The revolving door of our must-watch teams continues to surprise. The past week has been filled with upsets and unpredictable turnarounds, making our weekly rankings fresh.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Believe it or not, the Thunder are in the thick of things in the West. They hold a 5-6 record, currently 10th in the conference, and have astonishingly won four straight! Granted that they recently defeated the Spurs, Pelicans, and the Kings -- not exactly your top-tier teams -- but this streak cements them as a team to watch out for coming off their two eye-opening wins against the Lakers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brings the wow factor while Lu Dort carries the hustle. They're a young ragtag group of overlooked and underappreciated players who will rip your heart out if you're not paying attention. Case in point: Dort's game-winning play, getting the steal on De'Aaron Fox and the finish on the other end.
Lu Dort STEAL AND SCORE FOR THE WIN...that's 4 straight for the @okcthunder!
— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2021
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4. Indiana Pacers
Last week, our colleague Chuck Araneta placed the Pacers No. 5 in the League Pass power rankings and began by saying "Okay before you leave, just hear me out."
And guess what, he was right and you better keep an eye on the Pacers. They're probably the darkest horse of all the dark horses this season. They're not a losing ball club nor are they a top-level team that's on the upper shelf of the standings. They're not like the Hawks or the Knicks, who are coming off breakout seasons. They're not even an up-and-coming team that you normally lean towards.
Instead, the Pacers are just smacked in the middle of everything. Talent-wise, they are well-equipped with Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon leading the way. The Pacers came out on top against the Sixers and the Jazz, and could have easily won four consecutive, save for a narrow loss versus the Nuggets.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
Probably the biggest reason the Cavaliers have been solid and why they've been so much fun to watch is their roster. Cleveland's lineup is deep and very well-constructed to take on any kind of opposing style. They can go with height, with speed, with a halfcourt pace, and they can grind out close ones too.
From Ricky Rubio's resurgence as an elite point guard to Jarrett Allen's rise as an extremely reliable big man, and of course, to Evan Mobley's eye-catching rookie campaign, this team has all the makings to make a splash in the East.
It's unfortunate that Collin Sexton suffered a torn meniscus because the Cavs have been playing with a lot of promising lineups. They can go really big with Allen, Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen, plus run certain combinations with Kevin Love. As for the guard and wing rotations, they're versatile with Rubio, Darius Garland, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, and Isaac Okoro. Their roster is so amusing and interesting, like a 2K team you just want to experiment on.
The Cavs have won seven of their last eight games, losing only to the red-hot Wizards.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers still don't have Kawhi Leonard but they're getting it done. After a slow start where they slid to 1-4, they struck gold and won seven straight. It remains to be seen if they'll be among the best in the West (they won three times against the lowly Timberwolves during their streak), but they might be hitting their stride.
Paul George has been balling as the primary superstar, leading his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He's not as flashy as his contemporaries in the league but he's been unrelenting this season without his partner Leonard. The streaking Clippers will be put to the test by the Bulls on Tuesday, so that'll be an interesting game to watch.
1. Washington Wizards
Who would have thought that the Wizards would have the best record in the East? After Sunday's games, Washington owns a 9-3 record, currently ahead of Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland, and Miami.
The Wizards are T-O-U-G-H across the board with Bradley Beal providing the star power. Spencer Dinwiddie has been a low-key perfect partner for Beal in the backcourt, while fellow new additions Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell are providing that extra oomph to the team. The former Lakers bring not only their talent and skill but also their experience and veteran presence. They know how to win and you can tell it's rubbed off to their teammates.
This Wizards squad has a good vibe going for them and it's no coincidence that they are being mentored by new head coach Wes Unseld Jr., son of legendary Washington player Unseld Sr.
