The first week of the 2016-17 NBA season is in the books and not much has changed in terms of the overall outlook at the top with the exception of a dominant start from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Russell Westbrook and company have exploded out of the gate with four straight wins and they have pushed their way in to our top-five Power Rankings in the process. Here is a look at the top-five teams in the NBA right now.
1. Golden State Warriors (3-1)
Last Week: 1
NBA Championship Odds: -120
Golden State has bounced back from its season-opening loss to the San Antonio Spurs with three straight wins and it didn’t take long for them to secure the best offensive numbers in the NBA with an average of 113.8 points per game. Kevin Durant has averaged 28.5 points per game while Stephen Curry is still up there at 26.3 points per game. That tandem should be absolutely frightening for the rest of the NBA to look at, especially considering they should only continue to get better as they develop their chemistry as the season progresses. The Warriors are clearly the most talented team in the NBA and they will only continue to get better as they spend more time building some special on the west coast.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)
Last Week: 2
NBA Championship Odds: +333
The Cavaliers have picked up from where they left off when they won an NBA championship last season with four straight wins out of the gate. LeBron James became the first player with a triple-double on opening night since Jason Kidd did it for the New Jersey Nets back in 2006-07 and he appears re-energized after last year’s title run. The city of Cleveland will now turn its attention back to the Cavaliers with a hope that LeBron can lead the city to another championship and their basketball team has certainly looked outstanding out of the gate this season.
3. San Antonio Spurs (4-1)
Last Week: 3
NBA Championship Odds: +700
The Spurs looked flat in their first loss of the season when they dropped a 106-91 decision to the Utah Jazz at home. The post-Tim Duncan era is off to a smooth start but there will definitely be some highs and lows as San Antonio continues to transition younger players like Jonathon Simmons in to more prominent roles. This is now clearly Kawhi Leonard’s team and his emergence will help the Spurs contend for top spot in the Western Conference. San Antonio’s roster is arguably deeper than it was a year ago so it will be very interesting to see if they can contend with Golden State for top spot in the standings.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)
Last Week: –
NBA Championship Odds: +6000
A perfect start to the season has the Thunder moving in to our top-five this week at 4-0. Russell Westbrook has taken his new role as the man in Oklahoma City to heart by averaging a ridiculous 37.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists through the Thunder’s perfect start and while it will be difficult for him to keep it up without tiring himself out he certainly has the talent to carry this team. Victor Oladipo has fit in nicely with what Oklahoma City has while the tandem of Enes Kanter and Steven Adams has the potential to be very good as well. Time will tell if the Thunder have the talent to contend with the Warriors and Spurs but a strong start has them moving in to our Power Rankings this week.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (4-1)
Last Week: 5
NBA Championship Odds: +2200
The Clippers narrowly edged out the Toronto Raptors for the final spot in our Power Rankings despite narrowly dropping an 85-83 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Los Angeles opened the year with three straight wins and an outstanding start from Blake Griffin has provided basketball fans with another reminder of how talented this team’s core group is. Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan will be relied on to carry the Clippers while Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick, Marreese Speight and Austin Rivers have provided some quality depth. The championship window is closing in Los Angeles so now is the time for the Clippers to prove they can compete with the big boys in the Western Conference.
