NBA Power Rankings: Blake Griffin trade shakes things up

With less than 10 days until the trade deadline, things are tense in the NBA. Players may be unsure about their future with their current team, or have requested a trade. Fatigue starts to set in, and injuries pile up for contenders and pretenders.

There wasn’t any news bigger than the DeMarcus Cousins injury, with the All-Star center rupturing his Achilles tendon in the final seconds of the Pelicans game against the Rockets. The injury drastically changes the landscape of the league, in both conferences. The next day, the Thunder lost Andre Roberson for the season, with the defensive wing injuring his patella tendon, and he’ll miss the remainder of the season as well.

In more exciting news, the Clippers pulled off a shocking trade, sending Blake Griffin — the man that was supposed to be Mr. Clipper — to Detroit for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, and draft assets. How does it shake up the power rankings? Read on and find out.

The Magic lost both of their games this week, dropping their first contest 105-99 against the Kings, and their second contest 114-112 against the Pacers. The Magic were able to keep things close through the first three quarters against the Kings, but fell apart in the fourth quarter, shooting 6-for -0 from the field with four turnovers. It’s times like this where it’s noticeable how much they miss Nikola Vucevic, who remains out as he recovers from a broken hand. When teams can start switching, and the Magic’s only response is to drive aimlessly into the paint, they could really use someone they could toss the ball to 15 feet from the hoop and have a decent shot at getting points from.

The Magic failed to execute in the fourth quarter against the Pacers as well, giving up 30 points in the final frame to see a 21-point lead turn into a 10-point loss. It was definitely a tale of two halves, with Elfrid Payton helping lead the team to 70 points in the first half, only to score 42 in the second half. It’s tough to see a team just lose their desire to fight to the finish this early in the season, but that’s where the Magic are at right now. Each game seems like just another night where they have to be out there because they’re contractually obligated to play. Expect change prior to the trade deadline.

The Magic also released Adreian Payne off of their G-League team, after the former Michigan State forward was named in a report by ESPN detailing alleged sexual assault while he was at Michigan State.