While it is still early in the NBA season, we are already beginning to see some trends among teams. Every franchise has played at least 10 games thus far and some teams are already separating themselves from the rest of the league.
Right now, there are four teams in the league that are in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating; the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. Yes, you read that correctly and that is not a typo. The Jazz, who revamped nearly their entire roster in the offseason, is one of the best teams in the NBA in the early going.
It is anyone’s guess how long this can be sustained, but the Jazz are going to ride this positive momentum as long as they can. They are currently 9-3 and are third in offensive rating and eighth in defensive rating.
Utah has six players averaging double-digit points per game, led by Lauri Markkanen, who should be in the running for the Most Improved Player of the Year award. Veteran Mike Conley Jr. has done a great job of leading this team along with Jordan Clarkson, the only holdovers from last season’s rotation with Rudy Gay.
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One of the players who the Jazz traded away as part of their rebuild was Donovan Mitchell, who has fit in perfectly with the Cavaliers. Mitchell is averaging 31.2 points per game and playing the best defense of his career. Partnering in the backcourt with a player of Darius Garland’s caliber has enabled him to focus more on the other side of the court as he isn’t carrying the offensive load on his own as he had to do at times with Utah.
Cleveland is currently second in the league in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating. The closest to them in that regard is the Suns, who are sixth in offensive rating and third in defensive rating.
There were some concerns about Phoenix coming into the season as they didn’t make any moves during the offseason to upgrade their rotation. They will be tested with Cam Johnson sidelined for 1-2 months after undergoing meniscus surgery, but they are once again receiving All-NBA and MVP-caliber performances from Devin Booker.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors & Phoenix Suns Updates
Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges continue providing consistent production behind Booker as well. While Chris Paul’s shot isn’t falling in the early going, he remains a steady influence for the team.
The Raptors just made it onto this list as they are 10th in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. They have a big void to fill with Pascal Siakam sidelined for one or two weeks with an injury as he is having a career season across the board. But, you know Nick Nurse will have them prepared and ready to go regardless of who is in the lineup.
