Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Power Rankings Week 19: April review and the rising Phoenix Suns

By Corey Rausch

Apr 13, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) and Devin Booker (1) against the Miami Heat in the second half at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) and Devin Booker (1) against the Miami Heat in the second half at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
30 of 31
Next
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

2. Brooklyn Nets

Last Week: Beat Phoenix Suns 128-119, Beat Toronto Raptors 116-103, Beat Indiana Pacers 130-113, Lost to Portland Trail Blazers 128-109

This Week: 5/2 vs. Brooklyn Nets, 5/4 vs. Brooklyn Nets, 5/6 at Dallas Mavericks, 5/8 at Denver Nuggets

Health continues to be the biggest concern for the Brooklyn Nets as the calendar turns from April to May. James Harden was hurt less than five minutes into his first game in April and has been ruled out indefinitely due to setbacks in recovery. Kevin Durant played in just eight games this month. LaMarcus Aldridge even retired during the month.

Despite all of those concerns, the Brooklyn Nets still are the favorites to win the championship. Any combination of their three stars gives them the scoring edge over any team they play. Durant showed this month just what he can do in limited minutes, averaging 24.4 points, 5.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds on shooting splits of .654/.613/.909 in 25.2 minutes per game. That level of efficiency is absurd, to say the least, and is the biggest reason the Nets should be terrifying for any team to go against.

The Nets are figuring out their rotation despite the time the stars have missed. They have gotten impressive flashes from Alize Johnson and brought Mike James into the fold. Jeff Green, Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown have all shown the roles they can thrive in. Possibly the least heralded of the bunch, Joe Harris is a star in his role. He shot a stunning 46.2 percent from distance this month and is essential for a team built on high usage stars.