Power Rankings
NBA Power Rankings, Week 16: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Apr 18, 2012 1:00 PM CDT
in Power Rankings
The Thunder offense has gone into the pit of despair in the past two weeks. We know that the team hates losing, yet they keep losing in the same way, by not scoring nearly enough points in the 4th quarter. Can anything reverse this trend in the remaining five games?
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 3 (2) | The Thunder's playoff pathway currently looks daunting - 1st the champs, then the Clippers or Grizzlies? |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 2 (2) | After the Spurs, there are a lot of good teams with very mediocre records in the past month. |
| ESPN - Stein | 2 (2) | Always be wary of predictions that come too soon. |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 2 (3) | Much more worrisome than the OKC defense is the Thunder offense, which suddenly looks as predictable as the Sun rising. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | n/a (4) | n/a |
| Sports Illustrated | 3 (2) | Offensive production is down almost 10 points per game as compared to March. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 2 (4) | At times the Thunder look like they still have many lessons to learn. |
| HoopSpeak | 3 (2) | Harper asks how the Thunder can possibly defend the Lakers. I dunno...maybe the same way they defended them during OKC's first two wins against LA this season? |
| Hoopsworld | 2 (3) | Some crucial road games coming up. |
| Behind the Basket | 3 (3) | The Grizzlies scare me, but the Lakers do not. |
| FoxSports | 3 (1) | OKC coasting when they really shouldn't be. |
| Covers | 3 (3) | Thunder are playing their worst basketball right now. |
| CBS Sports | 5 (2) | Seems like OKC checked out after the Heat win. Suddenly that was a long time ago. |
| Bleacher Report | 2 (1) | OKC responded well after losing 3 in a row. |
| Black Sports Online | 3 (3) | Who are the dark horses? Suddenly the Thunder-vanquishing Clippers are in the mix. |
| SheridanHoops | 3 (4) | Can Durant catch Kobe Bryant? |
| Complex | 2 (n/a) | Durant's MVP candidacy likely over. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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0 commentsNBA Power Rankings, Week 15: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Apr 11, 2012 10:35 AM CDT
in Power Rankings
The Thunder beat the Lakers, Bulls, and Heat, and we rejoice. The Thunder lose to the Grizzlies, Heat, and Pacers, and there is much weeping and gnashing of teeth. The truth likes somewhere in between (I think that's a song lyric).
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 2 (1) | Thunder strong despite 3 slip-ups. They still look better than Miami. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 1 (3) | Playing great defense does wonders in Hollinger's rankings. |
| ESPN - Stein | 2 (1) | Russell Westbrook played sub-par basketball last week in 3 losses. |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 3 (1) | What a difference a week makes. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | 4 (2) | First 3 game losing streak of the season. |
| Sports Illustrated | 2 (1) | OKC has all the tools needed to play suffocating defense, and it looks like they're starting to have fun getting stops. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 4 (1) | Sometimes OKC still looks like a young team learning how to win. Well, yeah. |
| HoopSpeak | 2 (1) | Harper is still concerned about lack of offensive balance, especially in the post. |
| Hoopsworld | 3 (1) | Bad week for the Thunder. |
| Behind the Basket | 3 (1) | Defense surging but offense struggling. I honestly don't mind that shift heading into the playoffs. |
| FoxSports | 1 (1) | Thunder and Spurs neck and neck. |
| Covers | 3 (1) | Spurs are rightthere, but do they care? |
| CBS Sports | 2 (1) | April is a bad time to have your first real hiccup of the season. |
| Bleacher Report | 2 (1) | OKC responded well after losing 3 in a row. |
| Black Sports Online | 3 (1) | Rough week, but righting the ship. |
| SheridanHoops | 4 (2) | OKC has a manageable schedule the rest of the way. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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NBA Power Rankings, Week 14: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Apr 4, 2012 11:37 AM CDT
in Power Rankings
The Thunder finished a stellar stretch of play, taking out the Clippers, Timberwolves, Heat, Lakers, and Bulls in impressive fashion. They will continue to push ahead to stay in front of the fast-closing Spurs, but their April docket of games will be tough. In the final 3 weeks, they face the Pacers, Lakers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and the Clippers (2x).
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 1 (2) | A round of applause to the recent Thunder play. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 3 (3) | Miami still out in front, despite recent struggles. |
| ESPN - Stein | 1 (2) | We can finally put those five bad losses in March behind us. |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 1 (2) | The Thunder had no problem scoring against 3 of the top defensive teams in the league. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | n/a (2) | n/a |
| Sports Illustrated | 1 (2) | We've seen Memphis enough to know that Monday's loss wasn't a let-down game. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 1 (2) | Thunder just barely holding on ahead of the Spurs. |
| HoopSpeak | n/a (1) | n/a |
| Hoopsworld | 1 (2) | Respectfully, I really hope it never gets to the point that Pincus predicts. |
| Behind the Basket | 1 (3) | OKC the best now, but with the Spurs closing, it's possible the WCF may be their final destination. |
| FoxSports | 1 (1) | Few tests left for the Thunder this regular season. |
| Covers | 2 (4) | They beat the Bulls, but still chasing Chicago for best record. |
| CBS Sports | 1 (2) | Young pups, no more. |
| Bleacher Report | 1 (2) | Thunder aiming to be the last men standing. |
| Black Sports Online | 1 (4) | Surging at the right time. |
| SheridanHoops | 2 (3) | The Thunder have a rough road ahead if they are going to stay ahead of the Spurs. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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NBA Power Rankings, Week 13: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Mar 28, 2012 12:30 PM CDT
in Power Rankings
The Thunder responded from their last loss to the Jazz in grand fashion, ripping off four wins in a row, including dominant wins over the Heat and Clippers. Now is not the time to ease up, as the Lakers and Bulls are next on the docket, but it appears that OKC has regained its focus and is starting to play some excellent all-around basketball.
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 2 (2) | OKC threw a haymaker on Sunday. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 3 (4) | Thunder creep up, but Miami still leads the pack. |
| ESPN - Stein | 2 (4) | Durant and Westbrook doing things nobody has done before. |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 2 (3) | Thunder pass first of four title-contending tests. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | 2 (2) | Thunder bigs dominated Heat bigs. |
| Sports Illustrated | 2 (2) | Thunder's all-around game becoming impressive, and Westbrook is getting better and better. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 2 (4) | OKC has best offense in NBA. |
| HoopSpeak | 1 (1) | Harper actually enjoyed watching Durant beat his favorite team. |
| Hoopsworld | 2 (2) | Fisher struggling now, but when OKC needs a big post-season shot? I am really hoping the answer to his question is, in the following order, Durant, Westbrook, Harden. |
| Behind the Basket | 3 (4) | Did OKC expose the Heat? |
| FoxSports | 1 (3) | OKC regains #1 status. |
| Covers | 4 (3) | Thunder hit a new gear. |
| CBS Sports | 2 (2) | OKC answering all questions right now. |
| Bleacher Report | 2 (3) | Can Thunder knock off Bulls? |
| Black Sports Online | n/a (4) | n/a |
| SheridanHoops | 3 (4) | Huge stretch ahead against a number of solid playoff teams. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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NBA Power Rankings, Week 12: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Mar 21, 2012 10:53 AM CDT
in Power Rankings
The Thunder have continued to struggle over this past week, actually posting a losing record of 2-3 over their past five games. They were routed by the Spurs (not surprising), crushed the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, but then inexplicably faltered down the stretch against Houston and Utah. OKC is in the woods; it is time to find their way out.
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 2 (3) | OKC is good for at least one bad showing per week. OKC just needs to make sure they still win those games. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 4 (4) | Thunder still consistently inconsistent. |
| ESPN - Stein | 4 (3) | The curse of Kate Upton...lives? |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 3 (3) | Will Sunday night's game against the Heat be a Finals preview. Not if both teams continue to struggle like they have as of late. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | 4 (2) | Royal Ivey earning some valuable playing time as of late. Go Texas! |
| Sports Illustrated | 2 (2) | No dire need to upgrade over Reggie Jackson, but the addition of Derek Fisher could have some added benefit if the Thunder see the Lakers in the playoffs. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 4 (3) | They play like a young team. Self-evident, and yet so, so telling. |
| HoopSpeak | n/a (1) | n/a |
| Hoopsworld | 2 (2) | OKC slowing down, but still have a lead over the Spurs. |
| Behind the Basket | 4 (2) | The Spurs are the team the Thunder cannot seem to beat. |
| FoxSports | 3 (3) | OKC's previous dominance on their home court left them at the All-Star break. |
| Covers | 3 (3) | Still a top 3 team despite recent struggles. |
| CBS Sports | 2 (2) | Is the Thunder model replicable? Only in your tiger dreams. |
| Bleacher Report | 3 (3) | James Harden is the key, and he's going to need to play a bit better than he has as of late. |
| Black Sports Online | 4 (3) | East is top heavy, West has balance in the middle. |
| SheridanHoops | 4 (3) | Wanted: lock-down perimeter defender. Unfortunately this is not 2003. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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NBA Power Rankings, Week 11: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Mar 14, 2012 11:00 AM CDT
in Power Rankings
The Thunder finished a depressingly mediocre five game home stand by finishing 3-2, losing to both the Cavaliers and Rockets. More significantly though, the Thunder seem to have eased into cruise control after the All-Star break and their basketball quality is reflecting it now. Expect some slippage in their rankings this week.
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 3 (3) | The season's feeling of inevitability may be causing the Thunder's still necessary growth to stagnate. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 4 (3) | OKC falls behind the 76ers, a team that has lesser talent but is playing more committed basketball now. |
| ESPN - Stein | 3 (3) | The curse of Kate Upton. |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 3 (2) | OKC offense has been the bigger issue this past week. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | 2 (2) | 14 game home winning streak was ended by a team with a losing record. |
| Sports Illustrated | 2 (2) | Both recent home losses were the result of late game collapses; perplexing how two players who are so good at finishing at the rim seem hesitant to go there at the end of games. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 3 (2) | Big tests this week, as Nuggets and Spurs are on the docket. |
| HoopSpeak | 1 (1) | #1 in the West, Harper would still like to see OKC trade for Dwight Howard. |
| Hoopsworld | 2 (2) | A backup veteran PG might be helpful. |
| Behind the Basket | 2 (2) | March is a good test for the Thunder's focus. So far, they are not doing well on this test. |
| FoxSports | 3 (3) | First home loss to an Eastern Conference team. |
| Covers | 3 (3) | Thunder seem to be devoid of consistent energy. |
| CBS Sports | 2 (2) | OKC Treading water until April. |
| Bleacher Report | 3 (2) | OKC reportedly turned down Dwight Howard trade, still best in West. |
| Black Sports Online | 3 (2) | OKC still good, but hitting some bumps. |
| SheridanHoops | 3 (3) | Sheridan writes that OKC has filled more than its quota of let-down losses, and that was before the Rockets collapse. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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NBA Rankings, Week 10: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Mar 7, 2012 9:33 AM CST
in Power Rankings
In the Thunder's first week back out of the All-Star break, they won two games they could have lost, lost to a team that they should have beaten, and beat a team that always beats them. Even so, 30-8 isn't too bad.
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 2 (3) | Turnovers still a long-standing issue for OKC. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 3 (3) | Still 3rd, but OKC has played a more difficult schedule than both the Heat and Bulls. |
| ESPN - Stein | 3 (2) | Kevin Durant finally had a breakout game against the Magic. |
| NBA.com - Schuhmann | 2 (2) | Thunder need to finish at the rim better in order to compensate for turnovers. |
| NBA.com - Aldridge | 2 (3) | Turnovers sank the Thunder against the Hawks. |
| Sports Illustrated | 2 (2) | James Harden made all the right plays in the win against the Mavericks. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 2 (2) | Late game defense is making up for some still rudimentary end-game play calling. |
| HoopSpeak | n/a (1) | n/a |
| Hoopsworld | 2 (2) | Hawks halted seven game winning streak. |
| Behind the Basket | 2 (3) | Hawks loss shouldn't be held too costly against Thunder. |
| FoxSports | 2 (3) | Durant/Westbrook in one conference, LeBron/Wade in the other. |
| Covers | 3 (3) | Thunder injuries have not slowed them down too much. |
| CBS Sports | 2 (3) | Defense is carrying the team for stretches. |
| Bleacher Report | 2 (2) | Durant has raised all aspects of his game this season. |
| Black Sports Online | 2 (2) | Thunder host another run of winnable games. |
| SheridanHoops | 3 (2) | Next 10 of 12 are games at home. Thunder can use this stretch to put the West out of reach. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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NBA Rankings, Week 9: I Have the Power!
by J.A. Sherman on Feb 29, 2012 7:00 AM CST
in Power Rankings
Here comes the second half of the season. The Thunder open up with a three game road trip against Eastern Conference playoff teams and then return home to play Dallas, all within the first week. Not everyone did their weekly rankings, so this list will be a bit sparse until the league gets another week of games under its belt.
From Around the League:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | n/a (3) | n/a |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 3 (3) | OKC's point differential is a lot less than the top two teams, but that may be a result of the way the Thunder D has a way of letting up during blowouts. |
| ESPN - Stein | 2 (3) | OKC still generating "when it matters most" skepticism. Honestly though, can't we say the same about every team, save the Mavericks? |
| NBA.com | 2 (3) | James Harden has the highest on-court offensive efficiency rating. |
| Sports Illustrated | 2 (3) | OKC still missing Thabo Sefolosha. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 2 (3) | Impressive showing by Durant & Westbrook over All-Star weekend has fans excited for the encore. |
| HoopSpeak | 1 (3) | Harper breaks out the East & West, so this ranking is just for the Western Conference. Even so, I like how he compares the Thunder trio to Jet Li. |
| Hoopsworld | 2 (3) | Three big road games on the docket. |
| Behind the Basket | n/a (3) | n/a |
| FoxSports | 3 (3) | Durant would love another end of season MVP trophy. |
| Covers | 3 (3) | OKC has the Northwest wrapped up. |
| CBS Sports | n/a (3) | n/a |
| Bleacher Report | 2 (2) | Team gets an 'A' for its first half of season performance. |
| Black Sports Online | 2 (2) | Durant/Westbrook growing stronger together as season goes on. |
| SheridanHoops | 2 (4) | Durant only trails Kobe Bryant by half a point for the scoring title. |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
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Northwest Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oklahoma City
|
47 | 19 | .712 | 0 | Won 4 |
|
Denver
|
38 | 28 | .575 | 9 | Lost 1 |
|
Utah
|
36 | 30 | .545 | 11 | Lost 4 |
|
Portland
|
28 | 38 | .424 | 19 | Lost 7 |
|
Minnesota
|
26 | 40 | .393 | 21 | Lost 2 |
(updated 5.24.2012 at 9:28 AM CDT)
Thunder Schedule
Next 5 Games
|
@
San Antonio
|
Sun 05/27 | 7:30 PM CDT |
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
Sun 05/27 | TBA |
|
@
San Antonio
|
Tue 05/29 | 8:00 PM CDT |
|
San Antonio
|
Thu 05/31 | 8:00 PM CDT |
|
San Antonio
|
Sat 06/02 | 7:30 PM CDT |
Last 5 Games
|
@
Los Angeles Lakers
|
Wed 05/23 | TBA |
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
Mon 05/21 | W 106 - 90 |
|
@
Los Angeles Lakers
|
Sat 05/19 | W 103 - 100 |
|
@
Los Angeles Lakers
|
Fri 05/18 | L 96 - 99 |
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
Wed 05/16 | W 77 - 75 |
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