A week into the NBA Playoffs, you can sort teams into categories. Teams that were impressive, teams that were disappointing, teams that were good but not good enough, teams that were good in some games and teams that were bad in others.
There's no question that the top three teams in the Western Conference (Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves) finished 1-2-3 for a reason. The Boston Celtics have bounced back from a brutal home loss, but they still have work to get done. The New York Knicks were helped a little by an officiating error, but either way, they were one win away from winning a playoff series for the second straight season, a feat they eluded to in 2000-2001.
The Phoenix Suns were a dud and the first team to get swept, the Milwaukee Bucks faltered, and the Los Angeles Lakers showed that being good doesn't mean being a contender.
One week after the playoffs, here are the NBA Playoff Power Rankings:
NBA Playoff Power Rankings
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
3-0 win vs. New Orleans: After a close call in Game 1 against the Pelicans, Oklahoma City did its job in spectacular fashion, winning 124-92 in Game 2 and 106 in Game 3. I won with -85. The Thunder had three players score at least 20 points in the past two games, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Josh Guidy. Oklahoma City did a tough job against the Pelicans, who were missing injured Zion Williamson, not allowing more than 92 points in the first three games.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
Phoenix lost 4-0: Minnesota's top-ranked defense wasn't a concern going into this series, but it's no longer a concern because it limited the Suns' offense. The Timberwolves scored at least 120 points on conversions from the field (48.2%) and from the free throw line (88%) in three of their four games. Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards averaged 31 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3-point range, and 83.9 percent from free throws. He had 40 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the shutout win. It was the Timberwolves' first series win since 2004.
3. Boston Celtics
2-1 win over Miami: The Celtics responded to their Game 2 loss with an impressive 104-84 victory in Game 3. Now, Boston won Game 4 in Miami and he needs to finish two sets and return to Boston. They lead the series with 3 wins and 1 loss and have a chance to end the series after five games. The Celtics don't need a Game 6 in this series.
4. Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers 3-1 win: Although the Nuggets didn't get the sweep, they remain in prime position to win the series, and that could happen in Game 5 in Denver. Jamal Murray's improved shooting and better performance from the bench put the Nuggets in good position to shut out the Lakers for the second year in a row.
5. New York Knicks
3-1 win over Philadelphia: Remember the all-time greats of the Knicks – Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, Carmelo. Anthony. Until Sunday, a Knicks player had never scored more than 46 points in a playoff game. New York guard Jalen Brunson scored 47 points in the Knicks' Game 4 victory, setting a Knicks playoff scoring record. He also recorded 10 assists. At some point the Knicks will need more scoring from someone other than Brunson, but the defense has done a good enough job in this series.
6. Indiana Pacers
vs. Milwaukee: Yes, the Pacers caught a break in this series as Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game with an injury and Damian Lillard missed Game 4. But the Pacers also benefited from it, scoring 22 points. In Game 4, he made a 3-point shot. Shutting out the Bucks will be a challenge not for this group led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but for this Pacers team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2020. The Pacers haven't won a playoff series since 2014.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
2-2 tie vs. Dallas: The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard in Game 4 and built a 31-point lead before losing it and coming away with a 116-111 victory. Regardless of Leonard's status next game and the rest of the season, Paul George and James Harden need to be at or near their best to win the series. In Game 4, both teams scored 33 points, giving them a say in the outcome with the outcome of the game at stake.
8. Dallas Mavericks
2-2 Tie vs. Los Angeles Clippers: The Mavericks were at home against a Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers team with a great chance to take a 3-1 series lead. However, a poor start put the Mavs in a 31-point hole. They moved up the standings and took the lead late in the fourth quarter, but were unable to pull off a come-from-behind victory. They need to improve offensively, led by Luka Doncic, who is shooting 38.6% from the field and 26.5% from 3-point range in the series.
9. Orlando Magic
2-2 Tie at Cleveland: With some issues on offense on the road (only 83 and 86 points in the first two games of the series against Cleveland), the Magic need a road win to win the series. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were in good form at home, scoring 30 points each. Can this young, promising team break through offensively in Cleveland?
10. Los Angeles Lakers
Losing 3-1 against Denver: The Lakers were close in this series, but succumbed to Denver's offensive and defensive performance, especially in the fourth quarter. In Game 4, the Lakers were able to successfully stop Denver from dominating in the third and fourth quarters. Can they repeat that in Game 5 on the road and get a dominant performance from Anthony Davis and solid performances from D'Angelo Russell and the bench?
11. Philadelphia 76ers
vs. New York: Losing 3-1: Joel Embiid is not 100% in his knee and is playing with Bell's palsy, but after scoring 50 points in the 76ers' Game 3 win, He revealed that he had symptoms. The Sixers have struggled with Embiid having to spend time on the bench, and even though Embiid played 44 minutes in Game 4, the Sixers lost 8-2 without Embiid on the floor. In those four games, Philadelphia has won 77-39 in 32 minutes with Embiid on the bench.
12. Milwaukee Bucks
Down 3-1 vs. Indiana State: Both avoidable and unavoidable forces have put the Bucs in this position. This series wouldn't be the same if Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't miss four games with an injury. Damian Lillard also missed Game 4 with an injury, Bobby Portis was ejected early in the game, the Bucks fired their coach who had a 30-13 record this season, and replaced Adrian Griffin with Doc. It didn't turn out the way I expected. Rivers has an 18-22 record with the Bucks, including 1-3 in the playoffs.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers
2-2 Tie vs. Orlando: The Cavaliers got off to a strong start with two wins at home, but their two road losses against the Magic were due to poor offense and, worse, poor defense. Orlando won 121-83, 112-89 to tie the series, with the Cavs shooting 25.5% from 3-point range while allowing the Magic to shoot 53.3% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range. . The Cavs currently have home court advantage, so winning at home may be all they need to advance. But whether this series, and the next one, goes forward could have a big impact on what the Cavs do in the offseason with Donovan Mitchell, who could become a free agent after the 2024-25 season.
14. Miami Heat
Losing 2-1 vs. Boston: The Heat will look to make this series as difficult as possible for Boston. But without the injured Jimmy Butler, it's probably unrealistic to think the Heat can pull off an upset like last year.
15. New Orleans Pelicans
Lost 3-0 at Oklahoma City: As expected, the Pelicans are struggling offensively without Zion Williamson and have a hard time stopping the Thunder's offense. Bad combination against Rolling Thunder. It's hard to blame the Pelicans too much.
16. Phoenix Suns
Losing 4-0 to Minnesota: The Suns are the most disappointing team in the playoffs so far. The roster was built around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. The Suns don't have many options on the roster, so any major changes would put the coaching staff and front office in the crosshairs of new owner Matt Ishbia.
