The Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic have been rebuilding over the past few seasons, but both teams have taken massive leaps back toward competitive basketball this season. The Rockets have moved up to No. 5 in Net Rating, while the Magic are now at No. 6.

NBA Net Rating (Week 5):
1. Celtics: 8.6
2. Thunder: 8.3
3. Wolves: 7.0
4. Sixers: 6.6
5. Rockets: 5.4
6. Magic: 5.3
7. Clippers: 4.2
8. Suns: 3.9
9. Nuggets: 3.9
10. Knicks: 3.9
11. Pacers: 3.2
12. Bucks: 2.8
13. Hawks: 2.4
14. Heat: 2.1
15. Mavericks: 1.1
16. Nets: 0.8
17. Lakers: 0.6
18. Kings: 0.2
19. Warriors: 0.2
20. Pelicans: 0.0
21. Raptors: -0.5
22. Cavaliers: -1.8
23. Bulls: -5.8
24. Jazz: -6.8
25. Pistons: -7.5
26. Hornets: -7.9
27. Grizzlies: -8.4
28. Blazers: -8.5
29. Wizards: -9.3
30. Spurs: -12.5

Devin Booker ended last week with a game winner at Madison Square Garden and has also climbed to No. 4 in the NBA in PER. Booker had a True Shooting Percentage of .628 to go with a 44.4 Assist Percentage. 

NBA PER (Week 5):
1. Nikola Jokic: 33.4
2. Joel Embiid: 31.4
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 30.7
4. Devin Booker: 28.6
5. Tyrese Haliburton: 28.4
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 27.7
7. Luka Doncic: 26.1
8. Kevin Durant: 25.2
9. LeBron James: 24.8
10. Anthony Davis: 24.2
11. De'Aaron Fox: 23.7
12. Mark Williams: 23.6
13. Stephen Curry: 23.5
14. Nicolas Claxton: 23.3
15. Bam Adebayo: 23.1
16. Domantas Sabonis: 23.1
17. Chet Holmgren: 23.1
18. Damian Lillard: 22.0
19. Kyrie Irving: 22.0
20. Alperen Sengun: 22.0
21. Jayson Tatum: 22.0
22. Donovan Mitchell: 21.9
23. Kristaps Porginzigs: 21.9
24. Tyrees Maxey: 21.8
25. Trae Young: 21.7

One month into the season, the Milwaukee Bucks are still adjusting to their trade of Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard.

"I still think we're still trying to figure out...," Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "Not who we are, but who we are trying to be.

"One thing I know for sure is that we've got to get better. We are not even close to, what I believe, what we can really do as a team. ... We're going to try to figure out as a team what works, what doesn't work and it's going to be a process."

"We're still learning each other," Lillard told ESPN last week. "If it would've been flipped and him coming to Portland to play with me, I would've already been comfortable because I've been here. He would have been trying to adapt and get comfortable and figure out how he fits in and maybe would have been a bit more passive in trying to learn the way. That's me right now."

The Oklahoma City Thunder have moved up from No. 13 to No. 3 in Net Rating at 8.7 points per 100 possessions with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers remaining first and second. The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves round out the top-5.

NBA Net Rating (Week 4):
1. Celtics: 11.9
2. Sixers: 9.1
3. Thunder: 8.7
4. Knicks: 6.3
5. Wolves: 6.1
6. Nuggets: 5.8
7. Rockets: 3.7
8. Magic: 2.8
9. Kings: 2.6
10. Mavericks: 2.4
11. Bucks: 2.3
12. Hawks: 2.0
13. Clippers: 1.9
14. Pacers: 1.8
15. Suns: 1.6
16. Cavaliers: 0.2
17. Heat: 0.0
18. Warriors: 0.0
19. Raptors: 0.0
20. Nets: -0.8
21. Lakers: -1.7
22. Bulls: -3.4
23. Pelicans: -3.5
24. Jazz: -5.1
25. Grizzlies: -5.5
26. Pistons: -6.6
27. Wizards: -8.5
28. Hornets: -9.4
29. Blazers: -10.2
30. Spurs: -12.6

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has moved up to No. 3 in the NBA in PER after week four, trailing only Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.

NBA PER (Week 4):
1. Nikola Jokic: 32.9
2. Joel Embiid: 31.6
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 29.6
4. Tyrese Haliburton: 27.3
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 26.9
6. De'Aaron Fox: 26.8
7. Devin Booker: 26.8
8. Luka Doncic: 26.7
9. LeBron James: 25.8
10. Kevin Durant: 25.1
11. Domantas Sabonis: 24.5
12. Donovan Mitchell: 24.5
13. Mark Williams: 24.3
14. Stephen Curry: 24.3
15. Anthony Davis: 23.8
16. Tyrese Maxey: 23.4
17. Kristaps Porzingis: 23.1
18. Alperen Sengun: 23.1
19. Bam Adabayo: 22.8
20. Jimmy Butler: 22.2

The Los Angeles Clippers have yet to win a game since acquiring James Harden. They have lost six in a row and are now 3-7 on the season.

"This is my toughest challenge as a head coach, but I'm up for the task for sure," Lue told Bleacher Report after their loss at the Denver Nuggets. "The biggest thing is getting these guys to sacrifice for guys, whether that's starting the game, finishing the game, shots, touches, who's running pick-and-rolls, and things like that. Getting these guys to sacrifice will be the biggest challenge all season."

The Clippers are continuing to believe that this is merely an integration process.

"We're all honoring this adjustment. We have to sacrifice. We understand it. Simple as that. No one is going against that. Nobody is frustrated about it," Paul George told B/R. "We know what we have. There's one ball, and there's four good motherf--kers. And we understand that and embrace it. We want to make each other better, and I don't think one person is complaining one bit about it."

"Just communication and making sure I'm doing my part with preparation and knowing where we're trying to get to on both sides of the ball," Harden explained to B/R. "I've played a handful of games, and obviously we're not winning, but I'm off the ball more than I've ever been in a very long time. I'm just trying to find a balance between that and getting more pick-and-rolls.

"Our coaching staff and my teammates have communicated about getting me in more pick-and-roll sets. We have a lot of talent, so we're just trying to accommodate and make sure everyone is happy. We're trying to get to what works to make us the best Clippers team.

"I'm just trying to find my way to leave an imprint on the game. I'm using the first 10 games to get in real NBA basketball shape. I didn't have a training camp, so it's going to take some time."

The Minnesota Timberwolves have climbed to No. 3 in the NBA in Net Rating with a mark of +9.6, behind only the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. The Wolves lead the NBA in Defensive Rating at 101.9, which is four points per 100 possessions better than the Celtics at No. 2.

NBA Net Rating (Week 3):
1. Celtics: 13.3
2. Sixers: 11.2
3. Wolves: 9.6
4. Nuggets: 8.9
5. Knicks: 6.5
6. Mavericks: 6.4
7. Rockets: 5.4
8. Magic: 4.0
9. Hawks: 3.3
10. Pacers: 2.8
11. Warriors: 2.7
12. Clippers: 2.0
13. Thunder: 1.8
14. Nets: -0.1
15. Suns: -0.3
16. Heat: -0.8
17. Raptors: -1.5
18. Cavaliers: -2.2
19. Kings: -2.6
20. Bulls: -3.4
21. Bucks: -3.6
22. Pistons: -4.5
23. Lakers: -4.8
24. Blazers: -5.2
25. Grizzlies: -5.4
26. Hornets: -6.9
27. Pelicans: -7.1
28. Wizards: -7.2
29. Jazz: -7.7
30. Spurs: -10.8

Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have battled for each of the past three NBA Most Valuable Player awards and are on course to do so again this season as they already rank first and second in Player Efficiency Rating.

Embiid's teammate, Tyrese Maxey, has climbed to No. 7 as he enjoys a breakout season.

NBA PER (Week 3):
1. Nikola Jokic: 34.4
2. Joel Embiid: 32.2
3. Luka Doncic: 29.3
4. Tyrese Haliburton: 28.4
5. Devin Booker: 28.2
6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 27.8
7. Tyrese Maxey: 26.8
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 26.4
9. Mark Williams: 26.3
10. Stephen Curry: 26.1
11. Anthony Davis: 25.9
12. Donovan Mitchell: 25.5
13. Jalen Smith: 25.2
14. Alperen Sengun: 24.7
15. De'Aaron Fox: 23.9
16. Jayson Tatum: 23.5
17. Bam Adebyo: 22.9
18. Kevin Durant: 22.7
19. LeBron James: 22.6
20. Rui Hachimura: 22.6

Tyrese Maxey scored 50 points as he continues his breakout season in the Philadelphia 76ers' 137-126 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Sixers have now won eight games in a row after their narrow opening night defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Maxey was 20-for-32 from the field and had 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks.

Joel Embiid tagged Maxey with the nickname "The Franchise" again after the game.

"Joel wanted me to get 50 more than even I did," Maxey said. "When he gave me the ball, he said, 'You are going to shoot this basketball.' And that's why I appreciate my teammates, my coaches and the fans. It was a great night and we got the win, which is what matters most."

"We are playing together and trusting each other," Embiid said. "It may look like we didn't play defense tonight, but [Indiana] plays so fast, it's incredible with the pace. So they are going to score a lot, but we just competed. We lowered our guard for a bit, but we had Tyrese to help close it out."

Jonathan Kuminga has been taken under the wing of Chris Paul dating back to the summer. Kuminga is averaging 12.7 points per game and has a 115 offensive rating when on the floor with Paul. Paul worked with Kuminga on his eating habits and how to fit into the offense of the Golden State Warriors.

“That’s my guy, man,” Kuminga said of his new mentor. “Telling me where I need to be on the floor. Telling me places where I need to be to get my [expletive] going. Just small instructions, man. Small details.”