Power rankings system devised and compiled weekly by Stemshul. “Expert” analysis by paradroid.

Golden State is pulling away from the pack after a 3-1 week. The Warriors had won 7 straight before losing to the Hornets (#8 in our rankings), but they bounced back for wins against the Nets (#4) and Cavaliers (#11). Charlotte, the only team to beat Golden State in regulation this year, is also our biggest riser, thanks in part to said victory. The Hornets zipped out to a 5-2 start. Then a 5 game losing streak made a fairly convincing case that they would once again be mediocre. But Charlotte bounced back with a 4-0 week, so maybe not? Charlotte, originally an expansion team in 1988, had the team moved by owner George Shinn to New Orleans in 2002. The league awarded Charlotte another expansion team in 2004. This team went by the Bobcats. The Hornets moniker stuck around in New Orleans until 2012, when that team became the Pelicans and Charlotte was renamed the Hornets. The NBA also transferred the team’s history from 1988 to 2002 from the now New Orleans Pelicans back to Charlotte, meaning that although they were an expansion team twice, they were both the same team retroactively. Like they took 2 years off but changed their name upon their return, only to return to their original name 10 years later. Kind of like a 14 year old who had a scene kid phase that they sheepishly abandoned in their mid-twenties.

In the 17 seasons since their second chance to make a first impression, Charlotte has had exactly 3 winning campaigns. All of these resulted in playoff berths, but never higher than a 6th seed. All also resulted in first round exits. So they are overdue for some real success. In the last few years, Charlotte has finally gotten some draft picks right. Miles Bridges (ok, actually drafted by the Clippers and then traded for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is probably a better player, but still, Miles is good too!) has gone from complementary player who gets by on explosive athleticism to a lead scorer (21.3 PPG to go along with 7.5 RPG and 3.6 APG) in his 4th year. But the biggest decision was LaMelo Ball (#3 pick last year), who has already shown improvement over last year’s Rookie of the Year season. He’s currently averaging 18.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.5 APG while running the team from the point. The team has surrounded this young talent with veterans like Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Mason Plumlee, all proven players in the NBA. Whether they’re good right now remains to be seen. The last nine games have offered proof both for and against their readiness to compete for the playoffs. They have a negative point differential (-1.0), but have also played the toughest schedule in terms of winning percentage (opponents have a combined .553 %). I think they’re ready to make the playoffs again, but this time not as a collection of veterans whose peak potential is a first round exit, but as a young team ascending the pecking order with more success to come.

Detroit is starting to stabilize as a bad but not awful team, which is what I expected coming into this year. Last week brought improving results (2-2) and the Pistons have won 3 of 5 since starting out 1-8 this year. The shooting is slowly improving (up above 40%!) but still last. Samesies for threes (almost up to 30%!). Still terrible, but the exceptional shooting by opposition and the horrible shooting by Detroit likely contains some unsustainable improbability based on where the shots are coming from. Which is to say, the Pistons aren’t as bad as they look, luck has simply favored the other teams way more than it has them. Cade Cunningham is getting better every week, as evidenced by a 25-8-8 game in a loss to Sacramento and a 16-8-6 game in a win against Indiana. Jerami Grant, who started poorly, has been playing better lately as well. Further up and further in, as King Tirian might say.

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