NBA Power Rankings (Feb 1st-7th)

Another week in the NBA is in the books which means another round of power rankings done by Alec Walt (@alecwalt) and myself (@FonzyDeFalco). Lets get right to it, again Alec ranked the bottom 15 and I did the top 15.

@FonzyDeFalco

1. Atlanta Hawks (LWR 1): After a straight month without a loss, the Hawks finally lost against the Pelicans and Grizzlies this week. Congrats to the entire Hawks starting lineup for getting the Player of the Month award for January, which is the first time in history the NBA has given the award to five players.

2. Golden State Warriors (LWR 2): February 6^th showed a good matchup between the top two teams in our power rankings and it did not disappoint. Despite the loss to the Hawks, Curry and Thompson combined for 55 points on 19 for 39 (including 8 for 17 from three). As long as the Splash Brothers continue to play the way that they have, they will go far.

3. Memphis Grizzlies (LWR 3): Going 3-1 this week and Zach Randolph continuing to be a double double monster has helped the Grizzlies to stand pat at the number three spot in our power rankings. This team can definitely go far and the acquisition of Jeff Green has helped them tremendously. 

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (LWR 6): It seems that the Cavs are clicking at the right time. The big three of LeBron, Love and Irving are all starting to play well together, but the question still remains: How far can they go in the postseason?

5. Houston Rockets (LWR 8): They only played three games this week, but James Harden was basically unstoppable in all of them dropping  a smooth 27 points, 33 points and 45 points in the three contests. He is playing like an MVP and with Dwight out he has to step up and show that he can run the team.

6. Toronto Raptors (LWR 5): The Raptors went 2-2 this week including wins over the Spurs and Clippers, but they had to climb out of huge holes to get those victories. It is not something to worry about in this weak Eastern Conference, but they’ll still need to have better rebounding numbers if they want to go far in the playoffs.

7. San Antonio Spurs (LWR 7): It is good to see Kawhi Leonard back in action and dominating for the Spurs, leading the team in scoring with 15 a game. Never count out the Spurs and the All-Star break is a perfect time for them.

8. Dallas Mavericks (LWR 9): Dallas had a busy week but played very well; winning three of the four games they played. Rajon Rondo will be out for a few weeks with a facial and nasal fracture. Look for them to sign a veteran to a ten-day contract because I doubt they will rely on Devin Harris and Raymond Felton in starter minutes during this stretch.

9. Portland Trail Blazers (LWR 10): After falling out these past couple of weeks, Portland looks to be back on top in the West. The question for the remainder of the season will be can LaMarcus Aldridge play at a high level despite the serious injury he has.

10. Los Angeles Clippers (LWR 4): What a tough week for the Clippers, losing all four of their matchups and finding out today that Blake Griffin will be out for multiple weeks with a staph infection in his elbow. They really need Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford to step up big time.

11. Chicago Bulls (LWR 12): See what a healthy Derrick Rose can do for this Bulls team? As long as he keeps playing as he’s playing they can definitely go far in the playoffs. One stat to look at, Jimmy Butler leads the league in minutes with 40 minutes per game. Eventually they should think about resting him or declining his minutes when it comes closer to playoff time.

12. Milwaukee Bucks (LWR 15): Very impressive going 3-1 this week. This teams keeps getting more interesting to watch because of the variety of young and veteran players alike. This team could be a sleeper when it gets closer to the playoffs.

13. New Orleans Pelicans (LWR 14): Currently the 9^th seed, this team could be on the outside looking in during the playoffs but with the way Anthony Davis is playing that could change. The next week they will be playing only two games against the Jazz and Pacers, which have to be must wins.

14. Washington Wizards (LWR 11): Another tough week for the Wizards winning only one game and losing three. John Wall does lead the league in assist with 10.2 per game. Last week we expected them to improve in the rankings but they keep going down and they need to step up and fast.

15. Phoenix Suns (LWR 13): Not a good week for the Suns only going 1-3 and in a tough spot only having a 1 ½ game lead over the Pelicans for the 8^th seed in the West. They only have one game left before the All-Star break, and Pelicans have two so Phoenix must win against Houston on Tuesday. This should be interesting to see who has the last laugh in the playoffs.

@alecwalt

16. Oklahoma City Thunder (LWR 18): Kevin Durant’s inconsistency in the lineup is absolutely killing the Thunder. His toe was bothering him after Friday’s game against the Pelicans. He still has aggression saying he would play 1-on-1 against anyone for the starting spot on the West All-Star team.

17. Charlotte Hornets (LWR 17): Don’t mess with Charlotte. Charlotte is now the 7 seed in the playoffs, but lost two bad games against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, but won both games in the home-and-home series against the Washington Wizards. Al Jefferson was a force scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against Indiana. Lance Stephenson needs to step up.

18. Brooklyn Nets (LWR 22): A nice week for the Nets going 3-1. Brook Lopez is proving to be a dominant center in this league when healthy, and has scored 10+ in eighteen of twenty. Brooklyn has the same record is Miami but currently sits at the nine seed in the Eastern Conference.

19. Detroit Pistons (LWR 19): 2-2 this week and a brutal schedule ahead. Andre Drummond has dropped five straight double-doubles. Greg Monroe had 21 points with 21 rebounds on Friday. I feel terrible for this team with the Brandon Jennings injury, but their two big men overpower most teams. Look for Detroit to be active before the trade deadline.

20. Miami Heat (LWR 16): In Detroit, Minnesota, and San Antonio, L, L, and L on the record books for the Miami Heat. Hassan Whiteside is the only player performing on this roster. Whiteside didn’t play in San Antonio, but averaged 18.3 ppg through the rest of the week. It is sad that they are currently in the playoffs.

21. Boston Celtics (LWR 20): Boston had a packed five games this week, only going 3-2. Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley wreck havoc against opposing guards, but they struggle down low. Bradley has stepped up as the Celtics leader scoring 17.6 points per game. Atlanta comes to Boston Wednesday.

22. Indiana Pacers (LWR 25): The Indiana Pacers ended the Cleveland Cavaliers 12 game winning streak. George Hill has scored 13+ points in six of eight games since return from injury. David West has been rumored in trades and Paul George could come back as soon as March. Indiana is only 2 1/2 games behind the eight seed in the East. Paul George could put them in the playoffs.

23. Utah Jazz (LWR 21): 1-3 on the week, only beating the Sacramento Kings. If you don’t know who Rudy Gobert is, look him up. He is a rebounding machine. A tough week ahead for the Jazz, playing the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

24. Denver Nuggets (LWR 24): The Nuggets have lost five in a row, even losing to the Philadelphia 76ers. Ty Lawson has become forgotten in the NBA, averaging 16.5 ppg, and 10 apg. Everyone is for sale on the Nuggets roster.

25. Sacramento Kings (LWR 23): The Kings have won one game in the last twelve. DeMarcus Cousins replaced Kobe Bryant on the All-Star team, and has scored 20+ points in seven of the last eight. Sacramento will still always say they are interested in acquiring a star guard, but in my opinion, they should trade their star.

26. Orlando Magic (LWR 28): Jacque Vaughn has been fired, and their only win was against the next team on my list, the Los Angeles Lakers. Nikola Vucevic had two double-doubles this week, his 31st of the season. They lost to the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder by only 7 points. The Magic are 16-37, and will face the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers to battle for the bottom.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (LWR 30): This is the only team at the bottom of the league that can be fun to watch for one reason, Andrew Wiggins. The Timberwolves won three games this week, and Andrew Wiggins looked pretty good in all of them. I would love to see Jahlil Okafor and Andrew Wiggins on the same team.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (LWR 29): The only advantage the Magic have over the Lakers is a 103-97 overtime win on Friday night. The Lakers lost all four games this week, but they forced overtime twice this so they still show effort. The Lakers are patiently waiting for the offseason so they can spend big.

29. Philadelphia 76ers (LWR 27): A decent week in the NBA but great for Philadelphia going 2-2. They lost to the Cavaliers and Celtics, two teams that are playing well. Hollis Thompson has scored 10+ points in the last 5 games. Golden State is in Philadelphia on Monday.

30. New York Knicks (LWR 26): Knicks won three in a row, and now they have lost three in a row. Each loss was by an average of 9.6 points. Carmelo Anthony is listed day-to-day to get rest. When he plays he fills the stat sheet, but his supporting cast is putrid.