NBA Power Rankings Week 16: Toronto Raptors climb to 6th
By Phil Watson
Previous: . Detroit Pistons. 21. team. 64. . 17-33
Last week: Lost to Cleveland 115-100, lost at Brooklyn 125-115, lost to Toronto 105-92
This week: Sunday vs. Denver, Monday at Memphis, Wednesday vs. Phoenix, Friday at Oklahoma City, Saturday vs. New York
The Detroit Pistons have lost five consecutive games after an 0-3 week last week and face a daunting five games in the next seven days, including a pair of back-to-backs that include travel. By far the most disappointing performance was Monday, when they trailed at home by as much as 25 points while losing to the lowly Cavaliers.
The struggle was real for big man Andre Drummond last week as well. He averaged 15.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game, but shot just 47.5 percent overall and was a scary bad 9-for-20 at the free throw line, evoking memories of the bad old days when Drummond was a sub-40 percent shooter from the stripe.
Drummond is still the NBA’s leading rebounder at 15.7 per game.
24-25. Previous: . Memphis Grizzlies. 20. team. 211.
Last week: Beat Phoenix 114-109, beat Denver 104-96, won at New York 127-106, lost at New Orleans 139-111
This week: Monday vs. Detroit, Wednesday at Dallas, Friday at Philadelphia
The Memphis Grizzlies ran their winning streak to four games before firing a dud at New Orleans on Friday night, but that should not diminish an 11-4 January for the Grizzlies that pushed them into eighth place in the Western Conference. Not bad for a rebuilding year with a rookie point guard and a veteran former Finals MVP who doesn’t want to be there … so isn’t.
Speaking of that rookie point guard, Ja Morant had another solid week, averaging 17.8 points, 7.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 29.5 minutes per game over Memphis’ four games, shooting 51.9 percent overall (he was 1-for-4 from long range). His 56.0 percent free throw shooting wasn’t great, but he’s still a passable 77.9 percent on the season.
Morant is averaging 7.1 assists per game this season. If he remains at that level, he would join Trae Young, Ben Simmons, Ricky Rubio, John Wall, Chris Paul and * checks notes … blinks … checks notes again * Jamaal Tinsley as the only rookies this century to average at least seven dimes a night.