NBA Power Rankings: Up is down, down is up after crazy start

Last week: Won at Portland 108-100, won vs. Phoenix 108-107 (OT)

This week: Monday at Sacramento, Tuesday vs. Dallas, Thursday at New Orleans, Saturday at Orlando

Welcome back to the Nikola Jokic Show, where the big Serbian continues to do a little of everything for the Denver Nuggets. Through two games, both wins, he has 43 points, 27 rebounds, 14 assists and two blocks (albeit with nine turnovers) and is 3-for-7 from 3-point range after a less-than-stellar 30.7 percent mark on 3.4 attempts a game last season.

Jamal Murray is carrying his share of the load, with 41 points and 45.5 percent shooting from deep and his go-ahead free throws with 19 seconds left in overtime against the Suns, but Will Barton still may be better suited for reserve duty. He’s 4-for-14 overall so far and gives up a lot of size against opposing 3s.

More small sample-size fun: Through two games, Denver has shot better from behind the arc (42.4 percent) than inside it (39.5 percent).

Last week: Lost at Orlando 94-85, won vs. Indiana 110-99

This week: Monday at Milwaukee, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday at Indiana, Sunday vs. Dallas

This ranking likely won’t last for long, so let’s let the Cleveland Cavaliers enjoy it for a little while. The Cavs worked over the Pacers in their home opener on Saturday 110-99 after winning just six games by double-figures all of last season. Speaking of small sample sizes, what about Tristan Thompson — he of the 9.2 points per game career average — putting up 41 points in two games?

Kevin Love seems to have recovered his shooting stroke, going 9-for-18 overall and 3-for-6 from long range so far, but Cleveland probably will need more than nine shots a game from Love to improve on their 19 wins from last season.

The young guard tandem of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland have been good and bad. The duo is shooting a combined 9-for-20 (45.0 percent) from 3-point range, but just 19-for-48 (39.6 percent) overall. Sexton has scored 34 points and Garland 20, with Garland putting up 4.5 assists to 3.6 turnovers per game, while Sexton is at 2.5 a night in each category.

Last week: Lost at Clippers 112-102, won vs. Utah 95-86, won vs. Charlotte 120-101

This week: Tuesday vs. Memphis, Friday at Dallas, Sunday at San Antonio

The Los Angeles Lakers recovered from an opening night loss to the Clippers and it appears the club is starting to get healthier. Rookie Talen Horton-Tucker has been out with a foot injury. but he has been cleared to return to practice, while Kyle Kuzma could be cleared for contact work this week, per Christian Rivas of SBNation.

In the meantime, Anthony Davis is averaging 25.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.3 steals in 34.0 minutes per game and he’s even — gasp! — spending some time at the 5, while LeBron James is putting up 23.3 points, 10.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 34.0 minutes per game.

Danny Green is getting it done from deep, hitting 10-of-19 3-pointers so far while averaging 14 points per game. JaVale McGee is starting while Dwight Howard is getting more minutes at center, while Avery Bradley is splitting time with struggling Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the backcourt. KCP is averaging just 3.7 points per game on 4-of-17 shooting thus far.