We saw some major moves at the NBA trade deadline last Thursday. Dallas added J.J. Redick to bring another outside shooter (and some postseason experience) to the roster. Chicago added Nikola Vucevic, as the Magic showed they were ready to start another rebuild by shipping their All-Star out of town. Rajon Rondo is back in Los Angeles – but this time with the Clippers, and Victor Oladipo has left Houston to join the Miami Heat. How do the latest NBA power rankings stack up?
How can they affect your NBA betting choices? Take a look.
NBA News: Updated Power Rankings
#1 Utah Jazz (34-11)
Utah has followed up a 3-5 stretch with a five-game winning streak, once again the longest in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell has put up 31.6 points per game during this run, shooting .557 / .513 / .968 (FG / 3FG / FT). Jordan Clarkson was only shooting 24.6 percent from the floor during the first four wins in that streak, but he went 11 of 21 for 28 points on Saturday. Having Clarkson back makes the Jazz even more dangerous.
#2 Brooklyn Nets (31-15)
In 31 games with Brooklyn, James Harden is averaging 26 points, nine boards and 11 assists, and the team has gone 24-7 with him onboard – many of those games taking place without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant. Then the team added Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. Is the East now really Brooklyn’s?
#3 Philadelphia 76ers (32-14)
Joel Embiid has been cleared for basketball activities, and the Sixers did not fall out of first in the East with him on the shelf. Philly also added George Hill at the trade deadline. So yes, the 76ers did lose in Los Angeles over the weekend, but this team has a lot to smile about.
#4 Phoenix Suns (31-14)
Phoenix had four games in what amounts to about six days on their East swing, and they remain the second seed in the West. Their only action at the trade deadline involved grabbing Torrey Craig in exchange for cash as a part of the deal that sent P.J. Tucker to Milwaukee. Craig has shot 52 percent overall and 46 percent from behind the arc in four games as a Sun.
#5 L.A. Clippers (31-16)
The Clips just put together their best week of 2020-21, stopping a hot Atlanta team, beating the Spurs twice down in Texas and then coming home to knock off the 76ers. At the trade deadline, they shipped Lou Williams east for Rajon Rondo and opened up two roster spots for buyouts. Terance Mann has put up 15.2 points and 8.0 boards per game in those four games, coming on as an important role player.
#6 Milwaukee Bucks (29-16)
Giannis Antetokounmpo fought knee soreness this week, missing losses to the Celtics and the Knicks. His brother, Thanasis, is also on the team, but he’s not quite the same. Hopefully Giannis can get the rest he needs to get healthy as the season nears its final third.
#7 Denver Nuggets (28-18)
Denver won the trade deadline by getting Aaron Gordon, giving Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic another athletic player who can score above the rim, and he can also take turns defending the likes of Kawhi or LeBron in the postseason. JaVale McGee also came back to town to defend the rim.
#8 L.A. Lakers (30-17)
LeBron and AD are both on the shelf, and the team went after Kyle Lowry via trade and couldn’t get the job done. Andre Drummond got bought out and headed to Hollywood, though, so he could be a key piece in keeping the house somewhat in order until the two big stars return.
#9 Portland Trail Blazers (28-18)
Norman Powell comes to town as an upgrade on the defensive end of the floor, and with Robert Covington at the 4, the Trail Blazers can now play small ball. Could they finally be a postseason threat?
#10 Dallas Mavericks (23-21)
Both Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have gotten rest on back-to-backs since the All-Star break, as the team has gone 5-5 in the second half – but with one or both of the stars sitting out those games. Luka has missed five games this season, and Dallas has only missed one. But when they’re both on the floor? This is a scary team to play.
#11 San Antonio Spurs (23-20)
San Antonio has gone 6-4 since taking LaMarcus Aldridge off the team, with a new starting five of Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, DeMar DeRozan and Djounte Murray. That unit has a +1.4 net rating with that unit on the floor.
#12 New York Knicks (24-22)
Mitchell Robinson’s fractured foot hurts the whole team, but the Knicks are clinging to fourth place in the East standings. This week the Knicks host the Heat and the Mavericks, which will let them see how they do against other marginal contenders.
#13 Boston Celtics (23-23)
The Celtics added Evan Fournier, who has yet to play for them due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Robert Williams III now has the chance to take over the starting job at center with Daniel Theis heading out of town. Can the Celtics build on a strong weekend and start climbing the East?
#14 Atlanta Hawks (23-23)
Nate McMillan’s perfect streak as interim head coach ended when Atlanta lost in Los Angeles. They are still on the road, part of a league-high eight-game West swing. This week sees them in Phoenix, San Antonio and New Orleans. Can the addition of Lou Williams jump start an offense that has a higher ceiling than they’ve been hitting?
#15 Charlotte Hornets (23-22)
The Hornets have responded to losing LaMelo Ball for the season (wrist) by going 3-1, including a 32-point night from Malik Monk in a win over Miami on Friday. Terry Rozier has had no fewer than 22 points in those four games, as the team is holding on for now.
#16 Miami Heat (22-24)
The Heat had won 11 of 12 but entered the week on a six-game skid. That ironclad defense has vanished, as the team has given up 113 points per game during the losing streak. Bringing Victor Oladipo at the trade deadline should add a jolt of leadership.
#17 Indiana Pacers (21-23)
Myles Turner had nine points, seven boards and seven blocks in a win over Dallas on Friday. That gives Turner 12 games with at least five blocks this season. Having that kind of rim defender can change games – but the Pacers also need more offensive consistency if they want to do postseason damage.
#18 Memphis Grizzlies (21-22)
In his first 16 games after recovering from a long-term injury, Justise Winslow has shot just 34.2 percent from the floor. Jaren Jackson Jr (meniscus) is expected to return by the end of April. Will that jolt be enough to push Memphis into the playoffs?
#19 Golden State Warriors (22-24)
Golden State has hit a four-game skid, and their game is getting ugly. Stephen Curry bruised his coccyx on March 17 and returned Monday to hang 32 points on Chicago in a big win. However, he can’t play defense all by himself for the Warriors; during that four-game skid, they permitted an average of 121 points per game.
#20 New Orleans Pelicans (20-25)
Zion Williamson had 77 points in two games over the weekend, putting up 39 in a loss to Denver and then 38 in a win over Dallas. His talent continues to emerge as transcendent, but trading J.J. Redick and Nicolo Melli to Dallas suggests that the front office is not ready to contend.
#21 Sacramento Kings (21-25)
The Kings went on a four-game winning streak through the weekend that has them just a game out of tenth place in the West – right on the cusp of the play-in. Can they keep chipping away?
#22 Chicago Bulls (19-25)
Nikola Vucevic put up 21 points to lead Chicago in his debut against San Antonio, along with nine boards and three assists. Vucevic and Zach LaVine need to develop more chemistry for a playoff run to be a reality.
#23 Oklahoma City Thunder (19-26)
Al Horford is done for the season, but the Thunder had only gone 8-8 with him in the lineup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also out for at least a month with a foot injury, so now expect to see a youth movement. Exhibit A: Moses Brown, who had 21 points and 23 boards on Saturday.
#24 Toronto Raptors (18-28)
The Raptors have dropped 11 of 12 and are falling out of even the chase for tenth place in the East. Toronto did not trade Kyle Lowry despite a truckload of offers. It’s worth asking, though, whether a lottery ball would not be better for this team than an ignominious first-round sweep.
#25 Washington Wizards (16-28)
Russell Westbrook has 15 triple-doubles this season with the Wizards – who have dropped eight of ten, with Bradley Beal slowed b a bruised hip. They swapped Moritz Wagner and Troy Brown Jr for Chandler Hutchinson and Daniel Gafford; Gafford is a rim protector, but is it enough, even in the East, to get the Wizards to the playoffs?
#26 Cleveland Cavaliers (17-29)
Cleveland has dropped eight of 11, including a loss to a Lakers team without AD and LeBron on Friday in which the Cavs could only score 86. They only made it to 98 against Sacramento despite turning the ball over just seven times. The Cavs need an infusion of energy on offense – and they lost JaVale McGee at the trade deadline.
#27 Orlando Magic (15-31)
Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon are now in other cities, as the Magic enter their latest rebuild, now centering their hopes around Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz.
#28 Detroit Pistons (12-33)
Detroit lost four in a row through the weekend, including a 14-point loss in Washington on Saturday. Detroit shipped Delon Wright to Sacramento for Cory Joseph and a pair of second-round picks, as the Motown rebuild continues as well.
#29 Houston Rockets (13-32)
Sending Victor Oladipo to Miami tells us that the Rockets are prioritizing the development of guard Kevin Porter Jr, who put up 25 in a win over Minnesota on Saturday. That’s three games with at least 25 in eight outings as a Rocket.
#30 Minnesota Timberwolves (11-35)
The team is young, so losing is expected, but the losses are turning into blowouts, which makes development a bit of a problem. This team needs to get more competitive down the stretch.
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