The Golden State Warriors entered historic territory this week in terms of All-Star voting and with another win streak it should be no surprise that they are at the top of the NBA power rankings once again. However, there was a minor shakeup at the bottom of this list with a streaking team in the Eastern Conference putting the Cleveland Cavaliers on notice. Here is a look at the NBA top five power rankings for this week.
1. Golden State Warriors
Last Week: 1
NBA Championship Odds: -135
The Warriors became just the 11th team in NBA history to have four of its players selected as All-Stars. While only two of the previous 10 teams with four All-Stars went on to win an NBA championship, it’s hard to argue against Golden State right now as they have won four in a row and 11 of their last 12 to improve to a league-best 42-7 this season. The Warriors seem destined to lock up the best record in the NBA and home court advantage throughout the playoffs and the scary part is that this team appears to be getting better as they continue to improve their overall chemistry as the most talented team in the NBA.
2. San Antonio Spurs
Last Week: 2
NBA Championship Odds: +850
San Antonio had only one All-Star in Kawhi Leonard and while the Spurs have managed to hang around with the second-best record in the NBA there is good chance they won’t catch the Warriors. The Spurs followed up tough losses at New Orleans and home to Dallas with a win over Oklahoma City and while their schedule appears to be quite favorable heading in to the break it’s hard to envision them closing the gap on Golden State.
3. Houston Rockets
Last Week: 3
NBA Championship Odds: +2500
The Rockets are 4-7 over their last 11 games but they still own the third-best record in the NBA behind only Golden State and San Antonio thanks to an offense that ranks second in the NBA with 114.1 points per game this season. James Harden has led the way with 28.4 points and 11.5 assists per game but Houston could be in the market for another scorer before the trade deadline. The Rockets are once again considered a legitimate contender in the Western Conference but nobody is buying them taking down the Warriors just yet. Their defense is a noticeable weakness and that figures to a problem in the playoffs.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Week: 4
NBA Championship Odds: +300
While it’s difficult to imagine any other team than the Cavaliers reaching the NBA Finals (from the Eastern Conference), the reality is that Cleveland can’t be any higher on this list based on what has happened over the past couple of weeks. January marked the Cavaliers’ first losing month since LeBron James returned and with tensions reaching a boiling point LeBron had some harsh words for management. He vented to the media in public fashion, criticizing the fact that the team needs to step up and that ownership needs to make a move for another play maker. Then he got into a personal battle with Charles Barkley that only served as a bigger distraction.
Cleveland is still the most talented team in the Eastern Conference and is widely considered a lock to reach the NBA Finals, but after a rough month they currently sit at No. 4 on this list. There are a lot of people that are nervous about them right now as it looks like they are somewhat broken – especially with rumors suggesting that there is friction in the locker room between LeBron and certain players like Tristan Thompson.
5. Boston Celtics
Last Week: –
NBA Championship Odds: +3300
With the Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors struggling, the Celtics make their debut at No. 5 this week after climbing to within 2.5 games of Cleveland for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Boston has won five in a row to improve to 31-18 including big wins over Houston and Toronto over that span. Isaiah Thomas is playing at an elite level and he has received just enough support to help the Celtics surpass the Raptors as perhaps the biggest challengers to the Cavaliers’ Eastern Conference supremacy.
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