NBA Power Rankings Week 12: The Spurs Have Been Ridiculous


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On the morning of Dec. 7, the San Antonio Spurs looked to be in serious trouble. Just four days prior (Dec. 3), FiveThirtyEight projections gave San Antonio just a three percent chance to make the NBA Playoffs and, with a record of 11-14 in the brutal Western Conference, it was reasonably difficult to see optimism on the horizon.

Since then, however, the Spurs have completely flipped the script, picking up wins over quality competition (Lakers, Sixers, Nuggets, Celtics, Raptors, etc.) and zooming into a fantastic spot with regard to playoff positioning. Gregg Popovich’s team owns a 13-3 record during that time period and, in case that wasn’t impressive enough, the Spurs own by far the best net rating (+15.4) in the NBA.

The trade of Kawhi Leonard and, to a lesser extent, the injury loss of Dejounte Murray placed Popovich and his team in a tough position. San Antonio still boasts a pair of All-Stars in LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan but, on the other end of the floor, the team’s defense has holes when it comes to personnel and, even with real offensive talent, it wasn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing group. Still, the Spurs have been absolutely lights-out during this stretch, posting an obscene 118.0 offensive rating and generally lighting the NBA on fire in the process.

Is this new level sustainable for the Spurs? Probably not. The same FiveThirtyEight projections now place San Antonio in a (much) more favorable position (51 percent playoff chance) but there is still plenty of work to be done and, simply put, no team can connect on the shots this squad is getting with the frequency in which they are doing so at the moment. With that said, it is oddly comforting to have the Spurs back and playing the part of a likely playoff entry in the West, and there is no denying the work they’ve been putting in during this run.

Where does San Antonio rank in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s check it out.

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1. Toronto Raptors (30-12, Last week — 4th)

By virtue of a head-to-head win over Milwaukee (on the road), the Raptors snag the top spot this week. Toronto did lose to San Antonio in high-profile fashion along the way but that was an exceptionally weird atmosphere on a number of levels. To drive the point home, the Raptors finished the week by knocking off the scalding hot Pacers by 16 points. That’ll do.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (28-11, Last week — 2nd)

Mike Budenholzer’s team has won 10 of 12, including a name-the-score drubbing of Atlanta and a nice win over Utah this week. As noted above, the only thing keeping the Bucks from the top spot was a home loss to Toronto but, in terms of the metrics, Milwaukee’s been the best team in the NBA this season and it isn’t particularly close.

3. Indiana Pacers (26-13, Last week — 1st)

We gushed over the Pacers last week in this space and they earned all of that praise. Indiana’s most recent result wasn’t great in a 16-point loss to Toronto but it isn’t as if that is a black mark on their overall profile. They’ve been fun.

4. Golden State Warriors (26-14, Last week — 3rd)

The Warriors receive the benefit of the doubt more than any team in the league (for obvious reasons) and I acknowledge that. In fact, they are the only team that can lose 3 of 6 and essentially stay put near the top in these rankings. But, well, here they are again after a road win over the Kings.

5. San Antonio Spurs (24-17, Last week — 7th)

As discussed above, the Spurs have been fantastic but they’ll have some interesting tests this week. A road game against (struggling) Memphis should be manageable but, after that, San Antonio faces off with Oklahoma City in back-to-back tilts. Those will be intriguing to monitor.

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6. Houston Rockets (23-16, Last week — 6th)

The James Harden express finally lost a basketball game this week, dropping a nine-point decision in Portland. Right on cue, however, the Rockets knocked off the Nuggets at home and the team is now 12-2 in its last 14 games. Do yourself a favor and plan to watch the Bucks-Rockets showdown on Wednesday evening. That will be a fun one.

7. Denver Nuggets (26-12, Last week — 5th)

This is too low for Denver and I acknowledge that. In fact, the Nuggets would be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs if the season ended today. That isn’t what I’d project, though, and that’s how Denver lands here after a loss to Houston.

8. Philadelphia 76ers (26-14, Last week — 10th)

After an embarrassing, 34-point loss in Portland, the Sixers bounced back with a three-game winning streak. The most encouraging of those victories came on the road against the Clippers but, amid some public tension involving Jimmy Butler, Philly remains dangerous.

9. Boston Celtics (24-15, Last week — 9th)

It was a “taking care of business” week for the Celtics. Boston won all three games, which is obviously a good thing, but the wins came at home against inferior competition. Nothing gained. Nothing lost.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (25-14, Last week — 8th)

There is no explaining away an 18-point home loss to the John Wall-less Wizards. That is the reason for the drop-off from OKC this week and we’ll save our Paul George love (he deserves it) for a later time as a result.

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11. Portland Trail Blazers (24-17, Last week — 12th)

Quietly, the Blazers are playing quite well. Portland is riding a streak of four wins in five games and the team’s only loss was a two-point defeat to the (very) good Oklahoma City Thunder. Oh, and things should continue with a home game against Chicago on Wednesday.

12. LA Clippers (23-16, Last week — 14th)

After their inevitable cooling off period, a lot of attention faded away from the Clippers. That was to be expected but Doc Rivers has his team operating at a high level again, as evidenced by six wins in the last nine games.

13. Los Angeles Lakers (22-19, Last week — 11th)

The Lakers are 20-14 with LeBron James in the lineup and 2-5 when he isn’t available. Stop me if I get too aggressive, but James might be an important piece to their success. Monday night’s win against Dallas was much-needed for the LeBron-less bunch, as they await his return.

14. New Orleans Pelicans (19-22, Last week — 17th)

On the heels of a rough patch, New Orleans is bouncing back. A stretch of four wins in six games was badly needed and the Pelicans have the prize that is a home game against the lowly Cavs on Wednesday evening to further that positive run.

15. Utah Jazz (20-21, Last week — 13th)

The Jazz are profoundly weird. They have a sub-.500 record despite the No. 11 net rating (+1.8) in the NBA and everything points to Utah just being better than they’ve shown. At some point, though, they have to actually win the games in order to grab a return trip to the postseason.


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16. Brooklyn Nets (20-22, Last week — 22nd)

Usually, a six-spot jump in the rankings doesn’t come with a 21-point loss, but it’s happening with the Nets. Make no mistake, Brooklyn was blown off the court by Boston in their most recent game but, in an overall sense, the Nets have been operating like a playoff team for a while now and they are still in the No. 8 spot as a result.

17. Miami Heat (19-19, Last week — 16th)

The Heat were unconscionably bad in a Sunday evening loss to the Hawks and that’s why they didn’t rise on this list. In a big-picture sense, though, Miami has won 8 of 11 and they’re playing well.

18. Sacramento Kings (20-20, Last week — 15th)

It was always going to happen at some point but the Kings ran into a wall this week. To be fair, Sacramento is losing to teams (Blazers, Nuggets, Warriors, etc.) that are simply better than they are, but five losses in seven games won’t encourage anyone about the franchise’s playoff chances.

19. Charlotte Hornets (19-20, Last week — 19th)

Charlotte is our lowest-rated projected playoff team this week and, while that may not be fully accurate in a grand sense, the Hornets just feel like a No. 8 seed in the East. The team’s last seven (!) victories have come against middling-to-bad teams in their own conference and that seems perfect, too.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (19-21, Last week — 21st)

The Wolves responded to back-to-back wins by… firing Tom Thibodeau. The timing was odd by any description but, in general, the decision was defensible. Minnesota has probably exceeded rational expectations since the Jimmy Butler trade but, without Robert Covington for a while, it could be an adventure.

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21. Atlanta Hawks (12-27, Last week — 24th)

This is too high for Atlanta. I get that and it might be the best ranking for the team this season. The results have been encouraging, though, with Trae Young and John Collins playing well and wins arriving at a more frequent clip. The Hawks are 6-4 in their last 10 games and, even without a standout victory in the bunch, they all count.

22. Washington Wizards (16-24, Last week — 26th)

The Wizards are 11-21 in games involving John Wall. The Wizards are 5-3 in games not involving John Wall. It’s too early to declare Wall’s absence an unequivocal positive but, at the very least, Washington’s most recent win at Oklahoma City was a positive sign when it comes to the playoff chase.

23. Dallas Mavericks (18-22, Last week — 20th)

It seems impossible, but the Mavs continue to have the worst road record in the NBA. That is something you just don’t see from a squad with the net rating of a .500 team (-0.1) but the losses are stacking up when Luka Doncic and company leave the friendly confines of Dallas.

24. Detroit Pistons (17-21, Last week — 25th)

It feels dirty to allow the Pistons to rise in the rankings this week but that’s just the way things fell. Detroit has lost 14 of 18 after their hot start and, quite honestly, there isn’t a lot to be excited about in the moment. Then, you remember that the Pistons are in the East and that means they are exactly one game out of the No. 8 seed.

25. Orlando Magic (17-23, Last week — 23rd)

The Magic are clearly better than the teams in the bottom tier but Orlando certainly isn’t anything special. That point is being driven home on a nightly basis and, after a 14-15 start, Aaron Gordon and company have dropped 8 of 11 games, including three in a row.

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26. Memphis Grizzlies (18-22, Last week — 18th)

Though the drop-off occurred later than it did a season ago, the Grizzlies went from a fantastic story to a potential also-ran with haste. There is, of course, still time for Memphis to right the ship but 11 losses in 13 games doesn’t inspire confidence. Perhaps the Justin Holiday experience will make a significant impact.

27. New York Knicks (10-30, Last week — 30th)

New York taking a step forward here is more about other teams regressing. The Knicks picked up a road win against the LeBron-less Lakers but, aside from that, it’s been a complete slog and a road trip to Oakland awaits on Tuesday evening. Best of luck.

28. Chicago Bulls (10-30, Last week — 28th)

The Bulls have been pretty active in recent days but that (relatively) interesting diversion doesn’t save them from rough on-court performance. A home loss to the Magic, by 28 points, was a recent low point.

29. Phoenix Suns (9-32, Last week — 27th)

There is a way to justify Phoenix’s current six-game losing streak. After all, the Suns lost each game to a playoff-caliber opponent. With that said, the team is in the midst of a seven-game homestand and losing the first six is… not ideal.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-32, Last week — 29th)

The Cavs have lost nine straight. In those nine losses, Cleveland has been outscored by a staggering 20.3 points per 100 possessions. There wasn’t a ton of mystery for the basement this week.

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