Yes, by now we know who the "good" teams are, and, yes, we know who the "bad" teams are, but the interesting thing about the NBA is that 'power rankings' can change incredibly quickly, as one team goes on a hot streak and another drops a couple of games most would expect them to win. 

Each month we'll rank each franchise weighted to their recent performances, highlighting a key feature of their season so far.

Since the season began, each and all of the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks have had their moments in the sun, but at any given time, only a single franchise can be ranked number one.

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*** Current as of post-play Monday, 3rd December

1. MILWAUKEE BUCKS

60 wins last season and their first Conference Finals appearance in 18 years. This season, the Bucks have once again burst out of the gates, with their 17-3 start punctuated by the league’s reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, elevating his game to a whole new, even greater level. 

Head coach Mike Budenholzer and his Milwaukee team employ the league’s fastest tempo (105.5 possessions per 48 minutes) and boast the NBA’s best points per game offense (120.3 ppg).

2. TORONTO RAPTORS

So much for a Championship hangover! The Raptors have not only withstood the seismic loss of their 2018-19 NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, but found new ways to mess with external perceptions surrounding their team's credentials. Their 15-4 start represents the Eastern Conference's best mark outside the Milwaukee Bucks, with last season's Most Improved Player, Pascal Siakam, continuing his dramatic improvement to the point many have even thrust him into the MVP conversation. 

Defense and three-point shooting remain the calling cards of Toronto, ranked #2 in defensive efficiency while hitting the three-ball at a league-best 40.2%.

RELATED: How the Toronto Raptors are Defying Post-Kawhi Expectations

3. HOUSTON ROCKETS

Another season, another year of outrageous offensive production led by 2018 NBA MVP, James Harden, currently averaging 38.9 ppg. This season he’s been joined by another MVP winner, Russell Westbrook, with the two coalescing rather well so far, contributing to the Rocket’s 13-6 start while spearheading the league’s second-most efficient offense behind their Texas rival, Dallas Mavericks. 

As always with Houston, questions regarding their Championship bonafides will persist until their usually excellent regular season performances can be replicated come playoff time.

4. DALLAS MAVERICKS

After a three-year playoff hiatus (their longest since the 90s) the Dallas Mavericks look thoroughly menacing in 2019-20, largely off the back of their 20-year old Slovenian sensation, Luka Doncic, who leads the team in points (30.6 ppg), rebounds (9.9 per game) and assists (9.6 per game) and is the predominant reason as to why the Mavs have the league’s most efficient offense, producing 117 points per 100 possessions. 

The Mavericks bench scoring is also thriving, with their +5.2 point differential over opponents the #1 mark in the league.

A NEW ERA: Can Luca Doncic Make the Mavs Genuine Contenders Again?

5. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Paul George is back, ladies and gents, and - in addition to two-time NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard - the Clippers look as potent and well rounded as most would have projected. 

Only cross-town rivals, the LA Lakers (17-3) and the Denver Nuggets (13-4) currently have a better record in the Western Conference than the Clippers' .714 win rate (15-6), with the sheer depth of their lineup evidenced by the 53.3 ppg their bench is producing led by the likes of Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and JaMychal Green.

RELATED: Kawhi, PG and the NBA's Best Supporting Cast

6. LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Yes, the league’s equal best mark at 17-3 and currently host of the NBA’s third-best defense, the Lakers have so far benefitted greatly from playing the league’s sixth easiest schedule, failing in each of their three clashes against the NBA’s elite, be it the rival LA Clippers, (current #2 seed in the East) Toronto Raptors, or Monday's 14-point beat down at the hands of the surging Dallas Mavericks. 

Notwithstanding these losses against the best of the best, the Lakers have blitzed all and sundry elsewhere, with the LeBron James-Anthony Davis tandem looking downright menacing with the two boasting a +11.4 edge on opponents when sharing the court together.

READ: Is It Championship or Bust for the Lakers in 2019-20?

7. DENVER NUGGETS

The Nuggets continue to be the poster child for slower-paced offense, dawdling their way to a nice 13-4 start off the back of an attacking unit producing just 98 possessions per 48 minutes which is the fourth-slowest in the league. The Nuggets pedestrian pace-of-play is a by-product of their lumbering superstar, Nikola Jokic, who continues to lead the team in every major statistical category, on his way to generating MVP buzz in Denver. 

The Nuggets refusal to operate at break-neck speed, like much of the rest of of the league, has also enabled it to house the league’s most efficient defense, which is conceding just 102 points per 100 possessions, allowing opponents to shoot only a miserly 30.9% from deep, which is the best mark in the league.

8. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Philadelphia remains one of the league’s most confounding teams, who, despite so much external trepidation following losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, still find themselves with an excellent 15-6 record, having now won four consecutive games, off the back of a dominant home-court advantage (10-0 at home this season), just three games adrift form the very top of the Eastern Conference. 

The 76ers boast the NBA's #5 defense, with their remarkable size and length a humungous reason (get it?) as to why they’re the premiere rebounding team, with an average +7 differential on the boards per game. 

Their offense does, however, continue to struggle, ranked just 18^th in points per game and producing 14.6 turnovers per 100 possessionswhich is the fourth-worst mark in the league.

RELATED: What's Wrong With the 76ers?

9. BOSTON CELTICS

No Kyrie Irving, no worries for the Celtics, with Boston and the seventh-youngest squad in the league out of the gates to a 14-5 start. Not only are the Celtics thriving without Kyrie, but are keeping themselves relevant in the East without Gordon Heyward as well, whose broken hand will keep him out until the new year. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are fuelling a team that’s ranked top ten for both offensive and defensive efficiency, while three-time All-Star, Kemba Walker, has fit in seamlessly at point guard, leading the team for both points (21.6 ppg) and assists (5 apg) while hitting the three shot at 38.6%.

10. INDIANA PACERS

Who says the NBA isn’t a big man’s sport anymore? 

Not the Indiana Pacers, who look like qualifying for the post-season for the ninth time in ten years off the back of their twin-tower, Damontas Sabonis-Myles Turner front-court, which has shared 245 minutes of play together, producing a +5.6 points differential. 

The Pacers size has led to the team scoring 49.9 points in the paint per night which ranks seventh in the NBA.   

11. MIAMI HEAT

Already out to an NBA-best six-game division lead in the South-East, the Heat have been one of the league’s biggest surprises in 2019-20, ranked in the top ten on both offense and defense, while their rookie class, led by Kendrick Nunn, is producing 33.8 points per night - a mark bettered only by the youthful, inexperienced Golden State Warriors (34). 

Like the LA Lakers, Miami’s 13-5 start has been aided greatly from playing one of the league’s easiest schedules to date, with all five losses this season coming against playoff-bound opponents.

RELATED: Miami Heat Scorching Back To NBA Competitiveness    

12. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

The Blazers' current three-game winning streak has given their fans hope that their playoff streak can continue through to a seventh season. It has, however, been a rough start, which helps explain the recent Carmelo Anthony acquisition, with the ten-time All Star averaging 17.7 ppg from his six matches in ‘Rip City’ while hitting the three at a respectable 37%.

READ: What's Going Right - and Wrong - For the Trail Blazers?

13. UTAH JAZZ

Utah is ranked #6 overall for defense, which is a major reason behind their solid 12-7 start, however their 21^st ranked offense is certainly cause for concern, as too are the 14.4 turnovers per 100 possessions the Jazz commit, which is the fifth-worst mark in the league. 

The Jazz offense is anything but a well-oiled machine at this point of the season, averaging just 20.9 assists per night (fourth-worst in the league) with the ball seemingly glued to the hands of Donovan Mitchell, with their star shooting guard currently in possession of a 31.7% usage rate which easily leads his team in that particular metric, one which is exorbitantly high for a player contributing just 3.7 assists per night.

14. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Paul George all leaving within five seasons could have broken the back of this franchise, however, they instead find themselves just a game out of a playoff spot in the West, while owing a veritable truckload of future draft assets.

21-year old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the team with 18.2 ppg, while veterans Danilo Gallinari (42.1% from 3-pt) and Chris Paul (5.7 apg) continue to pace the team without falling off the map completely.

15. ORLANDO MAGIC

The league’s least efficient offense continues to play at the league’s slowest pace, despite an athletic roster led by the likes of Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac. The Magic has, however, won five of it’s last ten games and steadied the ship, with Philadelphia's former #1 draft pick, Markelle Fultz, so far, producing something of a breakout season, averaging 25 minutes of play per night, and currently enjoying an eight-game streak of double-digit scoring.

16. SACRAMENTO KINGS

The Kings have withstood a 0-5 start, plus the NBA’s fifth hardest schedule and injuries to two of their very best players in De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley to resurrect their season to the point they are actually in striking distance of a playoff spot in a distinctly difficult Western Conference.

17. DETROIT PISTONS

The Pistons are desperately looking for consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in ten years, however they simply must do something about their turnover frequency. 15.2% of Piston possessions end in a turnover, the third-worst mark in the league.  

18. BROOKLYN NETS

The Nets generated a lot of off-season buzz by bringing in both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant (who’ll miss the season with an achilles injury), however they have yet to catch fire, limping to a 10-10 start with Irving’s 34.1% usage rate a big reason as to why just 58.7% of Brooklyn’s made field goals arrive via an assist, representing the 12^th worst mark in the league.

READ: Stats & Trends: Defining the Modern NBA

19. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

The Timberwolves - along with the Boston Celtics - are the only two teams in the NBA with a winning record despite having a squad with an average age less than 25 years old. And it is indeed the likes of Karl-Anthony Townsand Andrew Wiggins which has fans in the ‘Twin City’ hoping for just their second playoff appearance over the last 15 years.

20. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

The Zion Williamson party was set to explode, the invitations had been sent, the decorations arranged, only for the highly-touted #1 Draft pick to injure his knee on the eve of the season. The Pelicans have indeed struggled without his immense talent, stumbling to a 6-14 start, while sporting the league’s sixth-worst defense. Their lack of size defensively results in being continually bullied down low, conceding 52.4 points in the paint nightly, which is the third-worst mark in the league.    

21. PHOENIX SUNS

The Suns have lost six of their last seven matches which has dampened enthusiasm in the desert somewhat considering their astonishing 7-4 start. The Suns have looked unrecognisable on offense under new head coach Monty Williams, ranked #7 for offensive efficiency, with a league-high 67.8% of their field goals arriving via an assist.

RELATED: Explaining The Suns Hot Start

22. WASHINGTON WIZARDS

For a franchise so many expected to sink into oblivion, the Wizards have done a remarkably good job staying relevant. While their 6-12 mark isn’t anything to write home about, they do boast the league’s 4^th most efficient offense, which has played at a speed almost as blistering as the Milwaukee Bucks. Bradley Beal has again been brilliant, averaging a career-high 28.3 ppg.  

23. CHICAGO BULLS

The Bulls are forcing turnovers at the NBA's most frequent rate, however, that has been a rare positive in yet another season of underperformance in the 'Windy City'. Third-year forward, and franchise hope, Lauri Markkanen, continues to struggle, producing career low points (13.3) and rebounds (7) per game, while producing just one double-double over his last 19 matches.  

24. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

The NBA’s third-youngest squad has predictably struggled from a win-loss perspective, marooned at just 6-13, however, their fan base would be delighted by the progress of their youngsters - none more than Rookie of the Year favourite, Ja Morant, who leads the team in points (18.6) and assists (6.4) per game, all the while hitting three-pointers at 41%.

25. SAN ANTONIO SPURS

It’s safe to say that after 22-straight seasons of playoff basketball - including five NBA championships - the era of eternal Spurs greatness now appears over. Out to an alarming 7-14 start, with the Detroit Pistons being their most recent conqueror by 34 points in the process. Most un-Spurs like is a defense that is now ranked 4^th worst in the league, which is getting scorched on the perimeter, allowing opponents to hit 39.1% of their three-point attempts. Only the Golden State Warriors fairing worse (40%) in this particlar statistic.

San Antonio Spurs: Dancing to the Beat of an Old Drum

26. ATLANTA HAWKS

The Hawks have been one of the league’s most disappointing outfits this season, owing largely to a roster which many expected to perform significantly better. The 25-game PED suspension to budding star, John Collins, hasn’t helped, and, a second excellent season of Trae Young highlight-reel basketball seems to be in vain, with Atlanta regularly recipients of serious beatings, the most recent of which was a 41-point humiliation at the hands of the Houston Rockets.

27. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

After five straight NBA Finals appearances and three championships, the Warriors period of unbridled success is over, at least for this season, thanks to injuries to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, as well as the departure of Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets. Incredibly, their 4-17 record is the very worst in the NBA, which hasn’t been helped by the league’s fifth-worst defense, allowing opponents to hit 40% of their three-point attempts which is the absolute worst mark in the league.  

28. CHARLOTTE HORNETS  

The Hornets mightn’t have much brand recognition or star power this season, yet have remained in contention for an improbable Eastern Conference playoff spot to date. Few rookies have been as impressive as former Kentucky standout, PJ Washington, who has started each and every game for Charlotte in his rookie season, helping himself to 11.8 ppg and 5.1 rpg, while hitting the three at a team-best 45.3%.

29. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

The Cavs have lost nine of their last ten games with the squad’s limitations beginning to reveal themselves, despite first-year coach, John Beilein’s largely excellent coaching. One positive for the Cleveland franchise has been the form of veterans Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love who are two players to keep an eye on closer to the trade deadline, and who might be able to net the Cavs some decent draft capital in return from a Championship contender.

30. NEW YORK KNICKS

Another season of abject misery for Knicks fans, with their 4-16 record locking in yet another cold winter for a thoroughly demoralised fan base. Canadian rookie sensation, RJ Barrett has been a lone bright spot, averaging 15.3 ppg, however, he’s hit the three at a pedestrian 33.9% while producing 2.7 turnovers per game to just 3.5 assists. 

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