NBA News: Updated Power Rankings
#1 Phoenix Suns (46-10)
Chris Paul is peaking at just the right time, with 19 assists on Thursday against Milwaukee and 15 more on Saturday. He has posted at least 15 assists in seven games this season; the next-best number by any player is four.
#2 Golden State Warriors (42-15)
Klay Thompson is rounding back into form, as he showed with some shutdown defense in Saturday’s victory over the Lakers – as well as 33 points in that game. James Wiseman and Draymond Green are making progress in rehab. The Warriors will now play six of eight on the road, so it will be interesting to see how they fare with those key players still yet to return.
#3 Memphis Grizzlies (40-18)
Since Christmas, Memphis has a 21-4 record, tops in the NBA over that stretch. Ja Morant has shot 50.8% from the floor and posted 28.9 points and 6.8 assists per game during this run. MVP anyone?
#4 Miami Heat (37-20)
The East leaders bring a five-game winning streak into their home meeting with Dallas on Tuesday – a team they beat by 15 back in November in Dallas. Bam Adebayo has 23.2 points and 10.8 boards per game in February, and he’s about to feast on a Mavericks team with no rim presence.
#5 Milwaukee Bucks (35-22)
Adding Serge Ibaka at the trade deadline got the Bucks a replacement for Brook Lopez, but it cost them some wing depth, and then Pat Connaughton fractured his finger on the same day as the trade. How will the Bucks cope in the meantime?
#6 Chicago Bulls (36-21)
A lot of East contenders made moves at the trade deadline, but the Bulls stood pat, banking on the return of Patrick Williams (wrist), Alex Caruso (wrist) and Lonzo Ball (knee) in March to serve as the needed help.
#7 Philadelphia 76ers (34-22)
Can James Harden mesh with the rest of the locker room in Philadelphia? Pairing the Beard with Joel Embiid seems like a no-brainer, but Harden has played himself out of great situations before.
#8 Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22)
Caris LeVert came to The Land at the trade deadline and helped his new team erase an 18-point deficit against the team that sent him away (Indiana), with three huge jumpers in the last 3:30 of the game. Life after LeBron suddenly looks pretty good for Cavs fans.
#9 Utah Jazz (35-21)
Utah had dropped 11 of 13 but now has won five in a row, even with Rudy Gobert still out with a calf strain. Donovan Mitchell was in the concussion protocol for two weeks but has put up 24.3 points, 6.8 boards and 5.3 assists per game in the last four contests.
#10 Dallas Mavericks (33-24)
Luka Doncic put up 96 points in a pair of home games against the Clippers, setting a franchise record for a two-game span. He has 35.5 points, 9.8 boards and 10.5 assists per game in his last eight. However, without Kristaps Porzingis, will he get any help in Big D?
#11 Boston Celtics (33-25)
In the last few weeks, Boston has been winning in bunches, and getting Daniel Theis and Derrick White at the trade deadline will also help. White played the entire fourth period of the Celtics’ win over the Nuggets on Friday, for example.
#12 Denver Nuggets (31-25)
Denver stood pat at the trade deadline, but Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray could both return from injury. Given the terrific play of Nikola Jokic, Murray’s return would vault the Nuggets into contender status.
#13 Toronto Raptors (31-24)
It’s a shame the Raptors couldn’t keep Kawhi Leonard around after their shocking title. They still have some stout players, but they need a marquee star.
#14 Minnesota Timberwolves (30-27)
This season has been a tale of two teams – elite defense with an inconsistent offense to start the team, but since January 1, the Wolves have the best offense in the NBA, but the defense is now 21st. Getting both units going at the same time would make this team a potential dark horse.
#15 Brooklyn Nets (29-27)
It didn’t take two months for the Nets to slide from the top of the East standings to the throes of the play-in tournament. Now they will be without new acquisition Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, KD and Joe Harris for the last three games before going into the All-Star break – and they already have an 11-game skid going.
#16 LA Clippers (28-30)
The trade deadline looked rosy for the Clippers, as they got Norman Powell and Robert Covington from Portland, but now Powell has fractured a bone in his left foot. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are already likely done for the year, so we will see whether new acquisitions Semi Ojeleye and Rodney Hood can help keep the Clippers on the edge of the playoff hunt.
#17 Charlotte Hornets (29-29)
Gordon Hayward (sprained ankle ligaments) is out indefinitely, which means Terry Rozier has to take on even more of the scoring. Rozier has 22.7 points per game this month over seven games, but the Hornets have still dropped seven of eight.
#18 Atlanta Hawks (26-30)
Should the Hawks have maximized John Collins’ trade value? They held onto him, and now he out with a foot strain that will sideline him at least until the end of the All-Star break. He had scored at least 20 points in five of his last seven, with one 18-board performance in that stretch.
#19 L.A. Lakers (26-31)
The Lakers blew a six-point lead in the waning minutes against Golden State and have now dropped seven of nine. But Russell Westbrook has still “earned” the right to close games, right?
#20 Washington Wizards (25-30)
The Wizards started 10-3…and are 15-27 since. Can Kristaps Porzingis make a difference? Hopefully, since he is owed almost $70 million over the next two years. Kyle Kuzma remains an intriguing talent, and without Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans taking minutes and shots, he has room to develop.
#21 New Orleans Pelicans (22-34)
CJ McCollum will put up some nice numbers after coming in from Portland. In his second game, he went 15 of 24 for a season best 36 points, along with 11 boards.
#22 N.Y. Knicks (25-32)
The Knicks beat Golden State on the road Thursday and led Portland by double figures going into the fourth quarter on Saturday, only to get outscored 35-11 in that last period and taking an ugly loss in the process. Next up: visits from Oklahoma City and Brooklyn, two must-win contests for a team angling at the play-in tournament.
#23 San Antonio Spurs (22-35)
Dejounte Murray combined for 63 points and 27 assists against Atlanta and New Orleans on Friday and Saturday – with just two combined turnovers. No player had put up back-to-back games with at least 30 points and 10 assists in each game – and with no more than one turnover in each game – since turnovers became a statistic in the 1977-78 NBA season.
#24 Portland Trail Blazers (23-34)
The trade deadline basically blew up the roster around Damian Lillard. Will he stay? Or will he move on to a contender? It is hard to see the Trail Blazers as a contender right now, but they have an exciting roster for the future.
#25 Sacramento Kings (22-36)
Domantas Sabonis showed up two games ago and has put up 38 points, 25 boards and 12 assists combined – and the Kings have won both of those games. This trade cost the team Tyrese Haliburton, but Sabonis is the real deal.
#26 Indiana Pacers (19-39)
The Pacers were excited to bring Tyrese Haliburton to town, and in his first two games, he has a combined 45 points and 22 assists. He didn’t make the Pacers a contender, but he could be the next piece in getting them back into the East conversation.
#27 Oklahoma City Thunder (17-39)
Aleksej Pokusevski has come up from the G League and done well in the senior league, putting 13.0 points, 5.8 boards and 1.5 blocks per game in his last four contests – and making half of his three-point attempts.
#28 Houston Rockets (15-40)
Is there room for optimism in Houston? Well, Kevin Porter Jr looks like the point guard of the future, with 17.3 points and 6.8 assists per game over his last 12, knocking down 48.2% of his shots from behind the arc over that time frame.
#29 Orlando Magic (13-45)
Wendell Carter Jr is starting to show consistency for a young player, putting up 17.6 points, 10.3 boards and 3.0 assists per game in seven February contests. This isn’t leading to wins yet, but any optimism is good for a rebuilding team.
#30 Detroit Pistons (12-44)
The latest flyer for this team was a deal for Marvin Bagley III at the trade deadline. Bagley left Sacramento after four stultifying seasons in Sacramento. He will be a restricted free agent, so this is basically an audition for the Pistons and the rest of the league.
