NBA Power Rankings Update: Never Ever Count Out the San Antonio Spurs
Teams Ranked 10th to 1st
The San Antonio Spurs skyrocket into the top-10, while the top four teams undergo a slight shuffle.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | San Antonio Spurs | 17-15 | 55.2 | 19 | 9 |
| 9 | Los Angeles Lakers | 18-13 | 55.7 | 10 | 1 |
| 8 | Philadelphia 76ers | 21-12 | 58.1 | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | Indiana Pacers | 20-12 | 62.9 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | Golden State Warriors | 21-11 | 63.5 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | Denver Nuggets | 21-9 | 65.3 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics | 18-12 | 69.1 | 3 | -1 |
| 3 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 20-10 | 70.2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Toronto Raptors | 24-9 | 70.7 | 1 | -1 |
| 1 | Milwaukee Bucks | 21-9 | 71.6 | 2 | 1 |
Risers
Just two short weeks ago, the Spurs were our 25th-ranked team with a record of 11-14. Fast-forward 14 days, and all of a sudden they're our 10th-ranked squad, having rattled off six victories over their last seven contests. At 17-15, they're now in seventh-place in the Western Conference, and their playoff chances have ballooned from 26.5% to 64.0% over that two-week span. The lesson, as always, is that you should never count out the San Antonio Spurs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder started the 2018-19 season 0-4, but they've had the league's best record (20-6) and net rating (9.3) since then. They now sit second in the Western Conference, trailing the first-place Denver Nuggets by only one game. Their 19th-ranked offensive rating of 109.6 leaves a little to be desired, but their top-ranked defensive rating (102.9) and fourth-ranked average margin of victory (6.87) shows that they very much belong near the very top of our rankings.
Fallers
The Boston Celtics followed up a recent eight-game winning streak by dropping their last two to teams they should've beaten in the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns. They lose a bit of ground in our rankings due to the 1-2 week, but with seven of their next 10 coming at home, they should be able to get back on track pretty quickly.
The Toronto Raptors still have the league's best record at 24-9, and the second-best average margin of victory at 7.39, but they drop a spot in our rankings this time around following an uncharacteristic 1-2 week.
