NBA power rankings 2022-23: Jazz might be for real, Heat lacking sizzle early

The biggest surprise of the 2022-23 season has been the Utah Jazz sitting at the top of the Western conference, something nobody could have predicted when the team dealt Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason. The players who came back in those deals have taken it upon themselves to prove the naysayers wrong, while veteran holdovers Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson provide some important guidance and consistency.

The Jazz could still be sellers at the trade deadline but players like Collin Sexton, Malik Beasley and Lauri Markkanen appear to be safe from trade talks. If Utah is winning with this group, the draft pick doesn't really matter because the rebuilding timeline has been accelerated significantly.

On the flip side, the Miami Heat have not been able to replicate last year's effort which helped them grab the No. 1 seed in the East. Miami is 6-7 because of two wins over the Hornets recently but that is hardly a measuring stick for Jimmy Butler and company. The Heat will get their first real test Monday against the Suns.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to flail and now have to deal with a LeBron James injury. The Brooklyn Nets have played well, especially defensively, while Kyrie Irving remains suspended. And nobody has been able to figure out the Milwaukee Bucks at full strength quite yet.

Here's a look at the updated power rankings for the 2022-23 season.

  
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