
Ja Morant and the Grizzlies are rolling and have won their last 9 games entering Week 14.
With the 2022-23 season more than halfway done, parity remains, especially in the Western Conference, where the 12th-place Oklahoma City Thunder are just two games in the loss column behind the fifth-place Dallas Mavericks.
There are some pretty clear tiers in the East and, amazingly, the Sacramento Kings seem to have separated themselves from the morass out West for the time being. But the Mavs have lost four of five to fall back, and the Clippers, Warriors and Suns – burdened by both health issues and general malaise – still can’t make any kind of a run to the top.
It’s starting to get late. The trade deadline is 24 days away and with Jan. 15 behind us, more players are eligible to be traded than there were last week. But as always is the case (and as Jae Crowder surely knows by now), making a deal is much easier said than done, especially when it’s not quite clear who should be a buyer and who should be a seller.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Harrison Barnes (SAC) was a plus-84 in four games last week.
- Wrong Way: Keldon Johnson (SAS) was a minus-61 in three games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Oklahoma City (3-1) — The Thunder are 6-2 in January, with wins over the Celtics, Mavs, Sixers and Nets.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Houston (0-3) — Ten straight losses by an average of 16.6 points.
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East vs. West
- The East is 129-127 (.504) against the West in interconference games though the West was 11-8 in Week 13.
Schedule strength through Week 13
- Toughest: 1. Detroit, 2. Washington, 3. Charlotte
- Easiest: 1. Philadelphia, 2. LA Clippers, 3. Minnesota
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
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Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: Oklahoma City (+7), Atlanta (+3), Miami (+3), Minnesota (+3)
- Free falls of the week: L.A. Lakers (-7), Chicago (-3), Indiana (-3)
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Week 14 Team to Watch
- Atlanta — Trae Young has been making shots and the Hawks have seemingly steadied the ship, winning four of their last six games. At 21-22, they’re just two games in the loss column behind the seventh-place Heat, who they’re hosting on Monday afternoon. After a visit to Dallas for a Luka-Trae matchup, the Hawks will return home for another big game against a team — New York — in front of them in the East standings. They will then finish their week hosting the Hornets on Saturday night.
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Previously…
- Last week: Cavs enter Top 5 as season reaches midpoint
- Thursday’s notebook: Clippers’ struggles + Nets without Kevin Durant
- This time last year: Grizzlies climb to No. 1 as other contenders stumble — The Mavs put an end to the Grizzlies’ 11-game winning streak, and the Celtics had just begun to turn their season around. Kevin Durant suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee, the Knicks traded for Cam Reddish, and Rudy Gobert praised Devin Booker’s defense.Luka Doncic dropped a behind-the-back DIME to Dwight Powell and Brandon Ingram beat the Wolves with a last-second 3.
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
The league has averaged 113.0 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.0 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.
NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.