Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY Wed, October 28, 2026 at 12:17 PM UTC · 8 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NBA season is young – we're one week into it, and no team has played five games yet – yet injuries have already made a massive impact.
The names are significant, from Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards , to Thunder star Jalen Williams , to Magic forward Paolo Banchero , these issues are certain to impact the immediate futures of their teams. And those are just a few of them.
But after one week of action, there are already significant risers and fallers from the power rankings once training camps opened . And no team has plummeted more than the Miami Heat , who made the massive offseason splash to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo but who have yet to win a game.
Here are the Week 1 USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings:
1. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images) 2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets (Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images) 3. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (Wendell Cruz, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 4. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (Marc Lebryk, Imagn Images) 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat (Sam Navarro, Imagn Images) 6. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (Bill Streicher, Imagn Images) 7. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images) 8. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (David Berding, Getty Images) 9. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (Winslow Townson, Getty Images) 10. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 11. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images) 12. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 13. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 14. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 15. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (Luiza Moraes, Getty Images) 16. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks (Elsa, Getty Images) 17. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Tyler Kaufman, Getty Images) 18. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 19. LeBron James, Philadelphia 76ers (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 20. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat (Megan Briggs, Getty Images) 21. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) 22. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder (Joshua Gateley, Getty Images) 23. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder (JOSHUA R. GATELEY, Getty Images) 24. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors (Cole Burston, Getty Images) 25. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images) 26. James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 27. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks (Maddie Meyer, Getty Images) 28. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 29. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 30. Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers (Maddie Meyer, Getty Images) 31. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) 32. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 33. Lamelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets (Joshua Gateley, Getty Images) 34. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic (Rich Storry, Getty Images) 35. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks (Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images) 36. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 37. Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images) 38. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 39. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 40. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (Tim Warner, Getty Images) 41. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (Mitchell Leff, Getty Images) 42. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic (Rich Storry, Getty Images) 43. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) 44. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 45. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 46. Derrick White, Boston Celtics (Maddie Meyer, Getty Images) 47. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 48. Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) 49. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (David Berding, Getty Images) 50. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (Sean Gardner, Getty Images) 1 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 1. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images) 1 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 1. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images) 2 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets (Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images) 3 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 3. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (Wendell Cruz, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 4 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 4. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (Marc Lebryk, Imagn Images) 5 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat (Sam Navarro, Imagn Images) 6 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 6. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (Bill Streicher, Imagn Images) 7 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 7. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images) 8 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 8. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (David Berding, Getty Images) 9 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 9. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (Winslow Townson, Getty Images) 10 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 10. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 11 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 11. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images) 12 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 12. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 13 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 13. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 14 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 14. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 15 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 15. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (Luiza Moraes, Getty Images) 16 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 16. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks (Elsa, Getty Images) 17 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 17. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Tyler Kaufman, Getty Images) 18 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 18. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 19 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 19. LeBron James, Philadelphia 76ers (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 20 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 20. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat (Megan Briggs, Getty Images) 21 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 21. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) 22 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 22. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder (Joshua Gateley, Getty Images) 23 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 23. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder (JOSHUA R. GATELEY, Getty Images) 24 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 24. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors (Cole Burston, Getty Images) 25 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 25. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images) 26 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 26. James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 27 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 27. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks (Maddie Meyer, Getty Images) 28 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 28. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 29 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 29. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 30 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 30. Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers (Maddie Meyer, Getty Images) 31 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 31. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) 32 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 32. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 33 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 33. Lamelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets (Joshua Gateley, Getty Images) 34 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 34. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic (Rich Storry, Getty Images) 35 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 35. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks (Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images) 36 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 36. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 37 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 37. Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images) 38 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 38. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 39 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 39. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 40 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 40. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (Tim Warner, Getty Images) 41 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 41. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (Mitchell Leff, Getty Images) 42 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 42. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic (Rich Storry, Getty Images) 43 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 43. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) 44 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 44. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 45 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 45. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 46 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 46. Derrick White, Boston Celtics (Maddie Meyer, Getty Images) 47 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 47. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs (Alex Slitz, Getty Images) 48 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 48. Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) 49 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 49. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (David Berding, Getty Images) 50 / 50 Jokić, Shai or Wemby? Ranking the NBA's 50 best players 50. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (Sean Gardner, Getty Images) NBA Week 1 power rankings: Nos. 30-21 30. Sacramento Kings , 0-4 (-1)
They're oddly constructed, and, even though they have the game's top rebounder (Domantas Sabonis; 16.5 per game), they rank 24th in that statistic. In fact, Sabonis has collected a staggering 39.8% of Sacramento's 166 total boards.
Their loss Tuesday night against the Celtics proved how young and inexperienced this team is. All rookie Mikel Brown Jr. needed to do when he got the ball with 6.1 seconds left in overtime, with Brooklyn up one, was dribble it out, get fouled and go to the line. Instead he tried a contested layup, missed and Jayson Tatum hit the game winner on the other end.
The Pelicans, unsurprisingly, lead the NBA in points in the paint per game (60.7). Also unsurprisingly, they're tied for 28th in catch and shoot points per game (23.3).
The Bulls entered the season with some intrigue, but new coach Tiago Splitter hasn't gotten this group to gel, as Chicago ranks dead last in net rating (-18.3), field goal percentage (40.6%), 3-point shooting (23.8%) and second-to-last in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.13).
Milwaukee has gotten decent early returns from the Heat package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and any time the Bucks can beat their hated rivals, the Pacers, it's a positive.
They haven't been efficient, ranking last in the league in turnovers (23.3 per game) by a wide margin.
Not only has Utah disappointed with its new-look roster, but now Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen, two front court pillars, are both contending with injuries.
Starting with an embarrassing opener in which Phoenix fell into a 21-0 hole, it hasn't been the best beginning for Phoenix. Making matters worse, they're dead last in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 124.5 points per 100 possessions.
Yaxel Lendeborg has been a solid addition, and leads all rookies in points (21.8 per game) and ranks second in rebounds (9.3). Still, Golden State's defense is a liability.
This looks very much like a team that still hasn't figured out how to play together, but some serious flaws have emerged: defensive effort has been lacking and if perimeter shots don't fall, spacing collapses and teams can crowd the paint to clog up driving lanes for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The injury bug, again, has come for the Magic, who now face extended time without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. A nice win over the Knicks without Banchero, though, shows Orlando can still be feisty in his absence.
Trae Young leads the NBA in assists (11.0 per game) and Anthony Davis has been solid, but No. 1 overall rookie AJ Dybantsa (ankle) is yet to make his debut. It will be interesting to see how he changes things.
Cooper Flagg was spectacular in a come-from-behind win at Miami, and rookie coach Dusty May has this group playing competitive hoops, ranking fourth in effective field goal percentage (56.7%).
The Hornets haven't had the most cohesive offense – they rank dead last in assists (21.5 per game) and are tied for 28th in field goal percentage (41.4%) – but Kon Knueppel (hamstring) is yet to play this season.
A surprise undefeated, Ty Jerome has been an offensive powerhouse with 29.8 points per game. Rookie No. 3 overall forward Cameron Boozer is averaging a double-double. Their competition, though, hasn't been all that stiff, so a larger sample size is necessary to judge this young squad. Solid rebounding metrics, though, are a positive sign.
As they have under coach Quinn Snyder, the Hawks are once again prioritizing assists, leading the NBA with 31.5 per game. And though he doesn't get the national recognition, Jalen Johnson (21.5 points per, 9.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists) is the offensive engine that makes it all work.
Indiana really missed Tyrese Haliburton, who ranks second in the NBA in assists (9.5 per game), but losses to the Mavericks and Bucks show that it may take some time for this offense to return to form from two seasons ago, especially as the Pacers incorporate Ivica Zubac into the system.
Kawhi Leonard is banged up once again and will miss time, but the revelation has been RJ Barrett, who is leading the team with 21.0 points per game at a red hot 51% shooting clip.
Could things be fraying in Denver? Three-time Most Valuable Player and all-world star Nikola Jokić was not only booed at home, but he also criticized the fans doing so.
Peyton Watson has infused a solid defensive presence, even early on, averaging 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. In fact, Cleveland – not the Spurs – leads the NBA in blocks per game, with 8.7.
The surprise of the first week, rookie coach Micah Nori has this group playing clean, efficient basketball. The addition of Ja Morant looks like it was an excellent low-risk, high-reward maneuver, and Portland's offense is rolling, leading the league in several key categories.
The Knicks desperately needed a win like they had Tuesday over the Pistons ; entering the night, New York had ranked 29th in offensive rating (103.4).
There has been plenty of good – Boston entered Tuesday night as the best 3-point shooting team, at a blistering 42.4% – and the Celtics are still incorporating some new faces, so they should only get better from here on out.
Luka Dončić is once again leading the NBA in scoring (with 36.0 points per game) and could be on the path toward strong Most Valuable Player consideration. Walker Kessler has been a tremendous pairing with Dončić, and Los Angeles should figure to be one of the league's top offenses, if healthy.
A slow start with losses to the Thunder and Rockets hurt San Antonio, but Victor Wembanyama has bounced back to lead the Spurs to convincing wins over the Mavericks and Kings.
The Timberwolves were looking like they had found a winning formula with the Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball pairing. Now with Edwards out up to two months, Ball and backup Ayo Dosunmu will have to produce more offense. It's a shame, because Minnesota looked like a legitimate title contender.
So far, so good. The 76ers are incorporating a new system with new stars, but the results have been promising. And Tyrese Maxey is fully coming into his own as the star of this team.
Fred VanVleet has stabilized the point guard position, and that has helped create easier offense for center Alperen Şengün (24.5 points per game) and forward Amen Thompson (17.0).
They had been playing the role of giant slayers, taking down the Celtics, Heat and 76ers to start the season, but the toughest schedule to open the season eventually claimed Detroit Tuesday night when their comeback attempt against the Knicks fell short. Either way, Detroit, once again, looks like a player in the East.
The loss of Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and the score of other injuries loom large, but the Thunder are the deepest team in the NBA, and they have plenty of experience finding ways to fill in for injured talent.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings: Injuries shake up league, winless Miami Heat plummet
Source: Sports
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