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Power Rankings, Week 6: Quality wins help Clippers take over top spot

NBA

Power Rankings, Week 6: Quality wins help Clippers take over top spot

17.11.2018

LeBron James' move from Cleveland to Los Angeles this summer appeared to exacerbate the NBA's conference imbalance. With the Western Conference having had a better record than the East in interconference games in 18 of the previous 19 seasons, the best player in the world was going from weaker conference to the stronger one.

And wouldn't you know it, the West has been dominant thus far this season, having won 49 of the 74 interconference games through Sunday. After a 31-22 start, the West has won 18 of its last 21 games against the East and is on pace for 298 interconference wins, 32 more than its had in any of the last 20 seasons.

 
 
 
Dig into some of the stats from the latest edition of NBA.com's Power Rankings!

It helps that the two West teams that have played the most games against the Eastare the Golden State Warriors (6-1) and Portland Trail Blazers (5-2), who are a combined 11-3 against the other conference. The two East teams that have played the most games against the West are the Brooklyn Nets (2-6) and Washington Wizards (1-7), so things haven't exactly been even in that regard.

Still, the imbalance has 10 West teams and only seven East teams with winning records. Six of the league's seven worst records belong to Eastern Conference teams and as the season goes on, calls for a 1-16 playoff format could get louder than ever.

A new format isn't happening this year, and the increased imbalance will likely make for another crazy playoff race in the West. Maybe Jimmy Butler's move from Minnesota to Philadelphia will help the East's record, though the Wolves might be better than they were 10 days ago, having added depth and subtracted a headache.

Previously...

Plus-Minus Players of the Week

Teams of the Week

  • Make It Last Forever:  Houston (3-0) -- The Rockets got an important road victory in Denver, followed by easy wins over the Warriors and Kings at home.
  • Something Just Ain't Right:  Charlotte (0-2) -- Before they fell victim to more late-game heartbreak, the Hornets suffered their worst loss of the season ... to the Cavs.

East vs. West

Schedule strength through Week 5

  • Toughest:  1. Utah, 2. Milwaukee, 3. Minnesota
  • Easiest:  1. Toronto, 2. Golden State, 3. Dallas
  • Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.

Movement in the Rankings

  • High jumps of the week:  Houston (+6), LA Clippers (+5), Memphis (+4), Orlando (+4)
  • Free falls of the week:  San Antonio (-8), Charlotte (-7), Sacramento (-7)

Week 6 Team to Watch

  • Utah -- With their 50-point loss in Dallas on Wednesday, the Jazz's start to the season went from "disappointing" to "concerning." They have plenty of time to find some consistency on one end of the floor or the other, but this could be a big week. They finish their five-game trip in Indiana on Monday, return home to play Sacramento on Wednesday, and then head back out on the road, visiting the Lakers and Kings on Friday and Sunday.

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Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)

The league has averaged 101.5 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 107.9 points scored per 100 possessions this season.

Any stats marked with an * below are based on an estimate for possessions. All other stats are based on true possession counts.

* * *

NBA.com's Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man's opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.

* * *

1
Last week:

Record: 10-5
Pace: 102.8 (9) OffRtg: 112.5 (4) DefRtg: 107.7 (16) NetRtg:+4.8 (7)

The Clippers aren't going away. They've had a favorable early schedule in regard to rest-advantage games, but 12 of their 15 opponents are currently over .500. Their four-game-winning streak includes wins over Milwaukee, Golden State (in which they played a role in possibly breaking up the Warriors' dynasty) and San Antonio, along with a comeback from 15 points down in Brooklyn. They blew double-digit, fourth-quarter leads against both the Warriors and Spurs, but have shot well in the clutch (effective field goal percentage of 55 percent, 20-for-22 from the line) as they've won their last five games that were within five points in the last five minutes. They rank second offensively in November (they're the only team that has shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range this month) and finish their three-game trip against two of the six worst teams in the league.

Week 6: @ ATL, @ WAS, vs. MEM, @ POR

2
Last week:

Record: 11-4
Pace: 104.3 (5) OffRtg: 115.3 (1) DefRtg: 104.4 (5) NetRtg:+10.9 (1)

The Bucks suffered their first loss at home because the Grizzlies shot 6-for-7 in the clutch, but also because Memphis had a 10-point lead after the first quarter. The Bucks have lost their last four first quarters by a total score of 137-103 (and have been at their worst both offensively and defensively in the opening 12 minutes this season), but were able to come back from 22 points down on Friday because they were playing the Bulls. With John Henson out for a significant chunk of the season with a torn ligament in his left wrist, Thon Maker gets another chance to realize his potential. The Bucks rank third in *aggregate bench NetRtg, though Henson's minutes haven't been that great. They've been really good (plus-24 in 68 minutes) with Ersan Ilyasova at center, a look they could go to more if Maker isn't working out.

Week 6: vs. DEN, vs. POR, vs. PHX, vs. SAS

3
Last week:

Record: 11-5
Pace: 101.5 (15) OffRtg: 112.3 (6) DefRtg: 105.7 (8) NetRtg:+6.7 (3)

Coach Terry Stotts has changed up his substitution pattern this season, sitting Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum together for a few minutes per half, instead of having one of the two on the floor at all times. Thus far, the Blazers have survived (outscoring their opponents 2.1 points per 100 possessions) those no-Lillard-or-McCollum minutes (with Evan Turner running the point) pretty well and Stotts stuck with a 10-man rotation over the weekend, giving rookie Anfernee Simons some burn in place of the injured Seth Curry. The Blazers lost the first two games of their trip (their loss in Minnesota on Friday was the first time they've been held under a point per possession), but an easy win in Washingtonon Sunday and the Warriors' three-game losing streak has Portland in first place in the Western Conference. Their first meeting with the champs is Friday in Oakland, the conclusion of a six-game excursion in which they will have changed time zones four times.

Week 6: @ NYK, @ MIL, @ GSW, vs. LAC

4
Last week:

Record: 13-4
Pace: 102.4 (11) OffRtg: 113.1 (3) DefRtg: 105.4 (7) NetRtg:+7.7 (2)

The Raptors' three-game losing streak, in which Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry combined to shoot 3-for-26 from 3-point range (and which ended in Chicago on Saturday) was longer than any losing streak that they had last season. They're banged up on the wings. Their bench unit -- Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, C.J. Miles and OG Anunoby with a center -- has played just 32 total minutes, 11th man Norman Powell is out for an extended time with a shoulder injury and they rank 16th in *aggregate bench NetRtg (after ranking first last season). But they still have the best record in the league, with what has been the league's easiest schedule remaining easy for another week.

Week 6: @ ORL, @ ATL, vs. WAS, vs. MIA

5
Last week:

Record: 10-5
Pace: 102.6 (10) OffRtg: 108.1 (13) DefRtg: 102.9 (2) NetRtg:+5.2 (6)

The Thunder have both the league's best record and its best point differential per 100 possessions (plus-10.9) in November, even though Russell Westbrook has missed six of their nine games this month. They've allowed less than 97 points points per 100 possessions with Paul George and Steven Adams on the floor together in November, and both guys have increased their production on the other end of the floor. George has scored at least 30 points in three straight games for the first time since joining the Thunder and Adams has averaged at least 20 points over a five-game stretch for the first time in his career. The Thunder have taken advantage of a soft schedule as they've won 10 of their last 11 games (the 11 opponents have a cumulative winning percentage of 0.363), so this week's schedule, with three of the four opponents having top-10 offenses and Westbrook possibly returning Wednesday in Oakland (he's healthy, but his wife just gave birth to twins), will be a good measuring stick.

Week 6: @ SAC, @ GSW, vs. CHA, vs. DEN

6
Last week:

Record: 12-6
Pace: 101.0 (18) OffRtg: 114.7 (2) DefRtg: 108.8 (18) NetRtg:+6.0 (5)

This week -- with the Draymond Green-Kevin Durant relationship taking center stage in the wake of Green's blow-up in L.A. on Monday -- was either the beginning of the end for the Warriors' dynasty or just something that's giving the rest of the league false hope. The Warriors may eventually recover and the absences of Green (in five of the last seven games) and Stephen Curry (in each of the last six) have been felt, but either way, the basketball has not been to the Warriors' standards ... on either end of the floor. The champs rank 16th offensively and 27th defensively as they've lost five of their last seven games and their loss in Houston on Thursday was a reminder that the Rockets' switch-everything defense can, at times, get their offense out of sorts.

Week 6: vs. OKC, vs. POR, vs. SAC

7
Last week:
7

Record: 9-7
Pace: 100.1 (23) OffRtg: 103.9 (27) DefRtg: 101.3 (1) NetRtg:+2.6 (11)

Kyrie Irving's 43 points and 11 assists pushed the Celtics to a big win over the Raptors on Friday, but the offense did not carry over to Saturday's game against the Jazz, in which the Celtics shot 5-for-32 from 3-point range. They've yet to score more efficiently than the league average in two straight games and remain 30th in the percentage of their shots that have come from the paint and 29th in free throw rate. Gordon Hayward is still trying to get his explosion back and Jaylen Brown continues to struggle. He has seen the fourth biggest drop in effective field goal percentage (from 54.0 percent to 41.4 percent) among 147 players with at least 300 field goal attempts last season and 100 this season. But a huge opportunity for the offense to gain some traction is coming. After they visit the Hornets on Monday, the Celtics will play 10 of their next 11 games against teams that rank in the bottom 10 defensively.

Week 6: @ CHA, vs. NYK, @ ATL, @ DAL

8
Last week:
12 

Record: 10-5
Pace: 96.7 (30) OffRtg: 106.2 (23) DefRtg: 103.6 (4) NetRtg:+2.6 (10)

JaMychal Green returned from a broken jaw on Sunday, but he might not ever get his starting job back, because the Grizzlies have outscored their opponents by 10.8 points per 100 possessions (allowing just 90 per 100) with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marc Gasol on the floor together. Gasol had a huge game (29 points, 6-for-12 from 3-point range) in a huge win in Milwaukee on Wednesday, and Jackson followed that up with a career-high 27 points (on 11-for-16 shooting) in a win over the Kings on Friday. And with Garrett Temple and Kyle Anderson in the starting lineup, the Grizz could use that offensive potential at the four. They rank 23rd offensively overall, but sixth offensively in the clutch after shooting 6-for-7 with the score within five points in the last five minutes in Milwaukee.

Week 6: vs. DAL, @ SAS, @ LAC, vs. NYK

9
Last week:
10 

Record: 10-6
Pace: 98.2 (28) OffRtg: 106.8 (17) DefRtg: 103.2 (3) NetRtg:+3.5 (9)

The Pacers rank 28th offensively (scoring less than a point per possession) over the last two weeks, but have held four of their last five opponents under a point per possession on the other end of the floor (in their fastest-paced stretch of the season). Victor Oladipo left Saturday's game against Atlanta in the first quarter with sore knee, but that provided rookie Aaron Holiday his first non-garbage-time minutes, and he took advantage, scoring 12 points and dishing a fancy assist to Domantas Sabonis, while registering a game-changing plus-10 in 15 minutes (all played alongside Cory Joseph). Last season, Joseph had the second worst on-off NetRtg differential (minus-5.3 points per 100 possessions) among Pacers rotation players. This season he has the best (plus-12.3), which probably has something to do with the departure of the guy (Lance Stephenson) with whom he played the most minutes last season.

Week 6: vs. UTA, @ CHA, vs. SAS

10
Last week:

Record: 10-6
Pace: 98.8 (26) OffRtg: 111.8 (8) DefRtg: 105.3 (6) NetRtg:+6.5 (4)

The Nuggets' defense has suffered some slippage as they've lost five of their last six games, allowing 117 points per 100 possessions in the five that weren't against the Hawks. A big issue has been how much they've put their opponents on the line; After ranking 11th in opponent free throw rate (26 attempts per 100 shots from the field) through their first 10 games, they rank last (34 per 100) over their last six. Mason Plumlee's 6.7 fouls per 36 minutes rank second among players that have played at least 200 minutes total. The Nuggets' loss in New Orleans on Saturday (in which Anthony Davis attempted 21 free throws) began a stretch where they're playing nine of 11 games on the road, with six of the 11 coming against teams that currently rank in the top 10 on offense.

Week 6: @ MIL, @ MIN, vs. ORL, @ OKC

11
Last week:
13 

Record: 11-7
Pace: 103.4 (7) OffRtg: 106.7 (18) DefRtg: 106.6 (10) NetRtg:+0.1 (16)

Jimmy Butler played both games of a back-to-back (general soreness be damned) over the weekend, had 28 points and seven points against Utah on Friday, and capped off his first week with the Sixers by winning Saturday's overtime game in Charlotte with huge plays on both ends of the floor. Butler and Ben Simmons have basically played all their minutes together; They're the Sixers' pairing that has played the most minutes, by a wide margin, over the three games, and time will tell if that's the long-term plan (instead of staggering their minutes) or just a way for the two playmakers to develop some chemistry in the early stages of Butler's time in Philly. The game-winner in Charlotte was a clear-out, but 17 of Butler's 22 buckets with the Sixers have been assisted, with Simmons already having more assists to Butler (nine) than anybody on the Wolves did this season. The Sixers are 8-0 at home, where they'll play nine of their next 12 games.