Oklahoma City Thunder: Adjusted rankings

For years, I’ve used a rankings method for Big 12 basketball. Then I recently read where Denver Nuggets coach George Karl uses the same formula in the NBA, which he learned from iconic coach Doug Moe. Here’s the formula: you get a point for a road victory and you lose a point for a home loss.

What this method does is account for scheduling irregularities. The Thunder, for instance, has played twice as many home games (16) as road games (eight). Meanwhile, Denver has played just seven home games and 18 road games.

So how do the standings look accounting for the discrepancies? Here they are in the West:

1. San Antonio +9 (19-7)

2. Golden State +7 (16-8)

3. Denver +6 (13-12)

4. LA Clippers +5 (18-6)

5. Oklahoma City +4 (20-4)

5. Memphis +4 (16-6)

7. Minnesota +2 (12-10)

7. Utah +2 (13-12)

9. Dallas +1 (11-13)

10. Portland even (11-12)

11. LA Lakers -2 (11-14)

11. Houston -2 (12-12)

13. Phoenix -3 (10-15)

14. Sacramento (-6) 7-17

15. New Orleans -8 (5-18)

And now, the East:

1. New York +7 (18-6)

2. Indiana +3 (13-11)

3. Miami +2 (15-6)

3. Atlanta +2 (14-7)

5. Milwaukee +1 (12-10)

6. Brooklyn even (13-10)

6. Boston even (12-11)

6. Chicago even (13-10)

9. Orlando -1 (11-13)

10. Philadelphia -3 (12-12)

11. Toronto -4 (6-19)

12. Cleveland -5 (5-20)

13. Detroit -6 (7-20)

14. Washington -7 (3-18)

15. Charlotte -8 (7-16)

You can learn a lot from these rankings. Golden State seems legit, for one thing. Denver will be just fine. Miami and Atlanta have had scheduling breaks early. The Knickerbockers have not. Charlotte’s quick start was a mirage. Toronto isn’t as bad as it looks, which is important around here, since the Thunder has the Raptors’ first-round draft pick (top-three protected).