Boogie is back. Indiana is here to stay. Orlando is collapsing. See where every team stands in this week’s TLSM NBA Power Rankings!
30. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week: 30)
Last week: 0-3 (L @POR – L @ UTA – L @ DEN)
29. Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 29)
Last week: 0-3 (L @ LAL – L @ DEN – L vs. MIA)
28. New York Knicks (Last Week: 27)
Last week: 0-1 (L vs. WSH)
27. Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 28)
Last week: 0-4 (L @ IND – L @ TOR – L @ CHA – L @ MIN)
26. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week: 26)
Last week: 1-1 (W vs. OKC – L vs. BOS)
25. Orlando Magic (Last Week: 18)
Last week: 0-3 (L @ DET – L vs. BKN – L vs. MIL)
24. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week: 25)
Last week: 0-4 (L @ HOU – L vs. MIL – L @ BOS – L @ TOR)
23. Detroit Pistons (Last Week: 24)
Last week: 2-2 (L @ UTA – W vs. ORL – W vs. MIA – L vs. SAC)
22. Washington Wizards (Last Week: 23)
Last week: 1-1 (L vs. TOR – W vs. NYK)
21. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week: 22)
Last week: 1-2 (W @ LAC – L @ GS – L @ POR)
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week: 20)
Last week: 1-2 (L @ PHI – L vs. SA – W vs. PHX)
19. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week: 21)
Last week: 3-1 (W @ SA – W vs. SAC – W vs. PHX – L @ IND)
18. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week: 17)
Last week: 0-2 (L vs. SA – L @ IND)
17. Miami Heat (Last Week: 16)
Last week: 1-2 (L @ MIL – L @ DET – W @ CHI)
16. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week: 12)
Last week: 1-3 (L vs. NOP – L vs. UTA – L vs. GS – W @ SA)
15. Sacramento Kings (Last Week: 15)
Last week: 2-1 (W vs. POR – L @ CHA – W @ DET)
14. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week: 14)
Last week: 2-1 (W vs. CHI – W @ OKC – L @ HOU)
13. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week: 19)
Last week: 3-0 (W vs. BOS – W @ HOU – W @ ORL)
12. Utah Jazz (Last Week: 13)
Last week: 3-0 (W vs. DET – W @ LAC – W vs. CLE)
11. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week: 10)
Last week: 2-1 (L @ SAC – W vs. CLE – W vs. NOP)
10. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 8)
Last week: 2-1 (L vs. CHA – W @ DAL – W @ MIN)
9. Houston Rockets (Last Week: 5)
Last week: 2-1 (W vs. MEM – L vs. BKN – W vs. LAL)
8. Boston Celtics (Last Week: 11)
Last week: 3-1 (L @ BKN – W vs. TOR – W vs. MEM – W @ ATL)
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week: 7)
Last week: 1-2 (L @ ATL – L vs. LAL – W @ PHI)
6. Denver Nuggets (Last Week: 3)
Last week: 2-1 (L vs. GS – W vs. CHI – W vs. CLE)
5. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week: 9)
Last week: 2-1 (W vs. MIN – W @ IND – L vs. OKC)
4. Indiana Pacers (Last Week: 6)
Last week: 3-1 (W vs. PHX – L vs. PHI – W vs. DAL – W vs. CHA)
3. Toronto Raptors (Last Week: 1)
Last week: 2-1 (W @ WSH – L @ BOS – L vs. PHX – L vs. MEM)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 2)
Last week: 3-0 (W vs. MIA – W @ MEM – W @ ORL)
1. Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 4)
Last week: 3-0 (W @ DEN – W vs. NOP – W @ LAC)
Biggest Risers
Brooklyn Nets (+6)
Photo: Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sportsalt=”” height=”229Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell & company have been on fire lately. With victories over Houston and Boston and a win over Toronto the week before, they’ve been playing their best basketball of the season. They have moved themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and things are really looking up for this team.
Philadelphia 76ers (+4)
Photo: Sixers Wire/USA Todayalt=”” height=”190The 76ers really seem to be gelling the best they have all season, despite reports of Jimmy Butler causing more drama with his new team. Other than a thrilling loss to Paul George and the Thunder, the 76ers had two dominant wins over good teams in Indiana and Minnesota.
Golden State Warriors (+3)
Photo: Sports Illustratedalt=”” height=”181DeMarcus Cousins is back, so that means it’s over for the rest of the league. While they still trail Milwaukee and Toronto in win percentage, it’s impossible not to consider them the top team with their top five players.
Biggest Fallers
Orlando Magic (-7)
Photo: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Imagesalt=”” height=”190Two weeks ago, Orlando defeated Houston and Boston on consecutive nights. Then this past week, they were winless while only playing one winning team. Losing to bad teams and beating some good teams makes it seem like their wins are more because the good teams don’t take them seriously, not because the Magic are good.
Los Angeles Clippers (-4)
Photo: Basketball Insidersheight=”180″ alt=”The Clippers lost by double digits three times this past week, before beating San Antonio. Granted, one of those losses was to Golden State, but the Clippers need to figure out their inconsistency issues in order to contend in this league.
Other Top Stories
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are a great team, but they have lost to the other top teams in the east too many times to be considered the top team anymore. They are just 1-2 against Milwaukee and 1-2 against Boston, so they’re going to need to prove that they can beat their biggest threats in the conference before the playoffs come.
Indiana Pacers
It is time to stop overlooking the Pacers. Victor Oladipo is phenomenal and has gained a lot of notoriety while leading this team the past two seasons, but people need to know he isn’t doing it alone. Bojan Bogdanovic, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are putting together very strong seasons, and the powerhouses in the east should be nervous about what Indiana can do.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have caught fire again and regained the top spot in the east and the NBA overall. While the Warriors are still the clearcut favorites to win the championship, one has to wonder if the Bucks have the best chance to take them down. Milwaukee trails Golden State in points per game, but allows four less points per game from opponents. A Bucks-Warriors finals matchup could happen this season, and it would certainly be interesting.
