As we enter into Week 10 of the NBA there’s been a lot of exciting matchups and this will continue as we head into the Christmas Day games even though we will be missing a few stars in Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers. This past week we saw a lot of teams get hot such as the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets and even some top teams take a fall with some bad losses this week such as the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans.

These are my rankings based on games played through 12/18/2022.

1. Memphis Grizzlies (19-10)

Up three spots from last week, Memphis takes over the top spot this week. The Memphis Grizzlies remain a top two defensive team for the month of December in the NBA and this past week we saw them reach a 7 game win streak when they annihilated the Milwaukee Bucks at home. They suffered a weird loss to the OKC Thunder on the road to start their four game road trip. As of now they sit atop the Western Conference standings. They are currently 6-8 on the road this year so this number one ranking may just be for this week only.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (21-8)

Up one spot from last week’s rankings, The Bucks are now at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. They are 3-1 over the last four games and continue to show their dominance at home by improving their home record to 14-3. They’ve also managed to win games despite Giannis and Middleton missing some games. They haven’t been at full strength but players such as Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez have all stepped up their games. It also looks like they will be getting Joe Ingles to return from injury as early as Monday 12/19 as the team begins their five game road trip. 

3. Boston Celtics (22-9)

Down two positions from last week. The Boston Celtics finished their road trip with a 4-2 record. They then began a seven game home stretch with two bad losses to the Orlando Magic. Even with the two bad losses, they still have the best offensive rating in the league. Robert Williams III made his return and this will be a key turning point for them on the defensive end as they have their rim protector back. They will need him on Christmas Day against the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis coming into town. We could possibly see a 3-0 week for them and possibly back to that Number one ranking which they’ve had pretty much all year.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-11)

The Cavs were ranked sixth last week and have moved up two positions thanks to a 3 game win streak. This team is a real sleeper in the East. Donovan Mitchell continues his All-star level play and the cohesion of the team has picked up as the games keep rolling on. Cleveland is in the middle of a six game homestand. They face some tough competition this week with the Jazz, Bucks and Toronto coming to town. They currently are down 2-0 in both of the season series between the Bucks and Raptors.

5. New Orleans Pelicans (18-11)

Down three spots from last week, the Pels are slowly starting to show that they need Brandon Ingram and his scoring presence back. The bench continues to produce and are currently ranked as the third best bench throughout the league. They Pels currently have a seven game win streak at home and their first two games this week will be at home, so they will be playing to keep that streak alive as the last three losses for them have been on the road.

Next in line: Denver Nuggets (18-11)

Some of the top performances this week include:

Monday (12/12)

• Damian Lillard tied his Portland Trail Blazers franchise record with 11 3-pointers made in a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He finished with 38 points and the Blazers went on to win 133-112.
• Luka Doncic had a 38 point and 11 rebound performance against the Oklahoma city Thunder. The Mavericks won this game 121-114. Luka’s teammate Spencer Dinwiddie also had a double double with 20 points and 10 assists. Opponent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 42 points.

Tuesday (12/13)

• Jaysom Tatum bounced back from a few poor performances and had himself a night with 44 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the Celtics blew a 20 point lead, they prevailed in overtime and won 122-118.

Wednesday (12/14)

• Julius Randle of the New York Knicks scored 31 points in an overtime win against the Chicago Bulls on the road. This was Randle’s sixth 30 point game of the season and it extended the Knicks win streak to five in a row.
• Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro poured in 35 points, the game winning basket and made a career high nine 3 pointers against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Heat win 110-108 on the road.
• Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets scored a season high 43 points at home against the Washington Wizards. He also contributed 14 rebounds and 8 assists. Nuggets win 141-128.
• Damian Lillard continued his hot week by posting 37 points in a road win against the San Antonio Spurs. Final score 128-112.

Thursday (12/15)

• Tyler Herro had another career night. This time he scored a career high 41 points and made a new career high in 3-pointers with 10. That also matched the Miami Heat franchise record. Miami Heat go on to win 111-108 against the Houston Rockets.
• Ja Morant goes for a triple double in a dominating win 142-101 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Morant now has the most triple doubles in the history of the Grizzlies franchise.
• Jordan Clarkson scored a season high 39 points against the New Orleans Pelicans in a 132-129 overtime win. The Utah Jazz sweep the season series against the Pelicans 3-0.

Friday (12/16)

• Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts in 41 points at home against the Indiana Pacers. 18 of those points came in the fourth quarter. Cavs win 118-112.
• The two stars of the Philadelphia 76ers had big performances against the undermanned Golden State Warriors. Joel Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds while James Harden added 27 points and 9 assists. 76ers win 118-106.
• The Brooklyn Nets extended their win streak to a season-high five thanks to a 3 point buzzer beater by Kyrie Irving. He finished with 32 points and the Nets win 119-116. The point guard match-up was worth the watch as Fred VanVleet tallied 39 points for the Raptors.

Saturday (12/17)

• Devin Booker scorched the New Orleans Pelicans with 58 points, giving the Suns a 118-114 win at home. The win tied the season series between these two teams. We can only hope to see this matchup again in the playoffs.

Sunday (12/18)

• Rookie Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic puts in 31 points to beat the Celtics on the road 95-92.
• The New York Knicks extend their win streak to seven in a row as they beat the Indiana Pacers on the road 109-106. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points.
• The Brooklyn Nets extend their win streak to six in a row as Kevin Durant scores 43 points. Nets defeat the Detroit Pistons 124-121.
• Nikola Jokic posts a triple double and has a ridiculous stat line of 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists. The 27 rebounds is a new career high. Nuggets defeat the Charlotte Hornets 119-115 at home.
• Jordan Poole lifts the Golden State Warriors to a huge road win against the Toronto Raptors by posting a career high 43 points. Warriors win 126-110.