NBN Power Rankings: Hawks Rise, Mavericks Load Up, and the NBA’s Middle Class Gets Ugly

The latest NBN results delivered three razor-thin thrillers and a couple of statements. Utah survived Los Angeles 136-135, Denver escaped Sacramento 127-125, and Minnesota held off Houston 110-108. Meanwhile, Atlanta hammered San Antonio by 18 and Toronto knocked off New York 127-118.

One transparency note: the supplied data includes only 10 teams from the last five games, not full-season records. Therefore, records marked “not supplied” reflect the data gap, while listed records are the five-game sample. Rankings combine recent results, player production and roster strength.

Championship Contenders

  1. Atlanta Hawks — Record: 3-2 (last five shown). Movement: rising. Chris Paul’s 10.5 assists and Nate Thurmond’s 14.8 rebounds give Atlanta two elite engines, plus the week’s most emphatic win.
  2. Denver Nuggets — Record: 2-3 (last five shown). Movement: rising. Jermaine O’Neal, Zoran Radovic and that 127-125 escape make Denver dangerous even when the margin resembles a coin flip.
  3. Dallas Mavericks — Record: not supplied. Movement: steady. Ron Mercer’s 30.7 points, Bill Russell’s rebounding and Norm Van Lier’s playmaking make this the league’s deepest three-headed monster.
  4. Brooklyn Nets — Record: not supplied. Movement: steady. Shawn Marion’s 12.7 boards and 30 points are the anchor, while Jay Williams supplies 10.3 assists for a remarkably balanced attack.
  5. Milwaukee Bucks — Record: not supplied. Movement: steady. Rashard Lewis is putting up 30.1 points and 7.9 rebounds—serious star power with a touch of reckless offensive flair.
  6. Oklahoma City Thunder — Record: not supplied. Movement: rising. Lester Conner’s 30-point, 3.6-assist campaign gives the Thunder a genuine statistical centerpiece and playoff credibility.

Playoff Hopefuls

  1. Sacramento Kings — Record: 2-3 (last five shown). Movement: steady. Nate “Tiny” Archibald owns the scoring throne at 31.5 points and 9.0 assists; losing by two hardly diminishes the throne room.
  2. Toronto Raptors — Record: 3-2 (last five shown). Movement: rising. A nine-point win over the Knicks and a 3-2 sample suggest Toronto has found the one thing contenders prize most: momentum.
  3. Minnesota Timberwolves — Record: 2-3 (last five shown). Movement: rising. Their 110-108 win over Houston was pure two-possession drama—grindy, tense and perfectly on-brand for a playoff-minded club.
  4. Utah Jazz — Record: 3-2 (last five shown). Movement: rising. The Lakers learned that an inch can cost a season’s worth of confidence; Utah survived the first true test of the week.
  5. Los Angeles Lakers — Record: 2-3 (last five shown). Movement: falling. Losing to Utah by one point is less a breakdown than a warning: close games are not victories unless someone closes them.
  6. New York Knicks — Record: 2-3 (last five shown). Movement: falling. A nine-point defeat to Toronto has the feel of an early rut—one that requires immediate answers, not another dramatic press conference.
  7. Miami Heat — Record: not supplied. Movement: steady. Terry Cummings’ 14.9 rebounds and 16.7 points provide a sturdy foundation, even if Miami’s supporting cast remains a mystery box.
  8. Detroit Pistons — Record: not supplied. Movement: steady. Michael Olowokandi contributes ← All Articles