NBA Power Rankings Week 19: Celtics surge, Warriors falter

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 01: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets reacts to a play while Patrick Beverley #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on in the first quarter of the game at Target Center on February 1, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) /

Week 19 NBA Power Rankings: 15. LA Clippers

Record: 30-31

The LA Clippers, like the Nets, have struggled with a ton of injuries this year. Outside of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, now Norman Powell is set to miss extended time. Despite this, they’ve still managed to remain fairly competitive throughout the season. A lot of credit goes to Ty Lue, who has managed to get the most out of the players he’s had available, which often changes on a night to night basis.

LA is full of scrappy, hard-nosed players who are willing to put it all on the line every single night, and that’s a big reason why they’ve been able to stay afloat this season. In all likelihood, they’ll hover around .500 for the rest of the season, but it will mean that they are fully prepared to compete once Leonard, George, and Powell come back from injury.

Week 19 NBA Power Rankings: 14. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 31-28

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the best surprises of the season so far. The combination of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell has been phenomenal, but it’s been the other guys that have made this team so successful. Players such as Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley have helped set the tone in Minnesota this season, and it’s helped them improve a bunch.

Now, this isn’t to say that Minnesota is in a place to compete for a championship, but based on how they’ve performed in previous years, this season has been a breath of fresh air. Towns and Edwards are one of the most intriguing young duos in the league and have the potential to be a problem in the NBA for a long time. They just need the right cast around them.

Week 19 NBA Power Rankings: 13. Denver Nuggets

Record: 33-25

This ranking is not a reflection of how dominant Nikola Jokic has been but instead shows just how rough the rest of the roster has been. Obviously, Denver has been missing Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for the majority of the year, but that has left Jokic to carry the load. And while he’s put up a valiant effort and won them countless games, that level of piggy-backing isn’t sustainable.

Denver’s bench has been rough all year long, and whenever Jokic steps off the court, the Nuggets seem to immediately lose whatever lead they had previously built. Jokic alone could carry them to a deep playoff run, but as of now, their ceiling depends on how soon Murray and/or Porter Jr. can return to the court.