The behind-the-scenes angling for veteran free-agent guard Goran Dragic has come to an end, as Dragic has signed a deal for the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season with the Brooklyn Nets. He started the year with Toronto and then got shipped to San Antonio at the trade deadline. The Spurs bought out his contract, and such teams as the Lakers, the Clippers, Golden State, Milwaukee and Chicago had all been in pursuit – but Brooklyn won out. Dragic has earned a reputation for clutch postseason play, most recently starting 16 playoff games, averaging 19 points per contest, for Miami when the Heat made a surprising run to the Finals in 2020 before succumbing to plantar fasciitis. Can the Nets help Dragic turn back the clock again? Let’s look at the latest power rankings in the NBA coming out of the All-Star break as you plan your NBA Odds for the second half of the season.
NBA → Updated Power Rankings
#1 Phoenix Suns (48-10)
The Suns have won 18 of 19 and now have a 24-3 record in clutch-time games thanks to a 124-121 win over the Rockets right before the break. Clutch-time stats started to be tracked in 1996-97, and since then, no team had had more than one 12-game clutch-time winning streaks in the same season, but the Suns have done it now.
#2 Golden State Warriors (42-17)
The Warriors dropped four of five going into the All-Star break, including a close game on Wednesday that the Nuggets won at the buzzer. Draymond Green continues to rehab a disc, but it’s time for the Warriors to start the second half on a positive note after their scorching start to the season.
#3 Memphis Grizzlies (41-19)
When you read about the Grizzlies you read about Ja Morant, but how about Tyus Jones? When Morant has missed games, the Grizzles have still gone 12-2, because Jones, starting in Morant’s stead, has put up 12.1 points and 6.2 assists per game, turning the ball over just 1.2 times per game. When both Jones and Morant are on the floor, the team is +39 in limited action (57 minutes).
#4 Miami Heat (38-21)
Miami has now won six of seven after beating Charlotte in double overtime on Thursday. Kyle Lowry had 25 points and nine boards in 46 minutes, continuing to play lights out after missing nine games due to personal reasons.
#5 Chicago Bears (38-21)
The second half of the schedule will be brutal for the Bulls, so it was a good thing they won five in a row going into the break. DeMar DeRozan averaged 38.6 points, 5.7 boards and 5.6 assists over the seven games before the break, and Zach LaVine should be ready to play when the break is over.
#6 Milwaukee Bucks (36-24)
If the Bucks are struggling, it’s not on Giannis. Since the start of 2022, he’s averaging 32.2 points, 11.0 boards and 6.5 assists per game. He’s shooting 57% overall and 36% from behind the arc.
#7 Philadelphia 76ers (35-23)
When the 76ers visit Minnesota Friday night, Joel Embiid and James Harden will be teammates for the first time; the team will have 24 games to make Harden fit into the team’s mix before the postseason.
#8 Dallas Mavericks (35-23)
Luka Doncic has hit 40 points five times this season – and all of those have come in the last 15 games, likely a response to his failure to be named an All-Star Game starter for the first time and to the trade of Kristaps Porzingis. In 2022, Dallas has outscored the opposition by 13 points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor.
#9 Cleveland Cavaliers (35-23)
Two Cavaliers played in the NBA All-Star Game, which Cleveland hosted, as Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland both took part. Even better for Cavs fans is the fact that their team is still a sneaky contender in the East.
#10 Utah Jazz (36-22)
Utah swept a six-game homestand but then let a 12-point fourth-quarter lead get away in a road loss to the Lakers on Wednesday. The Lakers went small ball, and it worked for the second time in a month against the Jazz. That reflects a problem that the Jazz had against small lineups in the postseason last year.
#11 Denver Nuggets (33-25)
Nikola Jokic is averaging 25.8 points, 14.3 boards and 8.3 assists in February, second to Joel Embiid in overall production. He put up a 35-17-8 line to take down Golden State on Wednesday. But can Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr come back this season?
#12 Boston Celtics (34-26)
The Celtics won 11 of 13 before the All-Star break, posting a point differential of over +250 in those 11 wins. They start the second half in Brooklyn, starting a road trip that will feature three games in four nights.
#13 Toronto Raptors (32-25)
The Raptors’ lack of depth is wearing on their stars, as we saw when Fred VanVleet had knee pain before the All-Star break. This team needs its starting five – so it may need to work in some rest.
#14 Brooklyn Nets (31-28)
That long losing streak ended with a pair of wins before the break. Hopefully Ben Simmons and Kevin Durant will start appearing together, and maybe New York City will end its vaccine mandate so Kyrie Irving can play at home.
#15 Minnesota Timberwolves (31-28)
The Wolves extended Patrick Beverley so that the team would keep veteran leadership. Injuries have hampered Beverley, but since February 1, he has 11.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.0 boards per game, shooting 39.5% from behind the arc.
#16 LA Clippers (30-31)
The Clippers had already hit 61 games when the All-Star break, tied for the record for most games played before the season’s intermission. They won three of four before the pause, putting up a season-best 142 points in a win over Houston. The team is still missing Norman Powell (foot fracture), Paul George (UCL tear), and Kawhi Leonard (ACL). We will know on Friday if George can return this season.
#17 Atlanta Hawks (28-30)
Bogdan Bogdanovic moved to the bench for the last 12 games before the break, and the Hawks won seven of those games. Bogdanovic has responded personally, putting up at least 23 points in three of his last four contests.
#18 L.A. Lakers (27-31)
Going into the break, Anthony Davis sprained his foot and will miss at least four weeks. Can the Lakers make the playoffs without him?
#19 Charlotte Hornets (29-31)
The Hornets have lost nine of ten and still have Gordon Hayward (ankle) on the shelf. The Hornets’ defense has a rating of 112, in the bottom third of the league, so there are plenty of things to work on in practice.
#20 Washington Wizards (27-31)
Can Kristaps Porzingis turn into a wizard on offense and help Washington get to the play-in tournament even after dumping Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans and Montrezl Harrell at the trade deadline?
#21 Portland Trail Blazers (25-34)
Who knew that Anfernee Simons would be ready to pick up the scoring slack after Portland dealt CJ McCollum? Simons has at least 30 points in three straight contests, and the Blazers have beaten the Lakers, New York, Milwaukee and Memphis.
#22 San Antonio Spurs (23-36)
It’s rodeo time in San Antonio, which means a long road trip for the Spurs. They are 3-2 in the first five games of the road trip and have three more contests away from the AT&T Center. Overall, they will go from February 4 to March 3 without a home game.
#23 New Orleans Pelicans (23-36)
CJ McCollum is thriving in his new city, with season highs in points (38), boards (11) and three-pointers made (seven) in his first five games. However, the Pelicans have only won one of those games, as they could desperately use a healthy Zion Williamson.
#24 N.Y. Knicks (25-34)
The Knicks blew a 28-point lead (and an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter) in a loss to Brooklyn going into the break, as this team has not just fallen off the table – they have jumped.
#25 Sacramento Kings (22-38)
Could the Kings be interested in Tyreeke Evans, just through with a two-year suspension for violations of the NBA’s anti-drug regulations? He was Rookie of the Year once upon a time and played well in Sacramento from 2009-2013.
#26 Indiana Pacers (20-40)
Malcolm Brogdon has appeared in just two games since December 21 and has not played at all since January 22. There still is not a timeline for his return.
#27 Oklahoma City Thunder (18-40)
Oscar Robertson was the only NBA rookie ever to have three straight triple-doubles…untl now. Josh Giddey, the sixth overall pick from Australia, has four this season – and three in a row. Giddey has also tied Luka Doncic for the most triple-doubles by a teenager in the NBA. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) continues to heal, Giddey is making the most of the opportunity.
#28 Detroit Pistons (13-45)
Rookie Cade Cunningham had 20 points (12 in the second half) along with eight boards and six assists in a game with Boston right before the break. The ceiling with Cunningham is sky-high.
#29 Houston Rockets (15-43)
Jalen Green could end up on the All-Rookie team if he keeps up his current play. In February, he has scored 16.5 points per game, shooting 60.4% from the floor, a bright spot on a team that is 1-7 this month.
#30 Orlando Magic (13-47)
Cole Anthony has put up 17.3 points, 5.4 assists and 5.2 boards per game in February, so that four-game losing streak doesn’t sting quite as badly for fans of the Orlando rebuild.
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