The Milwaukee Bucks Can’t Be Stopped – Week 8 Power Rankings
It’s time for my week 8 power rankings. From the unstoppable force that is the Milwaukee Bucks to some weird phenomenon I’ve noticed, let’s get into these power rankings.
Week 8 Power Rankings
After eight weeks, who remains on top in the NBA? Let’s find out.
#10 – Atlanta Hawks
Record: (13-13)
Offensive Rating: 112.7 (3rd)
Defensive Rating: 110.4 (24th)
Net Rating: 2.3 (9th)
The Good
The Hawks are one of the most talented teams in the NBA. Trae Young is having the best season of his career. John Collins and Clint Capela form to make one of the most unstoppable tandems in the NBA.
Since their 4-9 start, they are 9-4. In those last 13 games, they are the #2 offense and #12 defense. They have what it takes to win a championship.
The Bad
The Hawks’ bench isn’t particularly good. As I’ve talked about before, getting more consistent players would go a long way for them. Getting more production from Huerter and Bogdanovic couldn’t hurt either.
#9 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: (16-12)
Offensive Rating: 108.2 (19th)
Defensive Rating: 104.1 (3rd)
Net Rating: 4.1 (5th)
The Good
The Cavs have been rolling as of late. Their defense is one of the best in basketball, anchored by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley down low. Darius Garland is having the best season of his career.
Their roster, while appearing clunky, has found a formula to win. Who needs Collin Sexton?
The Bad
They don’t have a lot of ball-handlers. There’s nobody I trust other than Garland or Rubio, so look for a move that could net them another guard in the coming weeks.
If Isaac Okoro could shoot better from the perimeter (24%), that would open up the offense more. Remember what I said about a clunky roster? Dean Wade gets consistent minutes on this team. Yikes.
#8 – Memphis Grizzlies
Record: (16-11)
Offensive Rating: 110.5 (5th)
Defensive Rating: 110.3 (23rd)
Net Rating: 0.2 (13th)
The Good
The Grizzlies have been on a roll without Ja Morant. They are 7-1 without Morant, making things look suspiciously easy. Their deep roster has helped them stay afloat without their franchise superstar.
Without Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. have been superb on offense. Over the past 8 games, they have had the best defense in basketball.
And before getting injured, Ja Morant was having the best season of his career. That’s cool.
The Bad
The defense hasn’t been great all season, in particular their 3-PT defense. It’s a good sign things have been getting better on that end, but is this sustainable?
#7 – Miami Heat
Record: (16-11)
Offensive Rating: 110.4 (7th)
Defensive Rating: 106.9 (9th)
Net Rating: 3.5 (6th)
The Good
The Heat have managed to keep winning despite injuries to Butler and Adebayo. Their stout defense is relying on spare parts, but Erik Spoelstra’s group is still productive on that end.
Kyle Lowry has picked up his scoring in the absence of his co-stars. Caleb Martin is the second coming of Michael Jordan, apparently.
The Bad
Is it sustainable to rely on Caleb Martin, Max Strus, and Dewayne Dedmon on offense? No.
Unless we get some Tyler Herro/Duncan Robinson explosions, this team is skating dangerously close to an extended losing streak. Interesting to see how they perform in the coming weeks.
#6 – Chicago Bulls
Record: (17-10)
Offensive Rating: 109.6 (12th)
Defensive Rating: 106.8 (8th)
Net Rating: 2.8 (8th)
The Good
How are the Bulls 7 games over 0.500? Amazingly, this team has survived this brutal stretch of Covid. You’ll see what I mean in a second.
The Bad
Not only are guys like DeRozan and Lavine set to miss time, but the entire bench has also been decimated by Covid-19. It’s time to get some of that Aaron Rodgers immunity.
#5 – Utah Jazz
Record: (19-7)
Offensive Rating: 117.5 (1st)
Defensive Rating: 106.2 (6th)
Net Rating: 11.3 (2nd)
The Good
The Jazz have won 7 in a row. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
(Seriously, though. How do you have a 117.5 offensive rating? Asking for a friend.)
The Bad
Good luck in the playoffs with no perimeter defenders.
#4 – Brooklyn Nets
Record: (19-8)
Offensive Rating: 109.5 (13th)
Defensive Rating: 106.0 (5th)
Net Rating: 3.5 (7th)
The Good
They find ways to win. They have numerous flaws, which I will detail, but somehow, someway, they’re leading a very competitive Eastern Conference. The offense ebbs and flows depending on how long James Harden was at the club last night, but one thing is for sure;
They can count on Kevin Durant. That trumps a lot of problems the Nets have.
The Bad
Oh, where to begin?
- Poor bench depth
- James Harden still isn’t 100%
- Is Steve Nash actually helpful?
- Poor center rotation
- Don’t use Cam Thomas enough
I have a feeling these flaws will bite the Nets later down the line. But for now, they’re finding ways to win even with all these problems.
#3 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (18-10)
Offensive Rating: 110.5 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 106.3 (7th)
Net Rating: 4.2 (4th)
The Good
The Bucks are 13-1 when their Big 3 of Giannis, Middleton, and Jrue Holiday share the floor. In their last 15 games, the Bucks have been a top-5 offense and defense. When healthy, are we sure they aren’t the best team in basketball?
The Bad
nothingfound.exe
#2 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (21-4)
Offensive Rating: 110.3 (8th)
Defensive Rating: 103.6 (2nd)
Net Rating: 6.7 (3rd)
The Good
The Suns, rather quietly, have remained excellent. Who knew you could still be elite when you’re not winning 18 straight games? The offense is in great hands with Chris Paul. Mikal Bridges is having a career season.
The Bad
Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker have dealt with injuries. Can we trust the bench in the playoffs? Would JaVale McGee stop making reels after every Suns win?
#1 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (21-5)
Offensive Rating: 111.9 (4th)
Defensive Rating: 99.9 (1st)
Net Rating: 12.0 (1st)
The Good
They’re good at everything, still. They play aesthetically pleasing team basketball on both ends of the floor. They are a machine.
They can play in every way imaginable, not confined to playing “their” way. Hard to see someone beating this team 4 times in a playoff series.
The Bad
Could Steph Curry please break Ray Allen’s record? He’s getting in his head.
Other than that, nothingfound.exe.
Rookie of the Year Ladder
Which youngsters have been performing the best through 8 weeks of action?
#5 – Josh Giddey (OKC)
If only Josh Giddey could score the ball better. Other than his scoring shortcomings, Giddey has been great. His playmaking has been far and away the best from this rookie class. He’s a great offensive rebounder. I need to figure out his hair routine.
(stats)
#4 – Franz Wagner (ORL)
Wagner continues to play at a steady pace. While the Magic are the worst team in the league, he’s been one of the few bright spots. His outside shooting has been surprisingly great. I love his secondary playmaking abilities. His defense is perhaps the strongest part of his game, even if it doesn’t get talked about a lot.
There’s a lot to like about what Wagner has been doing for the Magic this season.
(stats)
#3 – Cade Cunningham (DET)
While Wagner has better overall numbers than Cade, the past few games from Cade have shown his potential. No offense to Wagner or any other rookie, but they can’t do what Cade has been doing. There’s a reason he was the #1 pick, after all.
The perimeter shooting has become a more consistent weapon for Cade. He’s been using his size & strength beautifully. He makes his teammates around him better. He fights on defense. Last night, he didn’t back down from KD. The Pistons have their franchise star, and over the past couple of weeks, he’s been blossoming.
(stats)
#2 – Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Think of Barnes as a better version of Josh Giddey. Defensively, if not for Evan Mobley’s unicorn-like abilities, we would be raving about Barnes’ ability on the perimeter. He’s been tasked with some of the best perimeter players in the NBA and held his own.
On offense, Barnes is starting to open up. After refusing to take 3-pointers to start the season, he’s been more than willing to take a few per game. Over the past 6 games, Barnes has shot a combined 12/31 from 3-PT range (39%).
It’s very encouraging to see Barnes expanding his game so much already. Now, instead of having to work so hard to score without a consistent jump shot, he’s finding it easier to score.
15.1 points – 8.3 rebounds (2.9 ORB) – 2.1 stocks – 54% TS
#1 – Evan Mobley (CLE)
There is no debating this. Even with Barnes’ 3-PT blossoming, nobody comes close to what Evan Mobley has been doing this season. Nobody touches the Unicorn.
On defense, he’s been better than advertised. He’s among the league leaders in contested shots. He can guard all 5 positions and has been an elite rim protector. He affects so many shots at the rim, making him the ideal counterpart to Jarrett Allen, where the two form a new version of the Twin Towers.
On offense, again, he’s been better than advertised. Concerns on draft day with his lack of strength down low have been put to rest. He can hold his own down there. He also can stretch defenses out with his shooting, which has remained steady all year long.
All in all, with nobody close to him, Evan Mobley is still your rookie of the year frontrunner.
14.0 points – 8.5 rebounds (1.7 ORB) – 2.8 stocks – 55% TS
Interesting Tid-Bits
Here are some of the weirdest stats/revelations I’ve seen over the past few days. From an unprecedented amount of success in the clutch to an All-Stars development in the pick-and-roll, here are some interesting things that you should know about.
Luka Doncic’s Weird Season
Luka Doncic has admitted that he’s out of shape. The Dallas Mavericks have been struggling after a hot start to the season. Doncic has missed time with various ailments, his level of play below his usual body of work. While we all know what Doncic is capable of, here are some interesting things I found when looking through his shooting splits this season.
Take, for example, Doncic’s regression in isolation. On the same amount of possessions per game as last year, he’s been worse across the board. He’s shooting worse (37% this year compared to 46% last year). He’s scoring less per isolation (0.81 per isolation this season, 1.05 per last season).
On top of that, he’s scoring 11% less in isolation situations than he was last season. One of the league’s premier one-on-one offensive players has been awful this season.
Doncic has also been scoring less in pick-and-roll situations this season. He shot 49% from the field last year. That’s down to 45% this season, according to nba.com.
Those two categories are things that I still trust Doncic in. Down the stretch of games, you’re still going to give him the ball. A slight dip from his All-NBA caliber play won’t change that. What has been most concerning, to me, has been Doncic’s regression on step-back jump shots.
| Luka Doncic In 2020-21 | 125/326 (38.3%) on all stepback jumpers | 92/258 (35.7%) on stepback 3-PT jumpers |
| Luka Doncic in 2021-22 | 39/119 (32.8%) on all stepback jumpers | 26/89 (29.2%) on stepback 3-PT jumpers |
Now, get ready for the weird part. For the past 400 words, I’ve dug into Luka Doncic. Talked about what a bad season he’s having. Let’s look at how his overall numbers for 2022 look;
25.6 points – 8.0 rebounds – 8.5 assists – 4.4 OBPM – 54% TS
What! I didn’t criticize Luka? You’ve got the wrong guy pal.
Nobody Beats Phoenix In The Clutch
To be a contender in the NBA, you have to win close games. Teams that can find ways to win close games are often elite. This season, it’s been nearly impossible to stop the Suns when things are tight. These are some of my favorite Suns clutch stats from this season.
(stats are pulled from NBA.com – clutch is the last 5 minutes of a game when the game is within 5 points)
The Phoenix Suns Are Too Clutch
11 wins (2nd in NBA)
9.4 points per game (4th in NBA)
38/57 (66.7%) FG shooting (1st in NBA)
8/16 (50%) 3-PT shooting (T-1st in NBA)
26 assists to 6 turnovers
+51 in 35 minutes (1st in NBA)
I get that the Suns have a great team with great players, but how is this possible? Even in the regular season, it’s hard for elite teams to be this good down the stretch of games. The Suns don’t have this problem. When things are close, you know that they’ll come through.
The more fascinating thing about the Suns’ performance late in games is that they get better when things are closer. This offseason, I invented a new stat called Superclutch scoring. Think of it as a more specific version of the regular stat. While clutch scoring is normally during the last 5 minutes of the game when the deficit is within five points, Superclutch scoring takes things one step further.
In the last two minutes of games when the game is closer than 3 points, the Suns have continued to be excellent.
The Phoenix Suns In The Superclutch
10/14 FG (71.4%)
+19 in 9 minutes
What the f***
Donovan Mitchell’s Mystifying Pick-and-Roll Play
This one is going to be quick. While I despise the Utah Jazz for numerous reasons, after a slow start, Spida Mitchell is on a tear. While it would be easy for me to say that Mitchell is simply making more shots, it’s more than that. Mitchell’s play in the pick-and-roll has been fun to watch.
Just look at his improvements from 2021 to 2022.
| Donovan Mitchell’s P&R Play in 2020-21 | 11.2 possessions | 0.96 PPP | 43% FG | 43.3% score freq |
| Donovan Mitchell’s P&R Play in 2021-22 | 11.5 possesions | 1.07 PPP | 49.2% FG | 46.5% score freq |
Mitchell’s pull-up shooting has been electric this season. He’s shooting 42% on pull-up 3’s this season, a big reason for his jump in PNR production. Mitchell is just doing more in the pick-and-roll than he was last season. The Jazz themselves have continued to be lethal in the pick-and-roll.
I might not like the Jazz, per say, but it’s hard not to appreciate what Donovan Mitchell has been doing.
What Are Your Thoughts From My Weekly Power Rankings? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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