Isn’t it crazy to believe that we’re already halfway through December?
Christmas is approaching expeditiously, and that’s even more incentive to anticipate all the eventual happenings and news breaking around the league that’s to occur before we ring in 2020. Keep in mind, we’re a smooth EIGHT days from the five hardwood battles that’ll take place on Jolly Old Saint Nick’s Day and probably before that, we’re probably going to hear about some groundbreaking trades including so and so being sent to surprising locations that we’d nary expect them to otherwise.
As for what happened this past week, well a lot happened in a short time, to put it euphemistically. The top and the bottom aren’t rearranged, as if those bottom and top five teams were going anywhere else on this list anyway. As for the rest and maybe some of the top 10 that are worthy of being dubbed serious competition already in the month of December, well that has yet to be arranged since the NBA has always been an eight-month battle of attrition and no one ever practically escapes the regular season scratch-free.
Injuries, trades, etc., happen to skyrocket in the most untimely ways as we approach Winter every year, and for a couple of teams, the bad luck bug has already sunk its teeth into their now-dampened plans. So with that said, let’s analyze this week’s power rankings and who has avoided being down on their luck (so far.)
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1. Milwaukee Bucks (24-3, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)
November 6, 2019, was the last time the Milwaukee Bucks dropped a game in their loss column, and in the past 38 days, it’s been anything but bad results for the best team in basketball right now. The already franchise best-ever streak is now at 18 games, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is making this list-topping debate easier and easier as the weeks go by.
Regardless of how well the Lakers are handling things in the more contentious West, it’s becoming really difficult to imagine anyone beating these Bucks unless they were to have a random off-brand night. They dismantled the resurgent Magic to kick off their 4-0 week and continued to take apart another lesser opponent in the Zion-less Pelicans by 15 without Giannis even suiting up. One night later, Giannis returned during the Bucks’ road trip and posted a 30-point Double-Double against Memphis and accordingly trampled the Cavaliers a night later.
But here’s where things get a little cloudy: star guard Eric Bledsoe suffered what doctors diagnosed as a “right fibula avulsion fracture” against Memphis and it’s yet to be determined if they can continue their streak without their physical two-way guard, especially with the Lakers on the schedule this week.
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2. Los Angeles Lakers (24-3, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)
After returning to the team from attending his son’s then-televised-on-ESPN High School basketball game against his own Alma Mater Saint Vincent-Saint Mary’s High School, LeBron James catapulted his Lakers to victory against the Atlanta Hawks in the peach state in a tight 101-96 win that saw the King expend a 32p-17a-5reb effort against a Hawks team that wouldn’t let up until late in the contest.
This past week, James averaged a near-triple-double of 28.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists to go with 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks over three games while Davis posted 25.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and a steal a game over that same span. In other words: unstoppable.
It’s also worth adding that the Lakers have been the most enjoyable team in the league as of late with their two MVP candidates running things in the West. the LeBron-AD experiment has displayed the perfect chemical reaction and as a team, they are still No. 2 in the NBA in total averaged scoring margin, winning all of their contests by an average of 10 points. And they’re still playing elite defense with their No. 3 spot in team defensive rating.
A lot of conversations and debates may be put on hold pending the result of this week’s game between the Bucks and Lakers, a game that will determine not only who is the best team in the league but who could have the upper hand in a potential Finals preview that NBA fans are being treated to this early in the season.
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3. Philadelphia 76ers (20-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)
Well, won’t you look at that? The Sixers found their way back into the top 3 of the power rankings, the second time since Week 2.
And deservedly so, they’ve played like it on both ends. The trio of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris have been electric this past week, with plenty of bench depth from the likes of Furkan Korkmaz, James Ennis and company to boot. Despite losing their veritable core of certain rotational pieces go down to injuries and minor suspensions this season, the Sixers have finally woken up from their early-season woes, playing stifling defense as noted by their sixth-best defensive rating while also appearing at the No. 6 spot in averaged scoring margin at +6.2.
They clawed and scratched for that second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind the play of their trio, but most notably behind Joel Embiid who had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Sixers win over Denver last Tuesday. And after taking some constructive criticism by the NBA on TNT crew (Shaq and the Round Mound of Rebound Charles Barkley, to be specific) he followed that game up with a behemothic 38 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a statement win over the Celtics.
Philly would go on to win at home against the Pelicans a night later, extending their home winning streak to 14 games, now the best mark in the league since Miami’s was ended by the Lakers last Friday night. They lost to the Nets to finish off their 3-1 week but if their above-.500 week was any indication, it was that these Sixers are becoming head-scratchingly difficult to get a win against.
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4. Los Angeles Clippers (20-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)
The Clippers stay put in this week’s Power Rankings and won’t ascend due to their inability to close out the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night on the road.
Still, NBA fans are now gaining the information they need to configure if the preseason perceptions about the league’s new supernova are confirmed as credible. One factor that contributes to those predictions: Kawhi Leonard (42 points) and Paul George (46 points) combined for 88 points in a seven-point, 124-117 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, basically outscoring the rest of their team for what felt like all four quarters.
Starting their week with an emotional return to the city that Leonard won a franchise-first title in his lone year there, the Clippers started their 3-1 week with a dominant win over the defending champion Toronto Raptors in which Leonard scored 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
The Clips are starting to unleash the maximum potential of this roster, and what’s even more intimidating? This roster hasn’t been 100 percent all season. We still don’t know what the Clippers look like when their rotation is completely healthy and choc-full of skilled pieces like Landry Shamet and Patrick Beverley taking the floor with PG, Kawhi Low Williams, and Montrezl Harrell.
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5. Indiana Pacers (18-9, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)
When you win 10 of your last 13 games, a spot in the top five is warranted.
Sure, you are entitled to disregard and disagree with their spot in this week’s ranking, especially when you take into account their embarrassing 21-point loss to the Clippers last Monday. But what shouldn’t be pushed aside is the impressive average margin of victory they’ve accumulated over the course of the season, now just a spot outside of the top-10 best scoring teams in the league at +4.3.
They’ve been continuing to trend in the right direction as we grow closer and closer to the highly anticipated return of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who has been out since last season with a ruptured quad. They managed to knock off the Celtics in impressive fashion, as six of their players were in the double digits from a scoring standpoint. Nights later, they had seven players in double figures in their win over the Hawks and five players in double figures in their win over the Hornets.
Malcolm Brogdon has been the perfect addition to a team that sorely missed an Oladipo-like nightly output on the offensive end, averaging 19.1 ppg., 7.7 asts., and 4.5 rebs. off 47 percent shooting. The Pacers are also a top-five defensive team in the NBA and other parts of Nate McMillan’s attack like Domantas Sabonis (17.7 ppg., 13.5 rebs.) and Myles Turner (11.1 ppg., 5.7 rebs.) have played a huge role in getting Indy out of the gate with an 18-9 record without their best player.
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6. Miami Heat (19-7, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)
Week after week, the Heat just keep on impressing all prognosticators as the most surprising team of the 2019-2020 season.
What was supposed to be a feel-out, youth-developing and rebuilding kind of season for Erik Spoelstra’s Heat has manifested itself into an opportunity to challenge the Eastern elites for a potential shot at winning their conference. Led by the unanticipated heroics of rookie Kendrick Nunn (the active leader of 3 pointers made and 3P% for all rookies in the league) and first-rounder Kendrick Nunn, this team has become an absolute terror to face this year.
Add that with the ordinary bucket-getting accomplished by Jimmy Butler as well as the vastly-improved play of second-year big man Bam Adebayo, who in his own is not only finitely stating his case as a Most Improved Player award candidate but an All-Star as well with his averaging of 15.2 points, 4.6 assists and 10.6 rebounds per game, and you have a recipe for success that stretches well past the “easy” part of their schedule.
Though succumbing to the Lakers in a fight to the end for their first home loss of the year, they have the Grizzlies, Sixers, and Knicks up next to improve their already eye-opening beginning to their 2019-20 campaign.
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7. Houston Rockets (17-9, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)
Sure, the reason the Rockets dropped as far as they did was because of a last-second catch and shoot three-ball at the J by Nemanja Bjelica in the game’s final second. But James Harden’s offensive streaks of consecutive 50+ point games in the span of two games was otherworldly. He dropped 56 on Cleveland’s heads and a game after, put up 54 against the Magic for their second-straight win.
It’s a really tedious process to make comparisons between what Harden’s done in just these past two weeks as opposed to what’s happened throughout the history of this league, frankly because you can’t make any.
Something for perspective: His 39.3 points per game is a full eight points more than the second-highest average in the league, and could very well be the second player in league history that would finish the season averaging over 40.0 points per game. The only other to achieve such a feat in memory was Wilt Chamberlain in 1963.
Barring a questionable loss to the Pistons (without Russell Westbrook in the lineup), they finished the week at .500 and Harden still put up tremendous numbers against Detroit (39 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds). This week, they’ll have the Spurs at home, and then hit the road starting with a third duel against the Clippers and ending with a game versus the Suns.
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8. Dallas Mavericks (17-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)
Unfortunately, that bad luck bug mentioned earlier took a huge chunk out of Mark Cuban and Rick Carlisle’s Dallas Mavericks, as the once-dubbed “Razzmatazz Hop Skiddily-Doo” produced by Luka Doncic will have to put on the shelf for a while. The Luka Magic was abruptly ceased Saturday night against the Miami Heat, as Luka landed awkwardly on his right ankle, limping-then-hopping out to the first level of bleachers inside the American Airlines Center while writhing in pain. Miami capitalized on Dallas’s sudden scoring insufficiency, going up by as much as 22 points.
Down, but not out, these resilient Mavs fought their way back to force an overtime period in which they would lose in, all in part because of them not having their closer and MVP candidate on the floor. Diagnosed with a “mild right ankle sprain”, doctors proclaimed that Doncic’s injury could heal up in “as short as a couple week’s time”.
The problem is, the NBA is the last business for teams to take it easy on a team that’s waiting in the wings for their star to return and that “might return in a couple of weeks” timetable without Luka on the Mavericks floor could feel like months with the way the West has felt competitively. Their first test of how they’ll fare without Doncic in the lineup? Try an absolutely horrid homestand against the four-best teams in the East: Milwaukee, Boston, Philly, and Toronto.
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9. Boston Celtics (17-7, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)
A couple of weeks ago, it seemed as if the Celtics observed earlier in the season during their fiery 10-1 start looked to be the talk of the season.
Drama-free basketball on the Parquet turned from a rarity into a prerequisite for their early successes. Kemba Walker looked like the new, esteemed and trustworthy leader that was capable of invariably pulling through for his new team whenever they needed a boost. The tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum was finally coming into its own and best of all, their injury report was a clean as a pearly China plate out of a dishwasher.
That pedestrian 7-6 record since the end of their season-opening streak looked and felt unbecoming of a team stocked with so much talent, but as luck would have it, they would kickstart a 3-game winning streak all without Gordon Hayward, who was rehabbing a broken bone in his left hand. High off a beatdown of the Denver Nuggets at home, the C’s looked the part of that team that could very well be that Eastern favorite that many thought they could be, and could have been back in the 2018-19 season.
Until last week.
They suffered two close losses to Eastern Conference foes in the Pacers and 76ers in a 1-2 week and played all three games without their defensive anchor in Marcus Smart, who is still missing time with multiple ailments and injuries. Getting Hayward back into the lineup provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the Celtics, as his return to full-court action was against Cleveland at home. He scored 14 points, grabbed 5 boards and dished 4 assists in their easy win, but was ruled out for the rest of the game against Indiana after suffering a facial contusion after being bumped in the nose.
The Celtics are in dire need of a dually-gifted scoring and rebounding big since their inadequacies were exposed by Joel Embiid’s 38 points and 13 rebounds, though the combo of Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis did what they could for four quarters against the two-time All-Star. Let’s see if the C’s can right the ship while some of their most injured pieces recover since they’ll have to deal with a Luka-less Mavericks team on the road.
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10. Toronto Raptors (17-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)
Make no mistake about it: everything the defending champions have done has been as respectable as anyone could fathom. Without Kawhi, they went 15-4 to start the season and Pascal Siakam gained his bearings while looking like an absolute stud from just about everywhere on the court. But like all teams that lose an astronomically-gifted talent in a player of Leonard’s caliber, roadblocks being encountered come with the territory of defending a title with a half-full arsenal.
Starting their week with a win against the visiting Bulls, the Raps were sadly trounced by the new-look Clippers with their new all-around duo of Paul George and Toronto’s adopted prodigal son in Leonard. That is, after an applause-filled ring ceremony for their only Finals MVP in franchise history. Since then, Nick Nurse has effortlessly etched both Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry back into their normal usage and scheduled minutes the Congolese shot-swatter and guard from Villanova are used to, evident in their rousing win over the Nets en route to their 2-1 week.
Fred VanVleet, the upstart guard for the Raptors who’s made a name for himself dating back to his outstanding six games against the Warriors in the Finals in June, hasn’t returned from a knee injury that’s sidelined him for four games. But, the show must go on and in his place, are the efforts of the quickly adjusted Norman Powell, who in a starting role during this stretch of games has kept up with his season averages, scoring a solid 14.1 ppg. off a 48.5 percent field goal percentage.
The Raptors have four very winnable games against the Cavs, Pistons, Wizards and Doncic-less Mavericks this week, and three of them are inside Scotiabank Arena, so expect them to keep their foot on the gas to rise even higher in the Eastern Standings.
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11. Denver Nuggets (17-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)
Sunday’s win over the New York Knicks seemed as if it was a given, though the box score made it look as if it was anything but easy for a Nuggets team that’s looked bipolar of sorts throughout the entire season. Was it a sexy win? Not at all. But, it was a third-straight victory after sustaining some semblance of confidence from last week’s rough patch. Oklahoma City fell victim to a monstrous effort on the glass and offensive end by the Serbian center Nikola Jokic, who just erased Steven Adams and whoever decided to challenge him inside the paint last week, and something worth addition: Michael Porter Jr. is starting to get a lot more believers in his corner, shooting 33 percent from deep while being trusted to get more and more minutes per contest.
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12. Brooklyn Nets (14-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)
The Nets stomped the Sixers by 20 in a Sunday afternoon win, hitting an efficient 37.5 percent of their shots from three-land. The rout also saw a bulk to Kenny Atkinson’s forward depth as Wilson Chandler’s 25-game suspension finally came to an end yesterday. Even in losses to the Hornets and Raptors, the Nets still have been shooting the lights out, shooting for a combined 26 percent from 3, including 4-of-23 in the second half alone against the Hornets, in a game Brooklyn led by 11 at the break. New Orleans, San Antonio, and Atlanta appear up next on the schedule, and for a Nets team that’s beginning to get healthy, this team could get very dangerous to face with the impending reality of a Kyrie Irving return looming over the East.
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13. Utah Jazz (15-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)
The Jazz fail to rise or fall in this week’s power rankings and disregarding their record for a second, this team doesn’t look as good as their 15 earned wins on the year suggest. Mike Conley’s ailing hamstring has caused scoring problems for a backcourt composed of Donovan Mitchell and Conley that was initially perceived to be domineering. Their depth, or lack thereof, has been a liability since there aren’t really a lot of pieces that supported Conley in his absence.
Per Andy Larsen from The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah’s starting five outscored the Warriors by 25 points in 21 minutes; all other Jazz lineups were minus-17 in 27 minutes. That’s alarming and concerning, considering that the Jazz have had major difficulties in generating offense without a two-way threat at the five, and since they don’t have Derrick Favors anymore, They’re only averaging a little over 90 points per 100 possessions when Rudy Gobert is off the floor.
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14. Sacramento Kings (12-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)
Keep an eye out on the Kings. They’re getting healthy at the right time, and while only being two games under .500 without their starting guard in De’Aaron Fox who is expected to make his long-awaited return this Tuesday against the Hornets. Speaking of getting healthy, Marvin Bagley III is back and is starting to look like his old self. In his third game against the Warriors on Sunday, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft out of Duke scored 17 points and snatched 6 rebounds. After playing the Hornets, a challenging two-game stretch featuring Indiana and Memphis are next on the list for the up-trending Kings whose glaring potential is untapped when healthy.
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15. Phoenix Suns (11-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)
The Suns are also benefitting from some mid-season returns of centerpieces, as DeAndre Ayton’s 25-game suspension is nearing its end. Monty Williams is eager to etch the Bahamanian Center back into a lineup that’s sorely missed his shot-blocking and perimeter scoring adeptness and will have the opportunity to do so on Tuesday against the hosting Clippers. They start the week against Portland at home, then travel out West to play the Clippers and Thunder before returning home to finish the week against the Rockets
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16. Orlando Magic (12-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)
The Magic were really pushed to their limits this past week but saw a rise in the confidence of a certain Markelle Fultz as he averaged a decent 9.3 ppg. off 40.1 percent shooting from the field. Steve Clifford is really beginning to trust the third-year point guard out of Washington and is starting to affirm DJ Augustin’s role as a depth piece even more since Fultz is beginning to mold into what fans and experts alike predicted him to be per his draft profile back in 2017.
As a team, they struggled mightily in losing by a combined 41 points to the Rockets (yes, that James Harden 54-point game), Lakers and Bucks, before earning a bounce-back victory against the Pelicans. This Magic team could get hot quick, as Nikola Vucevic’s rehabbing process of tending to his injured ankle came to an end Sunday night against New Orleans; their lone All-Star is the key to Orlando remaining in playoff contention this season.
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17. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)
After an impressive three-game winning streak, the Thunder were riding high from sitting at seventh in the Western Conference. That only lasted for about a week. A one-point loss on the road to the Kings and a crushing blowout at the hands of the Nuggets in Denver now leave OKC in a tie for eighth.
The worst news of all for a team that competes as if they’re challenging enough to get a playoff spot: it’s officially trade season. Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams are at the top of the chart when it comes to names that are likely to be moved, and that negatively coincides with how quickly the Thunder’s youthful core is are improving and developing in their ability to play hard against tougher foes and finishing games late down the stretch.
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18. Charlotte Hornets (12-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)
The Hornets bump up four spots on this week’s listings because what was arguably their best three-game stretch of the season. The big win over Brooklyn could be discussed as their best win of the season, excluding their early successes on the year. They came back from being down 20 points to beat the Nets, marking their first win against an above-.500 team for the first time this year.
DeVonte Graham has been playing out of his mind and looks like his old college self hooping at the Allen Fieldhouse for the Kansas Jayhawks. Against the Nets, he scored a career-high 40 points and scorched the net from deep seven out of 12 times and a game later, his Hornets played stellar defense against the inconsistent Bulls, holding them to a combined 73 points on 30% shooting from the field and 20.6% from 3.
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19. Detroit Pistons (11-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)
The Pistons capped off an impressive 2-1 week with a surprise upset over the James Harden-led Houston Rockets as they were one of the few teams on the year to not let Harden drop 40+ points on them, only holding him to 39 in a road win. In the past five games, they’ve only lost to two playoff lock teams in the Bucks and Mavericks that are both, talent-wise, superior to them, which was understandable. Even in a win over Houston however, Blake Griffin’s knee soreness bothered him too much to continue (which is really alarming), but Derrick Rose carried his team to victory by dropping 20 points and dishing out 12 assists just a couple of nights after delivering a sensational, MVP Rose-esque performance against the Pelicans, hitting a memorable game-winner that only his 21-year old self could splash in his prime.
After shaking Jrue Holiday by going between the legs twice, he cashed in with a hesitation-to-spin move combo and turnaround fadeaway jumper with less than a second remaining on the clock.
He described his heroics in the only way he could, in his own words: “Excuse my English, but I’m born to do this S***.
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20. Portland Trail Blazers (10-16, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)
It’s clear to see that the Carmelo Anthony experiment was only a band-aid to a deep-wound laceration that’s in need of fifteen stitches. They’ve lost three of their last four games, with their lone victory against the Knicks. The Blazers haven’t played any respectable defense, only ranking 21st in total defensive rating and they’ve lost their last three games by an average of 16.6 points per game. Adding Melo did something to their offense, and that’s obvious (scoring has increased by +3.2 per 100 possessions), and with Phoenix, Golden State, Orlando, and Minnesota now on the schedule up next, things may not get that much easier for a team that’s growing desperate for wins leading up to 2020.
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21. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)
It’s been a downward spiral in the past eight games for the Timberwolves, as they’ve only won one contest in their last eight outings. A buoyant comeback bid from down as much as 27 points against the Clippers fell short at home, steering the Wolves to their seventh-straight loss as they are having all sorts of difficulties pulling themselves out of the losing well. Karl Anthony-Towns has been the only attraction worth mentioning for these Wolves, as he’s more than likely to receive another All-Star selection with his season averages peaking over 26.5 ppg., 11.7 rebs., and a field percentage over 50 percent while shooting 41.8 percent from deep.
Other than him, the wheels of Ryan Saunders’ wagon are coming loose at the axels, as frontcourt cohort Andrew Wiggins may have hit a scoring wall. Also, they’ve played some really uninspiring defense among this losing streak, letting opponents score a nauseating 127.4 points per game off 51.3 percent shooting from the field.
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22. San Antonio Spurs (10-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)
As DeMar DeRozan continues to raise his game to the level considering how his name is presumably being ethered on the trade block as we speak, enter Lonnie Walker V. The 2018 second-rounder has caught the eye of Gregg Popovich in recent weeks, has averaged an earnest 21 minutes of play, and he’s made the most of those given minutes, averaging 13.8 points on 54.2% shooting in the five games he wasn’t listed as a DNP-CD, only getting double-digit minutes twice in the first 20 games of the season, whereas he had seven of those non-playing marks.
The former Miami Hurricane has come a long way since having to fight for a roster spot in the G-League. He’ll be granted a rematch against the very team he had his breakout moment of the season in an away game against their in-state rival Houston Rockets this week, as the Spurs then head back home to play the Nets and Clippers as well.
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23. Chicago Bulls (10-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)
The Bulls are yet another non-moving team in this week’s rankings. Despite a game-winning hoop and harm bucket by Zach LaVine against the Clippers this past week, the Bulls looked average, almost below average really, in their demure and unsatisfying four wins in their last eight games. LaVine has been a bright spot for a team that’s struggled to score (24th ranked offense) but not struggle in defending (10th-best defensive rating) in their first 28 games.
The UCLA standout guard is averaging over 22 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, and that’s not even the greatest attribute to his game. Right now, he is shooting a career-high 41.1% from 3-point range and is also hitting a career-high 3.1 threes per contest.
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24. Memphis Grizzlies (9-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)
Grizzlies fans have all the reasons to be excited about the potential of their young core. Ja Morant is electric and is the sportsbook favorite to run away with the Rookie of the Year award, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is looking like the worthy No. 3 pick many speculated he would be coming out of Michigan State in 2018. But the unsung hero for these Grizzlies has to be their steal of a draft pick in rookie Brandon Clarke. The former Gonzaga great had himself a week, averaging 22.5 points per game with a 61.7 true shooting percentage. He’s the real deal but if you were a fan of what Mark Few had done for his Gonzaga Bulldogs, you already got a headstart into seeing what kind of pro Clarke would be.
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25. Washington Wizards (7-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)
Davis Bertans is going to be in the 3-point contest come February, we know that for sure. Just in December alone, Bertans is splashing an average of 5.3 downtown balls a game on almost 50% shooting. With him, they’re the fourth-best scoring team in the NBA and along with Bradley Beal, they provide some nightly entertainment. Other than that, there isn’t much to be jolly about for a team that’s lost seven of their last eight games.
Am I forgetting something? Because everything said above are all positives that, as a team, should keep you in the top 15 of all teams in the weekly rankings…
Oh, that’s right!
They’re still the worst defensive team in the NBA, and Toronto and Philadelphia are on the schedule this week. Bummer.
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26. New Orleans Pelicans (6-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)
Kill all hopes of any postseason aspirations if you’re a Pelicans fan. Zion Williamson’s return keeps getting pushed back to the point of people believing if he’ll ever play this season (sounds very Greg Oden-ish, right?), multiple names look to be popping up on the trade block as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches, and their losing streak is now at 12 games, the longest since the Hornets made their move to New Orleans. Brooklyn, Minnesota, and Golden State are up next for the Pellies to face, and that streak could get a lot worse, even though they possess the ninth-best offense in basketball.
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27. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)
Kevin Porter Jr. is making Dan Gilbert look good at the moment by selecting him in the second round of this year’s draft. He dropped a career-high 25 points and made six three-pointers in a late loss to the Houston Rockets that saw the Cavs blow a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter in a signature Harden 56-point outing, but that was suspected to be a constant theme. It’s almost as if this season’s record isn’t indicative of much, as this year is primarily directed toward player development and putting their young players in positions to both learn and excel with operating in meaningful minutes to win close games. A night later, the Cavs overcame the Spurs to win in overtime, as Collin Sexton dropped 28 in a crucial road win.
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28. Atlanta Hawks (6-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)
So, good news, John Collins is eligible to play next Monday against the Cavaliers after serving a 25-game suspension from taking a banned substance. Bad news, that’s a week from now as they’ll have to play the Nets and Jazz this week without Collins. They’ve played despondently without him and are tied with the Knicks for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
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29. New York Knicks (6-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)
You know you’re in a load of trouble when the most-missed player on your team is Elfrid Payton.
You just have to imagine, where would this New York team be if the former Magic and Pelicans point guard had never been injured?
In a two-game road win streak, Payton had a +9 plus-minus on the court, while averaging 15 ppg. while shooting 51.9% from the field and 46.2% from 3. He came off the bench in both contests and averages a total of 9 averaged minutes during the fourth quarter, the second-highest on the team.
Aside from him, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other inspiration from the Knicks’ offensive attack. Acquiring a new head coach will be a season-long search that’ll spill into the offseason, and with some names like Marcus Morris appearing on the list of trade pieces, this year is going to be another tanking season for the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
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30. Golden State Warriors (5-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)
These Warriors just keep getting banged up, losing their worst game of the season against the Kings in a game that saw Golden State score only 79 points. They forced the Kings to turn the ball over 29 times, which is a plus, but a loss is a loss. That loss, in particular, feeds into an infamous stat of the Warriors being 0-9 on the year when they don’t score 99 points in a game, but this year has to give the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell some extra incentive, as they’ll likely score a No. 1 pick in the draft lottery this June.
Imagine the combination of the Splash Brothers with a defensive juggernaut in Green, with DLo backing their lottery pick of James Wiseman/Anthony Edwards/LaMelo Ball up. Scary, right?
