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)
It is no secret this summer that Chelsea captured the attention of the premier league with the transfers they made. They went from an already pretty good roster to one that is amongst the best in Europe, not just the Premier League. It is why my prediction that Chelsea will finish outside of the top 4 a wild one.
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.
There are few good teams that fly under the radar quite as much as the Indiana Pacers. The team has been consistently solid for the past decade, but outside of a couple trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, they have not been seen as a serious threat come playoff time. With each of the Pacers' last five seasons ending in...
