Do The Grizzlies Need Ja Morant? Week 10 Power Rankings
From the confusing Grizzlies to my Rookie of the Year Ladder, here are my Week 10 Power Rankings.
Week 10 Power Rankings
Ten weeks. Ten teams. Ten spots. Let’s get into my Week 10 Power Rankings.
#10 – LA Clippers
Record: (17-16)
Offensive Rating: 105.8 (27th)
Defensive Rating: 105.3 (4th)
Net Rating: 0.5 (13th)
The Good
There’s a new arena coming in 2024? The defense remains elite? I don’t have too much to say here.
The Bad
The Clipper offense has been awful this season. Even with PG-13 doing everything he can to hold them up, nothing is working. Having Paul George is the only thing keeping this team alive.
Yeah, you’re screwed.
#9 – Memphis Grizzlies
Record: (20-14)
Offensive Rating: 111.2 (5th)
Defensive Rating: 108.9 (15th)
Net Rating: 2.3 (9th)
The Good
The Grizzlies’ hot streak has given them breathing room in the West. The defense has come alive, rising to meet the high-level offense.
The role players continue to be superb. Desmond Bane, JJJ, Kyle Anderson, everybody! The Grizzlies’ depth is insane, leading them to a top-4 seed in the West.
The Bad
Do the Grizzlies need Ja Morant? Before this season, that would have been crazy to say, but now? They were fine without him, winning with role players. And no, blowing out the Kings does not convince me that the Grizzlies need Morant, thank you very much.
Memphis’ defense got substantially better when Morant was out of the lineup. Just something Grizzlies fans might want to ponder.
Grizzlies Defensive Rating With Morant: 116.4
Grizzlies Defensive Rating Without Morant: 104.3
Yikes.
#8 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: (20-13)
Offensive Rating: 109.8 (13th)
Defensive Rating: 103.1 (2nd)
Net Rating: 6.7 (4th)
The Good
The Cavs are seven games over 0.500. Darius Garland is playing like an All-Star. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen lead a top-tier defense. The Cavs are the biggest team in basketball. Kevin Love is back to his Timberwolves form. Ricky Rubio might be the best backup point guard in the league.
The Bad
The Cavs don’t have a lot of offensive firepower off the bench. They lack ball-handlers who can run the offense. And they did this;
Not that I’m a betting man, but I’m guessing Bickerstaff won’t be the Cavs coach in 2027. Just a guess.
#7 – Miami Heat
Record: (21-13)
Offensive Rating: 110.6 (8th)
Defensive Rating: 106.7 (6th)
Net Rating: 3.9 (5th)
The Good
Jimmy Butler is back. The Heat survived without him and Adebayo for some time. Tyler Herro continues to be great, as does Max Strus. The defense is the anchor of this team, remaining elite with a lot of moving pieces in the rotation.
All things considered, the Heat are in a good position.
The Bad
I still don’t like Miami’s depth. Bam Adebayo remains sidelined with injury. Duncan Robinson forgot how to shoot and is currently stealing 90 million dollars from Pat Riley. Did I mention that I didn’t like Miami’s depth?
#6 – Chicago Bulls
Record: (20-10)
Offensive Rating: 110.8 (7th)
Defensive Rating: 107.5 (9th)
Net Rating: 3.3 (8th)
The Good
The Bulls survived the worst Covid stretch of any team in the NBA. 13 Bulls players have been in health and safety protocols in December alone. Yet they are still 10 games over 0.500. Crazy.
DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball have been superb. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu has shown promise.
The Bad
Some reinforcements at the forward position would be nice. Right now, it’s DeRozan, Derrick Jones Jr, and Javonte Green. Green and Jones have been fine, but the Bulls could look to upgrade that position.
Nikola Vucevic is shooting just 42% from the field this season. It hasn’t affected the Bulls as much as it should, but we’re still looking for Vucevic to round into his All-Star form still.
#5 – Utah Jazz
Record: (23-9)
Offensive Rating: 117.1 (1st)
Defensive Rating: 106.9 (7th)
Net Rating: 10.2 (2nd)
The Good
The Jazz offense is by far the best in basketball. No other team in the league has an offensive rating over 113, to give you a sense of how far ahead of the pack the Jazz offense is from everybody else.
After a slow start, the defense has picked up where it left off last season. The Jazz are on a 15-4 streak right now, climbing the standings in the West.
The Bad
Still no perimeter/wing defenders.
#4 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (22-13)
Offensive Rating: 110.4 (10th)
Defensive Rating: 107.0 (8th)
Net Rating: 3.4 (7th)
The Good
The Bucks are 14-2 with their Big 3 on the floor. After a 6-8 start, they have stormed back into the top of the Eastern Conference. Giannis is a monster. Jrue and Middleton are perfect complementary pieces.
The depth around the Big 3 is better than it was last year. Donte DiVincenzo just returned from ankle surgery, adding even more firepower to a lethal bench unit.
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
#3 – Brooklyn Nets
Record: (22-9)
Offensive Rating: 109.8 (12th)
Defensive Rating: 106.3 (5th)
Net Rating: 3.5 (6th)
The Good
I don’t know how the Nets are leading the Eastern Conference. Most of their team is currently in health and safety protocols. James Harden’s level of play is unpredictable. Joe Harris is still weeks away from returning from ankle surgery.
The bench is old, filled with mostly spare parts. Steve Nash isn’t the best coach in the world. Somehow, someway, this time finds ways to win. They are great in close games (13-4 clutch record). They have a solid, switching-oriented defense. Kevin Durant is not of this world.
It might not all add up, but the Nets are still leading the Eastern Conference.
The Bad
The bench could use some work. With Kyrie and Joe Harris coming soon, the bench problem will become less of that, but still.
#2 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (26-6)
Offensive Rating: 110.5 (9th)
Defensive Rating: 103.4 (3rd)
Net Rating: 7.1 (3rd)
The Good
The Suns continue to go along at a steady pace. With Devin Booker back, the offense is a high-powered machine. Christ Paul doesn’t miss from the mid-range. Mikal Bridges seems to do everything well. The Suns are so versatile, well-coaching, the whole nine yards.
The Bad
Give Deandre Ayton the ball, please.
#1 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (27-6)
Offensive Rating: 112.3 (3rd)
Defensive Rating: 101.8 (1st)
Net Rating: 10.5 (1st)
The Good
Everything about the Warriors is good. You get the point by now.
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
Rookie of the Year Ladder
Rookies. You know them, I know them, but I probably know a little bit more than you. Not to worry, I’ve got you covered. Here is my 10th edition of the Rookie of the Year Ladder.
#5 – Josh Giddey
Giddey continues to play at a steady pace. His playmaking and rebounding are impressive for a rookie. The shooting/scoring element of things give them trouble still, but he’s finding ways to be effective without them. And he did this recently;
10.8 points – 7.1 rebounds (1.5 ORB) – 6.1 assists – 44% TS
#4 – Franz Wagner (ORL)
Franz for President. The gadget-like forward continues to evolve. He has the ball in his hands more, creating offense for himself and others. He’s such a talented player who is off to a fast start in the NBA.
15.0 points – 1.3 ORB – 1.1 steals – 53% TS
#3 – Cade Cunningham (DET)
Cade recently got Covid, so his torrid stretch of scoring came to a stop. Cade has figured out what works. Detroit is giving him the keys to the offense with Jerami Grant out. They’re asking him to do too much, but he’s been producing very well during that timeframe.
His IQ and level-headedness have impressed me the most thus far.
15.3 points – 6.2 rebounds – 5.2 assists – 1.4 steals – 48% TS
#2 – Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Now that Scottie Barnes is unafraid to shoot 3’s, his game is less of a liability. His defense was never the problem, as his length and speed make him a menace on that side of the ball. But after being allergic to threes early on, he’s shooting more and more in recent games.
He’s a solid shooter, so now defenses have to respect that element of his game. Barnes has already evolved and somewhat solved perhaps the biggest problem in his game.
15.6 points – 8.3 rebounds (3.0 ORB) – 2.1 stocks – 55% TS
#1 – Evan Mobley (CLE)
Evan Mobley is still an alien. There’s a reason the Cavs are a top-2 defense in the NBA. His versatility and length are so unique. He can stretch the floor a bit on offense and is also a solid finisher amongst the trees down low.
The Cavs turnaround is surprising, with Mobley being a huge reason for their success. And people thought Jalen Green was better.
13.8 points – 8.3 rebounds (1.7 ORB) – 2.7 stocks – 54% TS – 1.9 BPM
What Are Your Thoughts On This Week’s Power Rankings? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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