Tag: NBA Power Rankings

Struggling Sixers continue to tumble in ESPN power rankings

The team’s recent poor play has, unsurprisingly, sent it falling down the power rankings.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a funk. The team has lost four straight games including consecutive one-point losses to the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat that were each frustrating in their own unique ways and another uninspired effort in a blowout to the Indiana Pacers. In addition, the Sixers have now lost seven of their last 10 games, and have fallen all the way to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Not surprisingly, the team has tumbled down ESPN’s power rankings as a result, checking in at number 12 this week.

The team has not resembled the championship contender many expected them to be with a myriad of issues that would require an article of their own to cover fully. Just to touch on a few of those issues, the Sixers have displayed inconsistent effort, especially at the defensive end, a concerning lack of focus and intensity, and a clunky offense that is compounded by long-stretches of poor shooting.

As ESPN notes in its blurb on the Sixers, it hasn’t been all bad and on the occasions that the team has played its best basketball, it has looked every bit a threat to win a title, with the win over the Bucks on Christmas day being the most recent example. The Bucks currently hold the top spot in the power rankings, and the Sixers also hold wins over the number three, five, seven, eight, and nine teams in the power rankings.

And therein lies the problem. When the Sixers are locked-in and engaged, they can play with any team in this league. But those instances have been much too few and far between. The team has put itself in danger of not holding home-court advantage for a single round in the playoffs, and with a poor road record of 7-12, that is a serious concern.

The Sixers have done themselves no favors with the inconsistent play and are failing to put themselves in the best position to succeed come playoff time. If they don’t right the ship soon, they are setting themselves up to have one of the most disappointing NBA seasons in recent memory.

They’ll look to start that process Monday night when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

How to Watch Los Angeles Clippers, Preview, NBA Live Stream, Clippers vs Celtics, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch the Los Angeles Clippers Live Online.

Tonight for the first time this season Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will suit up and play together. This is what fans have been waiting for and should be an entertaining game, to say the least. The Celtics have been cruising along this year and will be a tough test for them on the road.

Watch the Los Angeles Clippers 2019-20 Season

Next game: vs. Boston Celtics, Nov. 20, 10:00 p.m. ET 

Local TV affiliate: Fox Sports West

Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)

The Clippers may have landed the best player in the NBA when acquiring Leonard during the offseason. As the reigning Finals MVP, Leonard’s combination of defensive ability and scoring acumen has him consistently talked about as the best all-around player in the league. Combined with the newly acquired Paul George, the Clippers have two stars that can potentially carry them to the promised land.

But the NBA is about depth as much as it is about star power, and the Clippers have that as well. Defending sixth man of the year Lou Williams is still available to give second units around the league nightmares, while players like Montrezl Harrell should see easier opportunities now that defenses have to focus on Leonard and George. Whether this group can get on the same page in time for a postseason run remains to be seen, but this unit could be the most exciting in the history of the Clippers.

Clippers November 2019 Schedule

All Times ET

Mon. Nov. 18 vs. Thunder, 10:30 PM

Wed. Nov. 20 vs. Celtics, 10:00 PM

Fri. Nov. 22 vs. Rockets, 10:30 PM

Sun. Nov 24 vs. Pelicans, 9:00 PM

Tues. Nov. 26 @ Mavericks, 8:30 PM

Wed. Nov. 27 @ Grizzlies, 8:00 PM

Fri. Nov. 29 @ Spurs, 8:30 PM

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How to Watch the Boston Celtics, NBA Live Stream, Celtics vs ClippersSchedule, TV Channel, Start Time

How to Watch Boston Celtics this season live online.

The Boston Celtics experienced plenty of roster turnover heading into the 2019-20 NBA season, with key players leaving for other teams, but also joining the squad. The question for the Celtics this season will be whether or not head coach Brad Stevens can pull all of those pieces together to create a winner in Boston once again.

Watch the Boston Celtics 2019-20 Season

Tonight: vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Nov. 20, 10:00 p.m. ET

Local TV affiliate for the season: NBC Sports Boston

Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)

The key to this season for the Celtics will be Kemba Walker, who was acquired in the offseason following his time with the Charlotte Hornets. Walker is a proven leader on the court and one capable of scoring in a variety of ways. More important than his impact as a player will be his impact from a team chemistry perspective, as he replaces Kyrie Irving at the point this year.

Also interesting will be how the Celtics replace Al Horford. Horford was one of the key rebounders for the Celtics last season, and his ability to spread the floor and shoot as a big was key to the Celtics offensively. The C’s will need to take more of a team focused approach to rebounding now that Horford has left for a division rival in Philadelphia. A big blow to begin the season was Gordon Hayward fracturing his hand just a few games into the season. It’s not yet known how long he’ll be out for, but he’s an important piece to the team. 

As a whole, the Celtics have plenty of talent and have as good a chance as any team to win the Eastern Conference. The question now is whether or not they can reach their potential.

Celtics November 2019 Schedule 

All times ET

Wed. Nov. 13 vs. Wizards, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Nov 15 @ Warriors, 10:30 p.m.

Sun. Nov. 17 @ Kings, 3:30 p.m.

Mon. Nov. 18 @ Suns, 9:30 p.m.

Wed. Nov. 20 @ Clippers, 10:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 22 @ Nuggets, 9:00 p.m.

Mon. Nov. 25 vs. Kings, 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Nov 27 vs. Nets, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 29 @ Nets, 12:00 p.m.

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How to Watch Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch the Milwaukee Bucks Live Online this season.

All Giannis, all the time. That’s what life is like in Milwaukee these days as the Bucks have become a must-see attraction in not just the NBA, but the world of sports. That’s how big of an impact the “Greek Freak” has had since his emergence as the top player in the league. The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player carried his team to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. This season, the Bucks are looking to take it one step further by bringing a championship back to the Cream City for the first time since 1971. 

Watch the Milwaukee Bucks 2019-20 Season

Next game: vs. Chicago Bulls, Nov. 14, 8:00 p.m. ET 

Local TV affiliate for the season: FOX Sports Wisconsin

Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)

It doesn’t appear as if the league has found a way to stop Giannis yet. After dominating the regular season in 2018-19, the 24-year-old superstar has picked up right where left off. He is among the top five in the league in both scoring and rebounding through the first 10 games of the season. His extraordinary exploits have led to the Bucks once again being considered among the favorites in the East. 

While Giannis will certainly get most of the attention, the Bucks wouldn’t be in the position that they are without a great supporting cast. Milwaukee’s four other starters also average double-digits in scoring, led by forward Khris Middleton, who has emerged as a very valuable asset by Giannis’ side. Throw in the likes of Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez, along with veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver off the bench and there’s no reason not to expect the Bucks to be contending for a title come the spring. 

Bucks November 2019 Schedule

All Times ET

Thu. Nov. 14 vs. Bulls, 8:00 PM

Sat. Nov. 16 @ Pacers, 7:00 PM

Mon. Nov. 18 @ Bulls, 8:00 PM

Wed. Nov. 20 @ Hawks, 7:30 PM

Thu. Nov. 21 vs. Trail Blazers, 8:00 PM

Sat. Nov. 23 vs. Pistons, 8:30 PM

Mon. Nov. 25 vs. Jazz, 8:00 PM

Wed. Nov. 27 vs. Hawks, 8:00 PM

Fri. Nov. 29 @ Cavaliers, 7:30 PM

Sat. Nov. 30 vs. Bobcats 8:00 PM

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Sixers take significant tumble in latest ESPN power rankings

After a disappointing West Coast swing, the Sixers fell hard in the latest NBA power rankings from ESPN.

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After starting the season with five-straight victories the Philadelphia 76ers were riding high. As a result, they had climbed all the way to the top of ESPN’s NBA power rankings. But a lot can change in a week’s time, and after a thoroughly disappointing West Coast trip during which the team dropped three out of four contests, the Sixers have suffered a precipitous fall in this week’s edition of the rankings.

Philadelphia has fallen all the way to the eight spot, trailing the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Celtics, Jazz, Nuggets, and Raptors. Two of those teams, the Jazz and Nuggets, handed the Sixers losses during the west coast swing.

Falling seven spots in a single week hurts, but it’s hard to say it was undeserved. The Celtics are off to a 7-1 start, while Toronto is 7-2 and coming off a win against the Lakers that snapped Los Angeles’ seven-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Denver also has seven wins in addition to its recent win over the Sixers, while Utah is even with the Sixers at 6-3 but also holds a head-to-head victory over Philadelphia.

The events of the West Coast trip were disappointing, but it’s also fair to take them with a grain of salt. West Coast trips are inherently difficult, and the fact that it came early in the season as the new-look Sixers look to build chemistry only added to the difficulty. The team was without Joel Embiid for two of the games due to his suspension and was without Ben Simmons for basically one and three-quarters of the trip after he was injured early in the game against the Jazz.

Despite all that, it’s also fair to be concerned. The team was in position to win both the Pheonix and Utah games but failed to do so, and it blew a 21-point lead in the loss to Denver. The fourth-quarter offense was anemic against the Nuggets and the Sixers settled for too many difficult shots. In addition, turnovers continue to be a serious concern. Adding to the frustration is the fact that Joel Embiid’s conditioning once again appeared to be a factor in the three-game losing streak and Ben Simmons has yet to show any signs of progression.

It’s incredibly early and way too soon to be pushing any panic buttons, but to be sitting at 6-3 after a 5-0 start is frustrating. The recurring issues are problematic, but we also don’t want to overreact to a tough stretch of games during which the team wasn’t really at full strength.

The Sixers got back on track with a win over the Hornets on Sunday and will look to build on that Tuesday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopefully, the team will start climbing its way back up the rankings and look more like the team that was good enough to hold the top spot just a week ago. [lawrence-related id=19074,19064,19038,19021,19002]