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Another week down, another set of power rankings to be made. This week brought a lot of action, resulting in a shake-up at the number one spot. Things are tight, and separation has been made as we look towards the playoffs. Let's dive into this week's power rankings.
On The Bubble
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Of course, since we are only covering the top 5 and there may not be much movement week to week, we must recognize the teams that were just left off the list. If this were a top 10, the 5-7 spots would be very tight and almost interchangeable, but these bubble teams are listed in no particular order:
Los Angeles Clippers
A team that undoubtedly looked like a top 3 squad before the all-star break has been on a noticeable slide. Westbrook has been out for a while now, and this week saw the Clippers miss Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden in some combination for a few games. While health may be the reason, they just don't look like the squad that was labeled early contenders just a month ago.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Currently sitting at 3rd in the east, I seriously considered putting this team at #5 until I studied their last slate of games for this week. Donovan Mitchell had only played a single game this week, and we have yet to see this team fully healthy for a great sample size, but when they are they look like a very good team. They went 1-3 this week, losing to the Nets, Suns, and Rockets (who are very hot right now) while picking up a big win against the Pelicans. When this team is healthy, they could shake up our top 5 in the coming weeks.
New Orleans Pelicans
This team has been on fire recently. Zion Williamson looks motivated, and everything is clicking for this team. Over the last week, they went 4-1, beating the Blazers, Clippers, Hawks, and 76ers. Their only loss was against the previously mentioned Cavaliers team, making them a contender for the final spot in the top 5 as well. They currently sit 5th behind the Clippers in a tight western conference race.
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press)
After losing Karl-Anthony Towns, I almost left them off the top 5 last week, but just couldn't because of how well they had played previously, and it just didn't seem fair. While I was certain they would slip out this week, they still have played very well despite losing their star power forward. This last week they went 2-1, as Anthony Edwards continued to play at a high level. Their loss was to the Lakers, which is another hot team, in Los Angeles, so this loss wasn't enough to push them to the bubble. They picked up wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz, doing enough to stay at #5, but any slip-up and our bubble contenders may just jump them.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks
(AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash / Associated Press)
The Bucks have continued to play well and look like the clear-cut second seed in the Eastern Conference, and the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics' Finals hopes. They went 2-1 this last week, losing in major fashion in Sacramento, but their wins against the Clippers and 76ers keep them at the #4 spot. While the Cavs only trail a couple of games behind, the Bucks have just been healthier than them and any team trailing in the power rankings. Like mentioned with the Timberwolves, this next week can shake things up and make things awkward if they lose multiple games.
#3 Oklahoma City Thunder
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Yes, the top 5 has been the exact same to this point. But I want to make it clear there is a decent-size gap between the top 3 teams and 4-5. The Thunder still hold a game lead ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the 1st seed, and that gap is closing. It is no secret that this is a young team, and the fact they are here at this point in the season should make Thunder fans more than happy. In a playoff series, I still have my concerns and I hope to be proved wrong, but right now they are the 3rd best team in the league. This week they beat the Grizzlies twice, the Mavericks once, and took a loss to the Pacers at home. This team loses some games they shouldn't, but sometimes that's how the NBA goes. Nonetheless, there are still wrinkles to shake out in OKC.
#2 Boston Celtics
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What? How? This week the Celtics went 4-0, how could they have possibly dropped a spot? In those 4 games, they played the Suns twice, Blazers once, and the Utah Jazz a single time. While they won the majority of the games pretty handily, them falling a spot has less to do with them, and more to do with our new #1 team's play. The eye test is a big factor here, and the #1 team just looks the part, but we will get to that later. There is no doubt in my mind they could reclaim the top spot this week, so I am not saying the difference between them and #1 is more than paper-thin. This team is still great and their next 4 games are more than winnable, so they have a chance to make me look completely foolish.
#1 Denver Nuggets
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While power rankings are more short-term snapshots of the best teams in the league, at this point of the year it feels more than fair to consider this team's past and present as being the defending NBA champs. Currently, it doesn't even look like they have missed a beat, and could end up going back-to-back. If they jump the Thunder in the standings (which is very possible at this point) Nikola Jokic would be my vote for MVP once again. Like said before, the eye test had a lot to do with them jumping Boston, and the eye tells me this team is for real. Winners of 5 straight, beating the Celtics in TD Garden, and 4-0 in the last week. They picked up blowout wins against the Utah Jazz and Miami Heat, and beat the Raptors and Spurs by a respectable margin. Their next week could be tough, playing the Mavericks, Knicks, and Timberwolves, but this is their chance to prove they are the best team in the league.
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