Power Rankings, Week 9: Suns overtake Warriors for No. 1 spot
The Suns have continued to roll despite recent injuries and lineup absences.
As we enter Week 9 of the NBA schedule, Christmas (and its slate of five games on ABC and ESPN) is just 12 days away, which means trade season is just two days way.
On Dec. 15, most of the players who signed new contracts this past summer are eligible to be traded. That doesn’t mean that something is going to happen on Wednesday, but it’s certainly not impossible. And with teams having a pretty good grasp of how their season is going, it’s certainly could be time to make changes.
Of course, all those players becoming trade-eligible really opens up the possibilities in regard to the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons. It seems pretty clear that Simmons won’t be playing for the Sixers this season, so they have between now and the Feb. 10 trade deadline to get something for him and maximize their opportunity to compete for a championship with Joel Embiid.
It will be fascinating to see what they ultimately get for him, when that deal takes place, and how many teams the Sixers need to involve to make it work for all parties.
On the floor, the Sixers got their biggest win of the season on Saturday, preventing Stephen Curry from making history on their floor and knocking the Warriors down from the No. 1 spot in the Power Rankings.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Lauri Markkanen (CLE) was a plus-63 in four games last week.
- Wrong Way: Anthony Edwards (MIN) was a minus-58 in four games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Utah (3-0) — Before the Sixers beat the Warriors, they got thumped by the Jazz. But they were just one of three teams that lost to Utah by more than 20 points last week.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Detroit (0-4) — The Pistons had a few opportunities to end their losing streak (now at 12 games), playing the Thunder, the struggling Wizards, and the Pelicans. No dice.
East vs. West
- The West is 73-70 (.510) against the East in interconference games after going 14-10 last week.
Schedule strength through Week 8
- Toughest: 1. Portland, 2. Cleveland, 3. Detroit
- Easiest: 1. L.A. Lakers, 2. Utah, 3. Golden State
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: L.A. Lakers (+5), Memphis (+5), Indiana (+4)
- Free falls of the week: Boston (-7), Chicago (-4), Minnesota (-3), New York (-3)
Week 9 Team to Watch
- L.A. Lakers — The Lakers have shown some signs of life, winning five of their last seven games to climb above .500 and into sixth place in the West. But it’s been a pretty easy stretch of schedule and the opponents get tougher with a three-game road trip this week. The Lakers are in Dallas on Wednesday, in Minnesota on Friday, and in Chicago on Sunday. It will be their first meeting with the Mavs and their second time facing both the Bulls and Wolves, who each beat the Lakers handily in L.A. last month.
Previous Power Rankings
- Last week: Warriors hold No. 1 spot as Top 10 shifts
- Thursday’s notebook: 5 most improved offenses this season
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
Pace: Possessions 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 has averaged 98.7 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 108.4 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
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.
