Western Conference Power Rankings: Early February Edition

1. Lakers (16-6) — prev. rank #1

A lot of people probably have the Clippers or even the Jazz in this top spot, but not enough has happened for us to drop the Champs from #1. Yes, the Lakers lost back-to-back games last week to the Sixers and Pistons, yet sound defensive-oriented bounce-back wins against the Celtics and Hawks promptly followed. And let’s not be quick to forget about LeBron’s 46-point complete evisceration of the Cavs last Monday night. LeBron is currently shooting 41.3 percent from 3 on 6.8 three-point attempts per game, both career-high marks for The King. A slight reason for concern: AD’s dip in offensive production from last season appears mostly due to the free throw line, down from 8.5 free throws per game and 84.6 percent last season to 5.8 attempts and a career-low 70.2 percent on freebies this year. In games that Trez is off his game, the Lakers tend to struggle. The Lake Show has been outstanding on the road (11-2), but they still have to be glad to get back to LA with a 5-game homestand after playing 10 out of the last 12 games away from Staples.

2. Clippers (15-5) — prev. rank #2

The Clippers have been clippin’ right along, winning 10 of their last 11 games. However, only two of those wins have come against teams with an above .500 record, the Pacers and Hawks. The remainder of their first half schedule should be more difficult, but it does not look like a gauntlet by any means. The ball movement on this team has been so much better this season. Kawhi and PG have been brilliant, both averaging the most assists per game of their careers, and both are shooting above 40 percent from 3. Nic Batum, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard and Pat Bev are also all shooting over 40 percent from 3, and each is currently averaging a career-high mark. That’s probably unsustainable, just like PG currently at 45.4 percent from 3 on 7.8 attempts per game, yet the Paul George Revenge Tour has been rockin’. Paul George and the Clippers still have to prove it to us when the going gets tough before we really believe them. It’s still rather alarming that Nicolas Batum is averaging the third-most minutes per game on this team. Something to note: The Clippers are currently 29th in the league in Pace.

3. Nuggets (12-8) — prev. rank #5

Denver started slow but has picked it up, winning 7 of the last 9, including a 128-117 shootout over the Jazz, snapping Utah’s 11-game winning streak. The Nuggets are 5-1 since Michael Porter’s return from the protocols. MPJ adds much needed size and shooting to the lineup, a potent weapon for Jokic to utilize. The Joker has been incandescent all season long, the backbone and maestro responsible for just about everything the Nuggets do. Jamal Murray has not been Bubble Playoff Jamal Murray or anything close to it, but we’ll see flashes of that killer every so often, and we wonder, won’t you return to us, old boy? For as good as they have been lately and can be, it’s still hard to look at this team and not wonder how great they could be with the newest version of Jerami Grant. At least the defense here has improved from 29th a month ago up to 18th. Denver’s offense is currently ranked 4th in the NBA.

4. Jazz (15-5) — prev. rank #8

Last month in this space, we stated: “The Jazz continue to be inconsistent until all of a sudden they aren’t. It will all click and they will hit their stride at some point.” Little did we know that “at some point” would be right then and there as the Jazz immediately rattled off 11 straight wins with all but one being by double-digit points. Alas, the winning streak was upended by the Nuggets on Sunday which is why you see the Jazz here and not up there. Jokic continues to own Gobert, but Gobert has been owning just about everybody else, returning his name to the Defensive Player of the Year conversation once again. The real story is actually that the Jazz have been bombing and canning 3’s at an incredible rate, averaging 17 made 3’s per game! Props to Jordan Clarkson who has been the no doubt 6th Man of the Year over the first quarter of the season. We questioned his 4-year $52 million contract his offseason, but Clarkson is averaging the second most points for the Jazz. Mike Conley has sure turned things around, figuring out the pick-and-roll 2-man game with Gobert.

5. Suns (11-8) — prev. rank #3

The Suns looked sharp to begin the season. Then they had a week off due to the protocols and quickly lost 4 out of 5 games. Things are looking back up after a 3-game winning streak, including a big win against the Warriors and two come-from-behind wins in Dallas against the Mavs. The first two victories came without Book who was sidelined with a hammy, but Book returned to hit the game-winning 3 in Book-like fashion in his first game back. The Suns are still playing slow with CP3 running the show (27th in Pace), but they sport the 5th-best turnover percentage and 5th-best assist percentage in the league. The defense is still stout, too, ranked (yup, you guessed it) 5th in the league. Mikal Bridges still has our vote for Most Improved Player so far. With different players in and out of the lineup lately, there has been a bit more Abdel Nader and Frank Kaminsky than expected.

6. Warriors (11-9) — prev. rank #6

Like a lot of teams, the Warriors have had their ups and downs over the last month. But more so than most, when the Warriors are ON, they are really good — when Steph is in the zone, when Draymond is firing on all cylinders, when Wiseman is a beast, when Wiggins is efficient and when Oubre is actually making some 3’s. Yet when the Warriors are off, they can be quite flat — their average loss in January was by 15 points. The monumental comeback wins against the Clippers and Lakers, however, are all the reminder we need to know that this team has the firepower lurking within to be a sneaky contender in the West. This next week will be a test: vs. the Celtics and then a 4-game Texas roadie against the desperate Mavs and stumbling Spurs.

7. Grizzlies (9-6) — prev. rank #13

The Grizzlies didn’t play for 11 consecutive days due to the protocols, but they picked up right where they left off, beating the Spurs twice in San Antonio to extend their winning streak to seven games, the longest active streak in the NBA. They are still shorthanded with no word on the season debuts for JJJ or Winslow, and Valanchoony, still out from the protocols, even missed the Spurs series. Brandon Clarke has stepped up in a big way and the offense (129 and 133 points) might be on to something. That bodes well for Memphis whose offense has not been a strength, in particular the three-point shooting at 34.6 percent, 26th in the NBA. Like the Grit-N-Grind days of old, defense is actually the vigor here, the 2nd ranked defense in the league right now and averaging the most steals per game.

8. Rockets (10-9) — prev. rank #10

How ironic is it that two and a half weeks after James Harden is traded away, THAT is when the Rockets set the franchise-record with 28 made three-pointers. The Rockets have… won six games in a row? It’s true! Christian Wood has been playing like a bonafide All-Star. Oladipo has a giant chip on his shoulder. Say what you will about the “nobody believes in us” gimmick, but those teams always play with more fight, and this by all accounts appears to be a TEAM. You can see it. Four different leading scorers over the last four games. Now, the schedule has not been particularly tough, but you have to enjoy seeing a group come together like this regardless. Can the Rockets actually make a serious run at the playoffs or play-in? Crazy enough, it seems like Houston has its shit together more than a lot of the teams below them right now.

9. Blazers (10-9) — prev. rank #7

Without C.J., Nurk and Zach Collins, Dame and the Blazers are just trying to keep their heads above water. If not for a miracle in Chicago (down by 5 with 11 seconds left) and Dame’s cold-blooded step-back 3 at the buzzer, the Blazers would be sitting on a four-game losing streak and losers of five out of their last six games. But the Chicago miracle happened and help will be on the way. The problem is that the help is still a ways out, weeks out, and Dame cannot do everything. A slight reason for optimism: Nassir Little scored a by far career-high 30 points in the loss to the Bucks on Tuesday night. It was in a blowout, yes, but Little’s previous high this season was just 5 points, unable to even crack the rotation.

10. Spurs (11-10) — prev. rank #12

The Spurs have been very streaky. Case in point: A three-game winning streak that included glorious wins against the Celtics and Nuggets followed by blowout losses to the shorthanded Grizz. We love that Pop is letting the youngin’s loose, playing Keldon Johnson, Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker a lot of minutes. We raved about DeRozan’s three-point shooting in this space last month but it has dropped 9 percent since. His assist numbers still look good, but the results with DeRozan and Aldridge on the floor together have been gloomy.

11. Mavs (8-13) — prev. rank #4

WOOF. The Mavs are in the midst of a six-game losing streak and they have lost nine out of their last 11 games. They can’t buy a three-point shot right now, shooting a LOWLY 32.8 percent, dead last in the NBA. It must be duly noted that this team has been ravaged by the protocols, and we do expect them to round into form with everybody finally back in the lineup. But it’s glaringly evident that this team misses Seth Curry in the worst way. The good news is that the remainder of the first half schedule looks a lot more favorable than what they’ve been through.

12. Kings (9-11) — prev. rank #11

The Kings have actually won four out of their last five games, but we keep them below the Mavs because Vlade drafted Bagley over Luka. (If you are a Kings fan… sorry to bring that up). Speaking of Bagley, he’s actually played in every game this season, healthy for the first time in his career. Even better, he’s actually been playing pretty well, although turnovers are still an issue. You know what else is an issue for this team? Defense. As in they have the worst defense in the league by a substantial margin. De'Aaron Fox loves to play the Pelicans with 43 and 38 point outings. We have said it before and we’ll keep saying it: Tyrese Haliburton is the Rookie of the Year so far!

13. Pelicans (7-12) — prev. rank #9

Just when we thought the Pelicans were turning a corner after wins against the Wizards and Bucks, the Pellies lose to the Rockets and Kings, both games in which they led by double digits. The lack of spacing and shooting is even worse than we thought it would be. The Pelicans seem to win the games when Lonzo and Eric Bledsoe actually make their 3’s. And they lose the games when they do not, which is more often. It feels like Steven Adams is playing too many minutes and Redick and NAW aren’t playing enough. You see, this is why we weren’t a fan of the SVG hiring. Through the first 41 games of his career, Zion has scored more points than any active player, including LeBron and KD.

14. Thunder (8-11) — prev. rank #15

In our season preview, we did say “we actually would not be surprised if OKC is a lot better than most people think.” So kudos to us and kudos again to the Thunder for continuing to play hard even if the wheels are starting to fall off a bit, losing 5 of the last 7 games and 7 of the last 10. SGA is still so much fun. Lu Dort is still shooting at an above average clip, 38.1 percent from 3 on 5.8 attempts per game, moonshots every time. If you have watched the Thunder, then you have become familiar with Theo Maledon, the French rookie who’s got some game.

15. T-Wolves (5-15) — prev. rank #14

It’s been a brutal start to the season for the Timberwolves with KAT testing positive being the final straw and gut-punch. Minnesota’s record is 3-10 since the last time we ran the Power Rankings. The good news is that the Ant-Man has been playing better and more efficient of late, and now he’s even in the starting lineup and playing decent minutes. (Thanks for listening to us, Ryan Saunders!) Another optimistic note: The T-Wolves defense was mentioned here for being dead last a month ago, and now they are 26th instead of 30th.

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