Who are the biggest risers and fallers after the first week of real NBA basketball?
Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz, Tim MacMahon and Andre' Snellings, The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears and FiveThirtyEight's Chris Herring) ranks the league's 30 teams from top to bottom.
Previous rankings: Week 1 | Training camp | Free agency
1. Golden State Warriors
2018-19 record: 2-1
The reigning NBA champions had a challenging start as they opened the season distracted by the raising of a title banner against Oklahoma City followed by two tough West games in altitude against Utah and Denver. The Warriors found a way to win late against the Jazz but failed to find any last-second heroics against the Nuggets. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it won't get easier as the three-peat title seekers will continue to have a target on their backs. It's a good problem to have. -- Spears
2. Toronto Raptors
2018-19 record: 3-0
In the league's first big statement game of the season, the Raptors showed off their depth and versatility in a spirited win over Boston. Though he hasn't shot the ball well for the 3-0 Raps, Kawhi Leonard fits like a glove in Toronto, both as a brawny wing and as a small-ball 4. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry was one of the league's five best players during the season's opening week, pacing the Raps with red-hot shooting. -- Arnovitz
3. Boston Celtics
2018-19 record: 2-1
The Celtics have been working through the adjustment period of having Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward return to the lineup. Both Irving and Hayward have shown rust, and Hayward sat out the second half of a back-to-back for precautionary rest. The Celtics are still 2-1 on the season, and the best early-season news is that Jayson Tatum appears ready to take the next step toward true stardom. -- Snellings
4. New Orleans Pelicans
2018-19 record: 2-0
Talk about storming out of the gates: The Pelicans averaged 140 points in their first two games, a pair of blowout wins over the Rockets and Kings. New Orleans' three-man rotation at center and power forward is off to a spectacular start. Anthony Davis has played like an MVP, averaging 28.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 steals. Julius Randle (19 PPG, 11 RPG) looks like a Sixth Man of the Year (or at least of the week) candidate. And Nikola Mirotic is averaging 33 PPG. -- MacMahon
5. Houston Rockets
2018-19 record: 1-2
Houston is 15-12 without Chris Paul (including the two losses in the Western Conference finals) since trading for the point guard, who will have to sit out Wednesday's game against the Jazz because of a suspension stemming from his fight with Rajon Rondo. Speaking of future Hall of Famers who have decided to come to Houston, it hasn't been a smooth transition to a reserve role for Carmelo Anthony (8.3 PPG, 37.5 effective field goal percentage). -- MacMahon
6. Utah Jazz
2018-19 record: 1-1
Joe Ingles, a poster boy for the Jazz's developmental program after arriving in Utah as a castoff, just keeps getting better. Fresh off shooting 44 percent from 3-point range in his first full season as a starter, the 31-year-old Aussie has opened the season with two of the four highest-scoring games of his career, averaging 24.5 points and going 11-of-17 from deep. He'll keep getting good looks with the attention paid to Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert setting screens. -- MacMahon
7. Denver Nuggets
2018-19 record: 3-0
Denver began the season with strong wins over the Clippers, Suns and Warriors. Star center Nikola Jokic is the key to the Nuggets' fortunes this season, fresh off dominating No. 1 overall draft pick Deandre Ayton to the tune of a perfect 35-point triple-double with no missed shots or turnovers. With a healthy Paul Millsap and an impressive trio of perimeter scoring threats, the Nuggets look like an early threat out West. -- Snellings
8. Milwaukee Bucks
2018-19 record: 2-0
It's still jarring to see the night-and-day difference between last season's Bucks and this season's version. Last season, Milwaukee ranked 25th in the league in 3-point attempt rate; but now, under coach Mike Budenholzer, it sits third in the same category. The club figures to be one of the most dangerous offenses in the NBA. The bigger long-term question that figures to tell the story of the Bucks' season is where they'll finish on defense and whether their performance on that end of the floor gives them a chance to truly contend. Ersan Ilyasova was seemingly a great pickup, and he gives Bud a dependable floor-spacing option at center for when they go small. -- Herring
9. Portland Trail Blazers
2018-19 record: 2-0
The Blazers have come out the game with two solid wins, and one of the great point guard matchups will take place on Monday, as Portland's Damian Lillard faces the Washington Wizards' John Wall. Lillard has started off as expected, with team-best averages of 28.5 points and 6.5 assists. With Washington, Orlando and Miami ahead, it is very possible that the Blazers can still be undefeated entering next week. -- Spears
10. Philadelphia 76ers
2018-19 record: 2-1
The Sixers lost the NBA's opener in Boston, drubbed Chicago, then squeaked by Orlando at home. The new opening lineup featuring Markelle Fultz is still a work in progress but appears starved for spacing. On the bright side, Joel Embiid looks indomitable, averaging 28.3 points with a 59.8 true shooting percentage and 10.7 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game. -- Arnovitz
11. Indiana Pacers
2018-19 record: 2-1
Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott look like they're going to fit this team like a glove -- and perhaps add new dimensions to a club that was close to making real noise last season. In Saturday's win over Brooklyn, the Pacers ran offensive sets for McDermott that appeared like a carbon copy of the actions Golden State calls to get Klay Thompson open. That perimeter threat -- and the fact that it will force defenses to stay honest -- will open things up for Victor Oladipo as time marches forward. -- Herring
12. Los Angeles Lakers
2018-19 record: 0-2
The first week of the LeBron James era has produced more suspensions than wins for the Lakers, with Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo to sit a few games after the episode of Saturday Night Fights in the home-opening loss against Houston. The Lakers' top two scorers after LeBron coming out of Week 1? Josh Hart and JaVale McGee. -- Arnovitz
13. San Antonio Spurs
2018-19 record: 1-1
The Spurs certainly have felt the sting of losing point guard Dejounte Murray to a knee injury that will sideline him all season. Minnesota's Jeff Teague and Portland's Damian Lillard averaged 28 points on 63 percent shooting against San Antonio. Murray had established himself as an elite defender, as the Spurs allowed only 98 points per 100 possessions when he played last season. Their defensive rating is a sky-high 119.9 through two games. -- MacMahon
14. Detroit Pistons
2018-19 record: 2-0
How cool was it to see Blake Griffin make an end-of-game stop on the perimeter in a one-on-one scenario against the Bulls? On top of making the game-sealing defensive stand, he also had 33, 12 and 5 in the box score. It's easy to forget how good he can be at times. But after close wins over Chicago and Brooklyn to start the season, he and the Pistons figure to be tested far more over the next week or so, when they play the Sixers and square off against the Celtics twice. -- Herring
15. Charlotte Hornets
2018-19 record: 2-1
Kemba Walker might be the MVP of the first week of the season, as he is averaging 35.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. Under new coach James Borrego, the Hornets have opened up impressively with wins over Orlando and Miami after a one-point season-opening loss to a tough Milwaukee team. So how good is Michael Jordan's franchise? Perhaps we will get a better idea on Monday, when Walker and the Hornets go up north to face Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. -- Spears
16. Oklahoma City Thunder
2018-19 record: 0-3
The Thunder started the season with a close loss to the Warriors, a blowout loss to the Clippers and a surprising home loss to the Kings, which has resulted in their drop in the rankings. Russell Westbrook has played only 35 minutes so far. The Thunder just aren't the Thunder without their MVP. -- Snellings
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
2018-19 record: 1-2
Zooming out for a moment from what has been a surreal Jimmy Butler saga at times, how on earth is Karl-Anthony Towns still getting so few shot attempts? Yes, it's fair to point to his foul trouble as one reason for the lack of opportunities. But even when you analyze him on a per-minute basis, he ranks just sixth on the team -- behind Tyus Jones! -- in field goal attempts per minute. Unacceptable. He averaged 25 points per game the season before last. He could stand to be far more assertive at times, but he also is a good enough shooter that the club could be running more sets to get him open looks from outside -- especially since Minnesota needs to present more of a 3-point threat. -- Herring
18. LA Clippers
2018-19 record: 2-1
After years of featuring a star-studded roster in pursuit of a title, the Clippers have recast themselves as a scrappy collection of overachievers who accept their roles. Tobias Harris and a healthy Danilo Gallinari look like a prolific forward tandem, and the Clippers are downright giddy about rookie point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But the treadmill speeds up for the Clips this week with a couple of tough road dates at New Orleans and Houston. -- Arnovitz
19. Miami Heat
2018-19 record: 1-2
Three games into the season and the ever-scrappy Heat have already endured three nail-biters, including a one-point loss to Charlotte on a Kemba Walker free throw with less than a second to go. The week ahead for Miami features only two games on the schedule, both at home. All the while, Heat fans keep peeking out the window to see whether the Jimmy Butler cavalry is on its way in what has become the most bizarrely protracted trade rumor in recent NBA history. -- Arnovitz
20. Washington Wizards
2018-19 record: 0-2
The Wizards opened the season with two disappointing losses at home to the Heat and a Kawhi Leonard-less Raptors team. Washington can easily open the season 0-4 with road games ahead against West power Portland and reigning champion Golden State. The Wizards definitely need the aid of new center Dwight Howard in the post and on the boards. Howard missed the first two games and training camp with a sore buttocks. That is not a typo, and even the comical Howard probably does not find that injury funny. -- Spears
21. Memphis Grizzlies
2018-19 record: 1-1
"This is who we think we drafted," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. had a 24-point, seven-rebound, two-block performance in Friday night's win over the Hawks. Jackson's role increases with JaMychal Green sidelined with a broken jaw. Jackson, the No. 4 overall pick, will see two of the players selected ahead of him this week, with the Grizzlies facing Marvin Bagley III's Kings and Deandre Ayton's Suns. -- MacMahon
22. Dallas Mavericks
2018-19 record: 1-1
For all the focus on the kids -- and the Luka Doncic/Dennis Smith Jr. duo provides optimism that the future is bright in Dallas -- the Mavs need a couple of old vets to keep producing to have any hope of competing for a playoff spot this season. J.J. Barea, who had his best statistical campaign in his 12th year last season, is tied for the league lead with 10.5 assists per game. DeAndre Jordan, the big man in his 11th season, has earned forgiveness and become a Mavs fan favorite with double-doubles in his first two games for Dallas. -- MacMahon
23. Phoenix Suns
2018-19 record: 1-1
The Suns will play against the world champion Warriors for the first time this season on the road on Monday. Suns rookie center Deandre Ayton seems mature beyond his years, as he already has been a vocal leader for the team on the floor and in the locker room. But Ayton was admittedly excited when he met Warriors guard Stephen Curry prior to a recent preseason game in Oakland. -- Spears
24. Brooklyn Nets
2018-19 record: 1-2
Caris LeVert is making an early push for the Most Improved Player award, stepping forward as the leading scoring threat for the young and perennially rebuilding Nets. Jarrett Allen had been his interior lieutenant through two close games before struggling in a blowout loss to the Pacers, their first opponent that made the playoffs last season. On the horizon ... three straight road games against teams that also made appearances this past postseason. -- Snellings
25. Orlando Magic
2018-19 record: 1-2
The Magic played two close games against the 76ers and Heat surrounding a blowout loss to the Hornets. Scoring guards that can shoot have been their bane thus far, with the leading 2 of each opponent averaging 27.7 points on 54 percent from the field with 5.3 3-pointers through the first three games. Not great, when their next two opponents this week feature very strong backcourts. -- Snellings
26. New York Knicks
2018-19 record: 1-2
The Knicks have built their early-season identity around the inside-out duo of Enes Kanter and Tim Hardaway Jr., with the former a nightly double-double and the latter scoring almost 30 points per game. With Trey Burke stabilizing the point guard position and undrafted rookie free agent Allonzo Trier providing a scoring punch off the bench, the Knicks had a surprisingly competitive first week with a blowout win and two one-possession losses. -- Snellings
27. Cleveland Cavaliers
2018-19 record: 0-3
The defense is still quite terrible. The offense, as expected, has seen enormous changes and drop-offs without LeBron James in the mix. Cleveland ranked in the top five in 3-point attempt rate during each of LeBron's four seasons there but ranked 29th in that category heading into Monday's games. We all knew Kevin Love would be most impacted by James' departure, but the early returns have been rough to say the least: shooting just 30 percent from the field, despite nearly 70 percent of those shot attempts coming from inside the arc -- the highest share of 2-pointers he has taken since the 2011-12 season. -- Herring
28. Chicago Bulls
2018-19 record: 0-2
It would've been understandable if there were concerns last season about how Zach LaVine looked on offense once he came back from a torn ACL. But his explosiveness and efficiency around the rim suggest he's back to his old self on that end. Unfortunately for the Bulls, who often run out three turnstiles at a time on defense, they lack the ability to get stops when necessary. Having Jabari Parker on the court in a must-stop defensive scenario, for example, proved fatal against Detroit on Saturday night. -- Herring
29. Sacramento Kings
2018-19 record: 1-2
Keep an eye on how No. 2 draft pick Marvin Bagley III is used early this season. There are rumblings that Bagley and his family were disappointed by him playing only 12 minutes off the bench in his rookie debut against the Jazz on Oct. 17, a source told The Undefeated. But in the second game on Friday against New Orleans, Kings coach Dave Joerger played Bagley 33 minutes. Bagley responded with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes off the bench. -- Spears
30. Atlanta Hawks
2018-19 record: 1-2
Trae Young posted the first rookie supernova performance of the season on Sunday with a 35-point outburst in the Hawks' win over Cleveland. Young is almost certain to rank among the top two rookies this season in usage rate -- with the man he was traded for, Luka Doncic, as the other candidate. The two face off on Wednesday night (ESPN, 7 ET). -- Arnovitz