Each week, the California Post will power rank the NBA’s 30 teams.
asserted
Post → rank → teams
Houston Rockets (5-1)
The Rockets take the top spot despite suffering their first loss of the season Friday to the Mavericks.
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Rockets → take → Mavericks
Statistically, they have the league’s best offense and are getting contributions from across the board.
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they → have → board
Seven Rockets are averaging double-digit scoring figures.
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Rockets → average → figures
Memphis Grizzlies (5-0)
The league’s last undefeated team continues to climb up the rankings after another perfect week.
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team → continue → week
The Grizzlies were the fun preseason pick when asked which team would exceed expectations.
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team → ask → expectations
And with Ty Jerome and Cameron Boozer leading the way, they’ve done that so far.
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they → lead → that
It’s fair to say LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are headed in the right direction and could lead the 76ers to being legitimate NBA title contenders.
uncertain
James → ’ → 76ers
Detroit Pistons (5-1)
The Pistons have hardly missed a beat since All-NBA center Jalen Duren suffered a right hamstring strain that’ll sideline him for at least another week.
asserted
that → miss → week
Superstar guard Cade Cunningham leads a Pistons roster that’s getting contributions from all over as they look to build off a 60-win season last year.
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they → lead → season
Boston Celtics (4-1)
The Celtics have bounced back after dropping their season opener to the Pistons, rattling off four straight wins.
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Celtics → bounce → wins
Paul George has been a great fit, and Jayson Tatum is getting back to looking like his pre-Achilles injury self.
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Tatum → get → self
Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
The week went from bad to worse for the 2025 NBA champions.
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week → go → champions
Three starters (Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace) suffered injuries that’ll sideline them for various periods.
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that → suffer → periods
And the Thunder lost their first game after opening the season with four straight victories.
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Thunder → lose → victories
The Spurs have bounced back from a slow start to the season with three straight wins.
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Spurs → bounce → wins
Victor Wembanyama is back to playing like the two-way force the Spurs need him to be to build off their 2026 NBA Finals appearance.
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him → play → appearance
8. Portland Trail Blazers (3-1)
The Trail Blazers started off hot, winning their first three games of the season before losing to the Grizzlies.
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Blazers → start → Grizzlies
But now, they face an uncertain immediate future with Ja Morant sidelined for at least the next month because of a strained left hamstring.
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Morant → face → hamstring
Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)
The Lakers enter the weekend with the taste of their blown 25-point lead during the loss to the Warriors still fresh in their mouths.
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taste → enter → mouths
Luka Doncic (league-leading 36.2 points per game) is having an MVP-caliber start to the season, but this past week exposed some flaws.
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week → lead → flaws
Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2)
The Timberwolves were as hot as any team to start the season, but Anthony Edwards having a procedure on his right knee that could sideline him for a couple of months cooled them off.
uncertain
that → start → them
Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
The Mavericks rattled off three straight wins this past week, and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg is looking like he’s taken a leap.
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he → rattle → leap
Flagg is averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocked shots.
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Flagg → average → points
Toronto Raptors (3-2)
The Raptors only got two games from Kawhi Leonard before swelling in his left knee sidelined the star forward.
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swelling → get → forward
Scottie Barnes is poised to lead the Raptors while Leonard is out.
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Leonard → poise → Raptors
The Cavaliers’ losses came against teams expected to be in the playoff race.
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losses → come → race
They’re performing at their expected level but need more from James Harden to be a true contender in the East.
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They → perform → East
Three straight wins over potential playoff teams, including the epic comeback against the Lakers, have the Warriors climbing back up the rankings after a slow start.
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Warriors → include → start
Steph Curry’s third in the league in scoring (29.2 points).
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Curry → ’ → scoring
You can only play the teams in front of you, but the Nuggets’ victories have come against the lowly Pelicans and a Suns team that came out of the gates slowly.
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that → play → gates
They need Nikola Jokic to get back to his MVP form.
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Jokic → need → form
Atlanta Hawks (3-3)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is proving that last season’s breakout year wasn’t a fluke as the Hawks ended the week with a victory over the Cavaliers.
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Hawks → prove → Cavaliers
The defending champions haven’t looked like it, with an 0-3 start turning into a disappointing October.
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start → defend → October
Washington Wizards (3-3)
Anthony Davis (22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds) and Trae Young (20.7 points, 10.2 assists) have led the Wizards to a respectable record and standing throughout the league so far.
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Davis → lead → league
It may not be the most efficient brand of basketball, but Brandon Miller is keeping the Hornets afloat as they wait for Coby White and Kon Knueppel to make their season debuts.
uncertain
White → keep → debuts
Miami Heat (2-4)
Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to stuff the stat sheet (28.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists), and the Heat finally picked up their first wins of the season against the Hawks and Pacers to close out the week ahead of an early West Coast swing.
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Heat → continue → swing
Orlando Magic (2-3)
Road wins over the Knicks and Raptors this past week put the Magic in as good of a spot as possible despite an early-season ankle injury for Paolo Banchero.
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wins → put → Banchero
Indiana Pacers (2-4)
Tyrese Haliburton’s hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for two weeks, took the energy out of the start of the season.
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which → expect → season
The Pacers entered the weekend having lost their previous three games.
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Pacers → enter → games
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
