The Golden State Warriors enter the 2015 NBA All-Star break with the best record in basketball and there is no denying the dominance of a team that owns the league’s No. 1 defense and No. 2 offense. The Warriors will be well represented at this year’s All-Star festivities with the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson looking to put on a show in both the three-point competition and in the game, and considering the overall numbers, it’s no surprise that Golden State is once again atop the updated NBA Power Rankings for the second week in a row.
1. Golden State Warriors
NBA Title Odds: +300
The Warriors are off to their best start in franchise history at 42-9 including an incredible 23-2 record at home this season. There is no reason to expect them to slow down. Curry and Thompson are both averaging over 22 points per game while Draymond Green, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut have all played major roles in the team’s success.
Any team that has Lee, Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodola coming off the bench is going to be in a good position and it really helps that the chemistry between the players is on the Golden State roster is so strong. The fact that they have used the fewest different starting line ups is testament to their consistency and health and as long as they can avoid the injury bug there is no doubt the Warriors will have as good a shot as any other team at competing for a championship.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA Title Odds: +325
Only in Cleveland could the basketball team win 13 of 15 games and have everybody talk about a potentially cryptic tweet sent out by LeBron James in regards to a potentially volatile situation with teammate Kevin Love. But the reality is that if this team continues to play at such a high level, they will be difficult to stop. The reality is that LeBron is playing his best basketball since he returned to the Cavaliers and as long as Love and Kyrie Irving continue to develop their chemistry with the King this team will continue to become more dangerous.
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3. Atlanta Hawks
NBA Title Odds: +750
The Hawks enter the All-Star break with a 6.5-game lead atop the Eastern Conference standings but continue to get overlooked because of the Cavaliers recent success. Jeff Teague, Al Hoford, Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver will all represent the Hawks at this weekend’s festivities and while they might not have a superstar like LeBron, that perceived weakness might also serve as the Hawks biggest strength. Atlanta has replaced the Indiana Pacers as the team that appears to have the best chance at keeping LeBron’s team from reaching the NBA Finals this year. Their 8-2 record against the top teams from the Western Conference suggests that if they do go all the way, they have a better chance than some people think of winning a championship.
T-4. San Antonio Spurs
NBA Title Odds: +700
San Antonio headed in to the All-Star break with some momentum after posting a 7-3 record in their last 10 games and helping head coach Gregg Popovich earn his 1,000th career win. The Spurs are still stuck at seventh in the Western Conference but they are only two games back of third in the standings and home court advantage for at least the opening playoff round with a long way to go to try and close the gap. The return of Kawhi Leonard has provided the boost that most expected and as long as they can stay healthy and get the big three of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili some needed rest down the stretch, the defending NBA champs will have as good a shot as any to win it all once the postseason dance gets underway.
T-4. Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Title Odds: +800
The biggest risers in this week’s NBA Power Rankings are the Thunder as they go from +1600 to win an NBA championship to +800 in a span of seven days. That’s what happens when a perennial contender gets healthy and strings together three straight wins including a pair of double-digit victories against teams ahead of them in the standings in the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. The win over Memphis in particular seemed to be a statement game as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook looked locked in and got a ton of support at the other end of the floor. Oklahoma City is now just one half-game back of the Phoenix Suns for the eighth and final playoff spot.
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6. Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Title Odds: +1000
A double-digit loss to the Thunder wasn’t enough to substantially downgrade a Memphis team that that posted an 8-2 record in its final 10 games before the All-Star break. They are still within four games of Golden State for the best record in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies found a key missing piece with the addition of Jeff Green and if they can at least hold on to the No. 2 position, it will provide a huge boost with home advantage throughout the first two playoff rounds.
7. Chicago Bulls
NBA Title Odds: +1400
It has certainly been a roller-coaster season in Chicago where fans will think, “why is our team down six points to Orlando?” one moment and then, “how did we just crush Cleveland?”. The Bulls have the weapons to make a deep playoff run but they have lacked consistency all season and have to find a way to maintain their high level of play at the defensive end.
T-8. Dallas Mavericks
NBA Title Odds: +1600
Dallas is still in the thick of the West playoff picture but the bottom line is that they are still just 3-11 against teams currently in their conference’s top-eight and it’s hard to envision them getting out of the first round unless they start playing better against top competition. The Rajon Rondo trade hasn’t worked out as expected and they’re not a championship contender right now.
T-8. Los Angeles Clippers
NBA Title Odds: +1600
The news didn’t get any better for the Clippers following their annual Grammy’s trip as they will now to face the toughest schedule in the NBA over their next 15 games as they face 12 teams with winning records. It certainly doesn’t help that they will play that slate without Blake Griffin and while they have a 6.5-game cushion on a playoff spot, they will be in tough to gain any ground between now and the postseason.
T-10. Houston Rockets
NBA Title Odds: +2500
James Harden absolutely deserves NBA MVP consideration as he has been dominant for the Rockets, but he’s going to need some help to navigate through the Western Conference come playoff time. Dwight Howard’s status is once again up in the air and even if he is healthy Houston might not have the supporting cast to get to the NBA Finals just yet.
T-10. Toronto Raptors
NBA Title Odds: +2500
The Raptors put together a pair of huge wins over the Spurs and Clippers this past weekend to prove they are for real but it wasn’t enough to elevate them past the Hawks, Cavaliers, or Bulls on this list. They are still considered the outsiders among the elite teams in the Eastern Conference. General manager Masai Ujiri is reportedly close to pulling out a deal that could help put Toronto over the top before the trade deadline and what happens between now and then will go a long way in determining what the ceiling is for this Raptors team down the stretch.
12. Portland Trail Blazers +2800
13. Washington Wizards +4000
T-14. Miami Heat +15000
T-14. Milwaukee Bucks +15000
T-14. New Orleans Pelicans +15000
T-14. Phoenix Suns +15000
