We have analysed last week’s action and adjusted our NBA Power Rankings accordingly! There are some big risers and massive falls, but where do we have your team?
We have a new number one after the Clippers had a perfect 4-0 week, including double digit wins over the Blazers and Suns. Milwaukee are in free fall while Giannis remains on the sidelines while Portland’s 1-3 week has them drop out of the top 10.
Here’s where all 30 NBA teams stand heading into Week 18 of the 2020-21 NBA season:
1. Los Angeles Clippers
NBA Championship Odds: +600
Current Record: 37-18
Previous Ranking: 6
The Los Angeles Clippers are the biggest risers of the week and have claimed top spot of the NBA Power Rankings. The only team to have a perfect week, going 4-0 with double digit wins over Portland and Phoenix the highlights. Last week we questioned their ability, particularly Paul George and the former MVP-finalist came out and won Western Conference Player of the Week, scoring 30+ points in the three games he played in while shooting 56% from the field and making over four threes per contest.
All systems go.@Yg_Trece is your @NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/ZtyKMz84qK
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 12, 2021
The addition of Rajon Rondo is going to have a massive impact on the team, especially in the playoffs and they have to be confident about how they are positioned with 17 games remaining. A Friday night showdown in Philadelphia will be a massive test for this side and it could be the determining game in whether they have another 4-0 week or not.
2. Phoenix Suns
NBA Championship Odds: +2400
Current Record: 37-15
Previous Ranking: 2
It was a massive week for the Suns, going 3-1 and having plenty of excuses in their loss. A narrow three point win over the lowly Rockets was a worry to begin the week but their overtime victory over the league leading Jazz was incredible and could have massive impacts on standings down the stretch, given they have won the season series against them.
The loss to the Clippers is alarming, especially given that LA has claimed the series by winning the first two contests between the sides, but this was on the second night of a back to back after an overtime slog the night before. Phoenix now has a perfect opportunity to solidify their position with a four game week, all at home and with only one opponent having a record over 0.500.
3. Utah Jazz
NBA Championship Odds: +750
Current Record: 40-13
Previous Ranking: 1
A tough week for the Jazz, going 2-2 and they are lucky to not have slipped further. While they have extended their home winning streak to 24 straight games, the Jazz are just 5-8 over their last 13 road games as well as 0-2 in overtime games, both of which must be alarming. Their overtime loss in Phoenix definitely hurts, but even more so now that Phoenix has won two games against them this season, meaning they hold the tiebreaker, should it come to that.
Utah starts the week with three home games against teams all below 0.500 before rounding out the week in LA against the Lakers. Given how shorthanded the Lakers are at the moment, the Jazz should go in as favorites for that one, but will their road woes continue?
4. Brooklyn Nets
NBA Championship Odds: +230
Current Record: 36-17
Previous Ranking: 3
An interesting week for the Nets, welcoming back Kevin Durant, albeit in a limited capacity, and going 2-1 in their three games, all at home. A narrow win over the Knicks, without Durant and with just four minutes of Harden, was one they needed to hold on to because KD’s return against New Orleans reminded us how good he is and how good Brooklyn’s offense can be.
The one interesting note is obviously the 25 point loss to the Lakers. While it is just a game in April, the Lakers exposed some defensive issues for the Nets, specifically on the interior. With that being said, Brooklyn was only down by four points when Kyrie Irving got ejected in the third quarter and it was all downhill from there. A four game week highlighted by a Wednesday night clash, in Philadelphia, against Joel Embiid and the Sixers will really determine where this team is at, heading towards the playoffs.
5. Denver Nuggets
NBA Championship Odds: +1400
Current Record: 34-19
Previous Ranking: 4
The Nuggets had a 3-1 week, extending their league leading winning streak to eight games before a 14 minute meltdown so that all come crashing down in a worrying fashion. After holding a double digit lead towards the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets allowed Boston to go on a 31-3 run and could only manage eight points in the decisive fourth quarter.
The positive for the Nuggets is that they played all four games without Jamal Murray and he is expected to be back to start the week. The Nuggets have just three games this week but on the road against the Warriors followed up by hosting the Heat are two danger games and could go either way. A 1-2 week is the minimum, but could that be all they get?
6. Philadelphia 76ers
NBA Championship Odds: +1400
Current Record: 36-17
Previous Ranking: 5
The Sixers drop down a spot despite a 2-1 week, including a comfortable home win over rivals, the Celtics, to kick it off. Following that win, Philly got on the road and ran into Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, an obstacle they were unable to overcome despite having a fully available roster and all five starters playing. Losing such a game like that is worrying for a team with championship aspirations, but isn’t the end of the world and a 2-1 week really isn’t that bad, especially when Brooklyn did the same.
The week sees Philadelphia have, arguably, their hardest week of the season. It starts with a game in Dallas, followed by hosting the Nets and the Clippers. All three teams are playoff bound with the latter two being top five teams in the league. The matchup with Brooklyn is obviously the big one given that the teams have split the first two matchups and this decides who wins the season series and holds the tiebreaker, should it come down to that at the end of the regular season.
7. Atlanta Hawks
NBA Championship Odds: +19000
Current Record: 29-25
Previous Ranking: 10
The Hawks did what they should have done last week, going 3-1 and winning the three games they started as favorites. The one loss, at home, to Memphis is obviously not ideal but it was on the second night of a back to back and Memphis were in the middle of a streak of their own. Recovering to beat Chicago and then Charlotte, in Charlotte is very positive for this young side and has them still sitting fourth in the East.
A three game week with just one opponent having a record over 0.500 is a big positive for this side, but on the road against Toronto and hosting Indiana aren’t as easy as it seems. The Hawks should win both of those, but whether they actually do or not could impact their seeding position and whether they get home court in the opening round of the playoffs.
8. Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Championship Odds: +350
Current Record: 33-20
Previous Ranking: 11
No James. No Davis. No worries. Finishing the week going 2-1 after playing all three games on the road and facing two opponents with records above 0.500 is a massive win for the Lakers, especially the win over Brooklyn. A win over Toronto and loss to Miami is probably what was expected but the 25 point win in Brooklyn is massive for the team on multiple fronts. Andre Drummond exposed the Nets’ terrible interior defense whilst also evening the season series at 1-1, which is important should the sides end up making The Finals, which we all want to happen.
Unfortunately things don’t get any easier for the Lakers, playing in New York and Charlotte on back to back nights before returning home to face the red hot Celtics and league leading Jazz. Anthony Davis is due back in the next week with LeBron James to follow soon after, so the Lakers just need to keep treading water until then.
9. Boston Celtics
NBA Championship Odds: +6000
Current Record: 28-26
Previous Ranking: 12
What a week it was for the Celtics. Entering with an even 0.500 record, things could have gone either way for Boston but they came out with a 3-1 record and could potentially have kickstarted a late push for a rise up the standings. A home loss to Philly is quite alarming, especially given how well Embiid played against them but then Jayson Tatum took over the week, scoring a career high 53 points in a comeback overtime win over the Timberwolves before being instrumental in their comeback win in Denver.
An Eastern Conference-best 31.5 PPG (48.8% shooting), 8.5 RPG and 3.8 APG ☘️
Well-deserved, @jaytatum0 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/p28y4i6LQT
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 12, 2021
This team has the ability to win playoff series, but they just haven’t pieced it all together quite yet. Was their play this week a sign of things to come? Three tough games will help us find out, playing in Portland, in LA against the Lakers before returning home to host the Warriors could either continue their rise or stop them in their tracks, we are going with the former though.
10. Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Championship Odds: +950
Current Record: 33-20
Previous Ranking: 7
The Bucks clearly have excuses for their 1-3 week, playing without Giannis in all four games and losing at home to the Hornets due to all five starters sitting out, but it is still worrying. A team that has led the league for the last two seasons and has championship aspirations should be able to do better than 1-2 with the entire roster playing minus their lead man. Even the Lakers went 2-1 without James and Davis.
There is still no word when Giannis will return from his ‘knee soreness’, but the Bucks have the first two days of the week off, giving him extra time to recover. Even after that, Milwaukee should be favored to win all three of their games, in Minnesota, in Atlanta before hosting the Grizzlies.
11. Dallas Mavericks
NBA Championship Odds: +4200
Current Record: 29-23
Previous Ranking: 8
Quite a bizarre week for the Mavs. They finished 2-2, with both wins coming against teams above 0.500 and both losses being against teams below 0.500. The win over the Jazz is obviously the highlight but losses to Houston and San Antonio have to hurt.
Dallas, seventh in the West, do have a 2.5 game gap on Memphis, eighth, while being just one game behind the struggling Blazers, so they could avoid the play-in with good play to finish the season and this week could help their case. Hosting the Sixers to start the week will be tough but games against Memphis, New York and Sacramento, with the latter two being at home, should all be wins.
12. Miami Heat
NBA Championship Odds: +3600
Current Record: 28-25
Previous Ranking: 13
Things were looking bleak for the Heat after opening the week with a home loss to the Grizzlies, but turned things around to end up going 2-1. A home win of the Lakers was expected but kicking off their West Coast road trip with a win in Portland was massive. Losing Victor Oladipo to a knee injury, albeit not surprising, is disappointing but they have proven they can still get the job done.
Miami have an extremely tough week coming up, playing in Phoenix and Denver on back to back nights, which could easily be two losses. They then play in Minnesota before returning home to host Brooklyn, who could have Harden back and the big three all in action. The Heat need wins but they may not come to them this week. We are expecting at least one win, but their wins line is probably 1.5 and you can’t feel confident taking the over.
13. Portland Trail Blazers
NBA Championship Odds: +8000
Current Record: 31-22
Previous Ranking: 9
What a terrible week it was for the Blazers, losing to all three teams that they played who are above 0.500. Games in LA against the Clippers and in Utah were always going to be tough, but it was the way they lost which is worrying. Both of those losses were by 15+ points and in their three losses for the week, Damian Lillard shot just 28.89% from the field.
A home game against the red hot Boston will be a good litmus test for just how good this Portland side is, before playing in San Antonio and in Charlotte to round out the week. None of those games are gimmies, so Portland will need to work hard if they want to win, something they need to do with Dallas just a game behind them and a locked in playoff berth on the line.
14. New York Knicks
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 27-27
Previous Ranking: 15
A 2-2 week doesn’t do the Knicks any justice. It is no secret that New York struggles on the road and to go to Brooklyn and Boston and only lose both games by two points is massive. They then returned home and stole one from Memphis in overtime before taking care of business against the Raptors.
The 27-27 record has the Knicks currently wedged into eighth in the East, but a tough four game week will be telling. Hosting the Lakers isn’t easy, as Brooklyn found out over the weekend, before road games against New Orleans and Dallas, which will be tough. They round out with a rematch against the Pelicans but get them in The Garden and that could very well be a must win game for the Knicks, depending how they start the week.
15. Indiana Pacers
NBA Championship Odds: +13000
Current Record: 25-27
Previous Ranking: 18
A massive 3-1 week for the Pacers, which was certainly needed given their recent slip down the standings. Both Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon returned from multiple games on the sidelines and the Pacers seemed to kick into gear with their return. A home loss to Chicago to start the week can’t be ignored but three straight wins to end the week gives the team some momentum.
The Pacers have one of the toughest weeks in the league, hosting the Clippers before a three game road trip to round out the week. A game in Houston may not seem that bad but given it is the next night after the matchup with the Clippers could cause issues. Playing in Utah is obviously the toughest thing to do right now and finishing in Atlanta will likely see them start as underdogs.
three straight dubs 🔥#PacersWin | #AlwaysGame pic.twitter.com/jJJNzmLcEJ
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 12, 2021
16. Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 26-25
Previous Ranking: 16
Memphis started the week so strong with road wins in Miami (5th in the East) and in Atlanta (4th) but then an overtime loss in New York seemed to rattle the team as they followed that up with a home loss to Indiana, finishing the week 2-2.
Memphis are your classic middle of the road, competitive but not quite good enough team. However with Ja Morant running the show and Jonas Valanciunas manning the interior, they are certainly no easy beat. Home games against Chicago and Dallas followed by road games in Chicago and Milwaukee should see Memphis get at least two wins, but that is no certainty, especially given how they ended last week.
17. New Orleans Pelicans
NBA Championship Odds: +24000
Current Record: 24-29
Previous Ranking: 19
The New Orleans Pelicans had an inconsistent week, going 2-2 with some lopsided results wedged in there. Losing in Atlanta and in Brooklyn, both by big margins, was followed by beating a fully healthy Philadelphia side at home. Playing on the road is obviously a big issue for this young and inexperienced side, but with Zion and Ingram leading the way, their potential is limitless.
The Pelicans still sit just one game behind the Warriors for the last play-in spot in the West and a four game week against teams with a record of 0.500 or worse should give them a launch pad up the standings. Games in New York and in Washington will obviously be tough, especially if Beal plays for the Wizards, but if this team is serious about wanting to play in the playoffs, they should be winning three games at a minimum.
18. Golden State Warriors
NBA Championship Odds: +24000
Current Record: 25-28
Previous Ranking: 20
A 2-1 week should really have been 3-0 as the Warriors wasted opportunities late in a home loss to the Wizards. Wins over Milwaukee and Houston either side of that loss were the redeeming factors for the Warriors as their week could have looked a lot different to what it did.
Steph Curry is playing incredibly for Golden State at the moment and as they hold on to their dwindling playoff aspirations, they just need to keep winning. Hosting Denver before three games on the road sounds tough, but games in Oklahoma and Cleveland SHOULD be wins, before a must-see TV clash in Boston to close out the week.
19. Charlotte Hornets
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 27-25
Previous Ranking: 17
The Hornets are managing to stay afloat, but their 2-1 record makes them look better than they really are. Beating the Thunder is a given but playing in Milwaukee and winning is not. Luckily for Charlotte, the Bucks rested all five starters and essentially handed the Hornets a win. Their first real game of the week saw them host the Hawks and lose, so what does that really say about the team.
They could be found out this week with three of their four games being against playoff bound teams. What could help them out is that they play the Lakers, Cavs and Blazers at home, but none of those games are guaranteed wins…
20. San Antonio Spurs
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 25-26
Previous Ranking: 14
This was a horrible week for the Spurs, losing the first three before saving themselves from slipping even further with a last second win in Dallas. The home loss to Cleveland to start the week shows that this team has some major flaws but they are still hanging on to a play-in spot.
Road games against the Magic and Raptors should be wins but the Spurs close the week by hosting the Blazers and playing in Phoenix on back to back nights and they could easily lose both of those. San Antonio is just two games from being out of the play-in altogether but also just one game behind Memphis in eighth for the double chance play-in spot. Wins need to come and they need to come now.
21. Chicago Bulls
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 22-30
Previous Ranking: 21
Chicago could very well have the biggest disparity between potential and actual performance in the league. A 2-2 week is the sort of mediocrity that has seen the Bulls struggle over recent years, but with Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine leading the way, they should be getting more.
Wins at the Pacers and at the Raptors set up their week nicely but a blow out loss in Atlanta before losing in Minnesota to the lowly Timberwolves can’t be ignored. This team is in the last play-in spot in the East and while they could cause a scare, they could also be blown out on any given night. Two games against Memphis this week could be two wins or two losses, who knows really, but they should have two wins against the Magic and Cavs, both at home.
22. Toronto Raptors
NBA Championship Odds: +12000
Current Record: 21-33
Previous Ranking: 23
A five game week gave the Raptors the perfect opportunity to make their claim at one of the play-in spots in the East, but a 2-3 week leaves a lot to be desired. A narrow, last second win over the Wizards was needed, especially given they lost, at home, to the Lakers and Bulls after that. They then demolished the Cavs, in Cleveland, but then lost to the Knicks, despite Kyle Lowry returning to the lineup.
Lowry is obviously a big in, but is it too late? The Raptors are two games behind Chicago in the last play-in spot and obviously need more wins than they are currently getting. A four game week, all at home, with three opponents with a record below 0.500 gives the Raptors the opportunity to turn things around and they really need to get at least three wins.
23. Washington Wizards
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 19-33
Previous Ranking: 24
A four game week for the Wizards saw Bradley Beal play in just two of them. In those two games, Washington won. In the two games he missed, Washington lost. A 2-2 week is sort of what is expected from the Wizards now and while the play-in isn’t out of the question, just three games back with 20 games to play, it is more of a dream than a possibility.
Starting the week in Utah is far from ideal, but three winnable games follow with the Kings, Pelicans and Pistons waiting, the latter two at home. While it may be too little, too late, the Wizards would definitely make the playoffs more exciting, they just won’t get there.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 14-40
Previous Ranking: 29
An unusual big rise in the NBA Power Rankings for the Timberwolves, even more so since they went just 2-2 last week. Minnesota still has the worst record in the league but last week saw some very promising signs for the future of the franchise. D’Angelo Russell returned to the court and the combination of him, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards could form an unstoppable offense in the coming years.
D’Angelo Russell
27 PTS – 4 AST – 9/13 FG – 3/6 3PTKarl-Anthony Towns
27 PTS – 12 REB – 8 AST – 2 BLKDynamic duo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/B6YvP0NO9K
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) April 12, 2021
While this year is done in terms of playoff chances, if those three can stay healthy for the Timberwolves and get a headstart on building chemistry for next season, that will be massive. A four game week against four teams heading to the playoffs is tough, but if they can play good, competitive basketball and potentially even cause an upset, that is more than enough.
25. Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 19-34
Previous Ranking: 25
The Cavs had a 2-2 week, winning both road games (San Antonio and Oklahoma City) and losing both home games (Toronto and New Orleans). That is quite unusual for Cleveland as their home record is far superior to their road record, but this team will take any win it can get at the moment.
Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr haven’t played in almost two weeks while Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are showing signs of fatigue from doing the heavy lifting for the team. They are obviously still a way off competing but it isn’t all negative in Cleveland.
26. Sacramento Kings
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 22-31
Previous Ranking: 22
This is just straight up embarrassing from the Kings. A three game week saw them lose all three by 10+ points and they played the two teams on the bottom of the two conferences, Minnesota and Detroit. A 101-113 home loss to Detroit, who were missing their best player, is just inexcusable for a team that had playoff aspirations for this season.
A four game week could easily be another four losses, playing in New Orleans, in Phoenix and in Dallas whilst also hosting the Wizards. They will start as underdogs in all four games and we can’t see any reason to back them at all.
27. Detroit Pistons
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 16-38
Previous Ranking: 28
A massive five game week from the Pistons saw them finish 2-3. They won the games they should have, OKC and Sacramento while losing to Denver, Portland and the Clippers. The positive is they have unearthed some good, young players and had the opportunity to get some minutes into them, but it is unfortunate that this season is essentially a write off.
Wins obviously aren’t important for this team that would rather improve their draft positioning but they have two winnable games, hosting the Thunder and playing in Washington.
28. Houston Rockets
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 14-39
Previous Ranking: 30
The Rockets actually had an impressive start to the week, losing in Phoenix by just three points before knocking off Dallas, but it was all downhill from there. Big losses to the Clippers and Warriors reminded us just how far behind this team is.
John Wall is on the wrong timeline to the rest of the team and is stealing opportunities from their young guns. Kevin Porter Jr and Jae’Sean Tate are both solid wings while Christian Wood has expectations surrounding him after his start to the season. This isn’t their year, but how soon till it is?
29. Orlando Magic
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 17-36
Previous Ranking: 27
While the Magic went 0-3 last week, that was probably what was expected and there are still positives from the results. Orlando welcomed back Cole Anthony to the lineup and getting some solid minutes into him will only help the team down the line while Wendell Carter Jr is playing well in the starting lineup.
Wins are obviously not a factor for the Magic right now, instead just getting minutes into their young players, but that means they will likely stay near the bottom of the NBA Power Rankings and bottom of the standings for some time to come.
30. Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Championship Odds: +25000
Current Record: 20-33
Previous Ranking: 26
We said last week that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Thunder go 0-4 last week and that is exactly what they did. Results obviously don’t matter but losing all four games by 10+ points isn’t good and has resulted in the Thunder taking up the bottom spot in the rankings.
Oklahoma is in a similar situation to Orlando, preferring to get minutes into their young players rather than play competitive basketball and there won’t be many more wins coming their way this season.
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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