With one more night of hoops in 2018, it’s time to look back at the year that was.
Player movement is what gets clicks these days, so the biggest story of the year was LeBron James taking his talent to the Western Conference, leaving Cleveland after four straight trips to The Finals. No major free agents followed him, though. Paul George stayed in Oklahoma City, while disgruntled stars Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler were sent East.
On the floor, the Golden State Warriors’ third championship in four years wasn’t much of a surprise, though we can’t forget how close they were to losing to the Houston Rockets in the conference finals, trailing both Games 6 and 7 by double-digits. In the Eastern Conference, the biggest on-the-floor story was the ascension of the Philadelphia 76ers, who quickly went from a decent team in a bad conference (they were in eighth place at 25-25 on the morning of Feb. 5) to title contender over the course of the year, while dealing with two of the most bizarre situations (those of Markelle Fultz and Bryan Colangelo) in recent memory.
More drama awaits us in 2019. The free agency and contract-extension decisions of Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard could alter the landscape of the league, and a much-hyped Draft class is on its way. The Warriors still have some business to take care of (and a fifth All-Star to integrate), and the San Antonio Spurs are looking to continue a 21-year playoff streak.
As we enter the new year, the Milwaukee Bucks are No. 1 in the Power Rankings, holding the league’s best record and ranking in the top three on both ends of the floor.
Previously…
- Last week: Parity keeps Nuggets at No. 1
- This time last year: Warriors face league’s toughest January schedule — Stephen Curry made 10 3-pointers in his first game back from an 11-game absence, and Rajon Rondo dished out the most assists (25) for any player in a game in more than 20 years. In a preview of the final game of the season, the Wolves beat the Nuggets in overtime. Marcus Smart drew two straight offensive fouls from James Harden, and Al Horford hit the game-winner in between. Giannis Antetokounmpo got away with stepping out of bounds before scoring the game-winning bucket over Russell Westbrook, and Tyson Chandler used an inbounds, alley-oop game-winner to beat the Grizzlies.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Mr. Plus: Domantas Sabonis (IND) was a plus-50 in two games last week.
- Mr. Minus: Kevin Knox (NYK) was a minus-55 in three games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Houston (3-0) — The Rockets’ four-game winning streak includes wins over the Spurs, Thunder and Celtics.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Washington (1-2) — Before losing John Wall to foot surgery, the Wizards lost to the Pistons and Bulls.
East vs. West
- The West is 106-75 (.586) against the East in interconference games after going 7-3 last week.
Schedule strength through Week 11
- Toughest: 1. Utah, 2. Phoenix, 3. New Orleans
- Easiest: 1. Miami, 2. Indiana, 3. Charlotte
- 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 (+5), Four teams (+2)
- Free falls of the week: Philadelphia (-5), Miami (-3), Washington (-2)
Week 12 Team to Watch
- Toronto — The Raptors will open 2019 with a game against the Jazz on Tuesday, but the highlights of the week come later. On Thursday, Kawhi Leonard makes his return to San Antonio. And then, the Raptors will play a weekend back-to-back against two of the four other good teams in the Eastern Conference, visiting Milwaukee on Saturday and hosting Indiana on Sunday. They’re 0-2 against the Bucks thus far and it’s not clear whether they’ll have Kyle Lowry back before the weekend.
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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 100.8 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 108.5 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
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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.
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