Getty Gallery: 3/6
Tier 2: On-the-Fringe Contenders
The second tier of the rankings features teams who have flashed the ability to knock off big teams or at the very least have looked consistent for the most part this season. There have to be at least a few impressive wins on the recent resume (for the most part), but these teams are still up in the air a bit.
Each team in this group could easily drop from tier two down to the third tier with a slip-up or two along the way. We'll start with a few teams that are incredibly tough to gauge currently.
4. Denver Nuggets
Last week: 4
I have no idea what to do with the Denver Nuggets right now. This is a team who lost back-to-back games earlier in December against the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks. They then proceeded to knock off the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors two weeks ago.
The Nuggets, when playing well, are a very, very good team, but they (like many teams) play to the level of their competition in some cases. A loss to the Los Angeles Clippers to end last week wasn't bad, but the fact it came by 21 isn't ideal. Regardless, they've shown a ton of upside and have done so with Will Barton and Paul Millsap sidelined as well.
Upcoming week's schedule: at Spurs, vs. Spurs, at Suns
5. Indiana Pacers
Last week: 3
The Pacers take a bit of a tumble this week after winning seven-straight games and jumping into the top three. Maybe it was a bit early to move them up that high, but there's no question Indiana possesses the ability to be a legitimate threat in the postseason. A loss early in the week to the Cleveland Cavaliers hurts bad, especially on their home floor. They were unable to knock off the Raptors, but that's nothing to turn your nose up at.
Fortunately, after the two losses, the Pacers bounced back and won two games to end the week. With that said, victories over the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards aren't enough to hold off the Nuggets and Bucks. Especially considering the Wizards were on the second leg of a back-to-back which featured a three-overtime game to start.
Upcoming week's schedule: at Hawks, vs. Pistons, vs. Hawks
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week: 6
Paul George has been playing at another level as of late. Dare I say it, PG13 has the look of an NBA Most Valuable Player candidate. Although he's unlikely to actually make it into the mix, he's scored 31 or more points in seven of 11 games in the month of December to this point. Most recently in a stretch of four-straight wins, Geroge poured in 33, 24, 43, and 43 points.
Pairing the fact that George has obviously grown far more comfortable with the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, it makes them an incredibly dangerous team. Russell Westbrook is still playing at an elite level, but that's almost expected at this point, while Steven Adams has emerged as an excellent big man.
The Thunder suffered a tough loss to end last week to the Minnesota Timberwolves but won the first three games last week. Those wins weren't the most eye-opening victories, though, coming against just one other team on the power rankings.
Upcoming week's schedule: at Rockets, at Suns, at Mavericks
7. Philadelphia 76ers
Last week: 7
If the Philadelphia 76ers hadn't been completely rolled over by the San Antonio Spurs to start last week, they'd be higher than No. 7. The Spurs are a solid team and it was the second game on a back-to-back when both were on the road, but they lost by 27 and the game was virtually never close.
Aside from that, after a tough week, the Sixers bounced back nicely to handle business against the New York Knicks and then knock off the Toronto Raptors by 25 points at home. Although many will turn their nose up at the Raptors win since Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka were out, Toronto defeated the Golden State Warriors without the former.
There's a level of praise that should go to the Sixers for that win, and it may have started something special, especially considering the level Ben Simmons is playing at. We know how excellent Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler can be offensively, but Simmons ramped up the scoring as well. He's totaled 16 or more points in seven of the last eight games, and the only one he didn't was a 13-point triple-double.
Upcoming week's schedule: at Celtics, at Jazz, at Trail Blazers
Tier three features a group of talented teams who simply need to get the ship going in the right direction.
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