Week 8 of basketball is done and there were a lot of exciting games to talk about. The Spurs finally snapped their 17-game skid and the Pistons are inevitably losing at a historic level. Competition at the top of the standings is slowing taking shape this week.
Today, we will take a look at the ranking of all 30 NBA teams after week 8.
30. Detroit Pistons (Last Week’s Rank: 30)
As expected, Detroit’s historic losing streak continued in week 8 of basketball. Monty Williams probably exhausted all the possible lineup combinations for this team but without success. Lots of players picked in the lottery but not one true star.
29. Washington Wizards (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
Even though the Wizards won a game against Indiana this past week, their losses had been ugly. They lost more than 20 points in three games and one of them was a 45-point beatdown against the Sixers.
28. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week’s Rank: 29)
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The Spurs moved one spot this week because they finally snapped their 17-game losing streak against LeBron and the Lakers. They also displayed their resilience this past week as they weren’t blown out by more than 9 points in their losses.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week’s Rank: 26)
This was an ugly week for the Blazers. They are on a six-game slide right now with a tough schedule ahead of them. They know how to compete but the huge problem with them is their inability to sustain their momentum once the fourth quarter comes around.
26. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week’s Rank: 27)
The Grizzlies haven’t won a game this past week and they are currently on a four-game slide. They are competitive, especially with Desmond Bane in tow but they are clearly yearning for Ja Morant’s anticipated return a few days from now.
25. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week’s Rank: 24)
Charlotte lost back-to-back games against Miami in week 8, got outplayed by the Pelicans in the fourth quarter and was demolished by Embiid and the Sixers. This was not a good week for the Hornets.
24. Utah Jazz (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
Even with the Jazz losing a ton of games this past week, they still managed to eke out a win against the surging Knicks. In other news, it looks like John Collins is now at the trade block again according to several rumors.
23. Toronto Raptors (Last Week’s Rank: 23)
The Raptors can score alongside the best in the league but their problem has been closing out games. They faltered in the final quarter against the Knicks to start the week and eventually suffered a 21-point loss to the Hawks.
22. Chicago Bulls (Last Week’s Rank: 22)
After winning four in a row, the Bulls got slapped back to reality by just going 1-3 in week 8. But make no mistake as they competed with their hearts out in all of their losses. Should have gone 2-2 if it wasn’t for Jimmy Butler’s buzzer-beater.
21. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week’s Rank: 20)
The Hawks were just 1-3 this past week and they are clearly struggling in the month of December. Even with Trae Young scoring a lot, wins were still hard to come by. Is it time to break up the Young-Murray duo?
20. Golden State Warriors (Last Week’s Rank: 21)
With a 1-2 record against worthy teams, moving one spot in the rankings must be considered a win for the struggling Warriors. With Draymond Green out indefinitely, this season is already looking like a stinker for this proud franchise.
19. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week’s Rank: 18)
Brooklyn only posted a 1-3 record against top-tier competitions this past week. The games were competitive though. Even with Cam Thomas back in his old scoring ways, the rest of the team is in a slump right now.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week’s Rank: 14)
The Cavs are struggling right now. Donovan Mitchell’s inconsistency is slowly hurting the team and he needs to recapture his old magic to give this team a chance for a playoff spot in April.
17. Phoenix Suns (Last Week’s Rank: 12)
This was an underwhelming week for the Suns. They lost a couple of games and slid further in the West standings. In addition, Bradley Beal is now out again for a few weeks due to an ankle injury. They need more guys to step up alongside Booker and Durant.
16. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week’s Rank: 19)
The Pelicans surprisingly blew out the Wolves to start the week and took care of business against cellar-dwelling teams to close out week 8. Zion Williamson has been playing well for them as of late and they need him to continue his stellar play.
15. Houston Rockets (Last Week’s Rank: 16)
The Rockets are on a respectable winning streak right now and adding Dillin Brooks in the offseason is now paying off for the franchise. They will assuredly fight for a playoff spot at the end of this season.
14. Indiana Pacers (Last Week’s Rank: 13)
After becoming runner-ups in the inaugural In-Season Tournament, the Pacers are playing sluggish basketball as of late. They have now lost three straight and one of those was against the lowly Wizards.
13. Miami Heat (Last Week’s Rank: 15)
The Heat went 3-1 and finished the week with a Jimmy Butler buzzer-beater to douse Chicago’s comeback. Still without all-star center Bam Adebayo, this Heat team continues to find ways to outsmart their opponents.
12. New York Knicks (Last Week’s Rank: 11)
The Knicks posted a 2-2 record in week 8 of basketball. Jalen Brunson went supernova against the Suns, scoring a career-high 50 points in the win. However, they got blown out by the surging Clippers the following night.
11. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week’s Rank: 9)
After winning the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, the Lakers may have drank too much champagne during their celebration as they performed a bit sluggishly in week 8 of basketball. They lost to the hapless Spurs who came in with a 17-game losing streak against the Lakers.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week’s Rank: 17)
Winners of seven straight, the Clippers are the hottest team right now in the league. Kawhi Leonard is playing at an MVP level and continues to establish himself as the alpha in this star-studded roster. Their streak will be tested this week with top-tier teams right on their schedule.
9. Sacramento Kings (Last Week’s Rank: 10)
The Kings are slowly making a push at the top of the West standings. They went 3-1 this past week with wins against the Nets, Jazz and the Thunder. Rumors are swirling that they are looking to add an established wing before the trade deadline.
8. Orlando Magic (Last Week’s Rank: 6)
After coasting in the first few weeks of the season, this young Magic team is now being tested by top-tier teams as of late. They struggled heavily against the mighty Celtics which ended up as a loss. Their schedule now gets tougher until Christmas Eve.
7. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
Luka is playing at an MVP level right now. He has scored 30 or more points in his last 10 games and with Kyrie still out, it’s safe to bet that his scoring streak will continue. They went 3-1 this past week and their lone loss was against Minnesota.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week’s Rank: 6)
Embiid and the Sixers had a relatively easy schedule in week 8 and to no one’s surprise, they went 4-0. They are on a six-game winning streak right now. Joel Embiid is having another MVP-worthy campaign.
5. Denver Nuggets (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
The Nuggets may have suffered a close loss against OKC to end their week but it doesn’t really discredit the newfound winning mentality they had as of late. Things are starting to click again for the reigning NBA champions.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
OKC went 2-1 this past week. SGA has been playing at a high level for them right now and his game-winner against the Nuggets was a beautiful thing to watch. However, Josh Giddey has been playing badly for them since the start of the season.
3. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week’s Rank: 4)
The Bucks are starting to show their true form on the floor. Giannis torched the Pacers for 64 points and he certainly looks like a man on a mission this season. He wants another shot at the championship.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week’s Rank: 2)
The Wolves inexplicably lost to the Pelicans but quickly bounced back by dismantling the Mavs and the Pacers. Anthony Edwards and KAT are both playing at a very high level right now.
1. Boston Celtics (Last Week’s Rank: 1)
The Celtics had little trouble this week as they posted back-to-back wins against the Cavs and gave the young Magic a reality check by blowing them out. They have the best starting five in the league this season.
