– Last Updated on November 21, 2022 3:05 pm
2017-18 NBA Power Rankings
Looking for 2017-18 NBA Power Rankings? We’re nearing the end of Week 5 of the season, and there are plenty of storylines to keep track of. But for our purposes, we’re only focused on who’s hot and who’s not as Week 6 approaches.
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As always, our rankings will look at the entire body of work for all 30 teams, with a specific emphasis on recent trends.
This week, the Warriors remain the top team in the Association, but the Boston Celtics are one Thursday night win away from taking that spot.
1. Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors’ season didn’t get off to the best start. There was the close loss on opening night to the Houston Rockets, the inexcusable temper tantrum from Stephen Curry and numerous slow starts.
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Since then, the Warriors have completely turned things around and have won seven in a row at the time of this writing—all by double digits.
If the Warriors win Thursday night, odds are they’ll hold this spot against next week. But if they lose, there’s one team that will have its eye on the No. 1 position…
2. Boston Celtics
Boston enters Thursday night’s game against the Warriors having won 13 straight. For those keeping track at home, that means they dropped two to tip off the year and have gone undefeated (despite the loss of Gordon Hayward) since their 0-2 start.
Being in the second spot instead of the first isn’t an indictment on what Boston’s capable—it’s a testament to just how good the Warriors are. Any other season, the C’s would be No. 1 with what they’ve done so far. But the Warriors are on pace to have the greatest offense in NBA history, which is something we can’t ignore.
3. Houston Rockets
Like the Celtics, the Houston Rockets lost their big-time offseason acquisition in Game 1 of the season. Also like the C’s, Clutch City hasn’t slowed down.
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Despite Chris Paul’s absence, the Rockets own the No. 3 spot in our rankings, having gone 6-1 in their last seven outings.
Of course the Rockets want Paul back; after all, he’s one of the greatest point guards to ever play this game and will give the team a solid defensive presence on the perimeter. They’ll get him back Thursday night.
4. Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are one of the league’s most pleasant surprises this season. From Andre Drummond’s unbelievably competent free-throw shooting to the team’s 10-4 record, it looks like this team should be postseason-bound unless a serious regression to the mean takes place.
5. San Antonio Spurs
It was tough not to put the Spurs in the No. 4 spot, but their Wednesday night loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves helped make that decision a bit easier.
But like the Celtics being No. 1 instead of No. 2, this isn’t a slam on the Spurs. After all, their 9-6 record is probably even better than it should be considering the squad’s consensus best player, Kawhi Leonard, hasn’t played a single minute.
That’s a testament to the depth, coaching and overall system of the Spurs. Look for them to potentially pass the Pistons next week.
6. Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are just 9-5 this season, but four of those wins have come in the last five outings. Their five losses have come against the Warriors, Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, and Celtics. That’s some serious competition there, so the Raps deserve a high-five for their body of work this season.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves need to figure things out defensively. This is a good team off to a decent start, but Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns have to get better on that end of the court. If they do, they have the potential to be a top-five team.
8. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards currently sit at 9-5, but they’ve won six out of their last seven. It hasn’t been the most difficult seven-game stretch, so the rest of November will be a good Litmus test for this group.
9. New Orleans Pelicans
We’re not ready to claim that the New Orleans Pelicans are a top-10 team overall, but right now, they are one of the 10 hottest.
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They’ve won five of their last seven
10. Philadelphia 76ers
This may be too high for the Sixers, but we’re all in and Trusting The Process. After a 1-4 start, Philly has gone 7-2. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are making the league their playground, and while only time will tell how legitimate they are, right now, they look good.
More NBA Power Rankings – Teams #11 – > #30
- 11. New York Knicks
- 12. Portland Trail Blazers
- 13. Milwaukee Bucks
- 14. Denver Nuggets
- 15. Orlando Magic
- 16. Miami Heat
- 17. Cleveland Cavaliers
- 18. Memphis Grizzlies
- 19. Oklahoma City Thunder
- 20. Indiana Pacers
- 21. Charlotte Hornets
- 22. Los Angeles Lakers
- 23. Utah Jazz
- 24. LA Clippers
- 25. Brooklyn Nets
- 26. Atlanta Hawks
- 27. Phoenix Suns
- 28. Dallas Mavericks
- 29. Sacramento Kings
- 30. Chicago Bulls
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