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NBA Power Rankings: Bulls rise, Pelicans fall after one week

Chinmay Vaidya updates his NBA power rankings after the first week of the 2021-22 regular season.

Chicago Bulls v Toronto Raptors
Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls high fives DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls during the game against the Toronto Raptors on October 25, 2021 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images

The 2021-22 NBA season is one week old and there’s already some big movers in the league’s power rankings. The Chicago Bulls have jumped up 10 spots to move into the top five after a 4-0 start. The offseason additions have made an immediate impact and Zach LaVine remains one of the league’s most explosive offensive players. Chicago’s defense is better than expected, which could mean big things for the Bulls as the season keeps going. The Golden State Warriors have also made a jump into the top five after ranking ninth in the initial list.

Most teams have only played between two to four games, so there hasn’t been much data to go on so far. The Milwaukee Bucks look ready to pick up right where they left off in July as defending champions, while the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have struggled in the early going. Aspiring playoff teams like the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves have been better than expected, while trendy picks such as the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks have slightly underwhelmed.

Let’s take a look at Chinmay Vaidya’s power rankings for Week 2 of the NBA season.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 2

Rank Team Previous Rank
Rank Team Previous Rank
1 Milwaukee Bucks 2
2 Golden State Warriors 9
3 Utah Jazz 5
4 Chicago Bulls 14
5 Philadelphia 76ers 4
6 Miami Heat 8
7 Denver Nuggets 11
8 Atlanta Hawks 7
9 New York Knicks 19
10 Brooklyn Nets 3
11 Los Angeles Lakers 1
12 Phoenix Suns 6
13 LA Clippers 10
14 Charlotte Hornets 20
15 Memphis Grizzlies 17
16 Dallas Mavericks 13
17 Sacramento Kings 22
18 Minnesota Timberwolves 23
19 Boston Celtics 12
20 Washington Wizards 24
21 Portland Trail Blazers 16
22 Indiana Pacers 15
23 San Antonio Spurs 25
24 Toronto Raptors 21
25 Houston Rockets 28
26 Cleveland Cavaliers 29
27 New Orleans Pelicans 18
28 Orlando Magic 26
29 Detroit Pistons 27
30 Oklahoma City Thunder 30