SK NBA Power Rankings (November 20, 2017)

It's hard to believe this is Thanksgiving week already, but it is and the NBA season is nearly a quarter of the way done. While Thanksgiving is the holiday for the NFL, Christmas next month is the holiday for the NBA where they are showcased in five games throughout the day on television.

The second installment of the SK NBA Power Rankings this week sees little change near the top, but three teams fall out while three teams make their debut in the rankings. Teams ranked from 8th to roughly 15th are very close at this point in the season, so it is tough to determine who is in the top ten and who isn't.

To nobody's surprise, the Boston Celtics are still king in the NBA this season as teams like Golden State, Atlanta, and Brooklyn were unable to derail a winning streak that is now at 15 games on the season. Continue on to see which teams start off the top ten this week (the rankings are as of Monday afternoon)...

Rounding out the top ten of the SK Power Rankings

Los Angeles Clippers v Cleveland Cavaliers — The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally turning things around after a slow start...

#10 Denver Nuggets (9-7, last week: 5)

#9 Portland Trailblazers (9-7, last week: NR)

#8 Cleveland Cavaliers (9-7, last week: NR)

#7 San Antonio Spurs (10-6, last week: 7)

#6 Minnesota Timberwolves (10-6, last week: 9)

Two teams make their debut in the SK NBA Power Rankings this week with the Portland Trailblazers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Portland has won three of the last four games; while Cleveland has won four straight after a rough start to the season.

Minnesota makes a nice jump from nine to six this week thanks to winning three of the last four games. The Timberwolves are led by their young star Karl-Anthony Towns who's averaging 20.8 points and 11.4 rebounds on the season so far.

With three teams entering the top ten in the SK NBA Power Rankings this week, that means three teams had to go. Those teams were the Washington Wizards (9-7), New York Knicks (8-7), and the Orlando Magic (8-8).

Continue on to see the top 5...

#5 Detroit Pistons (11-5, last week: 4)

Atlanta Hawks v Detroit Pistons — Reggie Jackson is helping the Detroit Pistons get off to a good start...

The Detroit Pistons slip a little this week to #5 after losing two of their last three games, but they still hold a very respectable 11-5 record that is currently second in the Eastern Conference.

Their five-game winning streak was halted by Milwaukee and Indiana last week, but they were able to get back on track with a win against Minnesota on Sunday. The win against the Timberwolves was thanks to the solid scoring from four of the five starters who had between 16 and 20 points apiece.

Last three games:

November 15: @ Milwaukee L 99-95
November 17: @ Indiana W 107-100
November 19: @ Minnesota W 100-97

Next three games:

November 20: v. Cleveland
November 24: @ Oklahoma City
November 27: @ Boston

#4 Toronto Raptors (11-5, last week: NR)

Toronto Raptors v Denver Nuggets — Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet bringing up the ball against the Denver Nuggets...

The biggest jump in the SK Power Rankings come from the Toronto Raptors; who were not even ranked last week. A four-game winning streak to bring their record to 11-5 vaults them into the #4 spot this week.

They were led by Kyle Lowry on Friday who nearly had a triple-double (22 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists) and DeMar DeRozan's 33 points on Sunday against the Wizards. Their 11-5 record puts them only behind Boston and Detroit in the Eastern Conference.

Last three games:

November 15: @ New Orleans W 125-116
November 17: v. New York W 107-84
November 19: v. Washington W 100-91

Next three games:

November 22: @ New York
November 24: @ Indiana
November 25: @ Atlanta

#3 Golden State Warriors (13-4, last week: 3)

Golden State Warriors v Brooklyn Nets — Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are looking sharp in the early going...

The Golden State Warriors rebounded after last Thursday's loss in a major match-up with the best team in the league the Boston Celtics. Stephen Curry scored 35 points against Philadelphia and 39 against Brooklyn.

The Warriors have won nine of their last ten games and are currently tied with the Houston Rockets for the best record in the Western Conference. After a long road trip which includes a final pit stop at Oklahoma City, they return home on Friday night.

Last three games:

November 16: @ Boston L 92-88
November 18: @ Philadelphia W 124-116
November 19: @ Brooklyn W 118-111

Next three games:

November 22: @ Oklahoma City
November 24: v. Chicago
November 25: v. New Orleans

#2 Houston Rockets (13-4, last week: 2)

Houston Rockets v Phoenix Suns — The return of Chris Paul to the lineup has done wonders for Houston recently...

Though Golden State has played great ball lately, Houston was able to hold on to the top spot in the Western Conference after Sunday's games. The Rockets are 8-1 in their last 9 games with their only loss coming at the hands of an equally hot Toronto Raptors team on Tuesday.

James Harden is making the early case for MVP of the league with his 31.6 PPG; which currently leads the league in scoring. The return of Chris Paul should help a team that is currently 15th in assists set up more plays.

Last three games:

November 14: v. Toronto L 129-113
November 16: @ Phoenix W 142-116
November 18: @ Memphis W 105-83

Next three games:

November 22: v. Denver
November 25: v. New York
November 27: v. Brooklyn

#1 Boston Celtics (15-2, last week: 1)

Golden State Warriors v Boston Celtics — Boston made a statement defeating Golden State this week...

There are two hard facts why Boston is #1 in the SK NBA Power Rankings this week, they're two games clear of the second best team in the NBA, and they defeated the defending NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors.

Boston continues to get down early in games but shows some intestinal fortitude in the second half of games with the comeback wins they have put together. It is truly an amazing run by a team that lost their star acquisition six minutes into the season.

Last three games: