Week 7 Power Rankings: As the 2023–24 season approaches the halfway point, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Thunder are rising in the Top 5.
In the past 20 complete (82-game) seasons, 83% of teams that have won 11 or more of their first 20 games have advanced to the postseason. Only 13% of teams, however, who finished with fewer than nine wins in their first 20 games advanced to the postseason.
This week is going to be very important as there are two doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday to decide which four teams will go to Las Vegas to play for the NBA Cup. Players of the Week, Plus-Minus
Correct Way: Over the course of three games last week, Julius Randle (NYK) was plus-53.
Incorrect Way: In four games played last week, Isaiah Livers (DET) was minus-56.
Week’s Top Teams;
Let It Be Everlasting: Minnesota (3-0) The Wolves defeated the Thunder in a matchup before winning two games without Anthony Edwards. There’s Just Something Off: Houston 0–3. The Rockets are still without a road victory.
East against West: After losing 5-4 the previous week, the West is 35-34 (.507) against the East in interconference games.
Team to Watch in Week Seven
Louisiana – New Orleans With CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III available for their game in Sacramento on Monday (10 ET, TNT), the Pelicans are perhaps the most intriguing team of the eight teams remaining in the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. In terms of the regular standings, the games in the Western Conference are probably going to be more significant.
#1
BOSTON CELTICS
OffRtg: 117.1 (9) DefRtg: 107.6 (2) NetRtg: +9.5 (1) Pace: 98.7 (23)
On Friday, the Celtics allowed the inexperienced Sixers to hang around until the very end. Boston has allowed the most efficient performance of the season, as Philly scored 119 points on 103 possessions. Nonetheless, the Celtics are still unbeaten (9-0) at home in TD Garden, one of just two teams in the top 10 in the East Conference and on both ends of the court.
Three conclusions;
- The Celtics starting lineup with Al Horford in place of Kristaps Porzingis had been outscored by 32 points and had only shot 5-for-26 from three point range in a total of 25 minutes prior to last week. However, in its 29 minutes against the Bulls and Sixers last week, it was a plus-20 (15-for-27 from 3-point range).
- Jrue Holiday shot 7–10 from 3-point range in his two games last week after missing the previous five, shooting 7–24 (29%) in those contests. Both his true shooting percentage (52.9%) and effective field goal percentage (50.5%) are still the lowest they have been in the previous eight seasons.
- With Derrick White on the court, the Celtics have been at their best (plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions) for the second straight season. Among the 162 players who have averaged at least 25 minutes per game, that is the best on-court mark. The Pacers were destroyed by the Celtics in their first meeting, which makes them the clear favorite in the In-Season Tournament. They will need to win away from home, where they have scored 14.7 fewer points per 100 possessions, in order to secure their trip to Las Vegas.
Their last seven offensively inefficient games have all taken place away from home. Of the 181 players who have attempted at least 50 field goals in both home and away environments, Payton Pritchard (62.7% vs. 35.7%) and Sam Hauser (77.4% vs. 56.9%) have the largest and third-largest differentials between their home and away effective field goal percentages. In addition, Porzingis will miss his fourth straight game, so they’ll need to prevail without him.
#2
Previous Week: 2 Record: 15–4
OffRtg: 112.DefRtg: 106.7 (1)NetRtg: +6.5 (4)Speed: 98.9 (19)
The Wolves have won both of their games since Anthony Edwards has been out of the lineup, and they are now tied with the Celtics for the best record in the league.
Three conclusions;
- Late in the third quarter of Tuesday’s Wolves game against the Thunder, who are in second place, Edwards went down with a hip contusion. With 1:39 remaining in the game, Troy Brown Jr., who had replaced him in the starting lineup, made the biggest shot of the evening—a long, late-clock three that put Minnesota up five. Brown has a four-game winning streak going and is 10-for-18 from beyond the arc.
- The Wolves fell behind by 12 points in both their Thursday games against Utah and Oklahoma City. In games where they were behind by more than ten points, they are the only team with a winning record (5-4). With their victory, Utah also matched the number of games from the previous season in which they held their opponent to fewer than seven points per possession.
- Although the Wolves’ offense is still below average, their victory in Charlotte on Saturday represented their most effective game of the year, as their three centers combined for 77 of their 123 points. Even though Naz Reid’s minutes haven’t been great lately, the Wolves are still formidable when Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns are both on the court.
The Wolves are the favorite to finish the upcoming week with the best record in the league, even though the Celtics are most likely the favorites to win the In-Season Tournament. With games against the Spurs and Grizzlies, two teams they had only previously been scheduled to play three times apiece, they were handed the easiest schedule for Week 7.
#3
Last Week: 4 Record: 14–7
OffRtg: 117.0 (10)DefRtg: 112.4 (11)NetRtg: +4.6 (6)Speed: 98.1 (26)
After missing 11 games, Jamal Murray made his comeback on Wednesday. Despite his poor shooting (4 of 14), the Nuggets defeated the Rockets with 134 points in just 91 possessions, marking the most efficient offensive performance of the season. However, Murray only played for the Nuggets for 22 minutes that evening due to an ankle sprain, which prevented him from playing in either of the weekend’s games.
Three conclusions;
Though they never trailed after the first quarter and are still one of just three teams that haven’t lost (they are 13-0) when leading by double digits, the Nuggets gave up all of a 17-point lead in Phoenix on Friday.
- When Nikola Jokic left the game in the middle of the first quarter on Saturday in Sacramento, the Nuggets had already lost eight points, and by the time he came back on the court in the middle of the second, the lead had been completely erased.
- The reigning Finals MVP recorded a triple-double (36, 13, and 14) and a positive plus-minus (plus-11 in 38 minutes) in the Nuggets’ fourth of their seven losses. Even though the Nuggets’ on-off differential (20.7 points per 100 possessions) isn’t as high as it was during the previous season (22.9), they have performed worse (outscored by 12.2 points per 100 minutes) when Jokic isn’t playing than they did during the 2022–2023 season (minus–10.4 points per 100).
- Even though Peyton Watson’s bench minutes on Saturday were appalling, the previous evening he was given some additional playing time, particularly to guard Kevin Durant in the absence of Aaron Gordon. Additionally, Durant went 1 for 9 when Watson was the closest opponent.
Three of the four Nuggets-Clippers games this season will take place in Los Angeles thanks to this week’s extra game. Including two games this season one in which Jokic shot just 8-for-23 and another (the Reggie Jackson game) in which he did not play Denver has an eight-game winning streak against the Clippers.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Previous Week: 5 Record: 13–6
OffRtg: 117.9 (5)DefRtg: 109.5 (5)NetRtg: +8.4 (2)101.1 (6) mph
The Thunder lost their first game in which they led after the third quarter in a matchup between the two best teams in the West on Tuesday. However, they bounced back to win their first two games with the advantage of rest of the season, dominating the Lakers and holding off the Mavs’ incredible run.
Three conclusions;
- Against the top-10 defenses of the Wolves and Lakers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot a combined 24-for-40 (including 7-for-12 from mid-range). Jalen Williams rode along with him against L.A., but he had no support in Minnesota.
- Gilgeous-Alexander had a more subdued evening in Dallas on Saturday, but he recovered to make the crucial steal that ended up sealing the victory after blowing a 24-point fourth-quarter lead. With 2.4 steals per game, he leads the league and has improved over the previous three seasons.
- Out of 49 players with a usage rate of 25% or higher, Gilgeous-Alexander has the seventh lowest turnover rate at 6.8 per 100 possessions used; this is a decrease from 8.5 per 100 last season. The Thunder are second in turnover differential for the second straight season, committing 2.6 fewer turnovers per game than their opponents and having done so in 12 of their previous 13 games.
The Thunder have faced the Warriors three times already and each time the road team prevailed. The Thunder’s scoring average of 125.6 points per 100 possessions is the highest of any Golden State opponent. The season series will be concluded in Oklahoma City on Friday, two nights after the Thunder travel to Houston for their first-ever matchup with the 8-1 home-standing Rockets.
#5
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Previous Week: 3Note: 12-7
OffRtg: 119.8 (2)DefRtg: 112.7% (15)NetRtg: +7.0 (3)Speed: 99.7 (16)
The current Kia MVP is still valuable. Joel Embiid missed two games due to illness after recording his sixth career triple-double (30, 11 and 11) in a rout of the Lakers. The Pelicans and Celtics each scored more than 120 points per 100 possessions as a result of the Sixers losing both games.
Three conclusions;
- With 2:15 remaining, the Sixers led 1-0 before the Boston Celtics went on an 8-0 run to put them away. Tyrese Maxey was also absent for the Sixers. In 109 total minutes without Maxey or Embiid on the court, Philly has outscored its opponents by 3.4 points per 100 possessions.
- Last season, the Sixers went 13-5 without Embiid, going 2-0 in the playoffs (Game 1 at Boston and Game 4 at Brooklyn). They are 0-3 so far this season, and in their two losses last week, they were outscored by 14 points at the free throw line. Prior to that, they had outscored their opponents in all 10 of their prior games.
- Among the 255 players who have played at least 250 minutes, Robert Covington has the highest average of 6.3 deflections per 36 minutes. In Boston, he had five steals and a block. De’Anthony Melton (4.0 per 36) and Paul Reed (4.8 per 36) are ranked fourth and eighth, respectively.
The Sixers are one of only two teams that haven’t lost to a team that is at or below.500 heading into Week 7. The Sixers have dropped six of their previous ten games combined. They have the easiest December schedule in the Eastern Conference and are 6-0 against the league’s bottom 13. With the exception of their game against the 9-10 Hawks on Friday, six of their next seven games are against teams that are at least six games below.500, including four of those six against the Wizards and Pistons.