Week 7 of NBA basketball is done and it was full of excitement and amazing feats. The inaugural In-Season Tournament was won by the Lakers and LeBron James was named the MVP of the tournament. It’s safe to say that the IST has been a success and NBA Commisioner Adam Silver is already planning for an upgrade next season.
Teams only played a couple of games each this past week but the competition was an exhilarating sight to see.
Today, we will be grading all 30 NBA teams in week 7 of games.
Atlanta Hawks: C- (Last Week C-)
The Hawks failed to get a win in week 7 of basketball. Trae Young was out due to injury and his teammates failed to step up without his presence. If this keeps up, Atlanta is in danger to slide further in the standings.
Boston Celtics: A (Last Week A+)
The Celtics got embarrassed by the Pacers in their quarterfinal matchup in the In-Season Tournament but quickly bounced back by thrashing the Knicks later in the week. They are still the favorites to come out of the East.
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Brooklyn Nets: B+ (Last Week B)
With Cam Thomas back, Brooklyn’s scoring has been up recently. Mikal Bridges has been playing well and with his leadership, they beat the Hawks and the hapless Wizards in week 7.
Charlotte Hornets: D+ (Last Week D)
Without LaMelo Ball, the Hornets managed to eke out a win against the struggling Raptors. Gordon Hayward is playing well as of late, and so is rookie Brandon Miller.
Chicago Bulls: B (Last Week C)
Chicago is still undefeated in the month of December. Even without LaVine, they managed to win games against worthy opponents this past week. Can they still turn their season around?
Cleveland Cavaliers: B+ (Last Week B)
Cleveland netted some impressive wins this past week. They registered impressive wins against the surging Magic and the middle-of-the-pack Heat. But it’s hard to rate their recent surge as they are fairly inconsistent so far this season.
Dallas Mavericks: B+ (Last Week B-)
After a disappointing week 6, the Mavs bounced back in week 7 of basketball. They are winning again behind the tremendous play of Luka Doncic. The only bad news is that Kyrie Irving may be out due to a freak injury he suffered in a game against the Blazers.
Denver Nuggets: B- (Last Week B+)
Even with Jamal Muray back, the Nuggets suffered back-to-back losses against the Clippers and the Rockets this past week. Aaron Gordon’s presence has been non-existent so far for the past couple of weeks.
Detroit Pistons: D- (Last Week D-)
After a no-win November, the hapless Pistons continued their losing ways in the month of December. The rotation has been bad and even with Bojan Bogdanovic back in the fold, their losing streak continues. With a tough schedule ahead, the light at the end of the tunnel will remain dim for now.
Golden State Warriors: C- (Last Week C-)
The Warriors barely made it past the lowly Blazers and fell in overtime against the emerging OKC squad. In all honesty, they will have a hard time securing themselves a playoff spot when April comes.
Houston Rockets: B (Last Week C)
Houston posted a couple of impressive wins in week 7. They outplayed the surging Thunder and closed out their game beautifully against the struggling Nuggets. Can they keep this up? Maybe.
Indiana Pacers: B+ (Last Week B)
Even though the Pacers lost in the finals of the inaugural In-Season Tournament, there is still a lot to like about this young team. They dismantled Giannis and the Bucks before falling to the Lakers this past week.
Los Angeles Clippers: B+ (Last Week B)
Are the Clippers a legitimate threat in the West? Perhaps they can. They now have won three straight games and Kawhi Leonard is slowly establishing himself as the alpha dog in this team.
Los Angeles Lakers: A+ (Last Week B)
Let’s give the Lakers their flowers this past week. They are the In-Season Tournament champions and at 39, LeBron was named the tournament MVP. They are playing well right now and things are starting to look up in La La Land.
Memphis Grizzlies: D+ (Last Week D+)
The Grizzlies went 1-1 this past week. Their lone win was against the cellar-dwelling Pistons but it took a Desmond Bane masterclass to pull through at the end. But as expected, the Wolves thrashed them a couple of nights later.
Miami Heat: B- (Last Week B)
The Heat are struggling right now. They won’t admit it but they are slowly missing the shot-making capabilities of Tyler Herro. The only bright spot for them right now is that rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a certified baller.
Milwaukee Bucks: A (Last Week A)
The Bucks were embarrassed by the Pacers in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament but this small setback won’t douse their recent surge in the standings. Dame and Giannis are just focused on winning the real thing at the end of the season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: A+ (Last Week A+)
The Timberwolves went 2-0 in week 7. They easily dismantled both the Spurs and the Grizzlies in a dominant fashion. Their red-hot start is no longer considered a fluke. This team is the real deal.
New Orleans Pelicans: B- (Last Week B)
The Pelicans are good but there are some reports coming out that the organization is not pleased with Zion Williamson’s development, especially his eating habits. Could they resolve this issue in the near future?
New York Knicks: B (Last Week B+)
Nobody would want to be matched up with the Knicks in the playoffs. They are a determined squad that could make some serious noise this season. Randle is playing well again and Brunson is proving his worth after signing a hefty contract last season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A (Last Week A)
Even with a 1-1 record in week 7, this was still a good week for OKC. They outplayed the Warriors in overtime behind the heroics of rookie sensation, Chet Holmgren. If Josh Giddey somehow manages to snap out of his recent slump, they could go a long way this season.
Orlando Magic: A (Last Week A+)
Like the surprising Wolves, this Magic team is no fluke. They are still missing the services of Markelle Fultz but Cole Anthony has been playing well for them this season. After a sluggish start, Paolo Banchero’s confidence is starting to show as of late.
Philadelphia 76ers: B+ (Last Week B-)
With Embiid and Maxey back in the lineup, the Sixers took care of business against the Hawks and the Wizards this past week. Expect their winning streak to continue as they have an easy schedule in week 8.
Phoenix Suns: B (Last Week A)
Phoenix is in a bit of a slump right now. They bowed out in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament against the Lakers and got outplayed by the Kings a few days later. The good news is that Bradley Beal is finally expected to play again this week.
Portland Trail Blazers: C (Last Week C)
The Blazers may have lost a ton of games but they are still a competitive bunch. They lost a nail-biter against the Warriors and managed to keep things interesting when they faced the Mavs this past week. They are starting to gel as a unit even though they are missing a couple of starters in the lineup.
Sacramento Kings: A- (Last Week A)
The Kings may have lost in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament, but their fine play continued this past week. Now that they are finally healthy, they are primed to make a push at the top of the Western Conference this month.
San Antonio Spurs: D- (Last Week D-)
The Spurs are deemed ‘lucky’ because they won a game last month, avoiding a no-win November, unlike the Pistons. The huge problem with the Spurs is their tendency to fall apart in the second half despite playing competitive basketball in the first couple of quarters of games.
Toronto Raptors: C- (Last Week C)
The Raptors are in a plateau right now. They are competitive in each contest but can’t finish with a win. They are good, but nowhere near a great team. Dennis Schröder has been largely inconsistent at this point and OG Anunoby’s confidence is waning.
Utah Jazz: D- (Last Week D+)
Without Markkanen and Clarkson, this Utah Jazz team is just plain bad. John Collins’ addition hasn’t panned out and their bench play has been awful recently. It may be too late to turn the season around and it may be time to look ahead at the 2024 NBA Draft.
Washington Wizards: D- (Last Week D)
Washington only went 1-2 in week 6 of basketball but they managed to escape embarrassment by toppling the lowly Pistons in the battle of the East’s cellar-dwelling teams. Jordan Poole is having a horrid season and this team is sinking fast alongside his non-existent jump shot.
