Welcome back to the 2nd Edition of the NBA Power Rankings. Carmelo Anthony resurfaced in Portland, Zach LaVine did his best Reggie Miller impersonation and Luka Doncic has dominated the league. If you hold your ear to the ground, you still can hear James Harden dribbling out the shot clock, hitting a stepback three over two defenders and laying in the dust of Pat Beverley’s ankles. What a wild week of basketball it was, so let’s catch a few of the highlights.
The Lakers are Still King as The Bucks Top the East
The Los Angeles Lakers (14-2) once again sit atop of this week’s Power Rankings with a clean 3-0 week. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder (5-10) twice in a span of three days and continued their current seven-game winning streak with a nail-biter over the Memphis Grizzlies (5-10). Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks (13-3) continue to roll through competition on a seven-game winning streak of their own.
Luka Doncic Leads Western Conference Winning Steaks
The Dallas Mavericks (11-5) made one of the biggest jumps as they enter the Top 5, with a 4-0 week on the shoulders of Luka Doncic. Doncic completed his triple-double week with averages of 37.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 11.8 assists. The Denver Nuggets (12-3), LA Clippers (13-5), and Utah Jazz (11-5) have put together winning streaks of three or more games, as they continue to capitalize upon their early-season success.
The East is Not to be Left Behind
Just in case you thought the Eastern Conference was only Giannis Antetokounmpo mean-mugs, we have been put on notice that the East has just as many teams with double-digit win totals (5), as the West (6). The Philadelphia 76ers (11-5) are on a four-game winning streak, with three straight wins on the road against the Knicks, Spurs and Heat. Speaking of the Miami Heat (11-4), their five-game winning streak came to an end against the Sixers on Saturday night, 113-96.
The Indiana Pacers (9-6) are on a winning streak of two, and both the Toronto Raptors (11-4) and Brooklyn Nets (8-8) are on streaks of three games. Although the Boston Celtics (11-4) have lost the of their last four on the road, with Kemba Walker due to a sprained neck, the Celtics will continue to look to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to lead on offense and defense.
Teams On The Rise
Though they both may be under .500, keep a lookout for the Sacramento Kings (7-8) and New Orleans Pelicans (6-11) as both made the biggest leaps in the past two weeks. Even without De’Aaron Fox, who has been sidelined the past two weeks with a left ankle sprain, the Kings have won three of their last four games with big contributions from Bogdan Bogdanovic and Harrison Barnes. The Pelicans ended the week with back to back losses, but seem to have risen from their early season woes with consistent performances from Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday.
Early Losses Continue To Pile
The Atlanta Hawks (4-12) currently have the longest losing streak in the NBA at (6) games, seven other teams have losing streaks of 3 or more games including: Charlotte Hornets (6-11), New York Knicks (4-13), Houston Rockets (11-6), Oklahoma City Thunder (5-10), Memphis Grizzlies (5-10), and the Portland Trailblazers (5-12).
The Week Ahead
Can the Lakers stay at the top of the league and the city as the Clippers continue to integrate Paul George while they win? Will Luka Doncic put up another week’s wotth of triple doubles and wins? Can the Rockets snap out of their three-game losing streak?
So as we step into another week of basketball, these questions and more will be answered, so take a look at the full Power Rankings below and we’ll see you next week.
- Los Angeles Lakers (-)
- Milwaukee Bucks (+5)
- Los Angeles Clippers (-)
- Dallas Mavericks (+7)
- Denver Nuggets (+4)
- Miami Heat (-1)
- Philadelphia 76ers (-1)
- Toronto Raptors (-4)
- Boston Celtics (-7)
- Utah Jazz (-4)
- Houston Rockets (-1)
- Indiana Pacers (+3)
- Brooklyn Nets (+3)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (-1)
- Sacramento Kings (+11)
- Phoenix Suns (-2)
- Orlando Magic (+7)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+1)
- New Orleans Pelicans (+11)
- Charlotte Hornets (-3)
- Chicago Bulls (+2)
- San Antonio Spurs (-10)
- Memphis Grizzlies (+4)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (-2)
- Portland Trailblazers (-5)
- Washington Wizards (-1)
- Detroit Pistons (-9)
- Atlanta Hawks (-7)
- New York Knicks (-1)
- Golden State Warriors (-1)
Photo Credit: Nelson Chenault – USA TODAY Sports
