We have now reached volume three in the power rankings and shock, shock. The top teams in the rankings have been mainstays in their respective spots in each week with the defending champion Golden State Warriors continuing to roll through opponents, looking more and more likely to achieve the record-breaking win number 73 later in the season. There are also the red-hot Boston Celtics who have been on an absolute tear lately, while on the other side the Knicks, fresh off their firing of head coach Derek Fisher, have struggled with just one win in their last 10 games. And as the trade deadline approaches and teams begin to separate themselves from the pack heading into the final stretch of the postseason. Here are this weeks rankings.
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Phoenix Suns (14-38; LW: 30):
The Suns have been brutal to watch lately and even without Jeff Hornacek at the helm this team still is lacking a point guard and has no defense to speak of whatsoever. This has been pretty much a lost season for the Suns who figure to be active at the trade deadline and will most likely trade both Markieff Morris and P.J. Tucker in hopes to try to build a better roster within a year or two.
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Brooklyn Nets (13-39; LW:28):
The Nets have very little going right for them both now and in the future. Their team has very few tradeable assets, and although they figure to be active around the trade deadline, there are very few things teams will want aside from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough. The problem is when a team has no draft picks to speak of for a while, they need to keep any young assets they have.
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Milwaukee Bucks (20-30; LW: 25):
Few teams have been more disappointing than the Bucks, and that could fall on Jason Kidd, who has failed to develop Michael Carter-Williams, and has actually seen him take a step backward. Throw in the fact that prized offseason acquisition Greg Monroe has been benched already this season and has severely weakened their defense, and this team faces a lot of questions.
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Los Angeles Lakers (11-42; LW: 29):
The Kobe Bryant farewell tour has been different to watch and even Kobe knows they have very few pieces that fit in the long-term. Julius Randle for all his shine of being a top 10 draft pick, is a solid rebounder, but lacks length to play solid defense, and has yet to learn how to pass off those offensive rebounds. This team wants to trade Roy Hibbert, but really he is a dinosaur in today’s NBA.
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Philadelphia 76ers (8-43; LW: 27):
Philadelphia is trending upward for the first time in years and with Jerry Colangelo there you know they will never tank again. This team could be active at the trade deadline trying to gather solid role players or young ascending players like they tried to do this past summer when they attempted to sign both Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard.
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Minnesota Timberwolves (16-36; LW: 26):
Minnesota went 2-1 this past week and Karl-Anthony Towns is a future star in this league. Throw in the sudden spark that Gorgui Dieng has brought to the team playing next to Towns and this team may have found their future frontcourt. Oh, and their two wins came against the Clippers and the Bulls, which makes their week more impressive.
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New Orleans Pelicans (18-32; LW: 20):
After showing some improvement in the previous weeks, the Pelicans slid last week going 0-4 and look like more of a contender in the Ben Simmon’s sweepstakes rather than mounting a climb for the eighth seed. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Ryan Anderson traded at the deadline as it is unlikely the Pelicans keep him after he hits free agency this summer anyway.
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Orlando Magic (20-30; LW: 23):
Orlando has shown signs of life after a brutal stretch in which they went from being a solid playoff team to outside the playoff race and closer to the 13th placed Milwaukee Bucks rather than the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Tobias Harris is a name you will hear at the trade deadline as a guy who has value and could be moved to help bring this team along.
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Washington Wizards (22-27; LW: 22):
The Wizards continue to underachieve and went 1-2 last week. John Wall has been playing well of late, but routinely gets little to no help from his supporting cast and it is starting to look like the Wizards may want to think of dismantling their cast to try and get some pieces that fit better. Of course, we know that won’t happen because even the .1 percent chance of them landing Kevin Durant in free agency is enough to keep the team together.
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Sacramento Kings (21-30; LW: 21):
After hearing George Karl would be fired after the latest swoon by the Kings, they have decided to keep him for the rest of the season and make a push for the eighth seed in the West. Smart move considering this team is still better than most thought and Karl isn’t even through three-quarters of his first season. However their defense has been atrocious, seemingly allowing over 100 points daily, and that figured to cause the thought of his removal.
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New York Knicks (23-31; LW: 18):
Derek Fisher has been removed as head coach with Kurt Rambis taking over, but this move reeks of James Dolan. The Knicks have overachieved this whole season with no one expecting Kristaps Porzingis to play as he has been and Carmelo Anthony scoring at a solid pace once again. However their recent stretch has been brutal and in today’s industry, winning needs to happen immediately.
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Denver Nuggets (21-31; LW: 24):
Coming off a hot week in which the Nuggets ripped off a 3-1 stretch, the Nuggets are a team to watch in the future, both at the trade deadline and as we head into 2017. Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried are two players who will generate a lot of talks, but Faried is far more likely to be dealt. Gallinari has been a prime target of Danny Ainge, but nothing substantial has come to a head.
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Indiana Pacers (27-24; LW: 14):
This team may be finally trending in the right direction after playing below their talent level for the past few weeks. Paul George is a superstar which we already knew, but rookie Myles Turner has been a huge help in the rebuild of the Pacers on the fly this past offseason. Turner is big, but can stretch the floor and protect the rim, giving the Pacers their rim protector, albeit with far more offensive production.
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Dallas Mavericks (29-25; LW: 12):
The Mavericks had a tough week with a 1-3 record, but the good news is this team seems playoff bound with the play of Dirk Nowitzki, Zaza Pachulia, and the upward trend of Chandler Parsons this team has a lot going for it. The big question is if they can stay healthy enough with all the beat up veterans on their roster while still staying in playoff position, and avoiding one of the bottom two seeds.
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Charlotte Hornets (25-26; LW: 19):
The Hornets Kemba Walker may have a case to replace the injured Jimmy Butler as an All-Star as Walker has had a crazy good year. The return of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist figures to help this team going forward from a defensive perspective as he is a shut-down defender, but it is amazing that all this success has come basically at home and without Al Jefferson. Weird year for them.
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Portland Trail Blazers (25-27; LW: 15):
The Blazers have been playing some outstanding basketball of late led by their stellar backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The unexpected 10-3 run in their last 13 games has the Blazers thinking playoffs and, they have a ton of cap space to absorb a big name player or two if they so choose. An unbelievable job of rebuilding on the fly in the post LaMarcus Aldridge era.
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Utah Jazz (25-24; LW: 18):
Another team that has been great the past few weeks as the Jazz are finally back over .500. A 4-0 week for the Jazz has them suddenly in a playoff spot and with the play of the recently returned Derrick Favors, this team has some serious young talent to make some teams work in a playoff series. It is a shame Dante Exum was hurt in the offseason. This could have been a really interesting core to see grow.
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Chicago Bulls (27-23; LW: 9):
Bulls fans must have been thinking the worst when Butler got carted off holding his knee, but it is only a sprain and he should be back in a few weeks. That doesn’t change anything, though. This team is heading in the wrong direction and has a lot of dysfunctional pieces, as well as injuries which make you believe it may be time to explore getting some future assets. This cores window seems to have closed.
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Houston Rockets (27-26; LW: 16):
Houston is banking on a run similar to last season’s team and with everyone including the recently acquired Josh Smith back in the fold, this team could go on a run, but it is more likely they listen to offers on big man Dwight Howard. This team has flaws and with a tough schedule the rest of the way, getting a seven or eight seed in the West will certainly see the Rockets end their season after no more than five games.
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Miami Heat (29-23; LW: 10):
The Heat have some serious talent but cannot seem to stay consistent. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have been playing well, but big man Hassan Whiteside seems more entertained trying to build his stat line than winning games. Don’t be surprised if you hear Whiteside’s name come up at the trade deadline and if you actually see him moved. They are not paying him this offseason anyway.
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Detroit Pistons (27-25; LW: 13):
The Pistons have struggled of late on the defensive end but on the positive side of things rookie, Stanley Johnson has been playing well and making Stan Van Gundy’s decision look better than it appeared to look early on when he passed on Justise Winslow for Johnson. The Pistons need to clean up their defensive miscues for them to continue to move up the standings.
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Atlanta Hawks (30-23; LW: 11):
The Hawks core appears to have run its course as there are reports they are going to tear down their core and start over. They are listening to everyone and anyone including Al Horford. Horford is a free agent after this year and you have to wonder if this report is a result of him questioning the long-term success this team could have with the core as currently constituted.
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Memphis Grizzlies (30-21; LW: 7):
The Grizzlies have been playing well, but some very bad news came down Tuesday as Marc Gasol will be out indefinitely with a broken foot. Not good news for a team that is just four games ahead of the eighth-seeded Jazz, who have been on fire of late. Gasol is a key figure for the team providing rim protection and a passing presence in the high post with cutters going to the hoop. We will find out if they have enough offense to withstand it over the next weeks, but I am not sure they do.
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Boston Celtics (31-22; LW: 8):
The Celtics have been on fire with a 9-1 record over their last 10 games including a buzzer beater from Avery Bradley to beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Celtics have been playing great defense all year, but all of a sudden their offense seems to have found another gear. Kelly Olynyk has really been a force from behind the three-point line and has opened up the offense for Isaiah to drive. This team has a lot of potential if they continue to score like that.
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Cleveland Cavaliers (36-14; LW: 4):
The Cavs have definitely found a new gear playing under Tyronn Lue, but they still possess the same inconsistencies and problems they had under previous coach David Blatt. The real issue will be the wear and tear LeBron James is going through will eventually catch up to him later in the season. They also have had a lot of problems in the third quarter of games, which does not bode well for the playoffs.
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Los Angeles Clippers (34-17; LW: 6):
The Clippers continue to keep their torrid pace up without Blake Griffin and with each passing day of Griffin not being in the lineup and them winning, it becomes more and more likely that the team moves him to add to their depth. A deal for Al Horford and Kent Bazemore or Kyle Korver would help shore up their wing depth, as well as add an impact big man, but Rivers has not shown an inclination to deal him yet.
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Toronto Raptors (34-16; LW: 5):
The Raptors continue to win and if they keep this pace up, and stay healthy this team most certainly can compete with Cleveland in the playoffs. The improvements from DeMar DeRozan with his shooting efficiency, as well as their fantastic bench play has been a key catalyst in their winning ways. If DeMarre Carroll can come back in the playoffs this team will become much deeper and with their defense, they matchup decently well with the Cavs.
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Oklahoma City Thunder (38-14; LW: 3):
The Thunder are clearly the third best team in the NBA, and with the efficiency Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are playing with, everyone should be afraid. Durant seems to be back and Westbrook has toned back his wildness and improved his efficiency. When your team has two of the most talented players in the NBA, that can create shots at will they have to be taken seriously.
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San Antonio Spurs (43-8; LW: 2):
The Spurs have won four in a row and the team dominates non-playoff teams as well as anyone in the league. LaMarcus Aldridge looks a lot more comfortable and with Tim Duncan out they have been feeding him the ball more allowing him to get his game back. However with Duncan and now Manu Ginobili on the shelf for an extended period of time, the time will have to rely on their depth to get through it.
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Golden State Warriors (46-4; LW: 1):
After a while, you run out of things to say about teams. The Warriors are that team with perhaps the best player in the NBA right now, the most versatile player in the NBA, and one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. This team rolled against the Thunder early but struggled to close. This team has no equal in the NBA right now, and the scary thing is they are all young and under control for the future. The best has yet to come.
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