The focus wasn't on actual NBA games this weekend. An injury to Giannis and it's trade deadline implications, along with three postponements — two because of a massive snowstorm and another due to another homicide committed by immigration agents in Minneapolis — taking center stage.
But games were played, teams won and lost, trade rumors continued, and we're reshuffling the order in our latest NBA Power Rankings. We're at the point in the season where big moves are less likely, but we did see two teams move four slots — the Hornets jumped four spots with wins over the Magic and Wizards, and a tight loss to the Cavaliers. They're now 7-5 in their last 12 games, with wins over the Thunder, Nuggets and Lakers.
The Phoenix Suns went the other direction, sliding four spots after losing two straight games to the Hawks and Heat. They're much better off than they were a month ago, but still face a tough battle to secure a playoff spot in the West. And here's how every other team ranks:
NBA Power Rankings, Week 14
TEAM | RECORD | LAST WEEK |
|---|---|---|
1. Oklahoma City Thunder | 37-10 | 1 |
2. Detroit Pistons | 33-11 | 2 |
3. Houston Rockets | 27-16 | 5 |
4. San Antonio Spurs | 31-15 | 4 |
5. Boston Celtics | 28-17 | 3 |
6. Denver Nuggets | 31-15 | 7 |
7. New York Knicks | 27-18 | 10 |
8. Golden State Warriors | 26-21 | 9 |
9. Minnesota Timberwolves | 27-19 | 6 |
10. Toronto Raptors | 29-19 | 11 |
11. Cleveland Cavaliers | 27-20 | 13 |
12. Phoenix Suns | 27-19 | 8 |
13. Miami Heat | 25-22 | 15 |
14. Philadelphia 76ers | 24-20 | 12 |
15. Charlotte Hornets | 18-28 | 19 |
16. Los Angeles Clippers | 21-24 | 18 |
17. Orlando Magic | 23-21 | 14 |
18. Portland Trail Blazers | 23-23 | 17 |
19. Los Angeles Lakers | 27-17 | 16 |
20. Atlanta Hawks | 22-25 | 21 |
21. Chicago Bulls | 23-22 | 23 |
22. Dallas Mavericks | 19-27 | 22 |
23. Memphis Grizzlies | 18-25 | 20 |
24. Milwaukee Bucks | 18-26 | 24 |
25. New Orleans Pelicans | 12-36 | 25 |
26. Indiana Pacers | 11-35 | 27 |
27. Utah Jazz | 15-31 | 29 |
28. Brooklyn Nets | 12-32 | 26 |
29. Sacramento Kings | 12-35 | 28 |
30. Washington Wizards | 10-34 | 30 |
Why you can't believe in the Lakers
The Lakers have consistently, had the biggest disconnect between record and ranking. They're currently the No. 5 seed in the West and have the seventh-best record in the league. Here's why they're still ranked just 19th, falling three spots in this week's power rankings.
The Lakers are 14-2 against teams who rank in the bottom 10 of this week's power rankings, which means they're just 13-15 against the rest of the league. They are pounding the worst teams and getting roughed up by the best — just 6-8 against the other 11 teams that would make the playoffs and avoid the Play-In tournament if the season ended today. They're in the bottom six in defensive efficiency and have been outscored across the entire season.
The only reason anyone would consider them a contender is their 27-17 record. But that record is almost entirely a product of two things — their lopsided record against the worst teams and their incredible performance in the clutch. The Lakers are 14-2 in games where the margin was five points or fewer at any point in the final five minutes. That's not just the best clutch record in the league, it's the best clutch record in a decade, and by a big margin.
We'd expect a team with a narrowly negative scoring margin to win about half their games, meaning the late-game heroics of Dončić and company have been worth about five wins so far. That's great for Laker fans but not great for their playoff prospects. They may be better than some of their statistical indicators, but clutch performance has a way over averaging out over the course of a season, and it's not what you want to be counting on to win a playoff series. By record, the Lakers look like a contender. Pretty much everything else, says they're not.
Why the Cavs can't give up yet
The Cavs had the best record in the East last season but, despite bringing back the same rotation, are 27-20 and just two games out of Play-In range. With the trade deadline approaching they have the option of shaking things up and making a big swing but don't be surprised if they choose to stand pat. Here's why ...
The Cavs best lineup — Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, De'Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — have only played six games and 51 minutes together this season ... and somehow that's the team's fourth-most played lineup. They only have one lineup that's played in more than 10 games together all year. It simply can't be understated how much injuries have completely prevented any continuity.
But that on-paper starting five, it's outscored opponents by an average of 25.6 points per 100 possessions when it's played together. That's a small sample, but elite performance from a group that should be elite. And while their overall depth has been a bit of a mess — Lonzo Ball has been a disaster and Dean Wade can't make a shot — their short rotation might be better than ever.
Second-year guard Jaylon Tyson is averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc. Swap him in for Hunter, and the Cavs are plus-47.6 per 100 possessions in 35 minutes. Sam Merrill is limited, but he's shooting 45.5 percent on 3-pointers. The Cavs have the wing shooters they've been missing the past two years in their postseason flameouts.
Again, it still really only works if everyone is healthy. They need Garland and Allen because lineups with Mobley alone at center haven't been great, and they need the ability to run out those two bigs. But if they can get everyone on the court at the same time in the playoffs, they have a chance to make a deep run.