Another week has gone by, and while our selections are pretty much in the same categories as they were last week, there has been some shake up in their order. Here are this week’s NBA Power Rankings from the Thunder Guys. Let us know what you think, and whether we got it right or wrong.

Top 10

Craig

1. Golden State Warriors (37-10): The Warriors lost to the Rockets this week, but I still feel like their resume is enough to stay at #1. They may have lost the season series to Houston, but I doubt they’d lose to anyone in a playoff series.
2. Boston Celtics (34-13): Boston continues to dominate the Eastern Conference. I’m not sure how they’ll matchup against the best in the West, but for now they look pretty solid.
3. Houston Rockets (32-12): After picking up a win over Golden State, the Rockets have worked their way back into the top 3. They have had a few rough patches this season despite their solid record. It’ll be interesting to see how they do heading into the All-Star break.
4. Toronto Raptors (31-14): Toronto still remains one of those sneaky good teams. They don’t make a lot of noise, but they’re putting together some solid wins.
5. Miami Heat (27-19): I never thought I would have Miami in my top 5. However, here we are! Miami has won 8 out of their last 10 and they are quickly climbing the rankings in the Eastern Conference.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-18): The Timberwolves have dropped a couple of games after their big winning streak. However, they remain one of the best teams in the league. It’s gonna be hard to keep up with their young and fresh legs in the playoffs.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-20): The Thunder are six games above .500 for the first time this season. After scoring 148 on the Cavs, I can only imagine the confidence this team has moving forward. It’s gonna be fun to see if it all comes together for this team by the end of the year.
8. Washington Wizards (26-20): The Wizards are coming off of a dominating performance against the Pistons. Considering they have the Mavericks up next, I expect their momentum to keep building.
9. San Antonio Spurs (30-18): The Spurs seem to be falling off a little bit. Even without Leonard this team was winning at the start of the season. However, they’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10. To make matters worse, there’s no telling when Leonard will return.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-18): Once again, there’s drama in Cleveland. I have no doubt that this team will turn things around by the time the playoffs arrive. Regardless, I have to drop them to the bottom after only winning three out of their last 10.

Zack

1. Golden State Warriors (37-10): Despite another loss to the Houston Rockets, the Warriors hold the best record in the NBA by four games. It’s going to take something big to compete with Golden State.
2. Houston Rockets (32-12): Knocking off the Warriors again is impressive, but the Rockets are still not quite good enough to be in the number one spot.
3. Boston Celtics (34-13): A three-game losing streak doesn’t look good, but the Celtics are still atop the East for a reason.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-18): The Timberwolves have started to plateau a bit lately going 6-4 in their last 10 games, but they worked their way into the three-seed in the West.
5. Toronto Raptors (31-14): The Raptors have struggled as of late losing four of their last seven games. Every one of those losses has come against another playoff-caliber squad, though, and the quality of their losses must be noted.
6. San Antonio Spurs (30-18): Kawhi Leonard is still injured indefinitely, and word is that he is unhappy with the way the organization has handled his rehab. I’m not sure how noteworthy this drama is, but if they can’t get healthy and soon, they very well could tumble down the conference standings.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-20): At six games over .500, the Thunder are looking as good as they have all season. Putting 148 points on the Cavaliers in Cleveland is impressive, but they’re going to have to keep up the effort every single night.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-18): The Cavs are 3-9 in their last 12 games, and the defense looks absolutely atrocious. Cleveland fans can claim “We have Lebron” as much as they want, but I’m not sure that’s going to work for another postseason.
9. Miami Heat (27-19): This team continues to impress. The competition for them hasn’t been all that stiff lately, but they are winning at a high rate, and that cannot go unnoticed.
10. Washington Wizards (26-20): I’m just not sold on this team. They hang around in my Top 10, but they have had a pretty easy schedule in January, so I’m not sure how long they will stay here.

3 to Watch

Craig

1. Philadelphia 76ers (22-20): The 76ers have now won 8 out of their last 10. They’ve also moved their way into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Keep an eye out to see if Philadelphia can find some consistency before the All-Star break.
2. LA Clippers (23-22): The Clippers are still on the climb up. They’ve made their way into the playoff picture. The only question is can they stay healthy?
3. Indiana Pacers (25-22): The Pacers have been full of ups and downs this season. However, They recently just ended the Spurs home winning streak. If Victor Oladipo can continue to shoot 40% from beyond the arc, they will be a tough team to beat.

Zack

1. Portland Trail Blazers (25-21): This team is all about streaks, and right now, they are winning. Two of the three wins came against the league’s bottom-feeders, but their success cannot be denied.
2. Los Angeles Clippers (23-22): Winners of 10 of their last 13, the only thing keeping the Clippers out of my Top 10 is they are just now above .500. If they can sustain this for another week or two, they will surely break out of my 3 to Watch.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (22-20): The 76ers had a rough stretch in December where at one point they won only one out of 10 games, but since then they have gone 8-2. If this team can find consistency, they’ll continue to move up the Eastern Conference standings.

Bottom 5

Craig

1. Sacramento Kings (13-32): We have a new winner of the worst team in the league award! It’s been passed around to several teams this season, but now it’s in the hands of the Kings. What’s crazy is that they actually jump out to an early lead on teams before blowing it by halftime.
2. Orlando Magic (14-32): Orlando is right behind the Kings and could switch spots at any given moment. It’s been a rough year, but at least it’s sunny in Orlando, right?
3. Atlanta Hawks (13-32): Atlanta might be 13-32, but they’ve won 4 out of their last 10. Which may be the best they’ve done in a 10 game stretch this season.
4. Dallas Mavericks (15-31): I’m not sure why, but I feel sorry for the Mavs. Maybe it’s because I know Dirk is retiring soon and I want him to have some success. At least he got a ring when he had the chance!
5. Memphis Grizzlies (16-29): Memphis could be on the come up! What I mean by that is they could be working their way out of the bottom 5. They have zero chance at anything else, but I guess not being in the bottom of the league is a step forward for this team.

Zack

1. Sacramento Kings (13-32): The Kings are tied for the worst record in the league, but they have lost seven in a row, and there is nothing good coming out of Sacramento.
2. Atlanta Hawks (13-32): The Hawks have the same record as the Kings, but Atlanta has won three of the last five, and three wins came against teams with winning records. Who knows, maybe they’re figuring some things out.
3. Orlando Magic (14-32): After losing 16 of 17 games, the Magic has won two of their last three. I don’t think it means much, but at least they’re not in last place anymore.
4. Dallas Mavericks (15-31): The Mavericks had a nice little four-game winning streak to end 2017, but in January they have won only two out of eight games. Even worse, the two wins came against the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets.
5. Memphis Grizzlies (16-29): The Grizzlies have won four of the last six, and they are really close to breaking out of my Bottom 5. I wouldn’t say they have it all figured out, but they are definitely closer to doing the right things than they were just a couple of weeks ago.

Article written by Craig Hofeld and Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to like us on Facebook.