NBA Power Rankings Week 7: The revenge of the Los Angeles Lakers
By Corey Rausch
Last Week: Lost to Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104, Beat Minnesota Timberwolves 100-98, Lost to LA Clippers 121-99, Lost to Milwaukee Bucks 123-105, Lost to Milwaukee Bucks 124-99
This Week: 2/8 at Phoenix Suns, 2/10 at Denver Nuggets, 2/12 at Portland Trail Blazers
This was a bad week for a Cleveland Cavaliers team that was starting to win causal fans over. Going 1-4 in a week is a quick way to ruin your promising record. More often than not, the Cavaliers did not look particularly close to their competition.
Some forgiveness can be given for getting smashed by the LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks on back to back nights. Those are two of the best teams in the league and are perfectly suited to take apart a young team like the Cavaliers.
No such accommodations will be made for dropping a game to the Minnesota Timberwolves and barely inching out the second game against the same foe. In the loss to the Timberwolves, only Andre Drummond shined, posting a ridiculous 25 points and 22 rebounds against an obliterated front line. He sat the next night and the team thrived. Jarrett Allen nearly matched his production with 23 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks. This time Collin Sexton joined in on the fun with 26 points.
The rest of the roster has just started to struggle. Sexton is good and the centers rebound at will. Garland is getting back to form after missing time due to injury. He has scored in double-digits in eight straight games. The rest of the roster just needs to contributing something offensively.