The Best Team In The East Arrives! – My Week 6 Power Rankings
From the quiet excellence of Isaiah Hartenstein to the rise of the Bucks, it’s time for my Week 6 Power Rankings.
Week 6 Power Rankings
This past week in the NBA gave us a lot of movement amongst the best teams in the league. So, who’s in the Top 10 and who’s not? Let’s find out.
#10 – Los Angeles Clippers
Record: (11-9)
Offensive Rating: 104.4 (25th)
Defensive Rating: 102.2 (2nd)
Net Rating: 2.2 (9th)
The Good
Their defense remains elite. They don’t allow free throws, 3-pointers, and it’s tough to score down low. In other words, good luck scoring against this defense.
Paul George has been playing like an MVP and is the only reason the offense isn’t complete trash.
The Bad
The offense is complete and utter trash. When you’re relying on Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe to score, it’s not ideal. If not for Paul George, I can’t even imagine how bad their offense would be.
#9 – Charlotte Hornets
Record: (13-9)
Offensive Rating: 110.9 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 110.3 (24th)
Net Rating: 0.6 (15th)
The Good
The Hornets have won 8 out of their last 10 games. Their secret? Defense. While the offense has enough weapons to be considered a country, defense is always the struggle with this team.
Over the past 10 games, the defense has been amongst the best in the NBA. Their great defense is the big reason for their turnaround.
Oh yeah, this Miles Bridges guy is pretty good too.
The Bad
Some more consistency on the defensive side of the ball would go a long way for them.
#8 – Atlanta Hawks
Record: (11-10)
Offensive Rating: 112.2 (3rd)
Defensive Rating: 109.5 (22nd)
Net Rating: 2.7 (8th)
The Good
The Hawks have turned their season around after a 4-9 start. They have been playing great on both sides of the ball, winning 7 out of their last 8 games.
When they’re not bored, the Hawks are a really good team.
The Bad
Why can’t they play like this for the whole season? While they’ve been great as of late, that 4-9 start is frustrating to me. Are they going to have more bad stretches or have they smoothed out all the kinks? It’s hard to say as of right now.
Also, you lost to the Knicks?
#7 – Brooklyn Nets
Record: (14-6)
Offensive Rating: 109.0 (12th)
Defensive Rating: 105.0 (7th)
Net Rating: 4.0 (6th)
The Good
The defense has still been great. The switching has worked for the most part and honestly, it’s the only reason the Nets are still the #1 seed in the East.
Kevin Durant continues to carry the offense and is having one of the best seasons of his career.
The Bad
I think it’s time we get concerned about James Harden. Whatever the reason may be, he’s not just playing well. He continues to struggle to shoot the ball, he turns it over too much, and he looks washed.
The switching defense can get torched at times, especially against good teams. The Nets, who were so good against good teams last year, are just 7-6 against 0.500+ teams this season.
And the bench sucks. Why can’t Kyrie just play basketball?
#6 – Utah Jazz
Record: (13-7)
Offensive Rating: 114.2 (1st)
Defensive Rating: 105.0 (8th)
Net Rating: 9.2 (2nd)
The Good
The Jazz are who we expected them to be. They are great on offense with all their passing and shooting. The defense is anchored by Rudy Gobert.
Nothing they’ve done this season is remotely surprising.
The Bad
lol
#5 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (13-8)
Offensive Rating: 109.2 (11th)
Defensive Rating: 105.7 (12th)
Net Rating: 3.5 (7th)
The Good
The Bucks are showing us why they are reigning champs. Now that they’re finally healthy, the Bucks have won 7 straight games. They have turned around their season after a slow start and are rounding into peak form.
Milwaukee In The Last 7 Games
113.2 ORtg (9th)
98.9 DRtg (1st)
14.4 Net Rating (2nd)
48% FG (5th)
37.5% 3-PT (6th)
39% Opp FG (1st)
29% Opp 3-PT (1st)
The defense has returned to being elite and the offense is grateful for the returns of Holiday and Khris Middleton.
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
#4 – Chicago Bulls
Record: (13-8)
Offensive Rating: 108.9 (13th)
Defensive Rating: 104.7 (5th)
Net Rating: 4.2 (5th)
The Good
Where do I start? All of their signings have fit in perfectly. DeMar DeRozan is a mid-range purist. Their defense remains one of the better units in the NBA. I love Alex Caruso.
And who can forget about Zach Lavine and Lonzo Ball? I love the makeup of this team. They have some great players.
The Bad
The only problem is their depth at forward. With Patrick Williams out, they don’t have too many options. Things have gotten slightly better with Nikola Vucevic returning, but they still need bodies down low.
#3 – Miami Heat
Record: (13-7)
Offensive Rating: 110.5 (8th)
Defensive Rating: 104.4 (4th)
Net Rating: 6.1 (4th)
The Good
The Heat are still rolling along nicely. Their defense is tough as nails and one of the best in the NBA. Their offense has been good more often than not, powered by their Big 3.
They have excellent coaching, a great culture, and they are playing good basketball.
The Bad
I still don’t trust their bench. Gabe Vincent has been good as of late, but is that sustainable? Miami better hope so.
Most nights, they heavily rely on Tyler Herro to score for them. They don’t have too many guys off the bench that opposing defenses are scared of.
#2 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (17-3)
Offensive Rating: 110.8 (7th)
Defensive Rating: 103.7 (3rd)
Net Rating: 7.1 (3rd)
The Good
They’ve won 16 games in a row. What’s not to like? Everything is flowing well for the Suns. Their offense is extremely balanced, their defense is elite, and I love their bench.
From their elite backcourt to their great coaching, they are still an elite team.
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
#1 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (18-2)
Offensive Rating: 113.0 (2nd)
Defensive Rating: 99.4 (1st)
Net Rating: 13.6 (1st)
The Good
While the Suns have been great, we all know who the best team in the NBA is.
The Warriors have an unlimited amount of ways to beat you. Both their offense and defense are elite. They have an abundance of veterans and depth at their disposal. They are still the kings of the 3rd quarter.
On top of that, they have arguably the best player on the planet in Steph Curry. Can someone explain to me how all of that is fair?
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
The All Breakout Team
Last week, I made a team featuring all of the disappointments of the NBA. Today, on a more positive note, I will be making a lineup of the players who are having breakout seasons so far in 2022.
Point Guard: Ja Morant (MEM)
Even though Morant is set to miss some time with a knee injury, he’s had a great start to 2022. After an electric 2021 postseason, Morant has continued his excellence.
Morant is an incredibly good finisher at the rim. His combination of athleticism, change of pace, and aggressiveness make him a problem for defenses. His outside shooting is the best it’s ever been, and, if that wasn’t enough, he’s still an elite floor general for Memphis.
Morant is having the best season of his career by a mile and he was an easy selection for the point guard slot.
24.1 points – 5.6 rebounds – 6.8 assists – 1.6 steals – 56% TS
The bold means a career-high in that category. In case it wasn’t obvious, Ja Morant has been going crazy.
Shooting Guard: Desmond Bane (MEM)
The Grizzlies have one of the brightest backcourts in the NBA. While most of us expected Ja Morant to be great, Desmond Bane is having a great sophomore season.
The tank from TCU is a well-rounded player. He’s a decent defender, but his offense is what makes him great. Bane is taking six more shots per game and his TS% has hardly changed. He’s one of the best volume 3-PT shooters in the NBA and is having a superb season offensively.
15.6 points – 59% TS
Bane is already one of the best role players in the NBA and he still has a long way to go in terms of development. That’s a good thing, considering how good he’s been this season.
Small Forward: Harrison Barnes (SAC)
After years of being a solid two-way wing, out of nowhere, Harrison Barnes is having the best season of his career. I don’t think anybody expected the 29-year old forward to be doing this, but here we are.
Barnes’ offensive explosion is quite simple. He’s shooting 60% at the rim and 40% from outside. Barnes doesn’t take many shots if they’re not 3’s or at the rim.
Barnes has been the Kings’ most consistent scorer this season. If this level of play continues, I expect him to be a hot commodity at the trade deadline. The Kings could easily get a lot of value for the Black Falcon, who has been playing out of his mind.
19.0 points – 7.2 rebounds – 1.0 steals – 64% TS
Power Forward: Miles Bridges (CHA)
Miles Bridges is transforming his game. After being a small forward who lacked perimeter skills coming into the league, Bridges is a completely new player.
His new style is unique, but the Hornets are rightfully giving him the ball. Bridges is a mismatch creator for defenses. He’s too big and powerful for guards. He’s too quick and athletic for bigs. The Hornets love to isolate him and he just relentlessly attacks the rim.
He’s still a good perimeter shooter, but the Hornets are unleashing him onto the rest of the league. They have also experimented with Bridges playing center. It’s a new look, but it gives defenses problems. 23% of Bridges’ minutes have been at center.
Bridges and the Hornets are leaning into his weird skillset and playstyle. So far, it’s been working to perfection.
20.3 points – 7.4 rebounds – 1.3 steals – 56% TS
Center: Isaiah Hartenstein (LAC)
Most of you don’t know who this is, so this should be good. Hartenstein has become the Clippers’ backup center and he’s done a great job in that role.
While Hartenstein isn’t overly athletic and isn’t some sort of freak, he’s fundamentally sound. Hartenstein feeds around the rim and cleans up missed shots (1.9 ORB).
However, to my surprise, his defense has been his main calling card. With Hartenstein on the floor, the Clippers have a defensive rating of 96.6. That would lead the league in terms of team defense.
While it seems like Hartenstein is a veteran, he’s only 23. He has been great this season for LA and is one of my favorite unknown players in the NBA.
7.3 points – 5.1 rebounds – 1.9 ORB – 67% TS
Rookie of the Year Ladder
It’s another edition of the Rookie of the Year Ladder. We’ve had some weird developments with rookies over the past week. From an injury to the frontrunner to the #1 overall pick’s struggles, it’s time we revise who the top 5 rooks have been this season.
#5 – Josh Giddey (OKC)
Mr. Tik Tok man continues to be a great fit for OKC. His herky-jerky movements aren’t appealing to the eyes, but it works.
Giddey’s rebounding and playmaking have been superb this season. He’s been the best rookie assist man by a wide margin. His main weakness has been scoring. However, like Scottie Barnes, Giddey has been getting creative in how he scores.
While he lacks that perimeter jump shot, he’s been getting better at scoring. His offensive game still needs a lot of fine-tuning, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
We might need to get some better dance moves, though.
10.8 points – 7.3 rebounds – 1.6 ORB – 5.7 assists – 46% TS
#4 – Cade Cunningham (DET)
Cade Cunningham is playing ok, but the scoring needs to be better. While his passing and rebounding are impressive, I haven’t been impressed with his playmaking.
Cunningham is fundamentally sound, but he is struggling to put the ball in the basket. Now, the help around Cunningham isn’t great and that is a big part of how effective a scorer is. However, for a #1 overall pick, you’re hoping for a little more substance.
13.0 points – 6.5 rebounds – 4.8 assists – 1.3 steals – 43% TS
#3 – Franz Wagner (ORL)
Wagner continues to be a great gadget player for the Magic. He’s a great all-around player and fills any role that Orlando needs him to.
He’s still shooting great from the perimeter, but he does a lot more than that. He’s a great offensive rebounder, a solid passer, and a positive defender. Wagner is one of the most well-rounded rookies in the NBA and he’s doing a lot for the Magic.
12.7 points – 1.4 ORB – 1.5 stocks – 52% TS
#2 – Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Barnes has been holding steady, doing what he does best. He continues to be a positive on offense despite his lack of a 3-PT shot.
Barnes is a great defender and he brings a lot to the table for the Raptors. And speaking of lack of a jump shot, Barnes knocked down four 3’s versus the Celtics last night. Take that, narratives.
15.2 points – 8.3 rebounds – 3.1 ORB – 1.7 stocks – 54% TS
#1 – Evan Mobley (CLE)
I don’t need to explain this one. The unicorn has been brilliant on both sides of the ball for Cleveland. He’s the frontrunner for this award by a country mile.
14.5 points – 8.1 rebounds – 1.8 ORB – 2.7 stocks – 55% TS
What Are Your Thoughts On This Week’s Power Rankings? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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