The newest NBA power rankings are out, counting games through February 3.
Check them out below.
1. Atlanta Hawks (40-9, 3-1 over last week, #1 last week)
Sure the Hawks finally lost, but the Pelicans and Anthony Davis put on a performance that would have likely bested any team in the league. The Hawks will attempt to start a new winning streak against the Wizards on Wednesday night.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (36-12, 3-0, #3)
The Jeff Green deal has been the best trade in the league this season, with Memphis going 10-1 since Green was acquired. The forward has scored double figures in most of the games, and is also rebounding and passing well.
3. Golden State Warriors (36-7, 2-1, #2)
The Warriors surprisingly dropped a game to the re-energized Jazz, but are still blowing most teams out. The wins this week were 106-87 over the Suns and 121-96 over the Kings.
4. Toronto Raptors (33-16, 3-1, #8)
The Raptors took care of a string of weaker opponents, and also bested the Wizards, before dropping a close game to the Bucks. They’re now in second place in the Eastern Conference.
5. Houston Rockets (33-15, 2-1, #7)
The Rockets took down the Mavericks and beat the Celtics but were upset by the Pistons, who have regained their streaking form. Dwight Howard will be out for a couple of weeks, at least, meaning others have to step up.
6. Dallas Mavericks (33-17, 3-1, #12)
After a loss to the Rockets, the Mavericks took care of business by downing three weaker teams. Rajon Rondo will be out for at least another couple games, forcing J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, and even Raymond Felton into more action. All three have been playing well since Rondo went down.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (30-20, 4-0, #11)
The Cavaliers winning streak, which became the longest in the NBA after the Hawks loss, is now at 11 games. Second place in the East is in sight for Cleveland, thanks to slumps from the Raptors, Wizards, and Bulls. The Cavs have allowed less than 93 points per 100 possessions in the time that LeBron James and new addition Timofey Mozgov have shared the floor, noted NBA.com.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (33-16, 1-3, #5)
LaMarcus Aldridge gave the team a boost when he decided to delay thumb surgery, but despite his transcendent play (28.2 points, 11 rebounds over the last 5 games) the Blazers lost three games this week and barely beat the Jazz.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (26-22, 3-0, #13)
Injuries to Jabari Parker and Kendall Marshall, and Larry Sanders’ suspension, hasn’t slowed this team down. The Bucks are gaining more and more momentum, and took down the Blazers and the Raptors this week.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (33-16, 2-2, #4)
The Clippers routed the Spurs on the road but lost close games to the Pelicans and Nets. Only 2.5 games separate them from the seventh-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference.
11. San Antonio Spurs (30-18, 1-1, #9)
The Spurs are quickly gaining ground in the West, and could nab a top four spot in the coming weeks, as coach Gregg Popovich discussed his and Tim Duncan’s retirement plans.
12. New Orleans Pelicans (26-22, 2-1, #14)
The Pelicans continued their odd tendency to lose to weaker teams (the Nuggets), while beating some of the teams with better records (Clippers and Hawks). Anthony Davis was unstoppable against the Hawks, recording 29 points and 13 rebounds, and playing terrific defense as usual.
13. Washington Wizards (31-18, 0-3, #6)
With one of the worst records against teams over .500, questions about the Wizards being a serious contender won’t go away as fans push for a midseason trade to bolster the weak bench. The All-Star break should help Washington, which has most of its starters claiming to be banged up, including John Wall. Bradley Beal called the team “soft” after its most recent loss.
14. Phoenix Suns (28-22, 2-2, #15)
Another close loss--to the Grizzlies in the final minutes--has the Suns with the same number of losses as the Pelicans, with the Thunder also close behind. Could Phoenix try to pull off another trade before the deadline?
15. Chicago Bulls (30-19, 0-2, #10)
A scheduling quirk had the Bulls off for four days after back-to-back losses to the Lakers and Suns. A rough stretch of three back-to-backs is coming up, with opponents including the Pelicans, Cavs, and Pistons. The Bulls could find themselves in sixth place in the East if they’re not careful.
