Here at the ICT Zone, our power rankings are based on a very simple philosophy. "To be the man you gotta beat the man", if a lower ranked team beats a higher ranked team, then the two teams automatically swap spots regardless of results from prior weeks. Welcome to week 11 of the the NBA season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder weren't expected to make any noise this year after losing both of their stars in Paul George and Russell Westbrook this past summer. However, we're over 1/3 of the way through the season and the Thunder are currently sitting at the seventh seed in the West. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated his game drastically compared to last year, and the balanced attack Oklahoma City employs is beneficial in that the team does not rely on just one player to carry the load.
After getting out of the early season hole they dug for themselves, the Blazers are back on the down-swing. While Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are a talented duo, the fact that so much of the offensive burden is placed on both of their shoulders makes the team somewhat volatile. If one of those two ever have an off night, it's difficult for Portland to secure a victory. Also, although Carmelo Anthony started off hot with the Blazers, he still does not have the shooting consistency to be relied upon any given night.
Teams that have been first: Sacramento Kings (1x), Houston Rockets (2x), Memphis Grizzlies (1x), Boston Celtics (1x), Oklahoma City Thunder (1x)
Teams that have been last: Memphis Grizzlies (2x), Golden State Warriors (1x), Minnesota Timberwolves (2x), Sacramento Kings (1x)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder +2
(18-15)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
(10-23)
3. Houston Rockets +17
(23-11)
4. Milwaukee Bucks +3
(31-5)
5. Orlando Magic +13
(15-19)
6. New Orleans Pelicans +18
(11-23)
7. Indiana Pacers -3
(22-12)
8. Los Angeles Lakers -2
(27-7)
9. Philadelphia 76ers +16
(23-13)
10. Boston Celtics -9
(23-8)
11. Utah Jazz +3
(21-12)
12. Dallas Mavericks +5
(21-12)
13. San Antonio Spurs +13
(14-18)
14. Los Angeles Clippers +5
(24-11)
15. Toronto Raptors -5
(23-11)
16. Atlanta Hawks +13
(7-27)
17. Golden State Warriors +10
(9-26)
18. Memphis Grizzlies -10
(13-21)
19. Minnesota Timberwolves +11
(12-21)
20. Charlotte Hornets -5
(13-23)
21. Detroit Pistons
(12-22)
22. Chicago Bulls -13
(13-21)
23. New York Knicks
(10-24)
24. Denver Nuggets -12
(23-10)
25. Miami Heat -20
(24-9)
26. Brooklyn Nets -15
(16-16)
27. Phoenix Suns +1
(13-21)
28. Portland Trail Blazers -6
(14-21)
29. Washington Wizards -13
(10-23)
30. Sacramento Kings -17
(12-22)
It is time to throw away the American inferiority complex with its place in the sport, where many blindly claim that technique should come above all in choosing and developing the best prospects and that the U.S. is not an international power because it cares too much about athleticism.
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