NBA Power Rankings week 14: OKC Thunder among the ‘road warriors’
. 32-14. Previous: 6th. Toronto Raptors. 4. team. 81
Toronto Raptors:
Offense: (110.4) 14th
Defense: (104.5) 2nd
Net: (plus +6.0) 6th
Results Week 14: (4-0): Won at Hawks: 122-117, 76ers: 107-95, Knicks: 118-112, Spurs: 110-106
Games Week 15: (4 games) Tues vs. Hawks | Thurs at Cavaliers | Fri at Pistons | Sun vs. Bulls
While so many of the elite teams have avoided copious injuries or at least injuries to multiple players the Raptors weren’t as fortunate.
Week 13 Nick Nurse finally had a fully healthy roster that had suffered the absence of at least one and typically two or three of the top seven players sidelined since Game 7 of the season.
The resulting effect is a seven-game winning streak (as well as a seven-game road win streak) as the Raptors took over sole possession of second place by virtue of a 4-0 week.
Meanwhile, other than the Pacers who are close to welcoming Victor Oldadipo back into the fray the other three teams vying for that second seed is beginning to experience what Toronto endured healthwise:
- Heat: Jimmy Butler could be out for an extended period and were without Kendrick Nunn or Goran Dragic this weekend.
- Celtics were without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter
- 76ers are missing Joel Embiid (who says he’ll return in a week) and Josh Richardson.
How this trio above navigates their health tribulations and road woes could define where the teams finish and if the past seven games are any indication the Raptors look well poised to retain the second seed.
As for All-Star news, Pascal Siakam earns the starter spot and Kyle Lowry sits on the bubble. In the narrator’s opinion much like Jimmy Butler and Chris Paul deserve nods so too does the Bay Street bulldog who kept the team afloat while Siakam, Marc Gasol, Norm Powell, and Fred VanVleet were out injured. Factor in the 33 (almost 34) year old is tied with James Harden for the highest minutes per game and his performance is even more impressive.
The other note which should frighten the East’s elite is up until the game versus the Knicks, Siakam was still moving slowly. He broke out in the Mecca and followed it up with a 35 point explosion in San Antonio (and frankly still has another level to go before he’s fully back to where he was pre-injury).
Last week I called for the Raptors to end up second (by the end of February) — well they accomplished it in one week. The new hot take is the Raptors will move into the top 10 (above seventh) offensively over the next 13 games when they’ll play nine sub .500 clubs.