MY NEW NBA POWER RANKINGS

76ERS, CLIPPERS SURGE IN WEEK 6

In Week 6 of NBA Power Rankings, the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers are surging. Meanwhile, it’s a bit more challenging than normal to choose a new team at No. 1.

Will the real No. 1 team please stand up? In Week 6 of the 2018-19 season, it’s hard to tell who deserves to claim the top spot in the latest batch of NBA Power Rankings.

The Golden State Warriors are the league’s best team, but they’re not healthy and they’re reeling from an internal spat between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. The Toronto Raptors have the NBA’s best record, but they’ve lost three of their last four games.

The Portland Trail Blazers are suddenly the No. 1 seed in the West, but somehow stumbled into that position after a 1-2 week. The Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers all got off to mundane starts, but are surging now.

At this point in the season, all it takes is one win streak to vault to the near the top of the list (like the Dallas Mavericks and Thunder). Similarly, all it takes is one skid to rapidly drop down the rankings (like the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets).

This is one of the most volatile times of year for NBA Power Rankings, but that just makes it all the more interesting to weigh preseason expectations and early results against increasingly larger sizes, injuries, strength of schedule and a myriad of other factors that go into ranking teams.

Bearing all this in mind, here’s a look at how the NBA ladder shakes out in Week 6.

30: ATLANTA HAWKS

Record: 3-13

Last week: 0-3

Last rank: 28th

It’s been tough sledding for the Atlanta Hawks lately, as they’ve now lost seven straight games, 11 of their last 12 and got clobbered by 45 against the Nuggets. Jeremy Lin has performed well off the bench and John Collins made his season debut Saturday, but outside of that, the positives are drying up. At the crux of Atlanta’s issues is Trae Young‘s dwindling efficiency. His passing and driving ability remain potent, but at some point he’s going to have to start shooting better than 24.2 percent from 3, especially if he continues to launch 5.9 of them per game.

29: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Record: 2-12

Last week: 1-1

Last rank: 30th

The Cleveland Cavaliers have the worst record and defense in the association, but with George Hill sidelined for two weeks by a sprained shoulder, at least they can feel good about what Collin Sexton has shown in the starting role. He’s certainly a flawed rookie in this highly vaunted draft class, but in the last four games as a starter, he’s posted 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while making seven of his 10 3-pointers. He also held Kemba Walker to seven points on 2-of-16 shooting and John Wall to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. Not bad for a guy whose teammates recently doubted whether he knew how to play basketball!

28: CHICAGO BULLS

Record: 4-13

Last week: 0-4

Last rank: 26th

After reaching the 20-point threshold in the Chicago Bulls’ first 14 games, Zach LaVine has fallen short of that mark in two straight games and missed a third. Suffice it to say the banged up Bulls haven’t been very competitive in that span. Losers of four straight, Chicago watched as an 18-point lead and potential Jabari Parker revenge game against the Bucks turned into a 19-point loss … only for a 39-point waxing at the hands of Toronto to follow in the game LaVine missed. This team really needs to get healthy in the worst way.

27: NEW YORK KNICKS

Record: 4-13

Last week: 0-3

Last rank: 27th

Since changing the starting lineup, things have seriously gone south for the New York Knicks. They’ve lost five straight games and have given up 131, 129 and 128 points over the last three contests. Experimenting with young pieces is one thing, but given the insane disparity between the Knicks’ defense with and without Frank Ntilikina, it’s probably time to put him back in the starting five. Like, ASAP.

26: PHOENIX SUNS

Record: 3-12

Last week: 1-2

Last rank: 29th

The Phoenix Suns were able to end a four-game skid with a surprising 20-point win over the visiting Spurs, serving as yet another testament as to why Mikal Bridges needs to start for this team — especially if Trevor Ariza‘s current effort level and team-worst plus/minus continues. The Suns’ issues don’t end there, however. Aside from concerns over Deandre Ayton‘s defense and aggression, Phoenix has no choice but to use a banged up Devin Booker as its primary playmaker and scorer, which has contributed to his disappointing start to the new season. After a summer spent tweaking the roster, it’s alarming how much the Suns still need from him to compete.

25: MIAMI HEAT

Record: 6-10

Last week: 1-3

Last rank: 22nd

It really hasn’t been a feel-good stretch for the Miami Heat. They’ve lost five of their last six games, watched LeBron James drop 50 on their heads and Josh Richardson is got kicked out for throwing his shoe into the stands. On the more optimistic side of things (or pessimistic, for those who realize he can’t play all 48 minutes), Richardson has established himself as this team’s most important player. With him on the court, the Heat register a +6.1 Net Rating. With him off the court, Miami’s Net Rating nosedives to -18.6.

24: BROOKLYN NETS

Record: 7-10

Last week: 1-3

Last rank: 21st

Just a few games after dropping 26 on the Suns and leading the Brooklyn Nets to their third straight win with a game-winner in Denver, Caris LeVert suffered a gruesome ankle injury that had teammates in tears and many fearing for his future. Thankfully, the diagnosis was about as good as it could’ve been for the breakout star, and he may even return this season. In the meantime, however, D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie stepping up hasn’t stopped the Nets from a 1-3 slide since LeVert went down. Will Brooklyn once again be denied its first legitimate chance at hope in half a decade?

23: WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Record: 5-11

Last week: 2-2

Last rank: 25th

Just when it seemed like the Washington Wizards might be getting things back on track with three straight wins, the most disappointing team in the East came crashing back down to earth with back-to-back losses. The most alarming thing? The team’s effort is once again being called into question. But hey, at least Kelly Oubre Jr. secured the most random shoe deal of the last decade!

22: SACRAMENTO KINGS

Record: 8-8

Last week: 1-2

Last rank: 18th

Well that honeymoon period didn’t last long. Aside from back-to-back weeks going 1-2, the Sacramento Kings are already lining up for more organizational dysfunction with a new report from Yahoo! Sports‘Chris Haynes. Apparently, the front office is at odds with head coach Dave Joerger over how he’s doling out minutes, particularly with rookie centerpiece Marvin Bagley III. It’s obviously shocking that a notoriously impatient front office is leaning toward player development for once, but even if Bagley could use an uptick in minutes, firing Joerger in the midst of Sacramento’s first promising start in years would be a massive mistake. Apply some pressure for more minutes for the youngsters? Fine. Just don’t blow this, KANGZ.

21: CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Record: 7-8

Last week: 0-2

Last rank: 16th

So let’s see if we can get this straight: After the Charlotte Hornets lost by a whopping 24 points to the lowly Cavaliers, in a game where Kemba Walker was held to 2-of-16 shooting by a rookie, their star bounced back in a big way and set the NBA’s season-high in scoring for 2018-19. Sounds pretty decent, right? Well, it does until realizing the Hornets lost that game in overtime. Even worse, Walker’s teammates combined for 59 points on 21-of-65 shooting, which compares pretty unfavorably to Kamba’s 60 points on 21-of-34 shooting.

20: MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Record: 7-10

Last week: 3-1

Last rank: 23rd

The Minnesota Timberwolves weren’t going to stay undefeated in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s departure forever, with Sunday’s uninspired loss to the Grizzlies rounding out the week. Even so, it’s pretty clear they look invigorated by more than just those smooth Prince-inspired City Edition uniforms. Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 25 points and 21 rebounds in the team’s first game without Butler, which would’ve been the big story if not for Caris LeVert’s unfortunate injury. Still, the Wolves followed that up with impressive wins over New Orleans and Portland, and Robert Covington and Dario Saric have meshed well from the start. Saric should probably be starting, but if KAT and Andrew Wiggins continue to look like this, Minnesota won’t have too much to complain about.

19: DALLAS MAVERICKS

Record: 7-8

Last week: 3-0

Last rank: 24th

Maybe we were too hasty in putting the Dallas Mavericks on the “Do Not Resuscitate” list after their disappointing 2-7 start had us questioning our preseason faith in them as a dark horse playoff team. Since that start, however, the Mavs are 5-1, and they even avenged that lone loss against the Jazz with a 50-point curb-stomping the next time they met Utah. There are still some underlying issues, like alleged concerns over DeAndre Jordan‘s selfishness, but Luka Doncic has been sensational and Rick Carlisle continues to churn out effective second units. Dallas hasn’t climbed back to .500 just yet, but it looks like this group is starting to figure things out.

18: DETROIT PISTONS

Record: 7-6

Last week: 1-0

Last rank: 20th

The Detroit Pistons only had one game in a quirky week scheduling-wise, but boy, did they make it count. After being fired by the Raptors in a season that resulted in another early playoff exit but also Coach of the Year honors, Dwane Casey’s return to Toronto was about as sweet as he could’ve asked for. In a hard-fought contest against the best team in the East, the Pistons emerged victorious behind Blake Griffin‘s 30 points and a game-winner at the buzzer from Reggie Bullock. The new season is still young, but it’s clear how much this team enjoys playing for Casey already.

17: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Record: 8-7

Last week: 1-3

Last rank: 8th

The Warriors have stolen the spotlight out West with their self-imploding act, but if not for a meeting with the unstable defending champs, the San Antonio Spurs’ recent struggles would be drawing more attention too. A loss to the improved Kings is one thing, but getting smacked down by 20 against the lowly Suns is another entirely. Even with the much-needed win over Golden State, Gregg Popovich’s group has lost five of its last seven games.

16: ORLANDO MAGIC

Record: 9-8

Last week: 3-1

Last rank: 19th

Don’t look now, but the Orlando Magic are inspiring the same kind of hope they did last year when they got off to that 6-2 start. This time, however, it’ll be more sustainable (hopefully). Aaron Gordon is playing extremely well, Evan Fournier and D.J. Augustin are holding down their roles, and Terrence Ross is serving as a reliable sixth man. At the center of it all is Nikola Vucevic, enjoying his best season yet. He’s turned it up over the team’s red-hot 7-2 stretch, averaging 21.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game on .559/.393/.808 shooting splits.

15: UTAH JAZZ

Record: 8-8

Last week: 2-2

Last rank: 11th

Donovan Mitchell‘s efficiency continues to be the tale of the tape for the Utah Jazz’s underwhelming start as a .500 team. In wins, he’s taking 17.6 shots per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from deep. In losses, he’s taking 21.6 shots per game on 35.4 percent shooting from the floor and 22.2 percent from deep. This week’s batch of games was another prime example of the disparity. In a loss to the Sixers, he became the first player since Carmelo Anthony in 2014 to finish a game with 35 field goal attempts and zero assists, finishing with just 31 points on 13-of-35 shooting. For reference, Melo dropped 62 in his game. However, in Utah’s win over Boston, he scored 28 on 10-of-21 shooting. (Oh and yes, we’re just going to pretend like that 50-point loss to Dallas never happened.)

14: DENVER NUGGETS

Record: 10-6

Last week: 1-2

Last rank: 6th

It’s taken less than two weeks for the Denver Nuggets to go from looking like the second-best team in the West to wondering what the hell’s going on. From a one field goal attempt game for Nikola Jokic to Jamal Murray being benched for a night (just five games after his career-high 48-point performance), the Nuggets are a bit off-kilter at the moment. That 45-point massacre of the poor Hawks probably felt good, but Denver has still lost five of its last six contests. Juan Hernangomez is playing promising basketball, but Mile High City is already in danger of losing fans’ attention to a horrendous Broncos team again.

13: BOSTON CELTICS 9-7

Last week: 2-1

Last rank: 12th

Sometimes, the difference between success and failure in basketball really is as simple as putting the ball in the hole. The 2018-19 Boston Celtics are the epitome of that cut-and-dry logic, with their 105.2 offensive rating in victories ranking 29th out of all 30 teams when only including wins. This week, a meeting with the defensively deficient Bulls and 43 points in overtime from Kyrie Irving against the Raptors led to two reassuring victories. In a loss to the Jazz, however, the Celtics posted nauseating .385/.152/.550 shooting splits. Sometimes it’s really as simple as making shots.

12: LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Record: 9-7

Last week: 2-1

Last rank: 15th

Rajon Rondo may be sidelined for 3-5 weeks with a broken hand, but LeBron James — and the pleasantly surprising boost Tyson Chandler has brought with him — is certainly picking up the slack in the meantime, with the Los Angeles Lakers going 4-1 over the last five games. Aside from passing Wilt Chamberlain for fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, King James dropped 44 in a win over the Blazers and a season-high 51 during his return to South Beach. This shouldn’t even need to be mentioned, but LeBron doing stuff like this in his 16th season is just absurd.

11: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Record: 12-6

Last week: 1-4

Last rank: 2nd

They may be playing shorthanded outside of Stephen Curry, but his absence has made it pretty clear who the Golden State Warriors’ best player is. No offense to Kevin Durant, but the Dubs are just an entirely different team when Steph is out. The ground started giving way at the end of regulation against the Clippers, when Draymond Green either missed or ignored KD clapping for the ball on the final possession and instead dribbled into a turnover. A shouting match that may have set these two parties adrift — permanently — ensued. Now the organization is apparently divided and the Dubs are spiraling with losses in five of the last seven games. Winning cures all, but the Warriors need Curry and Green back on the court before that starts happening again.

10: HOUSTON ROCKETS

Record: 8-7

Last week: 3-0

Last rank: 17th

It hasn’t been pretty, and it took removing an entire Carmelo Anthony to get here, but the Houston Rockets are finally back above .500 — no small task for a team that started its season 1-5. Since then, James Harden is healthy and looking like an MVP candidate again, Eric Gordon is back and the Rockets have gone 7-2 over the last nine games. There are still issues to sort out, particularly on the defensive end, but Houston is officially backed on the right track.

9: MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Record: 10-5

Last week: 3-1

Last rank: 13th

As long as the Memphis Grizzlies have a healthy Mike Conley and Marc Gasol on the floor, this damn team will never go away. They may have been expected to win 30-35 games in an absolutely loaded West, but so far, they’ve looked like one of the most consistent, playoff-caliber teams in the conference. That formula won’t last forever though, which is why it’s so encouraging to see Jaren Jackson Jr. take immediate and gigantic steps forward. He dropped a career-high 27 points in a win over the Kings, he hasn’t been afraid to attack on offense and he’s already proving himself as a rim deterrent. The transition from one era to another might get bumpy, but it’s looking like Grit-N-Grind will never die.

8: INDIANA PACERS

Record: 10-6

Last week: 2-0

Last rank: 9th

Nice, short bounce-back week for the Indiana Pacers, who won both of their two games by exactly eight points. Sure, they played the downward spiraling Heat and tanktastic Hawks, but they got the job done. The real story of the week, however, was Victor Oladipo leaving the team’s most recent game with a sore knee just five minutes in. It doesn’t sound serious, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on. Even with the newfound depth factored in; this dark horse team still heavily relies on Dipo on both ends.

7: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Record: 10-5

Last week: 3-0

Last rank: 14th

Not only have the Los Angeles Clippers won four straight games and five of their last six, but their overtime win over the Warriors is what ignited the Kevin Durant-Draymond Green feud that could eventually unravel a dynasty. Only time will tell if that actually comes to fruition, but for the time being, the Clippers look the part of “playoff team,” especially as they continue to eke out narrow wins with promising rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having worked his way into the starting lineup.

6: NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

Record: 9-7

Last week: 3-1

Last rank: 10th

Slowly but surely, the New Orleans Pelicans are getting their season, Anthony Davis‘ MVP chances and Julius Randle‘s Sixth Man of the Year campaign back on track. As winners of five of their last six games, the Pellies have enjoyed resume-boosting wins over Toronto and Denver in the last week. Watching the Brow post 40-plus points in back-to-back games certainly doesn’t hurt, but everything from E’Twaun Moore‘s scoring to Randle off the bench to Nikola Mirotic as a double-double machine is clicking right now. The only exception is Elfrid Payton‘s broken finger, sustained in the very game he returned from a nine-game absence due to an ankle sprain.

5: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Record: 11-7

Last week: 3-1

Last rank: 5th

If there were a theme of the week for the Philadelphia 76ers, it’d be “That’s why you trade for Jimmy Butler.” Even after letting a 16-point lead slip in his Sixers debut (in a game where Joel Embiid tallied the first triple-double of his career, no less), it was a pretty darn good first week of the Jimmy Buckets era. A 28-point performance in a win over the Jazz? That’s why you trade for Jimmy Butler. Not one but TWO game-saving blocks on Kemba Walker on a night where the Hornets star dropped 60 points? That’s why you trade for Jimmy Butler. Capping it all off with the game-winning 3 in overtime of that same contest? That’s why you trade for Jimmy Butler.

4: TORONTO RAPTORS

Record: 13-4

Last week: 1-3

Last rank: 1st

Three straight losses snapped the Toronto Raptors’ win streak that climbed as high as six games, and after facing that Pelicans-Pistons-Celtics gauntlet, it was only natural for them to take out their pent-up frustrations on the poor Chicago Bulls with a 39-point shellacking. The Raptors may have come down to earth over the last week, but they still sit comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings, Pascal Siakam is playing his best basketball and Kawhi Leonard is getting plenty of scheduled rest.

3: PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Record: 11-5

Last week: 1-2

Last rank: 3rd

Despite the 1-2 week, the Portland Trail Blazers still got bumped into the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference thanks to the Warriors’ recent backslide. It’s not totally by chance, even though Rip City’s four-game win streak came to a grinding halt to start the week off and was quickly followed by a double-digit loss to the new-look Timberwolves. After all, the Blazers have the best point differential in the West, and third-best in the league.

2: OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Record: 10-5

Last week: 3-0

Last rank: 7th

It’s probably too soon to make any definitive statements about the rest of the season, but through the first month, Paul George is undoubtedly one of the league’s top MVP candidates. Even without Russell Westbrook, he’s elevated his game to make sure the Oklahoma City Thunder keep chugging following the 0-4 start. Despite Russ missing OKC’s last six games, the Thunder have still won 10 of their last 11 and PG is on a three-game streak of scoring at least 32 points. The schedule has been pretty favorable over the last few weeks, but wins over the Pelicans, Rockets and streaking Mavs from last week shouldn’t be overlooked either.

1: MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Record: 11-4

Last week: 1-1

Last rank: 4th

The Milwaukee Bucks are still in a good place. They’re second in the East, with the NBA’s best point differential (by far) and are the league’s only team to rank in the top five for 3-point makes (first), attempts (second) and percentage (fifth). However, a difficult stretch of schedule has contributed to Milwaukee dropping four of its last eight contests following the 7-0 start. MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are enjoying lighter minutes, and Contract Year Eric Bledsoe looks great, but the Bucks need to capitalize on the last four games of their homestand against Western Conference foes.