Our rankings are molded after Ric Flair's famous quote "to be the man, you gotta beat the man." The week's ranking are based solely on the week's results so if a lower ranked team defeats a higher ranked team, the two teams automatically swap rankings.
For the second consecutive rankings, the Eastern Conference has shown it has more talented teams at the top of the league, with 5 of the top 7 teams being from the East. While most of the top teams are at least somewhat justified, the fact that the Memphis Grizzlies are number 3 is interesting, to say the least. The Grizzlies have seen themselves fall from the top of Western Conference to outside the playoffs in the past month, and their lack of depth is the primary culprit. The Brooklyn Nets are a surprise team of late, recovering from Caris LeVert's injury and a brutal stretch that followed to currently occupying the 6th seed in the East.
The Sacramento Kings have seen their relatively hot start to the season cool off a bit in recent weeks, though a somewhat difficult schedule recently could be a factor. The Orlando Magic are likely the most lost team in the league. They have intriguing talent in Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Mo Bamba, and Jonathan Isaac, but none of them have shown the ability to carry a franchise at this point in their careers. Trading Vucevic in exchange for draft compensation would appear to be the best option for the Magic to build for the future, as a risky trade for a star would not move the needle enough for this team.
Here are the current NBA Power Rankings, as determined by Ric Flair's legendary quote, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man":
1. Boston Celtics +2
(25-15)
2. Toronto Raptors -1
(31-12)
3. Memphis Grizzlies +13
(19-22)
4. Indiana Pacers +3
(27-14)
5. Portland Trail Blazers +15
(25-17)
6. Milwaukee Bucks -4
(29-11)
7. Brooklyn Nets +1
(21-22)
8. Denver Nuggets +18
(27-12)
9. Utah Jazz -3
(21-21)
10. Houston Rockets -5
(23-17)
11. Atlanta Hawks
(12-29)
12. Los Angeles Lakers +7
(23-19)
13. Washington Wizards +2
(17-25)
14. Miami Heat +4
(19-20)
15. Minnesota Timberwolves -11
(20-21)
16. New Orleans Pelicans +14
(20-22)
17. Golden State Warriors +7
(27-14)
18. Oklahoma City Thunder -5
(25-15)
19. Philadelphia 76ers -5
(27-15)
20. Detroit Pistons -11
(17-22)
21. Chicago Bulls -9
(10-31)
22. New York Knicks +6
(10-31)
23. Los Angeles Clippers -1
(24-16)
24. Dallas Mavericks -1
(19-22)
25. San Antonio Spurs -15
(24-18)
26. Charlotte Hornets -3
(19-21)
27. Orlando Magic -6
(17-24)
28. Phoenix Suns -11
(10-33)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers -4
(8-34)
30. Sacramento Kings -3
(20-21)
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