OKC Thunder week 5 power rankings – Continued progress and TI’s top 10

Denver Nuggets:

The critical situation with the Nuggets is whether they can reclaim the defense they began the season with or some semblance of it. Certainly there are no issues offensively. Nor do the Nuggets have depth questions. This squad has so many pluses such as stars (Nikola Jokic), improving talents (Gary Harris and Jamal Murray), defensive/glue guys (Paul Millsap), copious depth options and a head coach in Mike Malone who likely hasn’t gotten his just recognition to this point in his career.

A series of losses has hurt the team and they’ll likely fall out of my top 10 shortly, but if they can find a way to stay among the top 10 defensive squads this team has everything else to make them more frightening than the Timberwolves or Pelicans who would be sunk if they lose either their best player (or one of their top two) for any extended time away due to injury.

Factors:

Offensive Rating: 8th
Defensive Rating:  6th
Net Differential: 4th
Offensive field goal efficiency: 46.5 percent (9th)
Opponent field goal efficiency: 44.7 percent (10th)
Win/Loss 1-2: A single win versus the Hawks with losses to the Rockets and Pelicans.
Record: 10-6
Injuries: Will Barton and Isaiah Thomas are expected out until mid December. Still no word on when (or if) Michael Porter Jr. will return.