5. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers got time off the limelight recently since Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. There isn’t really much going on with them right now but the Lakers still need to find some missing pieces to help out LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Despite not getting Kyrie, we still put the Lakers here in our League Pass Power Rankings because James is about to make history.
As of posting, LeBron just passed Kareem-Abdul Jabbar on the all-time scoring list after a scoring spree against the Thunder. It’s been fun watching LeBron play this season, even though the Lakers are still trying to find consistency.
4. Brooklyn Nets
Now, when there’s drama sparking in the NBA, there’s a big chance that it’s coming from the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets aren’t on this list because of the whole Kyrie fiasco, but they’re here because they’re still a ball club that is very entertaining to watch.
With Kevin Durant injured and Kyrie now in Dallas, second-year scoring guard Cam Thomas has taken over the offense for the Brooklyn Nets. He scored a career-high 44 points against the Washington Wizards, had 47 points (seven 3s) against the Los Angeles Clippers, then had 43 in the loss to the Suns.
Cam’s breakout performance is something that the Nets needed. He’s stepping up for the team and earning his playing minutes, even when Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith make their debut.
This is a good start for the post-Kyrie era for the Nets as they may have discovered a star-in-the-making.
3. Golden State Warriors
In last week’s rankings, the Golden State Warriors topped the list as Stephen Curry was dominating for his team. Unfortunately, Curry will sit out weeks again with a leg injury, leaving concerns about where the stumbling Warriors will find offense.
With Curry out, Klay Thompson made himself very much available to become the source of points. On Monday night, he drained 12 3-pointers to score 42 points, leading the Warriors to a much-needed win over OKC.
Jordan Poole is back in the starting lineup and continuing to impress with reliable performances for the Warriors. They fended off the Thunder who recently pushed themselves into contention for a play-in spot.
The only good thing about Curry getting sidelined is that we will see other players like Klay, Poole, and Draymond Green get more creative and aggressive on the court.
2. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are one of the teams that fans should be watching right now. They’re very intriguing coming into the deadline because of the multiple veterans that could be attractive to teams around the league, including Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Everyone expected that this will be a rebuilding year but the players have the right chemistry to share the ball well, giving them the edge over their opponents. They’ve definitely performed better than expected this year but that doesn’t mean management won’t cash in their assets for future picks. Might as well enjoy the easy and fun offense they’re putting out right now since it might change very soon.
To remain competitive, Utah will be keeping Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, and it would be fun to see who they’ll build around the two up-and-coming stars.
1. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers showed some signs of life in late January, and it looks like they’ve continued strong play to begin February. They’re slowly inching closer to a play-in spot after winning five of their last seven games.
Damian Lillard was named back-to-back NBA Player of the Week and has been carrying his team to a better standing.
Lillard has a career-high 55.4 percent efficiency from the 3-point range and has been closing games pretty consistently. Their most recent win over Memphis ended Portland’s eight-game road losing streak and Memphis’ eight-game home winning streak.
What makes them interesting is how well they can close out in the endgame. Against the Hawks, Lillard was able to drive by Dejounte Murray, draw in the extra help, and feed Andernee Simons the 3-pointer to break the tie.
They did it again versus Washington. The Wizards led 69-51 at halftime but Portland went on a scoring frenzy from the arc for the comeback. Portland Coach Chauncey Billups is aware that his squad performs better when under pressure.
''Our team is just so much better when our backs are against the wall,'' Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. ''I've been on teams like that before, so I understand it, but it's a dangerous place to live.''
