The Raptors struggled in Kyle Lowry‘s absence, but 30 wins still leads the NBA. Kawhi Leonard deserves MVP hype and, at some point, another win streak will strike. There’s a good chance Toronto is your Eastern Conference favorite in a couple months.
The Nuggets have overcome injuries galore to remain atop the Western Conference standings. Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and Will Barton missed significant time, as did numerous role players. And yet, it hasn’t mattered. Monte Morris is an underrated Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
The Warriors are the Warriors, however imperfect it may look at times. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant both have top-five MVP cases, while Klay Thompson is slowly rounding into form. Draymond Green continues to disappoint, but depth and star-power keep Golden State toward the top.
The Rockets have won eight of 10, with James Harden putting up historic production in the process. He’s averaging 39.1 points and 9.1 assists over his past 15 games, taking Houston from Western Conference bottom-dweller to top four in the standings. He’s your MVP so far.
If anyone can challenge Harden’s recent grip on the MVP race, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks hold a half-game lead over Toronto for first place, with Mike Budenholzer continuing to maximize Milwaukee’s personnel — spacing the floor and allowing Giannis to terrorize the rim.
You can read last week’s power rankings here.