Copyright NBA News
A year ago at this time, the Golden State Warriors were 8-2, with the league’s fourth-ranked offense. The Warriors’ overall success wasn’t unsustainable, but they ultimately finished 16th in offensive efficiency. The Brooklyn Nets had a top-10 offense through six weeks last season and the league’s No. 1 defense for four weeks later in the year. We certainly shouldn’t put too much into where teams rank on either end of the floor after Week 3. With teams having played an average of 9.8 games, we’re halfway to the point where we can really figure out which teams are good and which aren’t. However, there’s still some signal in the data accumulated thus far, and here are the league’s five most improved teams on offense, as of Sunday … Biggest jump, points scored per 100 possessions Team 2024-25 Rank 2025-26 Rank Diff. Philadelphia 111.0 23 120.1 5 +9.1 Charlotte 106.7 29 115.5 15 +8.9 Houston 114.9 12 121.7 1 +6.8 Toronto 109.6 26 116.4 10 +6.8 Orlando 108.9 27 113.9 20 +5.0 Being most improved is as much about where you were last season as it is about where you are now. Plus-Minus Players of the Week Right Way: Jalen Brunson (NYK) was a plus-73 in three games last week. Wrong Way: Bub Carrington (WAS) was a minus-86 in four games last week. Teams of the Week Make It Last Forever: Detroit (4-0) — The Pistons are banged up … and in first place in the East. Something Just Ain’t Right: LA Clippers (0-4) — Are the Clippers this year’s Suns? * * * East vs. West The West is 24-16 (.600) against the East in interconference games after going 8-6 last week. * * * Movement in the Rankings High jumps of the week: Phoenix (+6), Detroit, Miami, Toronto (+4) Free falls of the week: LA Clippers (-10), Golden State (-5) * * * Week 4 Team to Watch Miami — The Heat have played just one game against the other six Eastern Conference teams that currently have winning records, beating the Knicks at home in Week 1. They’ll playing eight of their next 10 games against that group, hosting the Cavs for a two-game series before traveling to New York for an Emirates NBA Cup game on Friday. * * * Previously… Last week: Rockets, Bucks soar; OKC still leads way The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank) DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank) NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank) Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank) The league has averaged 114.4 points scored per 100 possessions and 101.4 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season. * Emirates NBA Cup game 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, contact him via Bluesky. Last Week:1 Record: 10-1 OffRtg: 118.0 (7) DefRtg: 104.5 (1) NetRtg: +13.5 (1) Pace: 100.2 (22) The Thunder will not go 82-0, having blown a 22-point lead in Portland on Wednesday, when they were playing with a rest disadvantage and without Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Alex Caruso (as well as Jalen Williams). Three takeaways The Thunder have held their opponent to no better than 50% shooting in the paint in each of their last nine games. The league average in the paint is 57.7% and there are four teams – the Pacers, Lakers, Kings and Jazz – who haven’t held an opponent to 50% or below at all this season. The 47.9% that their opponents have shot in the paint over their 11 games total would be the lowest opponent mark in the last 12 years. The Thunder themselves shot just 20-for-43 (47%) in the paint in Portland on Wednesday, when they also allowed the Blazers to shoot 7-for-12 from the corners. This would be the fifth straight season where they rank in the bottom five in corner 3-pointers allowed per game (4.5). Three of the league’s top five defenses – those of the Thunder, Pistons and Heat – are three of the four teams that rank in the bottom 10 in both the (lowest) percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come from 3-point range and the percentage of their opponents’ 3-point attempts that have come from the corners. One of the surest signs that a team is championship-worthy is its ability to come back from big deficits. Last season, the Thunder became the 12th team in 29 seasons of play-by-play data with a winning regular-season record in games it trailed by double-digits, and then became the eighth of those 12 teams to win the championship. With their road wins over the Clippers and Grizzlies last week, the Thunder improved to 4-0 in games they trailed by double-digits. Coming up: The Thunder are back home for a pretty big back-to-back, with the Warriors and Lakers at Paycom Center on Tuesday and Wednesday. The visit from L.A. will be another rest-disadvantage game. Week 4: vs. GSW, vs. LAL, @ CHA # 2 Denver Nuggets Last Week:2 Record: 7-2 OffRtg: 121.1 (3) DefRtg: 108.1 (2) NetRtg: +13.0 (2) Pace: 101.4 (15) The Nuggets have two losses by a total of eight points and seven wins by an average of 18.1. Nikola Jokić continues to average a triple-double, while shooting 64%. Three takeaways Jokić has averaged 11 minutes in the first quarter, having played the entire period in five of Denver’s nine games. Not coincidentally, the Nuggets are the only team that hasn’t trailed a game after the opening 12 minutes. They have the league’s third-ranked first-quarter offense and its top-ranked first-quarter defense. The Nuggets have the league’s third-ranked offense overall, but Cam Johnson has yet to really join the party. He’s averaged just 8 points on an effective field-goal percentage of just 43.5%, a mark which ranks 197th among 215 players with at least 50 field goal attempts. Johnson has taken just 69 shots over his nine games, having seen the biggest drop in usage rate (from 22.4% to 13.7%) among 241 players who played at least 500 minutes last season and have played at least 100 minutes this season. The Nuggets’ defense has seen the league’s biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions, but the jury is still out in regard to how good they’ve been on that end of the floor. They’ve played just one game against a team that currently ranks higher than 13th offensively, and that was their win in Minnesota two weeks ago, when the fourth-ranked Wolves were without Anthony Edwards and playing the second game of a back-to-back. Coming up: The Nuggets will return to Target Center on Saturday, when they will again have a rest advantage against the Wolves. That’s the third game on a stretch where Denver is playing 10 of 14 on the road. Week 4: @ SAC, @ LAC, @ MIN # 3 Houston Rockets Last Week:4↑ Record: 6-3 OffRtg: 121.7 (1) DefRtg: 112.1 (8) NetRtg: +9.6 (3) Pace: 98.6 (28) The Rockets lost their NBA Cup opener on Friday, turning the ball over 24 times in San Antonio. But they’ve won six of their last seven, with an impressive fourth-quarter comeback in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon. Three takeaways The Rockets played nine guys in Milwaukee, and four of the nine grabbed at least four offensive rebounds, with Clint Capela getting his four in less than seven minutes of playing time. In total, it was the best offensive rebounding game for any team this season and took their season-long offensive rebounding percentage to 41.4%, easily the highest mark in the 30 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. The Rockets did get a taste of their own medicine on Friday, when the Spurs registered 33 second-chance points, more than Houston has scored in any game this season. That included five second-chance 3-pointers, and the Rockets had seen the league’s second biggest jump in opponent 3-point rate (44.8%, seventh highest) from last season (39.1%, third lowest). Reed Sheppard had a rough start to the season, getting attacked relentlessly by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder on opening night. But he’s shot 21-for-41 (51%) from 3-point range in the eight games since then, his minutes have been good for the Rockets over this 6-1 stretch, and he had two big buckets, three steals and a block in the fourth quarter on Sunday. He’s already played more than twice as many clutch minutes (11.1) as he did all of last season (4.9) Coming up: The Rockets are the only team that hasn’t had a back-to-back, and their first isn’t for another few weeks. They have just five games total over the next 14 days, with four of those five (including an intriguing matchup with the Blazers on Friday) at home. Week 4: vs. WAS, vs. POR*, vs. ORL Last Week:7↑ Record: 6-3 OffRtg: 121.6 (2) DefRtg: 112.5 (10) NetRtg: +9.1 (4) Pace: 99.3 (25) The Knicks remain unbeaten (6-0) at Madison Square Garden, having won the first four games of their seven-game homestand by an average of 22 points. Three takeaways There have been four games where a team has scored more than 140 points per 100 possessions this season, and two of the four were the Knicks’ last two wins: Wednesday against the Wolves (137 on 97) and Sunday against the Nets (134 on 95). The shooting was good, but they also retained an amazing 47.3% of available offensive rebounds over the two games, with Mitchell Robinson grabbing 12 offensive boards in less than 33 total minutes. Robinson has played in just four of the Knicks’ nine games and averaged just 16.4 minutes. The Knicks have also started three other guys in the five games he’s missed, so their most-used lineup (with Josh Hart as the fifth guy) has played just 37 minutes total. Their four full-time starters are all averaging at least 2.1 fewer minutes than they did last season, and the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 16.7 points per 100 possessions in 149 total minutes with all four on the floor. Hart is averaging almost 14 fewer minutes than he did last season, and he’s starting to make some shots. After shooting 2-for-14 from 3-point range in his first five games, he was 7-for-11 from beyond the arc in the Knicks’ three wins last week. Coming up: Three games remain on the Knicks’ homestand, and the highlight should be a visit from the Heat for an NBA Cup game on Friday. Their loss in Miami in Week 1 was, easily, the Knicks’ worst offensive game of the season (107 points on 104 possessions), despite an efficient 37 points from Jalen Brunson. Week 4: vs. MEM, vs. ORL, vs. MIA* # 5 Cleveland Cavaliers Last Week:8↑ Record: 7-3 OffRtg: 117.2 (9) DefRtg: 112.2 (9) NetRtg: +4.9 (8) Pace: 103.0 (7) Darius Garland made his season debut last week and the Cavs’ four-game winning streak includes wins over two of the other six Eastern Conference teams that have winning records. Three takeaways The Cavs’ offense seems to be back. After scoring just 111.3 points per 100 possessions (26th in the league) through their first seven games, they’ve scored 130.8 per 100 over their last three. They’ve shot better, but have also seen a big reduction in turnovers, committing just 19 total over their weekend back-to-back. Their 148 points on 105 possessions in Washington on Friday were the fourth most efficient performance for any team this season. The Cavs trailed the Bulls by as many as 19 points and they were down six with less than two minutes left on Saturday. But they closed the game on a 12-0 run, handing Chicago its first clutch loss of the season. Donovan Mitchell scored the first eight of those last 12 points and has averaged 34 (on 52/48/100 shooting splits) over the winning streak. Garland shot just 10-for-27 (37%) in his first two games back (he sat out the win over Chicago on Saturday), but the Cavs outscored the Sixers and Wizards by an amazing 33 points in 28 minutes with him, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the floor together. Coming up: The Cavs are two games into their first stretch of five games in seven days, but they’re one of three teams with a league-low six rest-disadvantage games this season. Their first – Thursday vs. the Raptors – is also the start of their longest homestand (six games over 11 days). Week 4: @ MIA, @ MIA, vs. TOR, vs. MEM Last Week:3↓ Record: 7-3 OffRtg: 116.3 (12) DefRtg: 116.1 (21) NetRtg: +0.2 (17) Pace: 101.1 (17) LeBron James remains out (though progressing) and the Lakers have been without Austin Reaves for the last three games. But they ran their winning streak to five games with impressive wins over the Blazers and Spurs, before beginning a five-game trip with a flat performance (and a 20-point loss) in Atlanta. Three takeaways The Lakers were also without Luka Dončić in Portland last Monday, when Deandre Ayton led the way with 29 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. This isn’t the highest-scoring season of Ayton’s career, but it’s been his most efficient (true shooting percentage of 67.5%). He’s taken 92% of his shots in the paint, by far the highest rate of his career and up from 74% over the last three seasons. The Lakers weren’t much of a comeback team last season, going 7-27 (.206, 20th) in games they trailed by double-digits. But with comebacks against the Blazers and Spurs last week, they’ve already got four wins (4-3 after the loss in Atlanta) after trailing by at least 10 points. They haven’t been very good (minus-7.2 points per 100 possessions) in first quarters and have trailed after 12 minutes in seven of their 10 games, but have been at their best (plus-11.0 per 100) in the fourth. This is the third straight season where the Lakers are overachieving in regard to their point differential. They’re the only team (5-0) that’s undefeated in the clutch and their seven wins have come by a total of 51 points, with their opponents having scored just 14 points on 18 clutch possessions (78 per 100). Their three losses have come by a total of 44 points (none have been within five in the last five minutes), so they have the point differential of a team that’s just a little better than 5-5. Over the last two seasons, they had nine more wins than their point differential would indicate. Coming up: The rest of the Lakers’ five-game trip includes two big matchups against Kia MVP candidates, sandwiching an opportunity (in New Orleans) to go 2-0 in the NBA Cup. They split a two-game series in Oklahoma City (all the stars played both games) in April, scoring an efficient 126.8 points per 100 possessions against the league’s No. 1 defense, but getting torched on the other end of the floor in the loss. Week 4: @ CHA, @ OKC, @ NOP*, @ MIL Last Week:9↑ Record: 7-2 OffRtg: 118.1 (6) DefRtg: 110.8 (4) NetRtg: +7.3 (5) Pace: 99.2 (26) Victor Wembanyama has cooled off a bit, but the Spurs got a big win over the Rockets on Friday and De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points in his season debut the following night. Three takeaways Fox replaced Julian Champagnie in the Spurs’ starting lineup and played more than 30 minutes in his return. The time of possession was split pretty evenly between him and Stephon Castle, who tied his career high with 14 assists in the win over the Pelicans. The Spurs lost almost all of a 19-point lead, but never trailed and scored 126 points on 100 possessions, their most efficient offensive performance of the season. The Spurs have actually seen the league’s biggest drop in the percentage of their baskets that have been assisted, from 68.5% (third) last season to 60.0% (25th) this season. The percentage of Wembanyama’s buckets that have been assisted has dropped from 76% to 61%. It seemingly defies logic, but with Wembanyama being defended by some forwards (Royce O’Neale, Rui Hachimura, Saddiq Bey) of late, he’s been more of a jump shooter over the last four games (44% of his shots coming in the paint) than he was prior (61%). He didn’t attempt a single free throw in the Spurs’ loss in Phoenix eight days ago or against the Pelicans on Saturday. The Spurs’ offense has been much better with Wembanyama off the floor, though the on-off differential on defense has been almost twice as big. Coming up: The Spurs will visit Chicago before returning to San Antonio for five straight games. The first game of the homestand (Wednesday vs. the Warriors) is also their first rest-advantage game of the season. Week 4: @ CHI, vs. GSW, vs. GSW*, vs. SAC # 8 Detroit Pistons Last Week:12↑ Record: 8-2 OffRtg: 115.1 (16) DefRtg: 109.5 (3) NetRtg: +5.6 (6) Pace: 100.9 (19) With a six-game winning streak, the Pistons are all alone in first place in the Eastern Conference. And with wins over Memphis and Utah last week, they’re 4-0 against the West. Three takeaways Interior defense continues to be the Pistons’ calling card, with their opponents having shot just 49.8% in the paint. Only the Thunder have a lower opponent mark in the paint, and Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart rank third and fourth in rim protection among 53 players who’ve defended at least 35 shots at the rim. Stewart was lost to an ankle injury in Brooklyn on Friday, but the Pistons still held the Sixers to just 50% in the paint two nights later. Tobias Harris and Jaden Ivey remain out, and Duncan Robinson fouled out in that comeback win in Philadelphia. So the Pistons had Javonte Green and Ron Holland on the floor down the stretch, though it was still Cade Cunningham making the biggest plays. The Pistons are 5-1 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, with top-five marks in both clutch offense (64 points scored on 48 possessions) and clutch defense (40 allowed on 46). The Pistons have trailed after the first period in eight of their 10 games, but lead the league with five wins (they’re 5-2) after trailing by double-digits. They rank 23rd defensively (having allowed 121.1 points per 100 possessions) in the first quarter, but have allowed just 105.5 per 100 thereafter. Coming up: Having played four of their last five games on the road, the Pistons are home for the next four. Wednesday brings a big game against the Bulls, who beat Detroit in a fast-paced affair on opening night. Week 4: vs. WAS, vs. CHI, vs. PHI* # 9 Milwaukee Bucks Last Week:5↓ Record: 6-4 OffRtg: 117.5 (8) DefRtg: 116.1 (22) NetRtg: +1.5 (15) Pace: 102.1 (12) Giannis Antetokounmpo beat the Pacers at the buzzer last Monday, but after a 4-1 start, the Bucks have lost three of their last five games, struggling to get stops consistently. Three takeaways The Bucks did have their best defensive game of the season on Friday, holding the Bulls to 110 points on 106 possessions. Two days later, they were on their way to a great win over the Rockets, leading by eight with less than five minutes to go. But they then allowed Houston to score 22 points on its final 10 possessions, with Giannis Antetokounmpo contributing some offensive struggles (1-4 from the line and a turnover) in the final two minutes. If you subtracted second-chance points and calculated initial offensive efficiency, the Bucks (106.2 points per 100 possessions) would rank first on that end of the floor. But they rank 27th in offensive rebounding percentage, 30th in second-chance points per 100 possessions and eighth (instead of first) in overall efficiency. Giannis Antetokounmpo is registering the highest offensive rebounding percentage (12.9%) of his career by a wide margin, but nobody else on the Bucks is crashing the glass on that end of the floor. Their game in Toronto on Tuesday was the second half of the Bucks’ first back-to-back and easily their worst game of the season, especially on offense, where they scored less than a point per possession. It was also the only game in which they’ve been outscored from 3-point range. Coming up: The Bucks’ loss to the Rockets on Sunday afternoon was the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days, and they’ll need to be better without rest when they visit the Mavs and host the Lakers in the second halves of the two back-to-backs. Week 4: @ DAL, @ CHA, vs. CHA*, vs. LAL # 10 Minnesota Timberwolves Last Week:10 Record: 6-4 OffRtg: 120.3 (4) DefRtg: 115.5 (20) NetRtg: +4.8 (9) Pace: 100.6 (21) The Wolves went 2-2 over Anthony Edwards’ absence, taking care of business in Charlotte and Brooklyn. They lost in New York in their star’s return, but then won a pair of weekend games by a total of 67 points. Three takeaways Edwards came back shooting more 3s. In his three games prior to his hamstring injury, he took 19 (37%) of his 52 shots from beyond the arc. In his three games back, he’s taken 30 (60%) of his 50 shots from deep. That puts his season-long rate (48%) just a tad below his rate from last season (50%). The Wolves, as a team, have taken more than 40% of their shots from 3-point range in each of their last five games, having done so in just one of their first five. They’ve scored 126.6 points per 100 possessions over the last five, just a tick below their best five-game stretch of offense all of last season (126.9 per 100). Julius Randle (career-bet true shooting percentage of 66.7%) and Jaden McDaniels (74.7% over the last seven games) continue to be remarkably efficient. Rudy Gobert has had some big on-off differentials in regard to how well his team defends in the past, but nothing like the one he’s got this season. The Wolves have allowed an amazing 22.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with the four-time Defensive Player of the Year on the floor (106.8) than they have with him on the bench (128.9). Coming up: The Wolves complete their road back-to-back with a visit to Utah, followed by three days off. They’ll then begin a four-game homestand with another back-to-back, and Saturday brings their second home, rest-disadvantage game against the Nuggets in less than three weeks. The first came without Edwards and with the Wolves getting outscored by 21 points (70-49) in the second half. Week 4: @ UTA, vs. SAC*, vs. DEN Last Week:6↓ Record: 6-5 OffRtg: 114.0 (19) DefRtg: 111.4 (7) NetRtg: +2.6 (11) Pace: 100.9 (20) The Warriors have been without Stephen Curry (illness) for the last three games and had lost four of five before getting some schedule relief with a visit from the Pacers on Sunday. Three takeaways Before they played the Pacers, the Warriors had lost their last eight games without Curry, a streak that dated back to March and included Games 2-5 of their conference semifinals loss to Minnesota. This season, they’ve scored 120.5 points per 100 possessions in 123 minutes with Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all on the floor, but have scored just 98.5 per 100 in 93 minutes with Butler and Green on the floor without Curry. Last season, the Warriors were, statistically, better on the road (plus-4.2 per 100 possessions) than they were at home (plus-2.2 per 100). They won in L.A. on opening night, but have since lost five straight road games, scoring less than 110 points per 100 possessions in all five. Al Horford and Moses Moody have combined for an effective field goal percentage of 70.3% at Chase Center, but just 36.1% on the road. The Warriors almost won in Sacramento on Wednesday without Curry, Butler or Green, because rookie Will Richard scored almost as many points (30) as he did over the team’s first eight games combined (34). Richard (the 56th pick in the Draft) didn’t play in the two games before Curry’s absence, but may continue to have a rotation spot (at the expense of Gary Payton II) when the star returns. Coming up: The Warriors have two six-game road trips this season, with the first tipping off in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, when Curry should make his return. Their only game in OKC last season (exactly one year ago) was one of their best wins and one of the Thunder’s worst defensive games of the year (127 points on 99 possessions). Week 4: @ OKC, @ SAS, @ SAS*, @ NOP # 12 Miami Heat Last Week:16↑ Record: 6-4 OffRtg: 115.9 (13) DefRtg: 110.5 (5) NetRtg: +5.4 (7) Pace: 107.0 (1) The Heat have been without Bam Adebayo (toe sprain) for the last two games, but they won them both, with all nine rotation players averaging at least nine points over the two wins. Three takeaways The Heat’s starting lineup was outscored by seven points in its 26 minutes over the weekend, but bench minutes continue to be terrific. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a big game (18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists) off the bench on Friday and Nikola Jović scored a career-high 29 points (adding nine boards and six assists) as a reserve the following night. The Heat have now been almost 36 points per 100 possessions better with Jaquez on the floor (plus-18.6) than they’ve been with him on the bench (minus-17.1). The Heat’s 53 first-quarter points against Charlotte on Friday were the second-highest first-quarter total in NBA history, but it was just the third-most efficient first quarter in the league this season. The Heat continue to play at a fast pace, averaging 9.9 more possessions per 48 minutes than they did last season (97.1, 27th). That would be the biggest season-to-season pace jump in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data. Norman Powell returned from a three-game absence last week and has now scored more than 20 points in six of his seven games with the Heat. Though his effective field goal percentage (55.2%) is down from last season (57.8%), his true shooting percentage of 64.2% would be the highest mark of his career. He’s averaged 48 free throw attempts per 100 shots from the field, easily a career-high mark and up from 28 per 100 last season. And he’s converting those free throws at 94%. Coming up: The Heat have played just one game against the other six Eastern Conference teams with winning records, but they’ll play eight of their next 10 against that group (with the next four coming against the Cavs and the Knicks). In getting swept by Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs in April, the Heat were outscored by 122 points, the biggest point differential in NBA playoff history. Week 4: vs. CLE, vs. CLE, @ NYK* # 13 Chicago Bulls Last Week:13 Record: 6-3 OffRtg: 115.8 (14) DefRtg: 114.7 (17) NetRtg: +1.2 (16) Pace: 103.1 (6) The Bulls played five straight games against four of the other six Eastern Conference teams that currently have winning records, and they went 2-3, blowing a six-point lead with less than two minutes left in Cleveland on Saturday. Three takeaways The difference between the Bulls’ first four games (106.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) and these last five (121.7 allowed per 100) has been on defense, and it’s mostly been about how well their opponents have shot from 3-point range. There was bound to be some regression to the mean after their opponents shot just 26% from beyond the arc over their first four. The Bulls still have the league’s fourth-lowest opponent 3-point rate (36.9% of their opponents’ shots), but they were outscored by 30 points from beyond the arc over their weekend back-to-back losses in Milwaukee and Cleveland. The Bulls themselves have seen the league’s biggest drop in 3-point rate, from 45.7% of their shots (fifth) last season to just 38.5% (21st) this season. They’re missing the guy (Coby White) who attempted 263 more 3-pointers than anybody else on the team last season, when they also had Zach LaVine (7.3 attempts per game) for half the year. White also ranked second in the league with 7.1 transition points per game last season. But the Bulls haven’t missed him in that regard, averaging 37.1 transition points per game, which would be the highest rate (by a wide margin) in the 22 seasons of Synergy tracking. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are two of the 10 players who’ve averaged more than 6.5 per game this year. Coming up: The Bulls have a brief stop at home (where they’re 5-0) before heading out on the road (1-3). A four-game trip begins Wednesday in Detroit, with the Bulls having edged the first-place Pistons on opening night. Week 4: vs. SAS, @ DET, @ UTA Last Week:14 Record: 5-4 OffRtg: 114.9 (17) DefRtg: 112.5 (11) NetRtg: +2.4 (13) Pace: 106.1 (2) The Blazers handed the (shorthanded) Thunder their first loss of the season on Wednesday, when they came back from 22 points down early in the second quarter. But the Blazers are just 1-2 on their stretch of four straight rest-advantage games, having blown early leads of their own against the Lakers and Heat. Three takeaways The Blazers erased two double-digit deficits in Miami on Saturday, but couldn’t get the stops they needed down the stretch. Each of their last five games has been within five points in the last five minutes, and they’ve allowed 48 points on 41 clutch possessions over that stretch. They continue to close games with Jerami Grant, and have now allowed 17.5 more points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (118.0) than they have with him on the bench (100.5). It’s obviously not a huge sample size, but the differential isn’t about 3-point shooting, with the opponents having shot worse from beyond the arc in Grant’s minutes (34.8%) than they have otherwise (37.1%). Deni Avdija averaged 30.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists over the three games last week, shooting 31-for-34 (91%) from the line. He’s seen jumps in free-throw rate in each of the last five seasons, from just 14 attempts per 100 shots from the field as a rookie in 2020-21 to 49 per 100 this season. Coming up: The last of the Blazers’ four straight rest-advantage games is in Orlando on Monday, the second game on a stretch where they’re playing 12 of 16 on the road. Their second NBA Cup game in the stacked West Group C is four nights later in Houston. Week 4: @ ORL, @ NOP, @ HOU*, @ DAL # 15 Philadelphia 76ers Last Week:15 Record: 6-4 OffRtg: 120.1 (5) DefRtg: 116.1 (22) NetRtg: +4.1 (10) Pace: 101.0 (18) Last week brought the Sixers’ first three games against other Eastern Conference teams that are currently above .500. They went 0-3, with their offense returning to Earth a bit. Three takeaways The Sixers (winners of three games they trailed by double-digits in the fourth quarter) got a taste of their own medicine in Chicago on Tuesday, leading by as many as 24 points and by 13 early in the fourth, only to be outscored, 25-10 over the final 10 minutes. They’ve generally been good at preventing corner 3s this season, but they allowed the Bulls to shoot 8-for-14 from the corners, with Nikola Vučević draining the weak-side game-winner over Quentin Grimes. Before the weekend, the Sixers were the only team that had shot the league average (35.8%) or better from 3-point range in every game. They lost that distinction on Saturday, shooting just 10-for-35 (29%) from beyond the arc against Toronto. But they clobbered the Raptors in the paint (64-38) , with four Sixers registering double-digit paint points. One of those was Trendon Watford, who got his first start with Philly and recorded his first career triple-double (20, 17 and 10). Jared McCain made his season debut on Tuesday, but played just 24 total minutes (and shot 0-for-7) over the Sixers’ two back-to-backs last week. VJ Edgecombe also stumbled a bit, shooting just 15-for-50 (30%) over the four games. We did get six minutes of the two young guards on the floor with Tyrese Maxey, and the Sixers outscored their opponents by eight points (scoring 19 on 12 offensive possessions) in that time. Coming up: The Sixers are just two games into a stretch where they’re playing 10 of 13 at home, and they’ll have two more two-day breaks this week. Tuesday brings their third meeting with the Celtics, with the road team having won the first two games by a single point. Week 4: vs. BOS, @ DET* # 16 Toronto Raptors Last Week:20↑ Record: 5-5 OffRtg: 116.4 (10) DefRtg: 114.2 (15) NetRtg: +2.1 (14) Pace: 102.5 (10) The Raptors are in a great position to reach the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, currently 2-0 in East Group A with games against Washington and Indiana remaining. But their four-game winning streak came to an end in Philadelphia on Saturday. Three takeaways It’s all about defense for the Raptors, who’ve allowed just 102.2 points per 100 possessions in their five wins and 126.2 per 100 in their five losses. That’s the biggest win-loss differential on either end of the floor among the 26 teams with at least two wins and two losses. They’ve actually forced more turnovers in the losses, but Toronto’s opponents have shot much better (both in and outside the paint), gone to the free throw line a lot more and rebounded a much higher percentage of their misses. The Sixers’ 56 points in the restricted area on Saturday (when the Raptors were without Jakob Poeltl and started Scottie Barnes at center) were 12 more than Philly has scored in any other game this season. According to Synergy tracking, the Raptors have outscored their opponents in transition in nine of their 10 games and by an average of 9.2 points, the league’s second biggest differential. They’re the only team that ranks in the top five in transition points scored per game and (fewest) transition points allowed per game. Coming up: The Raptors have three games remaining on their five-game trip, and they’ll have a rest advantage when they return to Cleveland on Thursday. They won their Cup game there on Halloween, when the Cavs were without Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. Week 4: @ BKN, @ CLE, @ IND # 17 Phoenix Suns Last Week:23↑ Record: 5-5 OffRtg: 114.9 (18) DefRtg: 115.4 (19) NetRtg: -0.5 (20) Pace: 100.2 (23) This season’s Suns may be the exact opposite of last season’s Suns. Low expectations, pleasantly surprising results. They swept their home-and-home set with the Clippers and have won four of their last five games overall. Three takeaways Jalen Green had a terrific season debut, scoring 29 points (going 6-for-13 from 3-point range) on Thursday, when the Suns outscored the Clippers by 22 points in less than 15 minutes with him and Devin Booker on the floor together. But two nights later, Green reaggravated his hamstring injury in the first quarter, a setback that will likely put him back on the shelf for a while. He had played in 193 straight games (including playoffs) before this season. The Suns are one of two teams that rank in the top 10 in both 3-point percentage (37.9%, 10th) and the percentage of their shots that have come from 3-point range (47.4%, fifth). Booker, Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen are three of the 12 players who’ve shot better than 40% on at least 60 3-point attempts. The difference between the Suns’ first five games (1-4, minus-9.8 points per 100 possessions) and their last five (4-1, plus-9.4) has been about even on both ends of the floor. With the struggles of the team (the Clippers) that they’ve played three times, it’s been a pretty soft schedule overall, as six of their 10 games have come against teams that rank in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor. Coming up: The Suns have a great opportunity to climb above .500, with their next three games coming against New Orleans, Dallas and Indiana. They’re the only Western Conference team that hasn’t played a game against the East, and after they host the Pacers and Hawks this week, they won’t have another game against the East until after Christmas. Week 4: vs. NOP, @ DAL, vs. IND, vs. ATL # 18 Boston Celtics Last Week:17↓ Record: 5-6 OffRtg: 116.3 (11) DefRtg: 113.8 (13) NetRtg: +2.5 (12) Pace: 97.0 (29) Unsurprisingly, the Celtics have been inconsistent. Last week, they split a pair of games against the Jazz and Wizards, and then split a pair of games in Orlando. Three takeaways The Celtics’ bench hasn’t been nearly as good as it was the last few seasons, but it came up huge in Orlando on Sunday, when (in a four-point win) they outscored the Magic by 21 points in Jaylen Brown’s 14:24 off the floor. Anfernee Simons and Luka Garza combined to score 41 points on 15-for-23 shooting, rookie Hugo Gonzalez had an impressive drive-and-dish assist early in the fourth quarter, and Jordan Walsh sealed the win with a corner 3-pointer. Brown is one of five players with a clutch usage rate above 40%, but he gave up the ball on the two biggest possessions on Sunday, generating open 3-pointers for Derrick White (by drawing a double team) and Walsh (by driving and kicking). The Celtics rank in the middle of the pack in both ball and player movement after ranking in the bottom 10 in both last season. That was a critical paint attack on the Walsh 3, but the Celtics have taken just 36.8% of their shots in the paint (which would be the lowest rate for any team in the last nine seasons). They rank fourth in the percentage of their shots (48.1%) that have come from 3-point range and third in the percentage (15%) that have come from mid-range. Brown ranks second in mid-range attempts (seriously challenging the king for his crown), and his 33-for-65 (50.8%) ranks third among 18 players with at least 25 attempts. Coming up: The Celtics shot 14-for-28 from mid-range in their win in Philadelphia 10 days ago, avenging their opening night loss at home. They’re back in Philly on Tuesday, the first of five straight games against teams that currently rank in the bottom half of the league defensively. Week 4: @ PHI, vs. MEM, vs. LAC # 19 Atlanta Hawks Last Week:18↓ Record: 5-5 OffRtg: 112.9 (22) DefRtg: 112.7 (12) NetRtg: +0.2 (18) Pace: 102.0 (13) Counting the game he got hurt in the first quarter, the Hawks are 4-2 without Trae Young, with the most impressive win coming against the Lakers on Saturday, when they were also without Jalen Johnson, Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil-Alexander Walker and Luke Kennard. Three takeaways The Hawks’ offense has been remarkably inconsistent in the five (full) games without Young. As they’ve alternated wins and losses (in true Hawks fashion), they’ve scored 125.7 points per 100 possessions in the three wins and just 99.0 per 100 in the two losses. That inconsistency has been about turnovers (13.7 vs. 20.2 per 100 possessions) and shooting, both in and outside the paint. The bench combination of Mo Gueye and Onyeka Okongwu had a rough night (3-for-18 shooting) against the Raptors on Friday. But they were the starting frontline 24 hours later, when they combined for 15 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and three blocks in the win over the Lakers. Gueye scored a career-high 21 points, shooting 4-for-5 from 3-point range, while Okongwu helped the Hawks dominate the paint. Atlanta has the league’s sixth-ranked bench (up from 20th last season) and has outscored opponents by 10.9 points per 100 possessions in 137 minutes with Gueye and Okongwu on the floor together. The Hawks have led at the half in each of their last seven games, but (for the season) have been 14.9 points per 100 possessions worse after halftime (minus-7.4) than they’ve been before (plus-7.5). That’s the league’s second biggest half-to-half drop-off and it’s almost entirely about defense. Coming up: The Hawks’ weekend back-to-back was the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days, with the next three games the start of a stretch where they’re playing nine of 12 on the road. Their first rest-advantage game of the season is in Sacramento on Wednesday, but they’ll be at a disadvantage the following night in Utah. Week 4: @ LAC, @ SAC, @ UTA, @ PHX # 20 Orlando Magic Last Week:19↓ Record: 4-6 OffRtg: 113.9 (20) DefRtg: 114.1 (14) NetRtg: -0.2 (19) Pace: 101.8 (14) The Magic remain in the bottom five in the Eastern Conference, lacking consistency on both ends of the floor. They had a chance to sweep a two-game series with the Celtics, but couldn’t get stops in the final two minutes. Three takeaways The Magic have the league’s second-lowest opponent 3-point rate and were able to limit the Celtics’ attempts from beyond the arc (70 total) in their two-game series. They actually outscored Boston, 51-39, from 3-point range in their NBA Cup win on Friday. But while the Celtics made the same number of 3s two nights later, the Magic shot just 7-for-30 (23%) from deep in the four-point loss. Franz Wagner has improved, but Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero are a combined 21-for-82 (26%) from deep on the season. Bane ranks just fifth on the team in time of possession (2.8 minutes per game), but he has helped reduce the time that both Banchero and Wagner are handling the ball. And Bane was running the offense for the majority of the fourth quarter in the Magic’s win on Friday, when they scored 39 points on 25 possessions in the final period. Some good things are happening on that end of the floor … just not often enough. The Magic also aren’t the defensive team that they were last season. They’ve seen the league’s third-biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions, with much of that increase happening in the paint. Coming up: The Magic are two games into a stretch where they’re playing seven of nine at home, and their visit to New York on Wednesday will be their first rest-advantage game of the season. They scored just 101 points per 100 possessions (their worst mark vs. any Eastern Conference opponent) as they went 1-3 against the Knicks last season. Week 4: vs. POR, @ NYK, vs. BKN*, @ HOU # 21 LA Clippers Last Week:11↓ Record: 3-6 OffRtg: 113.6 (21) DefRtg: 119.0. (26) NetRtg: -5.4 (23) Pace: 96.6 (30) Kawhi Leonard (ankle sprain) has missed the last three games and the Clippers have lost four straight, with the three Leonard-less losses all coming by double-digits. They had a 3-6 start two years ago (when they finished in fourth place in the West), but this is their worst nine-game start regarding point differential (minus-5.3 per game) in the last 15 years. Three takeaways The Clippers had the league’s third-ranked defense last season, and the key rotation guy that they lost in the Summer (Norman Powell) wasn’t one of their best defenders. But through three weeks, they rank 26th on that end of the floor, with only the Nets having seen a bigger jump in points allowed per 100 possessions. The defensive drop-off is about two things. The first is opponent 3-point percentage, which has gone from 35% (fifth) last season to 39.6% (28th) this season. There could be some bad luck in that, but 54% of their opponents’ 3-point attempts have been wide open, compared to just 46% last season. The Suns were 21-for-47 (45%) on wide-open 3s in their home-and-home set last week, outscoring the Clippers by 45 points from beyond the arc over the two games. The Clippers have also seen the league’s fourth-biggest drop in defensive rebounding percentage, from 73.4% (first) last season to 67.6% (21st) this season. The defensive rebounding continues to be much better with Ivica Zubac on the floor (70.9%) than not (62.8%), though the on-floor mark is still a big drop-off from last season (75.4%). Coming up: After hosting the Hawks and Nuggets this week, the Clippers will play 11 of their next 13 games on the road, a stretch that includes two games each against two other Western Conference teams – the Mavs and Grizzlies – that are off to disappointing starts. Week 4: vs. ATL, vs. DEN, @ DAL*, @ BOS # 22 Memphis Grizzlies Last Week:21↓ Record: 4-7 OffRtg: 110.6 (25) DefRtg: 115.4 (18) NetRtg: -4.8 (22) Pace: 102.8 (9) The Grizzlies have established themselves as the best of the three disappointing teams in the Southwest Division, beating the Mavs on Friday (and having beat the Pelicans on opening night). But they’ve lost five of their last six games and Ja Morant continues to really struggle offensively. Three takeaways Prior to Sunday, the Grizzlies were undefeated when they had shot the league average (35.8%) or better from 3-point range, but had done so in only three of their 10 games. They were 17-for-44 (39%) from deep on Sunday, outscoring the Thunder by 21 points from beyond the arc. But they got clobbered inside, shooting just 16-for-38 (42%) in the paint. Morant was 1-for-9 inside and over his last five games, he has an effective field goal percentage of just 29.3%, the worst five-game stretch of his career. The Grizzlies were also having some first-quarter issues until the weekend, when they outscored the Mavs and Thunder, 67-49, in the opening 12 minutes. Morant totaled 16 points (on 5-for-9 shooting) and 10 assists over those 24 minutes total, and the Grizzlies’ 19-point lead in the second quarter on Sunday was the biggest deficit the Thunder have faced this season. But it was gone by the end of the third and Memphis became the first team to have lost multiple games it led by 15 or more. Cedric Coward remains a bright spot, and you have to wonder when the rookie will move into the starting lineup. The Grizzlies have been outscored by 11.7 points per 100 possessions in 126 minutes with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jaylen Wells on the floor together without Coward, but are a plus-1.5 per 100 (with the bigger difference on defense) in 184 minutes with Coward on the floor with one or both of the starting wings. Coming up: Having played eight of their first 11 games at home, the Grizzlies will now play nine of their next 11 on the road. They were 11-4 in Eastern Conference arenas last season, with two of those four losses coming in two cities – New York and Cleveland – they’ll visit this week. Week 4: @ NYK, @ BOS, @ CLE # 23 Dallas Mavericks Last Week:22↓ Record: 3-7 OffRtg: 103.7 (29) DefRtg: 109.9 (4) NetRtg: -6.2 (24) Pace: 102.9 (8) Anthony Davis has missed the last five games and the Mavs’ offense continues to struggle. But they have climbed out of the basement on that end of the floor and won the battle of last-place teams on Saturday night in Washington, edging the Wizards with a big fourth quarter. Three takeaways The Mavs finally put a point guard in their starting lineup, with D’Angelo Russell starting the last three games. But he’s averaged just 18.1 minutes over those three games, and the Mavs have been outscored by 57 points in those 54 minutes total. All three games were within five points in the last five minutes and Russell was on the floor for clutch time in only one of the three (not the win). Injuries to the starting bigs have provided an opportunity for two-way rookie Moussa Cisse, who had 15 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks in 33 total minutes in Memphis and Washington over the weekend. That included a ridiculously athletic, end-to-end sequence against the Grizzlies and an incredible block where he met Cam Whitmore at the summit. The Mavs have allowed just 89.3 points per 100 possessions in Cisse’s 55 total minutes on the floor. The game in Washington on Saturday was a matchup of the teams that ranked 29th and 30th in shooting-opportunity differential, and the Mavs won the possession game for just the second time this season, committing five fewer turnovers and grabbing four more offensive rebounds than the Wizards. They still rank in the bottom 10 in both turnover differential (22nd) and total rebounding percentage (23rd). Coming up: All three of the Mavs’ wins have come against the Eastern Conference, and they’ll have a rest advantage when they host the Bucks on Monday. That’s the start of a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight at home. Week 4: vs. MIL, vs. PHX, vs. LAC*, vs. POR # 24 Charlotte Hornets Last Week:24 Record: 3-6 OffRtg: 115.5 (15) DefRtg: 117.0 (24) NetRtg: -1.4 (21) Pace: 103.2 (4) After winning their first game without LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have dropped two straight and were the victims as the Pelicans got their first win of the season. Three takeaways The Hornets have the league’s second-biggest jump from last season in points scored per 100 possessions and its biggest jump in effective field goal percentage. But they closed their game in New Orleans on Tuesday by going scoreless on their final nine possessions, blowing a seven-point lead with three minutes left. They’ve played two close games and have scored just 13 points on 22 clutch possessions, shooting 0-for-12 on clutch 3-pointers. Three nights later, the Hornets began their game in Miami by allowing the Heat to score 53 points in the first quarter. For the season, they’ve outscored their opponents by 5.9 points per 100 possessions over the middle two quarters, but have had the league’s 27th-ranked first-quarter defense and its 27th-ranked fourth-quarter offense. The Hornets continue to start three rookies and one of them, Kon Knueppel, scored a career-high 30 points in Miami. Knueppel is 30-for-74 (40.5%) from 3-point range, including 6-for-9 on pull-up 3-pointers. The 30 makes are three more than any other rookie has ever made in his team’s first 10 games, and he’s got one more game to build on that record. Coming up: Both Ball and Brandon Miller will remain out for the Hornets’ game against the Lakers on Monday. The Hornets’ three wins are against Brooklyn, Washington and Utah, and their four games this week are against teams with a cumulative record of 29-12. Week 4: vs. LAL, vs. MIL, @ MIL*, vs. OKC # 25 Sacramento Kings Last Week:26↑ Record: 3-7 OffRtg: 111.9 (23) DefRtg: 119.9 (27) NetRtg: -8.0 (25) Pace: 103.2 (5) The Kings were 3-5 prior to Friday, but only one of those five losses was by more than seven points. And then they lost games (at home) to the Thunder and Wolves by a total of 58. Three takeaways Domantas Sabonis missed two games last week and Russell Westbrook grabbed the keys to the Kings’ offense. He recorded his 204th career triple-double in the Kings’ win over the Warriors and tallied another 24 points, nine assists and seven turnovers in their loss to the Thunder. Sabonis was back on Sunday, when Precious Achiuwa also got his first start, bumping Westbrook to the bench. The Westbrook-Dennis Schröder combination hasn’t worked too well, with the Kings having allowed almost 127 points per 100 possessions in their 143 minutes on the floor together. The Kings were at their best last season (plus-3.0 points per 100 possessions) with Keon Ellis on the floor, but he’s seen his minutes cut with the Westbrook addition. He didn’t play at all in the first three quarters of either of their two losses over the weekend, logging all 24 of his minutes in the fourth. The Kings have played the league’s toughest schedule by a pretty healthy margin, with their 10 opponents having a cumulative record of 66-34 (.660). Their last eight games have come against teams no worse than the 6-4 Bucks and Wolves. Coming up: Schedule relief is still a couple of weeks away, with the Kings playing four of their next five games against teams with winning records. The one exception – Wednesday vs. the Hawks – is their second rest-disadvantage game of the season. Week 4: vs. DEN, vs. ATL, @ MIN*, @ SAS # 26 Utah Jazz Last Week:27↑ Record: 3-6 OffRtg: 109.1 (26) DefRtg: 117.2 (25) NetRtg: -8.2 (26) Pace: 101.4 (15) The Jazz got a win in Boston last Monday (benefitting from a critical no-call in the final minute), but they’ve lost five of their last six games, and they’ll be without Walker Kessler (shoulder surgery) for the rest of the season. Three takeaways The Jazz are one of two teams (the Rockets are the other) that rank in the top five in both free-throw rate and opponent free-throw rate. Their 40-point loss to the Wolves on Friday was the first time that they had been outscored at the line. Isaiah Collier made his season debut on Friday, starting alongside Keyonte George and bumping Taylor Hendricks to the bench. George ranks fifth in time of possession at 7.3 minutes per game (22% of his minutes on the floor), up from 5.9 (19%) last season, and he may have been doing a little too much in the Jazz’s loss in Detroit. But Collier had the ball in his hands more two nights later in Minnesota. Jusuf Nurkić has been starting in Kessler’s place, but the Jazz have scored just 96.5 points per 100 possessions in his 191 minutes on the floor. That includes just 91.8 per 100 in 91 minutes with Nurkić and Lauri Markkanen on the floor together over the four games since he became the starter. Coming up: The Jazz will face the Wolves again on Monday, one of two rest-advantage games they have this week. They’re playing nine of their next 11 games at home. Week 4: vs. MIN, vs. IND, vs. ATL, vs. CHI Last Week:30↑ Record: 2-7 OffRtg: 108.4 (27) DefRtg: 120.4 (28) NetRtg: -12.0 (28) Pace: 99.6 (24) The Pelicans were without Zion Williamson (hamstring) last week, but got their first two wins of the season, edging the Hornets and Mavs by a total of six points. Three takeaways Derik Queen was the fifth guy off the bench against Charlotte on Tuesday, not playing at all in the first quarter. But he played all 12 minutes in the fourth as the Pelicans came back from nine points down with 11 minutes left to pick up win No. 1. The rookie had a couple of rough turnovers in the final two minutes, but registered 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in that final period. The Pelicans have one of the worst point differentials in NBA history right now, but they’ve actually outscored their opponents by 1.4 points per 100 possessions with Queen on the floor. After those two late turnovers from Queen against Charlotte, Jose Alvarado bailed the rookie out with the go-ahead 3-pointer. We’ve yet to see a micro backcourt of Alvarado and Jeremiah Fears (who’s started the last seven games), but the vet shot 9-for-14 from beyond the arc over the Pelicans’ three games last week. The two wins without Williamson were, statistically, the Pelicans’ two best defensive games of the season (106 points allowed per 100 possessions over the two). Kevon Looney started the three games last week, but hasn’t been as much of an offensive rebounder as he’s been in the past, and the Pels have scored an anemic 82.5 points per 100 possessions in his 63 total minutes on the floor. Coming up: After finishing their trip in Phoenix on Monday, the Pelicans will play eight of their next nine games at home, with their longest homestand of the season (five games over eight days) beginning with a visit from the Blazers. Week 4: @ PHX, vs. POR, vs. LAL*, vs. GSW # 28 Brooklyn Nets Last Week:29↑ Record: 1-9 OffRtg: 111.3 (24) DefRtg: 126.6 (30) NetRtg: -15.3 (29) Pace: 99.0 (27) The Nets were the last team to win a game, but they got their first victory (Wednesday in Indiana) before it really became a thing. It’s one thing to be bad, but another to be winless into Week 4 or 5, which is something this franchise knows a little about. Three takeaways While their losing streak didn’t get unruly, the Nets’ defense is certainly a thing. Their win in Indiana was the only time they’ve held their opponent below 120 points per 100 possessions, a mark that the Nets’ offense has yet to eclipse. While the Knicks’ offense accounts for two of the four times in which a team has scored more than 140 per 100 this season, so does the Nets’ defense. Cam Thomas was lost to a hamstring injury in the first quarter of the win in Indiana and is probably out until after Thanksgiving. The Nets’ sans-Thomas offense obviously features a lot of Michael Porter Jr., who registered the highest usage rate of his career (35.4%) in the Indiana game and came close to it (34.4%) in New York on Sunday. Brooklyn has scored a solid 116.8 points per 100 possessions in 143 minutes with Porter on the floor without Thomas. Prior to their loss at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, the Nets had been outscored by only 2.4 points per 100 possessions after halftime. But they’re the only team that hasn’t held a lead at the half, ranking as the league’s worst team by wide margins in both the first quarter (minus-21.9 per 100) and the second (minus-25.7 per 100). The difference between the first-half Nets and the second-half Nets has been almost entirely on the defensive end of the floor. Coming up: The Nets and Wizards are tied at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and will meet for the first time on Sunday in Washington. The Wizards won two of the three meetings last season. Week 4: vs. TOR, @ ORL*, @ WAS # 29 Indiana Pacers Last Week:25↓ Record: 1-9 OffRtg: 102.8 (30) DefRtg: 114.2 (16) NetRtg: -11.5 (27) Pace: 102.2 (11) The injuries keep piling up on the Pacers, who lost both Quenton Jackson and Johnny Furphy in the second half of their loss to the Bucks last Monday. Aaron Nesmith (forearm contusion) also missed their visit to Golden State on Sunday, when the Pacers’ losing streak hit four games. Three takeaways They did get Andrew Nembhard back from a seven-game absence over the weekend, and he played in both games of their back-to-back. But he shot just 12-for-36 (33%), including just 4-for-19 from 3-point range, and the Pacers have scored less than 98 points per 100 possessions. Their loss at Golden State on Sunday was the worst offensive performance (83 points on 100 possessions) for any team this season. Three of the guys in the Pacers’ nine-man rotation on Sunday were signed in the last nine days, with two of them on hardship, 10-day contracts. One of those two – Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – was on the floor in clutch time in their losses to the Bucks and Nets earlier in the week. The Pacers won the possession battle in seven straight games prior to the loss on Sunday. Overall, they’ve averaged 4.3 more shooting opportunities than their opponents, the league’s fourth best differential. But they can’t make much of the extra shots, ranking last in effective field goal percentage by a huge margin. Coming up: The Pacers have a pair of decent opportunities to pick up wins as they close out their four-game trip. They’ll be at a rest advantage in Utah on Tuesday and again in Phoenix two nights later. Of course, they’re 0-2 in rest-advantage games thus far, having lost in Memphis and Denver by a total of 42 points. Week 4: @ UTA, @ PHX, vs. TOR # 30 Washington Wizards Last Week:28↓ Record: 1-9 OffRtg: 105.8 (28) DefRtg: 122.1 (29) NetRtg: -16.3 (30) Pace: 104.2 (3) The Wizards have lost eight straight games, with an average margin of defeat of 20.8 points. They had an eight-point, fourth-quarter lead against the (previously) 2-7 Mavs on Saturday, but couldn’t finish the job. Three takeaways With Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Khris Middleton all missing games last week, rookie Tre Johnson got his first two starts. He scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting against Cleveland on Friday, with some impressive 3-point shooting on the move (one, two, three) included. The Washington offense has been at its best (108.6 points scored per 100 possessions) with Johnson on the floor. Over the eight-game losing streak, the Wizards have committed 57 more turnovers than their opponents. There have been eight games this season where a team has committed at least 10 more turnovers than its opponent, and the Wizards are responsible for three of the eight. The 11.4 turnovers per 100 possessions that they’ve forced on defense would be the lowest opponent rate in the 30 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. The Wizards rank in the bottom three on both ends of the floor and have been outscored by 169 points, tied for the fourth worst point differential through 10 games in NBA history. The other four teams that were outscored by at least at least 169 points through 10 games were all 0-10. Coming up: The Wizards will play five of their next six games on the road, with four of those five road games coming against teams that are no worse than the 6-4 Wolves. But they’ll have a great opportunity at a win when they host the Nets (one of four teams they beat multiple times last season) on Sunday. Week 4: @ DET, @ HOU, vs. BKN
