Hey guys! It’s that time for my top 10 power rankings for Week 7 of the NBA season. In this week’s list, many new teams have been introduced into the list. Let’s dive right in!
MISSED THE CUT
Raptors – After a horrendous 2-8 start to the season, the Toronto Raptors have bounced back and now sit at 7th place in the East at 12-14. A little too early to tell how well they will play moving forward but they have obviously improved since the beginning of the season.
Nuggets – The Denver Nuggets were fifth on the list in week 5, and now I don’t even have them in my top 10. Why? Because Nikola Jokic is doing literally doing everything with little to no help. Two weeks have passed and Jokic is still leading in every single possible stat on the team, trying to carry them in the standings. The Nuggets have also had a rough stretch as they lost three games in a row to the Lakers, the Kings, and the Bucks. They are currently 7th in the west. If Jokic’s teammates wake up soon, this Nuggets team can be dangerous.
Now onto the top 10…
10. Celtics – The last two weeks for the Celtics were not so good. They have lost six out of their last nine games. Some of those losses have come against teams such as the Pistons and Kings (teams that they should have beat). However, they did have an impressive win over the Clippers. I believe the only reason that the Celtics are this low is because of the injuries they have had to deal with. At first, Tatum was injured. Once Tatum returned, Brown was injured. Once he returned, Kemba got injured. Maybe when they are all healthy and playing together, I can expect this team to bounce back.
9. Spurs – Making their first appearance on the list this year, the San Antonio Spurs have been playing under the radar this year and are quietly the sixth seed in the West. Demar DeRozan has been leading this team to a 15-11 record thus far in the season. After he was ranked the 87th best player in the league by ESPN, he has been looking like a top 25 player averaging 20 points and 7 assists on 49% shooting from the field. After missing the playoffs last year for the first time since 1997, the Spurs are looking to get back in the postseason and compete.
8. Blazers– After rough losses to the Bucks and Rockets, the Blazers have recently been on a roll. They have won five out of their last six games (two of those games have come against the 1st seed Sixers) and Melo is playing like his 2012 form as he dropped 24 points to get a win against the Sixers on Thursday night. The Blazers are now 15-10 and are sitting at 5th seed in the West. I believe that this season they will end up doing much better than the 8th seed in the West with a losing record.
7. Nets – The Brooklyn Nets were 7th on the list last time and they have stayed in the exact same spot. This team was struggling with defense while KD was playing, but now that he had missed a few games, they looked even worse. They lost games to the Raptors, Sixers, and Pistons consecutively. However, Durant was back tonight and the Nets cruised to an easy win over the Warriors but still allowed 117 points. We will see what the Nets defense looks like against the anticipated match against the Lakers this coming Thursday night!
6. Suns – The Suns had not been on the list since week 3, but now they’re back. They were off to a great start in the season and the only reason they didn’t make it in week 5 was that all of their games had been postponed. When they started playing again, they seemed a little off since they had just come back from an unexpected hiatus. However, the Suns are now on a five-game winning streak and are 4th place in the West! Chris Paul’s leadership and Devin Booker’s gameplay are what is responsible for the Suns’ success so far in the season. I believe that Monty Williams is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year so far in the season.
5. Bucks – While the Bucks have lost two games in a row to the Suns and Jazz, Giannis is playing like his MVP-self again after an inconsistent start to the season. The Bucks still maintain the 2nd seed in the East and are now only a game and a half behind the Sixers for the 1st seed. This is where I expected this team to be and I believe that they will stay there for the remainder of the season. The only question is: how well will this team perform in the playoffs? We won’t know until it is June.
4. Clippers – The Clippers dropped a single spot because after losing Paul George to a toe injury, they lost three out of four games. Even if Paul George is missing, the Clippers shouldn’t find themselves losing to the Sacramento Kings at home. Kawhi is leading the way, averaging 27 points so far in the season and the Clippers are the 3rd seed in the West. Maybe this will be the year where we see a potential Lakers vs Clippers matchup in the playoffs. Something that was supposed to happen last year if it wasn’t for the Clippers blowing a 3-1 lead in the second round to the Nuggets…
3. Sixers – Joel Embiid and the Sixers seem to be the best team in the East seven weeks into the season. Embiid is having an MVP year so far and while Ben Simmons was off to a bad start, he has since bounced back and is locking down his opponents. If the Sixers play this type of basketball they can really do damage in the playoffs. The players seem to finally be locked in after an endless process. Their current playstyle can potentially lead them to the finals for the first time in 20 years!
2. Lakers – The Lakers have dropped one spot on the list and are now 2nd. I wanted to put them here last time after the embarrassing loss to the Pistons but gave them the benefit of the doubt. I can’t do the same this week after seeing them play. On paper, it seems the Lakers are on fire since they have won seven games in a row. However, after finding out that the 5 win Pistons (at the time) took them to double OT and the rebuilding OKC Thunder also took them to OT in two consecutive games, you can’t put the Lakers at the top currently. They have some work to do and they desperately need a big man since Marc Gasol is a shell of his former self. I trust this team in the playoffs but they need to figure out how to start off strong and finish games.
1. Jazz – Unless you’re completely biased, there is no reason for the Utah Jazz to not be #1 on your list. They are most definitely the hottest team in the league currently and have won 18 out of their last 19 games! They sit on the top of the West with a 22-5 record and it is their best start in franchise history. I believe that this Jazz team is different from their teams of the past and they will meet people’s expectations this year. I predict a Lakers vs Jazz matchup in the WCF, but that is obviously bound to change. Looking at the Jazz from top to bottom, they seem real.
