Golden State Warriors Power Rankings: Back to Number Two
The Golden State Warriors start this week’s schedule having gone 3-1 in their four games last week, which included two sets of back-to-backs and three out of the four games on the road.
Last week, the Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 121-96 on the road, they beat the Dallas Mavericks 128-114 the next day at home, they lost to the Atlanta Hawks 124-116 on the road, and they beat the New York Knicks 106-92 on the road the day after the loss to the Hawks.
Before the Warriors embarked on their four-game stretch last week, the Warriors had a slightly different position in the power rankings as in previous weeks. The Warriors have been in the number one or two spot for most of the season, but in last week’s power rankings, they were ranked in the second and third spots.
How did the Warriors’ 3-1 record last week affect their ranking this week? Let’s start off with ESPN again this week.
Marc Stein of ESPN ranked the Warriors in the number two spot last week, and he decided to leave the Warriors in that spot again this week. The Atlanta Hawks remained the top team in Stein’s rankings. Here’s what Stein said about the Warriors this week:
"Think continuity matters? The team with the league’s highest winning percentage has utilized the fewest number of starting lineups (four) this season. The Warriors, though, might be fluttering back to Earth on the road, having quietly won just four of their last 10 games away from Oracle Arena."
John Schuhmann of NBA.com also ranked the Warriors as the number two team last week, and he, like Stein, kept the Warriors in the same spot this week. Schuhmann also ranked the Hawks as the number one team in the NBA. Here’s what Schuhmann had to say about the Warriors:
"Golden State (40-9)Pace: 101.2 (1) OffRtg: 110.4 (1) DefRtg: 97.8 (1) NetRtg: +12.6 (1)The Warriors came up short in the battle for No. 1 and won’t get their rematch until March 18. But thanks to Stephen Curry‘s 51 against Dallas, they’ve climbed to No. 1 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and Blake Griffin‘s absence in L.A. increases the likelihood that they’ll be the first team since the 1995-96 Bulls to finish the season there.This week: @ PHI, @ MIN"
Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports followed the same pattern as Stein and Schuhmann by ranking the Hawks as the number one team and the Warriors as the number two team this week. Spears had also ranked the Warriors number two last week. Here’s what Spears said about the Warriors this week:
"2. Golden State Warriors (Record: 40-9; last week: 2): All-Star guard Klay Thompson said it doesn’t matter to him whether he is the replacement starter for the injured Kobe Bryant."
Matt Moore of CBS Sports had ranked the Warriors as the number three team last week behind the Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies, but Moore bumped the Warriors up to the number two spot this week and kept the Hawks in the number one spot. Here’s what Moore said about the Warriors:
"The loss to the Hawks provided a solid reminder of how high the execution will need to be to translate their regular season success to the playoffs. Things won’t be as easy as they’ve been come May. Still, can’t feel too broken up about it."
The Warriors have re-claimed the number two spot in the major power rankings, but where will they fall next week?
The Warriors have just two games this week due to the All-Star break. The Warriors play both of their games this week on the road, as they first face the Philadelphia 76ers tonight and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
After that, the Warriors have one more home game in February after the All-Star break against the San Antonio Spurs, and then the Warriors are on the road for the rest of the month. Let’s see if they can stay near the top of the power rankings during this tough month ahead of them.