NBA Power Rankings Update: The Grizzlies Are Making a Surge
Teams Ranked 20th to 11th
The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks make an appearance in the middle tier, while the Memphis Grizzlies suddenly look unstoppable.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Detroit Pistons | 8-7 | 45.5 | 20 | 0 |
| 19 | Houston Rockets | 9-7 | 47.1 | 22 | 3 |
| 18 | Brooklyn Nets | 8-11 | 47.4 | 18 | 0 |
| 17 | Dallas Mavericks | 8-9 | 47.8 | 21 | 4 |
| 16 | San Antonio Spurs | 8-9 | 47.9 | 16 | 0 |
| 15 | Sacramento Kings | 10-8 | 48.5 | 15 | 0 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Lakers | 10-7 | 53.7 | 13 | -1 |
| 13 | Philadelphia 76ers | 13-7 | 53.8 | 12 | -1 |
| 12 | Memphis Grizzlies | 12-5 | 56.1 | 17 | 5 |
| 11 | New Orleans Pelicans | 10-8 | 58.0 | 11 | 0 |
Risers
The Dallas Mavericks might still be a game under .500 at 8-9, but they've won six of their last eight after starting the season 2-7, so their rise is notable. They've got a fairly hard schedule over the next couple weeks with games against the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and New Orleans Pelicans, so we're about to see what they're really made of.
The Memphis Grizzlies are currently in first place in the Western Conference with a record of 12-5. Hands up if you saw that coming (hands down, you liar). The Grizz have won seven of eight, which is a healthy reminder of just how good they can be when both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are healthy and rolling.
Fallers
There wasn't much downward movement in the middle tier this week, so we're stuck discussing the Los Angeles Lakers moving down a spot despite their having won eight of their last 10. Not much to see here, they basically just had to make way for the red-hot Grizzlies.
Ditto for the Philadelphia 76ers. They've gone 4-1 since the Jimmy Butler trade (including a current four-game winning streak), but lose a bit of ground because of Memphis.
