Victor Wembanyama has dazzed on defense with his play and has 100 straight games with a block.
The Atlanta Hawks have dropped to .500, having lost their last three games. That leaves us with 15 teams with winning records as we enter Week 10.
But with the season only 34% complete, there’s a disparity in how many games those 15 teams have played against each other. The Boston Celtics have played 19 games against the other 14, while the Oklahoma City Thunder have played only seven.
That means that we’re going to see the Thunder tested a lot more over the final 16 weeks of the season than they’ve been over the first nine. They remain No. 1 in the Power Rankings, but they look a little less dominant than they did two weeks ago.
Records in games played between the 15 teams currently over .500
| Team | GP | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 |
| Oklahoma City | 7 | 5 | 2 | .714 |
| Detroit | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 |
| L.A. Lakers | 11 | 7 | 4 | .636 |
| New York | 15 | 9 | 6 | .600 |
| Houston | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 |
| San Antonio | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 |
| Boston | 19 | 11 | 8 | .579 |
| Orlando | 17 | 8 | 9 | .471 |
| Phoenix | 12 | 5 | 7 | .417 |
| Philadelphia | 13 | 5 | 8 | .385 |
| Toronto | 13 | 5 | 8 | .385 |
| Cleveland | 12 | 4 | 8 | .333 |
| Minnesota | 11 | 3 | 8 | .273 |
| Miami | 16 | 4 | 12 | .250 |
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Hugo González (BOS) was a plus-68 in three games last week.
- Wrong Way: Dyson Daniels (ATL) was a minus-37 in three games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: New Orleans (2-0) — The Pelicans are healthy and they’ve won four straight games.
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Atlanta (0-3) — Trae Young is back and the Hawks are back at .500.
* * *
East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 9
- Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. New Orleans, 3. Orlando
- Easiest: 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Denver, 3. Detroit
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record.
* * *
Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: New Orleans (+3), Philadelphia (+3)
- Free falls of the week: Milwaukee (-5), Houston (-3), LA Clippers (-3)
* * *
Week 10 Team to Watch
- San Antonio — The Spurs have won their last six games that count in the standings, including a huge upset of the Thunder in Las Vegas. They’ll face the champs two more times this week, playing host on Tuesday and then visiting Oklahoma City on Christmas.
* * *
Previously…
- Last week: Rockets, Pistons and Knicks move up
- 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 114.7 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.8 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, contact him via Bluesky.
