The second half of the 2015-16 regular season is well under way. And yes, the reigning champion Golden State Warriors are still sitting pretty on top of the mountain despite being handed their fifth loss of the season thanks to a 51-point eruption from Damian Lillard.
Besides that, the NBA trade deadline also managed to make an impact in our power rankings for this week. It was the Los Angeles Clippers who arguably pulled off the best move overall by trading Lance Stephenson to the Memphis Grizzlies for a versatile forward in Jeff Green.
[sc:NBA250 ] So without further ado, please read on below and take a quick look at the other teams that rose, declined or maintained their position in our weekly rankings.
Meanwhile, click here to see our top 10 list about the best dunks and moments from the soon-to-retire Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Take your time, enjoy and appreciate his greatness.
[sc:NBAArticles ]NBA Power Rankings: Here Comes Cleveland!
1. Golden State Warriors (49-5)
Previous Rank: 1
Golden State’s 11-game run came to a bitter end on Friday night’s 137-105 loss to Portland. But the defending champions didn’t let that setback bother them too much, as they quickly got back on track with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers the next day, 115-112.
And just a reminder, they are still the No. 1 team in the NBA right now with a 49-5 win-loss record.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (40-14)
Previous Rank: 4
[sc:NBA250 ]With a dominant win 115-92 win versus Oklahoma City, the Cavaliers strengthened their grip of the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They are 40-14 on the season and have also won 10 of their previous 12 games.
LeBron James has been playing like a man on a mission, averaging 25.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists over his last eight contests. So long as he puts up ridiculous numbers like this, Cleveland’s bound to continue their winning ways.
3. San Antonio Spurs (47-9)
Previous Rank: 2
Injuries have been an issue for the Spurs lately. Manu Ginobili has been out with a groin injury since the start of February and Kawhi Leonard has missed the last three games with an ailing calf. But nevertheless, the team has managed without those two.
Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge have carried most of the scoring load, combining for 35.3 points in their past three outings. San Antonio went 2-1 in that brief stretch.
Expect Parker and Aldridge to continue leading the offense until Leonard is able to return to the hardwood. Their schedule for the coming week, will involve three-straight road games versus Sacramento, Utah and Houston. That game opposite the Rockets will be a promising one, needless to say.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-16)
Previous Rank: 3
That’s definitely not the start that Oklahoma City was looking for. The Thunder kicked off the second half of their season with a pair of home losses to Indiana and Cleveland. During the latter game, the Thunder were crushed by the Cavaliers, 115-92, even with 20-plus points apiece from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
It’s a given that there will be days when those two won’t be enough to assure Oklahoma City the win. That being said, someone else has got to step up and carry some of the scoring load if they want to make a strong push for the playoffs.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (36-19)
Previous Rank: 6
Other than their win over San Antonio and their valiant late-game efforts in the three-point loss to Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers should be smiling about their latest acquisition in Jeff Green.
Green, the 29-year-old veteran, was acquired from the Grizzlies in exchange of Lance Stephenson and a first-round pick. Green is putting up 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds across 54 games this season. He should be able to provide the Clippers another player—other than Jamal Crawford—who can provide a big boost off the bench.
Of course, it’ll take some time before he fits into Doc Rivers’ system. But once he does, the Clippers, who have won seven of their last 10 games, are going to be even more dangerous.
6. Toronto Raptors (36-18)
Previous Rank: 5
Despite Friday night’s loss to Chicago, the Raptors immediately bounced back with a strong road win against the Grizzlies, 98-85.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry combined for 39 points, nine rebounds and 10 dimes during that win. Those two are bound to continue lighting up this week opposite below .500 teams like the Knicks, Pistons and Timberwolves. Toronto is 17-12 on the road this season and has won four of its previous six games.
7. Boston Celtics (33-24)
Previous Rank: 7
Like Toronto, the Celtics kicked off the second half of the season with a loss to Utah. But they quickly rebounded with a 20-point win over Denver yesterday. And as always, leading the charge was the pair of Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, who scored 22 and 20 points, respectively.
Boston has now won six of its previous eight games and is racking up 111.8 points per contest during that stretch. They should be able to continue their offensive onslaught when they close out their three-game road trip at Minnesota and then open up a five-game home stand against Milwaukee.
The Celtics are 17-10 at the TD Garden this season and have also won seven of their past 10 outings.
8. Miami Heat (31-24)
Previous Rank: 10
Miami found a way to move up to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference even without their All-Stars in Dwyane Wade (sore knee) and Chris Bosh (blood clot).
The Heat have been receiving some much-needed production from the pair of Luol Deng and Goran Dragic lately. Deng, in particular, has been the most impressive one as he’s put up a total of 57 points in the past two games. He’s also shooting 62.8 percent from the field in that brief stretch.
Dragic, meanwhile, has been playing well as a scorer and as a facilitator by averaging 20.5 points and 9.0 assists in the same span.
Apart from the two, Miami finally has its intimidating rim-protector—Hassan Whiteside—back at full health. Whiteside, who missed the game versus Atlanta due to a one-game suspension, wasted no time in making his presence felt in their win over Washington by tallying 25 points, 23 rebounds and two blocks.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (32-23)
Previous Rank: 8
The departure of both Jeff Green and Courtney Lee will hurt and the Grizzlies are going to feel that pain even more during road games. They’re only averaging 98.4 points as a team this season and have struggled to notch a win on the road, where they are just 12-14 this season.
It’ll be interesting to see who—besides Mike Conley and Zach Randolph—can help pile up the points for the Grizzlies, who will be playing three of their next four games at Los Angeles, Phoenix and Denver.
10. Indiana Pacers (30-25)
Previous Rank: –
The Pacers are on fire right now. They’ve won seven of their last 10 games and climbed back into fifth-place in the Eastern Conference. A testament to this success is Paul George, who’s finished with 20 or more points in his previous six contests. But George and co. still need to prove that they can take care of business on the road and against strong teams.
Indiana will have a chance to do so in its next four games, which will include matchups with Miami, Portland and Cleveland.
Create a betting account now to start placing wagers on any of these basketball heavyweights as the action heats up even more in the second half of the 2015-16 NBA regular season.
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