Welcome to the first of many Def Pen NBA Power Rankings! We will be discussing and analyzing everything that has happened this week in the NBA, including the losers, the winners, and the stupidest things NBA players have done!
Awards Of The Week
Winners Of the Week: Atlanta Hawks
When you think the Atlanta Hawks couldn’t be any hotter, they continuously prove they are legit. They faced off against another team in the Detroit Pistons and dominated, while also having great wins against the Trailblazers, Clippers and even the Mavericks. Oh and they’ve also been called The Spurs Of The East.” I would take that last bit with a grain of salt.
Losers Of The Week: New York Knicks
Three words that are hurting every New York Knicks fans dreams; 15 straight losses. The Knicks season is up in the air in terms of many things. They also traded away J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert to load off some cap space, which was probably their only highlight.
Sleepers: Detroit Pistons
So the Detroit Pistons have won 8 of their last 10, and have some impressive wins against some difficult west coast teams, but are the legit? Time will tell, but the Pistons are FINALLY BACK. (almost)
Highlights Of The Week
These aren’t just any normal highlights, these are the funny, ‘shaqtin a fool’ moments that you might have missed throughout the week.
1. James Harden And The Selfie Maestro.
2. The San Antonio Spurs Special Forces Video.
3. New York Knicks Fans Celebrate Their 14th Straight Loss By Wearing Paper Bags.
4. Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer Goes Crazy Over Some Fergie.
The Hockey Assist of the week!
Hockey Assist? Yes, Hockey Assist! It Might not be on the box score but it sure it recognized by the NBA faithful. Check out this fantastic play from the New York Knicks. (Yes, those New York Knicks).
The youth movement is on as Langston Galloway leads the fast break, passes behind his back to Shane Larkin who throws it up to Cleanthony Early for the alley-oop finish!
Power Rankings For The Week Of January 4th-11th 2015
1. Atlanta Hawks (29-8)
If at the beginning of the year, I told you in January of this season the Atlanta Hawks will be 1st in the Eastern Conference, how much would you laugh at me? It’s true. The Atlanta Hawks have won 6 in a row, 9 of their last 10, and 18 of their last 20. They are on fire. They are proving people they are legit as well, beating some very tough teams in the Western Conference in the Portland Trailblazers, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Clippers. They also beat the Cavaliers and the Bulls throughout this streak. They’ve been called “The Spurs of the east”, I would hold off on the champion for now, but they are killing everyone right now.
2. Golden State Warriors (29-5)
After going on a 2/3 game hiatus, the Golden State Warriors have won 5 games in a row. They make it seem too easy. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are playing at the highest level of their careers and they are still 1st in the western conference in January. They are a very scary team that can go from being down 20, to up 20 in the matter of one quarter (proof vs. the Toronto Raptors). They beat a rival in the Oklahoma City Thunder and are beating teams convincingly.
3. Portland Trailblazers (30-8)
The Portland Trailblazers are playing really good basketball right now. They suffered a tough blow when they heard Joel Freeland who is currently there starting Center (due to Robin Lopez’s broken hand), will be out for 2 weeks. They lack size in the middle now, and there new starting center is Thomas Robinson. He’ll have to shoulder a lot of the rebounding and interior defense if the Trailblazers want to maintain there good play.
4. Memphis Grizzlies (26-11)
The Memphis Grizzlies are continuing to be consistently good. They are 25-10, and have cooled down recently, but they are still a very big force. Zach Randolph has missed a couple games with a knee injury, and he is crucial to their success. They also have reportedly received Jeff Green in a 3 way trade that will send Tayshaun Prince and draft picks to the Celtics. Well they just got A LOT better.
5. Dallas Mavericks (26-12)
The Mavericks are 7-3 with Rondo arriving to the team. They are scary when they are good, but they still need some time to mesh as a team, especially when a guy like Rajon Rondo arrives. They had a bad loss to the hot Detroit Pistons, but I can guarantee they’ll be fine, they just need to start gaining chemistry with Rondo.
6. Washington Wizards (25-12)
The Washington Wizards are clicking on all levels. They’ve won 2 in a row, and John Wall and the supporting cast could not be playing with anymore energy and intensity. One thing I’ve noticed is that Bradley Beal has not lived up to the numbers he should be putting up. The jump that Jimmy Butler has taken into becoming an elite shooting guard, Bradley Beal hasn’t taken. He did miss the first part of the season, and maybe he is just trying to get back into the rhythm. If he starts to feel it, the Wizards are a scary team in the East.
7. Chicago Bulls (26-12)
The Chicago Bulls had a tough loss against the Utah Jazz this week, but I don’t think anyone is really worried about the Bulls. With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah healthy they are a lethal team. Jimmy Butler is proving to people that he didn’t just start off hot, and that he can legitimately be an all-star this year. The only thing holding them back is that they are basically crossing their fingers and praying their players will be healthy. Do not be fooled, the Chicago Bulls are really good, want to know how good? Pau Gasol scored 46 points and he’s 34.
8. Houston Rockets (26-11)
Josh Smith is better off the bench. That’s what him signing with Houston proved. In the 3 games as a starter he averaged 5 points, while coming off the bench for 3 games he’s been averaging 16.7 points a game. It’s understandable that he didn’t work out in Detroit, but Houston absolutely stole Josh Smith away, and he can actually help them contribute, because they have a lacking bench.
9. Toronto Raptors (25-11)
The North started off their west coast trip hot, beating the Clippers and Nuggets, but lost the last 3 against the Warriors, Trailblazers, and Suns, were not pretty. They lost a 4th quarter lead against the Blazers and got blown out by the Warriors and the Suns. The Toronto Raptors who were top-10 in defensive and offensive efficiency have significantly decreased their defensive and are now in the bottom half of the league in defensive efficiency, ever since DeMar DeRozan’s injury. The Raptors received good news that all-star DeMar DeRozan can come back within the next week to play aside his should-be all-star Kyle Lowry. Maybe with DeMar coming back, the defensive emphasis can be made once again, making the Raptors a big threat down the stretch.
10. San Antonio Spurs (23-15)
Another team that doesn’t seem to be as threatening as they were last year are the San Antonio Spurs. If you think about it, San Antonio is in the bottom half of the playoff race in the West, and this is all because of injuries and age. Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard, have both been suffering with numerous injuries and they’ve been resting. It’s known that Gregg Popovich likes resting his stars for the Playoffs, but, would he want to sacrifice home court?
11. Los Angeles Clippers (25-13)
The Los Angeles Clippers have had two losses against top Eastern Conference teams within the past 2 weeks, the Toronto Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks. They do NOT seem like the old Los Angeles Clippers of last year. I feel as if they might be having chemistry issues and definitely issues with their bench, because they are not producing. The Los Angeles Clippers are DEFINITELY not the threat they were last year.
12. Phoenix Suns (22-18)
The Phoenix Suns have won 4 games in a row and are officially in the 8th spot in the Western Conference. This team, missed out on the NBA playoffs last year sadly, and they are hoping to come back and get in there this year. They’ve been playing great basketball. One game was great as they destroyed the Eastern Conference power the Toronto Raptors.
13. New Orleans Pelicans (18-18)
The New Orleans Pelicans have lost 2 games in a row. One game to a Kemba Walker game winner, and they just simply lost against the Washington Wizards. Eric Gordan came back for the Pelicans, and they have most of their full roster now! They face a pretty easy schedule, in Boston, Detroit, and Philadelphia for the next 3 games. Maybe they can get some space between them and Thunder who are also battling for that last spot in the Western Conference.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-19)
Cleveland Cavaliers have been hovering around in the East as well. They’ve lost 4 in a row. I know this is probably a little too soon to say, but are the Cleveland Cavaliers the Los Angeles Lakers from a couple years ago? If no one remembers the Lakers were a team stacked with superstar power that failed miserably, with Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash on the roster. It is too early to say, but they are trying their best to maintain this season as a championship season. They traded Dion Waiters (which was bound to happen) and got… J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert?! I don’t even understand why they thought that was a good trade, they sent over a better version of J.R Smith in Dion Waiters to another team, while getting those 2 players. They also made a trade for Timofey Mozgov which should help with their issues of size in the middle. The Cleveland Cavaliers season is kind of in the air, and no one really knows what to expect of them anymore. Not to mention, they’re still missing ‘The King’, LeBron James.
15. Miami Heat (16-21)
The Miami Heat are exactly where people thought they would be without the KING LeBron James, hovering in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Mario Chalmers has been struggling as of late, and Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have been putting the team on their back so far. There is also some speculation that they might trade Loul Deng to the Memphis Grizzlies, because the Grizzlies are interested. I don’t think any Miami Heat Fans care what happens to the Heat this season, because according to some voice recording, LeBron is coming back next year.
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-19)
After it seemed like last week they would win 40 straight games and come back to compete in the ridiculous western conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have cooled off a little bit. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in a blowout, and lost to the Sacramento Kings as well. They got Dion Waiters as a part of the trade with the Knicks and Cavaliers. He didn’t do much in his first game as a Thunder against the Kings scoring 4 points and notching 1 assist. I still feel as if they are the favorites to claim that 8th spot in the West, because at the end of the day they have two of the best players in the NBA, in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. I shouldn’t be too worried if I was a Thunder fan.
17. Milwaukee Bucks (20-19)
So you get drafted into the NBA, you play a couple seasons, sign a big fat 4-year extension, and then tell people you don’t want to play basketball anymore? A lot of speculation came out with the Milwaukee Bucks, concerning Larry Sanders and his commitment to basketball. Either way, the Milwaukee Bucks aren’t doing bad, they are staying at .500, and Brandon Knights has been pushing this team to the next level. If they even want to attempt to do okay in the playoffs, they NEED Larry Sanders and his defensive presence. The Bucks are a young team, that actually won’t be that bad in the East if they continue improving. They don’t have Jabari Parker now, but they will next year and next year they can be even better.
18. Brooklyn Nets (16-21)
The Brooklyn Nets suffered a huge blow as Deron Williams suffered a fractured rib, and he will be re-evaluated in a week. There is also so many speculations as to where Brook Lopez will end up this year, and if they will make any other trades. The Brooklyn Nets are failing; they have a good team, but can’t seem to put the pieces together. They will probably end up making the playoffs, but don’t look for them to make much of an impact.
19. Indiana Pacers (15-24)
George Hill came back and left for the Indiana Pacers, and now Roy Hibbert also got injured in the week. Injury has destroyed the once Eastern Conference contenders. They still have a chance to fight for the final spot in the Eastern Conference, but they NEED to get healthy in order to do so.
20. Detroit Pistons (13-24)
Do you think Josh Smith walks into practice and just starts swearing at everyone? Do you think he’s THAT bad for a team, that as soon as he leaves they win 7 games in a row? Well supposedly, he is. After Josh Smith leaving the Detroit Pistons, they won 7 games in a row, until they lost to the other hot team in the East, the Atlanta Hawks. You always knew this team had the talent to become a good team in the East, but you knew that the characters and atmosphere just didn’t help them win. With Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Brandon Jennings leading the way this team can be a legitimate force if they continue playing at this level. This week they have beat the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, AND Cleveland Cavaliers. Not too bad for a team who has gotten 7 of their total 12 wins in the past week and a half.
21. Charlotte Hornets (15-24)
The Charlotte Hornets have won 3 games in a row. You get the feeling that this team is finally getting their act together and push to the playoffs much like people expected them to. This week they won two games against the Celtics and Magic, who are also trying to get that 8th spot in the East. They also got a win against the New Orleans Pelicans, due to a Kemba Walker game winner. This team is starting to produce, and finally prove they are worth a playoff spot.
22. Boston Celtics (12-23)
Not all hope was lost after trading Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. The Eastern Conference is REALLY bad, if you haven’t noticed, and teams like the Boston Celtics have a legit chance at making it into the playoffs. They have a good young core in Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley and Jeff Green, so maybe they can push for a spot. Brandan Wright got traded for even more picks, TANK MODE.
23. Denver Nuggets (17-20)
The Denver Nuggets finally traded Timofey Mozgov to the Cleveland Cavaliers and this will give the young and improving center Jusuf Nurkic more room to play. They’ve had a very good week, winning 3 games in a row this week, one against another western conference team the Memphis Grizzlies. Playoffs are a far stretch for this team, but they can definitely build some ground, especially with the Kings struggling.
24. Sacramento Kings (16-21)
The Sacramento Kings are in a strange situation, because they definitely have the talent to make the push for the playoffs, but can they? It all depends on how Rudy Gay and Demarcus Cousins lead this team. They’ve both been playing out of their minds and they picked up 1 impressive wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are also trying to fight for a spot in the tough western conference playoffs. The race for the 8th spot in the Western Conference will no doubt be between the Thunder, Pelicans and Suns, but the Kings and Nuggets can definitely make it interesting down the stretch.
25. Utah Jazz (13-25)
The Utah Jazz got a very impressive win against the Chicago Bulls this week beating them by 20 points. This team is focusing on having constant improvement. They know they aren’t going to make the Playoffs anytime soon, but they have a nice young core that might be able to become competitive soon. Rudy Gobert, Enes Kanter, and Derrick Favors make for a nice front court, and Gordan Hayward is leading this team. I can see the Jazz becoming a team like the current Pelicans if they continue to improve. The season-ending injury to Alec Burks though doesn’t help anything.
26. Orlando Magic (13-27)
After starting off the season with some hope and some nice wins, and a much-improved Tobias Harris, the Orlando Magic have fell of the radar. The Orlando Magic were aiming to slip into the 8th seed in the lacking Eastern Conference, but they have fell apart as of late. They have lost 6 games in a row, and with the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets playing a lot better, you can see the Orlando Magic slowly giving up on their dreams.
27. Los Angeles Lakers (12-26)
Kobe Bryant hit his first game winner of the season against the Indiana Pacers this week! Other then that the only thing that helped these guys not be last on the power rankings are Swaggy P’s biblical comments claiming he’s the “Swag Prophet.” They got DESTROYED at home/away at the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Clippers.
28. Philadelphia 76ers (7-29)
2 wins in a row?! Finally! A WIN AT HOME!? Even better! The Philadelphia 76ers finally won their first game at home against the superstar filled Cleveland Cavaliers. Everything else is still pretty bad in the city of brotherly love. They are also in tanking mode but they are also in the ‘we have pride’ mode, so the home win must feel nice.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-31)
Things aren’t looking too good in Minnesota, except for their rookies. They’ve lost 13 in a row, but their Rookie and future star Andrew Wiggins has won rookie of the month, 2 months in a row. Shabazz Muhammad and him look like they can be a duo on the rise, but don’t expect any winning anytime soon.
30. New York Knicks (5-35)
The New York Knicks are officially in tanking mode! They have lost 15 in a row, and Carmelo Anthony has been speculating sitting out for the season. They traded away Iman Shumpert and J.R Smith, and are also looking to shift over some other people to clear up cap space. The Knicks are heavily targeting Marc Gasol who will be a free agent next summer, let’s see what Phil Jackson can do.
Keep it locked here for all your weekly Power Rankings, highlights, and hockey assists in 2015!
