Power Rankings, Week of 1/11

[Spike]

The GD Lakers.
​

Eventually, this team needs to string together some wins, right? I mean, we can't go back and forth like this forever, right? On to the rankings!

NBA.com
#20 (+4)
DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 32.4 points on 51 percent shooting this month, but the Kings' bench has been nearly as important to their top-five ranking on offense in January. Sacramento has scored 117 points per 100 possessions in 118 minutes with Darren Collison and Marco Belinelli on the floor together this month. Of course, the defense has been bad, especially in transition, which is nothing new.

Sports Illustrated
#19 (+5)
All-NBA caliber play fromDeMarcus Cousins (four straight double-doubles, averaging 32.4 and 13 in January) has the Kings starting to string together competitive, high-scoring performances. It’s still a bit early, but I, for one, would not hate a Warriors-Kings first round series.

ESPN
#22 (+2)
Last week's double-OT loss in Dallas not only stretched the Kings' losing skid in Big D to 22 games but also came by way of the Mavs' league-leading fifth game-winner at the buzzer over the last three seasons. All in all, though, it wasn't the worst week, given what Boogie Cousins did in Oklahoma City and the fact Sacramento didn't completely squander that Lakers game.

CBS Sports
#19 (NC)
Losing to the Warriors should not be frustrating; the Warriors are really good. But the Kings lost their cool late against them in part because of the officiating but also because they simply couldn't get stops, even against the non-Curry human parts of Golden State. Their defense is holding them back from being a playoff team right now.

NBC Sports
#20 (+2)
If the price tag for bringing in John Calipari is 10-years, $120 million, you’d have to think the Kings are out of that running. But there still feels like a push and pull between the players on the roster and what coach George Karl (and presumably owner Vivek Ranadive) want from their team. So they struggle even as Cousins puts up insane numbers.

Mean Ranking: 20.0
WE'RE NUMBER 20! Imagine if we actually played consistent defense?

 

[Bricklayer]

 

[Sac.Kings]

Whoever is doing the rankings on CBS is hitting the nail on the head every week with us. Definitely a knowledgeable individual.

 

[Bricklayer]

Whoever is doing the rankings on CBS is hitting the nail on the head every week with us. Definitely a knowledgeable individual.

Matt Moore was one of the very few national writers with a good read on the Kings through the summer.

 

[King Baller]

Truer words were never spoken:

"Their defense is holding them back from being a playoff team right now."

 

[Bricklayer]

Note this information from Utah's ranking on NBA.com:

Utah (17-20)
Pace: 93.4 (30) OffRtg: 101.9 (14) DefRtg: 103.0 (17) NetRtg: -1.0 (16)
The Jazz fell six spots in defensive efficiency, but only one spot in the Western Conference standings while Rudy Gobert was out. They're still missing Alec Burks and Derrick Favors, but Gobert was a plus-23 in his first three games back and they got a good win over Miami on Saturday. Twelve of their next 14 opponents are below .500 and they have a big back-to-back this week against two teams chasing them for eighth.
This week: @ POR, vs. SAC, vs. LAL

We damn well better beat them because they are hitting a soft part of their schedule (we are considered part of that) and could open things up if we don't dent them early. Want to keep contact so our guys stay focused and all the panic stricken little STR lemmings don't start running around screaming again.

 

[Bricklayer]

Also note the info from Dallas's ranking:

Dallas (22-16)
Pace: 97.5 (17) OffRtg: 103.5 (8) DefRtg: 101.8 (15) NetRtg: +1.7 (12)
The Mavs have won seven of their last 10 games, but continue to play mediocre defense and allow bad teams to hang around. Over those 10 games, they've needed overtime to beat Brooklyn and Sacramento (onDeron Williams' game-winner), while losing to New Orleans and Milwaukee. Now they have a brutal, five-games-in-seven days stretch where all five opponents are over .500 with top-11 defenses.
This week: vs. CLE, @ OKC, @ CHI, @ SAS

CLE, @ OKC, @ CHI, @ SAS?? So maybe they fall back within reach.

 

[k_dubb90]

I think 2k ranks us as 20 as well lol

 

[Bricklayer]

And just for the trifecta:

Portland (16-24)
Pace: 97.4 (18) OffRtg: 103.1 (10) DefRtg: 105.5 (25) NetRtg: -2.4 (20)
Damian Lillard's first couple of games back weren't pretty, but he's made 17 of his last 33 3-point attempts, draining five in the final 3:08 on Sundayto turn an eight-point deficit into a five-point win over the Thunder. The next 10 games is the Blazers' easiest stretch of schedule, and it starts with a big game on Wednesday against the eighth-place Jazz, with just one game separating the two teams in the win column.
This week: vs. UTA, @ BKN, @ PHI

So just as we pull up, the two teams on either side of us in the standings are hitting their easiest stretches of the season. I don't think we hit ours until March. We have to keep on the improved play to just keep up probably.

 

[Kingsgurl]

how many games against GS do those teams still have?

 

[Bricklayer]

how many games against GS do those teams still have?

I waas thinking of posting that same thing -- everybody's remaining games vs. Golden State and Spurs, i.e. very probably losses.

 

[jalfa]

I waas thinking of posting that same thing -- everybody's remaining games vs. Golden State and Spurs, i.e. very probably losses.

are any of the other teams playing them in the last two weeks, when Popovich and Kerr are going to rest their stars? that'd be an annoying imbalance.

 

[KingMilz]

are any of the other teams playing them in the last two weeks, when Popovich and Kerr are going to rest their stars? that'd be an annoying imbalance.

Even if they do the Kings have zero excuses not making the playoffs in a weakened conference where all our competition for the 8th spot is ethier ravaged by injury or way less talented.

 

[SacKings384]

Their defense is holding them back from being a playoff team right now.

No question. I still don't understand the defensive strategy which really highlights all of our weaknesses. Our team is not quick and they are not agile on defense. But we play like a fast team (scrambling, switching, doubling). A team this works for is someone like the Cavs when they play Thompson at the 5. They are FAST. They are athletic. They play GREAT defense. We just end up tiring our guys out and giving up open three pointers/back cuts.

 

[nebs]

Looks like KF's in general got that week right. I'm the only one who predicted 0-3 lol