NBA power rankings: LeBron and Lakers rise up, 76ers only undefeated team

Arguably the game of the year took place over the weekend, when LeBron James and the Lakers defeated Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in overtime, both players recording triple-doubles.

The performance by both players have their teams on the rise in recent power rankings.

While the Philadelphia 76ers are the only unbeaten team left in the NBA, there are no winless teams in the league, further proving the point that this season is more wide open than ever in previous years.

Seeing the Golden State Warriors towards the bottom of the recently released power rankings is an unfamiliar sight in the last half-decade.

Here are the power rankings according to ESPN.com’s panel of Tim MacMahon, Andre’ Snellings, Royce Young, Bobby Marks, and The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, as they rank all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders:

1. Philadelphia 76ers (5-0)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (5-1)
3. Los Angeles Clippers (5-2)
4. Milwaukee Bucks (4-2)
5. Boston Celtics (4-1)
6. Utah Jazz (4-3)
7. Denver Nuggets (4-2)
8. Miami Heat (5-1)
9. San Antonio Spurs (4-2)
10. Toronto Raptors (4-2)
11. Houston Rockets (3-3)
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-1)
13. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
14. Portland Trail Blazers (3-3)
15. Brooklyn Nets (2-4)
16. Indiana Pacers (3-3)
17. Phoenix Suns (4-2)
18. Atlanta Hawks (2-3)
19. Orlando Magic (2-4)
20. Detroit Pistons (3-4)
21. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-4)
22. Charlotte Hornets (3-3)
23. Chicago Bulls (2-5)
24. New Orleans Pelicans (1-5)
25. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-4)
26. Washington Wizards (1-4)
27. Golden State Warriors (1-5)
28. Sacramento Kings (2-5)
29. Memphis Grizzlies (1-4)
30. New York Knicks (1-6)

Here are the power rankings according to Bleacher Report, as these rankings weigh team record, advanced stats, health and some gut instincts to arrive at an order that reflects the league’s current hierarchy. The samples are still small, so last year’s performance remains a factor in the equation. The deeper we get into the 2019-20 season, the more we’ll view seeming surprises as the new norm:

1. Los Angeles Lakers (5-1)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (5-0)
3. Milwaukee Bucks (4-2)
4. Los Angeles Clippers (5-2)
5. Miami Heat (5-1)
6. Toronto Raptors (4-2)
7. Utah Jazz (4-3)
8. Denver Nuggets (4-2)
9. Boston Celtics (4-1)
10. Phoenix Suns (4-2)
11. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-1)
12. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
13. San Antonio Spurs (4-2)
14. Portland Trail Blazers (3-3)
15. Houston Rockets (3-3)
16. Indiana Pacers (3-3)
17. Brooklyn Nets (2-4)
18. Atlanta Hawks (2-3)
19. Orlando Magic (2-4)
20. Detroit Pistons (3-4)
21. Sacramento Kings (2-5)
22. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-4)
23. Chicago Bulls (2-5)
24. Charlotte Hornets (3-3)
25. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-4)
26. New Orleans Pelicans (1-5)
27. Memphis Grizzlies (1-4)
28. Washington Wizards (1-4)
29. New York Knicks (1-6)
30. Golden State Warriors (1-5)