What a lovely day for a new edition of “Heat Check.” Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone, I hope you are all sharing it with your loved ones in some way, shape, or form. Since it’s already Valentine’s Day that must mean the All-Star break is just around the corner in the NBA. Teams are finishing up their last couple of games before the break begins on Friday. Before we get to this weekend’s festivities in New Orleans, which I will talk about later this week. For now though, it’s time to unveil my latest power rankings.
(1) Golden State Warriors (46-9)
With Kevin Durant’s return to OKC now behind them, the Warriors can now focus on getting ready for a third-straight appearance in the NBA Finals. Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Yep, big shocker here, right? The Golden State Warriors aren’t quite head and shoulders above the rest of the league just yet, but they are close. I still feel like we are just scratching the surface of what this team is capable of, and that is a scary thought for the rest of the league. They got rocked last night by an interesting Denver team, who seemed to flip the Golden State gameplan against them. It is just a small bump in the road though because the goal is still to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season. The Warriors might be done with Cleveland for now, but they still have games against Boston, San Antonio (twice), Houston (twice), and Washington after the All Star break. All of these games will give us a much better sense of how ready the new-look Warriors will be for the postseason.
(2) San Antonio Spurs (42-13)
It’s not often a player can pick his game up on the offensive end without sacrificing dominance on the defensive end. Kawhi Leonard has done just that this season, becoming a 20+ point per night player while remaining one of the three best defenders in the NBA. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Enter a captionGolden State draws all of the headlines, and that’s exactly the way San Antonio likes it. The Spurs quietly have the second-best record in the NBA and I still believe that this is the team that has the best chance of knocking off the Warriors in the Western Conference. San Antonio’s defensive brand of basketball and patient offense could be kryptonite for Golden State. I’m salivating at the thought of these teams playing two games down the stretch that could go a long way to determining home court advantage. By the way, the fact that Kawhi Leonard is the only All-Star from this team is a crime.
(3) Cleveland Cavaliers (37-16)
LeBron James will have to be ready to shoulder a considerable burden over the next few weeks to keep Cleveland in control of the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Photo Credit: Associated Press
Okay, this one comes with a bit of a caveat considering news broke today that Kevin Love will at least six weeks following knee surgery. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have certainly carried the load before in Cleveland but the ground might be shrinking beneath the defending champs. Home court advantage in the East isn’t a non-starter for Cleveland, but if they start to fall past the third seed this could present some issues in the postseason. Truth be told, the Love injury comes at a good time because the All Star Break will give James and Irving time to rest up for the next month or so without their third amigo.
(4) Boston Celtics (36-19)
The late-game heroics of Isaiah Thomas has elevated him into the MVP discussion and turned the Celtics into contenders in the East. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Don’t look now because the Celtics are on fire right now. A 9-1 record in their last ten games has Boston just two games behind Cleveland for the top seed in the East. We are also witnessing greatness in the form of Isaiah Thomas. As the saying goes, big things come in small packages, and Thomas is delivering in the clutch. He is currently on pace to break the record for the highest fourth quarter scoring average. Boston was my biggest disappointment a few months ago, but thanks to this MVP-level surge from its smallest player, the Celtics are within striking distance of the defending champs.
(5) Houston Rockets (40-17)
While a scoring title remains within reach, James Harden’s effortless improvement as a true point guard has him as the front-runner for league MVP honors. Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports
How can I not have the team with my pick for MVP on this top-five list? All you have to do is watch one Rockets game to understand why James Harden is in the driver seat for his first MVP award. A lot of people are slobbering over Russell Westbrook’s stats and rightly so. Harden is certainly delivering some ridiculous stats of his own though. He is currently averaging a double-double (29.1 PPG and a league-leading 11.3 assists per game), with a ridiculous 17.6 estimated wins added. Add into the mix that Houston also has a strong contender for Sixth Man of the Year in Eric Gordon, who is having a career-reviving season this year, and the Rockets have some interesting pieces to make a run in the West.
Team to Watch After the Break: Washington Wizards (33-21)
Otto Porter Jr. has found his touch from beyond the arc and has made the Wizards a potentially dangerous team in the East. Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Everyone already knows about John Wall and Bradley Beal, but did you know that Otto Porter Jr. currently has the highest offensive rating in the NBA right now? His sudden offensive surge has finally given the Wizards are true third scoring threat. Plus the bench, which struggled earlier in the year, has finally found its rhythm. These factors have added up to Washington winning nine of its last ten and 16 of its last 20. Oh by the way, good luck winning in the District of Columbia because the Wizards boast one of the best home records in the NBA at 24-7 this year. Keep a watchful eye on this team as we come out of the All Star Break.
That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with my first edition of “Tour Talk” to preview a fantastic field at Riviera for the Genesis Open. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney, like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook, and subscribe to the blog on WordPress
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