With LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers extending their win streak to eight, it might come as a surprise that they have actually dropped out of the top spot in the NBA power rankings but that is the case after the Golden State Warriors joined an elite class. The Warriors are just the ninth team in NBA history to win at least 36 of their first 42 games and considering the first six teams to do that all went on to win an NBA Championship, it makes sense that they retake the No. 1 spot.
1. Golden State Warriors
This Week: +350 odds
https://vine.co/v/OT3YDKaEFg2
Stephen Curry talked this week about the team not getting complacent, and while some experts were quick to point out that a group that has never won an NBA Championship should have no reason not to be motivated, we might have seen the slightest dip in a 113-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls in overtime. It was just the second time the Warriors have lost in 23 home games this season and could be a sign there is some truth to what Curry said. Golden State ranks No. 1 in points and assists per game and they have all of the weapons they need to win a title led by the Splash Brothers but they will have to maintain their high level of play the rest of the way to clinch the top spot in the Western Conference and home court advantage.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
This Week: +400
The Cavaliers actually didn’t have to drop off in terms of their NBA Championship futures odds in order to slip one spot to No. 2 on this list but the reality is that we are finally starting to see from this team the level of play most predicted would be there from the outset. The arrivals of Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith has helped fill out the depth on this Cleveland’s roster but the bottom line is that LeBron is finally playing at an MVP level.
3. San Antonio Spurs
This Week: +700
The Spurs have already had 23 different starting lineups this season and it’s testament to their depth and coaching that they are just 2.5 games back of the third seed in the Western Conference. Gregg Popovich has done a masterful job on a nightly basis and as long as this team is able to lock down a playoff spot, they will be considered a threat to go all the way.
T-4. Atlanta Hawks
This Week: +750
Atlanta has strung together 17 straight wins to take a seven-game lead atop the Eastern Conference standings and barring any major injuries, they should have no problem holding on to the top spot and home court advantage for the playoffs. Despite their run, the Hawks actually slipped in the power rankings and the biggest reason for that is the fact that Cleveland has heated up. Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver represent a solid core but the general consensus out there is still that Atlanta will need to add before the trade deadline in order to beat out teams like the Cavaliers and Bulls come playoff time.
T-4. Chicago Bulls
This Week: +750
The Bulls have been one of the most difficult teams to handicap on a nightly basis and this past week’s games provided the perfect example of why that is. Chicago followed up consecutive wins over San Antonio and Dallas with a double-digit loss to Miami, only to bounce back two nights later and hand Golden State just its second home loss of the season. Then they lost to the hapless Los Angeles Lakers last night.
The Bulls have the talent to make a run in the Eastern Conference but timing will be key and they will have to be at full strength come playoff time to have a shot against Atlanta and Cleveland.
[related_post_one]
T-6. Dallas Mavericks
This Week: +1200
A nightmare week for Dallas could have actually been a lot worse as it seems as though Tyson Chandler will not miss extended time after he suffered a knee injury against New Orleans. The Mavericks have dropped four straight games to fall to seventh in the Western Conference standings and there has been some talk about whether or not they are the team that the Pelicans and Thunder have the best shot at catching. Dallas is talented enough to bounce back and they still have a five-game buffer ahead of New Orleans in the standings but even with the addition of Rajon Rondo, they could probably use some more help in the form of another big man to help ease some of the load off of Chandler.
T-6. Memphis Grizzlies
This Week: +1200
It’s amazing to see how things have unfolded for Memphis as just months after releasing Hassan Whiteside, they are now looking for exactly what he could have brought to the table to solidify their depth. The Grizzlies are stacked inside with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, but there is no such thing as too much depth and they could have used the player that Whiteside has become off the bench. The addition of Jeff Green has helped from a scoring perspective, but whether it’s enough to help win an NBA title is a completely different story.
8. Los Angeles Clippers
This Week: +1400
The Clippers have put together six straight wins including an impressive 20-point win over Phoenix and are worth keeping a close eye on the road over these next two weeks. Los Angeles opened an eight-game road trip with a win at Utah and they will face a tough road with trips to New Orleans, San Antonio, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Dallas before returning home on February 11th to host Houston.
T-9. Houston Rockets
This Week: +1600
Golden State beat Houston to complete the season sweep but the Rockets responded with three straight wins and if they could somehow avoid the Warriors, they could be a force in the Western Conference. The Warriors have had their number this season, winning all four meetings so far.
T-9. Oklahoma City Thunder
This Week: +1600
The Thunder climbed as high as seventh in the power rankings last week before taking a hit this week based in large part on a brutal loss to the lowly New York Knicks. All of the talk for most of the first half of the season has been about whether or not Oklahoma City would be able to rally back and make the playoffs once Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook got healthy. But, an uphill climb got that much more steeper after dropping three of their last four games. Losing at Atlanta and Cleveland was tough enough but dropping another game at New York on Wednesday represented a new low point in the Thunder’s season and they are now 3.5 games back of Phoenix for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
11. Toronto Raptors +2000
12. Portland Trail Blazers +2500
13. Washington Wizards +2800
14. Miami Heat +10000
T-15. Detroit Pistons +15000
T-15. New Orleans Pelicans +15000
T-15. Phoenix Suns +15000
