This was an absolutely brutal week in the NBA. Multiple teams had to sit players due to the health and safety protocols. The 76ers barely had enough players to even suit up, we had one postponement. Not much these teams can do as there is no plan for the season to be paused. These rankings are based off this past week and what opponents a team played and how they are winning. All records are of the morning of 1.11.21.

#16 Atlanta Hawks (4-5)

After starting 4-0 the Hawks have gone 1-4 since. The injuries are starting to pile up as well. Gallinari has been out with a foot problem, Rondo has played two games and Kris Dunn hasn’t even suited up yet. On top of that Bogdanovic left with an avulsion fracture and is out for the foreseeable future. The Hawks need to win and get back above .500

#15 Portland Trailblazers (5-4)

What is happening with the Blazers? They should be higher up on this list but they blew a 20 point lead to Zach Lavine and the Bulls earlier this week. Their offense is fine, a top 5 offense in the association to be exact. The other side of the ball is not the best, 23rd ranked defense. Assuming they fix the defense they will climb in these rankings.

#14 Golden State Warriors (6-4)

Steph motherf’in Curry is still elite and don’t let him hear you say otherwise. The team revolves around Curry and he has been going off. 62 points followed up by 30 against the Kings. The Warriors are 5-0 when Curry scores 30 or more. Maybe I was wrong about the Warriors. Time will tell.

#13 Orlando Magic (6-4)

It was a tough week for the Orlando Magic, Markelle Fultz was lost for the year after an ACL tear. Two wins over the free-falling Cavs keep the Magic in the top 16. Cole Anthony will have to step up and take over some of the production lost to the Fultz injury.

#12 Denver Nuggets (5-5)

Nikola Jokic is on an MVP like tear to start the season. He is averaging a triple double to start the season, but he is getting no help. Jamal Murray has been inconsistent, barely scoring 15 points a game, Gary Harris is continuing his poor shooting trend and Michael Porter Jr will be out for another week or so. They got a bit lucky this week with wins over the Wolves, twice, Knicks and the short handed 76ers, maybe, this will kick start them.

#11 Dallas Mavericks (5-4)

The Mavs finally look like the team I thought they could be after going 3-0 this week. Averaging slightly over 116 a game with wins over the Rockets, Nuggets, and Magic. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as a probable for Monday's game against the Pelicans. They desperately need his scoring to help with some of the losses coming with losing players to health and safety protocols.

#10 Brooklyn Nets (5-6)

The Nets started this week with rough news, they would be without Kevin Durant due to health and safety protocols. Kyrie carried the team to a win over the Jazz. Then without Irving destroyed the undermanned 76ers. They then got KD back after losing Kyrie for personal reasons and gave up 129 points to the Thunder, an awful offense. I want to see more consistency in the Nets before I move them up higher in my rankings.

#9 Miami Heat (4-4)

The Miami Heat are not the same team they were in the bubble last year. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, two of the breakout players of the bubble, are hurting the team more than they are helping. Maybe it is the quick turnaround for two young players, but if they don’t figure it out soon Miami could be dropping out of my top 10.

#8 Milwaukee Bucks (6-4)

The Bucks are working their way back to the dominant team they have been for the past two years. They are winning games they are supposed to win, against the awful Pistons and the Cavs. Then lost to the Jazz who were nailing three after three. A slight worry is Giannis had to miss a game with back spasms. Luckily Khris Middleton has been on fire to start the season, expect the Bucks to keep moving up these rankings.

#7 Utah Jazz (6-4)

This was a weird week for the Utah Jazz. They lost back to back games against the Nets and Knicks. The problem is the Nets didn’t have KD and they need to be beating teams like the Knicks. They followed that up with a win over the Bucks which is why they aren’t further down in these rankings.

#6 Los Angeles Clippers (7-4)

LA finished this week 2-2 but it felt more like they went 1-3. They dropped games to the Spurs and Warriors, after blowing a 22 point lead to Warriors. The same problems seem to be haunting these Clippers. They aren’t scoring enough in the paint, and if they go cold from deep have no chance to hold leads. A positive sign is Lou Williams dropped 21 after recording just 9 points over two games.

#5 Indiana Pacers (6-3)

I have been saying this every week, but this is the quietest good team in the NBA. If they keep playing this way, look out. They have a top six offensive rating and net rating, those are the types of ratings you want. Tough road ahead as they play 5 games in 7 days out West; Kings, Warriors, Blazers, Suns, and Clippers. This will be a true test of the team's skill and depth.

#4 Phoenix Suns (7-3)

Would you look at the Suns go, they have really hit the ground running. With a top 5 net rating the Suns might be here to stay. They are in the top 10 in shots at the rim, mid range, and from three, that is a balanced offense. Phoenix won’t play a top contender for a couple more weeks, so it will be some time until we can determine if they are for real.

#3 Boston Celtics (7-3)

The Celtics are jellying on the court right now. They have a 4 game win streak and they have been winning a lot of close games. The bad news is that half of their team is off the court because of health and safety protocols, Jayson Tatum will be out for 10-14 days to quarantine. The good news is Kemba Walker was cleared to practice, still no timetable for his return though.

#2 Philadelphia 76ers (7-3)

The 76ers are in a rough spot, they could only suit up 8 players during their loss to the Nuggets. That is the minimum for an NBA game. They went 2-2 this week with wins over the Hornets and Wizards. The one slight is a loss to a KD less Nets, they need to get their players back from health and safety protocols soon or they will drop in the standings.

#1 Los Angeles Lakers (8-3)

The Lakers are first in the West and the scariest part is they haven’t even played their best basketball yet, not even close. Frank Vogel and Co. don’t really care about losses to the Spurs, why? They are 2nd in net rating, 4th in offensive and 3rd in defensive rating. They are definitely showing up to play more for some teams than others. The Bulls and Grizzlies took them down to the wire but came out and showed the Rockets who is boss. Watch out when this team comes out with full force, not sure there is anyone who can beat them.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 4