NBA Power Rankings: Utah Jazz return to top spot while Philadelphia 76ers defense keeps them No.1 in the East
A week of improvement has seen the Western Conference favorites rise up our NBA Power Rankings. Both the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers' form returned and they currently hold the longest winning streaks in the league after 4 victories each this week, despite neither side making major waves at the trade deadline.
Two championship hopefuls who were active on the market were the Brooklyn Nets, who added the bought-out LaMarcus Aldridge, and the LA Lakers, who brought in Andre Drummond on Sunday.
NBA Power Rankings 2020-21: Top five sides entering league's 15th week
No team in our NBA power rankings has held their position as we look back on what has been an eventful week of action. Philadelphia held onto top seed in the East despite Joel Embiid's absence, while the Milwaukee Bucks fell out of the picture on the back of two straight losses to the Celtics and Knicks.
Over in the West, the LA Lakers managed to put together two wins against Orlando and Cleveland, though it is their rivals above them in the standings that make their way into our NBA power rankings this week.
#5 LA Clippers
2020-21 record: 31-16
Upcoming fixtures: MIL, ORL, DEN, LAL
Previous NBA Power Rankings: 6th (↑1)
Ty Lue's side looked back to their best this week and rise up our NBA power rankings once again. During a 4-game winning week, no side averaged a higher offensive rating than the Clippers (122.9) while only the Jazz topped them for net rating.
Seeing Lou Williams depart at the trade deadline will be saddening for fans of the franchise. However, bringing in a player like Rajon Rondo adds championship experience to the locker room and a leader who can run the offense without Kawhi Leonard or Paul George.
Winning without Marcus Morris and Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio was impressive, while Terrence Mann produced a career-high 23 points off the bench against Philly on Saturday. The Clippers are truly an all-round outfit with multiple ways they can hurt opponents on offense. A tough week lies ahead, including fixtures with the Bucks and Nuggets, but we can expect their rise up our NBA power rankings to continue after returning to form.
#4 Phoenix Suns
2020-21 record: 31-14
Upcoming fixtures: ATL, CHI, OKC
Previous NBA Power Ranking: 5th (↑1)
One game ahead of the Clippers and one place above in our NBA power rankings are the Phoenix Suns. While their offense hasn't been as prolific this week, their defensive rating of 105.4 during this time is 1.4 higher than their season average and ranked 5th in the league.
The Suns continue to prove that they are consistently efficient with one of the strongest starting 5's in the NBA. Young star Devin Booker led the offense with 24.8 points and 6 rebounds while center DeAndre Ayton averaged a 17.8 point - 12 rebound double-double this week.
A one-point loss to Orlando midweek stopped them from breaching the top-3 in our NBA power rankings, but they are still the closest challengers to topple Utah in the West.