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

Last week: Won vs. Washington 108-100, won at New Orleans 123-116, lost to Portland 121-119

This week: Tuesday at Denver, Friday vs. Lakers, Sunday at Cleveland

We waited since January to see what Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis could do as a tandem for the Dallas Mavericks. Through three games the answer is simply … “WOW!” Doncic is averaging 29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.3 steals in 36.3 minutes a game, while Porzingis is right there with 26.3 points, 5.7 boards, 3.3 dimes and 2.7 blocks in 31.0 minutes per night.

Doncic is shooting 50.0 percent overall and 31.0 percent on 9.7 3-point tries per game, while Porzingis is at 46.4 overall percent and 40.9 percent on 7.3 long-range attempts. Of course, the only other player in double figures so far is Delon Wright at 11.0 points per game, but no one else is getting more than nine shots per game, either.

Dallas has not been shy about letting it fly from behind the arc, to be sure. The Mavericks are second with 42.0 3-point attempts per game, even as they are just 26th in the NBA at 30.2 percent. Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed a 30-footer at the buzzer Sunday night that could have beaten Portland, is off to an awful start at just 2-for-17 from deep thus far.

Last week: Won vs. New Orleans 130-122 (OT), lost at Boston 112-106, won at Chicago 108-84

This week: Monday vs. Orlando, Wednesday vs. Detroit, Saturday at Milwaukee

So at least through three games, the “can Pascal Siakam handle being the first option” questions have been answered for the Toronto Raptors. Siakam is averaging 28.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 34.0 minutes, even as his shooting has been a little erratic at 46.0 percent overall and 8-for-17 from 3-point range. The 4.3 turnovers per game is something to keep an eye on.

Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet have been just fine as a backcourt tandem, averaging 40.0 points per game between them, with Lowry playing 39.7 minutes a night so far and VanVleet averaging 39.0 minutes a game. Throw in the combined 13.3 assists and 10.0 rebounds and this has been an extremely productive duo.

If the Raptors have a concern, it’s been the disappearance of Marc Gasol, who is neither scoring nor facilitating at the offensive end. Gasol is shooting just 15.8 percent so far, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 assists in 26.7 minutes per game. Serge Ibaka, playing behind Gasol, has been very good, shooting 63.0 percent and blocking 2.0 shots a game.

Last week: Won at Detroit 117-100, won vs. Orlando 103-99

This week: Monday vs. Philadelphia, Tuesday at Miami, Thursday vs, Miami

The Atlanta Hawks bushwhacked the Pistons on the road to open the season and followed it up with a solid victory at home over Orlando. Trae Young has been ridiculous through two games, with 77 points (yes, 38.5 per game), 18 assists and 14 rebounds in 73 minutes, shooting 58.7 percent overall and going 11-for-20 (55.0 percent) from deep.

Jabari Parker is giving the Hawks a lift off the bench with 28 points in two games, hitting 12-of-18 shots, while John Collins is averaging a double-double with 27 points and 22 rebounds and has already blocked five shots (he averaged only 0.6 blocks per game a season ago).

The concern for Atlanta is when Young cools off. The rest of the club is just 9-for-41 from 3-point range (22.0 percent), with rookie Cam Reddish off to an 0-for-8 start from long distance (and just 3-for-15 overall). The Hawks are starting two rookies early in the season, with Reddish and De’Andre Hunter on the first unit.