NBA Power Rankings: How Each Team Stacks Up to Start 2017
A new year brings major changes to the latest edition of NBA Power Rankings, as a fresh No. 1 rises to the top and a consistent top-five staple falls all the way out of the top 10.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards continue their climb from the bottom third of the league to hit their highest spot of the season. We won't spoil exactly how high here, but suffice it to say, a climb like this felt impossible just two weeks ago.
As always, rankings are based on win-loss records, advanced stats, head-to-head meetings and health. The goal is a hierarchy of the league based on each team's current strength, so injuries have to factor in. Sorry, Los Angeles Clippers.
Recent performance matters most, but we're getting deep enough into the season now that a loss or two in a week might not outweigh a larger body of work.
30. Philadelphia 76ers
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↓ 1 Spot
Joel Embiid was a revelation during Monday's 102-100 loss to the Sacramento Kings. He displayed enough raw strength and physicality to bully DeMarcus Cousins underneath, easily backing the hulking big man down and scoring through him several times.
And that's to say nothing of the quickness and touch we've seen all year from the Philadelphia 76ers' lock for Rookie of the Year.
Of course, if Embiid had paired, say, five or six turnovers (instead of eight) with his 25 points, Philadelphia would've had a better chance of winning that game against Sacramento. Cousins was impressed afterward and said Embiid could become the league's best big man after he, Cousins, retires.
Embiid doesn't think it'll take that long, and he's probably right.
The Sixers went winless for the week, which isn't new. What feels novel, though, is the increasingly tricky question of what Philly should do with Embiid long term. This isn't a trade or positioning thing; it's about his role.
Because he can do so many things well, it's worth asking whether the 76ers are better served giving him the ball in space, beyond the arc, on the block or at the elbows.
Maybe the best answer is: Yes, all of those.
29. Brooklyn Nets
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↑ 1 Spot
The Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, then missed a shot at overtime because the Chicago Bulls' Jimmy Butler buried a buzzer-beater and a 101-99 defeat Wednesday.
That's basically one-and-a-half wins, though, which is a heck of a week this low in the rankings. It's more than enough to move out of the 30th spot.
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, Jeremy Lin's hamstring has him sidelined again, which isn't going to help improve one of the team's major weaknesses. The Nets are posting the NBA's highest turnover rate on plays where the pick-and-roll ball-handler keeps the ball (either to drive, shoot or pass).
Randy Foye's game-winner against Charlotte was the only thing about this week that didn't make the Boston Celtics happy. Remember, those Celts own swap rights on Brooklyn's first-rounder this year.
The way things look, there's a good chance that'll be the top overall pick.
28. Los Angeles Lakers
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←→ No Movement
Snapping an 11-game losing streak feels good no matter what, but the Los Angeles Lakers got off the schneid against the Clippers...on Christmas...on national TV.
That had to be extra sweet—even if Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were both absent with injuries, which detracts from that victory's significance vis-a-vis these rankings.
Amid all the earned losses and dubious wins, Nick Young has been one of the Lakers' best players on both ends. So it's only right to appreciate this brilliant contract-year push.
Kudos to Young for trying harder, but we all know what's happening here, don't we?
Woe betide whoever spends more than the minimum this summer on a 31-year-old posting the best shooting and defensive season of his career.
27. Miami Heat
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↓ 5 Spots
With the Miami Heat getting bounced around to the tune of three losses and a minus-9.0 net rating this past week, the rebuild president Pat Riley has promised becomes the season's focal point.
That makes now a good time to ask whether Hassan Whiteside is a central piece of that start-over plan or merely a stopgap.
The four-year, $98 million contract Miami handed him in July suggests he's a cornerstone. But a rebounding monster who defends the rim well (and can kill defenses as a lob threat) is hardly untradeable at that price. Loads of teams would happily pay a mercurial big man an average annual salary of less than $20 million for 17.8 points, 14.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
But here's Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald on how both Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra have yet to be fully sold on the 27-year-old center as a true linchpin:
"Riley said last week while Whiteside 'is on his way to becoming' a franchise player 'to be a franchise player you have to be an all-of-the time franchise player.' Asked Wednesday, Spoelstra, who benched Whiteside in Cleveland two weeks ago for not playing with enough energy, said the notion his star center can often look disengaged is true.
"
With losses mounting, it will only get harder for Whiteside to maintain his effort and concentration. We'll see what the Heat think of that as they plot their next rise.
26. Phoenix Suns
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↑ 1 Spot
In years past, we've retrofitted Intriguing Young Star Update onto a bad team's power ranking slot. We did it with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks a season ago. Same with Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns; both rapidly became the only reason to discuss the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively.
In that spirit, rather than discuss the listless Phoenix Suns—who are lost on both ends and defined by waning effort that signals a commitment shutdown—let's hit rookie Dragan Bender.
Nobody's saying the surprisingly slithery 7'1" project will reach the levels of those previously mentioned studs, but Bender has been logging chasedown blocks and flashing slick mobility that could lead to production down the line.
During Monday's 131-115 loss to the Houston Rockets, for example, he posted 11 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 27 minutes. Bender, just 19 years old, became the youngest player to accumulate those totals since Tracy McGrady did it 18 years ago (h/t Dave King of Bright Side of the Sun for that one).
Phoenix beat the Sixers last Friday, a win that doesn't impress to the level of the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. But taking down the Toronto Raptors on Thursday is more than good enough to earn a bounce.
25. Minnesota Timberwolves
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↓ 2 Spots
Ricky Rubio put together a streak of 74 straight minutes without a turnover, but it didn't help the Minnesota Timberwolves avoid a 1-3 week with losses to the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. Those two teams are on the rise over the past few weeks, but the 'Wolves need to compete against clubs in that echelon if they're ever going to get out of the bottom 10 here.
Rubio's ball-control streak also didn't help Minnesota on defense, which is where its real problems lie.
Since we last ranked, the 'Wolves have allowed 110.5 points per 100 possessions—a figure even worse than the 108.1 they've permitted on the season.
Everyone's responsible, and when you can pull nine clips of inexcusably bad D from a single game, which is what NBA analyst Nate Duncan did following Wednesday's 105-103 loss to Denver, it's a bad sign.
Andrew Wiggins remains a profound disappointment on that end, mailing in possessions and shuffling around with zero urgency far too often. More and more, it's looking like Wiggins' disinterest in D means Zach LaVine is Minnesota's second-best player behind Towns.
24. Dallas Mavericks
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↑ 1 Spot
Everyone except J.J. Barea is back on the floor for the snakebit Dallas Mavericks, which means it's safe to recalibrate our expectations.
Injuries were a concern every sensible forecaster priced in, but most believed Dallas' talent level, experience and strategic sophistication would keep the team competitive (if healthy). The foreseeable collapse in that department has the Mavs in a hole, but perhaps the returns of Dirk Nowitzki and Andrew Bogut will catalyze a climb.
Nowitzki has looked terrific easing back into the rotation, scoring 34 points through his first 47 minutes on the floor. If he can handle larger stretches of playing time, the Mavericks will have the offensive hub they've lacked.
Maybe Harrison Barnes will be even better alongside Dirk. Maybe Bogut will police the middle and keep the ball moving. Maybe...
That's just it, though. Dallas' path to a .500 record and postseason-chase relevance depends on maybes.
Don't be surprised if a climb kicks off soon, but don't count on it until we see this group stay healthy for a couple of weeks in a row. Beating the Lakers handily to go 2-2 on the week is a nice start.
23. Portland Trail Blazers
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↓ 2 Spots
One cool thing: The Portland Trail Blazers turn the ball over on the pick-and-roll less frequently than anyone else in the league. That's a big reason they rank second in NBA points per possession when the ball-handler keeps the rock on those sets.
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum being elite scorers has a lot to do with that, too.
A few less cool things: Portland's defense is an abomination, Lillard is out with what he called the worst ankle sprain of his career, per Jason Quick of CSN Northwest, and some of the other competitors for that eighth playoff spot in the West are sorting themselves out.
The Blazers may yet bounce back like they did last year after starting 13-20 and losing Lillard for seven games due to injury, but the defense is a bigger issue than ever.
It's hard to envision real success until that changes.
22. Orlando Magic
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↑ 2 Spots
Aaron Gordon used a perimeter assault to hang 30 points on the Memphis Grizzlies Monday, invoking half-serious comparisons to Larry Bird in the process.
Whatever happened before and after that, you had to know the Orlando Magic were in for a bump.
A winner in two of its last three and sitting at a respectable 5-4 since Dec. 16, Orlando is quietly getting its act together. Though a 19-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday was a clear indication they're nowhere near the East's upper-middle class, at least the Magic are boning up on ways to improve.
"Lou Williams is incredibly good at drawing fouls," Evan Fournier tweeted Tuesday. "Gotta study him."
Fournier has been sidelined all week with a bruised heel, but if he comes back with even a fraction of Williams' duplicitous foul-drawing prowess, watch out.
21. New Orleans Pelicans
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↑ 5 Spots
Anybody want to guess who posted the top defensive rating since we last ranked?
I guess this being the New Orleans Pelicans slide makes the answer obvious. But still: Wow, right?
The Pels went a perfect 3-0 this past week, holding opponents to 99.9 points per 100 possessions while experimenting (thankfully) with Anthony Davis as a starting center. If you can play even half-decent D with an undersized lineup that frees up Davis to torture opposing bigs, you're in business.
AD's offensive skill set is unprecedented at the 5.
He's quietly been better than celebrated in-between-scoring maestro DeMar DeRozan from the non-restricted paint, hitting 49.7 percent of his 145 attempts. (DeRozan is at 46.8 percent on 173 tries.)
Combine Davis' phenomenal touch in the lane with the added spacing a smaller Pelicans lineup could provide, and you have a recipe for a lot more scoring. If the defense holds up, we could have yet another entry in the fight for a low-end West playoff spot.
20. Detroit Pistons
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↓ 2 Spots
With apologies to the Detroit Pistons, we are not in the habit of awarding points for beating the Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back when LeBron James doesn't play.
That 106-90 win Dec. 26 is Detroit's only success since beating Dallas on Dec. 14. Things have gotten dire enough that head coach Stan Van Gundy has pivoted from lambasting his players to taking responsibility himself.
"When a team is having the problems we've had, this many times, it's on me," he told reporters after Wednesday's 119-94 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. "That's all I'm thinking about right now. I'm not going to get in here and blister the players or anything else. Our team's had too many of these [bad losses]; it's on me and I'm responsible. I have to figure out what needs to be done."
At this rate, Van Gundy will run out of parties to blame by February. Unless he gets creative.
Potential future candidates SVG could single out as the reason for the Pistons' ongoing fall:
- The training staff
- Planetary alignment
- Suspicious stray cats frequenting the locker room
- Rashard Lewis
- The coaches on The Voice
- Ushers at the Palace at Auburn Hills
- Usher
19. Indiana Pacers
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↓ 2 Spots
Paul George grousing about calls is a sign the Indiana Pacers are focused on the wrong things.
Better to worry about the real issues contributing to a four-game losing streak, like not getting to the hoop enough in the first place, as SB Nation's Kristian Winfield highlighted:
"PG13 attempts only 3.2 field goals in the restricted area per game, fewer than half that of his likely All-Star teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo (8.4) and LeBron James (7.3). The only other possible All-Star forward attempting fewer shots in the restricted area than George is Carmelo Anthony (3.0)."
If that's not appealing, maybe Indy could concern itself with allowing the most corner three-point attempts in the league. The refs don't have much to do with that.
A third option: Quit blame-shifting as a matter of principle. Nobody likes the victim angle.
18. Sacramento Kings
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↑ 2 Spots
Falling to a depleted Blazers squad Wednesday was a bad look, but that doesn't erase the four straight wins Sacramento piled up before that stumble.
The Kings overcame fourth-quarter deficits in each of those victories, which either points to resilience or a habit of mailing it in until it counts. Or maybe both.
DeMarcus Cousins continues to produce, even if his teammates' occasional failure to help makes it easy to scheme against the Kings. Portland, for example, made sure a second defender was always lurking near Boogie, and Sacramento's supporting cast wasn't able to capitalize.
Ty Lawson has been a bright spot of late, averaging 14 points on 52.2 percent shooting over his last five games. He's looked quicker and more decisive, even flashing some of the blinding bursts of speed that defined his career in Denver.
"I realized about four games ago that when I come off the pick-and-roll that I've got to stop looking back for the pass or the crosspass," he told Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "I've got to look for my shot, get into the paint, and then look for somebody else or I can score, too."
Lawson gaining confidence and comfort could help make life easier for Cousins and company.
17. Denver Nuggets
14 of 30↑ 2 Spots
Nikola Jokic regained his spot as a regular starter Dec. 15. Since then, the Nuggets have gone 5-2 with the second-highest offensive rating in the league.
An ultra-skilled center with the passing eye of a point guard juices an offense and leads to success? Go figure.
If anything, Denver could be getting more out of its best player. Jokic's on-court net rating of plus-11 since Dec. 15 is the best on the team. Yet he's only playing 26.3 minutes per contest. I understand there's a frontcourt glut that has already handed Jusuf Nurkic a couple of DNP-CDs, but the numbers say what they say.
Jokic needs to be an even bigger part of what the Nuggets do.
16. Chicago Bulls
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↓ 1 Spot
Nikola Mirotic is finally heating up after a couple of frigid months. He put 20 points on the Pacers in Monday's 90-85 win and has hit at least three treys during four of his last six games.
The better play helps the Bulls in their desperate search for spacing, but on a human level, it's just nice for Niko.
When asked about a critical jumper in the late going against Indy, which he hit and followed with a chest pound, Mirotic told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "It was really important for me, the team. I knew it was a great shot, probably the game was there. I was just expressing myself a little bit. I know you guys aren't used to that, but I was feeling great."
Confidence from Chicago's shooters is key, as it could open up room for its bigs to roll. Partly because opponents can crash down into the lane on D, the Bulls are averaging the NBA's fewest points per possession when the roll man gets the ball in the pick-and-roll.
Said roller always runs into a thicket of help.
Despite the positives, the Bulls slip because a 2-2 mark (with one win coming on a buzzer-beater against Brooklyn) fails to inspire.
15. New York Knicks
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↓ 2 Spots
A light week still results in a drop for the New York Knicks, who went 0-2 against the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Both were single-digit results, so catastrophe is hardly encroaching.
But it would have been nice to see New York distinguish itself in the East.
Success next time around (and going forward generally) might come easier if Kristaps Porzingis can get a few more looks. Some of that is on Derrick Rose, who got tunnel vision down the stretch of that overtime loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. He shot 9-of-28 on the night and notably failed to set up Porzingis in the extra period.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek could also stand to run more sets that get KP shots from the right corner, where he's shooting 80 percent, the highest conversion rate of anyone with at least 10 attempts from that spot.
Carmelo Anthony not getting tossed for punching people could help New York too.
14. Atlanta Hawks
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↑ 2 Spots
Kyle Korver has been around a long time, and he's played for teams on every section of the success spectrum.
So when he lays out assessments like this to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, you listen: "Until we can figure out to play with consistency and bring the energy and focus every night, execute every night, we're going to be a .500 team. That's just our reality."
That comment came after an ugly 104-90 loss to the Timberwolves on Monday that dropped the Hawks to 15-16. Beating the Knicks two days later got Atlanta's record back to an even 16-16 and gave it a 2-1 week.
Dwight Howard's return from a sore back has already paid dividends on the boards, as he averaged 17 per game against the Wolves and Knicks. Securing rebounds to end possessions will help buoy the defense when Atlanta's No. 24 offense can't scrape together enough points to compete on the other end.
A 9-2 start seems like ancient history, and Korver is right: The Hawks have to nail the details to be more than a break-even club.
13. Los Angeles Clippers
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↓ 6 Spots
A lot of times, we drudge up semi-obscure stats and focus on nuanced scouting to help keep these rankings fresh and explain the reasoning behind who moves up or down.
None of that stuff is necessary here, where the Clippers' 0-4 skid against West foes currently outside the playoff picture is profoundly uncomplicated.
Blake Griffin (knee) and J.J. Redick (hamstring) are down, and though Chris Paul somehow made it back from his own pulled hammy to face the Pelicans Wednesday, he sure didn't move like a guy who was remotely healthy.
Hobbled like this, the Clips stink.
Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers can't lead an offense as primary playmakers, nobody replicates Redick's shooting, and Griffin's score-pass-flop skill trifecta doesn't exist anywhere else on the roster.
As long as L.A. is banged up like this, it's hard to envision anything better than middle-of-the-pack placement.
12. Washington Wizards
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↑ 2 Spots
It may not be a sustainable strategy for the whole season, but the Washington Wizards don't have much choice. They must keep leaning on their starting lineup.
NBA.com's John Schuhmann clocked the Wizards' first unit—John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat—at a whopping 30 minutes in Monday's 107-102 win over the Bucks. That group has played more minutes than every five-man unit in the league except the Timberwolves' starters.
It's a great sign that the Wizards' key five have been healthy enough to pile up those minutes (and that shiny plus-9.2 net rating), but banking on continued durability is a dangerous strategy.
If Ian Mahinmi ever makes it back, he'll help. And maybe Kelly Oubre will keep developing.
We can worry about how Washington will or won't hold up later. For now, credit the Wiz for riding their best group to a season-saving 9-5 mark in December.
11. Memphis Grizzlies
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↓ 2 Spots
The wonky Grizzlies season that refuses to make sense is staying on brand.
This time, it's not so much about playing well without Mike Conley and so poorly with him—a mystery that will puzzle scholars for centuries to come. Instead, it's about one of the league's most historically triple-averse squads setting franchise records by hitting at least 10 threes in four consecutive games.
Conley's toe injury forced him out of action during Tuesday's loss to the Celtics, and he didn't play Thursday against the Thunder, either. So, of course the Grizzlies won.
Marc Gasol, who continues to play the best all-around ball of his life, scored 25 to lead Memphis over OKC, and Troy Daniels hit six of his team's 13 threes.
Memphis was 2-2 this week but has lost five of its last eight overall. And because nothing about the Grizzlies computes, they're still a solid 21-14, despite a plus-0.7 net rating on the year.
Check back next week for more on Memphis defying every norm.
10. Charlotte Hornets
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↑ 2 Spots
The Charlotte Hornets offense is fine, checking in at No. 14 in the league.
But a few more stretches like the third quarter against Orlando on Wednesday could vault Charlotte's attack into the top 10, which is where its defense already resides.
The Hornets crushed the Magic 35-13 during the third period of that 120-101 drubbing, getting multiple attack angles via repeated drives and steady pick-and-roll patience.
"Nicolas Batum is one of the most underrated players in the NBA," Magic coach Frank Vogel told reporters afterward. "We had trouble containing him and [Kemba] Walker and all the chain-reaction rotations those guys create when driving the ball to the basket. Those guys were really sharp."
The Hornets are a well-constructed, balanced team that never beats itself with turnovers or failures to secure defensive boards. Continued scoring outbursts like we saw this past week (in which they went 3-1) will be what turns them into a very good club.
9. Milwaukee Bucks
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↑ 2 Spots
Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo both rank among the top five in field-goal attempts inside the restricted area, and the only non-centers who finish more efficiently than the Greek Freak from that range are a couple of schlubs named LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Short story: The Bucks get a lot of really good close-range looks on offense, and they tend to make them.
All this offense needs is more spacing to further unclog the lane, which is why Mirza Teletovic being under the NBA's concussion protocol hurts. Among players who've attempted at least 100 field goals, no one has taken a greater percentage of them from three-point range than Teletovic.
Seventy-five percent of his shots come from deep.
The sharpshooter hasn't been as accurate this season, but just having a guy defenses know will chuck it from deep whenever he touches it makes a difference. When he gets back, he'll help.
Not that Milwaukee needs much assistance. After a 2-1 week, it's one of five teams to rank top-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
8. Utah Jazz
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The Utah Jazz hold steady this week after dipping last time around, even though their resume (wins over the Lakers and Sixers, a loss to the Raptors) fails to inspire.
All you need to know about this team is this: When everyone who matters is available, the Jazz are unbeatable. Unfortunately, Utah has played precisely two games this season in which its entire starting five—George Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert—were all healthy.
If asking for an entire first unit to be healthy feels like too much, that's fine. How about just getting Hill, Hayward and Gobert out there at the same time?
When that trio has been healthy—as it was again (finally!) Thursday with Hill returning after 13 games off due to a sprained toe—Utah is 6-0.
Still too greedy? OK, how about this: All Utah really needs is more time with Favors and Gobert on the floor together. In 158 minutes, that tandem has produced a plus-15.9 net rating with predictably stifling defense.
We don't ask for much with the Jazz. Being 20-13 despite these ridiculous injury woes is an achievement in and of itself.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
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The numbers Russell Westbrook is producing during the Oklahoma City Thunder's season and recent four-game winning streak (yes, he's still averaging a triple-double) are remarkable without much context.
But sometimes we need to stop and appreciate how physically difficult it must be for him to rack up stats like this with no space in the lane and a blinking neon sign on his back that says "I'm going to shoot when the game's close."
Opponents all know Westbrook will take over, but that knowledge hardly seems to matter—as evidenced by Russ owning the NBA's highest clutch plus-minus total. He has 130 points in close-and-late situations, 43 more than the runner-up, Isaiah Thomas.
We'll see how this whole "telling opponents a fastball is coming before the pitch" approach to close games works as the Oklahoma City Thunder's schedule gets brutal.
Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript lays it out:
"The Thunder don’t play consecutive home games until they welcome the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies to OKC on Feb. 1 and 3. And it’s not like they’re going up against cupcakes during these next 18.
"
6. Boston Celtics
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Lovers of hustle should be all about the Boston Celtics, who recover more loose balls than anyone else in the league.
This may have to do with the distribution of Tommy Points, which has to be a bit of a motivator for 50-50 ball pursuit. But it could also be that Boston just has a whole bunch of dogged scrappers. Either way, it's a good trait to have when you're trying to chase down established powers like Toronto and Cleveland.
The Celts have won six of their last eight games, and they still haven't even gotten their defense anywhere close to last year's top-five standards.
Having finished a brutal road stretch that featured 10 of their last 15 games away from home, the Celtics should settle into a groove this month.
5. Toronto Raptors
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When a team goes 10-4 in a month, which the Raptors just did during December, there's never just one reason.
But any analysis of how Toronto keeps succeeding had better start with Kyle Lowry.
The Raptors' best player not only leads an absurdly good second-unit lineup that tops all high-usage fivesomes with a plus-29 net rating, but he also helps Toronto's starters post a plus-26.8 figure that's nearly as good.
He does it with smarts, strength, vision and simple shot-making.
Lowry ranks first in effective field-goal percentage on catch-and-shoot attempts (among players who've tried at least 30 such shots). So basically, you're in trouble if he already has the ball and can make plays.
But when Lowry's receiving it from somebody else and has a clean look, you're really screwed.
4. Houston Rockets
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←→ No Movement
During the second quarter of the Houston Rockets' 131-115 Monday walkover win against the Phoenix Suns, they turned the ball over on five straight possessions—which, among other things, means Houston has officially reached the point at which it just messes around against inferior competition.
So as frustrating as that stretch was, and as bothersome as Houston's 26th-ranked turnover ratio may seem, consider the positive spin: Goofing around without fear of reprisal from an overmatched foe is something only elite teams get away with.
The Rockets have won 13 games in December, a franchise record for the month with two more contests to go. Though they slipped against Memphis last Friday, their only other loss in the month was a 102-100 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs that probably would have turned out differently if a few open shots had fallen.
With the Clips coming apart, there's little doubt about who the West's third-best team is.
3. San Antonio Spurs
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←→ No Movement
Gregg Popovich admitted something important after Sunday's 119-100 win over the Bulls: He was happy.
This is news because it has long been unclear if anything about basketball has the power to bring him joy. But it seems ball movement and the resulting easy scores are all it takes.
"Thirty assists makes a coach happy," he told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
And though Pop probably doesn't care how those assists arise, it's worth noting that the Spurs' overall scoring profile is odd. LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker all rank among the league's top 15 in percentage of points scored from the mid-range area.
Normally, relying on in-between shots to generate offense would be cause for concern, but those three have made careers out of hitting from 10 to 16 feet.
The Spurs have won eight of their last nine.
2. Golden State Warriors
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↓ 1 Spot
The Golden State Warriors are the NBA's best team—except when they play the Cleveland Cavaliers.
So here we are.
It's hard to remember a squad that alternated between transcendent play and brutal self-sabotage like these Warriors, and it's hard not to see a relationship between the two poles. Overwhelming talent sometimes breeds unforgivable complacency.
It's not just the Cavs that bring this out in Golden State, but it is the Cavs who've become experts at turning those tendencies into losses. A 42-17 first-quarter advantage against the Raptors on Wednesday turned into a five-point lead midway through the second. Turnovers and overpassing were the culprits, but the Warriors survived anyway.
Getting Stephen Curry back on the ball could help stabilize things; his turnover rate is actually down this season. A few more touches might get the reigning MVP's pull-up accuracy back to the levels it hit last year. Parse the numbers, and it's clear that's where Curry's statistical dip originates. He's been stupidly accurate from everywhere and hasn't lost any touch on spot-ups. But he's hitting 29.4 percent of his pull-up triples this year, down from 42.8 percent in 2015-16.
Golden State is fine; It'll be back at No. 1 again.
But it has plenty to work on.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
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↑ 1 Spot
I still tend to think the Warriors' issues—turnovers and late-game offense—have more to do with them than their opponents. But when one foe, the Cavs, has exploited those weaknesses to the tune of four straight wins (counting the Finals), there's only one move here.
After that Christmas victory—defined by a stirring 14-point fourth-quarter comeback and punctuated by yet another Kyrie Irving dagger—the Cavs have to be No. 1.
They just have to. The subsequent short-handed, giveaway loss to Detroit doesn't matter.
Letting Irving cook like he did late in the game against Golden State is part of what makes the Cavaliers so special. They maximize their return on flawed players—a task made easier by the presence of LeBron James, the league's great pressure alleviator and skill enabler.
Consider Channing Frye, who has had 98.8 percent of his field goals assisted, the highest rate in the league among players who average at least 15 minutes per game. Now there's a guy not being asked to stretch his talents beyond their logical bounds.
This order will change eventually. Cleveland will lose a game or two, Golden State will probably expand the gap between its record and the Cavs', and the overall metrics will supersede the head-to-head meetings in importance.
The Warriors' net rating remains nearly double Cleveland's. But for now, the Cavaliers' unquestioned dominance trumps everything else.
Follow Grant on Twitter @gt_hughes and Facebook.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Accurate through games played Thursday, Dec. 29.
