NBA Power Rankings: Raptors clawing upward

So, there’s the 10-game winning streak, their starting lineup leads the league in plus/minus and David Lee ranks in the NBA’s top 10 in win shares. Lee also scooped up a Western Conference Player of the Week award for his troubles.

Frank Vogel’s group put up a mere 82 points against the much-improved Toronto Raptors in a loss on Jan. 1 that had many questioning whether the Pacers had partied a bit too much the night before. Indy lost that game as much as Toronto won it—turning the ball over 23 times—and have rebounded to take three straight.

The Heat have also won three in a row and it’s hard to ignore the play of Michael Beasley. A player many teams were unwilling to take a chance on is averaging 10.7 PPG while shooting career-highs of 50 percent from deep and 52 percent from the field. Getting Greg Oden healthy before the playoffs remains a concern, and signing Andrew Bynum could be an intriguing possibility.

The Spurs finally beat what could be considered an elite team, but even their victory over the Clippers was marred by Chris Paul’s absence. The loss of Tiago Splitter (3-5 weeks) will allow Gregg Popovich to experiment with the lineup. Houston, Oklahoma City, Miami and Golden State all like to play small, so it can’t hurt to give Kawhi Leonard some burn at the four.

One of these days, shots weren’t going to fall for the Blazers and the heroics of Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge wasn’t going to be enough to bail them out. Portland went 3-for-22 from beyond the arc (many of the looks were wide open) against the 12-23 76ers. They followed that up by unexpectedly losing to the Kings. Their next three contests are against the Magic, Celtics and Cavaliers, which should give them a good chance to get back on track.

Reggie Jackson reentered the starting lineup after Russell Westbrook’s latest setback and he’s impressed of late, contributing a career-high 27 points to put away the Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back. Jeremy Lamb has also stepped up in Westbrook’s absence, finding chemistry with Serge Ibaka, particularly on the pick-and-roll. The young backcourt duo will have to keep playing well if the Thunder want to stay in the upper echelon until the All-Star break.

A trend is emerging in Texas: The Rockets need one of Dwight Howard or James Harden to play very well to win basketball games. Harden had 38 points in a narrow win over the unimpressive Knicks. When both have a bad game? Well, Harden and Howard combined for 17 points Sunday night and the Thunder beat Houston 117-86.

Losing Chris Paul with a separated shoulder hurts the Clippers, but like the Splitter injury, it gives the team a chance to experiment with their lineup. Can Blake Griffin thrive as the primary option in a grind-it-out offence? With the shooters the Clippers have, a chance to tinker could be just what the Doc ordered.

Setbacks against the offensively challenged Bulls and Grizzlies weren’t expected but at 20-13, the Suns are still much better than projected. They could even close the gap between themselves and the Paul-less Clippers in the Pacific. Yes, the team is just 4-4 without Eric Bledsoe this season, but have no fear, Suns fans: Old fan favourite Leandro Barbosa is back on a 10-day deal.

Consecutive losses against Eastern heavyweights Indiana and Miami can’t sour the feel-good atmosphere in Toronto. With the playoffs a near certainty, the Raptors showed fight in both losses, and their next four contests are against teams beneath them in the standings.

After eight losses in a row, the Nuggets have regained a shred of dignity by winning three games on the bounce. Timofey Mozgov impressed against the Lakers, going for 20 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. He’s been a huge bright spot for Denver, but for some reason he’s averaging five less minutes per game in Jan. than he did in Dec. It might be time for Brian Shaw to give the Russian bruiser some extended run.

The Mavericks dropped games to the Clippers and Knicks this week, looking out of sorts in the process. The Knicks focused on shutting down Monta Ellis (Iman Shumpert is no slouch) and the rest of the Mavs’ guards couldn’t create shots. One gets the feeling that Rick Carlisle is riding Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion about as hard as he can. Is it a smart strategy or will he simply burn them out?

The Wolves have gone 4-4 in their last eight contests and if they want to have a hope of climbing the Western Conference standings, they’ll have to play a bit of defence. They give up 102.6 points per game, the fourth-worst mark in the league, and are involved in far too many shootouts.

Without Al Horford, the Hawks have lost four of their last six games. The attention the big man attracted from opposing defences is sorely missed as Jeff Teague (1-for-13 from deep in his last four games to go with 17 turnovers) and Kyle Korver (6-for-21 from the floor in his last three games) are both struggling of late.

A win in Charlotte stopped the bleeding and ended the Wizards’ three-game losing streak. Marcin Gortat and Bradley Beal floundered during the streak, but both rebounded against the Bobcats. Beal in particular relished his role as a closer; using the confidence he built earlier in the game to put it out of reach. Road games in New Orleans and Indiana await.

Well, they finally pulled the trigger. Luol Deng was shipped out of the Windy City for Andrew Bynum—who was promptly waived. It remains to be seen what direction the Bulls will head in long term, but for now, it appears to be up—they haven’t lost a game in 2014.

Unfortunately, seven of the Pellies’ next eight games are against Western Conference foes. The Pelicans are averaging 9.6 more points per game against the East than the West this year—the biggest differential in the league.

The Grizzlies have recovered after a rough patch, going 4-4 in their last eight games. Unfortunately that type of mediocrity won’t get them into the playoffs out West. Picking up their play within the division would be a start; the Grizzlies are 0-9 against Southwest rivals.

The Lakers are searching for answers after going 2-8 in their last ten games. Pau Gasol’s name continues to pop up in trade rumours, but LA’s most pressing issue is the defence. The Lakers allowed the Nuggets 137 points in regulation on Sunday, breaking franchise record that’d stood since 1993. For the season, they’re allowing 104.2 points a night, making them the league’s third-most porous outfit.

A 28-point second half against the Grizzlies saw Detroit lose their fifth-straight home game on Sunday. At 14-21, it’s safe to say the Pistons are definitely underachieving. The good news? They still occupy the eighth seed in the East. But with four teams breathing down their necks, they’ll have to create some separation sooner or later.

Like the Pistons, the Bobcats’ hot and cold play has morphed into a complete freefall. The Bobcats are like the Raptors from the lockout-shortened season: They play elite defence but cancel it out with abysmal offence (they score and hold opponents to the third-lowest PPG averages in the NBA). A crucial pair of road games in Minnesota and Chicago gives them a chance to get back on track.

The Nets have won three games in a row, with the highlight being a gritty road victory over the Thunder. Could things be on the upswing in Brooklyn? Probably not. Deron Williams is dealing with a sprained ankle and the Nets’ next two games are against the red-hot Warriors and Heat.

After winning three of their last four, the Knicks have finally hit double digits in the win column. A chance to build some momentum awaits, with nine of their next 12 contests at Madison Square Garden. Most importantly, their victory over the Mavericks also provided the best moment of the week.

The Celtics need to figure out what their goals for the season. They’re a game back from eighth in the east, but only 2.5 above the second-worst record in the Association. No man’s land isn’t where a rebuilding team should aim to end up, especially this year.

The Cavaliers haven’t been great this year, but all it takes is a few wins to jump back into the playoff picture and Luol Deng’s arrival could facilitate that improvement. A great defender, Deng’s two-way play should fit nicely under Mike Brown.

The 76ers had won four games on the trot before allowing the Timberwolves to hang 126 points on them on Monday. Thaddeus Young’s name has popped up in trade rumours at a time when he conveniently happens to be playing very well. The Eastern Conference Player of the Week averaged 25 points, eight rebounds and four steals a night this past week while shooting 57 percent from the floor.

The Magic have lost four games in a row by a combined margin of 55 points. So yeah, things are pretty ugly in Orlando these days. Nik Vucevic suffered a concussion against the Clippers, meaning the road could get even tougher. A ray of hope exists in Arron Afflalo, who deserves his first All Star nod, averaging 20.9 PPG on 47.1 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from deep.

Somehow, the Jazz have won three of four games. In Utah’s surprising win over the Thunder, Kevin Durant scored 48 points, but the Jazz shut down his supporting cast. They can thank Gordon Hayward for fueling their offence; the upcoming restricted free agent had 37 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the win.

DeMarcus Cousins is quietly putting the best year of his young career and is in the top 10 in points, rebounds, free throws and steals this year. The offensively loaded Kings are enigmatic, at best. They’ve beaten the Blazers, Heat, Rockets and Mavericks recently, but have also lost to the Bobcats and 76ers in Sacramento. Reports of infighting and frustration could help explain their up-and-down performance.

The play of Giannis Antetokounmpo is about the only thing Bucks’ fans have to cheer for. The rookie may only be averaging 6.8 PPG, but his efficiency and exciting style of play are what catch the eye. The Greek’s PER is higher than fellow rookies Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore.