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BDL Power Rankings v3.0, where there's a new No. 1

Ben Rohrbach
Senior NBA writer

Every Thursday, we’ll reveal the week’s BDL Power Rankings, while highlighting the NBA’s movers and shakers. This is version 3.0. As always, the order is indisputable, although you can present your arguments in the comment section. Watch the video above to discover where your team ranks. Below are this week’s most volatile teams.

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THREE UP

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (last week: 3rd)

Their Christmas Day win over the Warriors may have been a last-second one-point win at home, and they may have been gifted a no-call in the final seconds that might have changed the outcome, but the victory marked a fourth straight for Cleveland against Golden State, and at some point you’ve got to give the defending champions some credit. The Cavs are still the best team in the world. For now.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder (last week: 10th)

Russell Westbrook keeps on notching triple-doubles, and the Thunder keep finding ways to win, mainly by letting Westbrook take over, as he did in an impressive road win against the Boston Celtics. OKC has climbed into the top 10 in defensive rating (103.2 points per 100 possessions), and with a supernova at the center of the offense, that’s often enough to get the job done, as they did all week.

[Related: Why Oklahoma City could remain the best fit for Russell Westbrook]

23. Orlando Magic (last week: 24th)

It hasn’t been pretty, but the Magic are 5-4 in their last nine games, including two wins this week, albeit against the Los Angeles Lakers and a struggling Memphis Grizzlies squad. They’re climbing the defensive rankings and a once inept offense is finding contributions from everywhere, with Serge Ibaka, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic trading game-highs in their last four games.

THREE DOWN

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have been watching from the sidelines, and the Clippers aren't putting on a very good show. (Getty Images)
Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have been watching from the sidelines, and the Clippers aren’t putting on a very good show. (Getty Images)

6. Los Angeles Clippers (last week: 4th)

Injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have done to the Clippers what you would expect removing a pair of perennial MVP candidates from a contender have done — make them look average. With the likes of Raymond Felton and Wesley Johnson filling the void in the starting lineup, the Clips have lost four straight to teams that are all in the bottom third of these rankings. In truth, they should be lower.

15. New York Knicks (last week: 14th)

The Knicks’ winning record was always an illusion, since they’ve consistently ranked in the league’s lower third in net rating (outscored by 2.9 points per 100 possessions). As expected, this marked a second straight losing week, and New York hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record since edging the Hornets by two in overtime at home on Nov. 25. Don’t be surprised if they drop further next week.

17. Indiana Pacers (last week: 16th)

Who could have predicted the Pacers would have dropped from a mainstay atop the league’s defensive ratings to a subpar defense by swapping coach Frank Vogel for Nate McMillan and filling out the roster with offense-first opportunists? A lot of people, that’s who. Indiana also only dropped one spot in the rankings, but that’s mostly because everybody below them has been so bad.

Previously, on BDL Power Rankings:

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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!