NBA Power Rankings Week 1: The rise of the Brooklyn Nets

Last Week: Beat New York Knicks 121-107, Beat Chicago Bulls

This Week: 12/27/2020 vs. Boston Celtics, 12/29/2020 vs. Boston Celtics, 12/31/2020 Cleveland Cavaliers, 1/2/2021 vs. New York Knicks

The Indiana Pacers started off the year with two easier opponents and took advantage of that in spectacular fashion. Myles Turner has 12 blocks through two games. Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo have been impressive. Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. Warren have not been far behind.

They will be presented with a tougher challenge to start the week with back-to-back games against the Boston Celtics but so far the team looks even better than the squad that finished fourth in the conference in the regular season a year ago. Thank the basketball gods for the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.

Last Week: Beat Milwaukee Bucks 122-121, Lost to the Brooklyn Nets 123-95

This Week: 12/27/2020 at Indiana Pacers, 12/29/2020 at Indiana Pacers, 12/30/2020 vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 1/1/2021 at Detroit Pistons

The difference in the first two games for the Boston Celtics nets out to something of a head-scratcher. They were ultra-competitive against the Milwaukee Bucks on opening night. Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague assimilated immediately. Jaylen Brown looked to have taken another step and Jayson Tatum called game on his banked-in three to put them ahead.

Then the Brooklyn Nets snapped their finger and inevitability wiped out the Celtics. Teague was a nonfactor and Tatum was mostly inefficient. None of the reserves made much of a meaningful impact for a team that desperately needed them to do so. If Brown can sustain this play, he will be looking toward his first All-Star appearance. Thompson does plenty of little things to make his teammates better. Here’s to hoping the Nets result is more a function of their dominance than Boston’s issues.