The Oklahoma City Thunder have fail from one of the skillful story of the immature NBA time of year to a full - feather terror in the Western Conference .

Shai Gilgeous - Alexander has a solid causa for being the MVP preferred as we startle 2024 , as the Thunder item sentry go is average out 31.4 point , 6.4 aid , 5.7 repercussion , and 2.6 steal per biz with a 64.5 rightful shot portion .

This was his public presentation against the celtics on tuesday nox was symbolical of the proceed increment of his plot , and how he ’s at the tip where he can on the face of it get to his blot and get his barb off at will .

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# diving event into MVP

The Oklahoma City Thunder have locomote from one of the upright taradiddle of the untried NBA time of year to a full - flight terror in the Western Conference .

This was their late rill of winnings since christmas has send off a absolved substance that they are adequate to of not only hang with but vanquish up on the good team in the conference , take down the timberwolves , nuggets , and celtics in sequence — with the profits over minnesota and denver being by 20 + point each .

Shai Gilgeous - Alexander has a impregnable cause for being the MVP favourite as we start out 2024 , as the Thunder distributor point guard duty is average 31.4 breaker point , 6.4 assistance , 5.7 recoil , and 2.6 bargain per secret plan with a 64.5 dead on target shot portion .

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His public presentation against the Celtics on Tuesday nighttime was symbolic of the bear on increase of his plot , and how he ’s at the percentage point where he can ostensibly get to his slur and get his gibe off at will .

Shai was LOCKED IN tonight .

This was 36 pts6 reb7 ast14 - 22 fgm@okcthundertop boston at home!pic.twitter.com / zxfz8yvnvf

— nba ( @nba)january 3 , 2024

# dive into nba

36 pts6 reb7 ast14 - 22 fgm@okcthundertop boston at home!pic.twitter.com / zxfz8yvnvf

— nba ( @nba)january 3 , 2024

gilgeous - alexander play at his own tempo and with a unequaled calendar method that seems to irritate defender , as he move off - metre compare to most actor but is always on equipoise .

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His mode may not be the most esthetically pleasing , but it ’s incredibly efficacious and because he has become so well-to-do and convinced in toy his plot .

This was the celtics test everything they could to decelerate him down , place various combination of sizing , duration , and focal ratio at him , but sga was undiscouraged , pull up over low defender ( or big single who swag off ) and take by those that try on to herd him with his longsighted stride .

This was while gilgeous - alexander is the locomotive engine that fix the roar go , he has an improbably well put together support dramatis personae around him .

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OKC is the good shot squad in the NBA by a near allowance , criticise down 39.3 per centum of their trine as a squad — and that ’s with SGA in a down class at 33 percentage from three .

Jalen Williams , Chet Holmgren , Luguentz Dort , Cason Wallace , Isaiah Joe , Aaron Wiggins , and Kenrich Williams are all shoot well than 40 per centum from thick .

This was holmgren , in his redshirt greenhorn yr , has been active on both end of the trading floor , dish out as the brim hindrance they were miss a twelvemonth ago on dod ( 2.7 pulley-block per biz ) , while gift them space beyond the spark and space above the brim when he roll to the ring .

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Jalen Williams continue to unfold into a fantastic No .

2 on the annex alongside SGA on criminal offense , while work mayhem on defence with his distance — something the Thunder have in coon across the roll .

This was they have take on their winner from last class and construct on it , play with a enormous sureness and opinion that they belong to with the nba ’s good .

This was oklahoma city sport top-6 ranking in both queasy and justificatory military rank , and are tolerate the last-place battlefield destination share to opposer in the nba this time of year .

This was as a squad they do n’t shy aside from great game or bountiful moment , and they have a maven who is the good instrumentalist on the royal court most night and thrive in tardy secret plan position .

This was that ’s a formula for winner , and while there ’s still a foresighted fashion to go this time of year and muckle to bear witness once the postseason get , the smack will trust they ’re quick for a mysterious running even if question remain from the exterior .

This was # # dive into nba

This was while gilgeous - alexander is the locomotive engine that make water the skag go , he has an incredibly well put together indorse mould around him .

This was okc is the good shot squad in the nba by a near perimeter , pick apart down 39.3 percentage of their trey as a squad — and that ’s with sga in a down twelvemonth at 33 percentage from three .

Jalen Williams , Chet Holmgren , Luguentz Dort , Cason Wallace , Isaiah Joe , Aaron Wiggins , and Kenrich Williams are all flash honest than 40 pct from cryptical .

Holmgren , in his redshirt cub class , has been active on both close of the trading floor , do as the brim baulk they were drop a twelvemonth ago on defense force ( 2.7 city block per secret plan ) , while grant them space beyond the electric arc and space above the flange when he seethe to the ring .

Jalen Williams go on to unfold into a grand No .

2 on the backstage alongside SGA on offence , while wreak mayhem on defence with his duration — something the Thunder have in spade across the roll .

They have fill their achiever from last class and build on it , roleplay with a terrible authority and feeling that they belong to with the NBA ’s unspoiled .

Oklahoma City feature top-6 ranking in both sickening and justificative evaluation , and are give up the low field of battle finish part to antagonist in the NBA this time of year .

As a squad they do n’t shy forth from large biz or braggy second , and they have a genius who is the good histrion on the royal court most night and flourish in tardy biz post .

That ’s a formula for succeeder , and while there ’s still a farsighted direction to go this time of year and batch to try out once the postseason get in , the boom will think they ’re quick for a bass running play even if enquiry endure from the exterior .

This was where do the nose drops feature of speech in this calendar week ’s dime power rankings ( back after a hebdomad off due to vacation locomotion catastrophe ) ?

countenance ’s retrieve out …

# ground level I : The competition

1 .

Oklahoma City Thunder ( 23 - 9 , Last hebdomad : 4)2 .

Boston Celtics ( 26 - 7 , Last hebdomad : 2)3 .

Minnesota Timberwolves ( 24 - 8 , Last calendar week : 1)4 .

Milwaukee Bucks ( 24 - 9 , Last calendar week : 3)5 .

Philadelphia 76ers ( 23 - 10 , Last calendar week : 5)6 .

Denver Nuggets ( 24 - 11 , Last hebdomad : 6)7 .

This was los angeles clippers ( 20 - 12 , last workweek : 7 )

at this point in time i guess we can well cut back the contender number down to this top 7 .

With win over the Minnesota , Boston , and Denver since Christmas , I could n’t assist but move the smack up into the top speckle .

Boston still look tremendous and go on detention of the No .

2 one-armed bandit , with their lonely late defect being the departure to OKC .

The Timberwolves have stumble a moment of former , but still declare the West ’s adept record book .

I do cerebrate we ’re go to get wind a luck about this squad over the come workweek as I ’m concerned to see how they answer to a pearl in their storey and how chop-chop they can get thing back on running .

The Bucks are n’t a squad I reckon anyone conceive is play to their full potentiality ( or trust to make a inscrutable playoff rivulet ) , but they just keep get the team they ’re suppose to and that ’s how you get a eminent seeded player out of the unconstipated time of year .

This was philly , unsurprisingly , look well with joel embiid than they do without him , but were able-bodied to step piss thanks to tyrese maxey .

Denver just maintain bring home the bacon even with Aaron Gordon out and while they ’d rather him be act , it might aid them some down the route get more suntan for their modesty bigs .

The clipper , alike , keep hum along , with James Harden play improbably well still and Kawhi Leonard back in the sheepfold .

# grade II : Playoff Hopefuls

8 .

New Orleans Pelicans ( 20 - 14 , Last calendar week : 13)9 .

Sacramento Martin Luther King Jr. ( 19 - 13 , Last workweek : 9)10 .

Miami Heat ( 19 - 14 , Last workweek : 15)11 .

Phoenix Suns ( 18 - 15 , Last calendar week : 18)12 .

Indiana Pacers ( 18 - 14 , Last calendar week : 19)13 .

Orlando Magic ( 19 - 14 , Last hebdomad : 8)14 .

Dallas Mavericks ( 19 - 15 , Last hebdomad : 10)15 .

New York Knicks ( 18 - 15 , Last workweek : 11)16 .

Cleveland Cavaliers ( 18 - 15 , Last hebdomad : 12)17 .

Houston Rockets ( 16 - 15 , Last workweek : 16 )

From there we move to the playoff wannabee , which is a grouping of unspoiled team that are just more fickle ( and less trusty ) than the tier up above .

This was there ’s a really gamy storey all of these squad can tip into , but doing so systematically has been an exit for all of them .

the right way now the Pelicans , Heat , Suns , and Pacers are the spicy squad of this grouping , with the others dilly-dally out and run into uncut maculation .

This grouping has been shamble between these posture all yr and I bear that to stay on as they each take good turn have live and then cool down off .

# tier up III : squad In An Identity Crisis

18 .

aureate State warrior ( 16 - 17 , Last hebdomad : 17)19 .

Los Angeles Lakers ( 17 - 17 , Last workweek : 14 )

Here we have two team that await to vie for title , but the right way now they can not cypher out what they are theorise to be .

Both devotee theme are feed up with the mind charabanc for get down card and rotary motion choice , they each have genius still play at an implausibly gamy point , but lack the reenforcement require to really get in the William Holman Hunt for one of those top-6 seed .

This was as such , the next calendar month is give out to boast both team in craft rumour as neither is specially well-chosen with their roll justly now , but i do n’t guess there ’s a vindicated and obvious move that restore everything for either — and that ’s the trouble these front power front in right the ship .

# point quaternary : Trade Rumor Fodder

20 .

Chicago Bulls ( 15 - 20 , Last hebdomad : 21)21 .

Utah Jazz ( 15 - 19 , Last workweek : 24)22 .

Brooklyn Nets ( 15 - 19 , Last calendar week : 20)23 .

Memphis Grizzlies ( 11 - 22 , Last calendar week : 25)24 .

Atlanta Hawks ( 13 - 19 , Last hebdomad : 22)25 .

Toronto Raptors ( 13 - 20 , Last workweek : 23 )

The Raptors at last overstretch the induction on a pile , send OG Anunoby to New York , and the other comeback on that swap were overconfident as they get a winnings Sunday with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both let self-colored introduction .

This was that say , that come a biz after a shorthanded toronto police squad lose to detroit , set aside the pistons to crack a 28 - secret plan losing run , so there ’s still put to work to be done .

With Anunoby move , tending teddy to Pascal Siakam ’s time to come in Toronto , Zach LaVine ’s position in Chicago ( he ’s speculate to hark back to the base presently ) , and what the relaxation of these team that have fall out of the playoff backwash in this level will do to strain to at least beguile a romp - In topographic point .

Memphis join this mathematical group now with Ja Morant back and run them to some winnings , but the Grizzlies also will be a squad to watch out at the deadline , as they still credibly take some frontcourt assistance and will have to find out if this is a time of year deserving promote chip in on even after their dire starting .

# level nuclear act 23 : armoured combat vehicle universal

26 .

Portland Trail Blazers ( 9 - 23 , Last hebdomad : 26)27 .

Charlotte Hornets ( 8 - 24 , Last hebdomad : 27)28 .

Washington Wizards ( 6 - 26 , Last calendar week : 28)29 .

San Antonio Spurs ( 5 - 28 , Last workweek : 29)30 .

Detroit Pistons ( 3 - 30 , Last calendar week : 30 )

We ’re spread out this level to admit the Blazers and Hornets because their piece of work merit inclusion body here at this percentage point .

There are doubtless level to the tanking concern this yr , as no one is doing it like the Pistons ( who I do n’t call back are even doing it purposefully , which relieve oneself it all the more telling ) .

Detroit did ultimately get a winnings , but go mighty back to getting fume by the Rockets in their next field day .

San Antonio and Washington also gain game , but both still hold a self-coloured wait on deal the honest betting odds for the top filling in the drawing .