NBA Power Rankings 2024-25: Top 10 teams after Week 1 ft. LA Lakers and Boston Celtics

After a long offseason, a fresh NBA season is finally underway. Some teams have come out of the gates better than expected, while others are falling short of expectations. Still with a long way to go, anything can change in the coming months.

Through the first week of play, four NBA teams have managed to remain unbeaten. In the East, the regining champ Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are undefeated. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers and OKC Thunder still haven't been taken down out West.

Now that each team has gotten at least two games under their belts, here is a fresh look at power rankings.

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NBA power rankings after Week 1 of the 2024-25 season:

10) Orlando Magic

Rounding out the top 10 is the Orlando Magic. After finishing as a top five team in the East last season, the young squad has kicked off the 2024-25 campaign in impressive fashion.

Currently, the Magic sit at 2-1 on the year. They kicked off the season with wins against the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets before being handed their first loss by the Memphis Grizzlies.

It's worth noting that the Magic are top ten in offensive (114.3) and defensive (107.0) rating among all 30 teams.

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9) Dallas Mavericks

Next up is the Dallas Mavericks, who are aiming to get back to the NBA Finals after coming up just short last season. They find themselves at 1-1 to start the year. Dallas picked up a win against the San Antonio Spurs in their season opener, but were most recently beaten by Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.

With their new additions, the Mavericks are just outside the top ten in defensive rating (11). However, they find themselves with a midlle-of-the-pack offense to start this season.

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8) LA Clippers

One of the more shocking teams to kick off this NBA season is the LA Clippers. Despite Paul George deparitng and Kawhi Leonard being out, the team is finding ways to stay afloat.

Led by James Harden, the Clippers are 2-1 through their first three games. They were close to being 3-0, but lost their season opener in overtime to the Phoenix Suns. What's most shocking from LA is that their 103.2 defensive rating is good for third-best in the league right now.

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7) Minnesota Timberwolves

Just ahead of the Clippers is another one of the NBA's new-look teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Led by Anthony Edwards, they come out of the gates with a 2-1 record.

Following an opening night loss to the LA Lakers, the Timberwolves bounced back by picking up wins against the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors. Defense continues to be a driving force for them, as their 109.8 defensive rating has them in the top ten.

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6) New York Knicks

The New York Knicks were a team many fans and analysts had circled heading into this season. They've had an up-and-down start to the year, splitting their first two games.

On opening night, the Knicks suffered a blowout loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics. They quickly got themselves back on track, picking up a win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

After all their changes this summer, the Knicks firepower has lived up to expectation. They currently have the leagues third-best offense in terms of offensive rating (123.4).

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5) Phoenix Suns

Since making a change at head coach, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the NBA's better two-way teams. They've had a bit of a tougher schedule to start the year, but still find themselves with a 2-1 record.

The Suns' lone loss came to one of the few undefeated teams left, the LA Lakers. Aside from that, they've managed to score victories over the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks. One massive improvement from the Suns thus far has been their defense, where they're currently sixth-best in the league (108.3 defensive rating).

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4) Cleveland Cavaliers

Just missing the top three is the Cleveland Cavaliers. They've been nothing short of dominant to kick off the season, securing wins in each of their first three games.

The Cavs have been dominant on both ends of the floor, resulting in their 3-0 record. They currently hold the NBA's second-best offense, along with the fourth-best defense.

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3) LA Lakers

Rounding out the top three is one of the NBA's hottest teams to start the year, the LA Lakers. Following their opening night win against the Timberwolves, they've picked up victories over the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.

The addition of JJ Redick as head coach has done wonders for the Lakers, especially on the offensive end. Despite there being no significant changes to the roster, they look like a completely new team on that end of the floor.

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2) OKC Thunder

Before the season got underway, the OKC Thunder were picked to be one of the top teams in the NBA. After finishing atop the West last year, they seemed poised to do it again in 2025.

The Thunder have made quick work of their opponents to start the year, beating the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. Led by second-year big man Chet Holmgren, OKC has the league's best defense with a 90.8 rating.

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1) Boston Celtics

Atop the list is the team with the league's best offense, the Boston Celtics. Starting off the year with a 3-0 record, there doesn't seem to be any signs of championship hangover.

Even with Kristaps Porzingis out of the lineup, the Celtics still look like the best team in the NBA. They secured a statement win on opening night against the Knicks, following by double-digit wins over the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.