Four weeks of the NBA season are already in the books. It’s time to look at how things are breaking down in the Western Conference with another edition of weekly power rankings.
Check back every week to see how the rankings change.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
2020-21 record: 3-8
Just when things started looking up, reality came crashing down. Timberwolves were desperately missing Karl-Anthony Towns after his wrist injury, but he returned sooner than expected. Unfortunately, he tested positive for COVID-19 and will be unable to play, leaving his team without a talisman.
14. Oklahoma City Thunder
2020-21 record: 6-6
Losses against the Lakers and the Spurs were expected, but a win against the Bulls will hopefully give this team a boost. Mark Daigneault has done well considering this is his first season as a head coach and the players he has available.
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13. Memphis Grizzlies
2020-21 record: 6-6
Since last week, not much has changed as their three most important players in Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Justise Winslow are still sidelined with injuries. They’ve managed to do OK without them though, with tight wins against the Nets and the Cavaliers.
12. Sacramento Kings
2020-21 record: 5-8
Tyrese Haliburton is making himself a strong contender for Rookie of the Year; his performances are what is keeping the Kings competitive this season so far. The team needs to work on consistency, with big wins and big losses being the story of their season.
11. San Antonio Spurs
2020-21 record: 7-6
Not much has changed since last week. San Antonio is competitive again and they are playing excellent basketball, with Patty Mills especially shining. They’ve been a bit luckier than other teams this season, having not been hit badly with injuries or COVID-19 issues.
10. New Orleans Pelicans
2020-21 record: 4-7
Defensively, the Pelicans have been fantastic to watch, but they’re still struggling on the other end of the court. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are two players who have been exciting under Stan Van Gundy, and it’ll be interesting to see how they develop.
9. Houston Rockets
2020-21 record: 4-7
James Harden has left, and Houston was able to rack up their first win without him against the Spurs. While an exceptional player, Harden was clearly not happy anymore, and it’ll be interesting to see how this team develops now that his negativity doesn’t cloud the locker room.
8. Golden State Warriors
2020-21 record: 6-6
The Warriors are still going strong with Stephen Curry running the show. However, their loss against the Nuggets is a glimpse of the reality that Curry alone cannot handle all offensive duties. His teammates need to step up if they want to even come close to reaching the heights they did when Klay Thompson was around.
7. Denver Nuggets
2020-21 record: 6-6
Nikola Jokic is still playing at an MVP level for the Nuggets and is a huge reason for their success so far. They’ll look a lot better when Michael Porter Jr. is able to return from quarantine.
6. Dallas Mavericks
2020-21 record: 6-5
The Mavericks have played well this week, and the worrying part for the rest of the league is that they haven’t played up to their potential yet, especially on the attacking end. Luka Doncic is still finding his form, despite putting up strong numbers, yet they’re getting results.
5. Portland Trail Blazers
2020-21 record: 8-5
CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard have been so fun to watch for Portland, and they’ve been doing their job well. Defensively, however, Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. leave much to be desired. Jusuf Nurkic has also been injured this week with a broken wrist that’ll keep him off the court for a while.
4. Utah Jazz
2020-21 record: 8-4
Jazz have built on last week with two more wins, and they’re looking like they can be a strong contender for one on the best teams in the West. Aggressive defensive play and some experimental attacking plays against Atlanta and Cleveland is what got them their wins this week.
3. Phonix Suns
2020-21 record: 7-4
It’s hard to provide an update on the Suns from last week due to all of their games getting postponed due to the virus. It’ll be interesting to see if their extended ‘time off’ affects their performances.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
2020-21 record: 9-4
Great week for the Clippers, especially Paul George who has been fantastic from the three-point line. However, everyone knows that the Clippers are a good team who boast a fantastic squad. The question for them has always been if they can handle pressure – something we won’t see until later on, in the postseason.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2020-21 record: 11-3
The question on everyone’s lips is who can beat this Lakers team. They keep getting better and better, and their squad on paper is better than the one that won the Championship last year due to new additions.
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