Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have been the obvious choice for the top spot for the last couple weeks of the NBA power rankings, but a handful of teams may finally be pushing them.

The Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers are only two games back in the loss column, and both are above Milwaukee on the net rating leaderboard. It's time to start taking the 10-3 Utah Jazz seriously too (no, seriously).

All of the above have arguments to be in the top three, but this space also gives us a chance to look at the teams that are sliding. With numbers, title prospects and recent performance all in the criteria cocktail, there are plenty of teams moving in both directions.

30. Houston Rockets (2-10)

Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -7.7

The Houston Rockets finally got their second win of the season this week, and they showed off plenty of team-wide upside in the process.

Kevin Porter Jr. went for 17 points and 11 assists. Jalen Green dropped 34 on 18 shots. And Alperen Şengün added 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

When it's all clicking, as it was in Monday's win over the Orlando Magic, it's easy to get excited about the Rockets. KPJ can be a high-end table-setter who can also get his own buckets. Şengün mixes old-school post play with modern creativity and passing in a way few others do. And Green can torch a team from the outside while adding the occasional above-the-rim spectacle.

Of course, as is the case with most young teams, those moments are few and far between. There's a reason they're in the bottom 10 in both offense and defense, but it's more fun to keep tabs on the flashes of upside than dwell on the record most expected them to have anyway.

29. Detroit Pistons (3-9)

Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -10.0

Is it time to start worrying about Cade Cunningham's efficiency?

When he shot 40.0 percent from three and 84.6 percent from the line as a freshman at Oklahoma State, his jumper understandably became one of his biggest selling points.

After going 1-of-11 from the field (and 0-of-6 from three) in Wednesday's blowout loss to the Boston Celtics, Cade's 2022-23 shooting marks are down to 41.5 from the field and 27.9 from deep. And that's on the heels of a rookie campaign in which his shooting splits were 41.6, 31.4 and 84.5 from the stripe.

With his size and feel as a creator and passer, there's still plenty of upside, but that kind of shooting is hard to overcome (for both the team and the individual).

28. Los Angeles Lakers (2-9)

Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -7.6

The Los Angeles Lakers are bad.

And we probably all knew it long before the season started.

At that point, the criticism was largely based on hypotheticals, though. Now, we've seen it in action, and the results are one of the league's worst records and net ratings.

And there isn't a singular culprit.

L.A. is minus-5.6 points per 100 possessions when Russell Westbrook is on the floor, which is somehow the best net rating of the Big Three (Anthony Davis' is minus-6.0, and LeBron James' is minus-8.5).

They're still dead last in team three-point percentage, and every Laker outside those in the aforementioned trio has a below-average box plus/minus (with several below replacement level).

27. Charlotte Hornets (3-10)

Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -5.4

The Charlotte Hornets being seven games below .500 has an awful lot to do with Terry Rozier only logging six appearances so far.

Charlotte is 1-5 when the plays, but it is winning his minutes. The Hornets are plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions when Rozier is on the floor, compared to minus-9.3 without him.

And he may be getting some All-Star backcourt help soon.

Whenever LaMelo Ball returns, Charlotte will have one of the game's more dynamic guard combos. Even without much depth in the frontcourt, the kind of 1-2 punch they can bring should at least make the Hornets competitive.

26. San Antonio Spurs (5-7)

Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -6.8

After an unexpectedly strong start, the San Antonio Spurs are starting to look like the team we anticipated heading into 2022-23.

San Antonio has lost five straight, and it's getting torched on defense during this streak.

Since November 2 (the beginning of this skid), the Spurs are surrendering a league-worst 120.1 points per 100 possessions. And there aren't any injuries you can pin that on.

San Antonio simply doesn't have enough stoppers to consistently win games (Jakob Poeltl is the only starter with an above-average defensive box plus/minus), and that's probably fine for now.

The more losses the Spurs pile up, the more pingpong balls they'll have in this summer's lottery, when Victor Wembanyama will be perhaps the biggest draft prize since LeBron James.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-7)

Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -2.5

The losses are piling up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who haven't won since November 1 but are still getting superstar individual performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

After dropping 39 in a double-overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, SGA is up to 31.6 points and 5.6 assists with a league-leading 94.8 free-throw percentage.

What may be almost as encouraging as the offensive explosion, though, is a surge in defensive counting stats. With averages of 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, Gilgeous-Alexander is the only player in the league with marks of at least 1.5 in both categories.

24. Orlando Magic (3-9)

Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -4.4

The Orlando Magic beat Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks without Paolo Banchero on Wednesday (he was out with a sprained ankle), but he remains the primary source of hope for this young roster (though there's plenty to like about Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Bol Bol).

Over his last three games, Banchero is putting up 28.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals.

And for the entire season, his bigger impact on the point differential might actually be coming from the other end (though that may have a lot to do with all the time he's spent with Carter and Bol).

When Banchero is on the floor, Orlando is giving up 111.4 points per game, compared to 118.8 when he's off.

23. New York Knicks (5-6)

Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -2.7

Eleven games into 2022-23, and the New York Knicks have a worse net rating than they did last season while dealing with one of the same primary issues.

For the second year in a row, the team is significantly better when Julius Randle is off the floor. In 2021-22, his ball dominance and inefficient scoring ground the offense to a halt. This season, it's the defense that's disastrous when Randle plays.

A demotion might seem obvious, but that's a tough call to make for the team's second-highest-paid player.

With a sample size of over a year to deal with, though, something may have to give. New York's four-year, $104 million contract for Jalen Brunson and pursuit of Donovan Mitchell this summer suggest it wants to push for the playoffs now.

To pull that off, a lineup change or a trade might have to happen.

22. Indiana Pacers (5-6)

Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -1.3

Maybe Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is 4D chessing a two-award season for Bennedict Mathurin, who has to be in the conversation for both Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, but it's time to move the first-year pro into the starting five.

On Wednesday, he went off for 23 first-half points in a loss to the Denver Nuggets and was perhaps the primary reason for his team building an 18-point lead.

Mathurin finished the game with 30 points and a plus-five (all five starters were minuses).

On the year, Indiana's point differential is slightly better when Mathurin is in the game, and if the Pacers want to develop the chemistry of what should be considered their backcourt of the future, they should be playing them together as much as possible.

21. Sacramento Kings (4-6)

Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.1

After starting 0-4, the Sacramento Kings have won four of their last six games. And they might be one egregious no-call away from a three-game winning streak.

Even without the whistle Klay Thompson clearly deserved in Sacramento's loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Kings appear headed in the right direction. The turn coincided with rookie Keegan Murray's insertion into the starting lineup.

The team is above .500 since that move, and the net rating of the starters (De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Murray and Domantas Sabonis) is plus-4.8.

It's not hard to see why. Surrounding Fox and Sabonis' middle-of-the-floor two-man game with as much shooting as possible makes that group tough to defend, but it's actually making more waves on the other end.

The length and switchability of the wings, Fox's tenacity at the point of attack and Sabonis' dominance on the boards have made that a surprisingly good defensive unit.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-7)

Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -1.0

A learning curve was to be expected for the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves, but the speed bumps they've hit on the way up are borderline embarrassing.

Earlier this week, Anthony Edwards couldn't have been much clearer about his disdain for a specific play not being drawn up for him.

Minnesota won that game against the rebuilding Houston Rockets, so reactions to that possession may have been more mild or humorous than they would've been after a loss.

Since then, they've added two more losses, and D'Angelo Russell straight-up forgot to walk onto the floor after checking in during Wednesday's game against the Phoenix Suns.

Piling viral gaffes on top of the fact that the Timberwolves are worse with this summer's prized acquisition, Rudy Gobert, on the floor makes it more than fair to start worrying about this team.

19. Brooklyn Nets (5-7)

Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: +1.5

The Brooklyn Nets have a couple of $30-plus-million problems on the roster.

Kyrie Irving, who's making $36.9 million this season, has been out for four games. Brooklyn is 3-1 since his suspension started. Ben Simmons with his $35.4 million salary is now coming off the bench (at least in Wednesday's blowout win over the New York Knicks), and that's after the Nets went 3-1 during his own absence.

And all the while, the "Kevin Durant and role players" model is working far better than Brooklyn's Big Three.

KD is averaging 29.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 threes while shooting 52.5 percent from the field in his last six games. His net rating in that stretch is 17.4.

If the Nets want to keep winning, Kyrie (whenever he returns) and Simmons may have to get fully on board with being supporting players (albeit high-level ones).

18. Washington Wizards (6-6)

Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -3.2

With Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porziņģis both out, the Washington Wizards flashed some depth at the forward position in Thursday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Kyle Kuzma led the way with 36 points on 14-of-26 shooting, 11 rebounds and six assists. Rui Hachimura added 23 on 14 shots. And Deni Avdija went for 12 points and four assists.

Washington obviously isn't hitting its ceiling without Beal and Porziņģis, but wins like that prove this team is about far more than that top two.

Kuzma, in particular, has been great. He's now averaging 18.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 threes, and the Wizards' net rating is 11.1 points better when he's on the floor.

17. Philadelphia 76ers (5-7)

Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +1.2

The absence of James Harden has afforded a handful of Philadelphia 76ers the opportunity to get some more shots and minutes. Later down the road, boosts in confidence and chemistry may follow.

Those may be less likely if Philadelphia stacks up a bunch of losses while Harden is out, though.

He's missed the Sixers' last three games, and they're 1-2 in that stretch. The lone win came in a game in which Chris Paul left early due to an injury of his own.

And in those contests, Philly put up just 99.7 points per game (compared to a still bottom-10-ranked 110.4 in their nine previous games).

As tempting (and maybe even necessary) as it is for the 76ers to slow things down and play through Joel Embiid, that style undercuts what makes Tyrese Maxey so special.

For at least a few stints over the course of the game, he should simply be cut loose. In transition, the half court, whatever.

This offense is unimaginative right now, and Maxey is the player who can infuse some creativity.

16. Miami Heat (5-7)

Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: -1.0

The Miami Heat needed overtime to beat the 3-10 Charlotte Hornets at home on Thursday. And the squeaker offered an illustration of one of the biggest reasons the team is below .500.

Each of the four starters not named Kyle Lowry was at least a plus-three for the game. Miami was dead even when Lowry was on the floor. And that swing wasn't close to as dramatic as the season-long one.

Through 12 games, the Heat are minus-4.4 points per 100 possessions with Lowry on the floor. They're plus-8.8 when he's out.

His individual numbers (13.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.3 threes) sound pretty solid for a 36-year-old point guard, but he looks to have lost a step or two when you watch him in action, and that often compromises the defense.

15. Chicago Bulls (6-7)

Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.6

Thirty-three-year-old DeMar DeRozan picked up right where he left off in 2021-22, at least in terms of basic numbers.

After going for 33 points on 14-of-26 shooting on Wednesday, he's up to 24.5 points on 50.7 percent shooting.

Unfortunately, a pre-2021-22 trend has reared its ugly head in this early portion of the season.

From the start of his career through his last year with the San Antonio Spurs, DeRozan's teams were dead even when he was on the floor and plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions when he was off.

And in this second campaign with the Chicago Bulls, they're minus-1.2 points per 100 possessions with DeRozan on the floor and plus-9.7 when he's off.

It's a team sport, and there are plenty of factors at play here, but DeRozan's lack of defense and three-point shooting may be more of a problem this season than it was in the last, perhaps because he's without Lonzo Ball from the jump (his swing was plus-5.2 in 2021-22).

14. Golden State Warriors (4-7)

Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: -3.6

The Golden State Warriors being below .500 while getting peak Stephen Curry performances has to be concerning.

In his first 10 games, Curry is going off to the tune of 32.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 5.3 threes per game. He's shooting 43.1 percent from deep while posting his highest box plus/minus since 2015-16.

When he's on the floor, the Warriors are outscoring their opponents by 8.1 points per 100 possessions (a point differential around that of a 59-win team).

The problem, of course, is that Golden State's net rating plummets (to put it lightly) to minus-20.1 when he isn't in the game (a point differential around that of a five-win team).

The internet's primary scapegoat for the collapse has been James Wiseman, who recently fell out of the rotation entirely.

Following Steve Kerr's comments about the Warriors' intent to play smaller (and re-introduce Jonathan Kuminga to the rotation), Wiseman failed to register a minute in a 116-113 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Of course, Golden State was still minus-17 without Curry in that game. And it needed a pretty egregious no-call on a last-second attempt from Kevin Huerter to avoid overtime.

There's still a lot for the Warriors to figure out, and expecting Curry to keep them afloat until then is a big ask.

13. Los Angeles Clippers (7-5)

Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -1.8

After starting 2-4 and getting fewer appearances than expected from Kawhi Leonard, concern started to creep up on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Paul George is almost single-handedly putting that to bed.

L.A. is 5-1 in its last six games. And during that stretch, PG is at 30.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 4.0 threes (with a 42.9 three-point percentage) and 1.8 steals.

The last few years from Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić have changed our perception of stat lines, but those numbers from PG would've looked MVP-caliber in previous eras.

If George can keep this up whenever Kawhi is out, and the Clippers can get (and keep) Kawhi healthy enough for a playoff run, L.A. will be in the mix for a championship.

12. New Orleans Pelicans (6-6)

Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +2.4

The New Orleans Pelicans are suddenly in a bit of a funk, and it suggests it may take a little longer than expected to integrate all the offensive options.

At 23.3 points, Zion Williamson is leading the Pelicans in scoring, but his 54.8 field-goal percentage is 5.6 points lower than his career mark prior to this campaign. And New Orleans is actually scoring less per 100 possessions when Zion is on the floor.

CJ McCollum is shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from deep. And Herbert Jones is shooting 13.3 percent from three.

But the culprit for the funk may not be any of the above. New Orleans has been significantly better without Jonas Valanciunas on the floor, and we've barely seen any time for all of McCollum, Zion and Brandon Ingram without the traditional center on the floor.

They obviously shouldn't dump JV from the rotation altogether, but more minutes with a spread floor and wider cutting lanes for Zion could do wonders for everyone.

11. Dallas Mavericks (6-5)

Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +3.5

Luka Dončić finally showed signs of mortality this week, and the results were two losses for the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka scored at least 31 points in each of his first nine games of the season. Over the last two, he averaged 23.0 points on 25.0 shots.

And while Spencer Dinwiddie has been good (he put up 62 points in the back-to-back losses), this little stretch feels like a reminder that Luka's workload may not be sustainable.

Whenever Christian Wood returns from a knee sprain (which could happen soon), it may be time to move him into the starting five and trust him with a few more possessions.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (9-3)

Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +2.5

The Portland Trail Blazers floundering in games without Damian Lillard wouldn't have been surprising, but after Thursday's road win over the New Orleans Pelicans, they're now 3-2 when Lillard is out of the lineup.

The remade supporting cast (which started coming together when the Blazers traded CJ McCollum last season) has earned the credit.

Jerami Grant is averaging 19.2 points and shooting 44.4 percent from three. And he's vacillating effortlessly from role player when Lillard is available to more of a lead dog when he's out.

On Thursday, he looked like a star on the way to 27 points, four steals, four threes and four assists.

But he's not alone. Josh Hart (acquired as part of the McCollum deal) is averaging a rarely seen stat line for a wing with 9.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Anfernee Simons is growing into his new role as the No. 2 option with 22.1 points. And rookie Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 9.4 points in 21.0 minutes and showing flashes of star upside.

Portland will still need Lillard healthy and playing like a star to keep up this winning pace all season, but his teammates are demonstrating early on that they're ready and willing to alleviate some of his responsibility.

9. Atlanta Hawks (8-4)

Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +2.3

Trae Young is shooting terribly this season. There's no getting around it.

After going 7-of-21 in Thursday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Young has hit less than 50 percent of his shots in 10 of his 11 games. Overall, he's shooting 37.4 percent from the field.

And yet, Atlanta has won twice as many games as it has lost. It's not hard to see why.

The Dejounte Murray acquisition looks like a grand slam. His perimeter defense and slashing ability have been game-changing on both ends of the floor.

He's averaging 21.6 points, 8.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals. When Murray is on the floor, the Hawks are plus-6.0 points per 100 possessions (compared to minus-8.4 when he's off).

With a second bona fide star on the roster, the Hawks can now more than survive cold spells from Young.

8. Toronto Raptors (7-5)

Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +5.5

There are reasons for optimism for a number of individual Toronto Raptors.

Pascal Siakam is putting up 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Fred VanVleet is adding 18.8 points and 7.2 assists while shooting 42.1 percent from deep. Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. are all between 14.2 and 17.8 points, while Barnes is handing out 5.0 dimes.

None of that has coalesced into success for the starting lineup that includes all of the above, though. Toronto is minus-6.1 points per 100 possessions when those five are on the floor.

This early in the season, a few good stretches for the group could swing that net rating to the other side of zero, but it should be at least a little concerning that that hasn't already happened. This lineup spent plenty of time together in 2021-22. It should be past the learning curve.

7. Memphis Grizzlies (8-4)

Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +0.9

After 2021-22's season-long trend of the Memphis Grizzlies being better without Ja Morant, things have flipped dramatically in 2022-23.

Ja had 32 points and was plus-11 in a two-point overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. On the year, the Grizzlies are plus-7.4 points per 100 possessions with Morant and minus-8.3 without him.

His impact is catching up with his dynamic slashing and scoring ability. And the starting unit is playing like a juggernaut with him.

Once Jaren Jackson Jr. returns from foot rehab and David Roddy and/or Jake LaRavia adapt to the NBA game, there shouldn't be quite as significant of a drop-off to the bench, and the Grizzlies could very well be in the title contenders mix.

6. Utah Jazz (10-3)

Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +6.3

These power rankings remained cautious on the Utah Jazz for as long as they could. After securing a fourth straight win on Wednesday—this time over Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and the Atlanta Hawks—it's clear they're for real.

Utah trails only the Boston Celtics in points scored per 100 possessions. All five starters (Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, Jarred Vanderbilt and Kelly Olynyk) are averaging career highs in assists per game. And the team is in the top 10 in three-point percentage.

This group plays hard on both ends of the floor. They deploy plenty of ball and player movement. And no one appears anxious to get the credit.

When you don't have a full-fledged superstar, selflessness is critical. And Utah has it in spades.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-3)

Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +8.9

The Cleveland Cavaliers have hit what feels like their first real road bump of the season.

They've lost two straight, and the balance between Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland has yet to be struck.

On the year, Cleveland is minus-7.1 points per 100 possessions when both All-Star guards are on the floor, but the losing minutes may not be directly attributable to them.

With that much ball-handling in the game, there really isn't a need for Caris LeVert, who's taking 12.1 shots per contest and posting a way-below-average effective field-goal percentage.

Replacing him with a dedicated floor spacer such as Dean Wade (who's shooting 50.0 percent from three) would not only open things up for the starters, but it would also give LeVert the opportunity to play heat-check guy against opposing second units.

On the year, Cleveland is plus-18.3 points per 100 possessions with Wade on the floor and plus-0.6 with him off.

4. Denver Nuggets (8-3)

Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +2.6

The Denver Nuggets had no business getting a road win on Wednesday, when Nikola Jokic was limited to 21 minutes by foul calls.

But the remade cast around him (that includes the returns of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray) showed it may be ready to lend the support Jokic needs.

Aaron Gordon, acquired in a trade during the 2020-21 season, had 18 points and 16 boards in the win over the Indiana Pacers. MPJ, who's shooting 48.6 percent from deep, hit three threes. And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was added this summer, hit three crucial threes with Jokic out that swung the momentum to Denver.

Overall, the Nuggets are still getting crushed when Jokic is off the floor, but moments like Wednesday's are encouraging. Once Murray gets back up to speed (and his 18.4 points over Denver's last five games suggest he's close), Denver will be one of the toughest outs in the league.

3. Boston Celtics (8-3)

Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +5.0

It's going to be tough for anyone to crack the tier created by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic in this early portion of this season, but Jayson Tatum will command some mentions in the MVP conversation.

He's averaging 31.2 points on 20.1 attempts per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three. And while he won't catch Giannis, Luka or Nikola Jokic in the ancillary numbers (like rebounds and assists), those players may not reach the heights Tatum does on defense. That might even include Giannis.

Tatum led the league in defensive win shares in 2021-22, a leaderboard typically dominated by big men. And while he doesn't protect the rim like Giannis, his versatility on the outside is arguably more important in the playoffs.

With Tatum playing like this, and Jaylen Brown seemingly leveling up again (he's at 25.4 points so far this season), Boston is very much back in the contenders' picture.

2. Phoenix Suns (8-3)

Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +9.1

The Phoenix Suns appear to have exorcised whatever demons possessed them during their two-game implosion against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 playoffs.

Not only did they beat the Mavs during their first regular-season game, but they're also tied with a small handful of other teams in the loss column at the top of the Western Conference and are alone in first place in net rating.

That's happening even though Chris Paul's scoring efficiency has fallen off a cliff, thanks in large part to another All-NBA-caliber start from Devin Booker.

He's at 27.5 points and 5.5 assists per game (his highest average since 2019-20) with a career-high 40.0 three-point percentage.

1. Milwaukee Bucks (10-1)

Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +8.0

Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's missed two of the last three games with knee soreness, the Milwaukee Bucks just keep on rolling.

Following Wednesday's double-overtime road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee is 2-0 without Giannis in the lineup.

And while Jevon Carter will get (and deserves) tons of credit for that particular win, it may be time to put a spotlight on Brook Lopez.

Carter replaced Antetokounmpo's scoring with 36 points against OKC, but Lopez was plus-10 and had 24 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.

On the season, Milwaukee is plus-12.0 points per 100 possessions with a 54.3 rebounding percentage when Lopez is on the floor. It's plus-2.0 with a 49.5 rebounding percentage without him.

Much has been made of Lopez's lack of huge rebounding totals over the years, but those numbers (and simply watching Lopez block out multiple players during games) illustrate his impact on that aspect of the game.

Add that to his three-point shooting and league-leading 2.7 blocks per game, and it's easy to see why he's such a difference-maker.

Stat of the Week

Box plus/minus is perhaps the most accessible, historically relevant (since it's tracked back to 1973-74) catch-all metric for NBA players.

According to Basketball Reference, it's a "box score-based metric that estimates a basketball player’s contribution to the team when that player is on the court."

And in 2016-17, Russell Westbrook essentially broke it with an unprecedented combination of scoring, rebounding and playmaking.

That led to an adjustment that lowered Westbrook's 2016-17 mark (it was previously the all-time best), but it obviously didn't stop the wave of heliocentric dominance.

In recent years, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić added way-above-average scoring efficiency to peak-Russ-like counting stats. And these superstars are waging all-out war on the all-time box plus/minus leaderboard.

Jokić set the record last season. He now has two of the top five marks ever. And Giannis' 11.7 in 2022-23 is on pace to be 11th all-time. But he's not alone.

Luka, Stephen Curry and Jokić are 15th, 18th and 32nd, respectively, on that all-time list. Even Kevin Love, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell are in the top 100.

And as tempting as it might be to make that a referendum on the stat itself, maybe it's just an indication of how ridiculously talented the league is right now. More than ever, stars are expected to do everything. And many of them are meeting (or even exceeding) that challenge.

For fans of good old-fashioned basketball skill, this is a glory era.

Sophomore of the Year

After a hotly contested Rookie of the Year race that ended with Scottie Barnes being crowned, the 2021 draft class may be even more interesting in year two.

Among the top five in Rookie of the Year voting (Barnes, Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Franz Wagner) Barnes (1.3) and Mobley (0.4) are the only two with above-average box plus/minuses. And neither has been as good as Alperen Şengün in this early portion of the season.

The Houston Rockets big man is putting up 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in just 27.0 minutes per game.

And he's not the only second-year pro showing significant improvement. Sam Hauser looks like a dynamic floor spacer for the Boston Celtics. Trey Murphy III is doing the same while probably providing a little more defense for the New Orleans Pelicans. And Bones Hyland has already had two game-swinging performances off the bench for the Denver Nuggets.

If Sophomore of the Year was a thing, Şengün would probably be in the lead, but the larger point is that the league is getting a huge influx of talent. This year's rookie class is helping too.

While players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard are (to varying degrees) showing signs of age, NBA fans should rest assured that the next wave has a chance to be every bit as entertaining.

Stats via NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise noted.