NBA Mid Season Power Rankings

We are nearly half-way through the NBA season and we are beginning to see teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Teams like the Warriors, Celtics and Rockets have continued to sit atop the standings while teams like the Sixers, Pacers and pistons have regressed to ‘middle tier’ teams. So we present to you our NBA Power Rankings midway through the season.

1. Golden State Warriors (33-8)

The Warriors have excelled with Steph Curry back on the court. The Warriors are 5-0 since Steph Curry returned from an ankle injury that sidelined him for nearly a month. Steph added an emphatic exclamation mark on his phenominal return by scoring 45 points through three quarters in Sunday’s win over the LA Clippers. Bad news for Warriors fans is Steph will be sidelined for tonight’s game against the Clippers, but he is expected to return soon.

2. Boston Celtics (33-10)

Kyrie Irving has led the way for Celtics, posting career bests in usage rating, turnover percentage, defensive rating and win shares per 48 minutes. Celtics fans are hoping that Kyrie Irving’s play will carry over the pond as the Cetlics prepare to take on the Philadelphia Sixers in London this Thursday. Boston is 10-0 when holding opponents under 90 points and 24-1 when holding teams to under 100.

3. Toronto Raptors (28-11)

The NBA’s best home team will be tested this week with upcoming games against the Cavaliers and Warriors this week. At 14-2, the Raptors own the best home record in the NBA and are 17-4 in the last 21 games. DeMar DeRozan has quickly risen in the NBA MVP watch list playing some of the best basketball of his career over the past couple of weeks. DeRozan is averaging 35.7 ppg while shooting 55% from three over the past three games.

4. Houston Rockets (28-11)

The Rockets have struggled mightily when Chris Paul and James Harden are off of the court. Houston is 2-2 since James Harden suffered a hamstring injury and the Rockets defense straight up stinks without Chris Paul on the court, jumping to 137 points per 100 possessions without Paul. Additionally the Rockets have a net rating of minus-24.4 when Paul is not playing. If the Rockets can hold off until Harden returns from injury then Houston shouldn’t lose much ground in a talented Western Conference, but look for the Rockets to return to dominance when Harden returns.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (26-16)

The Timberwolves caught everyone’s eye with a 38-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. For those who follow the Timberwolves a win over the Cavs comes as no surprise, although a margin that large may be. Timberwolves fans have seen Minnesota improve game by game so far this season, culminating with Monday’s win. The Wolves are 6-3 since Christmas, with all three losses coming on the road. Jimmy Butler has dominated in recent weeks while Karl-Anthony Towns has finally began to live up to expectations this season. If the Timberwolves can continue to follow their current trajectory look for them to compete in a series against the Rockets or Warriors, although don’t expect a Timberwolves series win.

Contender: Toronto Raptors. The key to success in the playoffs is to win at home and the Raptors have shown that they are fully capable of doing that. DeRozan is the fifth strongest MVP candidate according to Basketball Reference. IF DeRozan and Kyle Lowery can maintain this level of play in the playoffs the Raptors are capable of threatening the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. But that’s a big if.

Pretender: Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have played fantastic basketball recently. The only concern surrounding Minnesota is their inconsistent play on the defensive end and the minutes that Timberwolves stars Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins are playing. Tyus Jones has filled in nicely for an injured Jeff Teague but in a crowded Western Conference it’s difficult to see the Timberwolves advancing past the second round.