30 Words for 30 Teams: T-Wolves rise to podium 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
Past the midway mark of the season, Golden State has separated from the pack. It's the Warriors, then everyone else.
2. Houston Rockets
Cue the "another Big Three" alarm: thanks to a statement win over the Warriors, Houston is 18-0 when Clint Capela, James Harden, and Chris Paul are all playing.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves' offense is clicking on all fronts. Minnesota's 112.9 offensive rating since Jan. 1 trails only the Warriors' 115.6.
4. Boston Celtics
Since returning from their London game, the Celtics have dropped three straight. They still boast the league's top defense, but the offense has looked sluggish at times, particularly with rookie Jayson Tatum.
5. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are 3-4 since the previous power rankings - but that includes a blowout win (without Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry) of the Cavaliers, a two-point loss to the Warriors (without Lowry), and a win over the Spurs.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
It's refreshing to see the star-studded Thunder finally piece it together. Winners of four straight, they also own the second-highest net rating (8.2) of 2018.
7. San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard's camp quickly denied rumors of a rift with the Spurs this week, but that dark cloud will linger on and off the court until he's back.
8. Miami Heat
The Heat's 5-3 record since Jan. 9 belies a 19th-ranked neutral net rating during that span. They'll improve on both ends if Justise Winslow can bust out of his recent slump.
9. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have quietly become one of the hottest teams of the last two weeks. You know things are looking up when DeMarcus Cousins' stat lines channel Wilt Chamberlain.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs own the worst net rating in the league (minus-10) since the start of 2018. Employing LeBron James is the only justification for their place in the top 10.
11. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers have lost just twice since Dec. 30, a stretch that includes wins over the Celtics, Spurs, and Raptors - plus a 22-point beatdown of the Bucks that put the final nail in the coffin of the Jason Kidd era.
12. Washington Wizards
The Wizards think a players-only meeting might've hurt the team and have gone 3-4 since Jan. 9. They do not appear to be trending in the right direction.
13. Los Angeles Clippers
"Sweet Lou" has been a revelation for the otherwise bland Clippers this season, and his name will be one to watch when the All-Star reserves are announced Tuesday.
14. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is barely holding onto a playoff spot in the West, and it's not a good look when a team's star needs to speak with the owner to figure out the franchise's direction.
15. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers aren't as flashy as the Sixers or Bucks, but (soon-to-be All-Star) Victor Oladipo has been must-see TV on both ends of the floor this season, leading his squad to recent statement wins over the Cavs and Spurs.
16. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have a winning record and an MVP candidate. Firing Kidd could prove to be the catalyst for change - whether that change is positive or negative remains to be seen.
17. Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray had the game of his career Monday with 38 points against Portland, and Denver can take solace in knowing the backcourt of Murray and Gary Harris is locked up for years to come.
18. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are playing their best basketball of the season, but it might be too little, too late; the team is reportedly open to trading Kemba Walker in order to ease its onerous cap situation.
19. New York Knicks
Kristaps Porzingis says "players know" he deserves to start in the All-Star Game. Players might also know he's shooting just 40.4 percent in January.
20. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are 9-17 since their torrid 14-6 start, wasting Andre Drummond's remarkable improvement in free-throw shooting and passing. With Reggie Jackson out, Ish Smith has been a better fantasy player than real-life starter.
21. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are better than they were to start the season, but for a team with its eyes on a high lottery pick, that's bad news. Nikola Mirotic should keep his suitcase packed.
22. Los Angeles Lakers
Some LaVar Ball-instigated turbulence has refreshed the Lakers. Since his comments Jan. 7, the team has won six of eight and held opponents to 28.1 percent from 3-point range.
23. Memphis Grizzlies
The good news is that the Grizzlies are no longer the worst team in the league. The bad news is that Mike Conley isn't close to returning ... and they're still pretty awful.
24. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets continue to make lemonade out of Clorox. With a rotation seemingly comprised entirely of 6-foot-7 defenders, they're pretty much mismatch-proof. It should be fun to watch now-healthy D'Angelo Russell join breakout guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
25. Utah Jazz
After losing Thabo Sefolosha for the season, Utah reportedly put Rodney Hood on the trade block, meaning serious change could be afoot for the 19-28 Jazz.
26. Dallas Mavericks
Dallas has been pretty atrocious all season, but an 18-point win over the Wizards will lift their spirits. Temporarily.
27. Atlanta Hawks
Anything that isn't bolted to the floor of Philips Arena is currently for sale. The Hawks would probably trade Sir Foster for a protected second-round pick.
28. Phoenix Suns
With 25 points per game this season, Devin Booker has cemented his case as a legitimate star. Unfortunately for the Suns, ethical human cloning doesn't exist yet.
29. Orlando Magic
The Magic defeated the Celtics and Timberwolves in the past week, but have just one other win in the past 48 days. Orlando can only beat teams that can afford not to care about a Tuesday night game in January.
30. Sacramento Kings
After losing eight straight - and few were even close - the Kings are indisputably the worst team in the NBA today.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)