NBA Week 7 Power Ranking - Where National Scribes Rank OKC Thunder
National pundits sang the praises of OKC Thunder and their super star in week 7 of the NBA Power Ranking.
It was a solid week for the OKC Thunder as they registered a 2-1 record. Specifically, the OKC Thunder beat the Hawks and Celtics, and got into a tightly contested battle with the Rockets before succumbing.
Especially relevant are the stats the scribes offered in their power rankings. And – yes, there are stats about Russell Westbrook, but equal attention was paid to the OKC Thunder.
As for the week itself, Thunder fans aren’t concerned about the two streaks ending (Westbrook’s triple-double and 6 game win streak) Rather, the focus is on Victor Oladipo‘s health, after that nasty fall. And that’s not to say what Westbrook or the team is doing isn’t noteworthy. Rather, it’s a testament to how quickly Oladipo has positively transitioned into his role and how serious the injury is.
With that, here’s how the National pundits ranked the OKC Thunder:
Want your voice heard? Join the Thunderous Intentions team!
NBA – John Schuhmann
Original guru of power rankings and stats John Schuhmann of NBA.com moved the Thunder up another spot from 10th to 9th this week. The stat master offered tantalizing stats that weren’t just Westbrook based!
Pace: 101.5 (5) OffRtg: 102.9 (17) DefRtg: 101.5 (7) NetRtg: +1.4 (13)
Russell Westbrook ran his triple-double streak to seven games, but the Thunder’s winning streak came to an end when he missed a free throw to tie and three shots for the lead against Houston on Friday. So he went back to just a regular (and spectacular) double-double (37, 12 and six) in Sunday’s win over Boston.
Lost in the streak was that the Thunder defense ranks third since Thanksgiving and that they’ve managed not to lose leads with Westbrook off the floor in that time. Victor Oladipo’s week started with a nasty dunk over Dwight Howard and ended with a nasty fall over Jonas Jerebko.
ESPN – Marc Stein
ESPN’s Marc Stein held the OKC Thunder steady at number 8 for the second week in a row. Like most National scribes Stein is invested in Westbrook’s dominance.
More from Thunderous Intentions
With 12 triple-doubles in 24 games, Russell Westbrook is on pace for 41 of them this season, which would tie the single-season mark established by the one and only Oscar Robertson in the Big O’s historic 1961-62 season, when Robertson played 79 of 80 games and averaged a triple-double.
Our trusty research ace/noted quipster Micah Adams couldn’t resist pointing out that Westbrook’s inability to stretch his streak of consecutive triple-doubles beyond seven by falling short in Sunday night’s win over Boston — combined with Tim Frazier‘s triple-double for the victorious Pelicans in Phoenix — means that the rest of the NBA has reclaimed a 14-12 edge over Angry Russ when it comes to triple-doubles for the season.
CBS Sports – Matt Moore
Matt Moore of CBS Sports hasn’t been overly excited with the OKC Thunder this season consistently ranking them lower than his peers. Apparently he’s the only one of his peers who appreciates Westbrook intangibles more than triple-doubles as he moves them up two spots to 10th:
OKC has won seven of eight to silence critics. Russell Westbrook’s triple-double streak came to an end against the Celtics, but he also scored the go-ahead bucket and used his insane athleticism to snag a key rebound, then tapped a jump ball ahead to secure victory. Stick that in your “winning plays” pipe and smoke it
Sports Illustrated – Jeremy Woo
Last but not least Sports illustrated Jeremy Woo dropped the Thunder this week one spot from 9th to 10th, though he was the lone pundit to praise someone other than Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook’s triple double streak ended at seven, but seeing guys like Jerian Grant, Joffrey Lauvergne and Semaj Christon have moments this week was encouraging. That sentence says a lot about the nature of this Thunder season.
Moving into week 8, the OKC Thunder will play a road back to back versus the Blazers and Jazz then finish out the week t home to the Suns.
