NBA Power Rankings Update: Win Streaks Abound at the Top of the Western Conference
Teams Ranked 20th to 11th
The New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers ride big winning streaks upwards, while the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons fall further out of playoff contention and tumble down our rankings in the process.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Detroit Pistons | 29-36 | 46.3 | 19 | -1 |
| 18 | Miami Heat | 34-31 | 48.0 | 20 | 2 |
| 18 | Denver Nuggets | 35-30 | 48.0 | 18 | 0 |
| 17 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 38-26 | 49.4 | 17 | 0 |
| 16 | Milwaukee Bucks | 34-31 | 50.9 | 15 | -1 |
| 15 | Charlotte Hornets | 28-37 | 52.7 | 11 | -4 |
| 12 | New Orleans Pelicans | 38-26 | 53.2 | 14 | 2 |
| 12 | Portland Trail Blazers | 39-26 | 53.2 | 16 | 4 |
| 12 | Washington Wizards | 37-28 | 53.2 | 10 | -2 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Clippers | 34-29 | 54.0 | 12 | 1 |
Risers
Outside the Houston Rockets and their ridiculous, otherworldly 17-game winning streak, the New Orleans Pelicans are the co-hottest team in the NBA right now (we’ll get to the other one in a minute). They’ve won 10 straight contests and now sit fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 38-26, just like nobody predicted after DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season-ending Achilles injury. Their chances of making the playoffs now sit at a comfortable 93.6% and Anthony Davis’ case for MVP is gaining some real legitimacy.
The Portland Trail Blazers are the other team bringing the heat these days, having won eight straight contests and 10 of their last 11. They now sit third in the Western Conference with a record of 39-26, meaning there is now a realistic scenario in which the Pelicans and Trail Blazers could have home-court advantage in their respective first-round matchups.
Fallers
The Charlotte Hornets seem like they’ve been tied to a yo-yo in our rankings lately, but this week might be the start of a permanent downturn. They’ve lost four straight, now sit a full six games out of a playoff spot, and we only give them a 6.0% chance of pulling off a miracle. Their days of inexplicably sneaking into our top tier appear to be over.
The Detroit Pistons have completely fallen apart. They’ve lost 10 of their last 12 and now sit five games out of a playoff spot with a mere 6.2% chance of making it. A few weeks ago, it looked like the Eastern Conference might have an interesting race for the last few playoff spots, but now the top-eight looks all but decided.
