I’ve been asked to provide the weekly Power Rankings for Lakers Nation this season. I’m sure there will be plenty of discussion and differing opinions as I try to rank 30 teams in an ever-changing league, and I’m very much looking forward to it.
Without further ado, here’s the list:
30. Washington Wizards (0-8): I don’t think there will be much disagreement here. At 0-8, the Wizards are simply at the bottom of the barrel. It doesn’t help that their star point guard, John Wall, has been injured all season.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-8): Cleveland is giving up an average of 102.7 points per game and have lost six straight.
28. Sacramento Kings (2-8): The Kings have lost five games in a row.
27. Detroit Pistons (2-9): Despite the horrible record, the Pistons managed to blow out the Boston Celtics at home on Sunday night.
26. Orlando Magic (3-6): The Magic have struggled early on during a rebuilding season after losing superstar Center, Dwight Howard, to the Lakers over the summer.
25. Toronto Raptors (3-7): After a lackluster start, Jose Calderon has picked up his level of play significantly, as witnessed by a remarkable 18-assist game in a win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.
24. Phoenix Suns (4-7): The Suns have lost three games in a row and are giving up an average of 104.3 points to their opponents.
23. Indiana Pacers (4-7): The Pacers are struggling early on without Danny Granger, who has been sidelined all season with an injury. They’re 3-1 at home, but can’t seem to put it together on the road with a listless 1-6 record. A much different tone than that of last season where the Pacers were a very solid team behind their depth.
22. New Orleans Hornets (3-5): Rookie and number one draft pick, Anthony Davis, is averaging a respectable 16.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. However, the Hornets are currently on a three game losing streak.
21. Denver Nuggets (4-6): The Nuggets are still a deep team with the addition of Andre Iguodala, but have faced some tough teams throughout their current three game losing streak.
Next Page: 20-11
19. Utah Jazz (5-6): The Jazz haven’t defeated a team over .500 yet this season.
18. Charlotte Bobcats (4-4): The Bobcats appear much improved behind the improvement of second-year point guard, Kemba Walker. Walker is averaging 18.8 points and 5.5 assists. Unfortunately, the Bobcats are still the Bobcats.
17. Atlanta Hawks (4-4): The Hawks have actually done better on the road (3-2) than at home (1-2) so far.
16. Golden State Warriors (5-5): The Warriors have balanced scoring this season with all of their starters averaging over 10 points a game, and four players averaging over 15 points.
15. Chicago Bulls (5-5): Without Derrick Rose and a host of key role players who were let go over the offseason, the Bulls are hanging in there.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (5-5): The Blazers got off to a rough start, but have since won three in a row.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-4): Despite being without Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio all season due to injuries, the Timberwolves have put together a winning record. They may not score much (91.8 points per game), but they don’t let their opponents score, either, as they hold opposing teams to an average of just 90.4 points.
12. Boston Celtics (6-5): You’ve got me twisted if you thought I was going to put the Celtics above the Lakers in a close race, despite the better record. There’s some justification here, though, as the Celtics got blown out by 20 points against the lowly Detroit Pistons.
11. Los Angeles Lakers (5-5): We don’t want to blow the bubble up too much here, so the Lakers are still not in the top ten..yet. However, the Lakers have won four of five games since firing Mike Brown, and are starting to put up some major points; however, the wins have all come on their home floor. The defense needs to improve, and it will be interesting to see how they play on the road and against elite teams. The Lakers are still awaiting the debut of Mike D’Antoni as the head coach, and will look to continue improving.
Next Page: 10-1
9. Philadelphia 76ers (6-4): The Sixers haven’t faced many tough opponents, but have proved they can win on the road with a 3-1 record thus far. Jrue Holiday is having a career season with a 19.1 point, 8.6 assist average. They have yet to see their hopeful franchise star–Andrew Bynum–take the court.
8. Milwaukee Bucks (6-2): Led by Monta Ellis (20.3 points, 5.9 assists per game) and Brandon Jennings (17.5 points, 8.0 assists, 3.25 steals per game), the Bucks have shown that they’re a force to be reckoned with this season. They’re currently on a three-game winning streak, and are undefeated (3-0) on the road.
7. Brooklyn Nets (6-2): The Nets, led by Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson, have started off the season with a bang in their new hometown. Currently on a five game winning streak, the Nets appear to be a team not to be slept on in the Eastern Conference.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-3): Despite losing James Harden prior to the regular season, the Thunder are still a team with championship hopes. They may not be as dominant as last season right now, but they’re not giving in, either, with a road record of 3-1.
5. Miami Heat (8-3): The Heat are still the defending champions, but with an ailing Dwyane Wade, also look vulnerable right now. They’re still putting away the teams they should, but suffered significant losses against the likes of the Knicks, Grizzlies, and Clippers–granted all of which came on the road.
4. San Antonio Spurs (8-2): The Spurs are once again playing at an extremely high level. They had been at the top of the standings, but a recent loss to the Knicks at home set them back. The Clippers also defeated them handily a couple weeks back.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (7-2): The Clippers are extremely deep this season. Led by sixth man Jamal Crawford’s scoring, the Clippers have had big wins against the Spurs, Heat, and Lakers already. The sky is the limit for this team as Chauncey Billups and Grant Hill have yet to play this season. Don’t be surprised to see the Clippers jump up a spot or two if they manage to do well against their next three opponents (San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Brooklyn).
2. New York Knicks (7-1): The Knicks won their first seven games, and are holding their opponents to the lowest average in the league (90.0 points). They also have the highest margin of victory (+10.5). However, a loss in Memphis knocked the Knicks out of what would have been their number one spot.
1. Memphis Grizzlies (8-1): That leaves just the Grizzlies for the top spot. Always a team that flies under the radar, the Grizzlies have looked dominant so far this season. With victories over the Heat, Thunder, and Knicks in consecutive games, the Grizzlies have proven themselves as a legitimate title contender this season. A healthy Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph are the biggest differences this season. Both are putting up incredible numbers: Gay with 19.8 points per game and Randolph with 17.2 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.