NBA 2021 Power Rankings for Week 5 Expert Analysis

We are starting to see the teams we expected at the top of the conferences flex their muscles a little, which you can clearly see in this week’s power rankings. It is going to be interesting to see how things look this time next week, as we have the Lakers and Bucks getting set to square off on Thursday night in what might just be an NBA Finals preview. Before that, though, we need to take a look back and get to the top and bottom 5 teams in the NBA Power Rankings. That said, let’s take a closer look at the rankings so you can continue making your bets against their NBA odds.

Updated NBA Power Rankings Heading to Week 5

Top 5

LA Lakers – There is no change at the top, with the defending champions maintaining the #1 rank that they have had since day 1. They went on a run that saw them win 9 of 10 games to get to 11-3, but they started this week with a loss.
Milwaukee Bucks – There were some concerns about this team on the early going, but they now seem to have hit their stride, going to 9-4 and top spot in the Eastern Conference, which they have since lost after losing their last outing.
LA Clippers – After a bit of a wobble, the Clippers are shooting the lights out on their way to a 4-game win streak that has them sitting at 10-4. That is good enough to have them in 3^rd in the Western Conference.
Boston Celtics – After losing top spot in the East to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics are back in first with an 8-4 record. How long they can hold off the surging Bucks remains to be seen, but they will certainly enjoy it while they are there.
Phoenix Suns – The wheels have come off a little for the Phoenix Suns, who dropped from #2 last week to the #5 spot. They have now lost 2 in a row and have seen their record fall to 7-5. More of the same this week and they will be out of the top 5.

Bottom 5

Chicago Bulls – This must be one of the most frustrating teams in the NBA right now, as they are making a habit of turning double-digit leads into losses. They have now, though, won 2 in a row to get to 6-8, so maybe some signs of life.
Detroit Pistons – With a 3-10 record, the Detroit Pistons are now firmly rooted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They have just 1 win on the road this season and have yet to pick up a win against a divisional opponent.
Washington Wizards – The Wizards are having to deal with postponed games and positive COVID cases, but they did manage to get a win in their last game to move to 3-8 on the season. They moved up a spot in the rankings this week.
Sacramento Kings – The Kings are heading in the wrong direction, dropping a couple of spots in this week’s rankings. The Kings have lost 3 in a row and are on a run that has seen them win just twice in their last 10 games.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Just when it looked that the T-Wolves were about to get some good news with the return of Karl-Anthony Towns from injury, their star player tested positive for COVID and is out again.