Old School Power Rankings 2018-19: Weeks 23-24

The King put on a dominant performance throughout the season, and for a fleeting millisecond, he let others approach him in the throne room.

Besides the champion’s performance, other events grabbed our attention during the 2018-19 season: the rise of Lou Williams, the strong latter half of Dwyane Wade’s season, and Marc Gasol’s decline. Looking ahead to the upcoming season, it appears difficult for anyone to halt the King’s pursuit of a third consecutive title. Could Stephen Curry be the one? That seems extremely challenging, especially considering he’ll be turning 32 next March.

Here’s a quick look at all the OSPR champions: Pau Gasol (2015-16), Dwyane Wade (2016-17), LeBron James (2017-18), LeBron James (2018-19).

• NOTE: Statistics are through games of April 4
• Any player who turns 32 during regular season can be added to rankings.
• Check out previous rankings

1. LeBron James (34), Los Angeles Lakers

Previous rank: 1

Latest stats: 4 games, 26.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 12.0 apg

Season stats: 27.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 8.3 apg

Regardless of being 33 or 34 (since his birthday is on the 30th of December), LeBron remained unstoppable, even with injuries. His average of 27.4 points per game matched his performance last season (27.5 ppg) and was his best since the 2009-10 season when he scored 29.7 ppg. It should also be noted that this is the fourth consecutive season he’s shot over 50 percent from the field (51.0 FG%). Would anyone dare to bet against Mr. James achieving a three-peat?

2. Lou Williams (32), LA Clippers

Previous rank: 2

Latest stats: 6 games, 18.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 5.8 apg

Season stats: 20.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.3 apg

Williams ended on a high note, scoring 14 or more points in six consecutive games. He also scored 20 or more points in four out of the last nine games and had at least seven assists in three of the last five games. For two seasons in a row, Williams averaged over 20 points per game and matched his career record with an average of 5.3 assists per game. It’s also worth noting that he achieved his first career triple-double in the 2018-19 season.

3. LaMarcus Aldridge (33), San Antonio Spurs

Previous rank: 3

Latest stats: 7 games, 21.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.7 apg

Season stats: 21.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.4 apg

Although Aldridge had an exceptional game against Boston on March 24 with 48 points and 13 rebounds, it wasn’t quite enough to surpass Williams for the No. 2 spot. He did have another strong performance with 27 points and 18 rebounds on Sunday, yet his 10-point score at the beginning of this stint and a 14-point game resulting from a 6-for-15 shooting last Thursday against the Cavaliers could not be overlooked.

4. Chris Paul (33), Houston Rockets

Previous rank: 5

Latest stats: 7 games, 16.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.7 apg

Season stats: 15.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 8.1 apg

While Paul’s shooting was somewhat subpar (41.2 FG%), his overall performance made it difficult not to elevate him. He scored 20 or more points in two games, gave 12 or more assists in another two games, and scored 18 or more points in another two games. Moreover, in three out of seven games, Paul managed to make at least two steals. If he stays healthy, he could possibly be among the top three in the next preseason.

5. Dwyane Wade (36), Miami Heat

Previous rank: 7

Latest stats: 7 games, 16.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.4 apg

Season stats: 14.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.1 apg

Despite sharing Paul’s shooting struggles (42.3 FG%), Wade’s performance in his seven games was strong enough to push him into the top five. He scored 17 points in two consecutive games and surpassed the 20-point mark twice more. Wade has maintained double-figure scoring for 14 successive games, a commendable feat for the future Hall of Famer.

6. Kyle Lowry (32), Toronto Raptors

Previous rank: 4

Latest stats: 6 games, 10.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.5 apg

Season stats: 14.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 8.7 apg

We’re noticing a common thread among Paul, Wade, and Lowry – poor shooting. Not surprisingly, Lowry was the least successful, with a shooting average of just 37.3% over the last six games. Despite this, he managed to distribute six or more assists and score double digits in four out of those six games. Moreover, Lowry had nine steals within a span of three games.

7. J.J. Redick (34), Philadelphia 76ers

Previous rank: 8

Latest stats: 7 games, 20.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.6 apg

Season stats: 18.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg

Redick’s poor shooting was no more, as he achieved a commendable 46.5 FG% and 40.0 3PT%. In fact, his performance in the last three games may have been one of his best periods throughout the season, scoring 26, 30, and 29 while making 15 out of 33 3-pointers. Although it seemed like Redick’s performance would decline after starting the stretch with 14 and eight, he bounced back impressively in the following five games.

8. Al Horford (32), Boston Celtics

Previous rank: 9

Latest stats: 4 games, 19.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 5.3 apg

Season stats: 13.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.2 apg

When you secure your first triple-double of the season (and second of your career), you have to move up a notch, right? Absolutely. Horford has been on fire recently, scoring 19 or more points in six consecutive games while maintaining an impressive 59.3 FG% over the last four. His performance has been steadily improving: he scored 13.1 points in January, 14.5 in February, 15.3 in March, and a whopping 20.0 in April.

9. Goran Dragic (32), Miami Heat

Previous rank: 10

Latest stats: 7 games, 12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.7 apg

Season stats: 14.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.6 apg

Dragic, similar to Horford, climbs a notch due to his first triple-double of the season, which is also his first since the 2010-11 season. Besides the triple-double, Dragic scorched the Celtics with 30 points (12-for-20 shooting) last Monday. However, apart from these two games, the point guard struggled, recording just 35.6 FG% and 21.9 3PT% over the course of seven games.

10. Paul Millsap (34), Denver Nuggets

Previous rank: 6

Latest stats: 8 games, 9.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.5 apg

Season stats: 12.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.0 apg

If you only manage a 33.8 FG% over eight games, you’re likely to fall significantly. We seriously considered moving Millsap out of the top 10, but none of the players below him performed well enough to justify it. In his last eight games, Millsap scored in double figures only four times, not exceeding 14 in those games. However, he did manage to achieve two double-doubles.

Just missed the cut: DeMarre Carroll, Rudy Gay, George Hill, Marc Gasol

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