Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs have overtaken the Warriors for the no. 1 spot (Soobum Im – USA Today Sports)
Welcome to the first edition of the Def Pen NBA Power Rankings! These rankings will be updated every Monday from here on. 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.
1. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 35-6
What? The Warriors aren’t first? I know. Both teams are absolutely incredible, and the Spurs just barely made it over the Dubs. San Antonio has now won 10 in a row. They lead the league in point differential, field goal percentage, defensive rating, and probably a bunch of other stats. The Spurs system is still 100% functional, and Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the world.
2. Golden State Warriors
Record: 37-4
Like the Spurs, the Warriors are historically great. However, they’ve now dropped 2 of their last 3 games. The 2-point loss to the Nuggets is almost excusable due to the absence of Draymond Green, but allowing the Pistons to beat them by 18 is a bit concerning. Of course, there’s no reason to freak out over a couple bad games. They’re still 37-4, which is ridiculous. By next week, they could very well be back in the number 1 spot.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 30-12
The Thunder have largely flown under the radar this season due to the dominance of Golden State and San Antonio. This is a team that should never be underestimated, though. They still have arguably two of the top-5 players in the league in Westbrook and Durant, and Ibaka is, in my opinion, a top-35 or so player. Rookie Cameron Payne has had a few nice outings recently as well. The Thunder have the second best offensive rating in the league, only behind the Warriors. OKC has also been a great rebounding team this season. They lead the league in offensive rebounding %, and are second behind the Spurs in total rebound %. Ibaka and Steven Adams in the paint has proved to be a menace on the defensive end. They’re second in blocks per game, behind only the Hassan Whiteside-led Heat. They’ve won their last 4 games, and their last 8 of 10. The Thunder are rollin’.
4. CLeveland Cavaliers
Record: 28-10
The Cavs are still the Cavs. They’ve won 9 of their last 10, and that one loss came against the Spurs. Let’s face it, any team with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love is going to be one of the best teams in the league. Now that the Cavs are fully healthy, they’re looking like a true contender.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 26-14
The Clippers had won 10 straight prior to losing to the Kings Saturday night. The last 9 of those 10 games came without Blake Griffin. #EwingTheory? They commit the second-fewest turnovers in the NBA, which shows the impact of Chris Paul, who’s still one of the league’s top point guards despite having begun to drop off statistically this season. The Clips are 4th in point scored per game, and are top-5 in net rating. After a somewhat slow start to the season, it seems the Clippers are starting to figure things out, although they still don’t seem to have really nailed down who their starting small forward will be going forward.
6. Toronto Raptors
Record: 25-15
The Raptors are on a 4-game winning streak, though two of those wins came against the Nets and Sixers, so probably take that with a grain of salt. That being said, the Raptors have been great this season. Led by the usual group of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan(plus Jonas Valanciunas now that he’s healthy), they’ve impressed despite the fact that DeMarre Carroll has only played in 23 games. They have the best +/- and offensive rating of any team not listed ahead of them in this list. Lowry and DeRozan both have legitimate shots at being All-Stars this year, and Lowry has a shot at making his first All-NBA Team. Hopefully this is the year Toronto can make some noise in the playoffs.
7. Chicago Bulls
Record: 23-16
The Bulls have improved drastically since a not-too-great start to the season, and are now third in the East. They’ve been the best rebounding team in the league this year, clocking in at 49 a game. Outside of that, their offense has been.. not great. They have the eighth-worst offensive rating in the league. I shudder to think what their offense would look like without Jimmy Butler.
8. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 24-17
The Hawks simply have not been as good this year as they were last year. They’re still a good team, but they aren’t playing out of their minds like they were last season. The loss of DeMarre Carroll hurt, and Kyle Korver’s dropped off. Last year Korver shot an absolutely ridiculous 49.2% from 3-point range. This year that percentage has dropped to just 36%. The Hawks are still playing with Budenholzer’s Spurs-esque style, as illustrated by their passing numbers(2nd in assist %, 3rd in assist ratio, 2nd in assists per game). They’ve also played excellent defense. They rank second in the NBA in steals per game, and they’re also in the top 10 in blocks per game. The stats show they’ve been very good this season, but they’ve also lost to some opponents who were clearly beneath their level(The Knicks, the Bucks, the Timberwolves, the Nets, the Jazz). Consistency was their strong suit last year, but that hasn’t been the case this season. That’s something that they definitely need to improve on. Something else to improve on: rebounding. The Hawks rank dead last in rebounds per game. That’s definitely not ideal.
9. Miami Heat
Record: 23-18
Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade haven’t meshed as well as most had hoped, and Hassan Whiteside’s blocks are looking like they’re more for show than actual impact. However, the Heat are far too talented a team not to be at least pretty good. They lead the league in blocked shots(which may or may not carry much weight with you depending on how you feel about Whiteside). It should be noted that they also rank sixth in defensive rating. The Heat are also fifth in shooting percentage. It’s hard to tell how good this team is, but I do believe that they have potential to be a top-2 or 3 team in the East.
10. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 23-19
I don’t know how to feel about the Mavs. I love what Zaza Pachulia has brought to them, and it’s nice to see that Dirk’s still got it. Rick Carlisle is definitely getting more than his money’s worth out of this team, and should be a Coach of the Year candidate. I did not think that Dallas would be a .500 team, let alone a few games over it. I’m still not totally sold on them, but things have definitely gone right. Deron Williams looks a lot more interested than he did in Brooklyn, and I think it’s good for the team that Monta Ellis is gone. There isn’t really a particular stat to point to that shows why the Mavs have played so well, but really it’s just a team playing hard and being coached well.
11. Boston Celtics
Record: 22-19
I like this Celtics team a lot. I believe that Brad Stevens is one of the top 5 coaches in the NBA, and like Dallas, this is a team that plays hard. The C’s have done a great job of forcing turnovers this year. They’re third in the NBA in steals per game. The defense is terrific, but they really need to figure out how to make shots. The only teams shooting worst from long range than the Celtics are the Lakers and the Nets. That’s not good company to be in. They’re also bottom-6 in field goal percentage. That being said, it’s pretty incredible to be 3 games over .500 with an offense that bad. The Celtics lost 4 in a row, but since then they’ve won their last 3. The offense should get better. Kelly Olynyk’s been on fire from deep lately, but guys other than him, Avery Bradley, and Isaiah Thomas need to hit shots.
12. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 23-19
Different year, similar Memphis team. The Marc Gasol-led Grizzlies roster has stayed pretty similar over the last few years. Their trademark is their defense, which is good because their offense hasn’t been great. As a team, they’re shooting 43.2% from the field and 32.7% from 3. Strange thing about the Grizzlies this year: You would think they’d be one of the better rebounding teams out there, what with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol down low. This year, though, they’ve been the third-worst rebounding team in the NBA. Odd. But I mean, whatever works. Memphis have won 7 of their last 10 now, and seem to be improving as the season goes on.
13. Indiana Pacers
Record: 22-19
Paul George has been excellent this season, and he has led the Pacers to a strong start. They’ve had a great defense thus far this year. They’re fourth in the league in steals per game as a team, and third in defensive rating, behind only San Antonio and Boston in that regard. Ideally they’ll want to improve their offense, as they’re in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating. The answer to improving the offense may be trying to figure out what Monta Ellis’ role is. He’s shot the ball pretty abysmally this year, but he’s capable of being a very solid scorer. The Pacers have lost their last 3, and will look to get back on track Tuesday night in a very winnable game in Phoenix.
14. Houston Rockets
Record: 22-20
The Rockets have been the biggest disappointment in the NBA this year. Every now and then it seems like they’re about to turn it around and get back to where they were last season, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe they’ll do it now? They’ve won 6 of their last 7, but none of those wins came against elite teams. The Rockets have the personnel to be one of the top-tier teams in the NBA, but they have to prove that they can play to their talent level.
15. Detroit Pistons
Record: 22-18
The Pistons have been a lot better than most expected, largely due to Andre Drummond proving that he’s one of the best centers in the league. Because of Drummond, the Pistons are the second best rebounding team in the league, and the best offensive rebounding team. They also have an impressive point differential of +2.2, better than teams such as Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas. They are shooting an NBA-worst 65.4% from the free throw line, which is absolutely pathetic. It’s probably dragged down pretty far by Drummond’s poor percentage, but still. Oh yeah, they blew out the Warriors!!! What’s up with that?
16. Washington Wizards
Record: 19-20
The Wizards have been largely disappointing. Did Paul Pierce really make THAT big of a difference?! John Wall is a superstar, but he’s not getting the help he needs. Bradley Beal hasn’t quite made that leap everyone’s waiting for. It’s not that he hasn’t played well; he’s averaging 19.4 points a game and shooting over 40% from deep. The problem for him has been the injury bug. I think the Wizards will figure things out, but things could be looking better for them.
17. Orlando Magic
Record: 20-19
The Magic, like the Pistons, have outperformed the expectations. Evan Fournier is enjoying a semi-breakout season, averaging 13.9 points and 3 rebounds in 32 minutes per game. Fournier started the season off even better, but has somewhat fallen back down to earth. Sort of like the Magic as a whole. They started off well, but now have lost 7 of their last 10. I don’t see them making the playoffs, but maybe they’ll prove me wrong.
18. Utah Jazz
Record: 18-22
I like the Jazz with Rudy Gobert. I like them a lot. The Stifle Tower is finally healthy and back in action, and he put up a monster performance against the Lakers on Saturday night, putting up 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Obviously the Lakers aren’t the toughest competition, but if Gobert can play at that level, he can be the best defensive center in the NBA, and the Jazz can be a pretty damn good team.
19. New York Knicks
Record: 20-22
The Knicks were expected to be awful, but they’ve actually been pretty solid. I think a lot of people had forgotten how much Carmelo Anthony can positively impact a team. And then there’s Kristaps Porzingis, who no one saw coming. Still, I don’t think they’re a playoff team, and middle-of-the-pack isn’t where you want to be. The fact that they aren’t tanking surprises me, and could indicate that Phil Jackson plans on building through free agency instead of the draft.
20. Sacramento Kings
Record: 17-23
I like the Kings a lot, and I’m absolutely biased since I love Rajon Rondo. The Kings have the best center in the NBA, and Rondo has been pretty great this season. Omri Casspi’s having a career year as well. The Kings just snapped the Clippers’ 10-game win streak in a very impressive performance, which bumps them up on my list. That was a big-time win. Obviously, they still aren’t a great team, though. They’re bottom-5 in the NBA in defensive rating, which makes sense, since by their own admission they need more defensive players. They’re 11th in offensive rating, which isn’t too bad, but isn’t elite. They lead the league in pace(possessions per 48 minutes), which is interesting, but doesn’t really tell you anything you don’t already know about them.
21. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 18-25
I expected the Trail Blazers to be much worse than 18-25 at this point in the season. Damian Lillard is a top-5 or 6 point guard, and I’ve been huge on C.J. McCollum since he was at Lehigh. But when you lose 4 of your 5 starters, you’re going to regress. And the have regressed, just not as far as I expected them to. They have the 8th-best offensive rating in the league, but the 6th-worst defensive rating. That makes a lot of sense given that they’re built around two offense-first players.
22. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 18-25
I hated the Bucks’ team going into this season. Trading Brandon Knight for an unproven point guard who can’t shoot? What are you doing? Signing a big men to play in the frontcourt, who needs to hide Jabari Parker on defense, who can’t defend ? What are you doing?! Having literally two players on the entire roster who can shoot from outside? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! It infuriated me, and I was right about all of those things, honestly. The Bucks have looked awful. Except, they’ve sort of played well lately. They’ve actually won 6 of their last 10. I’m not sure how they’re winning, and I don’t expect it to last. The fact that their defensive rating is worse than only the Lakers’ cannot be ignored. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have some irrational dislike of Milwaukee. I actually really like them long-term. I love the player that Giannis Antetokounmpo projects to be. I think Khris Middleton is fantastic. I think Jabari Parker will be good. I just don’t like some of the moves that John Hammond has made, that’s all.
23. Denver Nuggets
Record: 16-25
The Nuggets beat the Warriors! Props to them. That was a really fun game to watch down the stretch. Danilo Gallinari is a fantastic scorer when he’s healthy, Will Barton is a candidate for Most Improved Player of the year(and sixth man of the year?), Gary Harris looks good. Emmanuel Mudiay has struggled in his first season, but he has all the tools to be a starting-caliber point guard long-term.
24. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 18-22
Charlotte started the season off well, behind inspiring play from… just about everyone really. Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Jeremy Lin, Marvin Williams, and especially Nicolas Batum all played great. The dream is over for Charlotte fans, though, as they’ve lost 9 of their last 10, and are looking like one of the worse teams in the league. Their defense has been horrendous lately. It’s bizarre how quickly they’ve fallen from arguably a top-10 team to a bottom-10 team. Al Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returning would be a huge help, but who knows when they’ll be back? For now, Charlotte should probably aim for the lottery, not a playoff spot in a competitive Eastern Conference. One bright spot, Hornets fans: Charlotte commits the fewest turnovers per game of any NBA team. So, that’s something.
25. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 13-26
The Pels have disappointed me. I expected them to take a step forward, simply because Anthony Davis would be that good. It hasn’t happened though, and they’re pretty bad. Maybe it’s by design, though. They might just not be ready to stop re-building and start competing, and want a good draft pick. That’s not a bad idea. Maybe they’ll shut down Davis with some sort of “injury” like the Knicks did with Melo a couple years back.
26. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 11-30
The Nets have the bleakest future of any NBA team. They don’t have their first-rounder, so they have zero incentive to suck. Yet, they still suck. They have the 3rd-worst offensive rating and the 7th-worst defensive rating. Those combine for the 3rd-worst net rating in the league. They’re just a bad team, flat out, and things have gotten worse since starting point guard Jarrett Jack went down for the season with a torn ACL. Without Jack, the only point guards on their roster are Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan. That’s pretty awful. The one real bright spot for Brooklyn has been the play of center Brook Lopez, who has been superb for them this year. Lopez has always been good, but this year he’s actually been healthy.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 13-29
The Timberwolves started the season off pretty well, playing like a .500 team. That didm’t last, though, and now they’ve lost 13 of their last 15. The priority for the T-Wolves right now isn’t winning anyways, though. It’s developing their young guys. Letting Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Zach LaVine get touches and adapt to the NBA. It’s a great plan. They have such a young, talented core, and they’re probably looking at another top-5 pick in the draft this year. I really like the re-building job that Minnesota has done. For now, though, they aren’t a great team.
28. Phoenix Suns
Record: 13-29
Poor, poor Suns. They looked pretty good starting the season. Then Eric Bledsoe tore his meniscus, and that was that. The Suns don’t look like they’re trying at all any more. They lost by 30 to the Timberwolves yesterday afternoon for their 4th straight loss and their 9th in the last 10 games. I’m not sure what to think about them at this point. All this losing can’t be making Brandon Knight happy. Some sort of trade feels inevitable given all of the Markieff Morris drama. I don’t know what the plan for Phoenix is.
29. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 9-34
Lakers fans aren’t really focused on how this season is going, just on Kobe, and his farewell tour. The team as a whole is really, really bad. How bad? They’re the worst shooting team from the field and from 3-point range. They have the worst defensive rating in the NBA. They have a net rating of -10.8, and a point differential of -9.5. Enjoy the farewell tour, L.A. fans. It’s all you have to enjoy.
30. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 5-37
Same old Sixers. The tanking continues. They have the worst offensive rating and net rating in the league. They do have a few nice pieces though, and the future might be bright. It’s rather hard to tell. However, since trading for Ish Smith, the Sixers have gone 4-7, a massive improvement. Smith has been great for them, but he’d better not be too great, or they might get out-tanked by the Lakers.
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