NBA Power Rankings Update: The Cleveland Cavaliers Are Getting Back on Track
Teams Ranked 10th to 1st
The Philadelphia 76ers lose a step, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics leapfrog the Oklahoma City Thunder.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Washington Wizards | 36-26 | 53.8 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | Philadelphia 76ers | 32-27 | 54.4 | 8 | -1 |
| 8 | Indiana Pacers | 34-27 | 54.7 | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | San Antonio Spurs | 36-26 | 58.2 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 36-27 | 58.8 | 4 | -2 |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 38-26 | 60.0 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics | 44.19 | 61.6 | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | Toronto Raptors | 43-17 | 73.0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | Houston Rockets | 48-13 | 73.5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | Golden State Warriors | 48-14 | 75.9 | 1 | 0 |
Risers
Jimmy Butler may be out the next four-to-six weeks with a meniscus tear, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have managed to continue their storybook season without him, at least for now. They've won both of their games since Jimmy Buckets went down and three of their last four. They currently sit third in the Western Conference at 38-26, and not only do we give them a 99.3% chance of making the postseason for the first time in 14 years, but we also have them with the sixth-best title odds in the Association at 2.6%.
The Boston Celtics limped into the All-Star break, but they've won all four of their games since returning. Yes, all four of those wins were against non-playoff teams, but it was good for them to rack up some W's before playing 12 of their final 19 games on the road. The Celts currently sit half a game out first place in the Eastern Conference, and we give them the league's fourth-best title odds at 8.0%.
Fallers
The 76ers have dropped two in a row, but they were on a seven-game win streak prior to that. Overall, they've won eight of their last 11 and are worthy of a spot in our top tier for the second week in a row. They play six of their next eight contests on the road, but they don't play a single game on the west coast the rest of the way, so they have a chance to finish strong. We give them a 93.4% chance of making the playoffs after a five-year drought, and even give them better title odds than the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 1.8% to Cleveland's 1.3%.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have won four of five, but the four wins were over tanking teams (the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, and Dallas Mavericks), while the one loss was a 32-point blowout at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder have looked more like contenders lately, and could easily move back up in our rankings next week, but it's a little troubling that 14 of their final 19 games come against teams over .500 that are firmly in the playoff race.
