NBA Power Rankings, Week 10, And Teams To Look Out For
As 2022 curtains fall, clubs such as the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and even the Orlando Magic have garnered considerable momentum and topped in the NBA picks and parlays.
However, other clubs have struggled to win consecutive games in December, fumbling through their contests and sliding in the standings.
The Washington Wizards, the Golden State Warriors, the Chicago Bulls, and the Toronto Raptors are a few examples. As Week 10 of the 2022–23 NBA season begins, and a new NBA Power Rankings list is released, it is time to assess the performance of our favorite NBA clubs thus far.
Milwaukee Bucks
After going 2-1 this week, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are back atop the majority of NBA Power Rankings. New leaders in the East are succeeding. On the weekend, they defeated the Jazz by 26 points without Giannis Antetokounmpo. This resulted in a 4-1 record without their MVP. Yes, losing to the Grizzlies by 41 points was humiliating.
The Bucks are not as talented as the Warriors, but they’ve also had road troubles. In their 12 games away at Fiserv Forum, they have scored only 103.0 points per 100 possessions, which is a poor performance. This week, they have four enjoyable road games.
Even without Giannis, the Bucks defeated the Jazz the following night. This club has returned to the top of the standings by winning six of its past eight games.
The five-game road trip begins on Monday in New Orleans, where the Pelicans have won seven consecutive games in a row, with a showdown between Giannis and Zion that is sure to be spectacular. The Bucks will then travel to Cleveland on Wednesday and Brooklyn on Friday. They will then travel to Boston for Christmas.
Memphis Grizzlies
Most Week 10 NBA Power Rankings place the Grizzlies as the top Western Conference club. This indicates that the power balance has shifted to the opposite side of the map.
Memphis’s home record of 13-2 is the best in the Western Conference. Six of the last seven victories have occurred at home. However, the team’s away record is only 6-9. The Grizzlies’ four-game road trip began with two losses to Oklahoma City and Denver. This demoted them from first to a tie for first place in the Western Conference.
Nonetheless, the Bucks will assert that Memphis is no pushover. Despite losing to the Thunder in Week 9, the Grizzlies have reclaimed first place in the Western Conference from the Pelicans.
The Grizzlies’ four-game road journey began with a loss in Oklahoma City, where they faced Denver, Phoenix, and Golden State for the first time.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Week 9’s unexpected loss to the Spurs prevented the Cavaliers from climbing the NBA Power Rankings. Since then, though, they have successfully regained their footing. Cleveland has won three consecutive games against the Mavericks, Pacers, and Mavericks in an attempt to close 2022 on a solid note. The Eastern Conference continues to rank them third.
Since Jarrett Allen’s return from a hip injury, the Cavaliers are 6-2. Cleveland has limited three of its opponents to fewer than 100 points during its four-game winning streak. The Cavaliers’ defensive rating is again the top in the league after allowing 106.8 points per 100 possessions.
Game 3 of the Cavaliers’ six-game homestand will be played against Markkanen and the Jazz on Tuesday. Then, they will face the Bucks for the third time. In November, they dropped two games in Milwaukee, where they surrendered more than 120 points per 100 possessions (during which Jarrett Allen played only 12 total minutes).
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been the best team in the past eight years in the NBA. They have appeared in the NBA Finals six times, won four championships, and undergone significant roster changes.
The Warriors had recently completed a disastrous season in which they went 15–50 and dealt with injuries to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Golden State’s fortunes are grim. Stephen Curry’s left shoulder injury will sideline him for several weeks. Nobody knows how the Warriors will do without him, even though he has been their most valuable player this season.
When the Warriors defeated the Toronto Raptors on the road for the third time this season, they believed they had found out how to win without Curry. Two days later, though, in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks defeated the Warriors by a large margin.
