The hot-air balloon that is the Philadelphia 76ers has soared into the top spot of FOX Sports’ NBA power rankings since cutting loose the Human Sandbag that is James Harden.
Since a one-point season-opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers have ripped off eight wins in a row, including one over the Boston Celtics, knocking them out of the top spot into third. The defending champion Denver Nuggets held steady at No. 2 thanks to wins over the Mavericks, Warriors and Pelicans and despite getting tripped up by the Houston Rockets, who are living up to their name with a six-game winning streak that has shot them from 26th all the way to 12th.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were the other notable riser, climbing from 13th into the top five with their own 6-0 run.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have lost four in a row since inheriting the Human Sandbag, three with him in uniform, the latest a home loss to the previously 1-8 Memphis Grizzlies.
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Their massive slide despite four top 75 all-time players — Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook — along with struggles by several other star-laden teams, is laying waste right now to the idea that a Big Two, much less a Big Three, is necessary for success. The Bucks are having an equally hard time of it since pairing Damian Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo, tumbling from sixth to 11th in this week’s rankings with losses to a pair of lone-star squads, the Tyrese Haliburton-led Indiana Pacers and reigning ROY Paolo Banchero’s Orlando Magic. The Bucks have now lost four games by double digits this season. It wasn’t until mid-December last season that they’d lost that many times that decisively.
The Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are three other teams with big names suffering big losses this past week and subsequent power-ranking consequences.
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NBA Power Rankings
- Philadelphia 76ers: +2
- Denver Nuggets: =
- Boston Celtics: −2
- Dallas Mavericks: +1
- Minnesota Timberwolves: +8
- Atlanta Hawks: +2
- Orlando Magic: +2
- Indiana Pacers: +10
- Los Angeles Lakers: +1
- Milwaukee Bucks: −4
- Phoenix Suns: −4
- Golden State Warriors: −8
- Oklahoma City Thunder: +4
- New Orleans Pelicans: −2
- Houston Rockets: +11
- Miami Heat: +6
- New York Knicks: −2
- Cleveland Cavaliers: −2
- Sacramento Kings: −5
- Brooklyn Nets: −1
- Toronto Raptors: =
- San Antonio Spurs: −2
- Portland Trail Blazers: =
- LA Clippers: −13
- Utah Jazz: =
- Chicago Bulls: +1
- Charlotte Hornets: −1
- Detroit Pistons: −4
- Memphis Grizzlies: =
- Washington Wizards: =
Ric Bucher is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He previously wrote for Bleacher Report, ESPN The Magazine and The Washington Post and has written two books, “Rebound,” on NBA forward Brian Grant’s battle with young onset Parkinson’s, and “Yao: A Life In Two Worlds.” He also has a daily podcast, “On The Ball with Ric Bucher.” Follow him on Twitter @RicBucher.
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