NBA Power Rankings Update: How High Can the Jazz and Sixers Climb?
Teams Ranked 10th to 1st
There's been a lot of shuffling in the top tier this week, including leaps by newcomers in the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers, and steps back for the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Portland Trail Blazers | 48-30 | 55.0 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 44-34 | 55.9 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | San Antonio Spurs | 45-34 | 59.0 | 7 | -1 |
| 6 | Utah Jazz | 45-33 | 59.3 | 8 | 2 |
| 6 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 45-34 | 59.3 | 5 | -1 |
| 5 | Boston Celtics | 53-25 | 59.5 | 4 | -1 |
| 4 | Philadelphia 76ers | 48-30 | 61.3 | 6 | 2 |
| 3 | Toronto Raptors | 56-22 | 71.1 | 2 | -1 |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors | 57-21 | 71.2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1 | Houston Rockets | 63-15 | 73.8 | 1 | 0 |
Risers
Back in late January, when the Jazz were 19-28, they looked like they wouldn't even sniff the playoffs this season. Fast-forward two and a half months later and they sit in fourth in the Western Conference, with a record of 45-33, having gone 26-5 since January 24th. They still haven't clinched a postseason berth, with teams 4 through 10 only three games apart, but we give them a 97.2% chance of making it and their sixth-place nERD should tell you that they'll be a handful for any opponent they face in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers are trouble. They've won 12 in a row and are 24-6 since the beginning of February. They now sit in fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record identical to that of the defending conference champion Cavs (48-30). They've improbably risen to fourth in our power rankings, where they very well could stay until season's end. Raise your hand if you saw that coming at the beginning of the year (put that down, you liar).
Fallers
This season has been quite the rollercoaster ride for the Thunder. They're currently on a downswing, though, having lost five of their last seven, and sinking a spot to sixth in our rankings. They still have the potential to be the third-best team in the Western Conference -- after the Rockets and Golden State Warriors -- but they still need to make the playoffs first. They're only a game and a half up on the ninth-place Nuggets and their 92.7% playoff odds aren't quite a given just yet.
The Toronto Raptors are sputtering as they head into the postseason. Their nERD of 71.1 still puts them comfortably in the top tier of the league with the Rockets (73.8) and Warriors (71.2), but their losing five of nine down the stretch of the season is troubling for a team that has a reputation of hitting a wall in the playoffs.
