The 76ers will look to new pickup James Harden to help steer their upcoming playoff push.
NBA All-Star 2022 is in the books and after a few more days off, it will be time to get back to business.
But the next seven weeks aren’t just for fine-tuning. With James Harden (Friday) and Ben Simmons (TBD) set to make their debuts for the Sixers and Nets, respectively, it’s time for a near-total reset in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The Phoenix Suns don’t have to integrate anybody new, but they do have to figure out how to play without Chris Paul (who hadn’t missed a game all season) for the next six (or more) weeks.
Other contenders – the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks, namely – would probably like to find some kind of rhythm after stumbling into the All-Star break. The New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings would surely like to get a couple of practices in with their new acquisitions, so they can come out of the break stronger than they went in. And the Nets and Warriors aren’t the only teams hoping to get key contributors back from extended absences as soon as possible.
It’s time for a bit of a reset in the Power Rankings, as well. The Suns still occupy the No. 1 spot (about as locked in as any team could be), but there’s been a shuffle in the top 10. And as we come out of the break, we’re focusing a little less on the day-to-day and serving up some season-long statistical nuggets that help define what makes these teams good, bad, or interesting.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Reggie Jackson (LAC) was a plus-51 in three games last week.
- Wrong Way: Kenyon Martin Jr. (HOU) was a minus-52 in three games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Portland (2-0) — Break up the Blazers! No, wait. They did that already.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: New York (0-2) — The ship be sinking again.
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East vs. West
- The West is 178-163 (.522) against the East in interconference games after going 6-4 last week.
Schedule strength through Week 18
- Toughest: 1. Portland, 2. Indiana, 3. Orlando
- Easiest: 1. Milwaukee, 2. Chicago, 3. Phoenix
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
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Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: Chicago (+4), Dallas (+4), Denver (+4)
- Free falls of the week: Cleveland (-4), Milwaukee (-4)
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Week 19 Team to Watch
- Dallas — The Mavs have won six of their last seven games, with Luka Doncic averaging 35.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists over that stretch. They currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, trailing the fourth-place Jazz by a game and a half. The two teams will meet three times in the next five weeks, with the first of those three meetings in Utah on Friday (9 p.m. ET, League Pass). After that, the Mavs will travel to San Francisco to face the Warriors on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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Previously…
- Last week: Sixers, Nets switch gears as Suns, Grizzlies hold top spots
- All-Star notebook: Key stats on every 2022 All-Star
- This time last year: Jazz stay at No. 1, but Nets closing in fast — In what may have been a harbinger of things to come, the Jazz’s nine-game winning streak came to an end when they couldn’t get stops against the Clippers. The Timberwolves fired Ryan Saunders and hired Chris Finch from off the Raptors’ bench. The Cavs lost 10 straight games, while the Spurs had four straight games postponed. Joel Embiid scored a career-high 50 points against the Bulls, Terry Rozier beat the Warriors at the buzzer, and Anthony Edwards had one of the greatest dunks in recent memory.
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
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 98.6 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 110.1 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
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.
