wednesday in Detroit.

Week 3: vs. CHI, @ DET, @ CLE*, @ CHI

Record: 4-2

OffRtg: 115.2 (9) DefRtg: 108.5 (8) NetRtg: +6.7 (8)

The Spurs lost their first two games of the season, but have since won four straight. They’ve scored 119.2 points per 100 possessions over the streak, with Victor Wembanyama totaling 79 points over the last two games.

Two takeaways

• Not surprisingly, Stephon Castle has had the biggest offensive adjustment with Dylan Harper moving into the starting lineup this season. Castle has gone from a team-high 5.7 minutes per game of possession (19% of his minutes on the floor) last season to 3.9 per game (third on the team and 13% of his minutes) this season. His efficiency is down and he had his first scoreless game in almost two years on Saturday.

• But Castle’s overall scoring and usage rate isn’t down significantly. He’s just playing more off the ball and averaging 6.3 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game, up from just 2.9 per game last season. The Spurs are in the top six in both ball and player movement and lead the league by a wide margin in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (84%) that have been off the catch.

Coming up: The winning streak includes wins over the Jazz, Mavs and Kings, who the Spurs will face again in the next five days. The Mavs were without both Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg when the Spurs won in Dallas in Week 1.

Week 3: vs. UTA, vs. DAL, @ SAC*, @ POR

Record: 6-0

OffRtg: 118.8 (3) DefRtg: 104.1 (2) NetRtg: +14.7 (1)

Cam Boozer recorded his first career triple-double as the Grizzlies won a battle of unbeaten teams in Portland on Thursday. Then they clobbered the Kings (without Ty Jerome) to make this the second 6-0 start in franchise history. The first came 12 years ago, when the Grizzlies finished 55-27 and lost in the conference semifinals after taking a 2-1 series lead over the eventual champion Warriors.

Two takeaways

• The win in Portland was the third time that the Grizzlies shot below 50% in the paint. But they kept the Blazers in check on the other end and have been winning from the outside. They’ve outscored their opponent from 3-point range in all six of their games and by 15 points or more in each of the last four. The percentages are sure to start going the other way at some point, though. While the Grizzlies have shot a league-best 41.6% from beyond the arc, their opponents have shot just 30.1% (third lowest).

• Jerome’s scoring has dipped below a point per minute, but Isaiah Stewart totaled 42 points in less than 39 minutes off the bench over the Grizzlies’ last two games. Bench minutes were much improved last week (plus-55 in Boozer’s 57 minutes off the floor) after the reserves struggled in Week 1.

Coming up: With the Pelicans and Pacers in town early this week, the Grizzlies have a good chance of keeping this streak going. Jerome isn’t on the injury report for the game against New Orleans on Monday.

Week 3: vs. NOP, vs. IND, vs. OKC*

Record: 5-1

OffRtg: 117.7 (5) DefRtg: 107.6 (6) NetRtg: +10.1 (4)

The Celtics have won five straight games after blowing a 22-point lead in the season opener. They’ve mostly been taking care of business against bad teams, though they did need a rookie mistake from Mikel Brown Jr. and a Jayson Tatum buzzer-beater to edge the Nets in overtime on Tuesday.

Two takeaways

• The Celtics have been getting to the line. After averaging just 18.5 free throw attempts through their first two games, they’ve averaged 33.3 over the last four. Jayson Tatum has led the way, with 22 attempts in the overtime win over Brooklyn and another 17 in Orlando on Sunday afternoon. As things stand, only the Bulls have seen a bigger jump in free throw rate from last season (when the Celtics ranked 30th by a healthy margin).

• With more free throws and the league’s best paint defense, the Celtics are a little less dependent on 3-point shooting. While the rest of the league is 21-62 (.253) when it’s been outscored from beyond the arc, the Celtics are 4-0.

Coming up: The Celtics have four games left on a stretch where they’re playing eight of nine against teams that currently have losing records. The lone exception is their visit to Houston on Monday. It’s one of two matchups this week between the six teams with fewer than two losses.

Week 3: @ HOU, vs. MIL, @ CHA*, @ MIL

Record: 4-2

OffRtg: 108.7 (21) DefRtg: 109.4 (11) NetRtg: -0.7 (17)

Chet Holmgren (right knee injury) has joined Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace on the list of Thunder players who are out long-term, and Alex Caruso has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle. After a 4-0 start, Oklahoma City has dropped two by a total of 45 points. That’s already as many losses by more than 20 as they had all of last season (two) and more than they had in 2024-25 (one).

Two takeaways

• The three games that they’ve been without Williams, Wallace and Holmgren have been one of the Thunder’s worst defensive stretches (122.1 points allowed per 100 possessions) over the last three years. They’ve yielded 22 corner 3s over the three games (the league average is 3.6 per game) and forced just 11.8 turnovers per 100 possessions, down from 20.8 per 100 through their first three games.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s true shooting percentage of 55.2% would be the lowest mark of his career, and it’s not just about struggles (30%) from beyond the arc. He’s also registering career-low marks for field goal percentage in the paint (50%) and free throw rate (21.7 attempts per 100 shots from the field). The good news is that the offense hasn’t been totally anemic with him off the floor over these last three games.

Coming up: The Thunder’s longest losing streak over the last three-plus seasons (since the start of 2023-24) was three games in April of 2024. To avoid matching that, they’ll need to win in Cleveland on Monday. That’s the second game of a stretch where they’re playing six of seven against teams that currently rank in the top eight offensively.

Week 3: @ CLE, vs. CLE, @ MEM*, vs. WAS

Record: 4-2

OffRtg: 115.8 (8) DefRtg: 111.5 (17) NetRtg: +4.3 (10)

The Cavs are the only team with multiple losses in games they led by at least 15 points, having blown a 15-point lead in Atlanta on Thursday. But they’ve won four of their last five, having handed the Wolves their first defeat (in a game the Cavs trailed by 15) earlier in the week.

Two takeaways

• Each of the Cavs’ first five games was within five points in the final five minutes, and Sam Merrill has played twice as many clutch minutes as Jarrett Allen thus far. The Cavs have struggled (minus-15.0 points per 100 possessions) in 81 minutes with both Allen and Evan Mobley on the floor, but their one-big lineups (202 total minutes) have generally been terrific (plus-14.4 per 100), and the difference has been about even on both ends of the floor.

• Some of the role players haven’t shot well from 3-point range, but Mobley is 17-for-27 (58%) from beyond the arc, with those 27 attempts accounting for 35% of his shots, the highest rate of his career by a healthy margin. He’s not going to keep shooting 58%, but he does look more comfortable with that shot than he did six months ago.

Coming up: The Cavs’ first blown lead came in their season opener, when they lost in Philadelphia after leading by as many as 29 points. They’ll meet the Sixers again on Friday, part of an intriguing week where they’ll play both of their games against the Thunder and face the Knicks for the first time.

Week 3: vs. OKC, @ OKC, vs. PHI*, vs. NYK

Record: 4-1

OffRtg: 118.0 (4) DefRtg: 107.9 (7) NetRtg: +10.1 (5)

The Blazers went 1-1 in two games between unbeaten teams, outlasting the Lakers (on the road) in a barn-burner on Tuesday, but succumbing to the Grizzlies (at home) two nights later. This is their first 4-1 start since 2022-23, the last time they had Damian Lillard in uniform.

Two takeaways

• Ja Morant is going to be out at least a month after suffering a hamstring injury on Thursday, and Scoot Henderson was in the starting lineup when the Blazers won in Utah over the weekend. They were good (plus-5.2 per 100 possessions) in 69 minutes with Morant and Lillard on the floor together, but have been terrific (plus-25.2 per 100) in 110 minutes with one on the floor without the other.

• The Blazers and Lakers combined to score more than 130 points per 100 possessions in Portland’s win on Tuesday. L.A. has led the league in free throw differential in each of the last four seasons, but the Blazers had the edge last week and attempted 40 more free throws than their opponents over their last three games. Deni Avdija is still getting to the line a ton and Lillard’s free throw rate (43 attempts per 100 shots from the field) would be the second-highest of his career.

Coming up: The Blazers’ schedule remains tough for the next few weeks. They’ve lost their last 12 (and 22 of their last 24) games in Denver, where they’ll play on Monday. Their first back-to-back of the season – another visit to the Lakers and their first meeting with the Spurs – is over the weekend.

Week 3: @ DEN, @ PHX, @ LAL*, vs. SAS

Record: 2-4

OffRtg: 109.6 (20) DefRtg: 110.6 (14) NetRtg: -1.1 (18)

The Knicks got their first win with a 40-point turnaround (from down 13 to up 27) against the team (Detroit) that swept them in convincing fashion last season. Another comeback win (in Chicago) followed, but they’re now 0-2 against the Sixers after an ugly offensive performance in Philadelphia on Friday.

Two takeaways

• The Knicks have trailed by at least nine points in all six of their games, falling into double-digit holes in each of the last five. No team is more comfortable playing from behind, and the win over the Pistons was certainly a flashback to their postseason run. But double-digit deficits still mean something and, as a whole, the league is 30-77 (.280) when trailing by at least 10 points this season.

• The Knicks rank 29th in initial offense, with only the Hornets having scored fewer points per 100 possessions before a rebound. But offensive boards have kept them somewhat afloat, with their 21.5 second-chance points per 100 leading the league. Andre Drummond (16.8%) ranks fourth in offensive rebounding percentage and Karl-Anthony Towns (10.3%) is registering the highest mark of his career.

Coming up: The Knicks have a pretty good chance of climbing to .500 when they host the Nets and Bulls early this week. They’ll have a rest advantage against Brooklyn and again when they play in Cleveland (Saturday) for their first meeting with the team they swept in the Eastern Conference finals.

Week 3: vs. BKN, vs. CHI, @ CLE

Record: 5-2

OffRtg: 119.9 (2) DefRtg: 113.9 (20) NetRtg: +6.1 (9)

The Lakers have split the first four games of a stretch of five in seven days. They beat the Clippers without Luka Dončić on Wednesday, but then blew a 25-point lead (with him back in the lineup) at Golden State two nights later.

Two takeaways

• The Lakers rank second offensively, even though they’re 28th in turnover rate, having committed more than 20 turnovers in each of their last three games. Dončić’s assist/turnover ratio of 1.33 would be the lowest of his career by a wide margin.

• But the Lakers’ effective field goal percentage of 60.0% would be the highest mark in NBA history, and their free throw rate of 37.1 attempts per 100 shots from the field would be the second highest in the last 13 seasons. Dončić isn’t completing all his passes, but when he does, those passes have created the highest-quality shots in the league, according to tracking data.

Coming up: The Lakers will be at a rest disadvantage when they face the Heat on Monday, with Dončić having scored 60 points the last time the two teams met (in March). They’ll visit the Pistons over the weekend, against whom Dončić has averaged 35.1 points, the highest career average for any active player (in at least 10 games) against any opponent.

Week 3: vs. MIA, @ SAC, vs. POR*, @ DET

Record: 4-3

OffRtg: 116.0 (7) DefRtg: 105.0 (4) NetRtg: +11.1 (3)

Anthony Edwards scored 47 points in Cleveland on Monday … and was shut down (for multiple months) with a knee issue less than 24 hours later. The Wolves had their best offensive game of the season in a win over the Clippers on Friday night, but are 1-2 without their franchise player.

Two takeaways

• With Edwards out and LaMelo Ball averaging just 25.2 minutes per game, the Wolves are now relying heavily on Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland, with Jaden McDaniels also handling the ball more. Hyland had a nice offensive game (19 points, eight assists and just one turnover) off the bench in a win over the Clippers on Friday, but the Wolves have allowed 122.5 points per 100 possessions in his 82 minutes on the floor.

• The Wolves had the league’s No. 1 defense through Friday, but they were also without Rudy Gobert when they lost a rest-disadvantage game in San Antonio on Saturday night. Their defensive success has been more about the perimeter than the interior, but while their opponents had shot just 23.6% from 3-point range through their first three games, they’ve shot 37.2% over the four games since.

Coming up: Done with their first set of five games in seven days, the Wolves won’t have another back-to-back until Nov. 16-17. They’ve got some teams they can beat without Edwards on the schedule this week, with their game against the Jazz on Sunday being the start of an eight-game homestand.

Week 3: vs. MIL, @ HOU, @ NOP*, vs. UTA

Record: 3-2

OffRtg: 112.4 (14) DefRtg: 114.1 (21) NetRtg: -1.6 (19)

The Nuggets were the first team to lose to the 0-3 (at the time) Warriors, allowing Golden State to have the most efficient offensive game (134 points on 96 possessions) for any team this season. But Denver got back on the right side of .500 with wins in New Orleans and Phoenix.

Two takeaways

• Last season (true shooting percentage of 62.2%) was the most efficient season of Jamal Murray’s career, and he’s been even sharper through five games this year (64.4%). Amazingly, that’s with him having made just four (24%) of his 17 mid-range attempts. His efficiency has been all about his 3-point shooting (23-for-43, 53%) and his career-high free throw rate (37.2 attempts per 100 shots from the field). He was 7-for-9 from deep and 12-for-15 from the line as he scored 39 points in Phoenix on Friday.

• Only the Kings have allowed their opponents to take higher-quality shots than the Nuggets. Denver has the league’s highest rate (48%) of opponent shots that have come in the restricted area or from the corners, and it’s probably a little lucky that the Pelicans shot 3-for-24 on corner 3s over their two meetings.

Coming up: Before heading to Mexico City, the Nuggets will have two serious challenges at home, hosting the Blazers and Raptors. Nikola Jokić shot well, but didn’t get to the line much against Donovan Clingan last season, and they’ll meet again on Monday.

Week 3: vs. POR, vs. TOR, vs. IND (Mexico City)

Record: 4-2

OffRtg: 114.1 (12) DefRtg: 111.3 (15) NetRtg: +2.9 (12)

After a 1-2 start, the Mavs have won three straight games, handing both the Thunder and the Rockets their first losses of the season. Cooper Flagg missed just one game with his shoulder injury and has been the star of the streak, averaging 29.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over the three games.

Two takeaways

• Flagg had the ball in his hands down the stretch against Houston on Friday, and he put the game away with an iso floater (plus a foul) against Jabari Smith Jr. and an iso turnaround over Tari Eason. He’s shot 8-for-9 on clutch shots over the Mavs’ two games (both wins) that were within five points in the last five minutes, and he’s 11-for-14 from mid-range over the three-game winning streak.

• Kyrie Irving hasn’t been getting to the basket or the line much, but he’s still been efficient, shooting 70% inside the arc and 39% from beyond. His true shooting percentage of 67.1% ranks fifth among the 40 players who’ve averaged at least 20 points in four games or more.

Coming up: The Mavs still have five games left on a stretch where they’re playing six of seven at home. They’re in San Antonio on Wednesday, but their four home games over the next eight days are against the Kings, Jazz, Nets and Pacers.

Week 3: vs. SAC, @ SAS, vs. UTA*, vs. BKN

Record: 4-3

OffRtg: 117.2 (6) DefRtg: 114.9 (23) NetRtg: +2.4 (13)

Cue the GIF of WWE’s The Undertaker rising up off the mat. After a 0-3 Week 1, the Warriors have won four straight games. The first three came against other teams — the Nuggets, Wolves and Lakers — with winning records, and their win over the Clippers on Sunday came without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Two takeaways

• The Warriors have seen a pretty significant drop in 3-point rate from when they led the league last season, but they’re still the only team that ranks in the top five in both 3-point percentage (40.0%, second) and the percentage of their shots that have come from beyond the arc (47.2%, fifth). They account for three of the 11 times when a team has made at least 20 3s, with no other team having done it more than once.

• Curry remains special. He totaled 75 points in the wins over the Wolves and Lakers, getting to the line (where he’s 40-for-40) a ton in Minnesota and then shooting 8-for-14 from 3-point range against L.A. But the Warriors have also scored efficiently (116.2 points per 100 possessions) in his 140 minutes off the floor.

Coming up: The Warriors will have rest advantages for two of the remaining four games on their six-game homestand. But for the second time this season, they’ll be at a disadvantage when they face the Suns (Monday). Curry, Green and Brandin Podziemski all missed the first meeting, when Phoenix scored 131 points on 101 possessions.

Week 3: vs. PHX, vs. MIA, vs. ORL

Record: 3-3

OffRtg: 115.1 (10) DefRtg: 107.3 (5) NetRtg: +7.8 (7)

After a 2-0 start with Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors have gone 1-3 without him. They had a Jekyll-and-Hyde two-game series with the Magic and then began a four-game trip with an ugly loss to the Lakers.

Two takeaways

• The Raptors’ six games have mostly been determined by the other team’s ability to shoot from beyond the arc. In their three wins, the opponents have shot 26-for-108 (24.1%) from 3-point range. In their three losses: 51-for-102 (50.0%). The Magic rank in the bottom 10 offensively and scored less than a point per possession in their first of two games in Toronto last week, but then they shot 18-for-34 (53%) from deep two nights later.

• For the second straight season, the Raptors rank in the top three in both transition points scored (30.5) and transition points allowed (17.7) per game, according to Synergy tracking. They outscored the Magic by 44 points (61-17) in transition over their two-game series last week.

Coming up: The Raptors’ four-game trip concludes with three games this week against teams that rank in the bottom half of the league offensively, though the Nuggets (who they’ll visit on Wednesday) are sure to climb those rankings soon enough. Denver has won the last six meetings, all by single digits.

Week 3: @ LAC, @ DEN, @ MIL*

Record: 2-4

OffRtg: 113.6 (13) DefRtg: 117.2 (26) NetRtg: -3.6 (21)

After a 0-4 start, the Heat picked up double-digit wins over the Hawks and Pacers to avoid having to hit the panic button. Giannis Antetokounmpo totaled 55 points, 36 rebounds and 13 assists over the two wins.

Two takeaways

• More important than Antetokounmpo’s numbers is that Bam Adebayo also got going. He totaled 51 points on 19-for-30 (63%) shooting over the two wins. He played bigger, with 23 (77%) of those 30 shots coming in the paint, up from 47% (21/45) through the first four games. He’s still just 3-for-21 (14%) from 3-point range, but the long-range shooting matters less if he’s not shooting as much from long range.

• The win over Indiana also came with some much-needed positive minutes from the Heat’s starting lineup, which had allowed 141 points per 100 possessions over its 53 minutes through their first four games. They closed their four-point loss to Dallas last Monday with Pelle Larsson on the floor instead of Klay Thompson, though the Larsson lineup has played just 17 minutes total.

Coming up: The Heat begin a five-game road trip on Monday with a visit to the Lakers, against whom Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged 27.8 points per game (in 25 games), his highest career average against any opponent.

Week 3: @ LAL, @ LAC, @ GSW, @ SAC

Record: 2-4

OffRtg: 108.5 (22) DefRtg: 116.9 (25) NetRtg: -8.3 (25)

The Magic were able to split their two games in Toronto last week, somehow registering the fourth most efficient offensive game for any team on Friday. But they’re 0-3 at home after coming up empty against the Celtics on Sunday afternoon.

Two takeaways

• The Magic are getting killed in the possession game. They’ve had at least four fewer shot opportunities than their opponent in all six of their games, now tied with Washington (who they’ll face on Monday) for the worst average discrepancy (9.1 fewer per game) in the league. They ranked eighth in the possession game last season (plus-1.7 opportunities per game), but they’ve gone from fifth to 27th in defensive rebounding percentage, also seeing a huge drop in turnover differential.

• Anthony Black was not one of the seven first-round picks from 2023 that got a contract extension before the season began, so he’ll be an intriguing, restricted free agent next summer. And he’s off to a good start in Year No. 4, averaging 16.5 points on a true shooting percentage of 68.2% in his four games. With Tristan da Silva playing well off the bench, the Magic can put together some lengthy lineups where 6-6 Desmond Bane is the smallest guy on the floor.

Coming up: After the Magic host the Wizards on Monday, their next five games will come against teams that rank in the bottom eight defensively. They’ll have a rest advantage in Phoenix on Thursday night, the start of a stretch where they’re playing 10 of 13 on the road.

Week 3: vs. WAS, @ PHX, @ GSW

Record: 3-4

OffRtg: 112.3 (15) DefRtg: 111.4 (16) NetRtg: +1.0 (16)

The Hawks got a comeback win over the Cavs on Thursday, the end of their only stretch of five games in seven days. But they’ve lost four of their last five, with some inconsistency on both ends of the floor. This is the eighth straight year where they’ve been either 4-3 or 3-4 after seven games.

Two takeaways

• The Hawks have been facing some teams with large frontlines, and over this 1-4 stretch, they’ve been outscored by 83 points (16.6 per game) when you combine scoring in the restricted area or at the free throw line. Most of that is about the defense, where Atlanta is one of three teams that rank in the bottom five in both opponent field goal percentage in the paint (61.2%, 26th) and the percentage of its opponent shots that have come in the paint (51%, 29th).

• On offense, the Hawks lead the league in shot quality, according to tracking data, with four guys in the top 25 among 133 players with at least 50 field goal attempts. And they’re getting more shots than their opponents, one of two teams that rank in the top five in both turnover rate and opponent turnover rate.

Coming up: The Hawks’ schedule remains pretty busy this week, but they will have their first rest-advantage game when they visit the Pacers on Monday. Then it’s a home-and-home set with Trae Young and the Wizards, which could, ultimately, be pretty important in regard to the Eastern Conference standings.

Week 3: @ IND, @ WAS, vs. WAS*, vs. BKN

Record: 3-3

OffRtg: 110.5 (19) DefRtg: 109.3 (10) NetRtg: +1.2 (15)

The Wizards have as many Emirates NBA Cup wins this season (they beat the Hornets on Friday) as they had in the first three years of the competition combined (1-11). With four of their six games having come against Milwaukee, Chicago and (shorthanded) Charlotte, it’s still hard to tell where this team stands.

Two takeaways

• After missing the first four games with an ankle injury, AJ Dybantsa totaled 36 points on 13-for-23 (57%) shooting against the Cavs and Hornets last week. That breaks down to 10-for-11 in the paint and 3-for-12 outside it. He also got in on the action (6-for-7) as the Wizards outscored Charlotte by 22 points at the free throw line on Friday. That’s the biggest differential in the league this season.

• The Wizards have been getting clobbered in the possession game. They’ve had at least 10 fewer shot opportunities than their opponent in four of their six games, including 19 fewer than the Hornets (the biggest discrepancy in any game this season) on Friday. Washington ranks in the bottom five in offensive rebounding percentage (30th), defensive rebounding percentage (26th) and opponent turnover rate (27th).

Coming up: Trae Young is set to face his former team for the first two times this week, and the second half of the home-and-home set (Friday in Atlanta) is the start of the Wizards’ only stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 3: @ ORL, vs. ATL, @ ATL*, @ OKC

Record: 2-4

OffRtg: 112.0 (16) DefRtg: 110.3 (13) NetRtg: +1.7 (14)

After a 0-4 start in which three of the losses came by a total of 10 points, the Pelicans have won two straight games by dominating the paint.

Two takeaways

• Against the Hawks on Saturday, the Pelicans attempted just 17 3-pointers, seven fewer than any other team in any game this season. But they’ve totaled 146 points in the paint over the two wins, with Zion Williamson (30) and Jeremiah Fears (26) leading the way. Williamson’s 66.2% shooting in the paint this season would be the highest mark of his career.

• With Dejounte Murray out for personal reasons, Herb Jones started the two games, and the starting lineup (with Karlo Matković at center) outscored the Kings and Hawks by 26 points in just 25 total minutes. His shooting is still an issue, but the Pels have allowed just 89 points per 100 possessions in Jones’ 127 minutes on the floor, compared to more than 125 per 100 in his 166 minutes on the bench.

Coming up: After trying to knock off the undefeated Grizzlies, the Pels will hope to avenge a one-point, Week 1 loss (Utah’s lone win) when they host the Jazz on Wednesday.

Week 3: @ MEM, vs. UTA, vs. MIN*, @ LAC

Record: 1-3

OffRtg: 114.3 (11) DefRtg: 125.8 (30) NetRtg: -11.5 (27)

The Suns have played just four games over the first 13 days of the season, and they’ve yet to discover the defense that they made them one of the league’s biggest surprises last year. They allowed almost 129 points per 100 possessions in losses to the Thunder and Nuggets last week.

Two takeaways

• The good news is that this is a very similar start to the one the Suns got off to last season. They ranked 29th defensively after four games before getting things together and finishing ninth on that end of the floor. They lost four of their first five, but they went 10-2 over the next 3 1/2 weeks.

• The defense has been bad unless Ryan Dunn has been on the floor, and the starting lineup has also struggled offensively, scoring 96 points on 96 possessions. It’s a limited sample size, but the offense has been efficient (104 points on 86 possessions, 121 per 100) when Collin Gillespie has been on the floor with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, but without Jalen Green.

Coming up: The Suns’ game against the Blazers on Wednesday is the start of a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season. But it’s also the start of the first of their three stretches of five games in seven days, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage the following night against Orlando.

Week 3: @ GSW, vs. POR, vs. ORL, vs. HOU

Record: 3-4

OffRtg: 101.3 (30) DefRtg: 109.6 (12) NetRtg: -8.2 (24)

After a 3-1 start, the Hornets have felt the absences of Kon Knueppel and Coby White, struggling to score and losing three straight games. They’re 3-4 with the point differential of a team that’s 1-6.

Two takeaways

• The Hornets now account for two of the three worst offensive games of the season, having scored just 79 points on 95 possessions in Washington on Friday. Offensive rebounds have kept them somewhat afloat, but they’ve seen the league’s biggest drop in effective field goal percentage, its second biggest drop in free throw rate, and its fifth biggest jump in turnover rate from last season.

• Brandon Miller has been asked to carry a heavy load, and he has a usage rate of 34.0%, third in the league and up from 27.2% last season. The result (thus far) has been a huge drop in efficiency, both in true shooting percentage (from 57.4% to 48.7%) and assist/turnover ratio (from 1.33 to 0.84).

Coming up: The Hornets’ game against the top-ranked Pistons on Monday will be their fifth straight against a team that currently ranks in the top 10 defensively. White isn’t on the injury report, so he should be making his season debut.

Week 3: vs. DET, @ BKN, vs. BOS*

Record: 2-5

OffRtg: 111.0 (18) DefRtg: 114.2 (22) NetRtg: -3.5 (20)

The Heat (2-4), Bucks (1-5) and Nets (1-5) are a combined 4-14, with three of those four wins having come against the Pacers last week. Indiana has lost four straight games, playing without Ivica Zubac for all four and without Tyrese Haliburton for the last three.

Two takeaways

• The Pacers’ projected starting lineup has played in just one game together. Quenton Jackson has played more minutes than Haliburton, Larry Nance Jr. has played more than Zubac, and Indiana has scored an anemic 89 points per 100 minutes in the 71 minutes that Jackson and Nance have been on the floor together.

• The good news with Aaron Nesmith’s shooting is that his field goal percentage in the paint is back over 50% after a precipitous drop below last season. But he’s just 10-for-33 (30%) from 3-point range and somehow registering a lower effective field goal percentage (48.2%) than he had last year (51.7%). It’s making 2024-25, the year the Pacers went to the Finals, look somewhat anomalous.

Coming up: The Pacers were at a rest disadvantage when they lost in Milwaukee last week, and they’ll be at a disadvantage again when they host the Hawks on Monday. They’ve lost 11 of their last 12 meetings with the Nuggets, who they’ll meet in Mexico City on Saturday afternoon.

Week 3: vs. ATL, @ MEM, vs. DEN (Mexico City)

Record: 1-5

OffRtg: 105.3 (27) DefRtg: 115.4 (24) NetRtg: -10.0 (26)

The Jazz have lost Jaren Jackson Jr. (torn MCL) for an extended period, and their only win came by a single point against the Pelicans. But they did go down to the wire against both the Grizzlies and Spurs last week, losing in overtime to San Antonio without either Jackson or Lauri Markkanen.

Two takeaways

• Four of the Jazz’s six games have been within five points in the last five minutes, and they’ve scored just 34 points on 41 clutch possessions (83 per 100). Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson have been the only two guys to play clutch time in all four games, and they’re a combined 4-for-21 (19%) on clutch shots.

• Even with Jackson missing the last 2 1/2 games, the Jazz have seen the league’s second biggest drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint. But they’re not forcing many turnovers and have committed more than their opponents in all six of their games. They had four turnovers (all live balls) in overtime against the Spurs on Wednesday, leading to some San Antonio transition buckets on what was a 12-0 run.

Coming up: The Jazz will face the Spurs again on Monday, the start of what could be a tough, four-game trip. They’ve lost nine straight games in Dallas, where they’ll play their first Emirates NBA Cup game on Friday night.

Week 3: @ SAS, @ NOP, @ DAL*, @ MIN

Record: 1-5

OffRtg: 105.6 (26) DefRtg: 112.3 (18) NetRtg: -6.7 (22)

The Clippers faced the Lakers without Luka Dončić, the Wolves without Anthony Edwards, and the Warriors without Stephen Curry last week. And they lost all three games by double digits, running their losing streak to five games.

Two takeaways

• Darius Garland had some great bucket-getting sequences in Minnesota on Friday, but only the Hornets have seen a bigger drop in offensive efficiency from last season than the Clippers, who’ve scored 10.7 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did in 2025-26. They’ve seen the league’s biggest jump in turnover rate by a wide margin, with Garland averaging 17.2 per 100 possessions, up from 11.2 last season.

• There are some interesting names (of formerly non-shooters) among the players who’ve shot better than 48% on at least 25 3-point attempts: Matisse Thybulle, Toumani Camara, Evan Mobley and Derrick Jones Jr., who was 12-for-20 before going 1-for-5 from beyond the arc on Sunday. If the Clippers want to trade some of their vets between now and February, it would help if Jones (on a reasonable, expiring contract) remains a much-improved shooter.

Coming up: Having played four of their last five games on the road, the Clippers will play six of their next seven at home. They’ve won seven of their last eight meetings with the Raptors, who will be without Kawhi Leonard at the Intuit Dome on Monday.

Week 3: vs. TOR, vs. MIA, vs. NOP

Record: 1-5

OffRtg: 105.9 (25) DefRtg: 121.6 (28) NetRtg: -15.7 (29)

The Bulls are going through a tough stretch of schedule, and they’ve lost four straight games, really struggling to get stops. The league has averaged 111.9 points per 100 possessions, and the Bulls have allowed more than that in all six of their games.

Two takeaways

• The Bulls have also lost the first quarter in all six of their games, and they’ve lost it by at least 12 points in four of those. They’ve scored an anemic 88.5 points per 100 possessions (6.7 fewer than any other team) over those six first quarters combined, with point guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones having combined to make just four (17%) of their 24 first-quarter shots.

• The Bulls trailed the Knicks by just one point after the first quarter in Chicago last Wednesday; they had a 19-point lead in the second half, and they were a plus-13 in Norman Powell’s 37 minutes on the floor. But they were somehow outscored by 30 (59-29) over a 13 1/2-minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters. Over their six games, they’ve been outscored by 35.1 per 100 possessions in Powell’s 109 minutes off the floor.

Coming up: The Bulls and Knicks will meet again in New York this Wednesday, with Chicago’s other two games this week coming against another team (the Sixers) that’s struggled (minus-15.9 per 100) in first quarters.

Week 3: @ PHI, @ NYK, vs. PHI

Record: 1-5

OffRtg: 105.0 (28) DefRtg: 112.6 (19) NetRtg: -7.6 (23)

They blew a great opportunity in Boston earlier in the week, but the Nets finally got their first win on Sunday, taking advantage of the shorthanded and struggling Pacers. It’s the second straight year that they got their first win of the season in Indiana. (It came in Game 8 last year.)

Two takeaways

• Mikel Brown Jr. made a rookie mistake in Boston on Tuesday, shooting a contested layup with the Nets up one and the shot clock off in the closing seconds of overtime, then failing to stay with Jayson Tatum (who hit the game-winner) on the other end of the floor. It was still a breakout game for Brown, who sank the game-tying 3 in regulation, had three more 3s spin in and out in OT, and finished with 17 points and five assists. He’s played just four minutes alongside Egor Dëmin, who’s missed the last 2 1/2 games with a leg contusion.

• Might the Nets’ defense be decent? The overtime loss to the Celtics and the win over the Pacers were both the worst offensive games of the early season for those teams, and Detroit also scored less efficiently than its season-long mark on Thursday. Brooklyn has seen the league’s third biggest jump in defensive rebounding percentage and its biggest drop in the percentage of opponent shots that have come in the paint.

Coming up: The Nets have lost 14 straight games to the Knicks and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage for three of this season’s four meetings, including Monday at Madison Square Garden. But there might not be a better time to face the champs.

Week 3: @ NYK, vs. CHA, @ ATL, @ DAL

Record: 1-5

OffRtg: 106.6 (24) DefRtg: 119.4 (27) NetRtg: -12.8 (28)

The Bucks got off the schneid with a comeback win over the Pacers last Monday. But they then lost games to the Rockets and Cavs by a combined 57 points, allowing almost 130 per 100 possessions in both.

Two takeaways

• Indiana shot poorly and scored less than a point per possession on Monday, but the Bucks’ defense doesn’t have much bite. They rank last in deflections per game, last (by a wide margin) in opponent turnover rate, and 28th in blocks per 100 possessions. AJ Green has played the most minutes (116) among the 39 players with zero total deflections.

• The Bucks’ starting lineup has outscored their opponent in five of their six games, only registering a minus-2 in their Week 1 loss in Philadelphia. Overall, it’s outscored opponents by 20 points per 100 possessions, the third best mark among the 13 lineups that have played at least 50 minutes. But outside of the win over Indiana, bench minutes continue to be a struggle.

Coming up: Two of the top three benches in the league belong to the Celtics and Raptors, against whom the Bucks will play three of their four games this week. They’ve lost six of their last seven meetings with Boston.

Week 3: @ MIN, @ BOS, vs. TOR*, vs. BOS

Record: 0-6

OffRtg: 104.8 (29) DefRtg: 122.6 (29) NetRtg: -17.8 (30)

With the Nets’ win in Indiana on Sunday, the Kings are the only team without a win. This is their first 0-6 start since the 1990-91 season, when they were led in scoring by Wayman Tisdale and eventually won 25 games.

Two takeaways

• Darius Acuff Jr. is the silver lining, and he’s totaled 72 points and 19 assists over the Kings’ last two games, shooting 9-for-14 from 3-point range in their loss in Memphis on Saturday. He’s taken some bad shots, but he’s also got good patience and vision in the pick-and-roll. He’s precise with his pocket passing and there were some real dimes among his 14 assists in New Orleans on Thursday.

• In the previous 13 seasons of tracking data, Trae Young was the rookie who had the ball the most, averaging 7.4 minutes of possession in 2018-19. Acuff has averaged 9.5 minutes of possession, trailing only Young (9.9) and Jalen Brunson (10.7) this season.

Coming up: After they finish their four-game trip in Dallas on Monday, the Kings will begin their longest homestand of the season (seven games over 15 days) with a visit from the Lakers. They won’t leave the state of California until December.

Week 3: @ DAL, vs. LAL, vs. SAS*, vs. MIA