Show of hands: How many of you would've guessed before the season that come Halloween, Memphis and Portland would be among the league's 10 most efficient teams, and the Warriors would rank behind the Clippers in nERD? Anybody? Anybody? Yeah, I didn't think so.
| Rank | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Washington Wizards | 4-2 | 59.1 | 10 | Even |
| 9 | Memphis Grizzlies | 5-1 | 59.2 | 15 | +6 |
| 8 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | 59.9 | 9 | +1 |
| 7 | Houston Rockets | 5-2 | 60.0 | 5 | -2 |
| 6 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 3-3 | 61.1 | 8 | +2 |
| T-4 | Toronto Raptors | 3-2 | 68.7 | 6 | +2 |
| T-4 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-2 | 68.7 | 2 | -2 |
| 3 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-1 | 70.3 | 7 | +4 |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | 75.1 | 1 | -1 |
| 1 | Los Angeles Clippers | 4-1 | 80.1 | 3 | +2 |
The Expected
If you've seen the Clips in action, you're not the least bit surprised that they're perched atop this week's rankings. The eye test tells us that they're more of a cohesive whole without Chris Paul, and it's possible that Paul's absence explains Blake Griffin's emergence. (It's hard to believe you can legitimately say that a five-time All-Star has "emerged," but there you have it.)
If the season ended today, the 28-year-old veteran would have career highs in points (24.8), three-point percentage (41.4%), box plus/minus (8.6), offensive box plus/minus (2.8), defensive box plus/minus (1.3), win shares per 48 minutes (.284), and, most importantly, PER (22.8). If Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't exist, BG would be at the forefront of the MVP conversation.
Kinda sorta weird that the Oklahoma City Thunder -- what with their 3-3 record and their wins coming against cupcakes like the Bulls, the Pacers, and the Knicks -- are all the way up at number six, ahead of the Rockets, who have beaten Golden State and Charlotte. But nERD wants what nERD wants.
The Unexpected
Last week, I floated the idea that the Portland Trail Blazers might be a thing. I'll take that to the next level and say that the Portland Trail Blazers are a thing. Rip City sports the second-best point differential in the league, an eye-popping +13.2. For context, Golden State's differential is +3.9, San Antonio's is +1.5, and Phoenix's is -14.7. (Okay, Phoenix's crapitude isn't germane to this portion of our program, but it's funny, so there you go.)
Memphis' appearance in this rarified air is a surprise -- but it's even more of a surprise that they're not ranked higher. Their point differential is a solid +6.7, they've beaten Houston twice and Golden State once, and they're tied for the league-lead in wins (5). Like the Blazers, the Grizz are a thing, and the Western Conference heavyweights should be very, very nervous.