Stephen Curry and the Warriors continue to stand tall in the latest edition of the Power Rankings.
Every week in the space below, we detail how the two conferences have fared against each other. And most years, it’s a one-sided affair. In 21 of the last 22 seasons, the Western Conference has had a better record than the East in interconference games, with the lone exception being the 2008-09 season.
This season has been different. Through Nov. 23, the East was 48-36 (.571) against the West. At that point, there were 15 teams that were at least two games over .500, and nine of the 15 were in the East.
Things have turned back the other way since then. Over the last 12 days, the West is 23-12 against the East, one win away from drawing even overall. As we stand, the league’s two best teams (both 19-4) are the Warriors and Suns, while nine of the next 11 are in the East. So if you’re fighting for a playoff or Play-In spot, it’s still preferable to be in the West, where the sixth-place Mavs are 11-11 and the 10th-place Blazers are 11-13.
But things can change quickly. We’ve played just 26% of the interconference schedule, with four teams having played only five of their 30 games against the other conference. There are 24 interconference games this week, including five on Monday and two – Nets-Mavs and Celtics-Lakers – as part of TNT’s Tuesday double-header.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: Chicago (3-0) — Are the Bulls back again?
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Oklahoma City (0-3) — Two losses to the Rockets and then a 73-point defeat in Memphis is as bad as it gets, though we have to take the absence of Kenrich Williams for all three games into account.
East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 7
- Toughest: 1. Detroit, 2. Cleveland, 3. New Orleans
- Easiest: 1. Utah, 2. L.A. Lakers, 3. Milwaukee
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: Cleveland (+9), Memphis (+8), Four teams (+3)
- Free falls of the week: Dallas (-7), New York (-5), Four teams (-4)
Week 8 Team to Watch
- Minnesota — After a 7-1 close to November, the Wolves have lost the first two games of the Western Conference’s toughest December schedule, though, playing without Karl-Anthony Towns, they hung tight with the Nets on Friday. The hope is that they’ll have Towns back for Monday, when they begin a three-game homestand with a visit from the Hawks. They’ll host the Jazz on Wednesday and the Cavs on Friday before beginning a two-game trip in Portland on Sunday night.
Previous Power Rankings
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league has averaged 98.8 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 108.1 points scored per 100 possessions 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.
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Power Rankings, Week 8: Warriors hold No. 1 spot as Top 10 shifts - NBA.com
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