With many teams approaching the halfway point (41 games played) of their seasons, the picture is beginning to clear up a little bit when it comes to the group of teams hoping to prevent Cleveland and Golden State from meeting in the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. One team that's made quite the statement in the affirmative is Houston, with the Rockets having won their last eight games. After winning 41 games last season with a roster that lacked cohesion, under Mike D'Antoni the Rockets have looked like a well-oiled machine thus far. Guard James Harden has been producing MVP-caliber performances on a consistent basis, the supplementary pieces fit well around him, and the defense has improved throughout the course of the season.
And in regards to that last point, Houston's doing this without injured starting center Clint Capela. Second-year forward Montrezl Harrell had stepped up his production in the aftermath of Capela's injury, and in Sunday's win over the Raptors he contributed 28 points (12-for-13 FG) and five rebounds off the bench. In a road game in which Rockets other than Harden (4-for-9) and Trevor Ariza (5-for-10) combined to shoot 2-for-19 from three, Houston beat the Raptors due in large part to the defense played on Kyle Lowry. Lowry shot just 2-for-7 from the field, and even with DeMarre Carroll chipping in with 26 points Toronto isn't at their best when Lowry is held in check.
Are the Rockets a title contender? To this point in the season they've looked the part, and at minimum this is a team capable of winning once in the playoffs. Here are this week's NBA power rankings, with Charlotte and Oklahoma City dropping out and Atlanta and the Clippers being the replacements. (Getty)
10. Atlanta
Record: 21-16
Last week: Unranked
The Hawks struggled mightily earlier this season, due in large part to the inconsistent play of their backcourt. Things have changed on that front, with point guard Dennis Schröder playing much better basketball and players such as Thabo Sefalosha and Tim Hardaway Jr. raising their production as well. Atlanta has traded Kyle Korver to Cleveland, and with the next question being what they'll do with forward Paul Millsap (he can opt out this summer) it's tough to truly pinpoint where they'll be a month from now. But they're playing well right now, which is why they're in this week's rankings. (Getty)
9. Utah
Record: 23-16
Last week: 5th
Sunday night marked the end of the Jazz's five-game road trip, and they looked ready to head home in their 88-79 loss to the Grizzlies. Utah went 2-3 on the trip, with their wins coming in Brooklyn and Minnesota, and this is a team looking not only for good health (George Hill has returned to the lineup) but also better results against the NBA's best teams. Utah's losses on the road trip were to Boston, Toronto and Memphis, and outside of a 120-101 win over the Rockets in late November there really hasn't been much to write home about on that front. With eight of their next 11 games at home, the Jazz have the schedule needed to go on a run as the All-Star break approaches. But they'll still have to deal with the question of whether or not they can crack the league's elite. (Getty)
PG: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers
Opponent: vs. Oklahoma City
Price: $9,100
Paul's matchup with Russell Westbrook should be one of the best individual duals on Monday's schedule. While Westbrook's season has been outstanding, as he's tallied 20 triple-doubles and is currently averaging a triple-double (30.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 10.7 apg), Paul has remained one of the NBA's best in the assist department. And with 16 double-doubles this season, the likelihood of Paul posting a solid FanDuel number is high. (Getty)
7. Toronto
Record: 24-13
Last week: 6th
Toronto suffered a tough loss Sunday night, losing at home to the Rockets despite DeMar DeRozan scoring 36 points and DeMarre Carroll adding 26. Houston, thanks in large part to Patrick Beverley, was able to keep Kyle Lowry under wraps for most of the game, and when Lowry isn't at his best the Raptors are going to have issues. However that hasn't been the norm this season, with Lowry playing at an All-Star level, and in Houston the Raptors faced the NBA's hottest team. Tuesday's home game against the Celtics is of far greater importance, as Boston is just one game out of first in the Atlantic Division. (Getty)
6. Boston
Record: 23-14
Last week: 7th
Winners of four straight, the Celtics move up a spot simply because they managed to take care of business in game they're expected to win. Utah was the most formidable opponent of the three Boston defeated last week, with Philadelphia proving to be more of a challenge than many anticipated and the same going for New Orleans. While Isaiah Thomas gets the pub and rightfully so, Marcus Smart has raised his level of play in recent games. After tallying 14 points and eight assists against the 76ers on Friday, Smart finished Sunday's win over New Orleans with 22 points and six assists. If he can continue to provide double-digit scoring off the bench to go along with his defense, Smart makes Boston an even better team. (Getty)
5. Memphis
Record: 23-14
Last week: 8th
How do you respond to two losses in Los Angeles? By going up to Oakland and pulling off an incredible comeback to beat the Warriors two nights later. Memphis' wins over Golden State and Utah showed that David Fizdale's team can win games in a variety of ways, instead of always have to rely on their usual "grit and grind" approach. Against the Warriors, Memphis called upon its offense to get back into the game and then combined that with stout defense to win in overtime. And against the Jazz, Memphis limited Utah to an effective field goal percentage of 45.1 percent. The Grizzlies are back on the road for two more games, against Oklahoma City and Houston, this week. (Getty)
4. San Antonio
Record: 30-7
Last week: 3rd
The Spurs are ranked in the top five in both offensive (fifth) and defensive rating (first), and after an overtime loss in Atlanta they've won three straight. The defense has been the big reason for the current streak, with San Antonio holding all three opponents under 100 points and two of those teams (Toronto and Charlotte) were held to 85 points or less. And after balanced scoring efforts from the reserves were factors in wins over Toronto and Denver, Davis Bertans scored a career-high 21 in San Antonio's win over Charlotte. Four of San Antonio's next five are at home, with Tuesday's game against Milwaukee being the toughest of the bunch on paper. (Getty)
3. Cleveland
Record: 28-8
Last week: 1st
The biggest news for the Cavaliers last week came off the court, as general manager David Griffin added another offensive weapon to the mix by trading for Kyle Korver. With J.R. Smith out until the spring Cleveland needed another shooter capable of spacing the floor, and in Korver they've filled that need. The next step is to bolster the team's depth at point guard, with Kyrie Irving and Kay Felder being the only options there right now. One would assume that the Cavs would look for a veteran to fill that void, but it's a move that will likely have a greater impact during the dog days of February and March (get some extra rest for the key playmakers) as opposed to the playoffs. (Getty)
2. Houston
Record: 30-9
Last week: 3rd
As stated in the intro slide, the Rockets are rolling as they've won eight straight games. James Harden finished Sunday's win over Toronto with 40 points, 11 assists and ten rebounds (he also had ten turnovers), and Montrezl Harrell added 28 points off the bench. Three of Houston's next five games are on the road, with the two home games (Charlotte and Memphis) coming against playoff-caliber teams. But they've made some strides defensively, which will serve the Rockets well on nights where everything isn't falling offensively provided they maintain that progress. (Getty)
1. Golden State
Record: 32-6
Last week: 2nd
As disappointing as their loss to Memphis Friday night was, there's no need for panic or ever alarm at this stage. The late-game discussion between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant is something that happens with any team throughout the course of a game, much less a season, and this is still a team that's working to establish a greater comfort level with regards to individual roles. Stephen Curry's role has changed noticeably from last season, with the ball being in his hands less, and that takes time. If anything, Golden State's 32-6 record has led some to believe that the transition is (and will be) easy. They'll be fine, and as winners of five of their last six games they're back in the top spot. (Getty)
NBA Power Rankings: Heavy’s Top 10 for January 9