NBA Power Rankings Week 22: Don’t Sleep On Chris Paul And The Clippers


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Before the 2016-2017 NBA season arrived in full force, it was clear that the Golden State Warriors were going to be the biggest story of the campaign. That comes with the territory after adding Kevin Durant to a 73-win team. Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets have captured quite a bit of attention as a result of James Harden’s MVP-worthy performance. The San Antonio Spurs are, well, the San Antonio Spurs, and even the Utah Jazz are (finally) coming into their own as a legitimate contender for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

But much of the NBA world has simply forgotten about the Los Angeles Clippers. As early April arrives, the Clippers are locked into a fight with the Jazz for homecourt in what appears to be a likely first-round clash between two contrasting teams, but a closer look indicates that Los Angeles isn’t a team that should be ignored when the playoffs finally materialize.

Chris Paul remains one of the best players (not just point guards) in the NBA and his impact is undeniable. With their All-Star point guard in the lineup this season, the Clippers are a robust 39-18 and that places Doc Rivers’ team on a 56-win pace for the campaign. When Paul sits, though, the Clippers are just 8-13 and that helps to explain why many people appear to be down on the team in a large-scale sense.

Still, a closer look indicates that, at full strength, the Clippers are as dangerous as ever. Few teams outside of the Warriors can match a four-man nucleus of Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and sharp-shooter J.J. Redick, and Los Angeles has quietly been not quite as ugly around the edges this season.

Even with the 21-game absence for Paul and another 21 games (!!!) on the shelf for Griffin, the Clippers boast the sixth-best net rating (+3.7) in the NBA. That number jumps considerably when Rivers is provided with a full complement of options.

Are the Clippers likely to unseat the Warriors in a potential second-round battle? Well, no. However, that has (much) more to do with a brutal match-up situation for Los Angeles than it does with the team being unworthy as a legitimate Western Conference contender.For better or worse, Golden State’s talent is just that tantalizing. The Clippers will have more than a few interesting decisions to make in the offseason but in the midst of what many seem to characterize as a “lost year”, this is actually a very good basketball team. Again.

Where do the Clippers stand when compared to the rest of the NBA as the regular season winds to a close? Let’s find out.

1. Golden State Warriors (64-14, Last week — 1st)

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The Warriors just might win out, and that’d take them to 68 wins on the season. That is borderline incredible given the injury to Kevin Durant and any theoretical adjustment period necessary with new pieces on board, but Golden State is back to looking like the juggernaut we all expected. This isn’t a difficult choice.

2. San Antonio Spurs (60-17, Last week — 2nd)

As usual, San Antonio is flying under the radar because, well, Golden State is better. With that said, the Spurs have won eight of nine with the only loss coming to the Warriors, and the last four victories over that run have come against the Cavs, Thunder, Jazz, and Grizzlies. That’s a pretty nice stretch.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-27, Last week — 5th)

LeBron and company have ascended back into a tie with the Celtics for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference, even if he doesn’t care about the regular season at this point. Still, it is encouraging to see Cleveland playing improved basketball, and given their implicit trust factor, there is more than enough reason to reinstall the reigning champs as the top East team on this list.

4. Houston Rockets (52-25, Last week — 3rd)

The Rockets needed to stop the bleeding that accompanies a three-game losing streak, and they did that with a win over the tank-tastic Suns. Beyond that, two of Houston’s previous losses came at the hands of the scorching Warriors and there is no reason to actually worry about James Harden and his team until the playoffs arrive and they get into a dogfight with a comparable opponent.

5. Boston Celtics (50-27, Last week — 4th)

Boston is red-hot on the heels of six wins over a seven-game period and that run sets up a massive game against Cleveland on Wednesday. The winner will seize control in pursuit of the No. 1 seed in the East, and while the Cavs may not value that position immensely, it is a safe bet that the Celtics absolutely do.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (47-31, Last week — 9th)

The Clippers own a 3-1 season series victory over the Jazz and the vast experience edge over Utah. Would anyone be surprised if we see Chris, Blake, and DeAndre in round two again?

7. Toronto Raptors (47-31, Last week — 6th)

Toronto’s last outing was not an encouraging one, as they blew a massive lead in embarrassing fashion before being blown out by the Pacers in Indiana. Before that, however, the Raptors were cooking with gas and I’ll place additional trust in a stretch with eight wins in nine games over that singular performance. Toronto’s defense appears to be legitimate now, and if it is, they should be frightening for other contenders in the conference.

8. Utah Jazz (48-30, Last week — 8th)

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Tuesday’s victory over the Blazers was doubly impressive considering Utah’s shorthanded roster, and earlier in the week, the Jazz managed to knock off the Wizards. That was the tiebreaker with regard to this spot in the rankings and for good measure, Utah’s win over Portland took them zooming over the preseason Las Vegas over/under. It’s been a good year for Quin Snyder.

9. Washington Wizards (47-31, Last week — 7th)

The Wizards, much like the Rockets before them, did what they needed to do in picking up a streak-stopping win in their last outing. Prior to that victory over Charlotte, Washington dropped three straight but they were excusable losses against the Warriors, Jazz, and Clippers. Depth continues to be a concern for John Wall, Bradley Beal, and the crew, but provided they’re healthy, nobody in the East (including Cleveland) necessarily wants to fool around with the Wizards.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (43-33, Last week — 10th)

Russell Westbrook now sits in a tie with Oscar Robertson with a mind-blowing 41 triple-doubles in one season. Oklahoma City’s go-to guy has additional opportunities to set a new mark himself, but beyond that, Westbrook greatly aided in a win that the Thunder needed on Tuesday.

11. Memphis Grizzlies (42-36, Last week — 13th)

There is a massive drop-off after the top ten teams right now, but Memphis provides the highest floor. That is the entire rationale for this choice. The Grizzlies have lost six of eight, including a disastrous defeat in Los Angeles, and it would be tough to claim that they are playing well.

12. Denver Nuggets (37-40, Last week — 16th)

It may seem like a small feat, but Denver has back-to-back victories as of the time of this post and that is a significant achievement when taking stock of their competition. The Nuggets can’t guard anyone. but they remain fun offensively and that can bring you enough victories to remain (very) interesting.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (40-38, Last week — 12th)

Milwaukee is the lone member of the 40-win club outside of the top 10 (and Memphis) and the Bucks would be higher if not for a 31-point drubbing on national television in their last outing. We shouldn’t be overly negative about this team, though, as the injury issues for Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton could have been crushing, but Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way in rising above it.

14. Charlotte Hornets (36-42, Last week — 20th)

It is going to be too little, too late for the Hornets, but Charlotte is playing as well as any team in the East outside of the top four. In short, Kemba Walker’s team probably had to win out but their streak came to an end in Washington on Tuesday and it would take a virtual miracle to send the Hornets to the playoffs. It’s been a weird year.

15. Chicago Bulls (38-40, Last week — 18th)

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On cue, the Bulls lost to the Knicks on Tuesday. In a vacuum, that isn’t an awful loss on the road, but Chicago had everything rolling during a four-game winning streak and needed that win for playoff positioning. It would be easy to go (very) negative here, but FiveThirtyEight now gives the Bulls a 93 percent chance to make the postseason and that is jarring in and of itself.

16. Portland Trail Blazers (38-40, Last week — 11th)

Portland was scorching hot until recently but they cooled at an inopportune time. The Blazers are still big favorites to reach the No. 8 seed according to advanced metrics but back-to-back losses to the Wolves and Jazz (in a blow-out) aren’t the best look in early April.

17. Indiana Pacers (38-40, Last week — 15th)

The Lance Stephenson experience was on full display on Tuesday and the Pacers erased a huge first-half deficit to pick up a much-needed win. That victory simply stopped what was a four-game slide, though, and Indiana might need some help to reach the playoffs as a result. It is gut-check time.

18. Atlanta Hawks (39-38, Last week — 17th)

One week ago, we profiled the Hawks and their untimely downturn. Since then, Atlanta knocked off Philadelphia in a tight game on the road before losing to the Bulls and Nets. In other words, it was more of the same.

19. Miami Heat (37-40, Last week — 14th)

Miami’s voodoo magic might be gone. The Heat have lost four of six including home decisions to Denver and New York and this probably isn’t going to be a playoff team after all. It isn’t over just yet if the Heat can win out, but regardless, it was an incredible showing from this team to rise from the dead mid-season.

20. New Orleans Pelicans (33-45, Last week — 19th)

This ranking would have been higher if not for back-to-back home losses to close the week. The Boogie Cousins experiment has been uneven to this point but, if we’re being honest, the Pelicans are probably a little bit better than this ranking suggests right now.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (31-46, Last week — 23rd)

This downturn is more about a home loss to the Kings than it is about giving up 41 points to Klay Thompson and taking it on the chin against the Warriors. You can make an argument that Minnesota might be the most interesting team in the league as 2017-2018 approaches. For now, they are just interestingly mediocre.

22. Sacramento Kings (31-47, Last week — 25th)

Break up the Kings! Sacramento has won four of six including two in a row, and this is a feisty bunch. Buddy Hield has been good, and more than that, the Kings are actually trying as the season comes to a close. There is something to be said for that.

23. New York Knicks (30-48, Last week — 27th)

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It couldn’t matter any less but the Knicks have sneakily won three out of five to basically ensure a draft pick that falls outside the top five. Nothing could be more “New York Knicks” than that in a season in which they absolutely need to nail that selection.

24. Brooklyn Nets (19-59, Last week — 22nd)

Brooklyn (still) boasts the worst record in the league, but if you’ve been paying any attention at all, you would know that the Nets aren’t playing like it. They have won three (!) straight games and have operated like a 30-win team with Jeremy Lin in the lineup. That isn’t anything to be overly excited about, but it also isn’t utterly terrible. Progress.

25. Dallas Mavericks (32-45, Last week — 21st)

At some point along the way, the Mavs went from “frisky team that is better than their record” to “weird, bad team,” and I’m not sure when. Dallas is definitely the latter at this point, though, and losing every game the rest of the way would be the wisest option with an eye on the future.

26. Detroit Pistons (35-42, Last week — 28th)

On Mar. 11, the Pistons were 33-33 and seemingly in great position to make the playoffs. Since then, Detroit is 2-9 with losses to the Nets, Knicks, and Magic. Enjoy your summer!

27. Philadelphia 76ers (28-50, Last week — 24th)

The Sixers allowed 141 points to the Nets on Tuesday night. Yes, you are reading that correctly. No, we don’t need to talk about it.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (22-55, Last week — 29th)

Since Valentine’s Day, the Lakers are 3-18 but an inexplicable win over Memphis brings Los Angeles the nod over the struggling Magic. The Lakers absolutely want to lose, so that win probably was not what the doctor ordered. It still happened, though, so we will note it in this space.

29. Orlando Magic (27-51, Last week — 26th)

There was real buzz about the Magic becoming a playoff-level team this season. Needless to say, that has not transpired. In fact, they are mailing it in to the finish with five consecutive losses and, for good measure, Orlando can’t even avoid leaked personnel information. Things aren’t going well.

30. Phoenix Suns (22-56, Last week — 30th)

The Suns are 22-56 and they have lost 12 straight games. To make matters worse, Phoenix receives the distinct pleasure of hosting the Warriors on Wednesday and they won’t be favored to capture another victory this season. In short, Earl Watson’s team might be ending the season in this spot.

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