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20. Washington Wizards (18)

Markieff Morris closed the game against Portland at center on Monday, and his hot shooting at least raised the possibility that Dwight Howard won't be a better option at that spot once he's healthy. For now, Howard is away from the Wizards while he rehabs a sore buttock/lower back, so Washington will get more chances to test its smaller lineups as its trip out West continues.

The Wizards are lucky Morris handled his business against the Blazers. If not for his 28 points and career-best six made threes, that one-point overtime win could have gone the other way. And in that scenario, we'd be looking at a 0-4 Washington team.

The effort has been inconsistent and chemistry concerns will persist indefinitely. Head coach Scott Brooks might want to keep his options open if the Wizards return from their trip with a 1-6 record...which is possible.

19. Memphis Grizzlies (20)

JaMychal Green could be out until late November following surgery to repair a broken jaw. That'll sting the Grizzlies, but Jaren Jackson Jr. is now a starter, which eases the pain.

Jackson has been productive even though one of his signature skills, three-point shooting, has lagged. So far, he's at just 16.7 percent from deep, and foul trouble has been an issue. Still, Jackson got to the line nine times en route to 24 points against the Hawks on Friday, and his defensive versatility remains an asset.

Better still, Mike Conley looks healthy. He's averaging 19.3 points and 5.8 assists in 31.3 minutes per game.

The Grizz took down Utah on the road, but a loss to the Kings on Wednesday effectively canceled out that quality victory.

18. Charlotte Hornets (21)

Kemba Walker earned the first Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor for the season, and it's a little scary to imagine where the Hornets might be without him. An opening schedule that featured four of their first five games on the road had the Hornets leaning on their depth. The result: a 2-3 record and a solid plus-2.2 net rating.

Maybe this is more an indication that Walker lacks help than anything else, but you could also argue that the Hornets' seven players who average between eight and 13 points make them unpredictable on offense when Walker rests.

Ball security didn't leave with former head coach Steve Clifford. Charlotte is turning the rock over on just 11.7 percent of its possessions. Last year, in a fashion typical for a Clifford team, the Hornets ranked third in the league at 12.8 percent.

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (12)

Russell Westbrook is back after knee surgery, but his return wasn't enough to prevent a dispiriting 131-120 home loss to the Kings on Sunday. A lack of player movement grinds OKC's attack to a halt whether Westbrook or Dennis Schroder is in charge, and all the underrated passing in the world won't matter if the Thunder continue to post the league's worst effective field-goal percentage.

Oklahoma City remains one of just two winless teams, thanks to an offense that hasn't come together.

16. Detroit Pistons (19)

Blake Griffin hung a 50 spot on the 76ers during Tuesday's 133-132 overtime win, setting a career high and underscoring just how impressive his transition from high-flying lob-finisher to skilled perimeter big man has been.

Philadelphia had no answers for him, as Dario Saric explained to Rod Beard of the Detroit News: "He was making problems in our defense all the time, and we couldn't find a solution for him. Some of us tried to stop him, and he just had an amazing day. We tried to do everything, but sometimes we can't, you know?"

Detroit's 3-0 start was suspect, as it included a trio of wins by three points or fewer. Thursday's somewhat easier roll over the hapless Cavs doesn't mean much either. Still, with Griffin looking good and the wins (such as they are) piling up, the Pistons climb.