NBA Power Rankings - December 3, 2014

C Marc Gasol has been a very good player for six seasons, but he's taken it up a level this year, averaging a career-best 20.1 points per game while shooting 50.8% from the field on a career-high 13.9 field-goal attempts per game. 

Key Injuries: None.

10 straight wins and the Warriors were still ousted from top spot by a Grizzlies team that has won nine of 10. Kind of depends what you like: Bombs-away offence goes to the Warriors and lockdown D goes to the Grizz.

Key Injuries: PF David Lee (hamstring).

The Blazers' only blemish in the past 12 games was a loss to Memphis, and they could be even better if SF Nicolas Batum (8.6 ppg on a career-low 37.3% from the field) can rebound from a slow start.

Key Injuries: SG C.J. McCollum (finger).

Winners of eight straight, the Spurs have already picked spots to rest Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, which kept them closer to the Sixers that might have otherwise been expected, but it was still a win.

Key Injuries: C Tiago Splitter (calf), SG Patty Mills (shoulder).

The Clippers only loss in the past eight games was at Memphis, and PG Chris Paul is playing at a high level. HIs 27.3 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is his highest since 2008-2009 and it's coming from shooting a career-best 52.6% from the field including 41.1% on threes.

Key Injuries: None.

J.J. Barea has been a solid bench option in his return to Dallas, shooting a career-best 45.1% from the field, while averaging 8.2 points per game in 17.0 minutes per game, his lowest since 2007-2008.

Key Injuries: PG Raymond Felton (suspension).

Losing at the Lakers, much moreso than the previous home loss to Dallas, popped the Raptors' early-season balloon, but being without DeMar DeRozan is going to force some adjustments. The good news for Toronto is that they have banked some wins, so they can afford to slip a little if need be while figuring out how the new rotation will work in DeRozan's absence.

Key Injuries: SG DeMar DeRozan (groin).

Missing three starters and down to their third-string point guard, the Rockets have only SG James Harden and SF Trevor Ariza active from their top six scorers. 

Key Injuries: C Dwight Howard (knee), PF Terrence Jones (leg), PG Patrick Beverley (hamstring), PG Isaiah Canaan (ankle).

Four straight wins helps ease the pressure that was building after the Cavs' slow start and while PG Kyrie Irving's assist numbers (4.9 per game) are down, he's shooting better than ever -- 47.9% from the field, 42.0% on threes.

Key Injuries: SG Matthew Dellavedova (knee).

G Jimmy Butler is making the leap to stardom, his scoring averaging jumping from 13.1 per game last season to 22.0 per game this year, but he's also playing nearly 40 minutes per game (nearly two minutes more per game than any other player in the league), which seems like it could be asking for trouble.

Key Injuries: PF Taj Gibson (ankle).

Five wins in the past six games for a Hawks team that is surprisingly competitive, thanks in no small part to development of PG Jeff Teague, averaging a career-high 17.4 points and 7.3 assists per game, shooting 47.2% from the field and 38.9% on threes.

Key Injuries: None.

Getting SG Dwyane Wade back from injury (for now) raises the Heat despite two losses in the past three games. While SF Luol Deng hasn't been overwhelming, his PER (17.1) is his best since 2007-08.

Key Injuries: Chris Andersen (ankle).

The Thunder have SF Kevin Durant and PG Russell Westbrook back in the lineup. Can they make up a 5.5-game deficit to earn a playoff spot? Barring future devastating injuries, yes.

Key Injuries: PF Perry Jones (knee).

35-year-old journeyman SG Rasual Butler has emerged as a valuable weapon off the Wizards' bench, shooting 57.3% from the field, including 55.6% on threes. 

Key Injuries: SF Martell Webster (back), PF Nene (foot).

Lots of talent on the perimeter; still trying to get something workable out of centres Miles Plumlee and Alex Len and figure to be hard-pressed to hold a playoff spot unless that interior presence gets better.

Key Injuries: None.

Lost four straight, the last three of which came with C DeMarcus Cousins sidelined by a viral infection. Yeah, the Kings are a much easier touch when Boogie is out.

Key Injuries: None.

Had lost three in a row before Tuesday's win against Oklahoma City, and it says something about their lack of guard depth with Eric Gordon out that they to keep giving SG Austin Rivers (9.2 PER) playing time.

Key Injuries: SG Eric Gordon (shoulder).

Can obviously be better defensively, but also not as efficient as they need to be on offence, with SG Arron Afflalo likely expected to produce more than he has thus far (14.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.7 apg).

Key Injuries: G Randy Foye (quad).

It's one thing to grab Euros for their perimeter shooting, it's another when PF Mirza Teletovic and SG Bogdan Bogdanovic are shooting 32.6% on a combined 9.4 three-point attempts per game. It needs to be better if they're getting that many looks. 

Key Injuries: None.

Even after back-to-back losses against quality opponents (Houston, Cleveland),the Bucks still have a winning record, driven by their perimeter players. Even with that lack of inside-out balance, the Bucks are playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference, a dramatic turnaround from last season.

Key Injuries: None.

Five losses in six games for the Magic, though a one-point loss at Golden State, is a virtual win given the disparity between the two teams.

Key Injuries: PF Aaron Gordon (foot).

SF Chris Copelan gets the second-most shots (11.3 per game), but maybe that's not the best idea for a forward shooting 38.4% from the field.

Key Injuries: SF Paul George (leg), PG George Hill (knee).

The Celtics' only win in the past nine games is against Philadelphia, which barely counts, but with PG Rajon Rondo distributing and some bigs that can score (if not the most efficiently), the Celtics have some semblance of an attack.

Key Injuries: G Marcus Smart (ankle).

Losers of nine straight, with six of the nine by double digits, the Pistons are wasting unprecedented efficiency from PG Brandon Jennings, who is shooting career-bests on threes (38.9%) and free throws (84.8%).

Key Injuries: SG Jodie Meeks (back).

The Knicks' only win in the past eight games was over Philadelphia. This becomes more common the lower we sink in the rankings. The bad teams are only able to compete with the very worst.

Key Injuries: PF Andrea Bargnani (hamstring).

Losers of six straight, four by double figures, the Jazz are leaning on a lot of young players and are riding the ups and downs that come with that situation.

Key Injuries: None.

The Hornets put the exclamation point on their current nine-game losing streak by dropping a 30-point decision to Atlanta Saturday. They really were supposed to be better than this, weren't they?

Key Injuries: SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (foot).

SG Kobe Bryant has racked up 25 assists on the way to back-to-back wins. Might be a lesson in there somewhere.

Key Injuries: PG Steve Nash (back), PF Julius Randle (leg), SF Xavier Henry (Achilles).

Injuries or not, the Timberwolves have to D up at least a little bit. They've held the opposition under 100 points once in the past 12 games -- and the Knicks scored 99 in that game!

Key Injuries: PG Ricky Rubio (ankle), SG Kevin Martin (wrist), C Nikola Pekovic (wrist),

An epic matchup awaits Wednesday night, in Minnesota.

Key Injuries:  C Joel Embiid (foot), SG Jason Richardson (knee, foot), PG Tony Wroten (knee), PF Nerlens Noel (hip).