Buckets Zone’s Collaborative Power Rankings (2/21/21-2/28/21)

Welcome to the first weekly Buckets Zone Collaborative Power Rankings! The writers teamed up to rank all the NBA teams, and here are our rankings, with the addition of some analysis. Note that the rankings are an average of all of the writers, and not just one opinion.

#1: Utah Jazz

The Jazz sit atop the standings as the number one team and come in on our power rankings as the unanimous #1 team. The return of Mike Conley from a hamstring injury is crucial for them to retain the one seed as the season goes on. They play the Pelicans and Sixers this week.
-MystBZ

#2 Brooklyn Nets

The Nets closed off the week with a 17 point loss to the Mavericks. However, the rest of the week was very strong, as their victories against the Clippers, Kings, and Magic give them a 3-1 record overall. This week they will face the Spurs, Rockets, Celtics, and Pistons.
-MystBZ

#3 Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers went 2-2 this week after a tough loss to the Nets one week ago. The Clips also had a strong win over the streaking Wizards but split a two-game stretch with the Grizzlies. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both still elite two-way players but they need the rest of the team to continue their hot play if they want to get to the top of the Western Conference.
-Jaybee

#4 Philadelphia 76ers

After cruising through Dallas two nights before, the Sixers fell to the Cavaliers in devastating fashion. Despite Joel Embiid scoring 42 points, Philadelphia fell by 3. The Sixers ended the week 2-2 after splitting a pair of games in Tampa against the Raptors. They will play 5 games next week, against the Pacers, Jazz, Bulls, Wizards, and Spurs.
-MystBZ

#5 Los Angeles Lakers

After the excruciating loss of star forward Anthony Davis, the Lakers have lost five of their last ten games, an alarming turn in win/loss percentage that has caused some fans to question the legitimacy of Lebron James’ leadership ability. Nonetheless, the Lakers are still cruising at 3rd place in the West on a star-studded team. The reigning NBA champions are neck-and-neck with the higher-seeded Clippers, with both teams vying for the coveted 2nd seed. Watch for the Lakers to build momentum on their crucial Friday win over the Trail Blazers.
-Elisha McFarland

#6 Milwaukee Bucks

Although the Bucks have not performed quite to the level of expectation from their smaller fanbase, they are still sitting on a comfortable lead at 3rd place in the East. Despite losing 5 of their last 10 games, look for them to increase the tempo as the season winds down and playoff spots are cemented. Their first chance to make a statement will come tonight against the 2nd-seeded Clippers.
-Elisha McFarland

#7 Phoenix Suns

The Suns are trending in the right direction after winning 10 of their last 12 including wins over last year’s playoff teams like the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, and Trailblazers. Recently minted All-Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul have been a huge driving force for this team’s improvements but the impact of young guys like DeAndre Ayton and Mikal Bridges is what’s setting the Suns apart for the riff-raff of the Western Conference.
-JayBee

#8 Denver Nuggets

Another up and down week for the Nuggets after strong wins over the Thunder and Trailblazers are sandwiched by losses to Atlanta and Washington. PJ Dozier coming back is huge but the Nuggets need forwards JaMychal Green and Paul Millsap back desperately. Jamal Murray is starting to come to life as we head into the All-Star break but Denver needs more consistency if they want to get back to the top of the West.
-JayBee

#9 Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have made leaps and bounds in their performance since the abysmal 2019-2020 performance that gifted them the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Led by All-Star starter Stephen Curry, the Warriors have won crucial matches against the Hornets and Pacers and look to add another win tonight against the reigning NBA champions, the Lakers.
-Elisha McFarland

#10 Portland Trail Blazers

Despite losing to the Anthony Davis-less Lakers, the Trail Blazers have to be happy where they are right now. Led by the man some have stated was robbed of an All-Star starter spot, Damian Lillard, the Blazers are sitting at sixth place in their conference and look to overtake the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow with a win over the Charlotte Hornets.
-Elisha McFarland

#11 Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are a weird team. They have an all-star in Domantas Sabonis and a great surrounding cast in Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner but they still sit at just 15-17 after losing four of their last five. With TJ Warren and Caris LeVert still being out, it’s hard to see the Pacers being more than a play-in team at this point.
-Jaybee

#12 San Antonio Spurs

After four straight games were postponed, San Antonio’s return to play was heralded with a 1-1 record – a loss to the Thunder and a win against the Pelicans, both within a margin of three points. Next week will feature matchups against Brooklyn, New York, and OKC.
-Chocolate Soda

#13 Toronto Raptors

The Raptors continue to reassert themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff pictures with a 2-2 week, including both a win and a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers. This week’s schedule should be slightly better fare for the North, with games against the Bulls, Pistons, and Celtics.
-Chocolate Soda

#14 Boston Celtics

Boston’s struggles continue to be worrisome as last week brought about a 1-3 record, with losses to the likes of Atlanta, Dallas, and New Orleans. This week promises to be no easier, with the Celtics squaring off against the white-hot Wizards to close off February, as well as games against the Clippers and Raptors.
-Chocolate Soda

#15 Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are once again a year away from being true contenders. Jaren Jackson Jr. is still out with injury and Covid-19 protocols have resulted in the Grizzlies having five-game postponed in the early season. The Grizzlies have been slowly trending in the right direction but in the tough west, they are unlikely to get much farther than the play-in games.
-JayBee

#16 New York Knicks

Aside from one close loss to Golden State, the Knicks won 3 big games this week, giving themselves a 17-17 record (tied for 4th in the East). Over the next week they will play the Pistons twice, and the Spurs, as they look to make a further playoff push.
-MystBZ

#17 Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have gone on an incredible run, winning 7 of 10 games before losing to the Suns two days ago. Zach Lavine, now a newly-selected All-Star reserve, is posting MVP-caliber numbers. With his contributions and an increase in his teammates’ defensive work, the Bulls should find no trouble securing a playoff spot.
-Elisha McFarland

#18 Charlotte Hornets

After the overly-criticized selection of Lamelo Ball with the 3rd pick in the 2020 NBA draft, the Hornets have done much better than expected. After their difficult loss to the Warriors on Friday, they are now tied with two other teams for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Look for Lamelo Ball and Gordon Hayward to try to pick up some of the slack and go on a longer winning streak down the stretch.
-Elisha McFarland

#19 Miami Heat

Miami is starting to turn up the heat. The winners of five straight, Miami is finally starting to get in the groove and show why they went to the finals last season. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler continue to play phenomenal basketball but they need more than a five-game win streak to establish themselves as eastern conference mainstays.
-JayBee

#20 Dallas Mavericks

As the week concludes, the Mavs find themselves at 16-16, after wins over the Nets, Celtics, and Grizzlies, as well as a loss to Philadelphia this past Thursday. They will only play 2 games this week, against the Thunder and Magic.
-MystBZ

#21 New Orleans Pelicans

The Pels just beat the Celtics in Otto begin the week, which gave them the momentum to top the Pistons 2 days later. However, they fell to the Bucks and Spurs later on. They face Jazz, Bulls, and Heat in the next week
-MystBZ

#22 Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks’ disappointing February included a 2-2 record last week – the best week-long record the team has sported since January. Trae Young’s apparent injuries will only add to Atlanta’s struggles as the Hawks embark on a tour of Florida – back-to-back games against the Miami Heat, followed by a bout with the Orlando Magic.
-Chocolate Soda

#23 Washington Wizards

The Wizards struggled greatly at the beginning of the season but have won 7 of their past 10 games, including a crucial victory over the Denver Nuggets. Although they currently sit at the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference, they are only two victories away from a coveted playoff berth and are greatly leaning on their young star Bradley Beal and veteran Russel Westbrook to carry them to the postseason.
-Chocolate Soda

#24 Sacramento Kings

The Kings finally snapped a nine-game losing streak with a win against the Detroit Pistons, giving them a 1-3 record last week. They will no doubt look to keep this momentum against their next few games – matches against the Hornets, Lakers, and Trail Blazers.
-Chocolate Soda

#25 Orlando Magic

The injury-plagued Magic wrapped up last week with three straight losses and a 1-3 record. Their final games before Nikola Vucevic heads to his second All-Star Game are a pair of matchups against young teams falling somewhat short of pre-season expectations – the Mavericks and the Hawks.
-Chocolate Soda

#26 Oklahoma City Thunder

Despite having a packed week with 5 games and 2 back to backs, the Thunder came out with a 3-2 record with wins over the Cavaliers, Spurs and Hawks, and losses to the Heat and Nuggets. They play Dallas twice next week, along with the Knicks and Spurs.

#27 Houston Rockets

Houston, we have a problem. With double-digit losses to the Bulls, Cavaliers, and Raptors last week, the Rockets have officially lost all ten of their last ten games. With Demarcus Cousins’ recent release, the Rockets may only continue to struggle against the big men of Memphis, Cleveland, and Brooklyn in this week’s slate of games.
-Chocolate Soda

#28 Detroit Pistons

The Pistons struggles all but continued this week, as they went 1-3, with losses to the Magic, Pelicans, and Kings. This upcoming week pits the Pistons against the Knicks twice, as well as the Raptors – two teams currently tied for 4th in the Eastern Conference.
-MystBZ

#29 Cleveland Cavaliers

After a loss vs OKC to start off the week, the Cavs won 3 straight over the Hawks, Rockets, and 76ers. However, they still are near the bottom of the standings with a 13-21 record. They face the Rockets and Pacers this upcoming week.

#30 Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl Anthony-Towns is back so that’s good. D’Angelo Russel is out so that’s bad. Malik Beasley is suspended for 12 games so thats bad too. Oh, and did I mention the Wolves lost 13 of the last 15 and are the worst team in the league.
-JayBee

Follow our writers on Twitter: Tdurgan, JayBee, MystBZ, and Elisha McFarland!
Join our discord server!