With most NBA teams having played at or around 20 games so far this year, it means we're at the quarter pole of the season. While most teams are what they are at this point, others seem to have improved vastly in recent weeks. There's a new No. 1 in this week's Power Rankings with lots of movement in the Warriors Wannabes category as well as the top of the Lottery Leaders.
Tanking Teams: These teams are are fighting for the No. 1 pick.
30 – Atlanta Hawks (4-16) – (Last Week: 30)
29 -- Phoenix Suns (4-15) – (Last Week: 28)
28 – Cleveland Cavaliers (4-14) – (Last Week: 29)
27 – Chicago Bulls (5-15) (Last Week: 26)
26 – Brooklyn Nets (8-13) – (Last Week: 24)
The Nets are tied for the longest current losing streak in the NBA, having dropped three in a row. They're also 3-7 in their last 10 and 2-5 since
25 – Miami Heat (7-12) – (Last Week: 23)
24 -- Washington Wizards (7-12) – (Last Week: 25)
23 -- Minnesota Timberwolves (9-11) – (Last Week: 22)
22 -- New York Knicks (7-14) – (Last Week: 27)
The Knicks have won three straight and seem to have found something in rookies
21 – Orlando Magic (10-10) – (Last Week: 21)
Lottery Leaders: These could make the playoffs, or they could land in the lottery.
20 – Charlotte Hornets (9-10) – (Last Week: 19)
15 – San Antonio Spurs (9-10) – (Last Week: 11)
We haven't heard much about LeBron James and the Lakers recently, and all they've done is win seven out of 10. This team has the young talent and veteran moxxy to make a run in the West, but they'll only go as far as The King can carry them.
Warriors Wannabes: Likely playoff teams and possible title contenders.
10 – Memphis Grizzlies (12-7) – (Last Week: 15)
We said last week that the Grizz should "stop being a surprise and start being looked at as a Top 8 West team very soon" -- and very soon is now. They've won seven of 10, but with games against the Raptors at home and the Nets and 76ers on the road this week, we'll see if Memphis can keep up their winning ways.
9 – Boston Celtics (10-10) – (Last Week: 9)
8 – Los Angeles Clippers (13-6) – (Last Week: 16)
The Clippers make the biggest jump of the week going from 16 last week into the top 10 this week. An 8-2 record in their last 10, along with an 8-1 record at home, and a virtual tie for the top spot in Western Conference makes the "other" team from LA a likely playoff team a quarter of the way through the season.
7 – Oklahoma City Thunder (12-7) – (Last Week: 7)
6 – Portland Trail Blazers (12-8) – (Last Week: 1)
5 – Philadelphia 76ers (14-8) – (Last Week: 6)
4 – Denver Nuggets (13-7) – (Last Week: 8)
3 – Milwaukee Bucks (14-5) – (Last Week: 4)
The Bucks have won four of their past five, including a 43-point win over a Portland Trail Blazers team that was rolling just a week ago. While everyone thought the West would be dominant again this season, the East has three of the top five teams in the NBA right now.
2 – Golden State Warriors (14-7) – (Last Week: 3)
Things seemed to have settled down on the home front and the Warriors have started winning again. Just wait until Stephen Curry comes back as that's when we start talking about the team winning their four title in the past five seasons again.
1 – Toronto Raptors (17-4) – (Last Week: 2)
When the Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard, we knew they'd be good, but not 17-4 good. Having won five straight including seven of their last 10, a Thursday game at home against the Warriors will be a true test of who should be No. 1.
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