Golden State Warriors Power Rankings: Number One Again
The Golden State Warriors entered the NBA All-Star break last week with the best record in the NBA at 42-9.
The Warriors played just two games last week before the All-Star break, both on the road, against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors barely won both games, beating the 76ers by a final score of 89-84 and beating the Timberwolves by a final score of 94-91, but the Warriors’ 42-9 record is still incredibly impressive despite their recent play.
In last week’s power rankings, the Warriors were given the number two spot behind the Atlanta Hawks. Let’s see how the Warriors’ 2-0 record last week and their best record in the NBA affect their spot in the power rankings this week.
Let’s start with ESPN.
Marc Stein of ESPN released the weekly power rankings yesterday, but this week, he decided to have other ESPN contributors leave the comments about each team and their ranking. Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN discussed the Warriors this week and their return to the number one spot in the ESPN NBA power rankings:
"Best record, best point differential … and yet something seems a bit off lately. The Dubs eked out W’s over the Wolves and Sixers, so the break comes at the right time for a team that’s No. 1 in pace, No. 1 in defensive efficiency and No. 2 in offensive efficiency. They needed a breather. (Ethan Strauss, ESPN.com)"
John Schuhmann of NBA.com also bumped the Warriors up to the number one spot in the power rankings this week, after ranking them as the number two team last week. Here’s what Schuhmann had to say about the Warriors this week:
"Golden State (42-9)Pace: 101.2 (1) OffRtg: 109.6 (2) DefRtg: 97.3 (1) NetRtg: +12.3 (1)Having played the league’s easiest schedule thus far, the Warriors still have a lot of work to do. They play 21 of their final 31 games, including 10 straight in a 19-day stretch spanning March and April, against teams currently over .500. Still, they’re healthier than a lot of other teams, they’ve had the No. 1 defense all season, and the No. 1 offense since Christmas.This week: vs. SAS, @ IND"
Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports discussed the NBA trade deadline in addition to releasing his power rankings for this week. Like Schuhmann and Stein, Spears also decided to move the Warriors into the number one spot, after ranking them in the number two spot last week. Here’s what Spears said about the Warriors this week:
"1. Golden State Warriors (Record: 42-9; last week: 2): The Warriors have not been receiving a lot of trade calls because of their success this season, a source told Yahoo Sports."
Matt Moore of CBS Sports has not released power rankings for this week, so it’s unclear if Moore would have ranked the Warriors as the number one team like the other major power rankings.
With the extended All-Star break this year, the Warriors again have just two games this week. Their first game after the All-Star break is on Friday night at Oracle Arena against the reigning NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs. This is the Warriors’ second home game in February and the only home game left on their February schedule.
This will be a competitive battle against two powerhouses in the Western Conference. The Spurs’ 34-19 record doesn’t properly display the Spurs’ power and ability to beat the Warriors, so look for this to be a close matchup.
The Warriors’ second game of this week is on the road against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, and this is the first game of a six-game road trip for the Warriors.
Will the Warriors remain atop the power rankings next week? We’ll keep you updated.