NBA 2021 Power Rankings for Week 4 Expert Analysis

It’s that time of the week again, when we look back at what has gone down in the past 7 days in the NBA. The Week 4 Power Rankings are now available, and we are beginning to see some serious movement from team who had previously had a tough time getting out of the gate. The Golden State Warriors jumped into the top 10, while the Milwaukee Bucks appear to have finally awoken from their slumber. As we always do with the NBA Power Rankings, we will focus on the top and bottom 5 teams this week. Let’s take a look so you can keep placing your bets against their NBA odds.

Updated NBA Power Rankings Heading to Week 4

Top 5

LA Lakers – There is no change at the top this week, with the defending champions moving to 8-3 on the season. The Lakers returned home after a great road trip and looked poor in a loss to the Spurs. That seemed to serve as a wake-up call, though, as they went out and picked up back-to-back wins.
Phoenix Suns – The Suns are a bit of a surprise in the #2 spot, but whether they stay there remains to be seen. They were at 7-3 when the rankings came out, but they then lost 128-107 to the Wizards, which moved them down to 3^rd in the West.
Boston Celtics – They may be without the services of Kemba Walker, but the Boston Celtics are still finding a way to win, picking up the W in 6 of their last 7 games to move to 7-3 on the season and top spot in the East. The Celtics moved up from #5 in the Power Rankings last week.
Milwaukee Bucks – After a slow start, the Bucks have slowly been creeping up the rankings and this week make the move from #7 to #4. They are now 7-4 on the season and just a ½ game out of the lead in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia 76ers – It’s a troubling time for the 76ers, who are having some COVID related issues to deal with. They have now lost 3 in a row and have dropped to 7-4 on the season, although the feeling is that we are looking at a temporary blip.

Bottom 5

Chicago Bulls – The Bulls are on a slow and steady slide down the rankings, dropping 3 spots from their #23 position last week. In fairness, they have had to face some of the best offensive teams in the league, but that still does not excuse their current 3-game losing skid.
Sacramento Kings – It was a big drop this week for the Kings, who were sitting in at #19 this time last week. They were at 4-6 when the rankings were released, but they picked up a win after that which might have them heading back in the right direction.
Detroit Pistons – Moving up one spot in the rankings is really nothing to get too excited about for the 2-8 Pistons. They are currently sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference and look to be in for a very long season.
Washington Wizards – This team has been losing a lot of close games, but that might be about to get worse with the loss of Thomas Bryant with an ACL tear. The Wizards are now at 2-8 on the season and heading in the wrong direction.
Minnesota Timberwolves – No change at the bottom, as the T-Wolves continue to prop up the rest of the Western Conference. They are coming off a win, though, so maybe a glimmer of hope.