Kyrie Irving, James Harden and the Nets are finding their rhythm as Kevin Durant nears his return.
All-Star 2021 is in the books and we can add a couple of items to the list of ways in which this season is different than what we’re used to. First, as we emerge from the break, the season is not yet halfway done, with 533 games played and 547 still to come.
Second, the trade deadline is still 2 1/2 weeks away. So there’s time for teams to gather more data about where they stand and what their roster lacks before having to say yes or no to a deal. Some players could return from long absences this week and others may look recharged after a week off.
The question is just how wide open the title chase is. The Los Angeles Lakers were the heavy favorite when they seemingly upgraded their championship roster, and they began the season 21-6, holding the No. 1 spot in these here rankings for seven of the first eight weeks. Maybe the Lakers’ 3-7 record since then is just about health and the grind of a tightly compressed season, and maybe they’re not as obvious a pick to win the title as we thought two months ago when the Brooklyn Nets didn’t yet have James Harden.
Maybe the list of title contenders goes beyond the Lakers, Nets and Utah Jazz, who have torn through the league over the last two months. Keep your eyes on the Denver Nuggets, seemingly playing their best basketball after a slow start.
With a thrashing of the Milwaukee Bucks last week, Denver is back in the top five, while the Nets have taken the No. 1 spot from the Jazz.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Denver (3-0) — The Nuggets 3-0 week included a 31-point win in Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Minnesota (0-1) — The Wolves went into the break in grand fashion, losing to the Hornets at home by 33 points.
East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 11
- Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. Minnesota, 3. Dallas
- Easiest: 1. Phoenix, 2. New York, 3. Orlando
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: Atlanta (+4), Boston (+4), Three teams (+3)
- Free falls of the week: Golden State (-5), Indiana (-5), Toronto (-4)
Week 12 Team to Watch
- Golden State — The Warriors went into the break with a three-game losing streak and they come out of the break with three tough games. They’ll visit the Clippers on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, TNT) and then host the Jazz and Lakers for a back-to-back on Sunday and next Monday. The Dubs have lost seven of their last nine games against the eight teams ahead of them in the Western Conference
Previous Power Rankings
- This time last year: Lakers end Bucks’ 14-week run at top — The Lakers got their two best wins of the season, shutting down the Bucks and Clippers. The Nets (behind 51 points from Caris LeVert) and Thunder (with a timely trap) both stole wins in Boston, but Brooklyn “parted ways” with Kenny Atkinson a few days later. Aron Baynes hit a step-back 3 over Damian Lillard on his way to a career-high 37 points. Stephen Curry returned from a four-month absence and Jusuf Nurkic was set to make his season debut … but the league was about to shut down for 20 weeks.
Stats Key
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league has averaged 100.0 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 111.4 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.
