Welcome to Def Pen’s NBA Power Rankings. These rankings are updated every Monday. Last week, the statistically-brilliant Josiah Brady updated the rankings here with his ‘SteadyLosing’ model. This week, it’s my turn. These rankings aren’t necessarily based solely on talent level or team potential.They’re about who’s better right now/who has played better as of late. If a team has lost their last 5 games, they’re probably going to drop (at least) a few spots, even if they’ve got “better” players than a team ranked above them. Alright, let’s jump in.
NBA Power Rankings
Biggest Jump: Bulls Up 7
Biggest Drop: Wizards Down 5
1. Golden State Warriors
Record: 63-14
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
Never doubt the Warriors. Right when it looked like things might be going swimmingly for the Dubs, they rip off an 11-game (so far) winning streak. Still the best team in basketball.
2. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 59-17
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Kawhi Leonard’s outside touch has faltered recently, but he’s still an elite scoring threat and the best defender in basketball. The Spurs are awesome and ready for the postseason.
3. Boston Celtics
Record: 50-27
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
The first Eastern team to hit the 50-wins mark. The Celts have won eight of their last 10. The race between Cleveland and Boston for the no. 1 seed is a fun one.
4. Houston Rockets
Record: 52-25
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
James Harden is probably the favorite to win MVP, but Westbrook is breathing down his neck. This MVP race has been absolutely nuts.
5. Toronto Raptors
Record: 42-27
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
Like the Celtics, the Raptors have won eight of their last 10. Toronto’s recent success has largely flown under the radar, but this is a good team that will become a great team once Kyle Lowry returns.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 49-27
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
The Cavs did what they could to silence their doubters on Sunday, taking down the Pacers in a double-OT thriller. The game featured an epic duel between LeBron James and Paul George – shades of the 2014 playoffs. The downside here is that James played 52 minutes. James has played 37.6 minutes per game this season. Only Kyle Lowry (37.7) has played more. That’s not ideal, given that James is 32 years old.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 47-31
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
The Clippers have played well lately, winning seven of their last 10, and three games in a row (though their last two wins came against the Lakers and Suns, which are the two tankingest teams in basketball.
8. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 38-38
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
It looked like the race for the eighth seed in the West was going to be competitive. Nope. The Trail Blazers have left Denver in the dust, winning six games in a row and nine of their last 10. It’s looking like we’re going to see a first-round Warriors-Blazers matchup.
9. Utah Jazz
Record: 47-30
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
The Jazz have been playing .500 ball lately, and as a result, have allowed the Clippers to contend for the fourth seed; Utah is currently just 0.5 games ahead.
10. Washington Wizards
Record: 46-31
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
The Wizards have cooled down a bit; they’ve lost three in a row now, albeit against tough competition. The Wiz will finish no worse than fourth in the East and are currently a game behind Toronto for third.
11. Milwaukee bucks
Record: 40-37
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
Khris Middleton was just what the Bucks needed; he’s a terrific defender and the sort of elite outside threat that thrives next to a dominant playmaker like Giannis Antetokounmpo. As teams like the Hawks and Pacers have imploded, the Bucks have quietly played well and suddenly find themselves at fifth in the East.
12. Chicago Bulls
Record: 38-39
Last Week’s Ranking: 19
Like the Bucks, the Bulls have taken advantage of the teams around them struggling. The Bulls are all but guaranteed to make the playoffs at this point. They’re firmly in the seventh seed, and have a laughably easy schedule to finish the year; in their five remaining games, they play the Knicks, the Magic, the 76ers and the Nets twice.
13. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 43-33
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Russell Westbrook keeps on making history. He’s had five consecutive 30-point triple-doubles, which is the longest such streak in NBA history.
14. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 42-35
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Marc Gasol has been sidelined with a foot injury for the past few games, which is horrendous timing. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and the Grizzlies are resting him for the playoffs.
15. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 36-41
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
After winning seven of their last 10, the Hornets find themselves in the playoff hunt; they’re just a game behind Miami for the no. 8 seed.
16. Miami Heat
Record: 37-40
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
The Heat have suffered two bad losses in a row, and with the Pacers and Hornets breathing down their necks in the eighth seed, they can’t allow this slide to continue. Unfortunately, their schedule is quite tough over their final five games; they play Charlotte, Washington twice, Toronto and Cleveland. Given that schedule, the postseason may not be in the Heat’s future.
17. Denver Nuggets
Record: 36-40
Last Week’s Ranking: 14
Looks like the playoffs aren’t in the Nuggets’ future, barring both an absolute meltdown by Portland and a hot streak from Denver.
18. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 33-44
Last Week’s Ranking: 17
The Pelicans have been halfway decent lately, winning six of their last 10. It’s important to show Cousins that there may be a relatively bright future ahead of him in New Orleans; that probably takes precedence over tanking at the moment.
19. Indiana Pacers
Record: 37-40
Last Week’s Ranking: 16
The Pacers might not make the playoffs, which is kind of crazy given their preseason expectations. They’ve lost four in a row now, though they’ve played some good teams. Paul George was a +19 last game and they still lost to the Cavs. It’s very possible he may be looking for a change of scenery.
The eighth seed in the East will likely go to the Pacers, Hawks or Hornets.
20. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 39-38
Last Week’s Ranking: 21
The Hawks aren’t good right now. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 games, and keep on sliding down the standings in the East (they’re sixth now). They’ll probably still make the playoffs, but I won’t enjoy it.
21. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 32-44
Last Week’s Ranking: 20
The Mavs exceeded expectations this season, but not even Rick Carlisle could bring this team into the postseason.
22. Detroit Pistons
Record: 35-42
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
One of the, if not the most disappointing teams of the season. They haven’t been eliminated yet, but they’re not making the playoffs.
23. Sacramento Kings
Record: 30-47
Last Week’s Ranking: 23
The Kings have kind of shown some stuff. Between Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein, they have some talented young pieces.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 30-45
Last Week’s Ranking: 22
I was hoping for a late-season Timberwolves playoff run, but no luck. The semi-hot streak they had going in mid-February to mid-March didn’t last. They’ve been eliminated.
25. New York Knicks
Record: 29-48
Last Week’s Ranking: 25
Derrick Rose tore his meniscus. He’s gone in free agency, presumably. One year later, this team has no more of an identity than it did last summer. Try again, Phil Jackson.
26. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 28-49
Last Week’s Ranking: 26
Dario Saric will probably win Rookie of the Year, so there’s your bright spot of the Sixers’ season (also the play of Joel Embiid, but his injury puts a damper on that one).
27. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 18-59
Last Week’s Ranking: 30
The Nets have actually been playing (almost) .500 ball for the past month or so; they’re 9-10 since the beginning of March. The Nets are the most irrelevant team in the NBA right now; they’re playing for absolutely nothing. They don’t own their own pick, and they obviously aren’t a playoff team.
28. Orlando Magic
Record: 27-50
Last Week’s Ranking: 27
Elfrid Payton has been pretty solid lately. This team is bad, though. All eyes in Orlando are on the lottery.
29. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 22-56
Last Week’s Ranking: 29
Even in a year in which the Celtics will win well over twice the games that the Lakers will, L.A. has found a way to compete with Boston. The Lakers (and also Suns) are now just 3.5 games ahead of the Nets in the standings. The Nets (AKA the Celtics) will end up with the best chance at the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but the Lakers are making a valiant effort.
30. Phoenix Suns
Record: 22-56
Last Week’s Ranking: 28
The not-so-scintillating tank battle between the Suns and Lakers is ON. The Suns have managed to lose 12 straight games and now are tied with the Lakers in the standings. Bravo, Phoenix.
