How the Raptors can avoid extinction

This was always going to be a tough battle.

The Wizards are very similar to the Raptors, growing steadily over the years to emerge as one of the tougher teams in the East. Culminating with a trip to the post-season last year, including a win over the Chicago Bulls, Washington has cut their teeth in a way the Raptors have yet to do. The addition of Paul Pierce added another veteran presence to help guide John Wall and Bradley Beal, and they bring a top notch defense every time they hit the floor.

But the Raptors shouldn’t be this close to extinction this early in the post-season.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 12

Not much change atop the power rankings this week, as the Warriors and Hawks continue to roll over the competition and lead their conferences. The West continues to dominate over their Eastern counterparts, which could easily send two sub 500 teams to the postseason. With the All-Star game coming up, a number of teams could certainly use a break to heal up for one last playoff push.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 11

The trade winds began to blow in the NBA, with a couple of multi-team exchanges changing the NBA landscape. The Grizzlies reloaded for a postseason run with the acquisition of Jeff Green, while Cleveland added Timofey Mozgov with hopes of him becoming the rim protector they sorely need. With so much change occurring, the trade deadline should see plenty of action.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 10

The New Year is upon us, and the NBA landscape has few certainties. The West is as powerful as ever, even with the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder on the outside looking in (for now) of the playoffs. The East isn’t run by LeBron James as we’ve been accustomed to, but Chicago is finally making their push for supremacy in the conference. With the All-Star game drawing near, figuring out who is worthy enough to play in the game will be brought to a head, and the trade deadline will help determine who is a piece away from contention, and who is willing to sell this season for a brighter tomorrow.

New Year’s Resolutions: Southeast Division

The Southeast has seen some surprising highs and lows, with the ascension of the Wizards and Hawks compounded by the fall of the Heat and Hornets. While the East remains wide open, the Southeast in particular could see a multitude of endings in the division standings. Orlando could very well play spoiler as their youthful squad grows with experience.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 9

Now that Christmas has come and gone, we’re beginning to understand which teams are poised for a playoff appearance and which are destined for the lottery. Minnesota, New York, and Philadelphia are playing for a better tomorrow while scouring the basement of their respective conferences, while the Lakers need to fall in the bottom 5 to assure themselves all this losing results in a draft pick. As for the top of the standings, the East is starting to balance out after a rough start, while the West is as competitive as ever.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 8

With Christmas fast approaching, many teams look to be cashing in on offseason wishes while others are poised for another lump of coal in their stockings. The Pistons parted with Josh Smith, waiving the versatile forward just 28 games into the season, and the Thunder saw Kevin Durant return to the sideline after re-aggravating his injured foot. The Christmas Day matchups don’t look quite as promising as in year’s past, but there’s plenty to be thankful for this holiday season.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 7

Yes, the Warriors win streak has now reached 16 games, and the Thunder have put together 6 straight with the return on their All-Star duo. But let’s be serious, who saw the Lakers putting together 3 straight wins, including a victory over the San Antonio Spurs, to highlight what is already a historic week in Lakerland that saw Kobe Bryant pass Michael Jordan for 3^rd place on the all-time scoring list? The Lakers are still bound for the lottery, and may just play themselves out of a pick if they land out of the bottom 5, but for this week, let’s give them their due.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 6

The Western Conference race officially got shaken up with the return of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup, and with a 4.5 deficit to overcome, the Thunder will be the team to watch over the next few week. That’s just fine for now with the Warriors, who are riding a 12 game win streak and sit at the top of the NBA, but imagine a Warriors-Thunder 1^st round series set for the playoffs? Not quite the type of reward many teams will be gearing for come April.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 5

While the Grizzlies and Warriors continue to roll at the top of the rankings, the Toronto Raptors take a tumble with news that All-Star DeMar DeRozan will be out at least a month with a tear in his groin. While it remains to be seen how it will affect the standings in the East, where the Raps have jumped out to an early lead, the battles in the West, where 5 teams have as many losses (4) as the Raptors, means that there is going to be a West-heavy theme to the top of the rankings. The East makes up for it by bottoming out the last 4 spots.