Moving into week 14 of the NBA power rankings the OKC Thunder aren’t going to be at the top of any lists but they continue to impress with their scrappiness.
Even in losses they never give up and for analysts that watch a ton of basketball that’s a positive that leaves them warm and fuzzy.
Where National sites seed OKC Thunder in week 14 power rankings
This past week offered up four matches on a four-game road trip through Dallas, San Antonio, Charlotte, and Cleveland. Unfortunately, they also collected four losses. That latter factor impacted the rankings in week 14.
Let’s take a gander at where the National sites ranked our favorite squad.
OKC Thunder power ranking – NBA.com:
Last week John Schuhmann spent time looking at Luguentz Dort, and this week it’s Darius Bazley‘s turn under the stats master’s microscope.
Schumann notes the uptick in offensive possessions since Baz went to the bench and finds some other goodies for us to ponder.
A portion of this week’s Thunder excerpt is below. To view the full segment on the OKC Thunder and the rest of his week 14 rankings click here.
Schumann drops the Thunder two spots to 29th in his power rankings this week.
"Darius Bazley still has another year left on his rookie contract, so this isn’t a make-or-break season for the 21-year-old. He’s (kind of randomly) the only player in the league who’s played at least 300 minutes with more blocks (49) than personal fouls (42). But Bazley lost his starting job last month and the Thunder have been much better (especially offensively) in 256 with their three perimeter starters on the floor without Bazley (minus-4.3 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been in their 441 minutes with Bazley on the floor alongside those three guys (minus-14.7)."
ESPN Panel:
This week the panel drops the Thunder one spot from 27th to 28th noting their recent losing streak but citing the production of the backcourt as a positive.
To view the full week 14 power rankings from ESPN click here.
"Oklahoma City is 1-10 in January, sinking to within a half game of the bottom of the Western Conference standings, increasing the odds that the Thunder can add a franchise cornerstone in the draft. The two players OKC sees as long-term engines of its offense — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rookie Josh Giddey — have been productive this month. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in January, while Giddey is averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists. — MacMahon"
CBS Sports:
Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports touches on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s positive week but the Thunder’s rough week of losing and subsequently balanced the two things to move OKC up one spot to 28th.
CWH’s full power rankings for week 14 can be viewed here.
"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander narrowly missed a triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a road win over the Nets without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to start the week, but things went downhill from there. OKC dropped the next three games to the Cavs, Mavericks and Spurs to reach the 30-loss mark on the season. Lu Dort has been the team’s second scorer behind SGA, averaging 19.3 points this week on 48 percent 3-point shooting to go along with his physical defense."
Bleacher Report
Writer Andy Bailey drops the OKC Thunder down a rung in week 14 to 27th, once again waxing about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his backcourt partner Josh Giddey.
Bailey notes it’s hard not to like this team who are still in the mix for the play-in tourney. Part of his Thunder excerpt is noted below and the full ranking list can be viewed here.
"On Monday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went for 34 points, six boards, five assists and two steals. He continues to look like a star on a fairly consistent basis. He just needs a steadier supporting cast.Halfway through his rookie season, Josh Giddey looks like he will be a part of that cast long term. He’s on pace to be the first teenager in NBA history to average at least 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists per 75 possessions."
Rough week for the OKC Thunder with the four losses on the road and subsequently they dropped on virtually every site. Coming up in week 15 they return home for a two-game stint versus the Bulls and Pacers.