The National Basketball Association (NBA) season has officially kicked off. And even though the regular season has just begun, NBA teams are already thinking about the playoffs. With that in mind, the NBA has already released each team’s power ranking. 

The number one team according to nba.nbc sports are the Boston Celtics with a record of 8-1. The Celtics are on a hot streak of winning eight games in a row while being led by small forward Jayson Tatum and point guard Kemba Walker. 

In addition, the Boston Celtics have been in the playoffs for the past five seasons in a row, and it doesn’t look like that streak will be ending this season. 

The number two ranked team in the power rankings are the Los Angeles Lakers. With the team’s addition of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins and top tier power forward Anthony Davis, this team could undoubtedly take over the Western Conference. 

Although the Lakers missed the playoffs last year even with future hall of famer LeBron James on the roster, the Lakers have weapons in Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma that James needs in order to win his fourth NBA title. 

With that, the Milwaukee Bucks are ranked third out of 30. Bucks small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off of his MVP season averaging 30.1 points per game (PPG), 14.3 rebounds per game (RPG), and 6.5 assists per game (APG). If the team stays healthy, then no one in the Eastern Conference will be able to stop them. 

Even though the Minnesota Timberwolves are ranked fourteenth in the power rankings, this team has been killing it recently. Small forward Andrew Wiggins has been playing lights out averaging 25.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.6 APG. The combination of Karl-Anthony Towns and Wiggins are almost unstoppable when they are on the same page on the court. 

The Timberwolves are playing great, and if they keep this up, then there is no doubt in my mind that they will be a dark horse contender in the playoffs. 

Yes, in the past the Timberwolves have not been all that great in the playoffs, but their younger players have had playoff experience and have developed a lot over the past few seasons. With Wiggins healthy, this team could go far.

In my opinion, there are other discrepancies in the NBA power rankings. With the level of play that the Houston Rockets have been playing at, they should not be ranked ninth. With their latest addition of Russell Westbrook, they have an explosive point guard that can create scoring opportunities not only for himself but for everyone around him. The Rockets are a top-five team undoubtedly, and they will show this by midseason. 

Another problem with these power rankings would be to overlook the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have been looked down upon for way too long. Sure, their past few seasons have been dreadful, but once the team gels together and former MVP small forward Kevin Durant returns next season, they will be a scary team. But as of right now, the team looks pretty solid. 

Nets point guard Kyrie Irving is killing it right now. Irving is averaging 28.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG in just eleven games. Irving isn’t just doing it alone, though, he has had a lot of help from center Jarrett Allen who is averaging 25.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and almost 2 BPG (blocks per game). It’s time to stop sleeping on Brooklyn. In a year or two, this team could potentially take over the Eastern Conference.