NBA Week 6 Power Rankings: Cavs stabilize, Lakers show life
Previous: . New York Knicks. 25. team. 27. . 9-10
The New York Knicks must think they are playing horseshoes and .500 is the pin, because they continue to hover around that mark. Unfortunately, the underlying metrics paint a more pessimistic picture, as this group of ill-fitting parts is inconsistent on offense and can’t stand up defensively. The record seems doomed to lose contact with .500 by falling well below, not climbing above, and that could heat up Tom Thibodeau’s seat to unbearable levels.
Previous: . Los Angeles Lakers. 24. team. 20. . 6-11
What to make of the Los Angeles Lakers? On the one hand, they are 4-1 in the last two weeks, with Anthony Davis putting up MVP-type numbers and role players taking turns providing real value. On the other hand, their wins are against the Spurs, Pistons and Nets — not exactly an impressive slate. In the next two weeks, they will play seven-straight winning teams and we will learn something more.
Previous: . Washington Wizards. 23. team. 142. . 10-9
The Washington Wizards are enjoying a true bounceback season from Kristaps Porzingis, putting up 20.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.2 3-pointers per game. The Wizards are essentially running the offense through him, and it’s working for his production and for Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma around him. The problem is everyone else; after those three 20-point scorers the Wizards’ next-highest is Rui Hachimura at 11.6 points per game. The Wizards are getting very little from the point guard and center positions (other than Porzingis).
Oklahoma City Thunder. 22. team. 149. . 8-11. Previous:
Scrappy doesn’t win you awards, but it does elevate you a spot or two in the Power Rankings, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been downright scrappy. They are 3-4 in the last two weeks and give no team a night off. Head coach Mark Daigneault has a group without a rim protector defending well, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to dominate in making his case for an All-Star appearance (and more). The rookie Jalen Williams looks like a real find.
86. . 10-9. Previous: 25th. Minnesota Timberwolves. 21. team
The theory of NBA basketball is that size matters; play bigger players and you almost always improve your defense. That theory should have only been more potent when the Timberwolves added the league’s best defense center this offseason and moved Karl-Anthony Towns to the 4. Unfortunately, that pairing has not worked defensively, and it’s why the Wolves are wobbling at 10-9. Still, a five-game winning streak has highlighted their offense, which is starting to take off.