Chuddy’s NBA Power RankingS
December 11
Welcome to the third installment of King Chuddy’s weekly NBA power rankings. These rankings will fluctuate based on the team's performance during the previous week and any changes in personnel, health, schematics, or overall quality of play. These rankings are NOT predicting for the future, or used to determine odds of ultimately winning the title, they are just based on what the team has done recently and what is their immediate outlook. For example, the Nuggets have the best future outlook to win the title and at full strength in a playoff setting they are the “best” team in the league. But they are dealing with multiple injuries at the moment and have not been playing their best basketball in recent weeks, so they are not #1 in the rankings. Think of these rankings as something more like the top 25 rankings in college basketball/football and they should make more sense. Feel free to leave your comments/opinions and tell me why I’m wrong, or why I am a genius. Without further ado…
Minnesota Timberwolves (17-4, Last week: 2) - Two more wins this week makes 6 straight and 9 of 10. Best record in the league, 3 game lead atop the West, 2nd in NET rating, and first in defense by a solid margin. The Anthony Edwards hip pointer is a concern, but they’ve earned the top spot for now. It’s long past time to recalibrate preseason expectations.
Boston Celtics (16-5, Last week: 1) - There’s no shame in a road loss to the Pacers followed up by a nice home win against the Knicks. Best NET rating in the NBA and Porzingis is back in the lineup.
Oklahoma City Thunder (14-7, Last week: 3) - They bounced back from a tough road loss in Houston with a ballsy OT win against the Warriors. They are top 8 in offense and defense, and boast the 3rd best NET rating.
Orlando Magic (15-7, Last week: 5) - They came down to earth a bit with back to back losses before drubbing the Pistons. Their defense remains elite and the offense is creeping up. They can still get healthier and play better too.
Philadelphia 76ers (14-7, Last week: 9) - Back to back wins have them back in the top 5. The offense has climbed up to #2, but the defense has slipped a bit in recent weeks.
Los Angeles Lakers (14-9, Last week: 15) - I guess the In Season Tournament bump is real… at least real enough to see the Lakers rise almost 10 spots. They certainly showed what they can do in high leverage situations. They’re also quietly tied for 3rd in the West.
Milwaukee Bucks (15-7, Last week: 6) - I can’t dock them too much for losing an IST instant classic to the Pacers. They’ve settled into the top half of the East playoff picture, but they still have a lot to figure out on the defensive end.
Indiana Pacers (12-8, Last week: 13) - Speaking of the IST bump… do-or-die wins over the Celtics and Bucks are good enough to crack the top 10. The defense actually showed glimpses of promise and the offense, led by Tyrese Haliburton, is special.
Dallas Mavericks (13-8, Last week: 16) - I’ve been very slow to trust the Mavs at all, but they simply keep winning. Even if it was just the Blazers and Jazz, beating bad teams while missing guys is important. They’re in the top 10 for now.
Denver Nuggets (14-9, Last week: 4) - Maybe I was hasty to declare the Nuggets all the way back. Their current three game skid has exposed some warts, but this is likely the lowest they’ll be ranked all year.
Sacramento Kings (12-8, Last week: 8) - The Kings got knocked out of the IST by the Pelicans, but that may just be a nightmare matchup. They’re now 0-3 vs. NOLA and 12-5 against the rest of the league. They started 2-4 and have since gone 10-1 against all non-Pelicans opponents.
Cleveland Cavaliers (13-9, Last week: 11) - The Cavs did absolutely nothing to warrant dropping in the rankings, but that’s what happens when the IST bump is in play. They’ve won 3 straight and 5 of 6, and now look primed to make another run at a top 4 seed.
Los Angeles Clippers (11-10, Last week: 18) - It’s easy to make fun of this team, but they’ve won 3 straight, including a win over the full-strength Nuggets. Don’t look now, but they’re definitely figuring some things out.
Phoenix Suns (12-10, Last week: 7) - This feels like a dramatic drop off, but at some point I’m going to actually need to see their stars play together with some consistency.
New Orleans Pelicans (12-11, Last week: 12) - A reverse IST bump??? This may be harsh, after making the final 4, but a complete no-show 44 point loss that has everyone questioning Zion’s desire to get in basketball shape is tough to shake.
New York Knicks (12-9, Last week: 10) - The Knicks got dealt a pretty tough hand by making the IST as a wild card - being forced to play road games against the Bucks and Celtics. It didn’t help that the team (and especially their usually strong defense) did not look great in either game.
Miami Heat (12-10, Last week: 14) - The Heat have us all exactly where they want us. They’re basically playing .500 basketball, wallowing in the middle of the standings, and just waiting to make their run. I hate everything about this.
Houston Rockets (10-9, Last week: 20) - I said I would take them seriously when they won a road game, and they did so in impressive fashion in Denver. Keep it up and they could crack my top 15.
Brooklyn Nets (12-9, Last week: 17) - They keep winning, but I think they are ripe for a consolidation trade of sorts. They have several useful role players, but I’m not sure the sum of their parts will ever amount to much.
Chicago Bulls (9-14, Last week: 25) - They’ve won 4 straight without Zach Lavine and actually resemble a functional basketball team.
Atlanta Hawks (9-12, Last week: 19) - I had high hopes for the Hawks with Snyder at the helm, but they are floundering badly, losing 5 of 6. They simply can’t stop anyone.
Golden State Warriors (10-12, Last week: 22) - People keep expecting them to “turn it on”, but I’m not sure that gear exists for this team anymore (outside of Curry). This may just be who they are. They need to make a move as badly as any team.
Toronto Raptors (9-13, Last week: 21) - A 3 game ski has them on the outside of the play-in picture. The spotlight will only grow brighter as the trade deadline approaches and the losses pile up.
Memphis Grizzlies (6-15, Last week: 26) - After a truly abysmal start they are at least treading water now and suddenly the return of Ja Morant is right around the corner.
Utah Jazz (7-15, Last week: 23) - They immediately made me look dumb for calling them impressive last week.
Portland Trailblzers (6-15, Last week: 25) - They’ve looked competitive in their losses and with Simons back they’ve looked pretty good for the most part. They need to learn how to win tight games (if they even want to).
Charlotte Hornets (7-13, Last week: 27) - It was nice to see ex-Celtics Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward leading them to a tight home win over the Raptors. Felt like old times!
Washington Wizards (3-18, Last week: 28) - It’s actually amazing that they are pretty safely ranked above two actual NBA teams.
San Antonio Spurs (3-18, Last week 29) - Wemby continues to impress overall, putting up a 21/20/4 the other night. But 16 losses in a row is about as disheartening as it gets.
Detroit Pistons (2-20, Last week: 30) - The losing streak is up to 19 games. The all time NBA record of 28 is officially within reach.