Just when the critics started questioning the Golden State Warriors as the most dominant team in the NBA, Stephen Curry and company decided to string together five straight wins and remind everybody just what they set out to achieve this season. The Warriors lead the NBA with 117.4 points per game this season and despite a relatively slow start they appear primed to put together the best record in the association for the second year in a row. Here is a look a look at the top-five teams in the NBA right now.
1. Golden State Warriors (10-2)
Last Week: 1
NBA Championship Odds: -120
Golden State put together four straight double-digit wins over Western Conference teams before going in to Toronto and taking down the Raptors 127-121 in a game that didn’t seem nearly as close as the score indicated. While their early season stumbles were to be expected to a degree, the Warriors didn’t take long to figure things out and Wednesday’s win over the Raptors provided a glimpse of what is in store. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant both topped the 30-point mark in the same game for the first time this season, Draymond Green was a dominant defensive force and the bench delivered 28 points to put a bowtie on the victory. Golden State is only beginning to tap in to its potential as a powerhouse and it’s scary to think of how good they could be by the time the postseason rolls around.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-3)
Last Week: 2
NBA Championship Odds: +300
LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 27,000 points this past week and that wasn’t even the biggest story in Cleveland with the defending champions making their White House visit. The Cavaliers pace has slowed a bit with losses to the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers but they are set to play three straight at home and they could easily get back on track with a sweep. Kyrie Irving has been absolutely dominant early on while it appears as though Cleveland has figured out how to maximize Kevin Love’s potential. Love has averaged 21.0 points and 10.8 rebounds through 11 games and as long as their big three continues to roll the Cavaliers will remain the team to beat in the Eastern Conference this season.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (11-2)
Last Week: 3
NBA Championship Odds: +1400
The Clippers have exceeded all expectations out of the gate with the best record in the NBA at 10-2 through their first 12 games. Their incredible start was punctuated by back-to-back wins over Detroit and Portland by a combined 63 points and while their offense is clicking the most impressive aspect of their game so far is the fact that they lead the NBA in defensive efficiency at 92.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. Blake Griffin is playing the best basketball of his career and at this point Los Angeles is healthy. Avoiding the injury bug could be the ultimate test for a team that has been plagued by injuries over the years but right now the Clippers are showing the basketball world how good they have the potential to be this season.
4. San Antonio Spurs (10-3)
Last Week: 5
NBA Championship Odds: +750
Dropping three home games in a row was surprising to say the least, event if San Antonio has bounced back with four straight wins. The Spurs move up one spot on this list after the Oklahoma City Thunder were bounced out of the top-five but they still have some major work to do if they are going to contend with the Warriors this season. Their season-opening win probably had more to do with chemistry and the fact that it was Golden State’s first regular season game with Kevin Durant than anything else and you have to think the Warriors will be motivated to avenge that loss in their next meeting. San Antonio needs Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge to find the chemistry to be a formidable tandem night in and night out while asking Tony Parker to hold his own as their starting point guard following a slow start. If those two things happen, then the Spurs can compete with anyone. If they don’t, it could mean another early playoff exit next spring.
5. Atlanta Hawks (9-3)
Last Week: –
NBA Championship Odds: +6000
The newest addition to the top-five Power Rankings is the Hawks, who have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference with five straight wins including a 110-106 victory over the Cavaliers. Atlanta’s commitment to defense has worked as they rank sixth in the NBA with an average of 98.2 points allowed per game this season but they have excelled at the offensive end of the floor as well with an average of 107.8 points per game, which is good enough to rank seventh in the association. Paul Millsap has stepped up with Dwight Howard sidelined but ultimately this group will need to stay healthy in order to contend in the Eastern Conference. Dennis Schroder has excelled as the team’s starting point guard but the overall depth on this roster isn’t great so they can’t afford to run in to injury troubles. The Hawks are currently listed at +6000 to win the NBA championship so now is the time to jump on them if you think they are legitimate contenders this season.
