NBA: Post Trade Deadline Rankings

1. Houston Rockets (40-13, +2): The Houston Rockets are once again the hottest team in the league having won nine of their last 10, including a total annihilation of the Cleveland Cavaliers on - you guessed it - national television. The game wasn’t for anyone with a weak stomach, especially Cavs fans. The Rockets won by a margin of 32 points, hitting 19 threes en route to a 120-88 victory. Chris Paul single handedly had his way with the Cavaliers scoring 20 points and dishing out 12 assists to go with a career high of plus-47. Many thought Paul might not mesh with Mike D’Antoni’s system but Paul has fit right in by taking and making more threes than he ever has in his career. James Harden is leading the MVP race with a historic 60-point triple-double under his belt. But it's when the Rockets have a lineup of James Harden, Clint Capella and Chris Paul they are seemingly unstoppable with a record of 24-1, which surely makes them one of the most dangerous trios in The Association. The Rockets are currently a half game behind the Warriors and may overtake them very soon if the reigning champs continue to play uninspired basketball.

2. Golden State Warriors (42-13, -1): Despite having a terrible week by Golden State’s standards the Warriors are still the best team in the league until someone claims their throne by beating them in the postseason. But when it comes to power rankings the Warriors have to take a step back and take a step back they have. The Warriors simply aren't playing inspired basketball right now and it shows. Teams are hanging with them when they shouldn’t be and they have been getting blown out by teams they have no business losing like that to. They recently were blown out by 25 points to OKC and lost by 30 to the Utah Jazz. Last season was an absolute cake walk for them in the postseason (they’d tell us different) but this isn't last season and there are a few teams who can potentially match their fire power. A cause for concern though would be the uncontested turnovers. The Warriors have so many careless possessions that they are currently ranked 27th in turnovers, which may be the sole reason for their recent slump. And despite their woes the Warriors still average a league-high 30 assists a night. Maybe if they weren't so careless it might be a little too easy for them. Steve Kerr says his squad is “mentally fried” so after the extended All-Star break the reigning champs should return to form.

3. Boston Celtics (40-16, -1): The Boston Celtics are probably the most well coached team in the NBA sans the San Antonio Spurs and it definitely shows. Brad Stevens just knows how to get the most out of his guys which was apparent when the Celtics had won a few games without their best player in Kyrie Irving. Boston is limited offensively with no player scoring more than 15 points a night other Kyrie Irving (24.5) and Jaylen Brown comes in at a distant second scoring just a shade over 14 points a game. But none of that really matters when the defense is so good, only allowing 102.4 points per 100 possessions ranking first the league. The Celtics have the personnel who can switch multiple positions in Marcus Smart, Brown, Jayson Tatum, and of course Al Horford. Horford had the foot speed to contain smaller players, guard the pick and roll and strong enough to guard his position. When you have a player that versatile you're going to win a lot of games. If Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell weren't playing like they aren't rookies, Tatum might’ve been the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, that's just how dominant they've been. The Celtics sit stop the Eastern Conference with a record of 40-16.

4. Toronto Raptors (38-16, +0): The Toronto Raptors are looking like a team that who will cause a lot of trouble come playoff time. Gone are the days of losing the first game of each round, this Toronto squad is very dangerous. Not only is Toronto second in the Eastern Conference but they have both the defensive and offensive side to back it up, ranking third and fourth respectively. A stat that allows them to play their best basketball would be the fact that they value every possession. The Raptors are ranked fourth in turnovers only giving the ball up 12.7 times a night. That's a pretty impressive stat that will prove useful once the playoffs come around when there are fewer but more valuable possessions. Toronto is also ranked ninth in the league in bench scoring. When a team can rest its stars and not worry about a lead disappearing then you know you truly have something special. When the Raptors faced off against the Cavs and killed them on national television, 133-99, it was their bench who actually did most of the killing. DeMar DeRozan only had 13 points to finish the game and Kyle Lowry didn't even suit up. It's safe to say Toronto is looking the real deal.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (34-23, +1): Minnesota is finally living up to the expectations placed upon them before the start of the season. Chemistry isn't something that should be taken for granted and it is a very real aspect to winning games at the professional level. Jimmy Butler tried taking a back seat to Andrew Wiggins hoping that it may yield favorable results, which wasn’t the case at all until very recently. Since Butler asserted himself more on the offensive end, the Wolves have been one of the best teams thus far. Minnesota hasn’t made the playoffs since the Kevin Garnett glory days in 2004 and Jimmy Buckets might actually get them there. He's tasked to score, defend the other team’s best player and make plays all while playing a league high in minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns has been his monstrous self too, averaging 20.1 points and 12.3 rebounds a night. Minny is ranked third in offense but it's on the defensive side where they can use some improvement if they want to compete with the league's best. They have the personnel to do it but it's about actually trying. Currently sitting fourth in the Western Conference at 34-23 the Wolves are on pace to have their best record in years and a lot of credit goes to talented core of Butler, Wiggins, and KAT.

6. San Antonio Spurs (35-21, -1): The Spurs are the most consistent team in the NBA and have been for the last two decades. Although it's very impressive that they are 14 games above the .500-mark despite not having their best and one of the top players in the league, Kawhi Leonard, who has missed much of the year. The biggest reason why they are playing well is their big man LaMarcus Aldridge. He is putting up a team-high 22.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. It's tough to tell if he'll be utilized this much when Leonard return, but for the time being, Aldridge is propelling this team to a successful season. Rudy Gay has also been a revelation for the second unit. After being on bad teams for much of his career, it's going to be a breath of fresh air for Gay to possibly play late in the playoffs, and he's making the most of his opportunity this late in his career. He's scoring 11.2 points a night in only 22.7 minutes. A lot of people were speculating that the Spurs were go off their usual path of remaining silent at the trade deadline and go after Avery Bradley or Tyreke Evans. Neither trade came to fruition, and yet it still seems like the census around the league is that the Spurs are going to be a tough out come playoffs. Especially if Leonard is healthy and ready to go without limitations. Even though he's played just nine games, Leonard is averaging 16.2 points, which is second on the team. San Antonio faces the Warriors in primetime tomorrow night, which would be a huge win for either franchise.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (30-23, +5): The Milwaukee Bucks are 7-3 in there last 10 games and are currently on a three-game winning streak and sit at the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. After firing their head coach Jason Kidd (which was weird to do in the middle of the season to me), the the team has responded extremely well and have realized that they have great talent and can reach their full potential. And things are looking bright especially with the return on Jabari Parker. However, it doesn't help than Malcolm Brogdon, the Rookie of the Year last season, just went down with an injury and is expected to miss about a month or so. Obviously with Giannis Antetokounmpo, this team is still incredibly dangerous. The Greek Freak is averaging 27.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, and is still in the thick of things in the MVP race. The Bucks will try to continue their winning streak as they take on the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, and Toronto Raptors in their next five matchups. They should win at least three of said games.

8. Washington Wizards (31-24, +2): The Washington Wizards have been playing well without their All-Star point guard, John Wall, as they are 5-2 since he had surgery. They were on a five-game winning streak to start his absence, but they have lost their last two games. One a 14-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and a close overtime loss to the conference-leading Boston Celtics. The Wizards are fifth in the Eastern Conference right now, and if they play like this when Wall comes back, then they could make a good run in the playoffs. All-Star Bradley Beal is having a great season, as is averaging 23.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He's helped out by third-year forward, Kelly Oubre Jr., who is having the best season of his career, putting up 11.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per night. The Wizards face the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers over their next five games. They'll be favored to win three of them.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-22, -2): The Cavaliers completely cleaned house at the trade deadline, dealing Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, Iman Shumpert, and Dwyane Wade. It's going to be a fresh start for the Cavs, who are third in the Eastern Conference right now. Cleveland brings in George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. to a team that has aspirations of reaching the NBA Finals for a fourth straight season. We'll see how the trades turn out, but it's obvious that the front office felt they needed to get more athletic and younger, and that's exactly what they did. Lebron James, coming off of a triple-double and a buzzer beater in a 140-138 win over the T-Wolves, is obviously still the driving force of this team and will be for at least the rest of the season. He is averaging 26.5 points, 8.7 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in his 15th season in the league. Which is downright unbelievable. But he can't do it by himself. Guys like Hill and Hood are going to be expected to come in right away and contribute to a squad that is just 5-5 in their last 10 games. We won't be able to see the new look Cavs tonight as they travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks, as they'll have to start Jose Calderon, J.R. Smith, James, Jeff Green, and Tristan Thompson until more help comes on Sunday against the Celtics. Then Cleveland will face the Thunder, after losing by 24 points to OKC a couple of weeks ago, in their last game before the much-anticipated NBA All-Star break.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (31-25, -2): Speaking of the Thunder, they had a pretty strange week. After losing four straight games which ended with a home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 72 points in a 125-105 upset over the Warriors on the road. And then two days later, without Westbrook or Carmelo Anthony, they slipped up again and lost to the Lakers on the road. The Thunder had won eight straight games prior to their four game losing streak, and that's pretty much how their entire season has gone. OKC will play stretches where it looks like they're the best team in the league, and then they'll look out of sorts in a loss to a team they have no business losing to (i.e. the Phoenix Suns, 114-100). But with a pair of victories over the Warriors, joining the Rockets doing so, they are clearly one of the most talented teams in the league and have the potential to make a run in the postseason if things fall in the right places. I think it's very important for the Thunder to either claim the third or sixth seed in the Western Conference. It would be ideal for them to get on a run and build some momentum, finishing behind the Warriors and Rockets in the standings. The reason behind this is because they would be able to avoid the top seed until the conference finals which would make it more realistic of reaching the promised land. In reality, the season is going to come down to how well Westbrook, George, and Steven Adams can play against the top teams in the conference. The Thunder have three games before the break, which include two games against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies and one against the Cavs. In terms of momentum and morale, it's key for OKC to win at least two of those.

Rest of the League:

11. Indiana Pacers (30-25, +2)

12. Portland Trail Blazers (30-25, +5)

13. Detroit Pistons (27-26, +5)

14. Denver Nuggets (29-25, +2)

15. Philadelphia 76ers (26-25, -4)

16. Miami Heat (29-26, -7)

17. New Orleans Pelicans (28-25, -2)

18. Los Angeles Clippers (27-25, -4)

19. Utah Jazz (26-28, +1)

20. Los Angeles Lakers (23-31, +5)

21. Charlotte Hornets (23-31, +0)

22. New York Knicks (23-33, -3)

23. Chicago Bulls (18-35, -1)

24. Brooklyn Nets (19-37, +0)

25. Atlanta Hawks (17-38, +4)

26. Orlando Magic (18-36, +4)

27. Sacramento Kings (17-36, +1)

28. Memphis Grizzlies (18-36, -5)

29. Phoenix Suns (18-38, -3)

30. Dallas Mavericks (17-38, -3)

READ: October Power Rankings.

READ: November Power Rankings.

READ: December Power Rankings.

READ: January Power Rankings.

Photo Credit: NBA.