Pop quiz: Who’s the best team in the NBA?
That question has an obvious answer, as the Golden State Warriors are on pace to be one of the best teams in NBA history. But before you hand the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Stephen Curry and Co. right now, it’s worth mentioning another team that’s enjoying amazing success.
The San Antonio Spurs quietly are in the midst of one of their best seasons ever. They’ve lost just once in their last 15 games, own an incredible 22-0 record at home and somehow were just 3 1/2 games behind the Warriors as of Sunday. They’ve done it all in typical Spurs fashion by letting Golden State steal the spotlight, but they can’t hide forever.
Who’s the best of the rest? Find out below in our Week 11 NBA Power Rankings, which account for all games played through Sunday, Jan. 10.
1. Golden State Warriors (35-2): It’s moments like Klay Thompson averaging 33.2 points per game over a five-game stretch that you realize this team is unfair. Last week: 1
2. San Antonio Spurs (32-6): This insanely good basketball team (9-1 in its last 10 games) would be the talk of the NBA if it wasn’t for Golden State. Last week: 2
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-9): The Cavs nearly lost to the Sixers on Sunday but found their stride late to keep a seven-game win streak alive. Last week: 3
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-12): The Thunder hype train hit a minor bump in the road this week with losses to the not-so-great Kings and Blazers. Last week: 4
5. Chicago Bulls (22-13): Al Horford (33 points) and the Hawks finally stopped Chicago’s winning streak at six Saturday, but the Bulls still own the East’s No. 2 seed. Last week: 5
6. Los Angeles Clippers (25-13): The Clippers own the NBA’s longest winning streak at nine games, but just one of those wins came against a team with a winning record. Last week: 6
7. Toronto Raptors (24-15): The Raptors are holding opponents to 96.7 points per game — fourth-lowest in the NBA — and limited the Nets to 74 points Wednesday. Last week: 8
8. Atlanta Hawks (23-15): Atlanta shook back-to-back losses to the Knicks earlier this week to post an impressive win over Bulls and move into the East’s No. 4 seed. Last week: 9
9. Miami Heat (22-15): Miami’s loss to the Knicks on Wednesday pushed the club’s record to 11-12 against Eastern Conference opponents. Last week: 7
10. Dallas Mavericks (22-16): The Mavericks still have a ways to go to catch the West’s top contenders but are entrenched as a No. 5 seed after winning three of four this week. Last week: 11
11. Indiana Pacers (21-16): The Pacers didn’t lose in regulation this week, but two OT losses dropped them to the No. 6 seed. Welcome to the crowded East. Last week: 10
12. Detroit Pistons (21-16): The best way to overtake the Magic and Celtics in the East? Beat the Magic and Celtics, which is what Detroit did this week. Last week: 14
13. Memphis Grizzlies (21-18): Memphis dominated down low Sunday to beat the Celtics and earn its third win in four games. Last week: 15
14. Orlando Magic (20-18): Orlando’s only win in 2016 is an 83-77 victory over the Nets. Not ideal for a team with playoff hopes. Last week: 12
15. Boston Celtics (19-18): Speaking of which… The Celtics’ only win since the New Year turned also was against the Nets. Poor Brooklyn. Last week: 13
16. Houston Rockets (19-19): Are these guys ever not on a multiple-game streak of some sort? The flavor of this week was winning, and three straight W’s has Houston at .500. Last week: 18
17. New York Knicks (19-20): The once-moribund Knicks are just one game under .500, and Kristaps Porzingis continues to do awesome things. Last week: 20
18. Charlotte Hornets (17-19): The Hornets’ brutal losing streak stretched to seven this week and included losses to the lowly Suns and Nuggets. Last week: 16
19. Utah Jazz (17-20):Â With Rudy Gobert back in the lineup, the Jazz held their opponents to 78.5 points per game in back-to-back wins. Now, about that offense…Â Last week: 17
20. Washington Wizards (16-19): The Wizards snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with a win over the Magic but still look decidedly mediocre. Last week: 19
21. Portland Trail Blazers (16-24): Portland returned to its losing ways this week with three straight losses but took down the high-flying Thunder on Sunday. Last week: 21
22. Milwaukee Bucks (15-24): The Bucks lead the NBA with 48.4 points in the paint per game. Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated into many wins. Last week: 22
23. Sacramento Kings (15-22): The Kings have started to show signs of life, winning three of four before falling to the mighty Warriors on Saturday. Last week: 23
24. Denver Nuggets (13-24): The Nuggets beat two teams on massive losing streaks (the Wolves and Hornets) this week. Hey, it’s better than losing. Last week: 25
25. Phoenix Suns (13-26): Phoenix finally won a game Wednesday, which we’re sure the folks at Talking Stick Resort Arena (yes, that’s what it’s actually called) enjoyed. Last week: 27
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-26): Minnesota has won one of its last 11 games, which is great news if you’re into tanking. Last week: 24
27. New Orleans Pelicans (11-25): The bad news: The Pelicans lost three games this week. The good news: They’re still not as bad as the Nets. Last week: 26
28. Brooklyn Nets (10-27):Â We’ll just leave this here:Â Last week: 28
29. Los Angeles Lakers (8-31): The Lakers topped 110 points in back-to-back games, then scored 74 in a loss the Jazz on Sunday. We feel for you, Kobe. Last week: 29
30. Philadelphia 76ers (4-36): The Sixers have averaged about one win per week lately, which would be great if they played in the NFL. (They don’t.) Last week: 30
Thumbnail photo via Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports Images
