By Law Murray | The Athletic, 2026-01-26 16:13:07
本周推荐专辑：纳斯 (Nas) - “Illmatic” (1994)
三个月已过，征途尚余三月。NBA赛季已行至半程。
每支球队都打满了41场比赛，这意味着又到了实力榜评分时间——本次是赛季第二阶段的总结。
第一阶段的评分让人们产生了两种截然不同的感受：要么觉得评分过于严苛（俄克拉荷马城雷霆怎么没拿到A++++++？！），要么认为比赛的参考价值还不够（但净胜分呢！考虑下赛程强度啊！）。
每支NBA球队都已打完41场比赛
赛季第二阶段（第21-41场）的数据在此
趋势线基于赛季第二阶段表现
仅有14支球队取得了超过50%的胜率…
— Law Murray
(@ lawmurraythenu.bsky.social) 2026年1月21日 晚上11:04
你可能会“高兴”地发现，第二阶段（基于第21至41场比赛的表现）的评分只会更加严苛。我可以想见，对于那些跳过引言直接翻到自己主队部分的人来说，这会相当刺眼。需要明确的是，这些评分仅针对赛季的第二阶段，是一个21场比赛的样本，而非41场。
细则：这份实力榜不仅会对每支球队进行排名，我们还将保留球队的升降级分层。每周将分为五个梯队：
- 顶级争冠者 – 固定为五支，他们是联盟的精英。
- 状态正佳 – 可能是一支球队，也可能是七支。
- 中游徘徊区 – 请勿与沃特迪士尼世界的“隔离赛区”混淆。这里指的是联盟的中坚力量。
- 亟待提升区 – 虽然不是联盟垫底，但仍有大量工作要做。
- 联盟底层 – 排名垫底的队伍。
实力榜看点：
- 这是我的主观排名。我会参考多种客观指标，但最终决定权在我。
- 本榜单不仅是对过去一周的回顾——我们同样着眼于未来，因此是两者的平衡。
- 排名虽主观，但绝无偏见。实力榜不含任何个人议程，我们力求建立一个包容的精英管理体系。
- 本榜单具备的一大特质是：“冷酷的侵略性”。
- 请享受比赛，也享受这份榜单！
在The Athletic第15周的NBA实力榜中，我们将探讨每支球队在赛季第二阶段的评分。胜负记录及其他统计数据截至周日的比赛。
第一梯队：顶级争冠者
1. 俄克拉荷马城雷霆 (37-10)
上期排名： 1
上周战绩： 胜骑士、胜雄鹿、负步行者、负猛龙
进攻效率： 118.1 (第五) 防守效率： 105.4 (第一)
第一阶段评分： A
第二阶段评分： A-
好了，现在可以确定了：雷霆队无法打破赛季最多胜场纪录了。当然，他们也大概率不会在NBA总决赛中3-1领先被翻盘。
俄克拉荷马城在赛季第二阶段的表现依旧非常出色，打出了联盟第二的防守和联盟前十的进攻。但雷霆并非不可战胜，连续主场不敌步行者和猛龙，再次提醒人们这支球队也有其脆弱的一面。
2. 底特律活塞 (33-11)
上期排名： 2
上周战绩： 胜凯尔特人、胜鹈鹕、负火箭、胜国王
进攻效率： 116.1 (第十一) 防守效率： 108.6 (第二)
第一阶段评分： A
第二阶段评分： A
真的有人在被告知“别看”的时候，能忍住不看吗？
雷霆和活塞之间仅有一个胜场差，而两队直到二月底和三月才会交手。这几场对决的份量正变得越来越重，甚至可能决定NBA总决赛的主场优势。恭喜你，底特律，这正是你们如今参与讨论的话题。这是一个多么出色的第二阶段——在此期间，活塞的防守表现实际上比雷霆还要好。
3. 休斯顿火箭 (27-16)
上期排名： 6
上周战绩： 胜马刺、负76人、胜活塞
进攻效率： 118.7 (第四) 防守效率： 112.5 (第八)
第一阶段评分： A
第二阶段评分： B-
考虑到火箭在第二阶段的表现相对平庸，这个排名可能看起来有些偏高。休斯顿实际上是最后一支打满41场比赛的球队，他们在周二战胜马刺后才达到这一里程碑。火箭在赛季第二阶段仅取得11胜10负，防守出现了显著下滑。在费城，一次糟糕的干扰球判罚导致了加时赛失利。但随后，火箭强势反弹，在背靠背第二场客场击败了活塞。这是含金量十足的一周。由于脚踝伤势，他们将在一段时间内缺少史蒂文·亚当斯 (Steven Adams)，但亚当斯的伤病隐患也正是球队签下克林特·卡佩拉 (Clint Capela) 的原因。
4. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (31-15)
上期排名： 3
上周战绩： 胜爵士、负火箭、胜爵士、负鹈鹕
进攻效率： 116.5 (第九) 防守效率： 111.5 (第三)
第一阶段评分： B+
第二阶段评分： B
马刺曾高调战胜了“喧嚣之城”（雷霆），但他们整体上并未展现出统治力。他们只是一支优秀的队伍，拥有出色的防守（我非常看重这一点！），以及我们的外星霸主、全明星首发维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)。但仅此而已。优秀，而非卓越。自从圣诞大战客场击败俄克拉荷马城，结束八连胜之后，圣安东尼奥的战绩仅为8胜8负。
5. 波士顿凯尔特人 (28-17)
上期排名： 4
上周战绩： 负活塞、胜步行者、胜篮网、负公牛
进攻效率： 121.2 (第一) 防守效率： 114.0 (第十二)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： A
看看现在谁拥有联盟第一的进攻火力。凯尔特人本赛季的表现堪称惊艳且坚韧。他们进攻效率的一个不为人知的关键在于进攻篮板的出色表现。波士顿本就非常擅长保护球权，而现在，当他们投篮不中时，还能通过拼抢篮板夺回球权，尤其是在卢卡·加尔萨 (Luka Garza) 在场时。凯尔特人不仅出手大量三分球，更关键的是，他们总能获得比你更多的进攻机会。尽管上周战绩不佳，但我很看好凯尔特人目前的处境。他们在底特律输掉了一场堪比五月季后赛强度的关键球，在布鲁克林通过双加时险胜，靠的是雨果·冈萨雷斯 (Hugo Gonzalez) 的救主表现，然后在背靠背第二场输给了芝加哥。
第二梯队：状态正佳
6. 丹佛掘金 (31-15)
上期排名： 5
上周战绩： 负湖人、胜奇才、胜雄鹿、对阵灰熊比赛延期
进攻效率： 121.0 (第二) 防守效率： 116.4 (第二十三)
第一阶段评分： B+
第二阶段评分： B
在尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 缺席整个一月的情况下，丹佛还能在西部保持稳定，这非常了不起。球队的进攻一直很出色，赛季第二阶段，贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 场均送出7.9次助攻，仅有2.2次失误。不幸的是，阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 的腿筋伤势反复，而克里斯蒂安·布劳恩 (Christian Braun) 从严重脚踝扭伤中仓促复出也未成功。再加上卡梅伦·约翰逊 (Cameron Johnson) 的膝伤，这支丹佛队可能要时隔三个月才能再次派上他们的首选先发五虎。
7. 纽约尼克斯 (27-18)
上期排名： 10
上周战绩： 负独行侠、胜篮网、胜76人
进攻效率： 119.0 (第三) 防守效率： 114.9 (第十七)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： B-
尼克斯的处境一度看起来相当黯淡，独行侠在马丁·路德·金纪念日当天来到纽约，让主队颜面尽失。但紧接着，篮网送上了温暖。恭喜尼克斯成为NBA历史上第25支单场赢下对手至少50分的球队，尽管他们比起凯尔特人和勇士之外的所有球队都有着更长的队史！虽然对同区对手的胜利稳住了阵脚，但尼克斯仍需证明卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 已经融入球队。自圣诞节以来，纽约还从未连续两场比赛在唐斯在场时净胜对手。
8. 克利夫兰骑士 (27-20)
上期排名： 13
上周战绩： 负雷霆、胜黄蜂、胜国王、胜魔术
进攻效率： 116.4 (第十) 防守效率： 114.0 (第十三)
第一阶段评分： B-
第二阶段评分： C-
骑士在赛季第二阶段的战绩仅为10胜11负。本赛季，当多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)、埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley)、达里厄斯·加兰 (Darius Garland) 和贾勒特·阿伦 (Jarrett Allen) 同时出场时，他们的战绩也只有7胜6负。克利夫兰在第二阶段的防守排在联盟后十位，看起来完全不像一支特别的球队。尽管如此，米切尔正打出一个特殊的赛季，而且在被雷霆痛击后，他们上周的表现不错。整个一月，克利夫兰还未遭遇过连败。
9. 菲尼克斯太阳 (27-19)
上期排名： 9
上周战绩： 胜篮网、胜76人、负老鹰、负热火
进攻效率： 114.3 (第十六) 防守效率： 112.1 (第五)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： B-
太阳在赛季第二阶段赢了12场比赛，和第一阶段持平。他们已经证明了球队的防守是可持续的，科林·吉莱斯皮 (Collin Gillespie) 自12月1日以来场场首发，在这25场比赛中场均贡献1.6次抢断。如果说有什么担忧，那就是德文·布克 (Devin Booker) 扭伤了脚踝，需要至少一周时间来恢复。本赛季在布克缺阵的情况下，菲尼克斯仅取得1胜4负，而杰伦·格林 (Jalen Green) 因其脆弱的腿筋问题，至今未能证明自己能连续打多场比赛。菲尼克斯仍然缺乏足够的天赋深度来应对布克的长期缺阵。
10. 洛杉矶湖人 (27-17)
上期排名： 11
上周战绩： 胜掘金、负快船、胜独行侠
进攻效率： 116.5 (第八) 防守效率： 117.0 (第二十五)
第一阶段评分： A
第二阶段评分： C-
洛杉矶本赛季的总得分比对手少了10分，但他们的胜场数却比负场数多10场。他们是一支缺陷明显的球队，只是恰好拥有本赛季的联盟得分王和历史总得分王，不过奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 预计将于本周回归。湖人在赛季第二阶段仅取得10胜11负，进攻中规中矩，防守则惨不忍睹。洛杉矶近来打出了一些稳固的防守表现，但这通常需要将中锋德安德烈·艾顿 (Deandre Ayton) 放在替补席上。让这套阵容在攻防两端持续四节打出高水平几乎是不可能的任务，而里夫斯的回归可能只会加剧这一挑战，因为他在防守端与卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 和勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 的兼容性不佳。
多伦多队的伊曼纽尔·奎克利 (Immanuel Quickley) 迎着俄克拉荷马城雷霆队的阿隆·威金斯 (Aaron Wiggins) 出手三分。(Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
11. 多伦多猛龙 (29-19)
上期排名： 12
上周战绩： 胜勇士、胜国王、胜开拓者、胜雷霆
进攻效率： 114.0 (第十八) 防守效率： 112.0 (第四)
第一阶段评分： A
第二阶段评分： C
我曾目睹猛龙连续输给南加州的两支NBA球队，当时对他们在春季的前景，尤其是进攻端，并不看好。猛龙在赛季第二阶段的进攻效率排在联盟后十位，三分命中率不足是其突出问题。但随后，伊曼纽尔·奎克利本周彻底爆发，点燃了西部赛区，在猛龙取得的四场胜利中，他投进了16记三分，并且每场比赛的投篮命中率都至少达到五成。RJ·巴雷特 (RJ Barrett) 也已回归，多伦多的势头正在回升。
第三梯队：中游徘徊区
12. 金州勇士 (26-21)
上期排名： 8
上周战绩： 胜热火、负猛龙、负独行侠、胜森林狼
进攻效率： 115.4 (第十三) 防守效率： 112.2 (第六)
第一阶段评分： C-
第二阶段评分： C+
勇士本赛季从吉米·巴特勒 (Jimmy Butler) 那里得到了38场比赛。他的赛季因前交叉韧带撕裂而宣告结束，这让金州勇士在看似趋于稳定的时刻，失去了他们最好的攻防一体球员。斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 的三分表现一直非常火爆，在赛季第二阶段平均每节命中一记三分。现在，勇士需要库里在下半赛季打出更加超凡的表现才能维持局面。对于一支自2019年以来仅有一次在西部排名高于第六的球队来说，这可能是一项艰巨的任务。
13. 明尼苏达森林狼 (27-19)
上期排名： 7
上周战绩： 负爵士、负公牛、负勇士
进攻效率： 116.6 (第七) 防守效率： 112.8 (第十)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： A
我的评分周期截止于一支球队打满41场比赛之时。明尼苏达在安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 缺阵的情况下，在密尔沃基用一场大胜结束了他们15胜6负的第二阶段。明尼苏达在赛季第二阶段的防守排在联盟前五，丹特·迪文琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 场均贡献1.5次抢断。不过，自从客场战胜密尔沃基后，森林狼还未尝胜绩。
14. 费城76人 (24-20)
上期排名： 14
上周战绩： 胜步行者、负太阳、胜火箭、负尼克斯
进攻效率： 114.6 (第十五) 防守效率： 113.3 (第十一)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： B
费城是赛季第二阶段12支最常用阵容出场时间超过100分钟的球队之一。在12月6日至1月20日间的136分钟里，当泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey)、VJ·埃奇科姆 (VJ Edgecombe)、保罗·乔治 (Paul George)、多米尼克·巴洛 (Dominick Barlow) 和乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 同时在场时，76人每百回合净胜对手9.1分。球队的防守有所提升，马克西在赛季第二阶段场均贡献2.5次抢断，这也是他竞选全明星的一部分。连胜对76人来说依旧难以企及，但他们本周艰难地战胜了火箭。
15. 奥兰多魔术 (23-21)
上期排名： 15
上周战绩： 负黄蜂、负骑士
进攻效率： 113.9 (第十九) 防守效率： 114.1 (第十四)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： C
奥兰多核心球员的伤病持续困扰着这支本被看好的球队。杰伦·萨格斯 (Jalen Suggs) 刚刚从为期三周的伤病中回归，魔术就以一场惨败遭遇了三连败。而弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner) 在打完两场欧洲赛后，又因持续的脚踝伤势再次缺席了一周。奥兰多是一支身材高大、篮板出色的球队，但除了重要球员频繁缺阵这一点外，球队几乎没有其他稳定性可言。
16. 迈阿密热火 (25-22)
上期排名： 16
上周战绩： 负勇士、胜国王、负开拓者、胜爵士、胜太阳
进攻效率： 113.9 (第二十) 防守效率： 112.6 (第九)
第一阶段评分： B+
第二阶段评分： D
热火在赛季第二阶段仅取得8胜13负。特别是巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 表现挣扎，投篮命中率仅为41.3%，热火的进攻也沦为联盟倒数五名。不过，他们在七天五赛的艰难赛程末段表现强势，连续在客场赢下了犹他和菲尼克斯。
17. 芝加哥公牛 (23-22)
上期排名： 22
上周战绩： 胜快船、胜森林狼、胜公牛
进攻效率： 114.6 (第十四) 防守效率： 116.7 (第二十四)
第一阶段评分： C-
第二阶段评分： C
芝加哥的防守整个赛季都很糟糕。但他们的进攻开始回暖，现在公牛的胜率已经超过了五成。公牛或许不擅长制造失误，但他们打得很有节奏，本周取得了一些令人印象深刻的胜利，以超过50%的胜率进入一月的最后一周。
第四梯队：亟待提升区
18. 洛杉矶快船 (21-24)
上期排名： 19
上周战绩： 胜奇才、负公牛、胜湖人、胜篮网
进攻效率： 115.7 (第十二) 防守效率： 115.8 (第十九)
第一阶段评分： F
第二阶段评分： B
快船曾因各种原因陷入混乱，但他们下周有机会将胜率提升至五成，并实现正的净胜分。自12月20日以来，快船是联盟中表现最好的球队，并因此让那些质疑者收回了他们的话。
他们依然老迈，依然缓慢，伤病问题也依然严重。但如果詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden) 和科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 能够并肩作战，他们将是一个真正棘手的对手。
19. 波特兰开拓者 (23-23)
上期排名： 17
上周战绩： 胜热火、负猛龙
进攻效率： 113.5 (第二十一) 防守效率： 115.1 (第十八)
第一阶段评分： C-
第二阶段评分： B+
波特兰本赛季对阵快船0胜2负，还剩下两次交锋机会，这也是开拓者尽管胜率超过五成，排名却依然在快船之下的原因。如上所述，考虑到快船的出色表现，这并不丢人。波特兰值得称赞，他们是一支难缠的球队，尤其在防守端，多诺万·克林根 (Donovan Clingan) 在内线如日食般遮天蔽日。
20. 夏洛特黄蜂 (18-28)
上期排名： 21
上周战绩： 负骑士、胜魔术、胜奇才
进攻效率： 116.7 (第六) 防守效率： 116.0 (第二十一)
第一阶段评分： D+
第二阶段评分： C-
黄蜂不常赢球。在查尔斯·李 (Charles Lee) 执教的两个赛季里，他们只取得过一次三连胜，而且那还是在一年多以前。夏洛特的防守不好，也不擅长制造失误。但黄蜂是湖人的反面。当他们赢球时，总能让对手颜面尽失。而且最近，他们的大胜幅度如此之大，以至于本赛季的总得分已经净胜对手24分。所以，你现在是愿意当黄蜂，还是愿意当湖人？
迈尔斯·特纳 (Myles Turner) 和卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 在弗罗斯特银行中心争抢篮板。(Daniel Dunn / Imagn Images)
21. 密尔沃基雄鹿 (18-26)
上期排名： 23
上周战绩： 胜老鹰、负雷霆、负掘金、对阵独行侠比赛延期
进攻效率： 112.6 (第二十四) 防守效率： 116.1 (第二十二)
第一阶段评分： D
第二阶段评分： D
雄鹿很糟糕。他们排在东部第十一。在赛季第二阶段，只有国王和步行者的进攻比他们更差。迈尔斯·特纳抢不到进攻篮板，而情况只会变得更糟，因为扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 的小腿再次受伤。在阿德托昆博出战时，密尔沃基的战绩也仅为15胜15负。你可以自己算算这笔账。在“奶油城”，情况一片黯淡，我们得看看在阿德托昆博身体恢复到能比赛的状态时，雄鹿已经跌到了什么地步。
22. 亚特兰大老鹰 (22-25)
上期排名： 20
上周战绩： 负雄鹿、胜灰熊、胜太阳
进攻效率： 113.4 (第二十二) 防守效率： 114.6 (第十六)
第一阶段评分： B
第二阶段评分： D
我对雄鹿的评价已经说得很清楚了，然而还有像老鹰这样的球队排在他们之后。老鹰在马丁·路德·金纪念日输给了雄鹿，遭遇四连败。而这之前，他们在赛季第二阶段也只取得了8胜13负。本周老鹰的收尾还算不错，但他们目前并非一支优秀的球队，也不是一支特别健康的球队，因为扎卡里·里萨谢 (Zaccharie Risacher) 和克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porziņģis) 都将缺席数周。
23. 孟菲斯灰熊 (18-25)
上期排名： 18
上周战绩： 负老鹰、负鹈鹕、对阵掘金比赛延期
进攻效率： 113.1 (第二十三) 防守效率： 114.3 (第十五)
第一阶段评分： D
第二阶段评分： C
说到长期的健康问题，我们又看到了命运多舛的灰熊队，以及他们的明星球员贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant) 再次高挂免战牌。这一次，莫兰特是手肘韧带扭伤，这名球员将在五个赛季里第四次出场次数少于60场。莫兰特本赛季表现不佳，但孟菲斯在没有他的情况下也不足以让人对未来感到兴奋。
24. 达拉斯独行侠 (19-27)
上期排名： 24
上周战绩： 胜尼克斯、胜勇士、负湖人、对阵雄鹿比赛延期
进攻效率： 110.3 (第二十七) 防守效率： 112.4 (第七)
第一阶段评分： D-
第二阶段评分： C
本赛季没有哪支球队比独行侠输掉的关键时刻比赛更多。最近的一次是在主场对阵洛杉矶“卢卡”队时的第四节崩盘，那场比赛独行侠曾克服14分的分差，却在最后七分钟挥霍了15分的领先优势。达拉斯在比赛末段连续投失10球，并且在被对手打出29-8的攻击波期间，直到最后几秒才抢到一个篮板。自5胜15负的开局以来，独行侠的表现还算过得去，但进攻糟糕，而且这支囤积了大量大个子的球队，在篮板球上却痛苦地用不上他们的身高优势。
25. 新奥尔良鹈鹕 (12-36)
上期排名： 29
上周战绩： 负活塞、胜灰熊、胜马刺
进攻效率： 112.2 (第二十五) 防守效率： 118.7 (第二十七)
第一阶段评分： F
第二阶段评分： D+
在连续赢得两场分区客场比赛之前，鹈鹕在16场比赛中输掉了14场，这足以让他们本周暂时逃离榜单底部。但这仍然是一支毫无亮点的球队，尽管拥有不错的身高，防守和篮板却都做得很差。
第五梯队：联盟底层
26. 印第安纳步行者 (11-35)
上期排名： 28
上周战绩： 负76人、负凯尔特人、胜雷霆
进攻效率： 108.0 (第三十) 防守效率： 115.9 (第二十)
第一阶段评分： F
第二阶段评分： D
是的，联盟进攻最差的球队刚刚在客场击败了防守最好的球队，而且还是一场NBA总决赛的重演！但步行者本赛季表现如此挣扎，以至于他们的比赛被取消了全国直播。
27. 犹他爵士 (15-31)
上期排名： 26
上周战绩： 负马刺、胜森林狼、负马刺、负热火
进攻效率： 114.0 (第十七) 防守效率： 122.5 (第三十)
第一阶段评分： D+
第二阶段评分： D-
犹他终于在没有劳里·马尔卡宁 (Lauri Markkanen) 的情况下赢了一场比赛，对手还是森林狼。但马尔卡宁已经两周没打了，爵士本月已经有五次失分超过130分。他们可能是史上防守最差的球队。
28. 布鲁克林篮网 (12-32)
上期排名： 25
上周战绩： 负太阳、负尼克斯、负凯尔特人、负快船
进攻效率： 110.9 (第二十六) 防守效率： 117.9 (第二十六)
第一阶段评分： D-
第二阶段评分： D+
一月份开始时，篮网似乎有所起色，但那点火花已经熄灭。布鲁克林在过去15场比赛中输掉了13场，其中5场输分超过20分。而在整个十二月底之前，篮网总共只有三场比赛输分达到20分。
29. 萨克拉门托国王 (12-35)
上期排名： 27
上周战绩： 负热火、负猛龙、负骑士、负活塞
进攻效率： 109.8 (第二十八) 防守效率： 119.7 (第二十八)
第一阶段评分： F
第二阶段评分： D
国王队又回到了输球的轨道，他们在赛季最长的四连胜前后，分别经历了一波七连败和现在的五连败。在赛季第二阶段，只有步行者的进攻比国王更差，只有爵士的防守比他们更烂。而这还是在队内拥有扎克·拉文 (Zach LaVine)、德玛尔·德罗赞 (DeMar DeRozan) 和多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis) 等进攻型球员的情况下。萨博尼斯和基根·穆雷 (Keegan Murray) 本赛季甚至没有一起打过一场比赛。
30. 华盛顿奇才 (10-34)
上期排名： 30
上周战绩： 负快船、负掘金、负黄蜂
进攻效率： 109.5 (第二十九) 防守效率： 120.5 (第二十九)
第一阶段评分： F
第二阶段评分： D+
奇才已经三周没有赢球了，而这恰好是他们得到特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 的时间。摆烂大计正在全面进行中，华盛顿在周六客场对阵夏洛特时，派出了史上最年轻的首发阵容：新秀特雷·约翰逊 (Tre Johnson) 和威利·莱利 (Willi Riley)，以及二年级生亚历克斯·萨尔 (Alex Sarr)、布巴·卡林顿 (Bub Carrington) 和凯肖恩·乔治 (Kyshawn George)；33岁的老将安东尼·吉尔 (Anthony Gill) 是奇才阵中唯一出场年龄超过25岁的球员，最终他们遭遇了九连败。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA Power Rankings: Rockets rise; Pistons, Celtics get A's for season's second quarter
NBA Power Rankings: Rockets rise; Pistons, Celtics get A’s for season’s second quarter
Album of the Week: “Illmatic,” Nas (1994)
Three months down, three months to go. The NBA season is at halftime.
Every team has reached 41 games, which means it is once again time for Power Rankings grades — second-quarter edition.
The first-quarter grades had people feeling one of two ways: The grades were too harsh (how did the Oklahoma City Thunder not get an A++++++?!) and the games weren’t predictive enough (but the point differential! Think about the strength of schedule!).
Every NBA team has played 41 games
Second quarter splits are here (games 21-41)
Trendlines based on second quarter of season
Only 14 teams had winning records…
— Law Murray
You’ll be pleased to know that the grades for the second quarter — determined by play in games 21 to 41 — are probably going to be even harsher. I can tell this will be jarring for the people who skipped the intro and scrolled straight down to see their team. To be clear, these grades are just about the second quarter of the season. A 21-game sample, not a 41-game one.
Fine print: These Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We’ll retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers each week:
- Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
- In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
- The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
- Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
- Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear
What to expect from Power Rankings:
- These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my final call.
- These rankings are not just a review of the past week — we are projecting forward as well, so it is a balance of the two.
- These are subjective, but not biased. There are no agendas in the Power Rankings, and we strive for an inclusive meritocracy
- The one quality that these rankings possess: “Ruthless aggression.”
- Enjoy the games, and enjoy the rankings, please!
For Week 15 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, we will explore second-quarter grades for each team. Win-loss records and other statistical data are through Sunday’s action.
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-10)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W at CLE, W at MIL, L vs IND, L vs TOR
Offensive rating: 118.1 (fifth place)Defensive rating: 105.4 (first place)
First-quarter grade: A
Second-quarter grade: A-
Well, it’s official: The Thunder won’t be setting the record for most wins in a season. They also probably won’t blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, either.
Oklahoma City was still very good in the second quarter of the season, posting the NBA’s second-best defense and a top-10 offense. But the Thunder aren’t invincible, and back-to-back home losses to the Pacers and Raptors were the latest reminder of Oklahoma City’s mortality.
2. Detroit Pistons (33-11)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W vs BOS, W at NO, L vs HOU, W vs SAC
Offensive rating: 116.1 (11th place)Defensive rating: 108.6 (second place)
First-quarter grade: A
Second-quarter grade: A
Does anyone actually not look when they are told not to?
There is only one loss separating the Thunder and Pistons, and the two teams don’t play each other until the end of February and March. Those games are shaping up to be massive and could potentially decide NBA Finals home-court advantage. Congratulations, Detroit, these are the conversations you are in now. And what a fantastic second quarter — one in which the Pistons were actually better than the Thunder defensively.
3. Houston Rockets (27-16)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W vs SA, L at PHI, W at DET
Offensive rating: 118.7 (fourth place)Defensive rating: 112.5 (eighth place)
First-quarter grade: A
Second-quarter grade: B-
This may seem lofty, considering how relatively unimpressive the Rockets were in the second quarter. Houston was actually the last team to reach 41 games, which it hit with a win Tuesday against the Spurs. The Rockets only went 11-10 in the second quarter of the season, as the defense fell off significantly. A bad goaltending call still resulted in an overtime loss at Philadelphia. But then the Rockets bounced back and won at Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back. That’s a solid week of wins. They’re going to miss Steven Adams for a while because of an ankle injury, but Adams’ durability concerns are why Clint Capela was signed.
4. San Antonio Spurs (31-15)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W vs UTA, L at HOU, W at UTA, L vs NO
Offensive rating: 116.5 (ninth place)Defensive rating: 111.5 (third place)
First-quarter grade: B+
Second-quarter grade: B
The Spurs had those loud wins against Loud City, but they haven’t exactly been dominant overall. They’re just good, with a great defense (which I value greatly!) and with our alien overlord Victor Wembanyama, an All-Star starter. But still. Good. Not great. San Antonio is only 8-8 since its Christmas win at Oklahoma City capped an eight-game win streak.
5. Boston Celtics (28-17)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: L at DET, W vs IND, W at BRK, L at CHI
Offensive rating: 121.2 (first place)Defensive rating: 114.0 (12th place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: A
Look at who has the best offense in the NBA now. What a fantastic and resilient season the Celtics have had. A sneaky key to the offensive efficiency is how good the offensive rebounding has been. Boston was already very good at taking care of the ball, but now it is stealing possessions when it does miss shots, especially when Luka Garza is in the game. It’s not just that the Celtics attempt a lot of 3s; it’s that they’re always going to attempt more than you because they’re going to have more bites at the apple. I like where the Celtics are, despite not having the best week. They lost a coin-flip game at Detroit that was fit for May, were saved by Hugo Gonzalez in a double-overtime win at Brooklyn, then lost on the second night of a back-to-back in Chicago.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. Denver Nuggets (31-15)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: L vs LAL, W at WAS, W at MIL, PPD at MEM
Offensive rating: 121.0 (second place)Defensive rating: 116.4 (23rd place)
First-quarter grade: B+
Second-quarter grade: B
Denver being able to hold steady in the West with Nikola Jokić missing all of January is very impressive. The offense has been outstanding, with Jamal Murray averaging 7.9 assists and only 2.2 turnovers in the second quarter of the season. Unfortunately for Denver, Aaron Gordon keeps injuring his hamstring, and Christian Braun’s initial return from a severe ankle sprain was unsuccessful. Add in Cameron Johnson’s knee injury, and this is a Denver team that may go three months between games with its chosen starting five.
7. New York Knicks (27-18)
Last ranking: 10
In the last week: L vs DAL, W vs BRK, W at PHI
Offensive rating: 119.0 (third place)Defensive rating: 114.9 (17th place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: B-
Things were looking especially bleak for the Knicks, with the Mavericks showing up and embarrassing New York on MLK Day. Then the Nets showed up. Congratulations to the Knicks for becoming the 25th NBA franchise to win a game by at least 50 points, despite having a head start on every team except for the Celtics and Warriors! Despite the stabilizing wins against Atlantic Division foes, the Knicks still have to show that Karl-Anthony Towns is with the program. New York hasn’t had back-to-back games in which it outscored opponents in Towns’ minutes on the floor since Christmas.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-20)
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: L vs OKC, W at CHA, W vs SAC, W at ORL
Offensive rating: 116.4 (10th place)Defensive rating: 114.0 (13th place)
First-quarter grade: B-
Second-quarter grade: C-
The Cavaliers were only 10-11 in the second quarter of the season. They’re only 7-6 this season when Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen all play. Cleveland was a bottom-10 defense in the second quarter, and it just doesn’t look like a special team at all. With all of that said, the Cavs are getting a special season from Mitchell, and this was a good week after getting blown out by the Thunder. Cleveland hasn’t lost back-to-back games all month.
9. Phoenix Suns (27-19)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: W at BRK, W at PHI, L at ATL, L vs MIA
Offensive rating: 114.3 (16th place)Defensive rating: 112.1 (fifth place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: B-
The Suns won a dozen games in the second quarter of the season, just like they did in the first quarter. They have established that the defense is here to stay, and Collin Gillespie has started every game since Dec. 1, averaging 1.6 steals per game in those 25 games. If there is a concern, it’s Devin Booker spraining his ankle and needing at least a week to get right. Phoenix is only 1-4 this season without Booker, and Jalen Green has yet to show that he can make it through multiple games this season because of his balky hamstring. Phoenix still doesn’t have the depth of talent to deal with an extended Booker absence.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (27-17)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: W at DEN, L at LAC, W at DAL
Offensive rating: 116.5 (eighth place)Defensive rating: 117.0 (25th place)
First-quarter grade: A
Second-quarter grade: C-
Los Angeles has been outscored by 10 points this season. The Lakers are also 10 games over .500. They are a deeply flawed team that just happens to have the NBA’s leading scorer this season and leading scorer of all time, though Austin Reaves is expected to return this week. The Lakers went only 10-11 in the second quarter of the season, where the offense was average and the defense was horrible. Los Angeles has put together some solid stretches of defense as of late, but it also usually requires benching center Deandre Ayton. Getting this group to play well on both ends of the floor for four quarters consistently game after game is just about impossible, and Reaves’ return may only complicate that effort, given his lack of defensive compatibility with Luka Dončić and LeBron James.
Toronto’s Immanuel Quickley fires a 3 over OKC’s Aaron Wiggins. (Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
11. Toronto Raptors (29-19)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: W at GS, W at SAC, W at POR, W at OKC
Offensive rating: 114.0 (18th place)Defensive rating: 112.0 (fourth place)
First-quarter grade: A
Second-quarter grade: C
I saw the Raptors lose back-to-back games against Southern California NBA teams and was left unimpressed with their spring viability, particularly on offense. The Raptors were a bottom-10 offense for the second quarter of the season, with a lack of 3-point accuracy being a glaring issue. And then Immanuel Quickley went all the way off this week, lighting up the Western Conference for 16 3s while making at least half of his field goals in each of the four wins the Raptors earned. RJ Barrett is back as well, so things are swinging back up for Toronto.
Tier 3: The Bubble
12. Golden State Warriors (26-21)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: W vs MIA, L vs TOR, L at DAL, W at MIN
Offensive rating: 115.4 (13th place)Defensive rating: 112.2 (sixth place)
First-quarter grade: C-
Second-quarter grade: C+
The Warriors got 38 games out of Jimmy Butler this season. His season is over because of a torn ACL, robbing Golden State of their best two-way player at a time when it seemed like the Warriors were stabilizing. Stephen Curry has been electric from 3, averaging one a quarter over the second quarter of the season. Now the Warriors need Curry to be that much better over the second half of the season to stay afloat. It might be a Herculean task for a team that has finished better than sixth in the West only once since 2019.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-19)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: L at UTA, L vs CHI, L vs GS
Offensive rating: 116.6 (seventh place)Defensive rating: 112.8 (10th place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: A
My grading period finished when a team reached 41 games, where Minnesota wrapped up a 15-6 second quarter with a blowout win in Milwaukee without Anthony Edwards or Rudy Gobert. Minnesota had a top-five defense in the second quarter of the season, with Donte DiVincenzo averaging 1.5 steals. The Timberwolves haven’t won since the road game at Milwaukee, though.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (24-20)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W vs IND, L vs PHO, W vs HOU, L vs NY
Offensive rating: 114.6 (15th place)Defensive rating: 113.3 (11th place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: B
Philadelphia was one of 12 teams that got at least 100 minutes out of its most-used lineup in the second quarter of the season. In 136 minutes between Dec. 6 and Jan. 20, the Sixers outscored opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, Dominick Barlow and Joel Embiid on the floor. The defense has improved, with Maxey averaging 2.5 steals in the second quarter of the season as part of his All-Star campaign. Winning streaks continue to be elusive for the Sixers, but they got a tough win against the Rockets this week.
15. Orlando Magic (23-21)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L vs CHA, L vs CLE
Offensive rating: 113.9 (19th place)Defensive rating: 114.1 (14th place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: C
Injuries to Orlando’s top players continue to overwhelm what was thought to be a promising team. Jalen Suggs just got back from a three-week absence, where the Magic lost a third consecutive game in blowout fashion. And Franz Wagner played the two games in Europe just to miss another week due to his lingering ankle injury. Orlando is a big team that rebounds well, but that’s about all the consistency there is, besides the frequency of important players missing time.
16. Miami Heat (25-22)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: L at GS, W at SAC, L at POR, W at UTA, W at PHO
Offensive rating: 113.9 (20th place)Defensive rating: 112.6 (ninth place)
First-quarter grade: B+
Second-quarter grade: D
The Heat were only 8-13 in the second quarter of the season. Bam Adebayo in particular struggled mightily, making only 41.3 percent of his field goals, as the Heat had a bottom-five offense. They had a strong finish to end a stretch of five games in seven days, though, winning back-to-back road games in Utah and Phoenix.
17. Chicago Bulls (23-22)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: W vs LAC, W at MIN, W vs BOS
Offensive rating: 114.6 (14th place)Defensive rating: 116.7 (24th place)
First-quarter grade: C-
Second-quarter grade: C
Chicago’s defense has been bad all season. But the offense is starting to pick up, and now the Bulls are over .500. The Bulls might not force turnovers, but they play with pace, and they earned some impressive wins this week to get to a winning record entering the final week of January.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
18. LA Clippers (21-24)
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: W at WAS, L at CHI, W vs LAL, W vs BRK
Offensive rating: 115.7 (12th place)Defensive rating: 115.8 (19th place)
First-quarter grade: F
Second-quarter grade: B
The Clippers were a hot mess for a variety of reasons, but they have a chance to get to .500 next week and have a positive point differential as well. The Clippers have been the best team in the league since Dec. 20, and they’re making people eat their words as a result.
They’re still old, they’re still slow, and they still have too many injuries. But they’re a real problem to deal with if James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are playing together.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (23-23)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W vs MIA, L vs TOR
Offensive rating: 113.5 (21st place)Defensive rating: 115.1 (18th place)
First-quarter grade: C-
Second-quarter grade: B+
Portland is 0-2 against the Clippers this season, with two more meetings left, so that’s a reason that the Blazers are looking up at them despite their accomplishment of getting over .500. As explained above, that’s nothing to be ashamed about with how well the Clippers are playing. Credit Portland for being a difficult team to deal with, especially defensively, where Donovan Clingan is an eclipse inside.
20. Charlotte Hornets (18-28)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L vs CLE, W at ORL, W vs WAS
Offensive rating: 116.7 (sixth place)Defensive rating: 116.0 (21st place)
First-quarter grade: D+
Second-quarter grade: C-
The Hornets don’t win often. They have one three-game win streak in two seasons with Charles Lee as head coach, and it came more than a year ago. Charlotte’s defense isn’t good, and it doesn’t force turnovers. But the Hornets are the anti-Lakers. When they win, they embarrass teams. And lately, the blowouts have been so substantial that the Hornets have outscored their opponents by 24 points for the season. So, would you rather be the Hornets right now, or would you rather be the Lakers?
Myles Turner and Luke Kornet battle for a rebound at Frost Bank Center. (Daniel Dunn / Imagn Images)
21. Milwaukee Bucks (18-26)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: W at ATL, L vs OKC, L vs DEN, PPD vs DAL
Offensive rating: 112.6 (24th place)Defensive rating: 116.1 (22nd place)
First-quarter grade: D
Second-quarter grade: D
The Bucks are bad. They’re 11th in the East. Only the Kings and Pacers were worse offensively over the second quarter of the season. Myles Turner doesn’t get offensive rebounds, and it’s only going to get worse because Giannis Antetokounmpo injured his calf again. Milwaukee was only 15-15 with Antetokounmpo playing. You can do the math on this one. Things are bleak in Cream City, and we’ll see how far gone the Bucks are by the time Antetokounmpo is physically able to perform again.
22. Atlanta Hawks (22-25)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: L vs MIL, W at MEM, W vs PHO
Offensive rating: 113.4 (22nd place)Defensive rating: 114.6 (16th place)
First-quarter grade: B
Second-quarter grade: D
I said what I said about the Bucks, and yet there are teams like this below them. The Hawks lost to the Bucks on MLK Day, their fourth in a row. And that was after a second quarter of the season that saw Atlanta go only 8-13. This week ended fine for the Hawks, but they’re not a good team right now or a particularly healthy one because of the multi-week absences of Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porziņģis.
23. Memphis Grizzlies (18-25)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: L vs ATL, L vs NO, PPD vs DEN
Offensive rating: 113.1 (23rd place)Defensive rating: 114.3 (15th place)
First-quarter grade: D
Second-quarter grade: C
Speaking of chronic health issues, here we are with the snakebitten Grizzlies and their star Ja Morant being on the shelf yet again. This time, it’s a sprained elbow ligament for Morant, a player who will play fewer than 60 games for the fourth time in five seasons. Morant hasn’t been good this season, but Memphis isn’t good enough without him to be excited about where it’s going to be, either.
24. Dallas Mavericks (19-27)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: W at NY, W vs GS, L vs LAL, PPD at MIL
Offensive rating: 110.3 (27th place)Defensive rating: 112.4 (seventh place)
First-quarter grade: D-
Second-quarter grade: C
No team has lost more clutch-time games than the Mavericks this season. The latest was a fourth-quarter catastrophe against the visiting Los Angeles Lukas, a game where the Mavericks overcame a 14-point deficit just to blow a 15-point lead with seven minutes to play. Dallas missed 10 straight shots and also failed to grab a rebound until the final seconds while getting outscored 29-8 to end the game Saturday. The Mavericks have played adequately since a 5-15 start, but the offense is bad, and a team that stocked up on size uses painfully little of it on the glass.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (12-36)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs DET, W at MEM, W at SA
Offensive rating: 112.2 (25th place)Defensive rating: 118.7 (27th place)
First-quarter grade: F
Second-quarter grade: D+
The Pelicans had lost 14 of 16 games before winning back-to-back divisional road games, which was good enough to let them out of the basement for this week. This remains a thoroughly uninspiring team, though, one that defends and rebounds poorly despite their size.
Tier 5: Basement Floor
26. Indiana Pacers (11-35)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L at PHI, L at BOS, W at OKC
Offensive rating: 108.0 (30th place)Defensive rating: 115.9 (20th place)
First-quarter grade: F
Second-quarter grade: D
Yes, the worst offense in the NBA just went on the road against the best defense and got a win. And it was an NBA Finals rematch! But the Pacers have struggled so much this season that they were flexed off the national broadcast schedule.
27. Utah Jazz (15-31)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at SA, W vs MIN, L vs SA, L vs MIA
Offensive rating: 114.0 (17th place)Defensive rating: 122.5 (30th place)
First-quarter grade: D+
Second-quarter grade: D-
Utah finally won a game without Lauri Markkanen, and it was against the Timberwolves. But Markkanen hasn’t played in two weeks now, and the Jazz have allowed more than 130 points five times this month. They might be the worst defense of all time.
28. Brooklyn Nets (12-32)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: L vs PHO, L at NY, L vs BOS, L at LAC
Offensive rating: 110.9 (26th place)Defensive rating: 117.9 (26th place)
First-quarter grade: D-
Second-quarter grade: D+
The Nets looked like they had something going when January began, but that spark is over. Brooklyn has lost 13 of 15 games, and five of the losses have come by more than 20 points. The Nets had only three losses by at least 20 points through the end of December.
29. Sacramento Kings (12-35)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L vs MIA, L vs TOR, L at CLE, L at DET
Offensive rating: 109.8 (28th place)Defensive rating: 119.7 (28th place)
First-quarter grade: F
Second-quarter grade: D
The Kings went back to losing, bracketing their season-long four-game win streak with losing streaks of seven games and now five games. Only the Pacers have had a worse offense than the Kings in the second quarter of the season, and only the Jazz had a worse defense. And that’s with offensive-minded players such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis on the roster. Sabonis and Keegan Murray haven’t played a single game together this season.
30. Washington Wizards (10-34)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: L vs LAC, L vs DEN, L at CHA
Offensive rating: 109.5 (29th place)Defensive rating: 120.5 (29th place)
First-quarter grade: F
Second-quarter grade: D+
The Wizards haven’t won in three weeks, which is also when they acquired Trae Young. The tank is in full effect, and Washington spent Saturday in Charlotte starting the youngest starting lineup ever: rookies Tre Johnson and Willi Riley along with second-year players Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George; 33-year-old veteran Anthony Gill was the only player older than 25 to play for the Wizards as they lost their ninth-straight game.
By Law Murray, via The Athletic