NBA Bubble Power Rankings 2: More games, more change

Last Week: Beat Milwaukee 120-116, Lost to Portland 110-102, Beat the Lakers 113-97
This Week: Sunday vs. Sacramento, Tuesday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday vs. Indiana, Friday vs. Philadelphia

Anyone who was worried about how the Houston Rockets would function as a super-small ball team have to realize that at least in a small sample size this work. They are proving game after game that losing the rebounding battle is not a disqualifying factor.

Against the Bucks, they were outrebounded 65 to 36 yet still won the game. This was a game that the Bucks did not limit their players’ minutes. They played to win this game and the Rockets beat them anyway. They lost the rebounding battle against the LeBron-less Lakers 49 to 34 and they won by 16.

The question of whether this is sustainable throughout the playoffs will always remain. They are attempting 54.8 percent of shots from beyond the arc so far in the bubble and hitting 36.5 percent of them. If this continues, they will be a tough out for any team. Even if they cool a little, Russell Westbrook has put his imprint on this team in a way that can make up for that at times.

Many will still say they do not like the Rockets. It has been a common lament of Harden teams that they are not fun to watch because he draws a lot of fouls and they shoot too many threes. Anyone who still feels that way has not watched them in the bubble. They have been a blast to watch.

Last Week: Lost to Houston 120-116, Lost to Brooklyn 119-116, Beat Miami 130-116, Lost/OT to Dallas 136-132
This Week: Monday vs. Toronto, Tuesday vs. Washington, Thursday vs. Memphis

After finally ascending to the number one spot the last week, the Milwaukee Bucks had a pretty terrible week all things considered. Ultimately, it does not matter much as they have locked up the number one seed and therefore have nothing to truly play for.

That being said, a 1-3 week that was close to being 0-4 is troublesome. Houston exploited the fact that the Bucks, while the number one defense in the league, give up the most 3-point attempts in the league. The philosophy is to play the percentages. If it beats you, it beats you. The Bucks wanted that win and the Rockets took it. Then Milwaukee lost to the Nets without all of their starters, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton did not play in the second half so maybe that can be written off too.

The 23-point deficit against the Heat without Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic is troublesome but they came back to win that game, beating Miami for the first time this season. Saturday’s game against the Mavericks was a classic and they barely lost that one as well.

Ultimately, the fate of the Bucks the success of this season will only be measured on how far they go in the postseason. For them, anything less than a title will be a disappointment.