Welcome back to the top 10 power rankings! Every two weeks I like to discuss ten teams that I think are playing their best basketball. Let’s dive right in and see who’s been playing well as of week 9!
MISSED THE CUT
Warriors – The Warriors had an impressive comeback win against the Miami Heat last week and currently sit at 7th place in the West. The reason they are not on the list is because of their inconsistency. They win one then lose one or win two then lose two. Curry is averaging 30.0 PPG and is trying to lead this lottery team to the playoffs.
Now onto the top 10…
10. Nuggets – After missing out on the list last time, the Nuggets are back in at the 10th spot. They are 8th in the West and the only reason they made it to the list is that I believe they will be prepared for the playoffs more than the Warriors. Other than Steph and Draymond, the Warriors don’t have anyone that has experience in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have had pretty much the same team and this would be the third consecutive year they make the postseason. Also, Jokic is dropping either 40 points or a triple-double…or both like it’s nothing.
9. Blazers – The Blazers dropped a single spot from last time because of the three tough losses they have had. They lost to a hot Wizards team, got blown out by the Suns by 32 points, and lost to the Nuggets as they were only able to gain 1 turnover all game. The Nuggets having a single turnover for an entire game is an NBA record. However, the Blazers currently sit at 5th seed in the West so it’s not the end of the world. Once they get CJ back, they’ll be much better. Not to say they were playing bad without him. They’re just having a rough three-game stretch.
8. Spurs – The Spurs have switched spots with the Blazers from the last list. Not really much to say about the Spurs. All of their games had been postponed until recently where they lost to a buzzer-beater to OKC. I just switched these two teams because the Blazers have been losing recently. Now that they are playing again, we will see if the Spurs can continue their surprisingly successful season.
7. Bucks – The Bucks have dropped a spot after going on a tough five-game losing streak. After Giannis dropped 47 points against the Suns but lost by 1 point, the Bucks proceeded to lose a marquee matchup against the Jazz, to the rebuilding Thunder, and lost to the Raptors twice. The only reason they didn’t fall lower was that they were able to pick it up and have won four games in a row. Giannis is playing like an MVP candidate again and will attempt to win three in a row.
6. Lakers – The team that dropped the lowest on the list is our very own Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have been downright terrible and disappointing ever since AD was injured against the Nuggets. After that game, they barely beat the shorthanded Timberwolves, and have since lost four in a row. In that losing streak, they also blew a 17 point 3rd quarter lead against the 12th seed Wizards and lost in OT. LeBron looks tired, Gasol plays like he shouldn’t even be in the league, Kuzma has been disappointing, and Vogel’s rotations are interesting, to say the least. Tonight they face a Trailblazers team who is also in a bit of a slump so we will see which team will get back on track.
5. Suns – The Phoenix Suns are suddenly one game behind 3rd in the West and a game and a half behind the 2nd seed. They are only getting better and better and have won eight out of their last ten games. Their two all-stars, Chris Paul and Devin Booker have been leading the game and their chemistry is improving as well. This shows the leadership skills that Chris Paul has and how he can make any team better when leading the way.
4. Sixers – The Sixers still maintain the first seed in the East but the Nets are only half a game behind now. They had a somewhat tough two weeks as they lost to every team with a winning record (Jazz, Suns, Blazers) and also the Raptors. They did bounce back, however, and easily beat the Mavericks last night at home. In my opinion, Joel Embiid should now be the favorite to win MVP as LeBron has been very disappointing, to say the least, in the last two weeks. We will see if the Sixers will be able to hold on to the first seed before we go into the all-star break.
3. Clippers – The Clippers have jumped up a single spot from the last list. While they did get absolutely demolished by the Grizzlies last night, Kawhi and Paul George finally returned to the team earlier on in the week and were able to get a huge win against the Jazz. The Clippers also easily beat the Wizards (something the Lakers should’ve done) and ended their five-game winning streak. They are half a game above the Lakers in the standings and sit at 2nd in the West.
2. Nets – Even with KD out due to an injury, the Brooklyn Nets have been on fire as they have won 8 games in a row. Kyrie and Harden seem to be clicking with each other and they seem to be playing better as a duo while KD is out. KD is obviously their best player but this Nets team seems to play much better basketball when one of their three stars is out. Their defense improves and they seem to have better ball movement. They were able to get three wins in a row against the Suns, Lakers, and Clippers. As KD is out until after the all-star break, we will get to see more of the dominant duo of Kyrie and Harden.
1. Jazz – Nothing has really changed with the Jazz since the last list. They still have the best record in the league at 26-6 and show no signs of slowing down. The reason they are doing so well is that all the players on their team get a fair share of the basketball which results in six or seven of their players getting 15+ points. The reason I don’t want to call them the best team in the league is because of their playoff history and also because they have been known to be streaky like this in the regular season. Come playoff time, Donovan Mitchell is going to have to take a big step forward and try to lead his team deep into the playoffs. While this fair share of the ball works in the regular season, you’re going to need a clear-cut superstar if you want to compete for a championship.
