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 14 of the the NBA season.
The Phoenix Suns are in a somewhat interesting position. While the team is still not good, they are currently only 2 games back from the eighth seed in the West, making the playoffs a realistic achievement this season. Devin Booker has been his usual stellar self, Deandre Ayton has been solid in his return following his suspension, and Kelly Oubre has been a surprisingly solid 2nd option for the team to this point. Now probably wouldn't be the worst time for Phoenix to push their chips in and try to acquire a star to climb the ladder in the Western Conference.
Of all the teams in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets always seem to be the most forgotten. Despite being owned by arguably the greatest basketball player ever, the team has never really been able to rise above mediocrity. PJ Washington and Miles Bridges are interesting pieces, but neither has really shown they have what it takes to carry a franchise to this point. Devonte' Graham has put up numbers, but he's done so while being horribly inefficient (37.6% from the field.) Other than that, there's not too much to be excited for when it comes to professional basketball in Charlotte, and unless they can luck out on a top pick in this year's draft, it is unlikely they will receive a significant boost any time soon.
Teams that have been first: Sacramento Kings (1x), Houston Rockets (2x), Memphis Grizzlies (1x), Boston Celtics (1x), Oklahoma City Thunder (2x), Philadelphia 76ers (1x), Dallas Mavericks (1x)
Teams that have been last: Memphis Grizzlies (2x), Golden State Warriors (2x), Minnesota Timberwolves (2x), Sacramento Kings (1x), Los Angeles Clippers (1x), Charlotte Hornets (1x)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder +23
(27-19)
2. Dallas Mavericks -1
(28-16)
3. Phoenix Suns +23
(19-26)
4. Milwaukee Bucks
(40-6)
5. Toronto Raptors +1
(31-14)
6. Philadelphia 76ers -1
(29-17)
7. Los Angeles Clippers -4
(32-14)
8. Miami Heat +6
(31-14)
9. Boston Celtics +13
(30-14)
10. Atlanta Hawks -3
(11-35)
11. Sacramento Kings +12
(16-29)
12. Portland Trail Blazers -2
(19-27)
13. Utah Jazz
(31-13)
14. Denver Nuggets +5
(31-14)
15. Houston Rockets +10
(28-16)
16. Los Angeles Lakers +2
(36-9)
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
(15-30)
18. Memphis Grizzlies -9
(21-24)
19. Indiana Pacers -4
(29-17)
20. Detroit Pistons -12
(17-29)
21. Brooklyn Nets -5
(18-25)
22. San Antonio Spurs +5
(20-24)
23. Washington Wizards -3
(15-29)
24. Golden State Warriors +6
(10-37)
25. New Orleans Pelicans -23
(17-29)
26. New York Knicks +3
(12-34)
27. Chicago Bulls -16
(17-30)
28. Orlando Magic -16
(21-25)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers -8
(12-33)
30. Charlotte Hornets -2
(15-31)
Guys, I am devastated. I let you all down last year. It was right under my nose that UConn would win the championship, but I missed it due to poor data collection. I began last year's prediction by saying a team with eight losses would win March Madness, and in listing all the teams that qualified, I somehow missed...
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A new season is upon us, and with it comes plenty of intriguing storylines. From massive traves and superstar uncertainty in the East to a West perhaps the deepest it has ever been, here is an early season NBA Power ranking.
