The Hottest Team in the League: After blistering overmatched opponents in back-to-back games this weekend — winning 98-81 in Detroit Friday night and 128-95 at home against Sacramento on Saturday — the Grizzlies head out on a four-game West Coast swing as the hottest team in the NBA.
The Grizzlies are tied with division rival Houston Rockets for the longest active winning streak in the NBA, but where the Rockets’ current six-game streak has been more of a tightrope walk — a point-differential of +9.2, but with two wins in overtime and another by only three, and with five of six at home — the Grizzlies’ streak has been a bit more dominant (and against three common opponents) — a point-differential of +15.3 with four of six at home.
Even accounting for the team’s rough start, the Grizzlies have arguably been better than two of the four Western Conference teams with better records on the season, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers, both of whom have lower point differentials against easier schedules while feasting on an early slate extremely tilted toward home games. (Ten of 14 at home for the Clippers; 10 of 15 for the Jazz.)
The Grizzlies have moved up to 6th overall in John Hollinger’s automated NBA power rankings — which take into account point differential, strength of schedule, home/road splits, and play over the past 10 games — and second in the West behind only the 13-3 Oklahoma City Thunder.
Some of the subjective rankings trickling out today also have the Grizzlies on the rise:
Sixth (third in West) via NBA.com’s David Aldridge, who also tabs the Grizzlies “Team of the Week”
Ninth (fifth in the West) via SBNation’s Tom Ziller
A more modest 12th on NBA.com’s overall power rankings.
The biggest mover — from 17th to 10th — in Marc Stein’s power rankings.
