The Toronto Raptors own the best record in the NBA and, all things considered, that isn’t an overwhelming surprise. While the Raptors weren’t projected (at least by Las Vegas) to finish with the league’s best mark at the outset, Toronto was an almost universal pick as a top-five team in the NBA and, with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green on board, it was easy to see reason for optimism.
After 45 games, however, the Raptors have lived up to or exceeded any rational expectation, cruising to a 33-12 record and doing so in quiet, yet wildly impressive fashion. Leonard, who missed the vast majority of last season, looks the part of a legitimate MVP candidate, averaging 27.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and operating at an obscenely high level on the defensive end of the floor. It seems unlikely that the former Spurs standout will actually factor in the MVP race, based largely on the franchise’s careful treatment of their centerpiece, but Leonard provides an element that Toronto simply hasn’t been able to deploy in the past and that is a headline-worthy item.
Elsewhere, Green has been fantastic with his new team, converting 41 percent of his threes and proving two-way value that should be noted. Kyle Lowry has appeared in only 34 games as a result of injury but, when he has played, quality has generally followed (9.6 assists per game) and the Raptors have coaxed high-end performance out of veteran big men Serge Ibaka and the currently injured Jonas Valanciunas.
Then, you have the young guys, with Pascal Siakam drawing wide acclaim as something of a “next big thing” and players like OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright providing real contributions. Toronto’s full roster isn’t actively in tact at the moment but, despite some uneasiness on the injury front, the Raptors are riding a five-game winning streak that serves as the longest such streak in the NBA currently.
Of course, there is a long way to go in the campaign and a deeper look at some more advanced numbers would paint a picture that the Milwaukee Bucks have actually been the best team in the Eastern Conference this season. Still, the Raptors have a deep and talented roster headlined by a top-10 player and renewed optimism after a high-profile flameout in the 2018 playoffs.
Toronto has to be aware at this point that postseason success is virtually all that matters from the standpoint of public perception. That’s simply the reality with this group. With that said, the Raptors have been very, very good this season and that deserves recognition, even as the countdown is on to the league’s second season.
Where do the Raptors land in this week’s DIME power rankings? Off we go.
1. Toronto Raptors (33-12, Last week — 1st)
We didn’t have to wait long to find the Raptors, as they repeat in the No. 1 spot after a 3-0 week. It makes sense that the team with the best record would be in the top spot but it isn’t always that easy. Toronto has earned it with stellar recent play.
2. Golden State Warriors (29-14, Last week — 4th)
The schedule has been favorable for the reigning champs but, since their instant classic 135-134 loss to James Harden and the Rockets on Jan. 3, the Warriors are unbeaten. No one would tell you that a 29-14 mark in mid-January represents anything overly impressive for Golden State but they’re doing just fine.
3. Milwaukee Bucks (30-12, Last week — 2nd)
Losing to the Wizards, even on the road, has to come with some consequence and that is why the Bucks drop this week. Milwaukee still has the league’s best net rating by a comfortable margin and they bounced back with a decisive road win. Oh, and before that, they beat the Rockets and Jazz in back-to-back games. There’s no reason to worry.
4. Indiana Pacers (28-14, Last week — 3rd)
In a vacuum, the Pacers can lose to the Raptors and Celtics without much fanfare. Life doesn’t operate in a vacuum, though, and Indiana losing by 27 points in Boston isn’t great. Fortunately, the teams behind the Pacers in this space haven’t lit the world on fire in recent days and that explains this (very) mild slide.
5. Denver Nuggets (29-13, Last week — 7th)
The Nuggets have no business losing to the Suns and they did so this week. It was on the road, though, and Denver did bounce back with a win over a playoff competitor in Portland. Defensively, there are cracks showing for Mike Malone’s team but the offense remains dynamic and that provides a relatively high baseline.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-16, Last week — 10th)
It feels funny to see the Thunder rise after a week with three losses. Quite honestly, it wasn’t that Oklahoma City played better, but more about their competition falling off in a sharp way. In addition, it wouldn’t be wise to punish the Thunder for losing the double-OT classic to San Antonio and, in the next game, they took care of business in a 10-point win over the same opponent.
7. Houston Rockets (25-18, Last week — 6th)
It was a weird week in Houston. The Rockets imploded in a loss to the Magic and, hours later, word broke that Clint Capela will miss extended time. Then, Houston picked up a lopsided win behind James Harden’s obscene offensive play and all seemed to be okay again. With that said, the Capela injury matters in a big way and the next few weeks will be telling.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (28-16, Last week — 8th)
As noted in the OKC section above, none of these top-tier teams played well this week and that applies to Philly. The Sixers lost, at home, to the Hawks and that was a bad result even in a game that Joel Embiid didn’t play. Brett Brown’s team avoided full disaster by (narrowly) beating the Knicks on the road but the upcoming schedule is brutal for the Sixers. We’re going to learn a lot about a team that has some weirdness surrounding it.
9. Utah Jazz (24-21, Last week — 15th)
In contrast to the Celtics (coming shortly), the Jazz plainly took care of business this week. Utah is 6-1 in their last seven games and, even against competition that wouldn’t terrify anyone, they seem to be turning the corner to some degree. There is still some consternation about what Utah actually is but they were due for an uptick after a brutal early schedule and it’s coming.
10. Boston Celtics (25-18, Last week — 9th)
The Celtics just finished a road trip with an 0-3 record and they did it without facing a single top-flight team. Yes, the Heat and Nets are now projected “playoff teams” but Boston has to win at least one of those games and they simply didn’t do it. Kyrie Irving has been quite good this season but drama seems to be bubbling in that locker room and, simply put, the results don’t match what the Celtics are capable of accomplishing.
11. San Antonio Spurs (25-20, Last week — 5th)
San Antonio’s amazing run is over and reality is back. The Spurs lost at home to the Hornets on Sunday and they’ve now dropped three of four. Where, exactly, is the actual baseline for this team? We’ll find out soon.
12. Sacramento Kings (23-21, Last week — 18th)
There were signs that the Kings could go quietly into the night but they’ve evaporated again. Sacramento is riding an active three-game winning streak and they just won’t fade. It’s an amazing story.
13. Portland Trail Blazers (26-19, Last week — 11th)
Speaking of the Kings, the Blazers couldn’t go into Sacramento and win. Before that, they came up just short of a road win in Denver. Neither is a damning result by any means but here we are.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22, Last week — 20th)
Break up the Wolves! I’m not convinced that Minnesota is suddenly a threat to crash the playoff party again but they’ve looked the part in the recent past. The Robert Covington injury looms, however, and it’s a big one.
15. New Orleans Pelicans (21-23, Last week — 14th)
Amusingly, the Pelicans are playing better now than they were a week ago… yet they fell in these rankings. Context matters and the team’s most recent loss came to Minnesota, which explains some of that dichotomy. Regardless, New Orleans has won four of five and, even against underwhelming competition, they needed the wins.
16. LA Clippers (24-19, Last week — 12th)
The Clippers land at third in something of a three-team tier, which makes sense after they allowed 46 points to Anthony Davis in a home loss. Before that, a home loss to the previously aimless Pistons painted a less than stellar picture and nothing we saw on Sunday alleviated the concern.
17. Miami Heat (21-20, Last week — 17th)
Since a 24-point road loss to the Hawks that was brutal to consume, Miami’s been much better. The Heat ended the week with home wins over the Grizzlies and Celtics and they now sit alone as the No. 6 seed in the East. That isn’t the world’s greatest accomplishment but they’ve been the “best of the rest” in a five-team conference.
18. Brooklyn Nets (22-23, Last week — 16th)
It was a topsy-turvy week for the Nets, who alternated wins and losses. The most recent result was a positive one in a win over Boston, though, and Brooklyn remains a legitimate playoff contender. It would be wise to reflect on how impressive that is with the way this roster was built and the absence of Caris LeVert.
19. Los Angeles Lakers (23-21, Last week — 13th)
In a world that doesn’t include LeBron James, the Lakers are honestly worse than No. 19 overall in the NBA. They’ve been a bad basketball team since the best player in the world exited the stage with injury and a home loss to the stunningly terrible Cavs was not ideal.
20. Charlotte Hornets (20-23, Last week — 19th)
If you want to be pessimistic, you can point out that Charlotte has lost five of seven. If you want to be optimistic, you can point out that all five losses came to solid (or better) teams from the West and the Hornets just went into San Antonio and picked up a 15-point win. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
21. Dallas Mavericks (20-23, Last week — 23rd)
Trade winds, specifically involving Dennis Smith Jr., might overshadow the on-court product in Dallas for a while and that makes sense. Meanwhile, the Mavs still have a theoretical chance at the playoffs but time is running out for the big run they’ll need to pull it off.
22. Orlando Magic (19-24, Last week — 25th)
In extremely Orlando Magic fashion, a four-game losing streak was followed by wins over the Rockets and Celtics. Best of luck trying to figure out what that means in the grand scheme but, at the very least, it was a nice back-to-back from Aaron Gordon and company.
23. Washington Wizards (18-26, Last week — 22nd)
The Wizards are 4-3 in their last seven (with wins over the Thunder, Sixers and Bucks) and it might be time for a real jump. We’ll take a cautious approach for a team that has teased the NBA world before but, even without John Wall, there are signs of life.
24. Detroit Pistons (18-24, Last week — 24th)
Detroit avoids a dip in this space on the basis of Blake Griffin leading his current team to a road win over his former team in the Clippers. That was a nice result but, otherwise, it’s been ugly for the Pistons since early December.
25. Atlanta Hawks (13-30, Last week — 21st)
Winning on the road in Philadelphia isn’t something anyone would have projected for the Hawks, even with Joel Embiid on the shelf for that game. Granted, Atlanta came home and lost by a lopsided margin to Milwaukee but, in truth, this team has been better than advertised for a while now. That, of course, doesn’t mean that the Hawks are good but they’ve been a step above the rest of the bottom tier recently.
26. Memphis Grizzlies (19-24, Last week — 26th)
The Grizzlies beat the red-hot Spurs this week! How, then, do they simply stay put in these rankings, especially when last week was a low watermark for the club? Well, Memphis is 4-15 in the last 19 games. That kind of explains it all.
27. Phoenix Suns (11-33, Last week — 29th)
After a long stretch of futility, the Suns enjoyed a fruitful week. Phoenix toppled both the Nuggets and Kings, picking up a pair of much-needed wins for the sake of morale. This (still) isn’t a good basketball team but there is some optimism to be gleaned from their recent uptick.
28. New York Knicks (10-33, Last week — 27th)
New York played (much) better than expected early in the year, operating in competitive fashion even without Kristaps Porzingis. Then, reality struck. The Knicks are 3-19 in the last 22 games and they are on par with the worst in the league over that span. It’s been rough.
29. Chicago Bulls (10-33, Last week — 28th)
Seven straight losses honestly should be enough to send the Bulls to No. 30 but, as you’ll see momentarily, there are special circumstances. Chicago has been dreadful, though, and the team has been outscored by 15.1 points per 100 possessions during this skid.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-35, Last week — 30th)
The Cavs won their last game and congratulations to them on that accomplishment. Before toppling the LeBron-less Lakers, though, Cleveland lost 12 in a row and they earned the basement as a result. The Cavs have the worst net rating in the league by a significant margin and, to put it bluntly, this has been one of the worst defensive teams in the history of the league to this point.
