OKC Thunder: National and TI editor power rankings week 8 – hot takes in top tier

Give the Nuggets credit, despite injuries to key members of their squad they continue to win. Sure, they have an immensely deep team, but of the six players out injured, at minimum three are among their top six players.

When they jumped out of the gate with a top five defense everyone assumed it was just an aberration and Denver would fall back to the mean. When they stumbled everyone assumed – okay – that’s where they belong.

But, like the Nuggets have consistently done this season they rebound and rush right back into the conversation of deserving to be considered the biggest contender to usurp the Warriors. Do I fully believe that – no, but at the same time the fact they ARE realistically headed for a top four berth in the West speaks to how much they’ve improved.

Denver Nuggets:

Offensive Rating: 9th
Defensive Rating: 4th
Net Differential: 5th

Points per game: 110.2 (16th)
Offensive field goal efficiency: 46.0 percent (tied 12th)
Opponent points per game: 103.8 (4th)
Opponent field goal efficiency: 44.8 percent (10th)

Record:  3rd in WC
Home: 9-3
Road: 8-6
Back to back sets: 4

Versus the West: 10-4
Versus the East: 7-5
Week eight 2-2: wins @ Raptors, @ Magic, lost @ Hornets, @ Hawks
On tap for week 9: Grizzlies, Thunder, Raptors