NBA Power Rankings Update: The Toronto Raptors Continue Their Climb
Teams Ranked 10th to 1st
The Charlotte Hornets keep on breaking analytics, the Minnesota Timberwolves continue their ascent to join the league's elite, and the Toronto Raptors are your new number two.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Indiana Pacers | 21-20 | 52.1 | 9 | -1 |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 15-24 | 52.6 | 12 | +3 |
| 8 | Washington Wizards | 23-18 | 56.9 | 7 | -1 |
| 7 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 22-20 | 57.9 | 8 | +1 |
| 6 | San Antonio Spurs | 28-14 | 58.3 | 5 | -1 |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 27-16 | 61.9 | 10 | +5 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics | 33-10 | 64.2 | 4 | Even |
| 3 | Houston Rockets | 29-11 | 68.1 | 2 | -1 |
| 2 | Toronto Raptors | 28-11 | 70.3 | 3 | +1 |
| 1 | Golden State Warriors | 33-9 | 76.0 | 1 | Even |
Risers
The Charlotte Hornets are a mere 5-4 since our last instalment, yet jumped up three spots to land in the top-10 of our power rankings at ninth. Their lackluster record of 15-24 places them 11th in the Eastern Conference by win-loss percentage, and our algorithm only gives them a 22.5% chance of making the postseason, yet they place higher than 21 other teams in the NBA in these rankings and all but three -- the Raptors, Celtics, and Washington Wizards -- in their conference. That's right, they're outperforming the three-time reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Cavaliers. Why? Their 12th-ranked defensive efficiency helps (Cleveland sits at 28th), but otherwise, it's a little hard to say why nERD has such a crush on them.
The Minnesota Timberwolves now lead the Northwest Division with a record of 27-16, having won 10 of their last 13 contests. They snuck their way into the top-10 last time around, and now skyrocket up to fifth in the entire Association and third in the Western Conference. Our algorithm gives them a 99.7% chance of making the postseason this year, likely breaking an NBA-leading 13-year postseason drought.
The Toronto Raptors continue to be one of the best teams in the Association that no one's talking about. They are now our second-ranked team behind the mighty Golden State Warriors (surpassing the Houston Rockets), thanks to their fourth-ranked offensive efficiency, third-ranked defense, and third-ranked margin of victory. Their recent playoff history will keep people from taking them seriously as a true championship contender, but our unbiased metrics have them with the league's second-best title odds at 15.7%, trailing only Golden State's 36.4%.
Fallers
The Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets all dropped one spot this week, but that was more about other teams surging than those teams faltering.
