NBA: Power Rankings
The Spurs just might be the best team in the league.With the calendar now flipped to January, we have two months of data to look at now that can help us suss out the top 10 teams in the leage. It currently seems the league’s top 10 is breaking down into three tiers, with three, maybe four title contenders, a few teams that a ways below the title contenders and then a bunch of good Eastern Conference that don’t have what it takes to truly make a title push.The most confounding team that doesn’t make the power rankings are the Boston Celtics, who currently sport the fifth best scoring margin in the league, but can’t seem to string together enough wins to move higher than the eigth spot in the East.They have been getting very good play from Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas who lead them defensively and offensively, respectively, but, as usually is the case when you rely on 5’9” offensive catalyst, the offenses hits some valleys that the defense can’t overcome. Other teams on the outside looking in are the seventh seed in the East Orlando Magic, the Detroit Pistons, and the Dallas Mavericks, with the Magic along with the Celtics having the best chance to break into these rankings.
#10 Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have not been playing their best ball of late, which is the main reason why they come in at number 10 in the power rankings this week, after being one of the top three Eastern Conference teams for the last month. The Pacers are 3-5 in their last eight games, including close losses to the Bucks and the Bulls over the last week. They need to find more consistent production outside of Paul George, C.J. Miles and George Hill if they want to right the ship.
One person who has been subpar this season is free agent acquisition Monta Ellis, who has not looked like the player who played the last few years for the Dallas Mavericks. What was supposed to be a pick and roll player to move around the new found space in the Pacers plethora of small ball lineups has instead looked tentative and uncomfortable in this new situation. He doesn’t get to handle the ball quite as much as he used to when in Dallas, and maybe this has led to him not finding his footing. If the Pacers can find a way to get the best out of Ellis, they will be downright scary on offense.