Week 5 Power Rankings
Nov 12, 2018 1:47:53 GMT -5
Golden State Warriors (Caleb), Chicago Bulls (Charlie), and 3 more like this
Post by The Athletic on Nov 12, 2018 1:47:53 GMT -5
We are back to cover what went down in week 4 and give a peak into week 5. This week had some huge match-ups that actually could have some playoff implications down the line. Without further ado, let's get into it.
New Items:
30. Boston Celtics (0-3)- The Celtics fall or rise to the top of the tankathon rankings after an awful week 4 showing. The Celtics have a rebuild in place, but have to be somewhat concerned with the play of their prized pieces in Fultz and Jackson. Still the team is young and SGA has been awesome this year, Brandon and his Celtics should continue their tank next week against his brother's Pacers.
29. Milwaukee Bucks (0-4)- The Bucks dropped to 0-4 on the season against the previously winless Hornets. This team is bad and Jacoby knows it. It's tough to waste a year of prime Giannis but the Bucks should be back next season.
28. Miami Heat- (0-4)- Another loss for the Heat, which I am sure Bryan is fine with. De'Aaron, Bagley, and Ayton look good and that's really all that matters. The key for the Heat is being able to take that next step in the off-season.
27. Charlotte Hornets (1-3)- Congrats to Charlotte who picked up their first win of the year against the struggling Bucks. The Hornets have to be happy with Lonzo's start to the year, but slightly concerned with Ingram. Collins should be back soon so things are looking up slightly. The team still needs some work but the Hornets have some fun pieces to work with.
26. Los Angeles Lakers (0-4)- The Lakers made a huge mid-week move and sent Ibaka and Kris Dunn away for personal fave Tobias Harris. This trade accomplishes two things for the Lakers, they get in what their mind is a star and building block in Tobias, and then probably make their team worse this year improving their chance at a high pick. The Lakers have Sexton, Embiid, Prince, and now Harris and most likely another high pick next year, the future is bright but the Lakers need to make sure they make the necessary moves to take that leap in the coming years.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (0-3)- For all the talk that went on in the off-season of the Thunder being ready to take the jump there has been little to show as the Thunder are still without a win. The West is a tough conference from top to bottom so every week is a battle. Still not ready to fully rule out the Thunder this year, but things have got to turn around soon. Sabonis has been ballin' though.
24. Portland Trailblazers (1-2)- Rumors are swirling that the league office is considering a change at the helm of the Blazers. The Blazers lost to the upstart Suns team this week. The man they call camel sets his lineup but that's about it. Camel if you're there reply to this!
23. Washington Wizards (0-4)- Tough loss for the Wizards who started to play better this week, but still took a tough loss to the Cavs. Saric has been awful this year, but he was hooping all summer and has to have tired legs. The Wizards continue to be in the dreaded spot of not being terrible but not being good. After starting 0-4 do the Wizards just blow it up considering they have their first?
22. San Antonio Spurs (1-3)- It's been a pretty disastrous start to the season for Chris' Spurs. The Spurs took a tough loss to the Rockets and are now sitting at 1-3. It wasn't just the loss, but the 374 points they put has to be one of the worst performances in this franchise's history. Capela could be out for a little now too, so things aren't looking pretty. The Spurs do own their own first, so one has to wonder if they considering blowing it up and finding new homes for Batum and Ariza.
21. Orlando Magic (1-3)- This Magic team being here at 21 just shows how deep this league has become. This team has had about as bad of a start as they could have imagined. Enes has moved to the bench, and while he's still productive his minutes are down. Turner looks lost out there. Overall the Magic still have a shot at the playoffs but it's looking tough.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-3) - The Timberwolves had a bye this week, but fall and i'm starting to think I overrated them a little bit to start the season. The Timberwolves still don't have a win 4 weeks into the season and while the window isn't closed yet it's definitely go time in Minnesota. The Twolves have a very winnable game against the win-less Lakers next week and a win next week would do wonders for getting them back on track. Oh and Wendell Carter is balling.
19. Houston Rockets (2-2)- The Rockets got a really nice win against the Spurs this week. They didn't put up the most points, but a win is a win. Harrison Barnes is back and while inconsistent he has definitely been a spark for this team. The Rockets have a real shot to sneak into the playoffs, and hopefully should get Teague back soon. They'll head to New Orleans next week to face the injury riddled Pelicans.
18. Utah Jazz (2-2)- After two tough weeks the Jazz have bounced back and won 2 in a row. The Jazz still don't resemble anything like the dominant team they were in the league's first year, but they are solid. Nurkic, Mirotic, and Conely will carry this team to some wins, and without their first the Jazz have no reason to tank, but this team is caught kinda in the middle right now. The Jazz have the week off next week.
17. Detroit Pistons (3-1)- The Pistons moved to 3-1 with an easy win against the lowly Celtics. The Pistons have had a cupcake soft schedule so far this year, so the 3-1 record probably doesn't quite do this team justice. The good thing is the Pistons have two stars, Lavine and Leonard are balling. The bad thing, with Kevin Love hurt those two aren't going to be enough long term and the Pistons really need to find some depth somehow.
16. Phoenix Suns (2-2)- The Suns jump up a spot from last week with a thorough beat down of the Blazers. The Suns have been one of the most surprising teams in the league and have battled week in and week out. The coolest thing is every week it's been someone different. This week it was Jarrett Allen and Eric Bledsoe, both balled out. The Suns are a legit team and should be getting Carroll back soon-ish. I fully expect the Suns to be the 7th or 8th seed in the West and I sure as hell would not wanna play them in the first round.
15. Cleveland (3-1)- The Cavs along with the Suns have been the pleasant surprises of the league. The Cavs got a huge win over the Wizards this week. Jokic looks great, and Thompson could be a really key addition moving forward. Some scoffed at the Kyrie JJJ deal made before the season started but it's looked great so far. JJJ has been a beast. The Cavs will head to New York for a big battle against the Knicks.
14. Dallas Mavericks (2-2)- Probably an unfair drop for a very solid Mavs team that only had Lebron play 3 times this week, but I can't put them above the teams ahead of them with a 2-2 record right now. The Mavs fall to 2-2 after a loss to the Warriors, but are still very much a playoff team. Lebron is going to do Lebron things, but Malcolm Brogdon has been awesome. Burke just came back and probably did enough to be back into the rotation. The Mavs will head to LA for a crucial match-up with the Clippers.
13. Indiana Pacers (3-1)- The Pacers had their best week of the year with a crushing defeat of the Magic. Andre Drummond was a monster this week, and looked a little bit like the guy that rebounded everything last year. This team still has some of the most talent in the league, but there will be times where this team is inconsistent. When it's all put together this Pacers team can beat anyone in the league.
12. Sacramento Kings (3-1)- Despite only scoring 591 points I can't drop the Kings after beating the league's best team. The Kings also were missing Goran Dragic for most of the week. The Kings got a lot of different things going on both good and bad. Simmons is a monster, and I wonder what Jimmy's usage does to Ben, but Gordon Hayward and Avery Bradley continue to struggle. Kings are still good but not quite elite. It's the Blazers for them next week.
11. Brooklyn Nets (2-1)- Nets took a tough loss the Raptors in the battle of the unbeatens this week, and while we don't want to overreact too much it does bump them down a good bit in the power rankings. Should Steph Curry continue to miss time Kevin Durant's usage will be huge and that will be helpful moving forward. Cedi, Gordon, and Levert all missed some time so we wouldn't be too worried. The Nets have a big match-up with the 3-1 Pistons up next.
10. LA Clippers (3-1)- Wow what a huge win for Rem's Clippers. The Clipper's won a huge battle against the Grizzlies behind a monster week from Hassan Whiteside. The Clippers are one of the most interesting teams in the league. With 6 pending free agents this team is clearly all in. Whiteside, Howard, Trae, and Butler is enough to win a lot of games, and it'll be interesting to see what Jimmy's role in Philly is. Nevertheless this Clippers team is probably the biggest surprise in the league this year and could very easily make a run.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (2-2)- Back to back losses for the Grizzlies have the team falling a little bit in this week's power rankings. Chris Paul has not been very good this year, and Bobby Portis being out have been the two biggest factors for this team this year. Well now Portis is out of town and Kelly O is in, and Melo's departure probably helps CP3 a tiny bit. Paul also has said he's dealing with some elbow issues but i'm sure he figures it out soon. Either way we wouldn't overreact too much this Grizzlies team is still very good and there is a lot of basketball left.
8. Atlanta Hawks (3-1)- It's so good to see Trey's Hawks at 3-1 and now 8th, yes you read that right 8th in this weeks power rankings. Harden hasn't even been that good this year, and so the Hawks probably haven't hit their ceiling. Lillard and Harden are a hell of combo, and again this team finally has some depth. The Hawks have a pretty big test against the Magic this week and a win would be huge. Let's go Hawks.
7. Toronto Raptors (4-0)- The Raptors move up a spot with a big win against the Nets. The Raptors are playing good basketball and Kyle Lowry is at the helm. Smart had a really nice week, and this is just a really deep team overall. The Raptors have a week off and are fully in the thick of it out East.
6. New York Knicks (2-1)- The Knicks got a huuuuuuuge win against conference rival Bulls this week, bumping them up two spots. Yes, they had plenty more games, and yes Bulls had some injuries but a win is a win and this was a damn big one. It'll be interesting to see if D-Rose keeps this up all season because if he does that will be absolutely huge. I'm still not sure I can consider this team an elite elite team as in the top teir but they are damn good. They'll look to build off the big win next week against a good Cavs team.
5. Chicago Bulls (3-1)- The Bulls fall a couple spots after taking a tough loss to the Knicks. Overall we wouldn't overreact but a loss is a loss. It'll be interesting to see what Covington's role in Minnesota looks like. The team may take a slight step back with Tobias gone and Dunn still on the shelf but long term this is a true title contender and probably the league's deepest team when fully healthy. It doesn't get any easier with a big battle against the Sixers awaiting in week 5.
4. Philaedlphia 76ers (3-0)- The Sixers enjoyed the week off and had some real life NBA moves both help and hurt them. With Jimmy Butler gone, KAT should have full reign in Minny and hopefully can play a little more free. He had some monster games again this week, but also had some duds. Melo is no longer a Rocket, and he has been helpful fantasy wise for this team at times, so hopefully for the 6ers he gets picked up soon. This 6ers team is not as talked about as some others, but this team is very much a title contender. A huge statement game awaits in week 5 against the Bulls.
3. New Orleans Pelicans (3-1) Yes they are hurt and yes it's only one loss, but the loss bumps the Pels down a couple spots. As we touched on earlier the Pelicans are dealing with injuries to arguably their two best players. They are as deep as anyone and still put up a respectable amount of points. The The good thing is all the injuries aren't of the long term variety and the Pels should be good much before playoff time. They will play a sneaky Houston team in week 5.
2. Golden State Warriors (4-0)- The Warriors got a nice win against a very good Mavs team in week 4. Steph went down, but the Warriors are hoping it's not too serious and that Steph comes back fairly soon. Overall it's the depth getting it done right now, almost everyone has a role and the Warriors are really clicking right now. They'll face their rival Nuggets and will hope that Steph can at least be healthy for part of the week.
1. Denver Nuggets (4-0)- The reigning champs pop into the #1 spot after a beat down of the Lakers. The team is rolling right now and Oladipo and George are both on fire. Again the key to the team is depth and as long as that remains this team will be at the top. The Nuggets will play their rival Warriors in week 4 and look to continue to their dominance.
New Items:
- Knicks win early battle between East power houses- The Knicks and Bulls met in what was a battle between teams that will surely be in the conversation come playoff time. The Knicks came out victorious and it wasn't particularly close, but the Bulls had the short end of stick in terms of scheduling and are also battling some injuries. Chances are if these two meet again down the line, the game will be much much closer.
- Injuries continue to ravage league's top team- The Pelicans fell at the hand of the Kings this week, in large part as a result of injuries to stars Russell Westbrook, Draymond Green, and James Johnson. We've seen it time and time again, it doesn't matter how good you are in the end, it matters how healthy you are. The Pelicans won't mind these injuries if they have the full squad come playoff time, as they should have no trouble making the playoffs. The good thing is Draymond and James should be back soonish and while Russ might be out for a little while longer it's not a long term thing.
- Rising Teams- We have a lot of teams come somewhat out of nowhere and be pleasant surprises this year. Yes, we expected improvement from the Nets and Raptors, but the Suns, Rockets, Clippers, and Hawks have all been above average this year. I don't think the league has ever been this well rounded from top to bottom and I love it. Keep up the good works boy.
30. Boston Celtics (0-3)- The Celtics fall or rise to the top of the tankathon rankings after an awful week 4 showing. The Celtics have a rebuild in place, but have to be somewhat concerned with the play of their prized pieces in Fultz and Jackson. Still the team is young and SGA has been awesome this year, Brandon and his Celtics should continue their tank next week against his brother's Pacers.
29. Milwaukee Bucks (0-4)- The Bucks dropped to 0-4 on the season against the previously winless Hornets. This team is bad and Jacoby knows it. It's tough to waste a year of prime Giannis but the Bucks should be back next season.
28. Miami Heat- (0-4)- Another loss for the Heat, which I am sure Bryan is fine with. De'Aaron, Bagley, and Ayton look good and that's really all that matters. The key for the Heat is being able to take that next step in the off-season.
27. Charlotte Hornets (1-3)- Congrats to Charlotte who picked up their first win of the year against the struggling Bucks. The Hornets have to be happy with Lonzo's start to the year, but slightly concerned with Ingram. Collins should be back soon so things are looking up slightly. The team still needs some work but the Hornets have some fun pieces to work with.
26. Los Angeles Lakers (0-4)- The Lakers made a huge mid-week move and sent Ibaka and Kris Dunn away for personal fave Tobias Harris. This trade accomplishes two things for the Lakers, they get in what their mind is a star and building block in Tobias, and then probably make their team worse this year improving their chance at a high pick. The Lakers have Sexton, Embiid, Prince, and now Harris and most likely another high pick next year, the future is bright but the Lakers need to make sure they make the necessary moves to take that leap in the coming years.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (0-3)- For all the talk that went on in the off-season of the Thunder being ready to take the jump there has been little to show as the Thunder are still without a win. The West is a tough conference from top to bottom so every week is a battle. Still not ready to fully rule out the Thunder this year, but things have got to turn around soon. Sabonis has been ballin' though.
24. Portland Trailblazers (1-2)- Rumors are swirling that the league office is considering a change at the helm of the Blazers. The Blazers lost to the upstart Suns team this week. The man they call camel sets his lineup but that's about it. Camel if you're there reply to this!
23. Washington Wizards (0-4)- Tough loss for the Wizards who started to play better this week, but still took a tough loss to the Cavs. Saric has been awful this year, but he was hooping all summer and has to have tired legs. The Wizards continue to be in the dreaded spot of not being terrible but not being good. After starting 0-4 do the Wizards just blow it up considering they have their first?
22. San Antonio Spurs (1-3)- It's been a pretty disastrous start to the season for Chris' Spurs. The Spurs took a tough loss to the Rockets and are now sitting at 1-3. It wasn't just the loss, but the 374 points they put has to be one of the worst performances in this franchise's history. Capela could be out for a little now too, so things aren't looking pretty. The Spurs do own their own first, so one has to wonder if they considering blowing it up and finding new homes for Batum and Ariza.
21. Orlando Magic (1-3)- This Magic team being here at 21 just shows how deep this league has become. This team has had about as bad of a start as they could have imagined. Enes has moved to the bench, and while he's still productive his minutes are down. Turner looks lost out there. Overall the Magic still have a shot at the playoffs but it's looking tough.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-3) - The Timberwolves had a bye this week, but fall and i'm starting to think I overrated them a little bit to start the season. The Timberwolves still don't have a win 4 weeks into the season and while the window isn't closed yet it's definitely go time in Minnesota. The Twolves have a very winnable game against the win-less Lakers next week and a win next week would do wonders for getting them back on track. Oh and Wendell Carter is balling.
19. Houston Rockets (2-2)- The Rockets got a really nice win against the Spurs this week. They didn't put up the most points, but a win is a win. Harrison Barnes is back and while inconsistent he has definitely been a spark for this team. The Rockets have a real shot to sneak into the playoffs, and hopefully should get Teague back soon. They'll head to New Orleans next week to face the injury riddled Pelicans.
18. Utah Jazz (2-2)- After two tough weeks the Jazz have bounced back and won 2 in a row. The Jazz still don't resemble anything like the dominant team they were in the league's first year, but they are solid. Nurkic, Mirotic, and Conely will carry this team to some wins, and without their first the Jazz have no reason to tank, but this team is caught kinda in the middle right now. The Jazz have the week off next week.
17. Detroit Pistons (3-1)- The Pistons moved to 3-1 with an easy win against the lowly Celtics. The Pistons have had a cupcake soft schedule so far this year, so the 3-1 record probably doesn't quite do this team justice. The good thing is the Pistons have two stars, Lavine and Leonard are balling. The bad thing, with Kevin Love hurt those two aren't going to be enough long term and the Pistons really need to find some depth somehow.
16. Phoenix Suns (2-2)- The Suns jump up a spot from last week with a thorough beat down of the Blazers. The Suns have been one of the most surprising teams in the league and have battled week in and week out. The coolest thing is every week it's been someone different. This week it was Jarrett Allen and Eric Bledsoe, both balled out. The Suns are a legit team and should be getting Carroll back soon-ish. I fully expect the Suns to be the 7th or 8th seed in the West and I sure as hell would not wanna play them in the first round.
15. Cleveland (3-1)- The Cavs along with the Suns have been the pleasant surprises of the league. The Cavs got a huge win over the Wizards this week. Jokic looks great, and Thompson could be a really key addition moving forward. Some scoffed at the Kyrie JJJ deal made before the season started but it's looked great so far. JJJ has been a beast. The Cavs will head to New York for a big battle against the Knicks.
14. Dallas Mavericks (2-2)- Probably an unfair drop for a very solid Mavs team that only had Lebron play 3 times this week, but I can't put them above the teams ahead of them with a 2-2 record right now. The Mavs fall to 2-2 after a loss to the Warriors, but are still very much a playoff team. Lebron is going to do Lebron things, but Malcolm Brogdon has been awesome. Burke just came back and probably did enough to be back into the rotation. The Mavs will head to LA for a crucial match-up with the Clippers.
13. Indiana Pacers (3-1)- The Pacers had their best week of the year with a crushing defeat of the Magic. Andre Drummond was a monster this week, and looked a little bit like the guy that rebounded everything last year. This team still has some of the most talent in the league, but there will be times where this team is inconsistent. When it's all put together this Pacers team can beat anyone in the league.
12. Sacramento Kings (3-1)- Despite only scoring 591 points I can't drop the Kings after beating the league's best team. The Kings also were missing Goran Dragic for most of the week. The Kings got a lot of different things going on both good and bad. Simmons is a monster, and I wonder what Jimmy's usage does to Ben, but Gordon Hayward and Avery Bradley continue to struggle. Kings are still good but not quite elite. It's the Blazers for them next week.
11. Brooklyn Nets (2-1)- Nets took a tough loss the Raptors in the battle of the unbeatens this week, and while we don't want to overreact too much it does bump them down a good bit in the power rankings. Should Steph Curry continue to miss time Kevin Durant's usage will be huge and that will be helpful moving forward. Cedi, Gordon, and Levert all missed some time so we wouldn't be too worried. The Nets have a big match-up with the 3-1 Pistons up next.
10. LA Clippers (3-1)- Wow what a huge win for Rem's Clippers. The Clipper's won a huge battle against the Grizzlies behind a monster week from Hassan Whiteside. The Clippers are one of the most interesting teams in the league. With 6 pending free agents this team is clearly all in. Whiteside, Howard, Trae, and Butler is enough to win a lot of games, and it'll be interesting to see what Jimmy's role in Philly is. Nevertheless this Clippers team is probably the biggest surprise in the league this year and could very easily make a run.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (2-2)- Back to back losses for the Grizzlies have the team falling a little bit in this week's power rankings. Chris Paul has not been very good this year, and Bobby Portis being out have been the two biggest factors for this team this year. Well now Portis is out of town and Kelly O is in, and Melo's departure probably helps CP3 a tiny bit. Paul also has said he's dealing with some elbow issues but i'm sure he figures it out soon. Either way we wouldn't overreact too much this Grizzlies team is still very good and there is a lot of basketball left.
8. Atlanta Hawks (3-1)- It's so good to see Trey's Hawks at 3-1 and now 8th, yes you read that right 8th in this weeks power rankings. Harden hasn't even been that good this year, and so the Hawks probably haven't hit their ceiling. Lillard and Harden are a hell of combo, and again this team finally has some depth. The Hawks have a pretty big test against the Magic this week and a win would be huge. Let's go Hawks.
7. Toronto Raptors (4-0)- The Raptors move up a spot with a big win against the Nets. The Raptors are playing good basketball and Kyle Lowry is at the helm. Smart had a really nice week, and this is just a really deep team overall. The Raptors have a week off and are fully in the thick of it out East.
6. New York Knicks (2-1)- The Knicks got a huuuuuuuge win against conference rival Bulls this week, bumping them up two spots. Yes, they had plenty more games, and yes Bulls had some injuries but a win is a win and this was a damn big one. It'll be interesting to see if D-Rose keeps this up all season because if he does that will be absolutely huge. I'm still not sure I can consider this team an elite elite team as in the top teir but they are damn good. They'll look to build off the big win next week against a good Cavs team.
5. Chicago Bulls (3-1)- The Bulls fall a couple spots after taking a tough loss to the Knicks. Overall we wouldn't overreact but a loss is a loss. It'll be interesting to see what Covington's role in Minnesota looks like. The team may take a slight step back with Tobias gone and Dunn still on the shelf but long term this is a true title contender and probably the league's deepest team when fully healthy. It doesn't get any easier with a big battle against the Sixers awaiting in week 5.
4. Philaedlphia 76ers (3-0)- The Sixers enjoyed the week off and had some real life NBA moves both help and hurt them. With Jimmy Butler gone, KAT should have full reign in Minny and hopefully can play a little more free. He had some monster games again this week, but also had some duds. Melo is no longer a Rocket, and he has been helpful fantasy wise for this team at times, so hopefully for the 6ers he gets picked up soon. This 6ers team is not as talked about as some others, but this team is very much a title contender. A huge statement game awaits in week 5 against the Bulls.
3. New Orleans Pelicans (3-1) Yes they are hurt and yes it's only one loss, but the loss bumps the Pels down a couple spots. As we touched on earlier the Pelicans are dealing with injuries to arguably their two best players. They are as deep as anyone and still put up a respectable amount of points. The The good thing is all the injuries aren't of the long term variety and the Pels should be good much before playoff time. They will play a sneaky Houston team in week 5.
2. Golden State Warriors (4-0)- The Warriors got a nice win against a very good Mavs team in week 4. Steph went down, but the Warriors are hoping it's not too serious and that Steph comes back fairly soon. Overall it's the depth getting it done right now, almost everyone has a role and the Warriors are really clicking right now. They'll face their rival Nuggets and will hope that Steph can at least be healthy for part of the week.
1. Denver Nuggets (4-0)- The reigning champs pop into the #1 spot after a beat down of the Lakers. The team is rolling right now and Oladipo and George are both on fire. Again the key to the team is depth and as long as that remains this team will be at the top. The Nuggets will play their rival Warriors in week 4 and look to continue to their dominance.
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