NBA Power Rankings Week 9: The slide of the Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center on February 18, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center on February 18, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Last Week: Beat Milwaukee Bucks 114-109, Lost to Portland Trail Blazers 115-104, Lost to Memphis Grizzlies 122-113, Lost to Milwaukee Bucks 98-85

This Week: 2/21 at Cleveland Cavaliers, 2/22 vs. Miami Heat, 2/24 vs. San Antonio Spurs, 2/26 vs. Atlanta Hawks, 2/27 vs. Denver Nuggets

The Oklahoma City Thunder are finally sliding into the role many of the other bad teams fit into where they are only able to sneak in a single win in a week. If that is going to be the plan, pulling off a victory against the Milwaukee Bucks is a nice highlight to the week.

Against the Bucks, all of the Thunder’s starters scored in double figures, led surprisingly by Justin Jackson. The sharpshooter who has made his way around the league (three teams in four seasons) popped off for 22 points against the Bucks and is quietly having the best shooting season of his career (true shooting percentage of 56.8 percent). If he can join the list of young reclamation projects thriving in Oklahoma City, that should bode well for the rest of his career.

Jackson profiled as an elite shooter in college and has yet to catch on. More performances like that and the minutes will come for him to prove what he can do. Hopefully, this can continue as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns. SGA missed the first two games of the week. When he returned, he continued to perform like an All-Star (19.0 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds per game) though he is unlikely to make his debut due to the depth of the conference and the team’s record.