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The most challenging part of putting together these 2024-25 NBA Power Rankings is the conference imbalance we see in the standings. This week, I have the Kings and Spurs in the “Playoffs or Bust” level of teams expecting to make the postseason, but in reality, the Kings would be the 10 seed, while the Mavericks and Spurs would be out altogether. In the East, Dallas would be a top-six seed, which is why, after Cleveland and Boston, no other East team appears in these rankings until the Knicks at 14.
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1. Cleveland Cavaliers (12-0, Last Week No. 3). Only seven other teams in NBA history have started 12-0 to start the season, among them the 1993-94 Rockets and the 1996-97 Bulls that went on to win the NBA title (two others are the 1957-58 Celtics and the 73-win 2015-16 Warriors, both of whom lost in the Finals). Talking about games in June is a long way off, but the Cavaliers should be considered a favorite to win the NBA Cup in the shorter term. If they are going to do so, they have to keep knocking down 3s at their league-best rate of 41.3% from deep. The biggest game in NBA Cup East Group C is next Tuesday when the Cavaliers face the Celtics.
2. Golden State Warriors (9-2, LW 5). No more questions about the soft schedule as the Warriors knocked off the Celtics, Thunder and defending West champ Mavericks in the past week — their defense and depth are for real. An example of that depth is Trayce Jackson-Davis, who has started at center, but Kevon Looney has played key minutes off the bench and has closed games, including getting a couple of big putback buckets late against the Celtics. With their depth of talent and defense, Golden State should be the Western Conference favorite in the NBA Cup.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (9-2, LW 1). How do you feel about small ball, Thunder fans? Chet Holmgren’s hip injury (out until after the All-Star break) is a double punch to the gut because Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams also are both out, leaving OKC incredibly thin along the front line. In their win over the Clippers this week, nobody over 6’6″ got any meaningful run for OKC. While Ousmane Dieng may…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-power-rankings-2024-25-224712494.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-13 22:47:00
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