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Week 7 of the NBA 2017-18 season is in the books, and it was filled with some exciting action. The LeBron-less Eastern Conference is up for grabs, and the teams are fighting every single night to make the most out of it.
It seems to appear that the Raptors have hit a home run trading DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard as the league's top 3 two-way players is playing sensational basketball and the Lowry-Leonard duo are carrying this team on their back. In this article, let us take a look at the Eastern Conference power rankings after week 7.
#1 Toronto Raptors
Week 7 win-loss record: 3-0
No surprise whatsoever. The Toronto Raptors have been stellar this season and are the front-runners to come out of East. The league-leading Raptors played three games this week and went 3-0 to extend their win-streak to seven-games.
They started their week 7 journey with a game against the Miami Heat. Kawhi Leonard and Valanciunas' double-double performance helped the Raptors defeat the Heat at home.
The Raptors were then on the road for a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Lowry was phenomenal and had 24 points, 6 assists to help the Raptors roll past the Grizzlies, 122-124.
With a good win on the road, the Raptors came back home and hosted the short-handed Golden State Warriors for their final game of the week, at the Air Canada Centre. This was billed as the potential NBA Finals preview and the Raptors managed to eke out a win in overtime. All the starter scored in double-digits for Toronto and Kawhi Leonard had team-high 37 points to spoil Kevin Durant's season-high 51 points night.
Their offense is looking dangerous, thanks to Lowry's skill and vision. Kawhi is being his usual self and is a reliable threat on both ends of the court. The starters are doing a great job and with the kind of bench depth they have, they are definitely looking spooky and the Warriors should be wary of this team.
Update: At the time of writing, they just beat the Cleveland Cavaliers by 11 points and extended their win-streak to eight games.
#2 Philadelphia 76ers
Week 7 win-loss record: 3-0
The Philadelphia 76ers were expected to get better after acquiring Jimmy Butler from the T-Wolves in a trade that sent Dario Saric and Robert Covington to the Wolves. The 76ers have been performing just the way everyone expected them to and are 8-2 with Jimmy Butler in the starting lineup.
After losing their first home game of the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 76ers won in Brooklyn against the Nets on Jimmy Butler's game-winning three-pointer. Both Embiid and Butler posted 30-point double-doubles in the contest.
The 76ers then came back to the Wells Fargo Center for a three-game homestand that began with their first game against the New York Knicks. They cruised to victory blowing out the Knicks by 26 points, even though Jimmy had a forgettable night.
Then they hosted a struggling Washington Wizards and annihilated them to register their third win in as many games. Butler has looked good so far with the 76ers and the new Big 3 are definitely getting along which is evident from the chemistry that we see on the court.
#3 Detroit Pistons
Week 7 win-loss record: 3-0
In case you were sleeping on the Detroit Pistons before the start of the season, I ask you not to do that anymore, for they are one of the best teams in the NBA and they are putting the league on notice.
After starting the season 4-0, they lost five straight games and slipped few places in the Eastern Conference Standings. However, they recovered immediately after the setback and are currently on a 4-game winning streak.
They played three games last week and picked up as many wins. Their success is in large part due to the dynamic duo of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond who are causing nightmare to the oppositions with their dominance in the paint. While Drummond is averaging a double-double and leading the league in rebounds per game, Griffin is also averaging close to double-double and barring any injuries, they are definitely going to pose some serious problems to teams, come playoffs.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks
Week 7 win-loss record: 2-1
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks continue their form in the NBA this season. The Bucks who started the season 7-0, before their streak came to an end in a tough loss against the Boston Celtics, are currently one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference.
The 'Greek Freak' is still the front-runner for MVP and is averaging ridiculous numbers. The league does not seem to have any answer to Giannis and he is stuffing the stat sheet, doing it on both ends of the floor.
Last week, they beat the Spurs at home, on the back of a monster double-double from Giannis. They then travelled to Charlotte, to take on the Hornets and suffered a tough three-point loss. They ended their week with a win against the hapless Chicago Bulls.
They have the third best defensive rating in the Eastern Conference this season and are definitely a team to watch out for in the playoffs.
#5 Indiana Pacers
Week 7 win-loss record: 2-1
Even with All-Star guard Victor Oladipo out indefinitely with knee injury, the Indiana Pacers are still thriving, thanks to their team effort. Bojan Bogdanovic has been stellar during Oladipo's absence and is averaging career-high numbers this season.
Pacers began their week 7 with game against the San Antonio Spurs. They got torched by the Aldridge-DeRozan duo who combined for 50 points and 17 rebounds. However, three nights later, they defeated a really good Utah Jazz team on the road by as many as 33 points. Doug McDermott scored season-high 21 points.
With high confidence after beating the Jazz, they visited Phoenix to take on the Suns. Domantas Sabonis' brilliant double-double took the Pacers home. McDermott shone once again with 21 points.
The Pacers have shown that they have the potential to succeed and even go deep in the playoffs. Even though Victor Oladipo is the cornerstone of this franchise, they still have players who show up on regular basis.
Darren Collison is playing the point guard role to perfection and is showing the vision to make everyone around him better. Sabonis is averaging a double-double this season and has been brilliant in the paint so far.
