Nugg Love: Weekly NBA power rankings

The Wizards are a dysfunctional team right now. It’s evident that Bradley Beal and John Wall do not mesh together in the back-court, and it’s been evident to me for a long time. I expect the Wizards to plan for the future and don’t be surprised if we see a trade-deadline or earlier deal go down. A 1-4 week will make you lose a spot.

I might catch some heat for this one, but I have the Timberwolves in the 24th spot. In the past week, they lost three games. Detroit and Phoenix were two of the losses, as they split games with Sacramento Kings as well. The Timberwolves are lacking explosive ability in the clutch, and it’s shown evident in the past week, as they lost several close games. Credit that for their stumble down the board.

The Pelicans lack depth at the small forward position, and it’s really showing right now. The team won against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week, but lost to the Heat and Bucks. While those aren’t bad losses, it’s the constant need for Anthony Davis to carry the team that worries me. There are definitely worse problems to have in this NBA, but in this West, the teams are too good to rely on only one person to do everything for you.

The Orlando Magic have an interesting front-court, with players such as Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Mo Bamba, as they have gotten out to a 14-16 record. A 2-1 record in the past week with wins over the Bulls and Jazz isn’t that impressive, but it is worth a jump up one spot from last week.

The Utah Jazz are currently second-to-last in the West. They’re also only two games back from the eighth seed, but weeks like last week won’t get them there. Everybody knows about the impact Donovan Mitchell has on the team and Rudy Gobert is still a defensive monster, but the problem is that they can’t put points on the board. Defense may win championships, but you have to put points up as well in this game.