NBAHawks Power Rankings: 1/9-1/15

Editor's Note:  These updates somehow got a bit buried, so we are posting a two-for-one special to get you caught up.  Apologies to you all (and KUChief) on the delay.

For one reason or another my post for last week never went up, so hopefully you'll be getting a double-stuffed power ranking set today.

1. Paul Pierce (Brooklyn Nets) (LW: 4):

Paul was able to put in 23 points on 17 shots against the Heat in a win, and 15 on 9 shots in a loss against Toronto. The Nets have won 5 of their last 6, including games against the Thunder and Warriors, so perhaps they'll be able to make a push towards respectability after all?

2. Marcus Morris (Phoenix Suns) (LW: 3):

Marcus didn't quite have the night Markieff had last night, going 1-5 from the floor, however, his games earlier in the week were solid with 17 and 12 point outings in two point losses at the Pistons and Knicks, respectively. With Eric Bledsoe out for a long while it looks like the Suns will be relying on the Morris tag-team for a bit more scoring punch as the season progresses.

Oh, and last night there was some vintage Marcus shoving (and a Markieff highlight as well): http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2014/01/15/0021300574-lal-phx-recap.nba

3. Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) (LW: 2):

Not the best start to the week for Markieff with an ejection in New York early on and ETC ETC. Kieff came back in a big way last night, though, going for 17 points on just 10 shots by the 6 minute mark in the 2nd Quarter against the Lakers. He was getting anything and everything he wanted, playing with a mean streak, especially when Ryan Kelly tried to defend him, drawing 3 fouls early and making the Dukie look, well, like dookie. He ended the day with 24 points on just 14 shots along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists in just 29 minutes of play.

4. Thomas Robinson (Portland Trailblazers) (LW: 11):

Thomas was able to get another 10+ minutes of run in the first game back after his exile from the rotation ended against Orlando, as mentioned in the other piece, this time in a win against Boston. He wasn't nearly so effective as the game before, but there also was little to complain about with a no turnover game in which he went 1 for 3. Last night against the Cavaliers I was very impressed by his play, especially with a killer dump-off inside for an and-1 and a few great blocks, though a couple seem to have caught the statisticians sleeping, still, he ended with 12 minutes, 2-3 shooting, 6 rebounds, a steal, and the aforementioned blocks. He's gonna need to start hitting his Free Throws if he wants to be in the 4th Quarter any longer though, as he looked very stiff at the line. Interesting stat: the Blazers are 19-1 in games in which Thomas plays at least 10 minutes. (I'm sure there are some confounding variables in that, but still, that's pretty interesting in my view.)

There was this: http://twitpic.com/dse7re (via @danecarbaugh)

Related: http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/call-game-lightning-bottle (Let me know if that one works)

5. Nick Collison (OKC Thunder) (LW: 5):

After playing 30 minutes last week against the Jazz, Nick only played about 15 in each of the Thunder's three games this week, and wasn't particularly effective outside of his game against the Bucks in which he went 2-3 from the floor.

6. Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls) (LW: 6):

Not the best week in terms of shooting percentage, but Kirk continued to play about 30 minutes a night in his starting spot as the Bulls went 3-1. 11-38 from the field isn't anything special, but a 20:7 A:TO ratio with some W's isn't so bad either.

7. Brandon Rush (Utah Jazz) (LW: 10):

Three games with minutes in the teens and twenties for Brandon, not a ton of production with them, but he's made his last 4 shots and contributed some in about every bit of the box score, totaling 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals for the week.

8. Ben McLemore (Sacramento Kings) (LW: 7):

Ben left the game last night with a sprained ankle after putting up a big block to end the first quarter, but not much else, the Kings have continued to showcase Marcus Thornton as a starter with a view toward trading him sometime near the deadline, and with Ben's relatively cold streak going on, it's probably not a bad strategy. It's amazing to me how not a single perimeter player drafted this year has really shot well this season, excepting maybe Hardaway Junior for the Knicks.