Meanwhile, the Cavs are slowly but surely losing grip on the top spot
• 1 min read
We’ve all been there. You’re out to dinner with friends, the conversation is great, course after course is being brought to your table along with bottles of wine, pitchers of beer, cocktails in coupe glasses — whatever happens to be your tipple that night. You’re no fool, so you know that after you’re done gorging, there will be hell to pay, either that night or the following morning. You see the writing on the wall. But you say, “You know what, you only live once,” and you just enjoy the moment for what it is. Bring on the chocolate lava cake.
That’s the current state of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Power Rankings. They’ve been No. 1 for the vast majority of the season, but they’re slowly watching the top ranking slip through their fingers.
Sure, Cleveland will enjoy this week’s close victory over the Celtics, but the fact that Boston was without two of its best players, and that the Cavs were coming off consecutive losses to the Atlanta Hawks, is evidence enough to suggest that the end is near for Cleveland at the top of the rankings. For now, however, they’ll enjoy one more week in the sun.
And how about those Hawks!? Beating the Cavs twice and ending the Milwaukee Bucks‘ seven-game winning streak was enough to make them the week’s biggest risers, jumping eight spots to the middle of the pack. They’re the polar opposite of the Los Angeles Lakers, who dropped another three spots thanks to some horrifically lopsided losses. When LeBron James is calling their performance “embarrassing,” you know they’re in a tough spot.
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t continue to mention the Orlando Magic, and just how incredible their ascent has been despite missing their best player for a good chunk of the season. They’re up two more spots this week to enter the top five, and the four above them remain unchanged.
Here are this week’s NBA Power Rankings.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cavaliers |
Cleveland is still No. 1, but maybe not for much longer. So what’s gone wrong over the last week? The offense, which has led the league for most of the season, fell off a cliff with just 110 points per 100 possessions over their last four games. The good news is, their defense has remained stout and they’re certainly capable of winning games that way. Luckily for the Cavs, they don’t play the dreaded Hawks again until the end of January. | — | 19-3 |
| 2 |
Celtics |
No moral victories and all that, but the Celtics have to feel pretty good about nearly beating the Cavs on the road with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White in street clothes — hell, Drew Peterson even got 25 minutes in that game. It appears we’ve now reached the portion of the season when one or two Celtics will rest pretty much every game, and why not? The goal is to keep this group fresh for the playoffs, and they have even more depth than last season with the emergence of Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. | — | 18-4 |
| 3 |
Thunder |
OKC narrowly lost to Houston in one of the marquee early-season matchups, then took it out on the poor Jazz a couple days later. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP campaign is in full swing, as the Thunder’s offensive rating improves by a whopping 20(!) points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor. That man’s talents combined with the league’s best defense is a deadly combination. | — | 16-5 |
| 4 |
Rockets |
Houston’s signature win over the Thunder was followed by a loss to the Kings, but if you ask Ime Udoka the refs had a little something to do with that. The Rockets’ defense is truly elite — you really feel bad for the opponents when you’re watching — and they’re proving that all they need is a middle-of-the-pack offense to keep winning. | — | 15-7 |
| 5 |
Magic |
Another week, another stretch of wins for the Magic, who finally lost a game but show no signs of slowing. They’re now 16-8 despite playing most of those games without Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner has become a legitimate All-Star and fringe MVP candidate. They’re also the last team in the NBA that’s undefeated at home. | 2 | 16-8 |
| 6 |
Grizzlies |
Ja Morant says he’s going to tone down his in-game dunking in attempt to avoid injuries, and Grizzlies fans will gladly accept fewer highlights if it increases their star player’s availability. He’s putting up 25 points, 7.5 assists and two steals in just 28 minutes per game over his last four. | — | 14-8 |
| 7 |
Mavericks |
Five in a row for the Mavs, who saw the return of Luka Doncic this week after a five-game absence due to a wrist issue. He sure looks rusty, averaging 36.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 3.5 steals on 47% 3-point shooting in his two games since coming off the shelf. | 2 | 14-8 |
| 8 |
Knicks |
The Knicks have won four out of five games and are now owners of the league’s best offense — no shock there. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony towns have a legitimate shot to each go 50-40-90 while averaging over 25 points per game, which is just ludicrous to even consider. | — | 13-8 |
| 9 |
Warriors |
The honeymoon period, as they say, is over. The Warriors have lost five straight games, with Steph Curry and Draymond Green set to miss Thursday’s matchup with the Rockets. Curry and Steve Kerr both hinted that the ultra-deep rotation may soon be a thing of the past as they try to figure out a way to get things headed back in the right direction. It needs to start with the offense, which has averaged just 107 points per 100 possessions during the losing streak. | 4 | 12-8 |
| 10 |
Suns |
One step forward, two (CAREFUL!) steps backward for Phoenix, who lost Kevin Durant for at least a week with a rolled ankle. This year’s Suns are much better positioned to survive KD’s absence, however, as Tyus Jones has averaged 13 points and eight assists on 64/53/75 shooting splits during Phoenix’s recent 3-1 stretch. | 1 | 12-8 |
| 11 |
Clippers |
Over their last 11 games, the Clippers have only lost to the Celtics and Timberwolves, as they continue to impress despite having key players out of the lineup. They’ve managed to go 8-3 over that stretch with James Harden shooting just 39% from the field — it really doesn’t seem possible. Norm Powell’s return has been a godsend, with the prolific guard averaging 25 points in 28 minutes over his last four games on 55/59/92 shooting splits. | 1 | 14-10 |
| 12 |
Nuggets |
The Nuggets responded to their coach’s challenge by winning two of their next three games, though they will tell you they also should have beaten the Clippers on the road. The good news is that Aaron Gordon is set to make his return on Thursday to help their 19th-ranked defense. | — | 11-8 |
| 13 |
Timberwolves |
The Wolves are now 3-0 since Anthony Edwards called his team “soft as hell” and “a bunch of little kids,” with the last two wins coming by 29 and 28 points, respectively. The message has been received largely on defense, where Minnesota has allowed a ridiculously stubborn 87 points per 100 possessions during the winning streak. | 3 | 11-10 |
| 14 |
Bucks |
The Bucks saw their win streak reach seven games before running into the buzzsaw Hawks on Wednesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been absurd, notching the first 40-point triple-double of his career the other night, which has allowed Damian Lillard to fly somewhat under the radar with how well he’s playing. The 34-year-old is averaging 26 points and nine assists on 46/41/91 splits over Milwaukee’s 7-1 stretch. | 1 | 11-10 |
| 15 |
Heat |
Nothing like a good old-fashioned 41-point win to get the morale up, eh? The Heat knocked down 24 3s and set a franchise record with 42 assists in a colossal drubbing of the Lakers on Wednesday. Jimmy Butler has been fantastic since returning to the lineup a few weeks ago, averaging 22 points, six rebounds and five assists on 63/67/83 shooting splits over his last seven games, during which Miami is 5-2. | 2 | 10-10 |
| 16 |
Hawks |
Long live the giant slayers! Atlanta beat the formerly one-loss Cavs in consecutive games and then ended the Bucks’ seven-game winning streak on Wednesday night. Oh, and they mixed in wins over the Hornets and Pelicans to make it five in a row overall. The craziest part is that they’re doing this with straight up horrific shooting nights from Trae Young, who’s averaging just under 17 points on 38% field goals and 21% 3-pointers during the streak. It hasn’t affected his playmaking, however, as he’s dished out 12 assists per game. | 8 | 12-11 |
| 17 |
Lakers |
“Embarrassing” was the word used by both LeBron James and JJ Redick after the Lakers’ 41-point loss to the Heat on Friday, and it wasn’t even that much of an anomaly. The Lakers have now lost four of their last seven games by at least 25 points. They also needed every ounce of strength to escape with a one-point victory over the four-win Jazz. They’ve now lost six of their last eight games, with the defense reaching near-catastrophic levels of ineptitude. | 3 | 12-10 |
| 18 |
Spurs |
In Sunday’s win over the Kings, Victor Wembanyama became the third player in NBA history under 21 years of age to post a 34-point triple-double. The other two are LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Would love to be a fly on a postgame dinner table between those three over a couple bottles of expensive wine. Overall the Spurs remain above .500, and seem like they have the staying power to be a playoff (or Play-In) contender throughout the season. | 5 | 11-10 |
| 19 |
Kings |
Maybe Tuesday’s win over the Rockets will serve as a life preserver for the Kings, who have been drowning for most of the season. The one stat that seems to say it all: Last season, the Kings were third in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game … this season, they’re 24th. | 1 | 10-12 |
| 20 |
Nets |
You’d be forgiven if you recognized about 20% of the names in some of these starting lineups recently (Tyrese Martin, Jalen Wilson, Keon Johnson), but the Nets keep chugging along and sit firmly in Play-In position. Cam Johnson has stepped up offensively with his namesake Cam Thomas out of the lineup. The sharpshooter has been on fire, averaging 22 points over his last three games on 52% 3-point shooting. | 1 | 10-13 |
| 21 |
Pistons |
The sheen of the Pistons’ impressive start has worn off a bit, and they’re realizing how tough it can be to maintain winning when teams are no longer overlooking you on the schedule. The good news is that Cade Cunningham has picked up right where he left off, averaging 23.5 points, 8.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds on 7-for-12 3-point shooting in two games back from his pelvis injury. | — | 9-15 |
| 22 |
Bulls |
The Bulls’ defense is approaching the worst in the NBA, and even the presence of Lonzo Ball (one of their only objectively good defenders) doesn’t seem to make a difference. Chicago is allowing over 120 points per 100 possessions in nearly 100 minutes with him on the floor. | — | 9-13 |
| 23 |
Pacers |
Tyrese Haliburton called the Pacers’ current product “embarrassing,” and it’s hard to argue with him. They’ve lost four straight, all by at least nine points, and they’ve scored a feeble 103 points per 100 possessions during the skid. This is from a team with a near record-setting offensive rating of 120.5 last season. Haliburton has shown flashes of breaking out of his season-long slump, but is still averaging 17.6 points on 33% 3-point shooting for the year. | 3 | 9-14 |
| 24 |
Raptors |
The Raptors are 2-9 this season without Scottie Barnes, and are now 5-6 with him after winning three of their last four. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the dude has a positive impact. If you’re into more rocket sciencey type statistics, the Raptors offense has averaged 114 points per 100 possessions with Barnes on the floor in the seven games since his return from injury, and that craters to 104 with him on the bench. | 3 | 7-15 |
| 25 |
Trail Blazers |
The Blazers have lost four of their last five as they continue to struggle to find a consistently productive five-man unit. The four lineups which have logged the most minutes together this season have put up horrendous numbers, with the potentially “ideal” starting lineup of Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton worst of all with a startling minus-23.7 net rating in 44 minutes. | 2 | 8-14 |
| 26 |
76ers |
Still no Joel Embiid, but at least Paul George came back as the 76ers had a couple of wins and close losses to good teams this week. George was great in his return, putting up 29 points and eight assists on 6-for-9 3-point shooting in a win over Charlotte. A very welcome sight. | 2 | 5-15 |
| 27 |
Hornets |
The all-too familiar trend of LaMelo Ball missing games continued this week due to a problematic calf strain, and with it went the Hornets’ hopes of consistently winning basketball games. Brandon Miller has brilliantly stepped into the alpha role with Ball out, averaging 29 points and six rebounds over the last three games — though he’s shooting just 36% from the field. Charlotte has lost six in a row. | 2 | 6-15 |
| 28 |
Jazz |
A rough week brought Utah’s losing streak to five games, most recently a 27-point drubbing in OKC. They’re dead last in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 119 points per 100 possessions. Yes, that’s even worse than the Washington Wizards. | 2 | 4-17 |
| 29 |
Pelicans |
Yeah, this is getting real ugly. The return of CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray hasn’t led to any wins, as the skid has reached nine games. Murray has shot just 27% from the field in his four games since returning from a broken hand. | — | 4-18 |
| 30 |
Wizards |
It’s not even that the Wizards went 0-for-November or that they’ve lost 15 in a row — it’s that these games aren’t even close. All 15 have come by nine points or more, and they’ve lost eight of them by at least 19 points. It’s REAL rough out there. During the streak, they’re scoring 18 fewer points per 100 possessions than their opponents. | — | 2-17 |
