Should We Be More Excited About The Grizzlies? Week 7 Power Rankings
From the Grizzlies’ rise into the Top 10 to a sleeper MVP candidate, I covered a lot of things in my weekly power rankings. Let’s see where everybody stacks up.
Week 7 Power Rankings
10 teams. 10 spots. Let’s do it.
#10 – Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: (11-12)
Offensive Rating: 106.4 (24th)
Defensive Rating: 105.5 (5th)
Net Rating: 0.9 (12th)
The Good
The Minnesota Timberwolves, after a slow start, are playing great basketball. The offense is finally running through Karl Anthony-Towns, leading to Minnesota becoming much more dangerous on that end.
The defense continues to confuse me, as it’s been one of the best in the league. From inserting Patrick Beverley into the starting lineup to their versatile wings, defense has been the anchor for Minnesota this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves Over The Last 10 Games
7-3 Record
112.2 ORtg (13th)
104.5 DRtg (3rd)
7.7 Net Rating (5th)
And Anthony Edwards does crap like this on a nightly basis. I think we all have the same reactions as D-Lo at this point.
The Bad
This team doesn’t have too many faults. Sometimes they go away from Towns on offense, but that’s about it. If Malik Beasley would stop being so bad, they would be higher than 10th on this list.
#9 – Memphis Grizzlies
Record: (13-10)
Offensive Rating: 110.7 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 111.5 (27th)
Net Rating: -0.8 (20th)
The Good
Even with a knee injury to Ja Morant, the Grizzlies have been rolling. Their offense has been surprisingly good this season and has kept Memphis afloat.
Desmond Bane is having a superb sophomore season. Jaren Jackson Jr. is having a fantastic fourth season. And when healthy, nobody in the league could handle Ja Morant.
Oh. And Memphis did this a few days ago.
Just your average 78-point win in the NBA. Nothing to see here.
The Bad
Memphis’ defense has been surprisingly bad this season. They had been a great defensive team over the past two seasons, but that hasn’t been the case in 2022.
Memphis’ 3-PT defense, particularly from above the break, is poor. Teams shoot 38.2% from 3 against Memphis, which is 2nd worst in the NBA. If Memphis wants to be good, they have to be better defensively.
#8 – Miami Heat
Record: (14-10)
Offensive Rating: 110.5 (7th)
Defensive Rating: 107.4 (12th)
Net Rating: 3.2 (7th)
The Good
They’re still over .500? That’s all I’ve got.
The Bad
Bam Adebayo is set to miss about a month with a thumb injury. Jimmy Butler is currently hurt and Miami is sliding. In times like these, teams with depth survive. Miami does not have the depth to survive.
Get ready for some more losing if you’re Miami.
#7 – Atlanta Hawks
Record: (12-12)
Offensive Rating: 112.7 (2nd)
Defensive Rating: 110.3 (24th)
Net Rating: 2.4 (9th)
The Good
The Hawks are 8-3 since their horrendous 4-9 start. While their overall record may be mediocre, similar to Minnesota, they’re rounding into form.
The offense with Kevin Huerter in the starting lineup has been lethal. Trae Young is having the best season of his career. Clint Capela is back to being an elite defensive center.
The Hawks have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA and with them playing so well, don’t expect much change for the next few months. They are going to continue to roll.
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
#6 – Utah Jazz
Record: (16-7)
Offensive Rating: 116.2 (1st)
Defensive Rating: 106.9 (11th)
Net Rating: 9.4 (2nd)
The Good
You’re good, we get it.
The Bad
But you still don’t have any perimeter defenders. Good luck trying to stop Phoenix and Golden State.
#5 – Brooklyn Nets
Record: (16-7)
Offensive Rating: 109.3 (12th)
Defensive Rating: 105.6 (6th)
Net Rating: 3.7 (6th)
The Good
Amazingly, the Nets are the #1 seed in the East. They have some major flaws that still need ironing out, but they’re winning.
KD is still having one of the best seasons of his career. The switching-oriented defense has been good more often than not. Even though it’s not always pretty, a win is a win.
The Bad
Their bench depth is suspect. Especially with Joe Harris out for a few weeks, they need as much scoring as possible from their limited options.
The most concerning thing for the Nets right now is still James Harden. Harden’s struggling to put the ball in the hoop, just two years removed from being on a historic scoring streak with the Rockets. It’s time to face the facts. James Harden might not be the player he once was anymore.
The reason for that is unknown, but it’s still probably true.
#4 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (15-9)
Offensive Rating: 110.1 (10th)
Defensive Rating: 106.3 (8th)
Net Rating: 3.9 (5th)
The Good
Only 10 times this season has the Bucks Big 3 all played together. Middleton, Holiday, and Giannis have struggled to stay on the court, the biggest reason for the defending champs’ slow start.
But of those 10 games, the Bucks are a perfect 10-0. If the Big 3 can stay on the court, good things happen.
The Bad
Can they stay healthy? The only reason they’re not running away with the East is because of injuries. If their Big 3 stays healthy for the rest of the season, I don’t see them not having the #1 seed in the East.
#3 – Chicago Bulls
Record: (16-8)
Offensive Rating: 110.5 (8th)
Defensive Rating: 105.8 (7th)
Net Rating: 4.7 (4th)
The Good
The Chicago Bulls continue to chug ahead at a steady pace. They have been beating great teams left, right, and center, dethroning the #1 seeded Nets a couple of nights ago.
Even with extensive injuries and frontcourt depth problems, they remain excellent. If you want to have some fun while watching basketball, make sure you’re tuning into Bulls games.
The Bad
Finding good bench minutes with all these injuries is going to be tough. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu is going to be asked to do a lot here in the coming weeks.
Also, have the Bulls ever heard of a backup center? No?
#2 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (19-4)
Offensive Rating: 110.4 (9th)
Defensive Rating: 104.2 (2nd)
Net Rating: 6.2 (3rd)
The Good
The Suns didn’t lose in November and at one point, held a franchise-record 18-game win streak. There are worse ways to start a season.
The Bad
Without Devin Booker, the offense has looked lost at times. I also can’t say that I trust their bench.
#1 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (19-4)
Offensive Rating: 112.5 (3rd)
Defensive Rating: 100.2 (1st)
Net Rating: 12.3 (1st)
The Good
They’re good at everything and it’s annoying.
The Bad
Losing to the Spurs was a little disappointing, but other than that, the main problem has been size. When they lost to the Suns for the first time, it was because they got bullied down low.
Adding size would go a long way for this team.
Rookie of the Year Ladder
This week’s edition of the ROTY ladder hasn’t changed much, although I have a feeling things are going to shake up, and soon.
But for now, it’s time for the same names you’re used to seeing.
#5 – Josh Giddey (OKC)
Giddey has missed the last few games with injury, but he was the Western Conference October/November Rookie of the Month for a reason. His combination of size, handles, playmaking, and rebounding have to be exciting if you’re a Thunder fan.
10.4 points – 7.2 rebounds (1.6 ORB) – 5.8 assists – 45% TS
It wouldn’t hurt to be a little more efficient, right?
#4 – Cade Cunningham (DET)
After struggling with his perimeter shooting for weeks, Cade Cunningham might be breaking through. In the Pistons’ last two games, Cunningham looked very good. He was scoring the ball and wasn’t hesitating on the perimeter.
While his overall numbers for the season are far from good, I think we can expect the #1 overall pick to pick up the pace soon.
14.1 points – 6.3 rebounds – 4.6 assists – 1.2 steals – 51% TS
#3 – Franz Wagner (ORL)
Wagner was perhaps the biggest steal of the draft. Sure, he’s not that flashy. You’re not going to see his plays on social media every night. But don’t get it twisted. My man Franz can hoop.
Wagner is a Swiss Army Knife. He can do it all. From his great defense to his playmaking, he fills every need the Magic need him to. And it’s made him one of my favorite players in the NBA.
13.6 points – 1.3 ORB – 1.1 steals – 53% TS – great name
#2 – Scottie Barnes (TOR)
While Scottie Barnes has cooled off considerably from the start of the season, his cooldown has still made him one of the most impactful rookies in the NBA.
He’s been tasked with guarding KD and Bradley Beal, a testament to his defensive abilities. He still needs a polished offensive game in the half-court, but he’s remained pretty effective even without one.
15.1 points – 8.0 rebounds (2.9 ORB) – 1.2 steals – 55% TS
#1 – Evan Mobley (CLE)
While the NBA doesn’t want Mobley to win Rookie of the Year, we all know that Mobley is the clear-cut front runner for this award. He’s a unicorn in every sense of the way and, in my opinion, is having an all-time rookie season.
Mobley is averaging nearly 3 steals and blocks per game. He had contested 278 shots this season, second to only Rudy Gobert. Opponents are shooting just 45% from the field when going against Mobley. The Cavs are 13-7 with Mobley this season. They’re 0-4 without him.
All of those things factor into the USC product being the most dominant rookie in the NBA. And it’s not even remotely close.
14.1 points – 8.1 rebounds (1.6 ORB) – 2.8 stocks – 54% TS
DeMar DeRozan Should Be An MVP Candidate
I guarantee that absolutely nobody expected this coming into 2022. DeMar was never an MVP at any point in his career, and there was a good reason for that. From his days as a pure scorer in Toronto to the Spurs never being good, DeRozan was never even close to sniffing an MVP. Until now.
A 32-year old DeMar DeRozan is experiencing a career revival with the Bulls. The 2nd seed in the East Conference, they are one of the best teams in the NBA because of DeRozan. His scoring, passing, intangibles, all of those things, have come together marvelously.
While he’s not a frontrunner for the MVP award, he should be getting more buzz for how well he’s played this season. Here is DeMar DeRozan’s case for MVP.
To be an MVP candidate, you have to be pretty good at basketball. DeMar DeRozan checks that box off, and some. From his mystifying mid-range shooting to his playmaking, DeRozan has been having a great season. But just how great?
Mid-Range Artistry
26.4 points – 5.3 rebounds – 4.1 assists – 59% TS – *chefs kisses*
DeRozan has been having a great season, mainly from the mid-range. I mean, these numbers are pretty salivating;
Demar DeRozan In The Mid-Range
3.8 FGM (Most in NBA)
8.1 FGA (Most in NBA)
47.4% FG (12th)*
** (amongst players with 3.5+ mid-range attempts this season – 28 players qualify)
I mean, those numbers are just Demarvelous. He’s getting to his spots and being very efficient. His patience in breaking down defenses with fakes and changes in pace makes him such a fun player to watch. He’s a surgeon in the mid-range and currently, everybody in the NBA is up for surgery.
Playmaking
I have also liked DeRozan’s playmaking. While he’s not averaging 7 assists per game as he was last year with the Spurs, he’s still been a good playmaker. He’s had 11 games this season with five or more assists and the Bulls are 7-4 in such games.
Over the past few games, here are the best passes that I’ve found;
Off of the pick-and-roll, DeRozan is attacking. The Knicks are wary of the Nikola Vucevic pick-and-pops, so DeRozan has more space to operate.
Instead of looking to score, DeRozan drops a sweet pass to Alex Caruso, whose perfectly timed cut leads to an easy score.
(Quick side note: Kevin Knox is still playing? That’s weird)
After getting caught in the air, DeRozan has the presence to make a cross-court pass to Lonzo Ball. While this isn’t overly complicated, are we sure that he would have done this in Toronto?
My point, exactly. He wouldn’t have done that in Toronto. But new and improved DeMar will.
Oh. And he’s pretty good in the 4th quarters of games;
Nice
Does DeMar Have A Legitimate Chance To Win MVP?
While DeRozan has been great, we all know that the MVP is rigged, for lack of a better word. Individual performance over a season is not as big of a factor as it should be. Other things like the strength of your team, the narrative of your season, and other BS things go into MVP.
While it’s not fair, it’s how the award works. With those things in mind, can DeMar win MVP?
- Is His Team Good?
Yes. The Bulls are 0.5 games back for the #1 seed in the East right now and should be a top seed in the East all year. They’re going to be great
- Does DeRozan Have A Favorable Narrative?
DeRozan has never won an MVP before, so voters won’t have any problem voting for him if he deserves it. DeRozan is on a good team, a team that hasn’t been relevant in a long-time. He isn’t on a super-team and everybody around the league likes him.
Pretty favorable narratives if you ask me.
As of right now, I think DeRozan is in a position to win MVP. While he might not be a level-one contender for the award like Curry or Durant, he is a sleeper candidate who could gain traction as the year goes on.
Similar to Nikola Jokic last season, if his competitors slip up a little bit and we get to appreciate what he’s doing, even more, he could very well win MVP.
What Are Your Thoughts On My Power Rankings? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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