Power Rankings, Week 3: Heat, Knicks and Bulls surge into Top 5
Kyle Lowry (right) is fitting in nicely so far with Jimmy Butler and the Heat.
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Lesson from Week 2 of the 2021-22 NBA season: Three or four more games can teach us that two or three is not much to go on.
It turns out that James Harden can still get to the free throw line, that Jalen Green isn’t the best shooter we’ve ever seen, and that the Oklahoma City Thunder can actually win a basketball game. It may be that some hot takes have already gone cold.
More games equal more data and more reason to believe in teams that are off to a strong start. It’s probably time to start believing in the Miami Heat as a serious contender in the East. The Chicago Bulls picked up a quality win for their resume, and the New York Knicks just play hard every night. Things are a little more blurry in the Western Conference, but the Utah Jazz remain a regular season force.
There are some wild swings in the rankings this week as results begin to outweigh reputation. With how early it is, one or two games can make a big difference. Every team from last week’s top 12 lost at least one game in the last seven days to a team ranked below it (and no higher than ninth).
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Kyle Lowry (MIA) was a plus-51 in four games last week.
- Wrong Way: Gary Harris and Terrence Ross (ORL) were each a minus-64 in four games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Miami (4-0) — With comfortable wins in Brooklyn and against a team (Charlotte) that’s otherwise 5-1.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Indiana (0-4) — The Raptors haven’t been very good otherwise, but they beat the Pacers twice last week.
East vs. West
- The East is 13-8 (.619) against the West (4-0 against New Orleans) in interconference games after going 7-5 last week.
Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: Miami (+12), New York (+11), Washington (+7)
- Free falls of the week: Atlanta (-6), LA Clippers (-6), Memphis (-6), Milwaukee (-6)
Week 3 Team to Watch
- Chicago — The Bulls answered some questions with their win over the Jazz on Saturday. Now they’ll get a little taste of playoff-type basketball with two games against the Sixers. The two teams will meet in Philadelphia on Wednesday and in Chicago on Saturday. Before they head to Philly, the Bulls will visit Boston (an interesting test for both teams) on Monday night.
Previous Power Rankings
- Last week: Jazz take control of No. 1 spot
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league has averaged 100.7 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 105.6 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.
