NBA Power Rankings: Hot or Cold Edition

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Jan 10, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Shane Larkin (0) defends against Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) during second half at Madison Square Garden. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the New York Knicks 110-82. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

22. Charlotte Hornets

Previous: No. 24

Record: 15-24

Last Week: 3-0

Verdict: Hot

When Al Jefferson went down with an injury, the rational belief was that the Charlotte Hornets would plummet. After losing the first two games without him, Charlotte has bounced back strong.

Steve Clifford’s crew has won five consecutive games.

Kemba Walker is playing at a star-caliber level, scoring at least 28 points in each of the past five games. Bismack Biyombo and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are amongst the players providing supporting fire.

Together, the unheralded players have led Charlotte to its most successful stretch of the season.

The concerning sign here is that Charlotte’s most recent winning streak of four in a row was followed by five consecutive losses. It was also preceded by four straight defeats.

If Walker can continue to play at this level, however, Charlotte will maintain a high level of play and work its way back into the postseason.

Clifford and company are only 1.5 games back of the No. 8 seed.

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