Kaleb Kraus
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NBA all-star week is here, and with this weekend’s all-star events quickly approaching here is a look at the Pickswise Week 18 NBA Power Rankings.
1. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors continue to check-off wins going 3-0 last week and already off to a good start this week. The Warriors should stay atop the power rankings for weeks to come.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
After notching a six-game winning streak, the Bucks dropped a game against the Orlando Magic on Saturday. It was a 3-1 week for Milwaukee.
3. Toronto Raptors
Marc Gasol was a good add at the trade deadline and it looks like Toronto is trending in the right direction after a 3-0 week.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC has won 10 of their last 11 games, and look like a threat in the west.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers really shook up the line-up at the trade deadline and look ready for a deep trip in the playoffs. They went 2-1 last week.
6. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are trending down and have dropped out of the top five for the first time in a while this season. A 0-3 week hurts.
7. Boston Celtics
Its another crossroad period for the Celtics as they could be in trouble without Kyrie Irving in the line-up. Boston is coming off a 1-2 week.
8. Portland Trail Blazers
A tough week ahead for Portland, before this weekend’s All-star break, but the Blazers are holding steady inside the top 10 in our power rankings.
9. Houston Rockets
James Harden’s is playing at an unbelievable level, and the Rockets are really thriving because of his play. Houston is 2-1 in their last three games.
10. Utah Jazz
Utah is trending up after a 2-0 week with a tough stretch coming up.
11. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers may have new life, without Victor Oladipo the Pacers looked solid after going 4-0 last week.
12. San Antonio Spurs
It wasn’t the best of weeks for Spurs as they went 0-4. They will have to get it back together.
13. Sacramento Kings
The Kings playoff hopes continue as they picked up their 30th win of the season on Sunday, after only winning 28 games all of last season.
14. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are fighting for the 8th spot in the West and will be in for a battle for that final playoff spot for the rest of the season. Los Angeles went 2-1 in week 17.
15. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets struggled this past week going 1-2. Luckily for them, Caris LeVert made his return on Friday.
16. Los Angeles Lakers
It continues to be up and down for the Lakers as they will look to find consistency. They are holding steady after a 1-2 week.
17. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have played their way back into contention in the East. Can they continue to get victories in the weeks to come?
18. Dallas Mavericks
It was a good week for Dallas with a 2-1 record in their last three games.
19. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons may have had their best week since early in the season going 3-0 last week.
20. Miami Heat
The Heat will need to regroup after losing five of their last six games.
21. Washington Wizards
It’s still inconsistency that is hurting the Wizards after going 2-2 last week.
22. Orlando Magic
The Magic trending up again after a solid 3-1 week.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves
The T-wolves playoff hopes are starting to fade, as they have gone 6-9 since Ryan Saunders became the interim coach.
24. New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is playing with a player in Anthony Davis who doesn’t want to be a part of the team anymore and that will impact them the rest of the season. New Orleans has hit rock bottom it seems.
25. Memphis Grizzlies
It’s all about Jaren Jackson Jr in the frontcourt it looks like with Marc Gasol being traded, and Memphis looks like it will be rebuilding still come draft time. They are trending up after a 2-1 week.
26. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are back down a bit in the rankings after going 1-3 in their last four games.
27. Chicago Bulls
This seems a bit odd but the Bulls are not right at the bottom of this week’s rankings. They did go 1-2 last week, but Chicago might be able to get a few more wins, with the addition of Otto Porter Jr.
28. Phoenix Suns
The losing streak has hit 14 games, and it doesn’t look like it is going to end anytime soon either.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers
It is a repeat cycle for the Cavs after another winless week.
30. New York Knicks
Its a 16 game losing streak for the New York Knicks, and can we say they are headed for Zion Williamson as the number one pick yet or is it still too early?
