Power Rankings, Week 17: Movement in Top 5 as trade deadline nears

The 2023 trade deadline is almost here. One huge trade has already gone down, and all eyes will be on Twitter for reports of more action over the next 75 hours.

But we’ll have to shift those eyes toward the TV for a few hours before we get to the deadline. On Tuesday, LeBron James will get his first shot at surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list, needing 36 points against the Thunder to get the job done. Then on Wednesday, we get a huge game between the Sixers and Celtics, followed by what could be Kyrie Irving’s debut with the Mavericks.

History will be made. Rivals will clash. A new star duo will come together. And more trades will go down. It’s Week 17!

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Plus-Minus Players of the Week

• Right Way: Larry Nance Jr. (NOP) was a plus-67 in four games last week.
• Wrong Way: Seth Curry (BKN) was a minus-54 in three games last week.

Teams of the Week

• Make It Last Forever: Milwaukee (3-0) — It turns out that the Bucks are pretty good when they have all three of their stars in uniform.
• Something Just Ain’t Right: Memphis (0-3) — The Grizz are reeling … but still in second place.

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East vs. West

• The East is 165-156 (.514) against the West in interconference games after going 12-12 in Week 16.

Schedule strength through Week 16

• Toughest: 1. Charlotte, 2. Detroit, 3. Washington
• Easiest: 1. Philadelphia, 2. Minnesota, 3. Milwaukee
• Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.

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Movement in the Rankings

• High jumps of the week: Phoenix (+4), Portland (+4), Cleveland (+2), Dallas (+2)
• Free falls of the week: Oklahoma City (-5), Washington (-4), Philadelphia (-3)

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Week 17 Team to Watch

• L.A. Lakers— It’s going to be a huge week in Lakerland. If LeBron James doesn’t become the all-time scoring leader against the Thunder on Tuesday, he’ll surely have his moment two nights later against the Bucks. (Both of those games are on TNT at 10 p.m. ET.) And oh yeah, the trade deadline is this week, and L.A. needs to find James some help. And after all that, the Lakers will head north for a marquee matchup with the Warriors on Saturday night.

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Previous Power Rankings

• Last week: Sixers take over No. 1 spot

• This time last year: Suns hold No. 1 spot before Finals rematch this week — The Cavs traded Ricky Rubio and picks for Caris LeVert, while the Clippers acquired Norman Powell and Robert Covington from Portland. The Nets were eight games into their 11-game, Durant-less losing streak, Reggie Jackson beat the Lakers with a spin move, and Chris Paul dropped a dime to Mikal Bridges.

• The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings

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OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)

The league has averaged 113.5 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.9 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.

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NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.

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