1
|
Thunder
|
OKC has won 16 of 17 and is fully healthy with the postseason a few weeks away. The Thunder are the deepest and most defensively dominant team in the league, and they’re peaking at the right time.
|
—
|
61-16
|
2
|
Spurs
|
San Antonio has won 27 of its last 29 games. Victor Wembanyama is openly lobbying for MVP, and for good reason. He probably hasn’t played enough minutes to win the award unless the Spurs somehow pass OKC for the No. 1 seed, which is unlikely.
|
—
|
59-18
|
3
|
Nuggets
|
Denver has won seven straight. The defense would currently rank as the worst among all teams slated to be in the postseason, but Aaron Gordon is back and he changes that side of the ball quite a bit. A legit threat to win the West.
|
1
|
49-28
|
4
|
Celtics
|
Jayson Tatum was named Eastern Conference player of the week. Jaylen Brown just put up 43 on the Heat. Boston is one of two teams to register inside the top four in both offensive and defensive rating, has won eight of 10 and is a virtual lock for the East’s No. 2 seed.
|
1
|
51-25
|
5
|
Pistons
|
It looks like Cade Cunningham is going to miss the rest of the regular season, but the Pistons have won seven of nine since he went out with a collapsed lung. Boston is everyone’s East favorite now, but let’s not forget who’s been the best team in the conference all season.
|
3
|
56-21
|
6
|
Lakers
|
Luka Dončić has a major case for MVP, but he left the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Thunder on Thursday with a hamstring injury that could threaten his MVP eligibility if he is unable to play again in the regular season (he’s played in 64 games and needs to get to 65).
The Lakers have won 16 of their last 19, with several quality wins in this stretch. But Dončić’s health is now the only thing that matters.
|
1
|
50-27
|
7
|
Cavaliers
|
The Cavs have won seven of nine. The offense is a beast, operating at what would be a league-best level with James Harden on the floor, but the defense is the question as they continue to angle for the East’s No. 3 seed.
|
—
|
48-29
|
8
|
Timberwolves
|
The Wolves are one of the toughest teams to read in the league. They have had a few stretches where they’ve looked like contenders, and they get the benefit of the doubt for having made two straight West finals, but every time you think this team is for real, they give you a bunch of reasons for pause. By the way, Anthony Edwards is now ineligible for All-NBA as he won’t make the 65-game threshold.
|
2
|
46-30
|
9
|
Knicks
|
You have to imagine the Knicks at their absolute best to see a contender, and it’s been there in stretches. They’ve lost three of the last four, and the win was a who-cares job against Memphis. The bullet points are covered: Legit No. 1 in Jalen Brunson, a No. 2 in Karl-Anthony Towns who can play like a No. 1, a ton of wings with a true stud in OG Anunoby, Deuce McBride, an all-time offensive rebounder, is back, and a top 10 defense since Jan. 1. Can it all come together at the right time, and stay together for multiple series? We’ll see.
|
—
|
49-28
|
10
|
Rockets
|
I’m not buying anything about this team as a contender. Sometimes clutch numbers are deceiving for their small sample and circumstantial randomness, but the Rockets being a mess at the end of close games tells a real story. They are way too predictable and stagnant, and in the end, almost entirely reliant on Kevin Durant making tough shots, if he can even escape the double teams in the first place.
|
1
|
47-29
|
11
|
Hornets
|
If you’re not taking the Hornets seriously, I don’t know what to tell you. They’re 24-8 over their last 32 games. Since Jan. 1, they register as the league’s No. 1 offense and No. 4 defense. The starting lineup is blistering opponents by more than 30 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass. There isn’t a team in the East that wouldn’t be very concerned about having to play the Hornets in the first round.
|
1
|
41-36
|
12
|
Hawks
|
At a certain point, you have to honor a stretch of 17 wins in 19 games. It came mostly against an extremely soft schedule, but these last two wins over Boston and Orlando add real credibility to a Hawks team that is up to the East’s No. 5 seed.
|
4
|
44-33
|
13
|
76ers
|
Philly had a great win in what was a great game against Charlotte last Saturday, with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George combining for 81 points. That was a playoff-type game. The Sixers are in the top six for now and trail the No. 5 Hawks by just one game (though Atlanta does own the tiebreaker).
|
—
|
42-34
|
14
|
Raptors
|
The Raptors were a top 3 or 4 seed in the East for much of the year, and it was hard to buy them on that level. Now they’re fighting to stay out of the Play-In, where they currently reside, and that feels more in line with a fine team but not a good one by playoff standards. I would be very surprised to see them past the first round, if they even make it that far in the first place.
|
—
|
42-34
|
15
|
Suns
|
Dillon Brooks has been back for two games and the Suns have lost them both. The wheels are coming off a bit with eight losses in their last 11 games, and two of the three wins in that stretch came against the tanking Grizzlies and Jazz.
|
3
|
42-35
|
16
|
Clippers
|
The Clippers have won five of seven, using a soft schedule to do so. They got slapped by San Antonio on Thursday. They’re battling to stay above the second Play-In game, but honestly, I think we’re all more interested in how this Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration investigation is going to turn out.
|
1
|
39-38
|
17
|
Trail Blazers
|
The Blazers have won eight of 10 and are knocking on the Clippers’ door for the No. 8 seed, which is a big deal as it means they would have two chances to win one Play-In game and secure a playoff spot.
|
2
|
40-38
|
18
|
Magic
|
The Magic have lost eight of 10 at the worst possible time. They took a 52-point drumming at the hands of the Raptors. Now they are battling to just stay out of the second Play-In game. This just isn’t their year.
|
1
|
40-36
|
19
|
Heat
|
Just like Orlando, the Heat have lost eight of 10, completely erasing the good vibes of a seven-game win streak and Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game. Miami would face the Magic in a one-and-done Play-In game if the postseason were to start today.
|
1
|
40-37
|
20
|
Warriors
|
The Warriors continue to say Stephen Curry is coming back with the goal to be on the court against the Rockets on Sunday. Why? The Warriors have no chance to do anything in the playoffs, but they do have a chance to get a little lucky and grab a mid-to-high lottery pick. Prioritizing winning right now is just the wrong move in the big picture.
|
1
|
36-41
|
21
|
Pelicans
|
New Orleans has lost six straight, which does them no good as they owe their first-round pick this summer to either the Hawks or the Bucks. There is a lot of talent on this team and James Borrego is coaching to prove he deserves to be the man to lead it next season.
|
1
|
25-52
|
22
|
Bulls
|
Chicago has lost seven of eight. If the season ended today, it would be in line for the No. 9 or 10 pick with approximately a 20% chance of jumping into the top four.
|
—
|
29-47
|
23
|
Mavericks
|
Dallas’ most likely draft spot would be anywhere from 6-8 if we stopped right now. Last year, they had less than a 2% chance of landing No. 1 overall and it happened. This year, they are looking at somewhere from a 6-9% chance depending on where they finish up.
|
—
|
24-52
|
24
|
Bucks
|
The Bucks get the lesser pick of the Pelicans’ first-rounder and their own. If odds hold, that means they will be keeping their own and most likely drafting around No. 9 or 10. They would love to finish below Chicago and grab what would be an almost 7% higher chance of moving up into the top four on lottery night.
|
—
|
30-46
|
25
|
Grizzlies
|
Memphis has the eighth-worst win percentage entering play on Friday with a chance to “climb” to the sixth-worst by season’s end. That’s a big difference, from a 26-37% chance of moving into the top four.
|
—
|
25-51
|
26
|
Jazz
|
Utah is 1-9 over its last 10 and is on Sacramento’s heels for the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 pick.
|
—
|
21-56
|
27
|
Kings
|
Sacramento picked a bad time to win four of its last 10. Nice work. You’ve fallen out of the bottom three for the time being and will have to settle for a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 pick.
|
—
|
20-57
|
28
|
Pacers
|
Indiana’s pick is top-four protected, and right now would have a maximum of 52.5% chance of keeping that pick. If it falls below No. 4, the Pacers would then need it to fall to at least No. 9 to keep it. If it falls between No. 5 and 9, it goes to the Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac deal.
|
2
|
18-58
|
29
|
Nets
|
The Nets are tied with Indiana for the second-worst record with two major tank-off games remaining against the Wizards and Pacers.
|
1
|
18-58
|
30
|
Wizards
|
Washington has the worst record in the league with 20 losses in its last 21 games. This is how you do it. Mathematically, the Wizards could still fall as far as the fifth-worst odds for the No. 1 pick, but that is unlikely.
|
1
|
17-59
|
