NBA 2021 Power Rankings for Week 17 Expert Analysis

We are almost 17 weeks into the current NBA season, and while some clear favorites have emerged, you do have to say that this is about as open as the league has been in the past few years. Instead of just a couple of teams in with a shot at the title, there are quite a few who could make a serious case for ending the season as the NBA champion. As we do every week, let’s take a look at the top and bottom 5 in the Power Rankings, with this list being how it stands after Week 16 so you can continue betting against their NBA odds.

2021 NBA Week 17 Power Rankings Update

Top 5

Utah Jazz – The Jazz continue to sit at the top of the Power Rankings and continue to have the best record in the NBA. They have won 8 of their last 10 games and maintain a 2 ½ game lead at the top of the Western Conference standings.
Phoenix Suns – The Western Conference is not shaping up the way we thought it would, and while injury issues with the Lakers are part of the reason, the play of the Phoenix Suns still needs to be recognized. They are 37-15 overall and 8-2 in their last 10.
Brooklyn Nets – With James Harden out for a few days with a hamstring injury, the Nets have lost a little bit of their momentum. That said, they are now locked in a tie for first in the Eastern Conference with the 76ers.
Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets jumped 4 spots in the Power Rankings this week, but perhaps more importantly, they also jumped ahead of the LA Lakers to take the #4 spot in the Western Conference. This after winning 8 of their last 10.
Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks have been in and out of the top 5 all season long, which is not that’s surprising when you consider that they have been very streaky all year. They are 4-6 in their last 10, so expect them to move out of the top 5 next week.

Bottom 5

Toronto Raptors – We have all kind of been waiting for the Raptors to step it up and make a run into a playoff spot, but it’s increasingly looking as though it won’t happen. Toronto is a very disappointing 3-7 in their last 10.
Washington Wizards – The Wizards moved up and out of the bottom 5 in Week 15, but they have dropped 2 spots to be back in among the cellar dwellers. They have picked up a couple of wins since this ranking, so interesting to see where they will be next week.
Minnesota Timberwolves – For most of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have looked like a shoo-in for the worst record in the NBA, but they are on the move. They are 4-6 in the last 10 games and are out of the bottom of the rankings.
Cleveland Cavaliers – The biggest drop of the week came from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are down 5 spots from their Week 15 ranking. They are on a 2-game losing skid, but they have also picked up just 3 wins in their last 10.
Houston Rockets – Are we now looking at the team most likely to be at the bottom when the season is over? The Rockets essentially traded away all their best players this season and are looking at a rebuild, so not much promise the rest of the way this season.