New NBA Power Rankings + Nuggets & Rockets breakdowns, Lakers question marks, Heat sneaky good
Jason revisits Friday’s matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets to break down what makes Nikola Jokic’s squad so dangerous and why Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are rising in the team’s contender rankings. Then he reacts to the Miami Heat beating the Philadelphia 76ers and discusses question marks around the Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves offense for the Los Angeles Lakers. Finally he gives his latest update to the power rankings, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder leading the way.
All lines provided by @hardrockbet
Timeline
0:00 – Start
1:50 – Nuggets/Rockets revisit
16:12 – Heat/76ers reaction
27:20 – Lakers question marks
38:35 – Power Rankings
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37 Comments
MAILBAG: Hi Jason, huge fan as always 😊
As a Warriors fan, I've been amazed witnessing their schedule this far.
Can you perhaps make a an actual video on the Warriors schedule, which looks/seems less like basketball, more like a punishment ritual?
– 17 games
– 5 back‑to‑backs
– 12 road games
– 13 cities
Oh and the cherry on top? 5 back-to-backs in the LAST 18 games of the season as well!
Basically it feels like the NBA said: ‘Let’s see how fast we can break them. And let's kneecap them at the very end as well, right before the playoffs.'
Did they hand this to AI with the prompt: ‘Make an NBA schedule for all the teams, but make it hell for the Warriors.’??
In that case: Mission accomplished. 😠🙄
Like seriously, how is this acceptable? Never seen this much of a disadvantage to one team because of the schedule (for reference: Rockets haven't played ONE back-to-back thus far, and will have only a max of 10 in total, compared to 15 for Warriors!).
MAILBAG: Hi Jason, are you going to make MVP rankings? If so, who are your favorites so far? Big fan of the show you guys keep up the great work, greeting from México
False. Denver lost because Russell westbrook outplayed and cooked them
Where can I watch with you on playback?
Thunders only real test has been the rockets and it took double over time at home and Denver beat them in regulation on the road. What makes OKC so much better to you? They are even at least if not advantage Nuggets especially in a playoff series.
Lakers are 12-4 bc look who they’ve played on the road…….. Kings, MIN with no ANT, MEM, POR, blown out by ATL, CHA, blown out by OKC, NOP, MIL on a B2B coming off an OT win, & UTA it’s an extremely weak schedule so far
Lakers need an upgrade in athleticism and shooting… Rob has to lock in
SHAI(2) IS BETTER THAN LUKA. ACCEPT IT UGH
LEBRON GOAT.
Lakers lack an athletic switchable 2 way wing to make that starting five complete. Lakers starting five just looks off, what I mean by that is that they're lacking that defensive point of attack defender to make the starting lineup a contending team.
Finally someone to mention that OKC has the easiest schedule in the league till now. I don't say they are not good, just saying
MAILBAG: Why hasn't the Cam Johnson trade worked out for Denver yet? He seemed like the perfect fit for what they needed, but his production hasn't been what they expected. It's still early in the season, but what has to change for him to start producing at his normal level? Thanks love the show.
MAILBAG: Let the Kuminga trade machine begin! I have two trade proposals for you: 1. Kuminga and salary for Michael Porter Jr. 2. Kuminga and salary for Domantas Sabonis. Do either of these trades make sense or seem doable to you? As a Warriors fan, I would absolutely love MPJ on our team. I would even take Sabonis. The way I see it, the Warriors need a solid two-way starting shooting guard, a scoring forward who can come off the bench, and a solid starting center. MPJ or Sabonis would fill one of those needs, and then you hope Moody or Melton or Richard can become that starting shooting guard. Thanks love the show.
OKC is not better than the Nuggets. The Nuggets with injuries are literally a bounce here and a bounce there away from being 16 and oh right now literally you could turn around five plays right now in Denver is 16 and oh fuck OKC they’re not an all-time great team I challenge anybody to actually believe that they’re just not playing anybody when they start playing teams. They will come back down to earth they’re not playing anymore. That team has flaws. There’s no way the basketball gods would allow a team like that name one starter on Denver‘s team when they’re healthy that you would trade for their team I can’t think of one of course Joker is literally three times the player that that free-throw merchant is go to the second best player Jamal Murray. He’s a proven commodity times 1000 over that smash aced guy that’s injured right now for them. I’m not gonna say his name I dislike him so much and then you go to third best player Aaron Gordon is literally better than anybody else on their team fourth best player Christian Bron guarantee is better than their fourth best player and when Kim Johnson gets it right he’s definitely better than their fifth best player. He struggled a little bit in Denver should be 16 to oh right now literally like I said just bounce the ball a different direction on five plays and they’re 16 and oh like I said OK see is anybody paying attention that they’ve gotten down by 15 and 16 points in a lot of these games against these bad teams, I mean, truly bad teams
The Nuggets are the best team in basketball and I’m a Celtics fan, but I’ve watched them when they had everybody healthy those first seven or eight games of the year. They literally looked like they was toying with people. They were so good and when they get everybody back healthy that’s what’s gonna happen. I would pick them against OKC in five or six games because that’s literally what almost happened last year double digit leads in the fourth-quarter games 34 and five they should’ve eliminated OKC and five games with a average team that they had last year. Joker just makes that team that good they OKC does not have a player like him SGA I’ve seen a player like him 1000 times he’s no different to me than James Harden or anybody like that. He’s just another guy that shoots a bunch of shots and gets a bunch of free throws. That’s all he is. Joker is on the top five of all time list if you ask me, you can’t compare these two teams Denver would run through them if they’re healthy now that has to meet if they’re healthy if they go to the playoffs without Aaron Gordon and everybody that’s a different story but if they have everybody healthy, remember I’m saying this bookmark this Screenshot they will run through OKC
I saw that based on opponent winning % (.321) the Thunder have had the easiest first 18 games schedule of all time. 2nd easiest was the 2002 Kings at .348. Crazy stat
About time Jason wakes up. It was ridiculous to ever think Denver or anyone else could touch OKC. So disrespectful.
I hate how preoccupied millennials are with minutia
So Mitchell’s 37 on 22 shots was mention worthy but not Shai’s 37 on 18?
Also the fact that it’s a trailblazers blowout that makes u finally realize they are the number one contender is a bit concerning. The bias is real my brother.
MAILBAG: hey Jason, big fan
If you were a GM, would you prefer to build around a "Top Tier Superstar" with slightly questionable character (for the sake of example, say prime Harden?), or a "Second Tier Superstar" with solid character (i.e someone like Jayson Tatum)
Thanks a lot, keep up the great work 👍
Houston is better than Denver and at the end of the season we will be over them in the playoffs seeding.
Jokic said after the Kings game that the Nuggets aren’t as good as their record shows and thinks the team has a lot to improve on if they want to win a championship. So I don’t think he thinks that was a scheduling loss
OKC and the Lakers have had the easiest schedule so far, coincidence I don’t think so whereas Denver and GS schedule (especially Warriors) have been brutal . The love the league has for the Lakers is wild and now OKC has that privilege too now 😂
How do I stop seeing all of these Apple Card ads?
Honestly surprised you ever had the nuggets over OKC
Own it you said Heat were Gimmiky.. terrible take lasted 48 hours..lol
Warriors are so cooked man their roster is mega ass
It’s true OKC hasn’t played tough competition. Eviscerating subpar competition like the Lakers really doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Luka and Austin don't need to work on their shooting, they need mental help to not become disinterested without the ball.
Already Concerning Trend ??? Shots Are Not Falling and They're Still Winning / LeBron's Only Been Back for 2 Games after Not Playing at All . Worryers . . .
Mailbag: Do you think a Keon Ellis and Klay Thompson trades solves the issues for the lakers or rather will that make you put them higher on your contenders list? Watching you from Zambia 🇿🇲 you do an amazing job keep up the good work 👍🏾
Stop pretending you like the Heat lol
No Braun and no Gordon for the next 4-6 weeks . The west is so tight that I don’t see any way in hell Denver ends up the 2 seed out west when the season is over
U OF ALL PPL SHOULD KNOW….LUKA GONNA KEEP U IN EVERY GAME….AND WITH HIM. % NOT AS IMPORTANT…NOT MORE THAN TIMELY 3s AND BUCKETS……HENCE WHY THEY'RE WINNING DESPITE
Okc also has been the most injured team to start the season. They've had more starters messing games than any other team.
Third place is why the should be higher.
Rockets not boxing out Jokic was huge problem too. Nuggets beat Rockets at their own game in first half, rebounded the heck out of the ball.