Hey everyone! It’s been a month since I wrote one of these. But since we’re two weeks into the second half of the season, we’re back to it! Here are my top 10 rankings for week 13 of the NBA season. As usual, we’ll be discussing teams that just missed the list, and then we will get into the top 10.
MISSED THE CUT
Knicks – The Knicks are a very average team. However, when it comes to the East, they are a good enough team to make it to the playoffs and compete with everyone else. Julius Randle is looking like the best player to play for the Knicks since Carmelo Anthony. While they are inconsistent, they play tough and go all out trying to win their games. Tom Thibodeau has done a great job coaching the team so far, and the Knicks may finally get back into the postseason for the first time in eight years!
Hornets – Believe it or not, but the Charlotte Hornets are currently the 4th seed in the East! I know it sounds crazy, but that sort of thing is typical when you play in an extremely weak conference like that. Recently, the Hornets took a massive blow as LaMelo Ball is likely out for the rest of the season due to a fractured wrist. However, they have won their last two games without him, and I believe that this team is still a playoff-caliber team. Rozier and Hayward will have to step up for their team and lead them to the postseason. A recent report stated that Ball might be able to return sometime later in the season. So, if the Hornets can make it to the playoffs, maybe we can see LaMelo on the court again.
Lakers – Welp. There it is. The Lakers have played so terribly that they missed the top 10 for the first time this season. As if AD’s injury wasn’t enough, LeBron had to leave the game against the Hawks and was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. He’s expected to be out 4-6 weeks, and we can expect his return to the team sometime in late April. To think that it hasn’t even been one week since LeBron’s injury and that we have to watch this team play without their superstars for several more weeks is tough. This team seems lost as they don’t have a leader. They seem to have no communication at all and play for themselves. If this type of gameplay continues, the Lakers will keep falling in the Western Conference. However, I am still not worried because I believe that when this team is healthy, they can easily win the whole thing. Also, the Lakers are favorites to sign Andre Drummond as the Cavs bought him out. That will solve their big man problem. We’ll have to wait and see what kind of moves Rob Pelinka will make in the coming days.
Now onto the top 10…
10. Hawks – When the Hawks fired their head coach, Lloyd Pierce, and Nate McMillan took over as the interim coach, they proceeded to win eight straight games and would’ve won their ninth straight if it wasn’t for blowing a 22 point lead against the Clippers. The Hawks went from being at the bottom of the East to the sixth seed in less than a month. They were the fourth seed at one point as well. This proves that they had a coaching problem all along since this team should have more than 22 wins.
9. Mavs – After a 9-14 start to the season, the Mavs are 23-19 and sit at the seventh seed in the West. Luka is playing like Luka, and Porziņģis has stepped up as well. I believe the Mavs are one of the few teams that can make a deep playoff run in the West. With the addition of JJ Redick yesterday, their shooting will be much improved, and he will replace Seth Curry’s role on the team last year. I believe that this Mavs team will get better and better over time.
8. Blazers – The Blazers had a great win yesterday against the Miami Heat as they could come back from a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter. They also traded for Norman Powell yesterday, which I believe will be very successful for them. Dame is playing like an MVP candidate and is averaging 30 points a night, and since the Lakers’ struggles will likely continue, the Blazers can expect to go up in the standings very soon.
7. Nuggets – Another team with a player playing like an MVP candidate is the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic should not only be a candidate but the frontrunner to win the MVP this year. He is leading his team in every stat imaginable, whether it is on offense or defense. The team itself has been playing much better basketball as well. Also, I believe the Nuggets won the trade deadline yesterday as they traded for Aaron Gordon from the Magic and Javale McGee from the Cavs. Gordon is capable of being a starting PF for the team, and McGee will fill in the role of backup C to Jokic. A center is a position that the Nuggets needed this year after they lost Mason Plumlee to the Pistons in free agency. The Nuggets, just like the Blazers, can expect to go up in the standings as the Lakers will continue to fall.
6. Clippers – After losing their last five out of seven games, the Clippers have been able to bounce back and win four games in a row. Their wins are against very mediocre teams such as the Hawks, the Hornets, and the Spurs; however, a win is a win. They now sit at 30-16 and are third in the Western Conference. They traded away Lou Williams to the Hawks yesterday in exchange for Rajon Rondo. I’m not sure how this trade will go for them. While Rondo will most definitely step up in the playoffs, they lost one of their best scorers in Lou Williams, who can drop 20 points of the bench any night. We’re just going to have to wait and see in the playoffs if this Clippers team is different or if they’re just the same old Clippers.
5. Suns – The Phoenix Suns now sit comfortably at the second seed in the Western Conference. They have been the most impressive team this year so far, in my opinion. After seeing them go 8-0 in the bubble last year, most people expected them to be good this year, especially with the addition of Chris Paul, but not this good. If we were in 2005, Chris Paul would be one of the leading candidates for MVP, similar to Nash, for how good he has been playing this season. As far as if the Suns are for real or not, I don’t know yet. Obviously, CP3 has a lot of playoff experience, but everyone else, including Devin Booker, does not. We still have two months to go in the regular season, and that gives the Suns plenty of time to improve their chemistry and prepare for their first playoffs in a whole decade.
4. Sixers – The Sixers were still the first seed in the East at 32-13 after a win over the Lakers last night. However, their last few wins have been a little sloppy. They were able to beat the Knicks by one point, almost blew a 25 point lead against the Warriors, and beat the shorthanded Lakers last night in a close game due to a fantastic night from Danny Green. If this team wants to make the finals this year, they will have to play better basketball without Embiid to prove that they are just as good of a team without him.
3. Jazz – The Jazz dropped two spots since the last week 9 list, not because they have been playing poorly but because the two teams above them have simply been playing better. The Jazz recently has had a few tough losses to the Wizards, the Warriors, the Sixers, and the Pelicans. They have recently only been beating below average to bad teams. However, they shouldn’t worry too much since they have the easiest remaining schedule in the league and are currently the first seed in the West with a three-game lead over the Suns.
2. Bucks – Giannis and the Bucks have been on fire recently. They have won their last eight games and show no signs of slowing down. Giannis is playing amazing basketball, and he is showing his case for going back to back to back in MVP. The Bucks recently added PJ Tucker to the team as well, who will significantly improve their defense. If this team gets matched up with the Nets, you will have Jrue Holiday on Kyrie, PJ Tucker on Harden (who is familiar with his playstyle), and Giannis on KD. I say that that is an even matchup and that it could go either way. This seems like the best chance the Bucks will have at reaching the finals since they are excellent on both ends of the floor. They are going to have to make this year count and prove themselves in the playoffs.
1. Nets – To end off the list, I have the Brooklyn Nets at the first spot. Ever since KD’s injury, the Nets managed to play even better and went from a record of 14-12 to 30-15! That’s crazy when you think about it. Steve Nash also deserves a lot of credit for making a duo of James Harden and Kyrie Irving work so well. Will this continue in the playoffs? No one knows for sure. I will say this. The Nets are a very beatable team, whether it’s the Bucks, Sixers, Lakers, etc. On paper, they are the best team in the league for now. Come playoff time; chemistry may be able to beat out talent.
