
5) Houston Rockets
When I initially began to compile these power rankings last week, the Rockets were riding a 14-game win streak and locked into the top spot. A few, short days later, they’ve dropped games to two sub-.500 teams from L.A. and the Oklahoma City Thunder and loss four consecutive overall.
Not only is Chris Paul MIA once again — this time an adductor strain has felled him — but the team’s defense has followed suit. During their current skid, the Rockets have allowed 12.3 3-pointers per game en route to surrendering nearly 115 points per 100 possessions.
Nevertheless, these are power rankings, recent performance weighs heavily and a couple other teams are on fire right now. No. 5 is temporary; I expect James Harden and Co. will get back to clubbing people in short order
Next: No. 4