NBA Power Rankings: Week 4

Nov 30, 2012; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) reacts to the bench after hitting a thee point shot against the Detroit Pistons at FedEx Forum. Memphis defeated Detroit 90-78. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

Welcome to Week 4 of the 2012-13 Dunking with Wolves Power Rankings. JJ Glenn & Ben Beecken break down every NBA team with their insight throughout the entire NBA season.
This Week	Last Week	Team		Notes
1	1	Memphis	JJ	Another week in the NBA has passed and the Memphis Grizzlies are once again #1 in the league. In the last 5 games the Grizz have allowed the 2nd lowest points per game and the 4th best EDIFF. The Grizz have always been good defensively and now offensively this team is clicking on all cylinders.
			Ben	Memphis has a tough road test upcoming against a rested San Antonio Spurs squad. As long as Mike Conley continues his impressive season, Memphis will stay near the top of the conference throughout
2	6	Heat	JJ	The defending champs have the 2nd best record in the NBA, have won 5 in a row and have been getting it together defensively, but most importantly, with the new offense pieces gathered over the off-season this team is putting up lots of points, 2nd most in the NBA at 104.79.
			Ben	Lebron James continues to shoot the ball at an insane rate, making three pointers at a 43.5% rate thus far while shooting over three attempts per game. He will regress at some point, but if he has really improved his three point shot this much….
3	4	Oklahoma City	JJ	It looks like the Thunder needed only 3 weeks to get the new pieces incorporated and playing together, playing very well for that matter. Over the last 5 games the Thunder have the leagues best EDIFF & PDIFF.
			Ben	The Thunder are still dominating, but certainly have a different feel without James Harden this year. They should still win the divison fairly easily and are one of the top three teams in the Western Conference.
4	7	Brooklyn	JJ	The high priced Nets lofty expectations seemed to be out of reach with this team to start the season. The Nets have been putting all the pieces together and are 8-2 over their last 10 games & averaging double digit wins in the last 5 games.
			Ben	Brooklyn has beat most of the teams it was supposed to so far this season, leading to an 11-4 record to this point. The test in Miami over the weekend will be a great matchup and a good litmus test for where Brooklyn stands as December begins.
5	5	San Antonio	JJ	The Power Rankings are to cover the last week, not the last 48 hours of sending player’s home and paying fines. The Spurs area very solid group, coached by one of the best and all if it brought together by one of the best front offices in the history of the NBA. Regardless of any of the off court problems the Spurs are and will continue to be one of the top teams in the league.
			Ben	There isn’t much to say about the Spurs anymore. They are always good, and Gregg Popovich is always entertaining. The NBA looking over their shoulders and trying to manage playing time won’t change the fact that they will just keep on winning.
6	2	New York Knicks	JJ	The Knicks are now 6-4 over the last 10 games and are no longer displaying the same perfection they had at the beginning of the season. With Amare expected back, there are even more pieces of this puzzle that have to be put together in order to know where the Knicks will become the end of the season.
			Ben	It is safe to say that watching the Knicks slow fall back to where we are accustomed to see them in the league pecking order will be intriguing to watch. When Stoudemire returns around Christmas, expect the Knicks slide to quicken.
7	3	L.A. Clippers	JJ	The Clippers had a rough go of it over the last week. They lost 4 straight and had their EDIFF drop to a negative -6.2 and PDIFF of -5.6. While the Clips have displayed a complete team & dominated games, they will have to show they can do it consistently as the season continues to unfold.
			Ben	Working a healthy Chauncey Billups back into the rotation for the Clippers shouldn’t be too difficult, but the rough and tumble Western Conference won’t be easy with the Clippers’ banged up and aging roster.
8	13	Boston	JJ	Doc called him team “Soft”. Rondo was suspended for 2 games, and all of it resulted in the Boston Celtics dismantling the Portland Trail Blazers. The C’s calling card has been defense, and with so many new pieces Docs defense will take some time. The problem the C’s had in the past seasons was on the Offensive end, this season that hasn’t been the problem. Give this team some time for the D to get together and this could be one of the top teams in the East come playoff times.
			Ben	Rajon Rondo has been fantastic so far this year, and the Celtics will need him to to continue to play at a superstar level in order to be true contenders in the Eastern Conference. This year is going to be the last real shot at a title for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
9	17	Golden State	JJ	The Warriors could possibly be the surprise team of the season so far. So far is the operative word, the season is still fresh so the NBA world will have to wait and see if the magic can sustain. The Warriors have stepped up their Defensive and have been gutting out wins, and they have done so without Bogut. Mark Jackson has done a great job of getting this team to buy into his philosophy and it has been a winning formula.
			Ben	With the news that Andrew Bogut underwent microfracture surgery last spring, the ceiling of this Warriors team was lowered significantly. They’re playing well at this point in time, but the roster is still thin and the whole season is riding on Steph Curry’s brittle ankles.
10	18	Philadephia	JJ	The 76ers have quietly been putting together another Doug Collins like team effort that has gotten this team to a 10-6 record and a 3 game win streak.
			Ben	Andrew Bynum has been shut down indefinitely, and the Sixers are still giving over 23 minutes per game to Nick Young. Realistically….they aren’t going anywhere.
11	10	Atlanta	JJ	Atlanta has continued to show a team first mentality, while the city of Atlanta hasn’t seen this; the rest of the Basketball world is taking notice. Danny Ferry has built a solid team which is displaying a great team first policy and this team is currently 5th in the East.
			Ben	The core of Al Horford, Josh Smith, and Jeff Teague is good, and surrounding it with sharpshooters like Kyle Korver and Anthony Morrow was a smart move. If the Hawks falter much at all in the coming weeks, however, look for GM Danny Ferry to start wheeling and dealing.
12	9	L.A. Lakers	JJ	The Lakers are now .500, this team was supposed to be much better than this. The bench has been nonexistent. The bench has shown 1 solid outing this season, if the bench doesn’t start playing more consistent the starting 5 will have to shoulder a lot of the load.
			Ben	The Lakers spent much of the week shooting down Pau Gasol trade speculation. Bryant is playing his best basketball in years, and if Howard and Gasol figure out how to work together in the low post, look out.
13	8	Milwaukee	JJ	Over the last 10 games, teams haven’t exactly “fearing the deer”. Over the last 10 they have gone 4-6. The back court is solid, no questions, it is the front court that will have to get consistent and establish themselves as a viable part of the team game in and game out if the Bucks will want to make any noise in the post season.
			Ben	Milwaukee has a solid enough roster to make the playoffs, but not do much more. The frontcourt has been a disappointment, and Brandon Jennings’ progress combined with Monta Ellis is the only thing keeping them afloat at this point in time.
14	19	Utah	JJ	While the Jazz are still undefeated at home (6-0) they are still struggling on the road 3-8. Until the Jazz start to figure out their road woes & front court minutes distribution the Jazz could face some problems as the season progresses.
			Ben	The Jazz still have major problems on the wings, and until they are willing to part with some of their frontcourt depth for some legitimate wing players, the Jazz will hover around the fringes of the playoff race.
15	16	Chicago	JJ	The Bulls are a .500 team without Derrick Rose, and so far this season they are 7-7. The Bulls have some nice players and great pieces, but Rose if the engine that drives this team and they greatly miss him.
			Ben	Tom Thibideau is the main reason the Bulls will still have a shot at the playoffs sans Derrick Rose. Carlos Boozer has actually played well to this point, and they can only hope it continues through Rose’s return.
16	14	Minnesota	JJ	Kevin Love is back, Ricky Rubio has been cleared to go in full practices. Alexey Shved has been a great surprise, and is getting his shot to fall, proving he may be a capable 2 guard, and a combo of Ricky and Shved would be a fun and exciting backcourt.
			Ben	Missing Chase Budinger has been a huge blow to the Timberwolves, and Kevin Love hasn’t quite been himself offensively since his return. If the Wolves can stay right around .500 into 2013 while Rubio, Budinger, and potentially Brandon Roy return to full strength, they will be serious contenders.
17	15	Denver	JJ	The Nuggets had some experts saying they could be the best team in the West. So far, this team is struggling to find their identity and is 8-9 for a sub .500 record.
			Ben	The Nuggets will find their way, provided George Karl doesn’t sabotage the team by cutting Kenneth Faried’s minutes again. Count me as someone that thinks they will still finish in the top four playoff spots in the West.
18	11	Dallas	JJ	Dirk can’t get back soon enough at this point. While the Mavs got out of the gate quickly, they have struggled over the last 10 game going 3-7, proving once again, once teams start getting tape on new players (OJ Mayo) winning can be a lot more difficult.
			Ben	The Mavs need to stay above water until Dirk returns, but right now it isn’t looking good. Rick Carlisle has an uphill battle to climb in managing a mish-mash of veteran players.
19	21	Indiana	JJ	The Pacers have won 4 of their last 5 and might be finding their own identity without Danny Granger. More time will be needed to see if they can sustain wins and climb over .500.
			Ben	The Pacers are nowhere near the same team they were a year ago, and they should be thankful they are playing in the Eastern Conference. Danny Granger isn’t walking through that door just yet.
20	21	Houston	JJ	The Rockets are hovering around .500 for the season and have been .500 over the last 10 games. Let’s repeat it again, as teams get more tape on the Rockets and the new pieces it will continue to be more difficult for them to get wins.
			Ben	The Rockets will still have a shot at the middle of the pack in the West, but their team is essentially just James Harden, the impressive Chandler Parsons, and the disappointing Jeremy Lin. The rest of the team is either unproven or simply bad.
21	20	Charlotte	JJ	While the Bobcats had a lot to celebrate about to start the season, over the last 5 games they are 30th in the NBA in PDIFF and EDIFF. Everyone thought it might have been too good to be true for the Bobcats and now it might be looking like they’re coming back to earth.
			Ben	Nobody can deny the job that Mike Dunlap has done to this point as coach of the Bobcats, but one look at their margin of victory hints at a rude awakening over the coming weeks.
22	22	Portland	JJ	Portland is 1-4 in their last 5. Over that span they are -6.4 in PDIFF and EDIFF. Lillard has been fun, but the team hasn’t. The Blazers will need to get some bench help if they want to right this ship quickly.
			Ben	This team is embarassingly shallow, and the Blazers will need much more consistency out of Nic Batum, who has seen his stretches of up and down play continue so far this season. He has the potential (and has shown flashes) of being a true star, but has been unable to sustain his play.
23	24	Phoenix	JJ	The Suns have been better than most thought. While they are 7-10 on the season, they are 2-3 over their last 5. Defense is proving to be the biggest problem, until they start stopping teams they will struggle to put up wins.
			Ben	The Suns will continue to slip, and Michael Beasley has already seen his minutes cut dramatically. Luis Scola has been a disappointment, but the play of Markieff Morris has been a pleasant surprise.
24	27	Cleveland	JJ	Andy Varejao is good. He has been the best player of the Cavs roster. The team is young and should only get better. It is a rebuilding project in Cleveland and one has to wonder if Andy might be around very long to see the complete rebuild.
			Ben	Varejao continues to play very well, and it will be interesting to see if the Cavs end up trading him near the February trade deadline. Kyrie Irving continues to impress as well, but the rest of the roster leaves something to be desired.
25	28	Detroit	JJ	You might find this hard to believe, but the Pistons are 3-2 over their last 5 games and over that span have been a +3 in PDIFF and +3.2 in EDIFF. The Pistons are getting some things figured out and winning games.
			Ben	The Pistons are somehow winning a few games, but it’s still hard to not feel bad for Lawrence Frank and Greg Monroe. The rest of the organization has been an embarassment in recent years and it doesn’t look to be changing much anytime soon.
26	26	Orlando	JJ	Orlando has many glaring roster needs, no questions from anyone on that. They have an ambitious young GM and a solid Coach. The Magic will need some time to complete this rebuild
			Ben	Arron Afflalo has been disappointing, and there just aren’t many difference-makers on the roster in Orlando. J.J. Redick continues to play well, and continues to be one of the hot names on the trade market.
27	25	Toronto	JJ	What a difference Kyle Lowry makes. This team will only go as far the point guard can take them. He is the engine that makes this team go, and when he is out, the team doesn’t go.
			Ben	The Raptors are still a confounding team. Jose Calderon played very well in Lowry’s absence, but they will need Lowry to play at an All-Star level to make the playoffs in the East.
28	23	New Orleans	JJ	Anthony Davis has some skills, but his health has been a problem early on. For the team in general, they have battled health; it is fair to gauge what this team can accomplish because the team in its entirety hasn’t been on the floor together. Until that happens the Hornets have struggled and their record reflects that.
			Ben	Without a healthy Anthony Davis, the Hornets don’t stand much of a chance to win on most nights. Austin Rivers continues to struggle in his rookie season.
29	29	Sacramento	JJ	The Kings have shown some life over the last 5 games going 2-3 and posting positives in the PDIFF and EDIFF, things may be turning around; it is just more difficult in an extremely tough Western Conference.
			Ben	DeMarcus Cousins continues to disappoint with his poor shot selection and uneven effot. There is definitely a chance that he and/or Tyreke Evans will be on the move as we move closer to the trade deadline.
30	30	Washington D.C	JJ	The Wizards finally won a Game.
			Ben	The Wizards do not have good players, good management, or a good coach. But hey, they finally won a game, so there’s that.

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