Here at the ICT Zone 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.
The Boston Celtics' reign on top the standings has finally ended, and what could be a more poetic way for that to happen than at the hands of their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, thanks to a buzzer-beater from former Celtics star Rajon Rondo. The Lakers bounced back nicely from a 42-point drumming against the Pacers, proving that they obviously have no use for megastar trade target Anthony Davis. Jokes aside, this would've been an easy time for the Lakers to crumble, but credit to them for digging deep and besting the Celtics on the road after being down by 18 points.
The San Antonio Spurs, much like they have for the entire Gregg Popovich era, have flown under the radar so far this season, clinging onto the 7 seed in the West. Their positive standing doesn't save them in this week's rankings, however, as they occupy the number 30 spot after a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Spurs fans may lament the fact that their team was quiet as the trade deadline past, but the roster is still solid, and the front office is the most stable and reliable in the NBA.
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. Los Angeles Lakers +18
(28-27)
2. Houston Rockets +24
(32-22)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
(35-19)
4. Milwaukee Bucks
(40-13)
5. Golden State Warriors +10
(38-15)
6. Orlando Magic +10
(23-32)
7. Detroit Pistons +10
(24-29)
8. Toronto Raptors +6
(40-16)
9. Miami Heat +21
(25-27)
10. Memphis Grizzlies +8
(22-34)
11. Sacramento Kings -3
(28-26)
12. Atlanta Hawks -1
(18-36)
13. Indiana Pacers +15
(36-19)
14. Philadelphia 76ers -12
(34-20)
15. Portland Trail Blazers -6
(33-21)
16. Brooklyn Nets -10
(29-27)
17. Los Angeles Clippers +3
(30-26)
18. Dallas Mavericks +3
(25-28)
19. Boston Celtics -18
(35-20)
20. Denver Nuggets -13
(37-17)
21. Charlotte Hornets +2
(26-28)
22. New Orleans Pelicans -9
(24-31)
23. Minnesota Timberwolves -13
(25-29)
24. Cleveland Cavaliers
(11-43)
25. Washington Wizards
(22-32)
26. Utah Jazz -14
(31-24)
27. Phoenix Suns
(11-45)
28. Chicago Bulls -6
(12-42)
29. New York Knicks
(10-43)
30. San Antonio Spurs -25
(32-25)
This year's draft is shaping to be one for the ages. Not only does it include game-changing prospects, but the turnaround from the finals last week to the draft and then free agency next week is so condensed compared to years past. Look for GMs and Players to move with more urgency. Draft night is set to have Woj bombs...
USA Men's Basketball heads into these Olympic games with less certainty than they've had in years, which leads me to believe they'll fall short of a gold medal. The squad is too thin, there is no clear leader, and the roster feels more like a mix and matching of stars than an actual roster.
Without hyperbole, I confidently say that the Milwaukee Bucks championship is the best thing to have happened to the NBA in a long time. With this championship, three vital things happened:
