Piston Powered NBA Power Rankings: January 2016

Make no mistake, the Sacramento Kings aren’t what we would commonly call “good,” but they aren’t exactly bad either. They’re a team that can catch opposing squads off-guard, and they are somehow just two games out of eighth in the Western Conference, which is of course the final playoff spot. That’s due to the surprising mediocrity of the Western Conference more than anything, but the Kings aren’t going away. Not yet at least.. 14-21. Previous: 23rd. Sacramento Kings. 20. team. 84

team. 142. The Washington Wizards simply refuse to get it together. This team that most observers expected to challenge for at least a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference is currently two games below .500 and sits 2.5 games out of the eighth playoff spot. There is a logjam of teams ahead of them in the East, and multiple good teams are going to have to melt down for the Wizards to have a hope to get in. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, and you never want to count out John Wall, but for the love of God, either get it together already or go away Wizards.. 15-17. Previous: 21st. Washington Wizards. 19

15-18. Previous: 17th. Utah Jazz. 18. team. 118. The Utah Jazz have a goal right now, and it is only to tread water and not lose much ground while the majority of their core is laid up with injuries. The Jazz are currently without Alec Burks, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and of course Dante Exum, who torn his ACL in August. Favors and Gobert are expected to return in January, but Burks is currently without a timetable to return as he is dealing with both a concussion and an ankle sprain. The Jazz are currently in the eighth spot in the West, and are 5-5 in their last 10, which is probably a rate they need to maintain or exceed going forward while they await the return of their stars.

The Houston Rockets are still the most maddening team in the NBA, and there isn’t even a close second. They’re currently on a streak where they have lost five of their last seven games, including a 110-108 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans to follow up a Christmas Day win over the mighty San Antonio Spurs. That’s what the Rockets are, a team that can beat one of the best teams in the NBA on the road, and then follow it up with a disheartening loss to one of the worst teams in the league.. 17-19. Previous: 24th. Houston Rockets. 17. team. 169

Previous: 12th. Charlotte Hornets. 16. team. 170. It looks like maybe the Charlotte Hornets aren’t quite as good as they led us to believe through November and the early stages of December. In fact, it looks like they might be closer to what we thought they were before the season started after all, which is a team that is roughly in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference, although they have a lot more firepower than expected thanks to Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb’s performances thus far.. 17-17