NBA Power Rankings: Sleeping giant awakes in West; Cavs ready to dethrone Celtics?

Our first regular season NBA Power Rankings have arrived.

Los Angeles Lakers v Cleveland Cavaliers
Los Angeles Lakers v Cleveland Cavaliers | Jason Miller/GettyImages
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10. Denver Nuggets

It's certainly been an up-and-down start to the season for the Denver Nuggets. But if there's any consolation in their struggles to begin the season, it's that every loss that the Nuggets have suffered so far this year has come against a potential playoff team. I'm not sure if that helps the Nuggets fans sleep better at night, but there are clearly some issues this team is trying to work through. Aside from the 2-3 start to the season, something does feel off with the Nuggets. I'm not quite sure what it is, but the hope is that the coaching staff is able to right the ship before it gets too off track.

One thing is clear, the Nuggets don't look like the Nuggets of the last two seasons. Nikola Jokic is still great, but Jamal Murray is off to one of the worst starts in his career and is on pace for a disastrous season. But at this point, you almost have to trust the Nuggets. This is a team that has been battle-tested and one that won an NBA Championship a couple of years ago. The way it works in the NBA is you give the benefit of the doubt until a team proves otherwise. It's certainly been a rough start to the season but I'm not sure if it's the time to punt on the Nuggets just yet.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't had a clean start to the season but that can't be completely expected after the big moves the team is trying to work through. Trading Karl-Anthony Towns is not something you can get used to in a matter of games. You'd have to believe that it's going to take time before the Wolves feel 100 percent comfortable with their new-look roster. Even though Julius Randle does look comfortable and is being productive, I can't imagine we're going to see this team playing at their peak until the second half of the season.

The good early signs are that Anthony Edwards does appear to be taking his game to an entirely different level. He's picking up where he left off in the NBA Playoffs and is playing like one of the faces of the NBA. And if he continues to play at that pace, this is a team that is going to emerge as a contender once again in the Western Conference. I'm not sure the Wolves have the top-tier talent to win an NBA Championship this season but this is a team that can't be overlooked heading into the playoffs.