NBA Power Rankings, Week 5

The NBA’s last remaining one-loss team suffered its second defeat when the Golden State Warriors fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Stephen Curry kicked off the week with a 50-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks — and dropped 40 against the Chicago Bulls on Friday — but was 7-of-22 from the field in Sunday’s loss.

The Warriors, though, were still able to grab the top spot this week and maintain the best record in the West. Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are close behind in the standings, riding an eight-game winning streak to the West’s second spot. The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, continue to try to tread water while LeBron James rehabs an abdomen injury that has sidelined him for the past six games.

In the East, Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards are trying to stay ahead of a surging Brooklyn Nets team that has seemingly found its rhythm after an up-and-down start. The Miami Heat have cooled off, while the Milwaukee Bucks have lost seven of their past 10 games.

Can the Bucks stop their skid? Will the Warriors falter as they hit the road? Can the Lakers climb back to the top of the West? Our experts break down where all 30 teams stand after four weeks of play.

Note: Throughout the regular season, our panel (Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

1. Golden State Warriors
2021-22 record: 11-2
Previous ranking: 2

Stephen Curry didn’t have the homecoming that he wanted in Sunday’s loss to the Hornets — shooting just 7-for-22 from the field — but at 11-2, the Warriors still feel great about the direction they’re headed thanks in large part to a deep roster that is playing well together early in the year. The Warriors’ first huge test of the season comes Tuesday night, when they see former teammate Kevin Durant and the…