Are the Celtics slipping? Have the defending champs let the new-look Lakers, featuring LeBron James and Luka Doncic surpass them?
Although Boston has the better record (43-18), The Athletic gave Los Angeles (39-21) the higher ranking in its latest NBA power rankings.
The Celtics fell from third to fourth on the list, behind Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and the Lakers. The Celtics have won seven of their last ten games, but a couple of their recent losses caused them to tumble.
“The Celtics aren’t playing as well as the teams ahead of them, and they already lost once to the Lakers this season, so I’m fine putting them here,” The Athletic’s Law Murray wrote.