NBA Power Rankings: Golden State soar while Lakers dip
NBA Power Rankings Tier 3: Playoff spot contenders
100. . (7-11). Previous: . Indiana Pacers. 23. team
This is a very talented team that just hasn’t been able to figure it out early on this season. Damontas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, and Malcolm Brogdon have all looked great but it hasn’t resulted in enough wins for Indiana’s standards. They may need to shake things up before they fall too far behind, this is too talented of a roster to be missing out on the playoffs.
team. 86. . (7-9). Previous: . Minnesota Timberwolves. 22
Minnesota has had a roller coaster of a season so far. They currently sit on a three-game winning streak but were once struggling for answers while on a five-game losing skid. The talent on this roster is undeniable. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns are a fantastic duo and it’ll be exciting to see if they can will this Timberwolves team into the playoffs.
156. . (9-8). Previous: . Cleveland Cavaliers. 21. team
The Cavaliers were looking like one of the big surprises early on, but due to injuries to key players Collin Sexton and Evan Mobley, they have started to fall off, losing three straight. Darius Garland is a good young player but without Sexton, I’m a little unsure just how far this team can go.
. (8-10). Previous: . Toronto Raptors. 20. team. 81
Scottie Barnes is very good and is proving just why the Raptors selected him at fourth overall. Outside of him, Toronto has some nice pieces in Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. Pascal Siakam has struggled since returning from injury but if he can regain some form the Raptors could shock a lot of people.
Previous: . Memphis Grizzlies. 19. team. 211. . (8-8)
One thing is certain with this Memphis team. Ja Morant is incredible. Outside of him, it’s been a lot of inconsistency. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a great talent, but Memphis probably feels like they should be getting a little bit more from him, while the Steven Adams for Valanciunas trade looks worse and worse every day.
Previous: . Los Angeles Lakers. 18. team. 20. . (9-9)
This team has fallen off a cliff since our last power ranking, and everyone knows it. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that a James-led team will figure it out eventually, but right now they do not look good at all. They just beat the Pistons but before that were losers of lost three straight and haven’t looked like the Lakers we all know since the start of the month.