1. Golden State Warriors (previously: 5th)
Current record: 8-2 (3rd in West)
Offensive ranking: 7th
Defensive ranking: 3rd
One thing to know: Golden State leads the league in turnover rate. If they clean that up, they're going to be a juggernaut.
2. Houston Rockets (previously: 11th)
Current record: 9-1 (2nd in West)
Offensive ranking: 19th
Defensive ranking: 1st
One thing to know: Houston was a top-five offensive team last year. If the defense continues to dominate and the offense gets back into the top-10, they're going to be hard to beat.
3. Memphis Grizzlies (previously: 12th)
Current record: 9-1 (1st in West)
Offensive ranking: 17th
Defensive ranking: 4th
One thing to know: There's no mystery about this team. They're one of the best defensive teams in the NBA if they're healthy, but without any shooting (they're 28th in the NBA in 3-point rate) they're easy for good teams to guard.
4. Chicago Bulls (previously: 3rd)
Current record: 7-3 (3rd in East)
Offensive ranking: 8th
Defensive ranking: 11th
One thing to know: The Bulls are 4-1 when Derrick Rose plays, but he's once again sidelined with another leg injury.
5. Toronto Raptors (previously: 7th)
Current record: 8-2 (1st in East)
Offensive ranking: 3rd
Defensive ranking: 7th
One thing to know: The Raptors have an elite offense and defense, but they're still looking for a signature win after losing to the Bulls at home last Thursday.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (previously: 9th)
Current record: 7-3 (4th in West)
Offensive ranking: 5th
Defensive ranking: 10th
One thing to know: Damian Lillard is absolutely shooting the lights out. He's shooting seven threes a game and making 46.5% of them.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (previously: 2nd)
Current record: 5-3 (4th in East)
Offensive ranking: 2nd
Defensive ranking: 25th
One thing to know: The offense is coming along after LeBron James' experiment, but their horrible defense is confirming the biggest offseason fear about this team.
8. San Antonio Spurs (previously: 1st)
Current record: 5-4 (9th in West)
Offensive ranking: 23rd
Defensive ranking: 5th
One thing to know: In typical Spurs fashion, they're easing themselves into the season. Despite their record, they've already beaten the Mavericks, Clippers, and Warriors.
9. Dallas Mavericks (previously: 6th)
Current record: 7-3 (5th in West)
Offensive ranking: 1st
Defensive ranking: 19th
One thing to know: They're currently the most efficient offensive team in NBA history. Small sample sizes are fun.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (previously: 3rd)
Current record: 5-3 (6th in West)
Offensive ranking: 10th
Defensive ranking: 22nd
One thing to know: Blake Griffin has fallen below 50% shooting for the first time in his career.
11. Washington Wizards (previously: 10th)
Current record: 7-2 (2nd in East)
Offensive ranking: 20th
Defensive ranking: 6th
One thing to know: The Wizards' offense will likely pick up when they get shooting guard Bradley Beal back from a wrist fracture in the next few weeks.
12. Sacramento Kings (previously: 23rd)
Current record: 6-4 (8th in West)
Offensive ranking: 12th
Defensive ranking: 16th
One thing to know: DeMarcus Cousins has been awesome, and his biggest improvement has come on the defensive end. He's has the best defensive rating of any King.
13. New Orleans Pelicans (previously: 17th)
Current record: 5-3 (7th in West)
Offensive ranking: 4th
Defensive ranking: 13th
One thing to know: Anthony Davis, destroyer of worlds, is coming into his own as a dominant offensive player. He's scoring nearly 25 points per game on a relatively low 17 shots.
14. Miami Heat (previously: 15th)
Current record: 5-5 (7th in East)
Offensive ranking: 13th
Defensive ranking: 17th
One thing to know: Their offense is fairing well despite losing LeBron, and part of it is because Dwyane Wade is happy and rejuvenated.
15. Phoenix Suns (previously: 14th)
Current record: 5-5 (10th in West)
Offensive ranking: 16th
Defensive ranking: 20th
One thing to know: After getting a massive contract extension, Eric Bledsoe is off to a slow start. His numbers in points, shots, and shooting percentage per game are all down.
16. Atlanta Hawks (previously: 16th)
Current record: 5-4 (5th in East)
Offensive ranking: 16th
Defensive ranking: 21st
One thing to know: Shooting guard Kyle Korver is shooting a ridiculous 57.7% from three-point range through nine games, making him easily Atlanta's most potent offensive player.
17. Milwaukee Bucks (previously: 27th)
Current record: 5-5 (6th in East)
Offensive ranking: 29th
Defensive ranking: 2nd
One thing to know: One of the biggest surprises of the season. Jason Kidd has the team defending, and although their offense is brutal, they're getting nice development from youngsters like Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brandon Knight.
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (previously: 5th)
Current record: 3-8 (12th in West)
Offensive ranking: 28th
Defensive ranking: 9th
One thing to know: Over the next nine games OKC gets Utah (twice), Denver, New York, Philly, and Detroit. If they can somehow inch back toward .500 during that period, they give themselves a chance to make the playoffs when Durant and Westbrook return.
19. Brooklyn Nets (previously: 29th)
Current record: 4-5 (8th in East)
Offensive ranking: 9th
Defensive ranking: 18th
One thing to know: Joe Johnson called out his team right before a tough Western Conference road trip on which they went 0-3.
20. Charlotte Hornets (previously: 13th)
Current record: 4-6 (9th in East)
Offensive ranking: 25th
Defensive ranking: 14th
One thing to know: An NBA scout says prized acquisition Lance Stephenson looks out of shape and uncomfortable not having the ball.
21. Boston Celtics (previously: 24th)
Current record: 3-5 (10th in East)
Offensive ranking: 6th
Defensive ranking: 27th
One thing to know: Rajon Rondo is a regular triple-double threat and has turned a weak supporting cast into an efficient offense.
22. Utah Jazz (previously: 29th)
Current record: 4-7 (11th in West)
Offensive ranking: 11th
Defensive ranking: 29th
One thing to know: They have some exciting young pieces, but they don't quite make sense together. They're the 2nd-slowest team in the NBA in terms of possessions per game.
23. Indiana Pacers (previously: 22nd)
Current record: 4-7 (11th in East)
Offensive ranking: 26th
Defensive ranking: 8th
One thing to know: Injuries have destroyed this team — Roy Hibbert is the only of the Pacers' top-five scorers this season who was a rotation player last season.
24. New York Knicks (previously: 19th)
Current record: 3-8 (14th in East)
Offensive ranking: 18th
Defensive ranking: 24th
One thing to know: Despite growing pains and a fairly tough schedule, they've lost four games by six points or less, so things may still look up for them.
25. Orlando Magic (previously: 28th)
Current record: 4-7 (12th in East)
Offensive ranking: 24th
Defensive ranking: 12th
One thing to know: The return of Victor Oladipo could help a sluggish offense and put less pressure on their surprisingly stout defense.
26. Detroit Pistons (previously: 18th)
Current record: 3-7 (13th in East)
Offensive ranking: 26th
Defensive ranking: 15th
One thing to know: The Josh Smith-Greg Monroe-Andre Drummond trio, which was a disaster last year, has been outscoring opponents by four points per 100 possessions this season.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves (previously: 25th)
Current record: 2-7 (13th in West)
Offensive ranking: 22nd
Defensive ranking: 28th
One thing to know: They're not letting the young guys play. Zach LaVine, Gorgui Dieng, and Anthony Bennett all play 20 minutes per game or fewer.
28. Denver Nuggets (previously: 21st)
Current record: 2-7 (14th in West)
Offensive ranking: 21st
Defensive ranking: 26th
One thing to know: They shouldn't be this bad, considering the roster they have at their disposal. They have the 10th-highest payroll in the NBA.
29. Los Angeles Lakers (previously: 26th)
Current record: 1-9 (15th in West)
Offensive ranking: 14th
Defensive ranking: 30th
One thing to know: Kobe Bryant is taking the 2nd-most shots per game of his career.
30. Philadelphia 76ers
Current record: 0-9 (15th in West)
Offensive ranking: 30th
Defensive ranking: 23rd
One thing to know: Head coach Brett Brown had the perfect description of coaching the NBA's worst team after a 53-point thumping by the Dallas Mavericks.