San Antonio split with the Warriors to start the week before consecutive wins over the Hawks and Hornets. This was about as impressive of a 1-3 week that a team can have, losing in overtime to the Lakers in consecutive games, falling to the Nuggets by two, then beating the Bucks in a game that they led for virtually the entire second half. Joel Embiid was a monster as usual, averaging nearly 32 points and 11.3 rebounds for the week. That's now 18 wins in 19 games for Utah, with absolutely no signs of slowing. The Lakers aren't exactly playing the best basketball of the season, and it's a testament to their championship pedigree -- and the greatness of LeBron James -- that they were able to come away with a 3-1 week. Sue Bird celebrates as Carmelo Anthony announces son Kiyan's high school hoop dreams. Donovan Mitchell's 3-point shooting has cooled off a bit in the last two games, but he still averaged 29 points for the week, including a brilliant 36-point, nine-assist effort in Tuesday's win over the Celtics. The Nets gave up 122 points in a loss to the Pistons to start the week, but looked much better defensively in wins over the Pacers and Warriors. Even worse, Anthony Davis aggravated the Achilles injury that forced him to miss both OKC games. Collin Sexton has struggled to get anything going, while Andre Drummond was virtually absent against the Nuggets and Blazers before being rested in Sunday's loss to the Clippers. Phoenix also added another weapon with the return of Dario Saric, who scored 15 points in 20 minutes and was a plus-18 against his former Sixers. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, Power Rankings, Week 9: Jazz jump Lakers for No. NBA power rankings: With the 2020-21 NBA season started, there’s an overwhelming favorite to earn the title, as the Los Angeles Lakers seek to repeat as champions. This team was already going to have trouble scoring, and having key players out of the lineup this week led to a paltry 99.5 offensive rating. Jimmy Butler led the way this week with averages of 22.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists, and made his first three 3-pointers of the season. Bradley Beal rested in the loss to the Knicks, but averaged 31.3 points and 5.7 assists in the other three games. Milwaukee started off the week with a big road win over the Nuggets, but Jrue Holiday's absence was felt in subsequent losses to the Suns, Jazz and an injury-riddled Thunder squad. 1 emerges in reshuffling of contenders We've passed the quarter pole of the NBA season, and there's no clear leader in the race for a title. Max Strus took advantage of some rare extended minutes, averaging 18 points on 8-for-14 3-point shooting in the final two games of the week. Ball was no slouch himself, averaging nearly 20 points and putting up nearly a triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Sunday's loss to the Spurs. Senior Editor, Complex Sports. Let’s do it. Unfortunately it only resulted in one win for the Bulls, who lost to the Wizards and Clippers while beating the Pelicans. at TJ McConnell has been a difference-maker off the bench and is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 8.7 points, 7.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in over 30 minutes per game this week. In this week’s NBA Power Rankings, the Pistons are inexplicable, the Kings have a small ball answer and the Utah Jazz are about to run the gauntlet. Scary Terry has caught fire, scoring 34, 41 and 33 points in the final three games of the week while shooting 15 for 26 from 3-point range. 1; Lakers drop after lackluster week; Suns, Blazers making moves The Jazz look unbeatable, but the top five got a … The guard-heavy attack with LaMarcus Aldridge on the shelf has been successful, as San Antonio has now won five of its last six. If he's out for extended time, it's going to put even more strain on LeBron. On the other side of the coin, the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets all took big plunges after winning streaks turned to losing skids very quickly. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. NBA Power Rankings: LA Clippers, Utah Jazz are trending upward riding win streaks. Damian Lillard must have seen his name being left out of recent MVP discussions, as the superstar point guard went on a tear this week, leading his short-handed Blazers to a perfect week to make it seven wins in nine games. Breaking down stats and film from around the NBA, including a look at why team records don't tell a team's entire story. Also entering the top five with a bullet are the Portland Trail Blazers, who have defied all logic by rattling off an impressive win streak despite being short-handed. Whatever defensive improvement had taken place has vanished, as New Orleans has given up a whopping 136.7 points per 100 possessions during the losing streak. Still a good week, though, with wins over the Wolves, Hawks and Pelicans as Dallas finds itself back in the playoff picture. Want every headline right at your fingertips? See how all 30 teams rank after the first five weeks of the NBA season. Don't look now, but the Wizards had a 104.5 defensive rating this week, and they're in the top 10 in the NBA over their last eight games. See where all 30 teams rank after the first eight weeks of the 2020-21 season. 3. The NFL season is in the books—time to shift gears and check out where the power lies in the NBA. Even Magic coach Steve Clifford had to admit that injuries are a legitimate excuse for Orlando's recent struggles. Image via USA Today Sports/Russell Isabella. They were able to pick up a win over the Kings, who were missing De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, thanks to a phenomenal 42-point effort from Nikola Vucevic, who averaged 27 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this week on 48 percent 3-point shooting. Oof. Jayson Tatum shot just 35 percent from the field this week, while Kemba Walker shot 38 percent. See how all 30 teams rank after the first four weeks of the 2020-21 season. OKC has gotten contributions up and down the roster with players coming in and out of the lineup, and Justin Jackson was the latest hero against Milwaukee, scoring 22 points and hitting all four of his 3-pointers, including the one that sealed the game with 15 seconds left. NBA Power Rankings: Rockets Are Rolling After James Harden Trade Despite the early-season drama, the Rockets have been getting it done on the defensive end. NBA Power Rankings: It’s still Utah’s world, but the Lakers are lurking originally appeared on NBCSports.com. section: | slug: nba-power-rankings-red-hot-jazz-clear-no-1-lakers-drop-after-lackluster-week-suns-blazers-making-moves | sport: basketball | route: article_single_league_latest | 1, Power Rankings Notebook: Creativity from Warriors, Power Rankings, Week 7: Clippers climb to No. Hoops Habit 1 week NBA Power Rankings Week 7: The revenge of the Los Angeles Lakers. That's now four wins in five games for the Heat, albeit not against the league's best competition. Jonas Valanciunas led the Grizzlies in a 2-2 week with 21.5 points and 14 rebounds per game, while Dillon Brooks scored 19 points per game on 42 percent 3-point shooting. Doncic has continued his bonkers stat lines, averaging 36 points (including a career-high 46 against New Orleans), nine assists and 8.3 rebounds this week on 43 percent 3-point shooting. It's also a good sign that the Knicks were able to win during a relatively rough week for Julius Randle, who shot just 40 percent from the field. Marcus Smart said he's not close to returning, so it's up to the rest of the Celtics to right the ship. With NBA training camps opening on Dec. 2 (IST) and the majority of offseason moves behind us, it's time to rank the best teams in the NBA following their decisions in the draft, trade market and free agency. It's safe to say this team has found its stride, evident in big wins over the Bucks and 76ers. By Adam Caparell. There's just no way to keep them out of that conversation with the way they've played, absolutely demolishing opponents en route to 18 wins in 19 games. Tomas Satoransky played well this week, averaging 9.7 points and 6.0 assists over 24 minutes per game. Slow starts led to two arduous overtime victories over the Thunder and a comeback win over the Grizzlies. With a couple of weeks in the 2020-21 NBA regular season in the books, it's time to take a look at numberFire's power rankings and see which teams saw the most movement since last week. The Oklahoma City Thunder were in national writers' good graces for a solid month. Charlotte went 2-2 this week, but they've become must-watch TV. Denver bounced back nicely from three straight losses by starting a modest three-game winning streak, including exacting revenge against the Lakers in a convincing win on Sunday. Lillard averaged 30 points and 7.3 assists this week, while Carmelo Anthony came up clutch, averaging 21.3 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, on 45 percent 3-point shooting during the four games. There might not be a more entertaining backcourt in the NBA right now than LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. 1 offense before matchup vs. L.A.'s No. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. But that's how things have worked in the NBA in this strange and unpredictable season -- one week a team looks like a real contender, the next it looks destined for the lottery. In the first NBA Power Rankings of the 2020-21 season, we look at the source of each team’s basketball power. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nba | pageType: stories | Jamal Murray has scored 22 and 25 points in his last two games, and the Nuggets hope this is the start of him breaking out of the funk he's been in for most of the season. NBA Power Rankings: Jazz top the charts, KD wins in the Bay Area. Derrick White seems to be getting back to his old self, scoring a season-high 25 points in 27 minutes in Sunday's win over Charlotte. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have been solid offensively, but there's clearly something off with this team. Power Rankings Power Rankings, Week 9: Jazz jump Lakers for No. 1. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. There's not much more you can say about Nikola Jokic, who averaged 23 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.3 assists this week. After dedicating last week's power rankings to asking the biggest question ahead of each NBA team in the second half of the season, we're back to our regularly scheduled programming here.. Utah Jazz 2020-21 record: 12-4 Previous ranking: 7. ... With optimism abound in New York, let’s dive into this week’s power rankings with notes on all 30 teams. The Jazz are the most prolific 3-point shooting team in NBA history at this point, averaging 16.8 made 3s per game. Luka Doncic had a clean look to send the Blazers game to overtime on Sunday night and give the Mavs a chance for a perfect week, but it rimmed out. Breaking down stats and film from around the NBA, including a look at why team records don't tell a team's entire story. Hoops Habit 1 week NBA MVP Race Player Rankings: Joel … Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that we'd be talking about the Utah Jazz as the best team in the NBA? Kristaps Porzingis looks more comfortable as well, averaging 24 points on 46 percent from deep, including a career-high eight triples in the win over the Pelicans. NBA power rankings roundup: Analysts cooling on Thunder during rough stretch. Brooklyn improved to 5-2 when Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving play together, but that trio won't share the court for at least the next two games due to Durant's hamstring injury. D'Angelo Russell played only five minutes before hitting the shelf with a leg issue. The Warriors split with the Spurs to start the week before beating the severely short-handed Magic and then being blown out by the Nets in Kevin Durant's return to the Bay Area. 2, Power Rankings Notebook: Sixers get defensive, Power Rankings, Week 3: Sixers, Suns and Jazz climb into the Top 5. Breaking down stats and film from around the NBA, including a look at the chemistry between Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Memphis misses Desmond Bane and De'Anthony Melton, but Grayson Allen performed well in the extra minutes while Ja Morant continues to work his way back into form after a nasty ankle injury. The Lakers have held down the top spot in our NBA Power Rankings since the season began, but LeBron James' club has cooled off a bit over the last two weeks, opening the door for a new … 1 spot; Suns enter Top 5 See where all 30 teams rank after the first eight weeks of the 2020-21 season. The NBA power rankings show the Phoenix Suns were not buried by the absence of Devin Booker, beating the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks after opening the week with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It looked like they had pulled themselves out of a tailspin with four straight wins, then they closed out the week by losing three straight games, including to the Bulls and Pistons. This has to feel good for the Pistons, who won three games this week over the Nets, Celtics and Pelicans. 1, we saw some movement below them as the Los Angles Lakers dropped after an uninspiring week and the Phoenix Suns made a huge leap by beating some of the league's best teams. Danilo Gallinari is starting to ramp up his minutes, so maybe that will give the offense a shot in the arm with De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic both sidelined for an extended period. Yikes. CBS Sports power rankings: Phoenix Suns #3. Toronto finds itself in a jumble of Eastern Conference teams, as the Nos. See how all 30 teams rank after the first three weeks of the 2020-21 season. With the Jazz an obvious No. The Suns won all four games this week, making it six in a row and eight of their last nine. The brief recap of the three games: Chris Paul almost rescued the Suns in a rough loss to the Thunder, scoring 32 points. The Knicks were one RJ Barrett missed layup away from forcing overtime in a loss to the Heat, and they followed that up with blowout wins over the Wizards and Rockets. Doug McDermott entered the starting lineup for Jeremy Lamb in the Pacers' two wins, going off for 26 points in Saturday's win over Atlanta. The Los Angeles Lakers took their foot off the gas for a moment, and it cost them. Author: The defense was bad and the offense couldn't keep up, even with Trae Young averaging 21.7 points and 10.7 assists with just 2.7 turnovers per game. Derrick Rose has immediately acclimated to his role as a bench spark plug, averaging 14.7 points and 4.0 assists on 43 percent 3-point shooting in the first three games of his second stint in New York. CBS moved Phoenix up another notch, from 4 to 3 this week, and recognized the additional quality Dario Saric brought in his first game back.. Devin Booker exploded this week, averaging 32.3 points on 48 percent 3-point shooting, while Chris Paul put up 19.3 points and 8.7 assists on 57 percent from deep. Mason Plumlee notched his first career triple-double on Sunday, and rookie Saddiq Bey broke out with 17.8 points per game this week on absurd 16-for-23 3-point shooting. Then the other shoe dropped when the Lakers met an elite Nuggets team in Denver, losing by 17. John Wall looked good in the three games he played, averaging 22.7 points and 5.7 assists on 39 percent 3-point shooting. 4 through 11 seeds are separated by just three games. Siakam had a tremendous week before the tough luck, averaging 24.8 points on 58 percent 3-point shooting, while Norman Powell added 23.5 points per game on 55 percent 3-point shooting. The Raptors won their first two games of the week, but ended on a sour note with a loss to the Celtics, then to the Wolves without D'Angelo Russell after Pascal Siakam missed a potential game-tying layup with seven seconds left. 2020-21 NBA Power Rankings: How have offseason moves impacted the league's hierarchy? NBA Power Rankings: Red-hot Jazz clear No. NBA Power Rankings: Will the Knicks Make the Playoffs? You agree that your personal information will be used to send you messages about NBA related products and services, and share your personal information with NBA partners and affiliates so that they can also contact you about products and services that might be of interest to you. NBA Power Rankings: Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns among teams on the rise. Utah overtakes the Lakers for the top spot in this week’s NBA power rankings after winning seven in a row and an incredible 18 of 19. All Rights Reserved. 1. Breaking down stats and film from around the league, including a look at Milwaukee's No. Malik Beasley took advantage of the extra opportunity, averaging 25.5 points and making nearly six 3-pointers per game this week. Through the first quarter of the season, some teams appear to be separating themselves at the top of the standings while others struggle to stay afloat amid injuries and health and safety protocols. Their games were painful to watch at times as they attempted to play multiple games without a true point guard available. They're going to have to get creative at the center position moving forward with Mitchell Robinson expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a fractured right hand. Cody Taylor. TRENDING. Los Angeles Lakers. By clicking "Submit", you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/powerrankings. 1, Power Rankings, Week 6: Jazz, Sixers enter Top 5, Power Rankings Notebook: Bucks tweak offense, Power Rankings, Week 5: Clippers surge toward top, Power Rankings Notebook: Impact of Harden trade, Power Rankings, Week 4: Suns rise to No. The Suns are a very good team and Devin Booker continued his yearly assault on Philadelphia with 36 points in the win, but losing to the Blazers without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic is a tough blow to a 76ers team with designs on the No. The late-week battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics shuffled things around, the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets are on the rise, while the LA … Injuries have caught up to the Rockets, as they lost all four games this week, none of which were particularly close down the stretch. Breaking down the trade with stats, film and analysis on Brooklyn, Houston, Cleveland and Indiana. The strong play poses an interesting question about how to handle Aldridge when he comes back. 18h. ESPN's NBA Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength developed by the ESPN Analytics team. Five weeks into the 2020-21 NBA season, we're beginning to see which teams are real and which teams are not. Sign up to receive NBA emails! Their horrendous defense from the beginning of the season has reappeared, while the offense simply couldn't keep up this week. Zach LaVine was a human torch this week (he basically has been all season), averaging nearly 36 points in three games on 16-for-29 3-point shooting. I agree that CBS Sports can send me the "CBS Sports HQ" newsletter. Wednesday's loss to the Nets was the Pacers' sixth in their previous seven games, so it must have felt good to close out the week with wins over the Pistons and Hawks. The Wizards were able to stay out of the power rankings basement with a wild win over the Nets. It's going to be tough for the Wizards to win consistently if Russell Westbrook doesn't improve, as he shot 41 percent from the field and 21 percent from 3-point range for the week. But after three consecutive losses and dropping five of their last six, the Thunder are falling in power rankings around the association. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. 1:41 pm ET, NBA Power Rankings: Dame Lillard Leads Blazers Into Top 5, Embiid makes history with big game against Rockets, Cavs' coach responds to Draymond Green's comments, Report: Lillard to take part in 3-Point Contest, Report: NBA stars wary of doing COVID-19 vaccine PSAs, NBA DFS picks, Feb. 17 lineups, stacks, advice, NBA Power Rankings: Suns surge; Lakers drop, Potential first-time All-Stars; ballot breakdown, Report: Blazers' Lillard to take part in 3-Point Contest, Cavs' coach responds to Green's rant on Drummond, 76ers' Embiid matches mark set by Chamberlain, Iverson. It's poor timing, as Durant had just returned as the Nets continue their West Coast swing with the Suns, Lakers and Clippers on tap. It was an up-and-down week for the Wizards, who beat the Bulls and Celtics but were blown out by the Raptors and Knicks. Teams like the Celtics and Suns have made their way into the top five while both the Warriors and Mavericks re-enter the top 10. Feb 15, 2021. The weekly NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings are out and the Utah Jazz, winners of 12-of-13, have jumped up into the top spot, followed by the Clippers. This team is so weird. The Celtics have now lost five of six games, and back-to-back losses to the Pistons and Wizards to close out the week have officially triggered the alarm bells. With more than a third of the 2020-21 NBA regular season in the books, it's time to take a look at numberFire's power rankings and see which teams saw the most movement since last week. February 15, 2021. Every three weeks this NBA season, I’m publishing power rankings with one thought, observation, or idea about each franchise. After a promising start to the season, the Cavs have cratered, losing nine of their last 10 games, and their last three by an average of nearly 25 points. 1, Power Rankings Notebook: 3 teams ready to rise, Power Rankings, Week 8: Lakers return to No. Well, besides the Jazz and their loyal fan base. Oh, and did we mention that they only had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the first Lakers game? Give the Clippers credit for winning all three games this week without the services of Paul George, and Sunday's blowout win over the Cavs came without Kawhi Leonard as well. Walker had back-to-back 20-plus-point games to end the week, so that could be a sign that he's on the verge of getting things going. 30. NBA Power Rankings: Jazz maintain, while Kings make a big leap. Share This Story. Another week, three more blowout wins for the Jazz, who have taken Mike Conley's absence in stride with extra contributions from Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson. 1 seed in the East. Portland put up an impressive 122.5 net rating this week as Gary Trent continues to fill in admirably for CJ McCollum. *Keep in mind that our Power Rankings are based on the team's performance the previous week, not the entire season. 2d ESPN.com. Giannis Antetokounmpo did all he could, averaging 32.5 points, 13 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the week, but it wasn't enough to stop the Bucks' skid. The NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings are back and the Lakers are on top, with the 76ers right behind them, and both the Suns and Pacers in the top five. See where all 30 teams rank after the first seven weeks of 2020-21 season. Logan Newman. See where all 30 teams rank after the first six weeks of the 2020-21 season. Breaking down 5 key stats, plays and notes from around the league after the first two weeks. The defense that looked to be turning the corner last week regressed, likely due to Holiday being out, as Donte DiVincenzo, DJ Augustin and Bryn Forbes attempted to fill in his minutes. A couple of teams are in the midst of a … The franchise big man looked good in three games, averaging 21 points and 9.7 rebounds on 9-for-18 3-point shooting in 31.9 minutes. Power Rankings Notebook: 3 teams ready to rise. As our weekly Power Rankings begin to develop some consistency, there has still been plenty of movement among the top 10. https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-nba-power-rankings-top-151917105.html This is the polar opposite of the team we saw the last two weeks. George's absence has been a blessing in disguise for Lou Williams, who averaged 24.7 points and 6.3 assists this week on 45.5 percent 3-point shooting, and definitely appears to have his swagger back. NBA Power Rankings V2: The Jazz Take Over the Top Spot. Rookie Patrick Williams struggled offensively in extra minutes with Lauri Markkanen still out of the lineup, shooting 26 percent from the field in the three games. February 1, 2021. Even with a relatively subpar game against the Nets, Steph Curry averaged 32.8 points on 45 percent 3-point shooting for the week, as he continues his MVP push. 2021 NBA Power Rankings: New No. As the trade/buyout rumors swirl, it will be interesting to see how much Drummond plays moving forward, and how engaged he is. There is a new leader at the top of the NBA power rankings. Kelly Oubre Jr. has produced much more consistently after a horrid start, and had some strong games this week with averages of 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on 40 percent 3-point shooting. The Hawks came down to the wire with the Mavs on Wednesday, but the next two losses to the Spurs and Pacers weren't pretty. The NBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's basketball editors.This week, we're singling out each team's most improved player with over one-third of the season completed.1. NBA Power Rankings: Lakers, Jazz battle for top spot; Bucks turn up the … The following power rankings are sure to shift more than a Kyrie Irving drive by mid-April. The Sixers beat the Kings to start the week, but then suffered back-to-back losses to the Blazers and Suns.