Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are riding a 13 game winning streak. Is that enough to break the Lakers strangle hold on the #1 spot in our Power Rankings?
10. Houston Rockets (Down 2)
(13-7) Last week: 1-1
James Harden is that most rare of beasts: high volume and high efficiency.
The Beard continues to combine the best of the analytics era with the glory of old school Hero Ball.
Harden is currently averaging 39.5 points per contest and is on course for the highest single season scoring average by anyone not named Wilt Chamberlain.
His masterpiece against what passes for defense in Atlanta was ridiculous. In 31 minutes (Harden didn’t see the court in the fourth quarter) he put up 60 points on an incredibly efficient 16/24 from the floor, including 8 3’s. He also went 20/23 from the charity stripe and threw in eight assists, three steals and a block just to ensure that the salt was rammed into the Hawks wound.
He is the most unstoppable player in the NBA.
9. Toronto Raptors (Down 3)
(15-5) Last week: 2-1
The Raptors loss to Miami snapped a seven game winning streak.
Their evisceration of Utah – Toronto led by 40 points at one stage – was a terrifying sight for the rest of the NBA: despite losing Kawhi and Kyle Lowry being injured, the Raps are elite.
Much of that comes down to the well covered continuing evolution of Pascal Siakam into an elite player, and the Fred Vanvleet (he’s getting paid this off season) ascension to a legitimate top end NBA point guard. But don’t forget the return of OG Anunoby to this team. He was severely hampered last season due to a wrist sprain, ankle sprain and appendectomy. His return to health and ability to slip seamlessly into Siakam’s 2018/19 role, especially on defense, has allowed Siakam to step into Kawhi’s sneakers.
8. Miami Heat (Down 1)
(15-6) Last week: 3-1
A statement win against Toronto on the Raps floor highlights the week for Miami, with Jimmy Butler’s triple double leading the way in a fantastic overtime win. They couldn't back it up against the Celtics – back to back away wins would have made the league stand up and take notice.
Bam Adebayo continues his meteoric rise. He is one of four players in the NBA to average 10 boards and four assists per game (check stats). The others? Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns. Nice company to keep.
7. Dallas Mavericks (Up 3)
(15-6) Last week: 4-0
Luka Doncic is 20 years old. He’s doing things like this on a nightly basis. At 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20?
On the back of his young star, Coach Rick Carlisle has his team humming, pulling all the right strings rotationally. He’s taken the creative burden away from Kristaps Porzingis and allowed him to be a finisher. He’s responded with far more efficient performances, even if the point totals have dropped slightly.
They’re ably supported by (checks notes)…..(carefully checks them again)….Tim Hardaway Jr? That can’t be right, can it? Timbug Jr is putting up 16 points per night on 44.2% shooting from deep in his last 8 games.
As the great Zach Lowe has said on numerous occasions, Rick Carlisle is a Warlock.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (Up 3)
(15-6) Last week: 4-0
Owners of a four game win streak, the Sixers are lurking in the shadows of the Eastern Conference elite.
As demonstrated in the recent loss to Toronto, the team’s attack remains an issue. Embiid is still taking too many threes for a such beast of a post player, especially when he’s at best an average jump shooter. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson haven’t really found a consistent groove. The spacing issues Ben Simmons creates are well documented.
At the other end of the floor, the Sixers are elite. They absolutely stonewalled the Jazz this week, leading by 18 at the half and holding Utah to 5/22 shooting from deep. Against Indiana, Simmons (league leading 2.4 steals per game) quite literally stole a win for the Sixers.
Did Ben Simmons hit a three this week? No.
5. Boston Celtics (Down 1)
(15-5) Last week: 2-1
When Jaylen Brown signed his $115m four-year extension this year, there was a fair amount of consternation as to whether Brown would be worth the money.
Averaging 19.9 points, shooting 38.2% from deep and continuing to show elite defensive potential, it appears that Boston’s money is well spent. He and Jayson Tatum form an excellent young pair to build around.
Gordon Hayward appears slightly ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand and should take the court in the next 7-10 days.
4. Denver Nuggets (Up 1)
(13-5) Last week: 2-0
Denver continue to win without getting anything near peak Jokic.
The big Serb continues to throw some nifty passes, averaging 6.1 assists per game. The best way to unlock a gifted passer is the threat of putting the ball in the bucket and Jokic just isn’t shooting enough, shooting about 1.5 field goals and free throws less than last season. The fact that he's launching almost two extra deep attempts a game plays into the concerns about his fitness levels.
Once Jokic gets back to being the best version of himself, the Nuggets will be more than a sneaky contender.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (Steady)
(16-6) Last week: 2-1
Los Angeles ‘other’ team – it feels nice to use that term ironically, these days – are starting to gel.
They’ve not had the wins that the Lakers have had. They don’t have Giannis throwing down Space Jam dunks, but they do have the deepest team in the NBA, led by the best two way pair in the league.
Since Paul George made his Clippers debut, the team is 9-2, with that frankly strange loss to the struggling Spurs being the exception that proves how good this team is at full strength.
The Clips are outscoring teams by over eight points per 100 possessions when both PG and Kawhi Leonard share the floor, highlighted by a 96.2 defensive rating, per Basketball Reference.
This team is only just starting to figure out how the parts all fit together.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (Down 1)
(19-3) Last week: 3-1
The Lakers finally had their winning streak snapped at 10 by Dallas and their Boy Wonder.
They’ve rebounded from that with crushing wins over the Nuggets and Jazz. Up next is a resurgent Portland, Minnesota and Orlando to start an East Coast swing.
If the Lakers take care of business through this stretch, they’re set up to snatch the #1 seed and still give LeBron some rest through the season.
Anthony Davis continues to make his case for Defensive Player of the Year, with 10.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.7 blocks a night. His mobility allows the Lakers to play a supersized front line with James at the 3.
1. Milwaukee Bucks (Up 1)
(19-3) Last week: 4-0
Winners of 13 straight, the Bucks are unstoppable right now.
As always, they’re doing it on the back of reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The counting stats (31/13 with 1.4 steals and blocks) are remarkable. This season, he’s even turned his relative lack of range into a weapon. In attempting five treys per game, he renders the fact that he’s connecting on 31% of them irrelevant.
No team wants to be beaten by a Giannis jump shot, so they close out hard. From there, Giannis attacks the close out and the defense…..just kind of dies.
If you collapse in on him, Giannis hits his shooters. If you can’t protect the rim (like say, Utah sans Rudy Gobert), the the Greek Freak will go for 50.
To top it all off, Khris Middleton returned from injury this week.
