It was unpredictable what would happen in the restart of the season after 4 1/2 months off. But even expecting the unexpected, we should be surprised by the performances of some teams in Orlando.
The title favorites have apparently had a difficult time adjusting. The Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers are a 7-10 combination. The Lakers have had the least offensive hand in the restart, and the Bucks ranking 11th defensively in the last 11 days can be more shocking than that. Both Milwaukee and the Clippers lost last week to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Phoenix Suns probably should not have been invited for the restart. But they were, they have their first winning streak of five games in 5 1/2 years, and they are still very much in the hunt for eighth and ninth place in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs went to Orlando to develop their young players and they found themselves in the middle of that same hunt.
Two playoff series in the East are set. The No. 1 seed Bucks will face the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic, while the No. 2 seed and defending champion Toronto Raptors will face Brooklyn, the 7th seed. We also know that the Boston Celtics are the No. 3 seed in the East, while the Lakers are No. 1 in the West.
Everything else will be decided in the next seven days, with the Western Conference play-in series taking place on Saturday and, if necessary, Sunday.
With the top teams all struggling, there is no obvious No. 1 in this week’s rankings. Fortunately, this is not college football or basketball, and the rankings do not really matter. Feel free to disagree with the order below.
Plus-minus players of the week
Teams of the week
- Make it forever: Phoenix (3-0) – Before the restart Devin Booker had never (played in and) won more than three straight games. Well, he won five straight. The Suns are still alive and somehow Cam Payne is a big part of their success.
- Something just does not matter: New Orleans (2-2) – The Pelicans had an advantageous seeding game schedule and it did not matter.
East vs. West
Movement in the rankings
- High jumps of the week: Brooklyn (+4), Phoenix (+4), Denver (+2)
- Free fall of the week: Orlando (-5), Five teams (-2)
Week 24 Teams to view
- Memphis and Portland – The two spots in the play-in series are the Grizzlies ‘and Blazers’ to lose, and they play both on Tuesday and Thursday. Memphis sees the Celtics and Bucks (two teams locked up in their playoff positions), while Portland plays the Mavs (who would be locked up in the 7th seed of the West if they lose Monday) and the Nets (who already trapped in the 7’s seed of the East).
Earlier …
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Tempo: Capacity per 48 minutes (league rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (league rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (league rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (league rank)
The league averaged 100.8 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and scored 110.0 points per 100 possessions this season.
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The Power Rankings of NBA.com, released every Monday during the season, are just one opinion. If you have a problem with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, please email him as contact him via Twitter.
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