Western Conference Power Rankings: Early-Dec. 2022 Edition
1. Phoenix Suns (16-7) — prev. rank #1
The Suns did lose to the Rockets at home on Friday night — just their second loss at home this season — but before that, they snapped off a 6-game winning streak without Chris Paul, Cam Johnson, and of course, Jae Crowder. The Suns are rolling through the regular season once again.
Devin Booker is on ONE right now: 44, 51 and 41 points in three straight games!? Book is proving that the Suns rise to success is so much more than CP3’s arrival to the desert.
Deandre Ayton has been on a great stretch of his own. In the eight games prior to the Rockets game, Ayton averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists on 64.8 percent shooting from the field.
A deserved shoutout goes to Mikal Bridges as always, scoring the most points of his career. And to Cam Payne who IS looking like 2020-21 Cam Payne once again. He’s actually been even better: 13 points and 5.6 assists with 40.4 percent shooting from 3 on 4.7 attempts per game this season.
The Suns are efficiency masters once again: still No. 2 in offense at 117.5 and the No. 5 defense at 109.1.
2. New Orleans Pelicans (15-8) — prev. rank #3
The Pelicans have rather quietly won 9 of their last 11, and they are sure roaring lately behind…
ZION. In the last four games without Brandon Ingram (toe), Zion is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 64 percent shooting from the field and 78.4 percent shooting from the free throw line on 9.3 attempts per game. Said it before, will say it a million more times: the dude is unstoppable.
CJ McCollum is averaging the most assists of his career at 6.0 dimes a night, and between Grand Theft Alvarado’s constant defensive spark off the bench, and Devonte’ Graham’s 3-point shooting — Willie Green has supreme lineup flexibility at his disposal even just from the point guard position. And how about Alvarado’s career-high 38 points and eight 3s on Sunday against the Nuggets!
Rookie Dyson Daniels has looked good recently, too. The Pellies are so deep.
The Pels are still rocking with a top-5 net rating on the season, No. 3 behind just the Celtics and Suns. The New Orleans’ offense is sixth at 114.9 and the defense is a very strong and surprising third at 108.0 — last year they finished 18th.
3. Denver Nuggets (14-9) — prev. rank #9
The Nuggets did lose on Friday night to the Hawks in Atlanta, and also to the Pelicans on Sunday in Nawlins, but the Nuggs’ went 10-4 in November, good for the third-best record in the NBA last month.
Even better than not having to burden so much of the scoring load this season, Jokic is also getting to play his fewest minutes per game in four years, 32 minutes with a classic Joker 23-10-9 stat line flying under the radar.
Jamal Murray has been heating up! Blue Arrow’s four games prior to Sunday: 24.5 points and 6 assists while shooting 46.4 percent from 3 on 7.0 attempts per game.
The recent Denver buzz is all about Vlatko Cancar’s emergence. Having another capable bench player is precisely what the Nuggets need.
The Nuggets’ defense that started so low has been finding its way. But Denver had the No. 2 offense in November at 118.1 (the defense was 19th at 112.8) and is No. 2 in 3-point shooting for the season at 39.7 percent, behind only the Celtics.
4. Memphis Grizzlies (14-9) — prev. rank #7
The Grizzlies have yet to be at full strength this season, however, they remain the strong profiled team from last year with top-notch scoring in the paint, in transition, and second-chance points. Memphis has also won four out of the last five games, responding to a down stretch of losing four out of five.
No surprise here: Ja Morant is still at it. There have been some close calls with him limping off the court, but fingers crossed: Ja has somehow only missed three games this season.
After an unbelievable start to the season, Desmond Bane has been out with a toe sprain for the last three weeks. There should be a status update soon as the original timetable was 2-3 weeks.
But as Bane went out of the lineup, Jaren Jackson Jr. made his season debut and has picked up where he left off, averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds and three blocks (!!) over his first seven games.
The Grizzlies’ defense has obviously gotten a massive boost with JJJ back, the No. 7 defense in the month of November at 108.8 after a horrendous start. The Grizz’ offense is currently 8th at 113.6.
5. Golden State Warriors (13-11) — prev. rank #11
The Warriors have righted the ship after a serious championship hangover and the aftermath of Draymond punching Jordan Poole. They began the season 4-7 but have now won five out of the last six games to climb two games over .500, which is currently good for a top-6 spot in the West.
The home-road splits are still DRASTIC:
11-1 at home with a 116.7 offensive rating and 105.9 defensive rating.
2-10 on the road with a 110.6 offensive rating and 119.1 defensive rating.
Steph continues to be a marvel, and it has to be encouraging for the Warriors that they have been able to win recently without relying on him to go SUPERNOVA mode every night, which can happen as always at a moment’s notice.
When we previously knocked the Warriors for their lauded “depth” heading into the season, we noted how Ty Jerome was a lot more involved than anyone could have imagined. And now we must point out that seventh on the team in minutes per game is… Anthony Lamb! Just as we all suspected. (Lamb is currently shooting 42.9 percent from 3.)
The Warriors have some big games ahead in December: Celtics on ABC Saturday night, at Milwaukee, at Philly, at Toronto, at Brooklyn, and the 8pm game on Christmas against the one and only Memphis Grizzlies.
6. Sacramento Kings (13-9) — prev. rank #12
LIGHT THE BEAM! Since Oct. 28, the Kings are 13-5 — one of just four teams in the NBA to win 13 games in that span, joining the Celtics, Bucks and Suns. (Woah.)
Fox’s scoring has slowed recently, but there was a two-week stretch of nine games in November where he averaged 27 points and 7 assists while shooting 42 percent from 3 on five attempts per game. Similar to last season, when Fox posts a positive plus-minus, the Kings are 10-2.
Sabonis has seen his scoring drop and that’s probably why his 17-11-6 season is flying so far under the radar. The two-man pick-and-roll game with Fox has been lethal.
Kevin Huerter has continued his early-season heater. Of all 31 players in the NBA currently shooting 7 or more 3-pointers per game, Red Velvet is currently No. 3 in 3-point percentage at 42.3. behind only Desmond Bane and Steph.
The Kings’ offense has climbed to a top-5 mark on the season (No. 4 at 115.9) and that number at home is a ridiculous 126.3, behind only the Celtics. The Kings defense is even up to 16th at 112.0, giving them a 3.8 positive net rating, the 6th-best net rating in the NBA.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (13-11) — prev. rank #10
For as bad as the Clippers have looked at times, a 13-11 record and currently tied for 6th place spot in the West standings feels like an early-season win, especially after their recent comeback on the road in Portland.
Kawhi has played just five games, PG has been out since Nov. 19 with a knee, and even Luke Kennard has missed the last two straight weeks with a calf injury. This Clippers team was praised for its depth but just hasn’t had the expected firepower.
After a cold start, Norm Powell has been heating up off the bench, three games of 25+ points in the last couple of weeks all resulted in Clipper wins. But he is day-to-day currently as well, dealing with a groin injury that kept him out of the most recent Clips game, a blowout loss to the Kings at home.
Terance Mann is starting to see more minutes and an expanded role in the starting lineup, something we previously clamored for. One thing about having too many guys is trouble finding that offensive rhythm and familiarity.
The Clippers’ offense has improved slightly but is still a lowly 28th in the league at 107.8. The defense has held a top-5 mark for most of the season, however, they’ve struggled against some top-flight offenses in recent weeks.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (13-11) — prev. rank #2
On Nov. 15, the Blazers were 10-4 and sitting atop the Western Conference standings. Since then? The Blazers lost 7 of 8 (the worst of it being an 18-point blown lead to the Clippers at home), but two straight wins against the Jazz and Pacers with Dame returning to the lineup has them back on track.
Dame dealt with another calf injury and he’s missed half the games so far this season. The Blazers are 8-4 with Dame and 5-7 without him. They obviously can’t reach their full potential if he’s not in the lineup.
Anfernee Simons has certainly stepped up in Dame’s absence, and Jerami Grant has taken his scoring up several notches. Simons already has eight games this season with 5+ made 3s while Grant set his career-high of 44 points in the Blazers’ big win over the Knicks at MSG.
Josh Hart (ankle) and Nassir Little (hip) are both currently dealing with injuries, but both are considered day-to-day, and Hart did play 33 minutes last night in the win over the Pacers. This is where we remind you that Gary Paton II has not played for Portland yet this season.
The Blazers started the season strong defensively, but those days are out the window. Portland is 26th over the last two weeks and down to bottom 10 at 24th (113.1) for the season. The offense has slipped to 11th (112.4) after also starting in the top 10.
9. Utah Jazz (14-12) — prev. rank #4
The Jazz shocked the world and started the season 10-3, sitting in first place atop the Western Conference standings on Nov. 10. Then the Jazz promptly lost 8 out of 10 games, including a five-game losing streak that had us wondering if the bottom was falling out.
It’s definitely worth noting that the Jazz's five-game losing streak commenced as soon as Mike Conley was sidelined with a knee strain. He is expected back pretty soon, though.
With Conley out, Colin Sexton grabbed a starting spot and has had some big assist games, especially for him. Jordan Clarkson is also still averaging the most points and assists per game of his career.
Lauri Markkanen has to be included in any early-season Most Improved Player talks. When Markkanen scores less than 20 points, the Jazz are 2-8.
Opposite of the first two weeks of the season, the Jazz offense is third (116.1) while the defense is 25th (113.6). We should find out a lot about just how real the Jazz are in the next 2.5 weeks: Warriors, T-Wolves, at Denver, Pelicans, Pelicans, at Bucks, and at Cavs.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (10-12) — prev. rank #14
The schedule has no doubt been a lot softer, but the Lakers have won 8 out of the last 10 games, including that HUGE win on the road in Milwaukee. Not to mention how many of the easy games the Lakers lost last season.
AD has been a MONSTER. This, THIS RIGHT HERE, is the AD that the Lakers traded the farm form to be THE GUY as LeBron transitions into a little bit of a lesser role (for him) in these late years of his historical career.
Benchbrook has also remained a wild success, especially compared to last season and those first few games. When Russ has a positive plus-minus, the Lakers are 6-1.
Guess who has also been a positive contributor since making his season debut and return to the Lake Show? Dennis Schroder! The Lakers are 6-2 with Dennis the Menace in the lineup.
The offense had nowhere to go but up after their putrid start, and up UP they have gone: a top-10 offense in November and the No. 5 offense over the last two weeks. The defense has dropped some as expected but is still holding a top-10 mark at 10th (111.0) for the season.
11. Dallas Mavericks (11-11) — prev. rank #6
The Mavs have been in the midst of a free-fall losing 5 of 6 games, including a brutal loss in OT at Detroit on Thursday night, but they did get a much needed W at MSG in the Saturday matinee. It’s worth noting that the recent schedule has been against a lot of teams missing their star players and the schedule doesn’t get easier any time soon.
No one is doubting Luka’s talent or ability to carry a team. His 33-9-9 stat-line average is bonkers, currently averaging the most points per game in the league, as well as the early minutes per game, PER and Win Shares leader. But the Mavs heliocentric offense feels more beatable than ever without additional scoring and shot creation.
Christian Wood is seeing more minutes lately. Expect that to continue as Jason Kidd looks for additional firepower. The Mavs also signed Kemba Walker…
The Mavs really, really need Reggie Bullock to be better. He had a similarly slow start last year and picked it up as the season progressed. Bullock is shooting 27% from 3 and already has five games of missing every single shot attempted and ten games where he made one or fewer.
The Dallas defense is surprisingly holding steady at 8th (110.8), but after starting out as the No. 1 offense in the league, the Mavs have dropped down to 9th (113.1). If there was any team in the league that desperately needs to make a trade, it’s this one.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-13) — prev. rank #8
The Thunder went 6-10 in November and cannot be taken lightly. They make you beat them until the final buzzer with three Nov. games going to OT and seven games this season decided by five points or less. OKC also already has four games of scoring 130+ points. Last season they only had two.
SGA has been nothing short of phenomenal, averaging the third-most points in the entire NBA. He locked up his first All-Star Game before we got to Thanksgiving.
Rookie Jalen Williams and his hair just had the best game of his young career, a by far career-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting against the Spurs in a game that SGA did not play.
Pokumania has claimed his spot in the Thunder starting lineup and he already has 10 games of multiple made 3-pointers. (He only had 13 such games all of last season.)
As expected, OKC’s defense has not held the top-5 mark the last time we dropped power ranks at the beginning of November. But with 111.0 offensive and 112.2 defensive rating numbers, the Thunder’s net rating is the same as the Heat, and better than the Knicks, Clippers, and Bulls.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-12) — prev. rank #13
The T-Wolves have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league so far this season, but it’s important to remember that last year at this time, they were 11-12 and went on to win 46 games.
KAT is out 4-6 weeks with a calf strain, so it’s time for the Ant-Man Show. He was up for the task on Wednesday night against Memphis with 29 points, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in a big win. Look tf out for Ant this month.
Gobert without KAT in that same game? A very pedestrian 9 points and ONE single rebound to go with four turnovers. And then he got ejected in the next game. The Rudy Gobert Experience in Minnesota could not have gotten off to a worse start. Only way to go is up.
D-Lo’s numbers are down across the board, but if he posts a positive plus-minus, the Wolves are 6-1 with a 5-11 record in all other games.
The Wolves offense has improved from the horrid start (up to 19th at 111.1), although it has been shaky recently. The defense has remained the better side of the ball, currently 15th at 111.8.
14. Houston Rockets (6-17) — prev. rank #15
The Rockets began the season 2-12, but Houston has turned the corner and been 4-5 since then, including two massive wins: at home against the Hawks when the Hawks were clowning, and on the road IN Phoenix despite Book scoring 41.
It starts with Jalen Green. When Green scores 25+, the Rockets are 5-3. When Green scores less than 25, the Rox are 1-14.
Rookie Jabari Smith has sure shot a lot more 3s than we ever envisioned. He’s had some rough games from beyond the arc, but he also has nine games with 3 or more made 3-pointers. Props to the rook for continuing to hoist.
Shoutout to Alperen Sengun who has taken his scoring up a level this season with an increase in minutes played. Sengun’s per 36 numbers are 21 and 12, with 3 assists, a steal, and a block.
While the Rockets’ offense has climbed the ranks considerably (up to 17th at 111.2), the defense has actually dropped to the bottom 5 (26th at 116.3). Houston is still looking in good shape for the lottery.
15. San Antonio Spurs (6-18) — prev. rank #5
Welp, things sure changed here and in a HURRY. The Spurs started 5-2, but since then? The Spurs are 1-16.
The Spurs are still top-5 in assists per game and definitely share the ball, but their shooting numbers have plummeted as the defense has remained atrocious.
As the No. 1 guy, opposing teams are keying in on Keldon Johnson, who has been forcing it with some wildly inefficient shooting games, uncharacteristic for him but also understandable.
Devin Vassell has still been extremely solid, averaging 20 points per game and shooting 42.2 percent from 3 on 7.5 attempts. Vassell is definitely the bright spot in San An right now. (Other than the current lotto odds.)
In the month of November, the Spurs’ offense was 29th and the Spurs’ defense was 30th. The Spurs know how to TANK.
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