Power Rankings, Week 9: Pelicans keep soaring, reach No. 2
Back-to-back wins against the Suns have helped the Pelicans rise fast in the Power Rankings.
There’s always been a home-court advantage in the NBA. But over the three seasons prior to this one (perhaps because of how COVID-19 affected things), home teams won just 54.6% of their games, down from 58.5% of their games over the previous three seasons.
Now, in 2022-23, home teams are better than they’ve been in a long time. Through Sunday, home teams are 249-152 (.621), the best mark in the last 20 years (since home teams won 62.8% of their games in 2002-03) and the first time in the last 10 years that home winning percentage has been over 60%.
The defending champs are Exhibit A. After their win against the best team in the league on Saturday, the Golden State Warriors are 12-2 (.857) at home and 2-11 (.154) on the road, which would be the biggest home-road differential (by a comfortable margin) in NBA history. The difference has been mostly about defense, with the Warriors having the league’s third-ranked home defense (106.1 points allowed per 100) and its 29th-ranked road defense (119.2 allowed per 100).
And guess what? With that win against the Celtics (Boston’s worst offensive game in more than a month) in hand, the Warriors now begin their longest road trip of the season. It’s six games over nine days, it begins in Milwaukee (where the Bucks have been much better offensively than they’ve been on the road) and it ends in Brooklyn, where the Nets just had a 6-1 homestand.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Julius Randle (NYK) was a plus-58 in three games last week.
- Wrong Way: Devin Booker (PHX) was a minus-76 in three games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: New York (3-0) — Their opponents can’t shoot, and a four-game winning streak has the Knicks back above .500.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Phoenix (0-4) — The return of the Point God did not lead to a return to the win column, and the Suns have dropped four straight (in the regular season) for the first time since before the bubble.
East vs. West
- The West is 76-66 (.535) against the East in interconference games after going 13-12 in Week 8.
Schedule strength through Week 8
- Toughest: 1. Houston, 2. Detroit, 3. Chicago
- Easiest: 1. Milwaukee, 2. New Orleans, 3. Indiana
- 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: New York (+5), Brooklyn (+3)
- Free falls of the week: Miami (-4), Phoenix (-4), Atlanta (-3), Charlotte (-3)
Week 9 Team to Watch
- Golden State — See above regarding the Warriors’ home-road differential. Their six-game trip begins in Milwaukee on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), with a game in Indiana the following night. They’re in Philly for another marquee game on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), and then in Toronto (where the Raptors are 10-3) on Sunday.
Previous Power Rankings
- Last week: Pelicans, Kings jump into Top 10
- Thursday’s notebook: 5 most improved offenses
- This time last year: Suns overtake Warriors for No. 1 spot — Stephen Curry was struggling with his shot as he approached the all-time 3-point record. The Jazz had won seven straight games, while the Pistons had lost 12 straight, a streak that included a game in which Kevin Durant scored 51 points in Detroit. The Wolves’ starting lineup had outscored its opponents by 106 points in its 108 minutes, CJ McCollum suffered a collapsed lung, and the Bulls had nine players in Health and Safety Protocols. Reggie Jackson hit a game-winning step-back against the Magic, Kyle Kuzma hit a game-winning 3 in Detroit, and Cody Martin committed one of the biggest mental mistakes of the season, intentionally fouling De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt with the Hornets up one, the Kings in the bonus, and only 2.4 seconds left … only for Fox to miss both free throws.
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
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 112.2 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.0 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes 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.
