30 Words for 30 Teams: Warriors reign supreme in NBA Power Rankings
Welcome to theScore's biweekly NBA power rankings, where you'll find roughly 30 words on all 30 teams every other Tuesday throughout the season.
1. Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 5-0 since the forever-dangerous Stephen Curry (35.2 points on 57.4 percent shooting) returned to the lineup. A recent calf injury to Kevin Durant hasn't slowed the champs down.
2. Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving's shot has been off lately, but the team with the NBA's top defense and second-best record has still won seven of eight on a compressed schedule going into Thursday's London game.
3. Toronto Raptors
Hello! The Raptors are rolling, winning five straight with DeMar DeRozan averaging 33.4 points and 5.8 assists during that stretch - including a career-high 52-point outburst against the Bucks on New Year's Day.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Another year, another midseason cold spurt for a LeBron-led team (3-6 since Dec. 19). Such a lapse felt inevitable, and incorporating Isaiah Thomas will take some time.
5. Houston Rockets
The Rockets have lost seven of 10 and will be without James Harden for at least another week. Houston's defense has regressed to the mean without Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, but at least emergency pickup Gerald Green is scoring.
6. San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard has only played eight games, but Gregg Popovich keeps plugging in the replacements and succeeding in the top-heavy West. LaMarcus Aldridge should be an All-Star once again.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
Tom Thibodeau has his Timberwolves playing defense again. No team, including three top-10 offenses, has hit the 100-point mark against Minnesota since New Year's Eve.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder
Have the Thunder turned the corner and figured this out? Maybe. OKC is 8-3 since Dec. 18, posting the league's top offensive rating in that time. Paul George is getting more comfortable on offense, and 43 percent of Carmelo Anthony's shots in this period have come on catch-and-shoots - good for a 42.2 percent clip from deep.
9. Washington Wizards
The Wizards have won six of eight with Bradley Beal leading the way on both ends of the floor. The team is 12.1 points better on defense with him playing.
10. Miami Heat
The Heat are setting themselves up for a strong second half, which seems to be their M.O. They've quietly snuck into a top-five seed out East with Hassan Whiteside playing fewer minutes.
11. Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are chugging along just above .500, exactly where you'd expect them to be. One nice surprise has been first guard off the bench Shabazz Napier, who's averaging 9.5 points on 41.3 percent shooting from deep.
12. Milwaukee Bucks
Is Jason Kidd's time up? The roller-coaster ride continues after a blowout loss to Indiana. With Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating, it's hard to make excuses for the lack of identity on both ends.
13. Denver Nuggets
The combination of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris has arguably outshined Nikola Jokic, who's one of just two players with a 15-10-5 stat line this season.
14. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have recovered from their early-December tailspin, but now find themselves without Reggie Jackson. While Ish Smith is a more-than-capable backup, Detroit may be active on the trade market.
15. Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is playing again and the Sixers are back to winning. The team is 16.8 points better with him on the floor. During its four-game winning streak? 41.7 points better.
16. New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is reportedly not entertaining trade offers for DeMarcus Cousins, nor should they, especially with a bottom-four seed theirs for the taking.
17. Indiana Pacers
How badly did the Pacers miss Victor Oladipo while he nursed a sore knee? Indiana lost all four games by an average of 14 points. In two games back, he shot 68 percent from the floor and the Pacers won by 39 and 13, respectively.
18. Los Angeles Clippers
Bad luck continues to haunt the Clippers. After sneaking their way back to good health and the playoff hunt, they once again lost Milos Teodosic and Blake Griffin indefinitely.
19. New York Knicks
The Unicorn is fatigued. He just needs to hold down the fort a little while longer, as Tim Hardaway Jr. will be back soon.
20. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are backsliding and the season is likely lost. Rookie Donovan Mitchell wasn't supposed to lead the team in scoring, but he's been exciting to watch.
21. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix has the third-worst net rating in the league but holds the ninth-worst record. Devin Booker and TJ Warren are the two lone bright spots for the confusing Suns.
22. Charlotte Hornets
Dwight Howard is the most important player on a team again. Charlotte is 8-7 when he scores 20 or more, and 7-16 when he doesn't.
23. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have fallen back into the basement after a nice December run, but they've probably exceeded some season expectations with 14 wins.
24. Brooklyn Nets
Let's give Spencer Dinwiddie some attention. He's averaging 15.1 points and 7.2 assists since becoming a starter, and the Nets are 8.7 points better when he plays.
25. Dallas Mavericks
A four-game winning streak with victories over formidable teams, followed by three losses by four points or less, shows the rebuilding Mavs are at least staying competitive.
26. Sacramento Kings
When the Timberwolves make the playoffs this spring, the Kings will own the NBA's longest postseason drought.
27. Memphis Grizzlies
It's hard to blame former head coach David Fizdale now, with the team still struggling amid Mike Conley's absence.
28. Los Angeles Lakers
Nothing cures a nine-game losing skid quite like playing one of the few teams in the Association worse than yours.
29. Orlando Magic
The Magic began the season 8-4, with some people talking playoffs. They've gone 4-24 since.
30. Atlanta Hawks
Through 40 games, the Hawks are the worst team in the NBA. The good news? They don't play like the worst team. Chalk it up to good coaching and a terrible roster.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)