Power rankings Week 17: Pundits split where OKC Thunder rank at break

ESPN – Panel

As per usual the panel continues to never truly buy what OKC are selling. Conversely, two games apparently was all they needed to jump all over the Cavaliers bandwagon who they skyrocket to 6th. So, don’t be too upset the scribes drop the Thunder from 6th to 9th.

Hey, this is par for the course as the panel has been clear who they deem as being the strongest squads. I do wonder sometimes if it’s a weighted average though given five people offer a rating.  For example are two of the five big on OKC but three simply don’t buy the hype?

What is certain is this group are definitive in their agreement of Houston, Golden State, Boston and LeBron James (more so than the Cavaliers). Personally, I’m keen for the Thunder to take the next two Rockets games. If for no other reason to see how the panel would view that accomplishment or if it would alter their position.

ESPN’s panel:

ESPN: Kevin Arnovitz | Amin Elhassan |Ramona Shelburne

The Undefeated: Marc J. Spears | FiveThirtyEight: Chris Herring

"Not only is Paul George leading the league in steals, he also leads in deflections by a wide margin. According to NBA Advanced Stats, George’s 4.5 deflections per game are 0.6 more than anyone else. The gap between George and second-place Robert Covington is the same as the gap between Covington and Victor Oladipo, who ranks eighth. To go along with a career-high 42 percent shooting from beyond the arc, George has been the NBA’s best two-way player this season. — Micah Adams"