[OFFICIAL] 2019-2020 Power Rankings Thread

because media conspiracy

NBA.com:

https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-2

8

Last week:
6
Houston Rockets
Record: 1-1
Pace: 110.0 (2) OffRtg: 107.7 (10) DefRtg: 109.1 (21) NetRtg: -1.4 (21)

James Harden (10-for-42 from the field) and Eric Gordon (9-for-32) are both off to a frigid start, and things were particularly brutal (the pair shot 1-for-17) in the second half on Thursday, when the Rockets blew a 16-point lead to Milwaukee. Russell Westbrook has been more efficient, made some history, and hit a pair of clutch free throws to seal the Rockets' win over New Orleans on Saturday, though he's just 4-for-18 from outside the paint and the minutes with Westbrook on the floor without Harden have not been good thus far. Chris Paul makes his return to Houston on Monday, a rest-advantage game for the Rockets, though the Thunder shouldn't be too fatigued after waxing the Warriors on Sunday afternoon.

Week 2: vs. OKC, @ WAS, @ BKN, @ MIA
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but you gotta love this:

Spoiler: how the mighty have fallen

20

Last week:
9
Golden State Warriors
Record: 0-2
Pace: 105.5 (10) OffRtg: 100.9 (24) DefRtg: 124.3 (30) NetRtg: -23.3 (30)

Oh my. Not only did the Warriors lose their first two games by a total of 47 points and not only do they rank last in both points allowed and point differential per 100 possessions, but they've yet to hold a lead this season, having fallen into a 14-0 hole against the Clippers on Thursday and an 8-0 hole in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Their depth is obviously a problem and Kevon Looney's hamstring issue (he was only able to play the first half of the first game) is obviously a concern, but the Warriors have been outscored by 45 points in 28 minutes with Stephen Curry, D'Angelo Russell and Draymond Green all on the floor, so their struggles are not just about the other eight healthy guys who have played. And though the shooting numbers aren't pretty, they've allowed their opponents to score 94 points on just 63 possessions (just shy of 1.5 per) in those 28 minutes.

Week 2: @ NOP, vs. PHX, vs. SAS, vs. CHA

 

NBA.com https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-3

15

Last week:
8
Houston Rockets
Record: 3-3
Pace: 109.2 (1) OffRtg: 111.3 (4) DefRtg: 116.2 (29) NetRtg: -4.8 (23)

Five of the six teams the Rockets have played currently rank in the top 10 in offensive efficiency. But the Rockets themselves have something to do with those numbers, seemingly unable to defend competently while playing at the league's fastest pace. They've actually seen a big drop in the percentage of their opponents' shots that have come in the restricted area, but they rank 28th in the percentage of their opponents' shots that have come from 3-point range (43.0%) and last in opponent 3-point percentage (43.3%), having ranked eighth and second in those numbers last season. So the team that was a league-best plus-18.0 points per game from 3-point range last season (when no other team was better than plus-7.6) has been outscored by 8.0 points per game (the league's third worst differential) from beyond the arc this season. The 29th-ranked defense meets the 29th-ranked offense in Memphis on Monday, the first of eight rest-disadvantage games for the Rockets this season.

Week 3: @ MEM, vs. GSW, @ CHI
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https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-4

12

Last week:
15
Houston Rockets
Record: 6-3
Pace: 107.7 (1) OffRtg: 111.7 (2) DefRtg: 110.1 (22) NetRtg: +1.6 (14)

Only two of the Rockets' nine games (two of their three losses) have come against teams that currently have winning records. They took advantage of a soft schedule last week (playing the Grizzlies, Warriors and Bulls) to put together their second three-game winning streak, and they visit the 2-7 Pelicans on Monday. But then it's time to really see what they're made of. Their game against the Clippers on Wednesday is the start of a stretch where they play 10 of 12 games against teams currently with winning records. The Rockets' starting lineup has outscored its opponents by more than 25 points per 100 possessions, the best mark among 17 lineups that have played at least 75 minutes. But in a 23-point win over the Bulls on Saturday, Mike D'Antoni didn't play a ninth guy until late, and Clint Capela played more than 41 minutes. James Harden's minutes are down a bit from last season, though his usage rate is somehow higher.

Week 4: @ NOP, vs. LAC, vs. IND, @ MIN
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NBA.com:

https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-5

5

Last week:
12
Houston Rockets
Record: 10-3
Pace: 106.0 (3) OffRtg: 111.9 (4) DefRtg: 107.6 (16) NetRtg: +4.3 (9)

The Rockets' seven-game winning streak has been highlighted by James Harden's 43 points per game, but it's been defined by the other end of the floor. After allowing 116.2 points per 100 possessions (the league's second-worst mark) through their first six games, they've allowed less than a point per possession over the streak. The biggest difference has been how well their opponents have shot from 3-point range (43% vs. 27%), so their defense is probably not as bad as it was early nor as good as its been of late. They're playing shorthanded -- Clint Capela, Eric Gordon (out six weeks after knee surgery) and Danuel House have all be dealing with injuries and Russell Westbrook isn't playing both games of back-to-backs -- but are off to a 3-0 start in a stretch where they're playing seven of eight against teams that currently have winning records, getting good contributions from Ben McLemore (41 points over the last two games) and Tyson Chandler. Their next back-to-back isn't until Dec. 13 and 14, but the schedule gets a little tougher this week.

Week 5: vs. POR, @ DEN, @ LAC, vs. DAL
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week 7

https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-7

9

Last week:
11
Houston Rockets
Record: 13-6
Pace: 105.7 (3) OffRtg: 113.7 (2) DefRtg: 108.4 (16) NetRtg: +5.3 (8)

With the season less than 25% complete, James Harden has attempted 81 more 3-pointers than any other player in the league and is on pace to easily break his record (set last season) of 1,028 3-point attempts in a season. After shooting 30% from beyond the arc over his first 10 games, he has shot 42% over the last nine. His 3-point percentage (35.5%) is still down slightly from last season, but his effective field goal percentage (54.9%) is the highest its been in his eight seasons in Houston, because he's finished better in the paint. His free throw rate (60 attempts per 100 shots from the field) is the highest of his career and up from 45 per 100 last season. He's attempted at least 10 free throws in every single game this season and his 60-point performance (in three quarters) on Saturday came with 23 attempts from the line. Tuesday will bring the Rockets' first meeting with the team (San Antonio) that has ranked in the top 10 in opponent free throw rate in each of the last 22 seasons, though Harden dropped 61 (with 17 free throw attempts) the last time they met.


NBA

✔@NBA


4th career 60-point game
16-24 FGM
8 3PM

In three quarters of action, @JHarden13 attempts the lowest number of field goals in a 60-point performance in @NBAHistory! #OneMission




3,044
10:43 PM - Nov 30, 2019
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Week 7: @ SAS, @ TOR, vs. PHX
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week 9 NBA.com

https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-9

9

Last week:
7
Houston Rockets
Record: 17-9
Pace: 104.2 (4) OffRtg: 114.2 (3) DefRtg: 109.2 (17) NetRtg: +5.0 (8)

Mike D'Antoni continues to go only eight deep with his rotation and James Harden continues to lead the league in both minutes per game and usage rate. The usage has dropped over the course of the season and the Rockets have slowed down a bit; Three of their four slowest-paced games of the season came last week. But, playing without Russell Westbrook, they still ran out of gas in the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday, losing at home to a team with a losing record for the second time in six days. The Rockets are still just a game in the loss column behind the second-place Clippers, who they'll play for the third time this season on Thursday in L.A. After games of 55 and 54 points (in which he shot 20-for-33 from 3-point range), Harden's 39 against Detroit dropped his season average (now 39.3) and seemed rather pedestrian.

Week 9: vs. SAS, @ LAC, @ PHX
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folks starting to realize we're good. now if can only get our own fans to see it

https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-10

6

Last week:
9
Houston Rockets
Record: 20-9
Pace: 104.4 (3) OffRtg: 114.4 (2) DefRtg: 109.3 (16) NetRtg: +5.2 (8)

Maybe we'll look back at Week 9 as a defining moment in the Rockets' season. After coming back from 25 down to beat the Spurs on Monday, they put together a 15-0, fourth-quarter run to pick up their biggest win to date (in L.A. against the full-strength Clippers) on Thursday. Two nights later, they scored 139 points on 102 possessions (behind 47 from James Harden) in Phoenix. The three games have come with three of Russell Westbrook's four highest scoring totals of the season (31, 40 and 30 points) and while Westbrook's jumper remains an issue (though he was 6-for-9 from mid-range on Saturday), he has shot 89% from the free throw line over his last 12 games (up from 69% through his first 14). The Rockets' defense still isn't consistent enough, but if both Westbrook and Harden are getting to and shooting well from the line, their offense may more impossible to stop than it was before. It's already been the league's most efficient (118.2 points scored per 100 possessions) over the last four weeks.

Week 10: @ SAC, @ GSW, vs. BKN, @ NOP
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been a while since I've wanted to post one of these

NUMBER THREE BABY!!

https://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2019-20-week-20

3

Last week:
5
Houston Rockets
Record: 39-20
Pace: 103.8 (3) OffRtg: 113.8 (2) DefRtg: 109.4 (15) NetRtg: +4.4 (7)

The Rockets are 10-2 since they last had a starting center, and the two losses -- Feb. 7 and 9 against Phoenix and Utah -- are the only games in that stretch in which they didn't outscore their opponents from 3-point range. Before their game in Boston on Saturday, they had outscored their last four opponents by an average of 34.5 points from beyond the arc.

They only made two more threes than the Celtics, and there were times on Saturday when the opponent was just too big (these two consecutive Boston buckets are good examples). But two of the biggest plays down the stretch of regulation were offensive rebounds (an incredible effort by P.J. Tucker and a tip-dunk from Russell Westbrook) on the Rockets' end of the floor.

They still rank last in rebounding percentage (29th in offensive rebounding percentage and 30th in defensive rebounding percentage) since they went super small. But they rank in the top three in both turnover rate (12.0 per 100 possessions -- second) and opponent turnover rate (17.3 -- third) over that stretch. Six different Rockets have averaged at least one steal per game over the 12.

Week 20: @ NYK, vs. LAC, @ CHA, vs. ORL
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