NBA December Power Rankings

We’re about a fifth of the way through the NBA season so it’s about that time for the first power rankings of the year. Some teams have been a pleasant surprise, while others have been severe disappointments. But it’s no surprise to see the 76ers at the bottom of the standings.

30) Philadelphia 76ers (0-17)

Having the worst offense and the fourth worst defense results in not winning a game. Meet the Oakland Raiders of the NBA everybody.

29) Detroit Pistons (3-15)

I don’t think they should be this bad, but none of their individual talents can play team basketball, which is what hurts them in close games down the stretch.

28) Minnesota Timberwolves (4-12)

With Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin out with injuries, the T-Wolves are in trouble. They have no one to pass to and no one who can create shots for themselves.

27) Boston Celtics (4-11)

The Celtics have a lot of young and talented players on their roster but they haven’t been able to get a consistent flow to their game yet. They don’t have the defense to keep up with other high-scoring offenses around the league.

26) New York Knicks (4-15)

Lots of skill and talent, but the worst chemistry in the NBA. Until they get rid of J.R. Smith and Amare Stoudamire they won’t get any better.

25) Charlotte Hornets (4-14)

The Hornets are the most underachieving team so far. Between Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson they have a wide variation of potential lineups. But they’ve lost 9 in a row and are in the midst of trying new schemes. They’re still searching for an identity, but they listed every player on the trade block except for Big Al and Kemba, so it doesn’t seem as if they’re on the right track.

24) Los Angeles Lakers (5-13)

Kobe has been balling recently and since Nick Young has reentered the lineup as the sixth man, they’ve been playing a lot better. They’ve won two straight games against the Raptors and Pistons, so we’ll see if they can string some more wins together and make a little more noise.

23) Utah Jazz (5-13)

The Jazz have plenty of potential for the future, but after a decent start have fallen off. They’ve lost their last 6 and 9 of their last 11.

22) Oklahoma City Thunder (5-13)

It seems unfair to rank the Thunder this low, but now that Russ and KD are back in action, don’t expect them to be this low for too long.

21) Orlando Magic (7-13)

Some nights they show up, but most of the time they don’t. Like the Jazz and Hornets they have some potential for the future but they still need to find themselves as a team.

20) Indiana Pacers (7-11)

Beginning the year with only one of their starters from last year, the Pacers struggled. They have a hot-or-not team this year, but now that David West is back, they have a fighting chance.

19) Brooklyn Nets (7-9)

These wily vets are still chugging, and I think Prokorov actually believes that he can win a title with them. They’ll win upwards of 35 games without a doubt, but a championship for this squad is about 5 years away in their rearview mirror.

18) Sacramento Kings (9-9)

Boogie Cousins is doing all he can to keep his team in the hunt, but the team is already beginning to fall off. They’ve lost 4 in a row and 7 of their last 11.

17) Denver Nuggets (9-9)

Like the Kings the Nuggets have been pretty up-and-down, and one guy is shouldering the load. Ty Lawson is tearing defenses apart, but the team is struggling as a whole. They have won 7 of their last 10 games though and appear to be back to their normal winning ways.

16) Milwaukee Bucks (10-9)

The Bucks will be one of the top teams in the East in a few years time, but for now, they are an up-and-down squad of young talents. Brandon Knight is playing extremely well for this squad though, and keeping them in tight ballgames.

15) Miami Heat (9-8)

The Heat are still trying to find themselves after LeBron’s departure, and are heavily relying on Chris Bosh to carry the team due to Dwayne Wade’s aging body. The Heat are just another team in the East that has been hovering around .500 all year.

14) New Orleans Pelicans (8-8)

Anthony Davis is the early leading candidate for MVP, yet his team is stalled at .500. They haven’t won more than 2 games in a row this year, and they haven’t lost more than 3 games in a row. If they can get some consistency to their offense they’ll be fine moving forward. But this is a dangerous team on a nightly basis, no matter who they’re up against.

13) Phoenix Suns (11-8)

The Suns have no problem scoring the ball, but they’re falling into a ‘live-and-die by the three’ pattern, and their defense isn’t good enough to hold up.

12) Cleveland Cavaliers (9-7)

The Cavs appear to be on the right track, winning 4 straight for the second time this year. The ball distribution is already improving, as is the defense. It’s also worth noting that they were 8-7, which is the same record that the 2010 Heat had 15 games into the season.

11) Atlanta Hawks (10-6)

The Hawks are on pace for another successful year, but their best player Al Horford has struggled all year, averaging a career-low 6.4 rebounds per game. His performance is the only big question mark for the Hawks right now.

10) Washington Wizards (11-5)

The Wiz are having a good year to this point, but if they start putting the ball in the basket more efficiently, they’ll go from good to great.

9) Chicago Bulls (11-7)

The Bulls obviously have a shaky foundation with Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah has been inconsistent. But they’re an impressive 9-3 on the road, and lead the Central division in the East.

8) Houston Rockets (13-4)

Yeah I know I’ll catch some fire for this, but the Rockets aren’t as good as their record shows. James Harden is a liability on both ends of the court, especially the defensive end. They rely too much on his production now that Chandler Parsons isn’t around, and it will hurt them in the long run, especially if he isn’t getting the fouls called his way.

7) Los Angeles Clippers (12-5)

These Clippers are the same team we’ve been watching for the last couple years. There aren’t any surprises with them, we know what we’re going to get. The only significant improvement this year is DeAndre Jordan’s 74% field goal percentage.

6) Dallas Mavericks (14-5)

The Mavs are a pleasant surprise so far. Dirk finally has some relief behind him, and their bench is deeper than it has been in the past. As of right now they do have the best offense in the NBA, but their defense is shaky.

5) Toronto Raptors (14-4)

Some are still calling the Raptors an early fluke, but they’re stats say otherwise. People say they’re benefitting from playing in the East, but they’re 5-2 against the West with a win against Memphis, the best team in the league. The Raptors are back folks!

4) San Antonio Spurs (13-4)

The Spurs are 13-4, and the scary thing is that they’re “struggling” by Pop’s standards. They’ve won 8 in a row but he says they still aren’t playing at the level that they need to be at. Honestly though, what else could we expect of him?

3) Portland Trail Blazers (14-4)

Portland is one of the many red-hot teams in the West, but still don’t have a very effective bench, which could prove to be their downfall against teams like the Warriors, Grizzlies and Spurs. But they still have what most consider to be the best starting lineup in the NBA, which is enough to earn them the third best record in the game.

2) Golden State Warriors (15-2)

The Warriors and Grizzlies are locked up in the top spot in the West, and Steph Curry is second to Anthony Davis in the early MVP race, with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson “quietly” ripping defenses behind him. The Warriors are lethal, and barring any injuries, stand a strong chance to come out of the West.

1) Memphis Grizzlies (15-2)

The Grizzlies are 11-0 in conference play, and lost to the Bucks and Raptors by a combined 5 points. They’ve only allowed triple digits 4 times thus far, and are holding opponents to just 92 points a game, which is a stupid statistic. No one has been able to figure them out yet, and they’ve earned the title as the best team in the NBA.