After a midseason funk, the Oklahoma City Thunder have reasserted themselves as the best team in the land, and any path to the Larry O’Brien Trophy goes through OKC. The Lakers are making the big leap this week, up to fifth.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
(53-15, last week No. 2)
The last few weeks have been a reminder that, for as much fun as the Spurs, Celtics and everyone else may be, every team is chasing the Thunder. Oklahoma City sets the bar and is back to looking like the dominant, best team in the land. OKC is 11-1 since the All-Star break and has won eight in a row with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in the lineup, and that includes beating Denver, Boston and Minnesota this past week. Part of this run is because the Thunder are getting healthy with Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein all back in the lineup — and they are still waiting on Jalen Williams. SGA may have locked up MVP with his play against Denver.
2. San Antonio Spurs
(49-18, last week No. 1)
San Antonio has won 17-of-19 and established itself as a clear title contender, and it’s not a shock that Victor Wembanyama has been leading that charge. In those 19 games, Wembanyama averaged 24.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, and he has shot 48% from 3-point range in his last six games. It’s just not fair. De’Aaron Fox has scored at least 20 points in four of the Spurs’ last six games. The Spurs are pretty locked in as the No. 2 seed, seven games up on the Lakers in third and with an outside chance to catch the Thunder for No. 1, but OKC would have to start losing in a way that is unlikely. Catch Wembanyama and the Spurs against the Clippers on Peacock NBA Monday.
3. Boston Celtics
(44-23, last week No. 3)
Boston lost twice last week but to the two teams above them in this ranking, so we’re not knocking them down for that. What Boston has in common with those two teams is that they draft and develop players exceptionally well — Hugo Gonzalez was selected 28th last June and has become a valuable part of the rotation, especially defensively. The Celtics need to get back to winning this week. They are the No. 2 seed in the East, up one game (two in the loss column) on the No. 3 seed Knicks, and Boston has a much tougher schedule the rest of the way. This week that includes facing Phoenix and Minnesota.
4. Detroit Pistons
(48-19, last week No. 5)
Looking ahead to the summer, there is one key thing to watch: How much does Detroit have to pay restricted free agent Jalen Duren? They couldn’t reach an extension before the season, now he’s an All-Star having the best season of his career, and about to get paid. Focusing on this season, Detroit still has a four-game lead over Boston for the No. 1 seed in the East, but games like Sunday’s loss to Toronto — or the ones in a recent four-game losing streak — mean the team has some work to do to hold on to that top spot. Fortunately, it’s a soft week in the schedule (two games against the Wizards, one against the shorthanded Warriors).
5. Los Angeles Lakers
(42-25, last week No. 12)
LeBron James returned this week and comfortably slid right into a role as the third option, and with that, the Lakers just kept on winning — with or without LeBron, they have won 8-of-9 and moved up to third in the West. They have done it with an improved defense, top 10 in the league over the last 10 games. That’s what sparked wins over Minnesota and New York this week. “We’re not gonna be the No. 1 defense in the league, but to be above average, have those two performances against those two teams back-to-back, is really encouraging,” JJ Redick said of the Lakers’ defense. Critical week coming up for the Lakers if they want to stay in the top three or four and host a playoff round. “We have a ridiculously hard six-game stretch here, starting tonight,” Redick said before the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Overtime on Saturday. The Lakers travel to Houston for games Monday — on Peacock NBA Monday — and Wednesday, with games on the road after that against the Heat, Magic and Pistons.
6. New York Knicks
(44-25, last week No. 4)
Getting the No. 2 seed is within reach for New York — it is just one game back of Boston for the spot and has a much easier schedule the rest of the way. After dropping games to both Los Angeles teams, New York fattened up on tanking teams (Utah, Indiana) or shorthanded ones (Golden State), and we’ll just ignore the fact that a couple of those games were a lot closer than they should have been. The soft schedule continues this week (Indiana, Brooklyn and Washington).
7. Cleveland Cavaliers
(41-27, last week No. 6)
Cleveland may be 10-4 with Harden in the lineup, but recent losses to Boston, Orlando and Dallas — especially Orlando, because that could be a 4/5 first-round matchup — were concerning, mostly because of how they happened. When it mattered, the Cavaliers played poor defense, they were getting blown by the point of attack, and generally there was not enough physicality. The Cavaliers sit as the No. 4 seed as of this writing, but are just one game up on the Magic. The one advantage for the Cavaliers is that they have the easiest remaining schedule of any team in the East.
8. Denver Nuggets
(41-27, last week No. 8)
Denver isn’t falling apart by any stretch, but its recent run of play isn’t exactly inspiring, either. The Nuggets had six straight games against some of the best in the NBA, and they went 3-3. Not bad, not inspiring. Tough losses to the Thunder and Lakers in that stretch sting. The good news is Aaron Gordon is back, but how much this team misses Peyton Watson and his athleticism has become clear — only increasing how much they will have to pay to keep him this summer.
9. Orlando Magic
(38-28, last week No. 11)
Orlando is 10-3 since the All-Star break and, with that, has shot up to fifth in the East and started to look more like the threat we all thought they were before the season started. Give some of that credit to Tristan Da Silva, who, since the All-Star Break, has thrived in a larger role with Franz Wagner out, averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds a game in that stretch while providing needed shooting — 46.3% from beyond the arc (5.2 attempts a game). Big tests for the Magic this week against the Hawks — part of Peacock NBA Monday — as well as facing the Thunder, Hornets and Lakers.
10. Miami Heat
(38-30, last week No. 9)
Almost a week later, it still boggles the mind — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in a single game. Bam scored more than Kobe. The only player to score more than Adebayo is Wilt Chamberlain, and he did it when Sean Connery was James Bond and battling Dr. No (1962). The key takeaway from that game — it was fun. Ignore the haters — Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley were right to be defiant. Every game with that many points (including Kobe’s 81) was manufactured to a degree. What Bam accomplished was a spectacle, it was historic, it was entertaining, Heat fans will long remember it, and it should be celebrated.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
(41-27, last week No. 7)
Minnesota has dropped 4-of-5 and is either a team that thinks it can flip the switch for the playoffs, or it’s not sure where that switch is. The Timberwolves are now the No. 6 seed in the West, and they have not fared well against potential first-round opponents (0-3 against the Lakers, the current matchup, and they are 1-3 vs. the Nuggets; they have only played the Rockets once, but lost). Minnesota needs to start racking up wins to stay in the top six in the West and avoid the play-in — No. 7 seed Phoenix is just 1.5 games back, and those two teams face off on Tuesday.
12. Houston Rockets
(41-25, last week No. 10)
Kevin Durant is averaging 26 points a game this season, which has him on track for his 18th straight season averaging 20+ points per game (this excludes the season he missed due to a torn Achilles), which moves him ahead of Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the 2nd-most 20+ points per game seasons in a career (LeBron James leads the list, this will be his 23rd such season). The Rockets sit fourth in a very tight West and have two key games against the Lakers — catch Monday night’s game on Peacock NBA Monday — then face hot teams in Miami and Atlanta at home. The Rockets need wins to hold on to a top-four spot and home court in the first round.
13. Atlanta Hawks
(36-31, last week No. 16)
Monday night on Peacock is a showdown between the two hottest teams in the East: The Hawks, winners of nine straight, and the Magic, winners of seven in a row. This run from the Hawks has given a team that looked destined for the play-in a shot at the top six — Atlanta is still the No. 9 seed in the East but is now just two games back of Toronto in sixth. The Hawks are just half a game back of the banged-up 76ers and moving into the top eight in the East, which is a much easier path out of the play-in and into the playoffs. Atlanta senses the opportunity, can it grab it?
14. Toronto Raptors
(38-29, last week No. 15)
It remains difficult to get a feel for the Raptors. At a time when teams want to be gearing up and playing their best basketball heading toward the postseason, Toronto has lost recent games to Orlando, Miami and New Orleans — then it turns around and beats Phoenix and Detroit. Jakob Poeltl had 21 points and 18 rebounds in the game, and when the Raptors are at their best, he is the hub of everything, the glue that makes this offense make sense.
15. Phoenix Suns
(39-28, last week No. 13)
This ranking may be a little too low for a team that has won 4-of-5 and is knocking on the door of the top six in the West. The Suns have held it together, going 6-4 with Dillon Brooks out with a fractured hand, although they have had some rough defensive outings in that stretch (like against Toronto, although they were at a rest disadvantage in that one). Phoenix is 2-1 so far on its six-game road trip, but things get tough the rest of the way, playing at Boston, at Minnesota — in a key game if the Suns want to get into the top six — and at San Antonio.
16. Los Angeles Clippers
(34-33, last week No. 18)
While SGA has drawn rightful praise for his record-setting 20+ point game streak, Kawhi Leonard has quietly set the Clippers record for that streak this season with 45 games, passing the Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo. The question now is how much time Leonard might miss due to a tweaked ankle (this was not announced as of this writing). The Clippers became the first team in NBA history to start the season 6-21 and get back to .500 at any point, and they did it with a 16-3 run in the past month. The Clippers sit eighth in the West and look like a playoff team, with Darius Garland finding his footing now as a starter and Bennedict Mathurin playing like someone demanding respect after a trade off a Finals team. Big measuring stick game Monday against San Antonio, and you can catch it on Peacock NBA Monday.
17. Charlotte Hornets
(34-34, last week No. 14)
Charlotte is going to make the play-in — making the postseason was a preseason goal for this team — but it doesn’t happen without the play of Kon Knueppel. He is the frontrunner now to win Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting 43.8% from 3-point range and having made more 3-pointers in a season than any rookie in NBA history. The Hornets have 9-of-10 at home coming up, a chance to move up in the standings, but it’s not easy out of the gate with the Heat and Magic being the first two teams coming to town.
18. Philadelphia 76ers
(34-31, last week No. 17)
The one guy still standing for Philadelphia deserves praise — VJ Edgecombe is having the kind of season that would win him Rookie of the Year a lot of years (but this year likely lands him third). He leads all rookies, playing 35 minutes per game, he’s third among rookies in scoring (15.3 points per game, behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel) and fourth in assists (3.8 per game). The rookie also has words for the people doubting the 76ers, who have slid to eighth in the West (and were ninth before a win Sunday). “Everyone got something to say about this team. We don’t care, to be honest. We just want everyone to be healthy. Health is more important than anything. Just work, stay together, keep building chemistry.”
19. Portland Trail Blazers
(32-26, last week No. 20)
What matters most in Portland this past week is that the Oregon legislature approved money for the renovation of the Moda Center (while it was unlikely, the move alleviated any fears the new owners might want to move the team). Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, heads the group that bought the Trail Blazers, a needed change at the top that is another reason the long-term future in Portland seems bright.
20. Chicago Bulls
(27-40, last week No. 24)
Josh Giddey is on fire, with four triple-doubles in his last six games, and combine that with Matas Buzelis scoring a career-high 41 at Golden State last week, and you get a team with a couple of wins lately. Chicago is a team poised to play spoiler down the stretch — this team is not just rolling over and tanking, they play fast and teams are going to have to try to beat them.
21. Golden State Warriors
(32-35, last week No. 19)
The Warriors are 5-12 since Stephen Curry went out with his knee issues, they have fallen to the No. 9 seed in the West, and while there is speculation outside the locker room that the Warriors may want to just shut him down, Curry is having none of that, as he told Nick Friedell of The Athletic: “That’s not who we are. If we have stuff to play for, we play. So, I’m working to get back.”
22. New Orleans Pelicans
(22-46, last week No. 22)
It’s flown under the radar nationally, but Zion Williamson has been healthy most of the season and is playing well. Zion is averaging 21.4 points per game on 58.8% shooting and grabbing 5.9 rebounds a night. More importantly for his pocketbook, he was in his 51st game last week, meaning he is guaranteed at least $25.3 million next season under his incentive-heavy contract (which is heavily tied to games played). If he gets to 61 games played, he adds another $8.4 million to that guarantee. At this point, we should just assume he’s getting his full salary next year.
23. Milwaukee Bucks
(28-39, last week No. 21)
Following two losses to Atlanta (plus one each to Orlando and Miami) in the past two weeks, Milwaukee is 5.5 games out of the final play-in spot with 15 games remaining in the season — it’s time to pull the plug on the season and try to help the team’s draft position a little. The question is, will Giannis Antetokounmpo let them? Not that it matters much, they are 2-4 in the games he has played since his return from injury (and those wins were against tanking Utah and Indiana.
24. Dallas Mavericks
(23-45, last week No. 25)
Cooper Flagg looked more like his early-season self over the weekend, scoring 25 points and then 27 points in games against the Cavaliers (he also dished out 10 assists Sunday in a Mavericks’ win). Most importantly, he was getting downhill and into the paint again, looking fully recovered from his injury.
25. Sacramento Kings
(18-51, last week No. 28)
Winners of 4-of-5, with one of those coming against the Clippers on the road, however the one loss in that stretch was enough to officially eliminate them from making the play-in. The wins have come thanks to an improved defense during the stretch, plus DeMar DeRozan is playing well.
26. Utah Jazz
(20-48, last week No. 26)
As rough as this season has been on the court, it’s been better than last year — Utah has already won three more games than a year ago and has a net rating 1.8 points per 100 possessions better than a season ago. There is growth. This remains a team poised to make a leap next season, although for a week, hoops fans in Utah will be focused on BYU and Utah State in the NCAA Tournament.
27. Brooklyn Nets
(17-50, last week No. 27)
Can the Nets make any noise in the Brooklyn Bridge rivalry with the Knicks this week? The Nets have dropped 13 consecutive games to the Knicks, including 0-3 this season, with an average loss in those last three of 34.3 points. Yikes. The teams face off Friday Night at the Barclays Center.
28. Memphis Grizzlies
(23-43, last week No. 23)
Memphis doesn’t just lead the NBA in blown 10-point leads this season — 21 — they are now just one short of the all-time record of 22 (2016-17 Timberwolves and last season’s Heat). The Grizzlies have given up 120+ points in six straight games, have lost seven in a row, and have the toughest remaining schedule among Western Conference teams.
29. Washington Wizards
(16-50, last week No. 29)
As said by the great Nate Duncan, Washington’s record would be a lot better if they played as hard all season as they did in the last five minutes against Miami and Bam Adebayo. That said, the Wizards were (rightfully) embarrassed and bounced back with a good effort against the Magic. This is going to be a respectable team next season, but the final weeks of this one will be rough. The Wizards have dropped 11 straight and after playing the shorthanded Warriors on Monday, it’s a tough week with games against the Pistons, Thunder and Knicks.
30. Indiana Pacers
(15-53, last week No. 30)
Ivica Zubac is seeing real minutes since his return — 24+ in each of the last two games — and while the Pacrers are not winning (having dropped 13 in a row), there is real value in having the veteran big man acquired at the deadline out there, coach Rick Carlisle said: “It’s important that Andrew Nembhard and Zubac play together… We’re looking to introduce things that take advantage of Zu’s strengths, the guys he’s playing with. Now it’s just a matter of more time together in games.”
Read the full article here
