AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh

Last Rank: 28

Things have gotten pretty bad in Orlando as the Magic have lost six straight games and are off to their second-worst start since 2004. They also trailed by 51 points to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday so there is that, as well.

AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

Last Rank: 27

Detroit likely could be a tad bit better than its record indicates but has struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter. However, that is to be expected with such a young group. They have two games left on their road trip to try to avoid a winless trek on the West Coast.

Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 29

The Pelicans put together a 2-2 week after beating the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. The team also received some good news when it was announced that Zion Williamson has been cleared to participate in team activities. Things could be looking up in the Big Easy.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 30

Don’t look now but the Rockets are suddenly riding a two-game win streak after losing 15 in a row. John Wall may not be coming back but the schedule is very easy this week (vs. OKC, @OKC, vs. ORL, vs. NO) so Houston could be on the rise.

For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire

AP Photo/Kyle Phillips

Last Rank: 24

After showing signs of life a few weeks ago, the Thunder have since lost five games in a row. Josh Giddey recently made history, though, by joining LeBron James and LaMelo Ball as the only teenagers in NBA history to reach 100 rebounds and 100 assists within their first 20 games at 19 years, 45 days.

For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 26

The Spurs recently had a players-only meeting to discuss their recent slide but the group still managed just a 1-2 week. They are coming off of a strong win over the Boston Celtics that could help them build some positive momentum.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 25

The Alvin Gentry era in Sacramento is off to a 2-2 start after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers in triple overtime. The group is getting great production from Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox as of late — they combined for 59 points in the win over L.A.

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 22

The Raptors have struggled as of late and have dealt with several injuries to key players, such as OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Khem Birch among others. Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes was oddly benched early on Sunday versus the Boston Celtics but still finished with 21 points.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 23

Indiana posted a convincing win over the Chicago Bulls to start the week off and then lost to the Lakers in overtime two nights later. They alternated wins and losses to close out the week but head coach Rick Carlisle recently said he feels like they are finding their footing.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 21

Jaren Jackson Jr. got the week started off right with a game-winner over the Jazz but then Ja Morant went down with a knee injury. Fortunately, it doesn’t look too serious but Morant is expected to miss quite a bit of time.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 16

The Cavaliers received a big boost in the lineup when Evan Mobley returned on Saturday. How big of an absence was it for the Cavaliers? They went 0-4 without him in the lineup and are allowing nine fewer points per 100 possessions when he is on the court.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 18

The Trail Blazers have lost two straight on the road since winning four in a row. The team is fourth in offense but 28th on the other end of the floor, a likely cause for concern at the quarter mark of the season. However, Damian Lillard has put a slow start behind him and is beginning to heat up as expected.

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 9

Denver has lost six games in a row and also received more bad news with the injuries to P.J. Dozier and Michael Porter Jr. Dozier suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss the rest of the season while Porter will undergo back surgery and sit the rest of the year. Denver also starts a seven-game road trip Monday in Miami so they are about to be tested in a serious way.

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 20

The Timberwolves have put a slow start behind them and have won six out of their last seven games. The recent stretch includes a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, which was sealed in the closing seconds of double-overtime on Saturday. D’Angelo Russell wants to put the Timberwolves on the map this season and appears to be doing just that.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 17

New York has failed to gain any consistency since starting 5-1, alternating wins and losses over the last two weeks of action. They are coming off a strong win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and will be looking to build off of that.

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Last Rank: 15

LeBron James reminded everyone last week that he should absolutely be feared, despite what Stephen A. Smith may think. However, the Lakers as a unit still look to be a mess after losing to the Kings in triple overtime and posting only a four-point win over the Pistons.

For more coverage on LeBron James and the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 12

Joel Embiid returned on Saturday after a nine-game absence to score 42 points for the Sixers in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For a guy that only started running a few days ago following a tough battle with the coronavirus, scoring 42 points is very impressive. The team is certainly glad to have him back healthy above all else, and available to play.

For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 19

The Hawks saw their seven-game winning streak end on Sunday in a loss to the Knicks but appear to be on the rise in the Eastern Conference. Trae Young is averaging 28.4 points, 8.8 assists and four rebounds over his last eight games as the Hawks could become a problem.

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 14

Marcus Smart was spectacular on Sunday in a win over the Raptors, recording 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Celtics will need Smart and others to continue to step up, especially with a five-game West Coast road trip looming later this week.

For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 13

Kristaps Porzingis had his seven-game streak of scoring at least 20 points snapped on Saturday in a loss to the Washington Wizards but the veteran has played some of his best basketball as of late. The recent outburst hasn’t netted the Mavericks the results they want but it is encouraging, nonetheless.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 8

The Clippers are coming off a loss to the Golden State Warriors and have alternated wins and losses over their last four games. However, they have seemingly improved each game and still look to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 10

Charlotte has gone 8-2 over its last 10 games, a run sparked by its stout defense. Hornets head coach James Borrego also attributes it to the team learning how to close out games and limiting 3-pointers by opposing teams. It also helps that Miles Bridges continues to ball out.

For more coverage on LaMelo Ball and the Hornets, visit Lonzo Wire

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 3

Despite getting Nikola Vucevic and Alex Caruso back, the Bulls went 1-3 last week with their lone win coming against the Magic. They also fell to the Rockets, who were riding a 15-game losing streak at the time. It is likely nothing to worry about but it may be worth watching how they perform this week.

For more coverage on Lonzo Ball and the Bulls, visit Lonzo Wire

Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 6

The Jazz went 2-2 on the week but their two losses came to the Grizzlies and Pelicans. They continue to have head-scratching losses as their play has been inconsistent. One night they are dominating, the next they are being dominated. They are a tough team to peg right now and will need to take a step forward in the second quarter of the season to be taken seriously.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 11

The Bucks have won seven in a row and look to be getting back on the right track after getting a couple of injured players back. While they have performed well as of late, the real highlight of the week was when Giannis discovered dunking Oreos into milk was a thing.

I asked @Giannis_An34 if Oreos and milk are on the Thanksgiving menu. His response was 2 minutes long.

"From now on, that's an every night snack for me." https://t.co/ecySUFxxUm pic.twitter.com/qU2t0kTH9m

— Stephen Watson (@WISN_Watson) November 25, 2021

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 5

The Wizards struggled to start the week, losing to the Hornets and Pelicans but have since posted two straight wins over the Thunder and Mavericks. Bradley Beal finally has a strong supporting cast around him as the Wizards are getting it done with contributions from everyone. They also have reinforcements on the way as Davis Bertans has returned and Rui Hachimura is expected to be just around the corner.

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 7

Miami recently finished off a 2-2 road trip as it will host the Nuggets on Monday. The game is the first time the Heat and Nuggets will face off since their infamous on-court altercation earlier this month between Markieff Morris and Nikola Jokic. Heat veteran Udonis Haslem fired off a warning to Jokic’s brothers, who may or may not be in attendance for retribution.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 4

The Nets may be the top team in the Eastern Conference but they haven’t proven to be much of a test for the top two teams in the Western Conference in the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. They have lost to both of them recently and have proven to be the inferior team. However, they still have plenty of basketball left to be played to figure things out.

For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 2

The Suns literally cannot lose. They have reeled off 16 straight wins after taking down the Nets on Sunday. Along with the Warriors, the Suns have to be considered the front-runners in the Western Conference as the two teams are miles ahead of their competition. The basketball world will get a look at which team is the better one as they will face each other twice this week.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 1

Radio Hall of Famer Dan Patrick recently joked that Steve Kerr’s biggest challenge this season has been to come up with new ways to describe how well Stephen Curry has been playing and it couldn’t be more true. Curry continues to dominate, averaging 29.8 points over his last 10 games, as the Warriors have won seven in a row.

For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire