Paul Millsap trade rumors persist despite Atlanta’s reported hesitation, and it is very easy to see why many NBA franchises would like to get their hands on one of the league’s 20 best players. One team included in the whispers surrounding Millsap has been the Denver Nuggets and, frankly, that makes a ton of sense.
It’s fair to suggest that Millsap doesn’t fit Denver’s timeline perfectly as he’ll hit free agency this summer at the age of 32. In the same breath, the Nuggets have a myriad of young, cost-controlled assets that could be packaged and that could provide a match with the Hawks in a perfect way.
More than that, though, is that the Nuggets absolutely need to make a trade. Really. Any trade.
Denver has dropped five straight games to sink to a 14-23 mark on the season. On the bright side, that places the Nuggets just a stone’s throw from the eighth spot in the jumbled West. On the negative side, that is a fairly dismal mark for a team that many suggested could have playoff potential this season.
The pieces just don’t fit in optimal fashion. Denver has been a darling in this space throughout the season as a team with a roster full of intriguing pieces. However, Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic don’t function well together, the Nuggets have a collection of oddly fitting pieces on wing (Gary Harris, Malik Beasley, Jamal Murray, etc.), and the point guard position has been a disappointment with the continued floundering of Emmanuel Mudiay.
What should the Nuggets do? There is a rational argument against packaging pieces for the right to pay Paul Millsap $150-plus million from the ages of 32 through 36. What there isn’t an argument for is simply holding the line with fingers crossed that this collection of talent will somehow mesh before the middle of February. Denver has the pieces of a playoff team, even in 2016-2017, but the best way to unlock them is to clear the deck to some extent. Until then, this five-game losing streak is probably a harbinger of ugliness to come.
1. Golden State Warriors (33-6, Last week — 1st)
Home losses aren’t the best look for a team in the top spot and Golden State suffered one this week at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. From there, though, the Warriors took care of business with two wins and, more importantly, their primary challenger took a hit on Tuesday night. This isn’t the first time I’ve said this, but I have no beef if anyone were to flip the top two teams. For me, the Warriors are just better and the numbers support that theory.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (28-9, Last week — 2nd)
The Cavs haven’t suffered many losses at full strength this season, but Tuesday night’s defeat in Salt Lake City was one of them. Despite LeBron’s frustrations, there is no shame in losing to a quality team in the Jazz, but Cleveland’s opportunity to ascend to the top evaporated with that defeat. Make no mistake, the Cavs are still quite good at basketball, but they’ll have to wait for another opportunity.
3. Houston Rockets (31-9, Last week — 4th)
The Rockets just keep winning … and winning … and winning. Houston has rattled off a league-best nine straight victories and James Harden’s team now sits in a dead heat with the Spurs for the No. 2 seed in the West. Deep in the recesses of my brain, there is a force that simply won’t allow me to buy in to this particular team with both feet, but Houston has been undeniably impressive and their ranking must reflect that.
4. San Antonio Spurs (30-8, Last week — 3rd)
San Antonio is, somehow, worse at home than they are on the road. The Spurs dropped yet another home game on Tuesday night, falling by two points to the upstart Bucks. There is nothing inherently wrong with a loss like that occasionally, but it was the difference between the No. 3 and No. 4 placement for San Antonio this week. It’s pretty simple.
5. Toronto Raptors (25-13, Last week — 5th)
I’m placing a bit of confidence in the Raptors by leaving them in the top five this week. Toronto is just 5-5 over the last 10 games. If you look closer, though, Kyle Lowry and company have only one “bad” loss over that stretch (to Phoenix) and their profile remains encouraging on the whole.
6. Utah Jazz (24-16, Last week — 7th)
I’m already in the tank for the Jazz, so when they knock off the reigning NBA champs, it provides ammunition for an encouraging ranking. We’re all still waiting for an extended evaluation period of a healthy Jazz team, but I’m a believer.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (26-14, Last week — 8th)
After an openly dismal stretch, order has been restored for the Clips in the form of four straight wins. Granted, those victories have not come against an overly impressive schedule, but banking victories while hampered with injury is important and Los Angeles has pulled that off recently. It’s nice to have Chris Paul on your side.
8. Boston Celtics (23-15, Last week — 6th)
The Celtics ran into a brick wall in the form of the Raptors on Tuesday and that explains their slight tumble. Prior to that, Boston won four straight games but the latest battle between the primary challengers to Cleveland did not go their way. At full strength, this is a quality basketball team but they aren’t there quite yet.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder (23-16, Last week — 9th)
The absurdity of Russell Westbrook continues, as he is averaging a 30-10-10 into mid-January. Frankly, Oklahoma City is exceeding my expectations as a result. I have some level of fear, given the supporting cast, that it won’t continue at this rate. But doubting Mr. Westbrook is an insane proposition right now.
10. Memphis Grizzlies (24-16, Last week — 11th)
Wins over Utah and Golden State in back-to-back games propel the Grizzlies up a spot this week and they’ve earned it. Their net rating continues to indicate that their record is (slightly) unsustainable, but Memphis just wins game they aren’t supposed to win. It might (I stress, might) be a skill at this point. Regardless, this is a dangerous basketball team.
11. Atlanta Hawks (22-16, Last week — 14th)
The Hawks have won seven straight and Paul Millsap is still on the team – for now. It is (very) important to note that Atlanta’s schedule has been comically kind (with the exception of a win over San Antonio) during this stretch and the Hawks might be fooling themselves. In the same breath, banking seven wins over two weeks in the East is basically the equivalent of a golden ticket for the playoffs.
12. Washington Wizards (19-18, Last week — 13th)
John Wall and company have won three straight, knocking off both the Bulls and Bucks in the process. With that surge, Washington is above .500 for the first time all season and I’m buying. This might be the No. 4 seed when it is all said and done.
13. Indiana Pacers (20-18, Last week — 15th)
Much like the Hawks, the Pacers have taken full advantage of a weak schedule on the way to a lengthy winning streak. Indiana’s run comes over a five-game period and taking care of business is vital to teams with overarching issues like the ones the Pacers face. We’ll see what happens now.
14. Milwaukee Bucks (19-18, Last week — 12th)
Michael Beasley (yes, Michael Beasley!) carried Milwaukee to a road win in San Antonio on Tuesday night. That is a very, very weird sentence. Oh, and the Bucks are pretty good.
15. Charlotte Hornets (20-19, Last week — 10th)
There has to be some punishment for three straight losses, even if two of them come to the Rockets and Spurs on the road. Charlotte isn’t playing quite as well as they were early on and that coincides with Kemba Walker, at least to an extent. We’ll see if both player and team can bounce back in full.
16. Detroit Pistons (18-22, Last week — 23rd)
I’m still bullish on the Pistons, but they would’ve been even higher this week if not for an 18-point lead squandered on Tuesday in Sacramento. On the bright side, Detroit’s dog days appear to be over and, if you squint hard enough, you can see the remnants of the squad many projected for 50 wins.
17. Chicago Bulls (19-20, Last week — 16th)
Jimmy Butler is very, very good at basketball and Dwyane Wade is doing his part. I’m still not sure this is a playoff team, and their recent performance is instructive to that end. This could, though, just be a team that is wildly inconsistent and ends up being around .500. That will likely be good enough in the East.
18. New Orleans Pelicans (15-24, Last week — 17th)
The Pelicans are 20th in the NBA in net rating (-2.5) for the season but that figure jumps to 15th (-0.2) over the last 15 games. I’m inclined to believe that the more recent performance is more accurate to what New Orleans should and will be (if they can stay healthy).
19. Portland Trail Blazers (17-23, Last week — 22nd)
There are increasing signs of life in Portland, including two decisive wins over the Lakers and a competitive performance in Oakland. I would stop short of calling myself a believer in this new trend, but the Blazers do have the deepest roster between teams battling for the No. 8 seed in the West, and they might have the inside track.
20. Sacramento Kings (16-22, Last week — 18th)
The Kings are still below the .500 mark at home and that isn’t usually indicative of a playoff-bound team. However, Sacramento was impressive in downing Detroit on Tuesday and they might just try harder than everyone else in the West to land the No. 8 seed and a date with death in the form of the Warriors. Even if reporters in Sacramento don’t really want DeMarcus Cousins around anymore.
21. Orlando Magic (16-23, Last week — 19th)
Good luck trying to figure out what is happening in Orlando. The Magic were bucking statistical trends in amassing a 16-20 mark as of last week, but Frank Vogel’s team dropped all three games between then and now. One of those losses was a double-digit thrashing at the hands of the Lakers and this is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. I’m throwing my hands up.
22. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-26, Last week — 25th)
I can’t quit the Wolves, at least not in full. Minnesota bounced back with a decisive home win over Dallas in their last outing and the talent is undeniable. Should they be lower? Maybe, but at some point, I have to think that Tom Thibodeau can work some level of magic on the defensive end. Admittedly, it’s getting late.
23. Los Angeles Lakers (15-27, Last week — 26th)
The Lakers knocked off the Magic earlier this week but they come in behind them in the rankings. I’m sorry, Lakers fans. Losing to the Blazers by 21 points will do a lot to quell upward trajectory and there is just no way around it.
24. New York Knicks (17-21, Last week — 24th)
Even if you don’t factor in the bizarre absence of Derrick Rose on Monday evening, this is a Knicks team that has lost eight of the past nine games. New York’s relatively promising start generated a lot of excitement, but this just might be what the Knicks are at this stage. Being wretched defensively will do that.
25. Denver Nuggets (14-23, Last week — 20th)
If you’re looking for a bright spot in Denver, they are (somehow) only 1.5 games out of the playoffs in mid-January. There is faint hope.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (10-25, Last week — 28th)
Joel Embiid is talking playoffs, and the Sixers have won three of their last four. To be clear, I’m not getting carried away and projecting this recent run to continue. What I am saying, though, is that Philly has clearly emerged from the NBA’s basement and they’ll be even more fun wen Ben Simmons arrives in the near future.
27. Phoenix Suns (12-26, Last week — 27th)
Earl Watson’s team picked up two wins this week. That is the good news. The bad news is that both victories came against teams ranked below them here (a tough task), and the Suns still own a bottom-five net rating (-5.0) for the season. At least the future is brighter than the present given their young assets.
28. Dallas Mavericks (11-27, Last week — 21st)
There was some hope in Dallas a week ago, but three straight losses did not help that positive trend to sustain. In fact, the Mavericks looked utterly listless in falling to Phoenix, Atlanta, and Minnesota and any hope of a triumphant rise after the return of Dirk Nowitzki is looking increasingly less likely.
29. Miami Heat (11-29, Last week — 29th)
For one half on Tuesday, the Heat were impressive in challenging the Warriors. In fact, James Johnson even sent a (very) clear message to Stephen Curry. Then, the wheels fell off and we were all reminded that the Heat aren’t very good at basketball right now. There are multiple reasons for it, but it’s the truth.
30. Brooklyn Nets (8-29, Last week — 30th)
At this point, there is basically no wiggle room when it comes to anointing the NBA’s worst team. Brooklyn remains the only team in the league with single-digit victories and the Nets have lost seven straight. The absence of Jeremy Lin really hurts the Nets from a standpoint of competitiveness, but even if he was available, Kenny Atkinson would be faced with a tough task. The roster is just brutal.
