Grading Every NBA Team So Far
Grades For Every Team As Of November 5th, 2023
Now that we are a decent portion of the way into this NBA season we have a solid gauge of how every roster is performing thus far. In this article I will be grading every NBA team’s performance based on the first week and a half of action.
Atlanta Hawks: A-
After an 0–2 start this team has now ripped off 4 straight wins over some very impressive competition. What is especially inspiring about this 4–2 start is that Trae Young has not played anywhere close to his best basketball yet. Dejounte Murray has done a great job of stepping up for Trae so far and if the two can both get going they should be one of the best backcourts in the league. Another massively inspiring aspect of this Hawks season is seeing Jalen Johnson taking a huge 3rd year leap into being an elite role player. A lot of promising stuff so far for Atlanta.
Boston Celtics: A+
How can you not be happy as a supporter of the Celtics with how they have started the season? As the only undefeated team left this team has somehow managed to exceed the sky high expectations they had going into the year. Jayson Tatum is clearly establishing himself as a top 5 player in basketball but on any given night another guy in the starting lineup can step up and be the number 2 option. While some early season struggles would have been reasonable considering the great amount of roster turnover they had in the offseason, Porzingis and Holiday have fit in seamlessly.
Brooklyn Nets: B-
The Nets have been as expected so far this year. They are a fun roster who can compete on any given night but will not be anything more than that until they get a true superstar. Cam Thomas has had some crazy scoring explosions but if he continues to get as many minutes as he had he will be up and down at times, since they are not trying to compete at the highest level you will be happy with the highs and live with the lows. Ben Simmons has looked much more like himself as he gets further removed from his back injury. Once Cam Johnson can return from injury we will see the full potential of this roster but I expect them to hover around .500 regardless.
Charlotte Hornets: B-
Charlotte is another team that has been pretty close to what I had expected out of them. They got a thrilling win over the Pacers last night and that was hopefully a good sign of things to come for them. Even with Miles Bridges serving his suspension and Lamelo struggling majorly with his shot out of the gate, they have managed to look competent. The defense still has a long way to go but once Bridges is back the offensive core of Ball, Hayward, Rozier, Miller, Washington, and Williams is extremely solid.
Chicago Bulls: D
This roster is just fundamentally broken. Patrick Williams has been a massive disappointment and his hopes for a $200 million contract look more laughable by the day. They are trying to take more threes than previous years but the roster personnel is just not good enough to do so. The biggest issue with this roster is that they are a bunch of squares trying to fit in round holes and that has led to the embarrassing results out of this roster, highlighted by a players only meeting after the first game of the season.
Cleveland Cavaliers: D+
Quietly Cleveland has been one of the most disappointing teams in the league. Donovan Mitchell has been absolutely balling but with Darius Garland being injured and Evan Mobley not taking the necessary leap into offensive stardome, they have fallen to 2–4 on the year. Mobley’s defense remains very valuable but if the offensive jump doesn’t come soon I think this team’s scoring will never be good enough for them to reach the next level.
Dallas Mavericks: B+
This team has certainly improved from last year where they missed the playoffs but the Denver Nuggets did show them levels when the teams squared up. Luka is playing MVP basketball and has looked nothing short of incredible so far this year but him having to play this way is also part of the issue with the roster. While the offseason additions have been a major success so far, no one has stepped up to be the 3rd option that Dallas needs to be a contender. So while this team is better and they should be happy about that, they are still quite far away from being a championship roster.
Denver Nuggets: A
This team did drop a rough game to the Timberwolves but other than that they have not lost a step so far. The Nuggets are just a true pleasure to watch, such a well oiled machine that just makes basketball look effortless. Jamal Murray’s scoring has dropped off and if I didn’t just say that you probably wouldn’t even know and that just goes to show the “next man up” mentality that allows this roster to succeed on any given night. Nikola Jokic has created a massive distance as the best player in the world as he continues to be a completely unguardable player.
Detroit Pistons: C+
This team is one of the most confusing so far this year. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren look like a duo prepared to dominate for years and Ausar Thompson has had a great rookie campaign but they are still just 2–4 on the year, so why is that? The main issue with this team is their continued obsession with playing Killian Hayes. Hayes is a complete offensive black hole and when you mix that with Thompson not being an outside threat it leads to brutal spacing that often limits Cade. It has also been disappointing to see Jaden Ivey getting less opportunity even while looking solid so far.
Golden State Warriors: A
After dropping their opening game the Warriors have won 5 straight and have looked excellent. The road demons that haunted Golden State last year have escaped them completely. With the moves they made this offseason the chemistry issues that were undeniably there last year are now gone and their depth has improved significantly. Chris Paul now provides them elite playmaking off the bench and the young guys have taken steps into being solid rotation players. This year the Warriors look much more like the Warriors of old where they could trust their bench and that alongside Steph Curry dominating thus far is a scary sight.
Houston Rockets: C+
This is another confusing team. The offseason acquisitions have actually come in and played very well but that has also taken away a bit from the young guys. While building a winning culture is valuable, is it worth hindering the development of your young players? It’s a question that I don’t really have an answer for. Though Sengun has looked excellent neither Jalen Green nor Jabari Smith Jr. have taken the leep you would hope for and Amen Thompson looks a bit lost on the court as his role is not very clear.
Indiana Pacers: C+
The Pacers are one of the teams who I have the least to say about. Just like last year whenever Tyrese is healthy they are a solid team but that loss to the Hornets was a bit of a rough one. They are a young team but still feel a bit directionless as a whole.
Los Angeles Clippers: B
The Clippers did take an ugly loss to the Jazz but what is really important now is how they perform with James Harden on the roster. Paul Geroge has played phenomenal on both ends of the court and looks to be an early MVP candidate. Russell Westbrook has seemingly turned a corner in his career as he has now perfectly adapted into being a great role player as he knows what this team needs to win. With Harden now on the roster even more than before the question will always be can this team stay healthy but if they do they should continue to look excellent as they have so far.
Los Angeles Lakers: C
LA has been very up and down so far this year and it has made it difficult to get a good gauge on them this season. One night they are getting a thrilling win over the Clippers where the role players look phenomenal and another night they are getting punked by the Magic. AD and Lebron obviously continue to be great but I think the role players in D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves among others are far too inconsistent for them to compete with the standard of the West in Denver. The depth was something that was seen as a highlight with this roster but they just don’t show up enough on a night to night basis to feel comfortable to rely on it.
Memphis Grizzlies: F
I could talk endlessly about how poorly this team has performed but I will keep it brief as a plan to go more in-depth on them at a separate time. The Ja suspension is obviously the biggest reason behind their struggles but they have also been thrashed by injuries. So early into the season guys who were expected to just be rotation players have had to step into starting roles and the results have been terrible. The Grizzlies are a mess and that was highlighted more than ever in their late game collapse against Portland.
Miami Heat: D+
Tyler Herro has played great so far but other than that searching for positives with this team becomes difficult. They have yet to win over a good team and even against bad teams they have failed to look impressive in those games. The losses in the offseason have certainly caught up to them as their depth is very limited. The offense has looked piss poor and the defense hasn’t been strong enough to make up for it at all.
Milwaukee Bucks: C-
While there was an adjustment period that was obviously expected with how difficult inserting as ball dominant a player as Damian Lillard is, this period has been a bit slower than I anticipated. Dame often defers to Giannis too much and there is also not enough actions run between the two. In late shot clock situations they most often resort to handoffs but I would much rather see most of those possessions turn into Giannis and Dame pick-and-rolls. Another major worry that I have is if Khris Middleton will ever return to the same player as he is still dealing with injuries. If Middleton cannot be the 3rd option they need him to be, I find it hard to see the Bucks top the Celtics or the Nuggets.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B-
The Timberwolves look to solidly be a playoff team but I still believe the best version of this roster is one without KAT in the picture. Anthony Edwards is now clearly the alpha of the team and with that being the case I feel it makes more sense for KAT to be elsewhere. While they have proved to be able to win with this roster I just think the untapped potential of having an elite guard alongside Edwards to pair with the elite defenders Minnesota has in Gobert and McDaniels is something they are missing out on. They should be a good team as long as health permits but I think they have still not arrived at the best iteration of this team.
New Orleans Pelicans: B
As always with this roster as long as the Pels are healthy they are a very firm team out West. It always feels like a waiting game with New Orleans for them to eventually get banged up but for now they will be a playoff team who is one of the most fun to watch in the league. Zion hasn’t yet looked as good as we know him to be either so that is exciting for them.
New York Knicks: D+
You simply cannot with Julius Randle. As talented as Randle may be, with your number one guy having a losing style the ceiling of your team is just so limited. Randle’s poor attitude and terrible shot selections have been on full display for New York this year and it has been very ugly. It is time for the Knicks to make some changes because this experiment has run its course.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B
While the Thunder are only .500 so far on the year they have lost to nothing but good teams and one of those losses was a controversial one where they didn’t have SGA. Chet Holmgren has been a truly special rookie, his intelligence and competitive edge are both such rare traits for a player of his age and should make him a force to be reckoned with for years to come. I was hoping for a bit more of a jump from Josh Giddey but other than that it has been nothing but positives for this roster.
Orlando Magic: A-
This was one of the teams I was the highest on compared to the general public going into the year so it has been great to see them get off to this 4–2 start. Paolo may have had a bit of a slow start but in the last few games he looks much more like himself and looks prime to make the leap into an all-star player this year. The Magic may very well have another all-star on their hands in Franz Wagner as well if they continue to play like they have. Though no one has taken the leap into being the established 3rd guy on the roster quite yet, the 1–2 punch of Paolo and Franz looks to be one of the strongest the NBA has to offer going forward.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
Philly could have very easily allowed all the offseason drama that surrounded the team to lead to a slow start but they have quietly gone 4–1 to begin the year. Kelly Oubre Jr. was maybe the biggest steal of the offseason, as he has put up an efficient 21 points for them so far. Tyrese Maxey is taking an expected but necessary leap for this team to remain afloat with James Harden no longer on the roster. An exciting development for the team has been Joel Embiid’s improvement as a playmaker, as he is now diagnosing double teams far better than he had in previous year. Nick Nurse may have just been the guy this team needed for them to progress forward out East.
Phoenix Suns: D+
The Suns have now dropped 3 straight and the injuries are already catching up to them. This team was always very top heavy so Bradley Beal not playing a game yet and Devin Booker being injured as well is killing them as you would expect. Jusuf Nurkic has been a disaster for them at center and leads me to believe that even if they somehow manage to be healthy come playoff time, they will get smoked by the elite out West. Very disappointing start for the Suns.
Portland Trail Blazers: B
The Blazers have gotten off to a bit of a surprising 3–3 start highlighted by the emergence of Shaedon Sharpe. Sharpe’s play especially in their comeback win over the Grizzlies has been excellent and with the position this roster is in after the Dame trade all you can hope for is to see young guys like Shaedon playing well. The only thing that is holding this grade back a bit is the somewhat concerning season rookie Scoot Henderson has had so far, while I still believe in his talent seeing how he has played so far has certainly not been inspiring.
Sacramento Kings: C-
With De’Aaron Fox out due to injury the Kings are in a tough position until he heals up. It’s hard to get a real gauge of this team until Fox is healthy because they are solid without him but he is the guy who will always be who puts them over the top. Other than the health of their star point guard the performance of the key shooters on the roster in Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter has also been a reason for their disappointing play as they have struggled majorly from beyond the arc but there is no reason to expect that to remain.
San Antonio Spurs: A-
Victor Wembanyama has made the Spurs into one of the most exciting teams in the league. This is a roster that has so many flaws which makes it even more impressive that they have been able to perform the way they have. Once the experiment of Jeremy Sochan at point guard is either improved upon or given up on entirely we should see the offense skyrocket and as long as Wembanyama is healthy they will always be a top defense. Devin Vassell is nursing a groin injury currently but until then he had looked so promising and I am thrilled to see the core of him, Wembanyama, and fellow wing Keldon Johnson continue to build chemistry.
Toronto Raptors: C-
It is time for the Raptors to make some drastic changes to the roster. They have tried to continue to hold onto the remains of their core post them winning a championship in 2019 but after the loss of another key piece in Fred VanVleet this team no longer has the necessary players to compete. Dennis Schroder has come in and played great to replace VanVleet but as a whole the offensive firepower on the team is lacking compared to top teams. While their defense is firm and will have them remaining somewhat competitive, the more productive route for the team is to rebuild around Scottie Barnes. Barnes is really breaking out in his 3rd season after a bit of a lackluster sophomore campaign and I want to see what the ceiling is with him fully having the reins in Toronto.
Utah Jazz: C-
Utah may have overperformed to begin last season but this year they look much more is expected to kick things off. They have had a very tough schedule so far but it is concerning to see just how poorly the starting lineup has performed. The main issue with this team stems from them not having a true lead playmaker which has led to a very poor offensive start and it doesn’t get much better when talking about the defense as Walker Kessler is one of the only guys in the rotation that is a plus defender. This is much more how you would expect the Jazz to be performing at this stage of their rebuild post the Mitchell and Gobert era so there’s no real worries for me concerning their future.
Washington Wizards: D
This team is just a mess. The roster is filled with losing players and the defense has been the worst in the league. Washington is very far away from even being competitive so they will need to hope the lottery balls fall in their favor.
