30. Washington Wizards (6-35)
Previous Week Ranking: 30th
Washington has racked up another double-digit losing streak this season with a current 10-game slide. The four games they lost this week were by a combined 52 points. At least you have the Commanders to cheer for in the Nation’s Capital.

29. Toronto Raptors (10-32)
Previous Week Ranking: 29th
It is unlikely any team will catch the Washington Wizards to get the highest odds for drafting Cooper Flagg. If any team can do it, Toronto may be the best. The Raptors are 3-17 in the last 20 games, and their margin of victory has continued to go in the wrong direction. They are at least young enough that a full rebuild is not necessary.

28. Utah Jazz (10-31)
Previous Week Ranking: 25th
This past week has been tough for the struggling Jazz. When they looked at this week and saw two matchups with the Pelicans and one with the Hornets, some optimism had to have crept in. It was quickly shut down as they went 0-3 against some of the worst teams in the league this year.

27. Brooklyn Nets (14-29)
Previous Week Ranking: 26th
67 points. That was the amount the Nets scored in 48 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers. They scored 16 points or less in 3 of 4 quarters and before you think it might have been a slow-paced game, just know the Clippers scored 126 points. LA won by 59(!!) points. The Nets should be last solely based on this embarrassment.

26. Portland Trailblazers (14-28)
Previous Week Ranking: 24th
For as disappointing as Scoot Henderson has looked this year, he has stepped up in the last few games. Maybe he is working to raise his trade value and try to leave Portland behind, which could benefit both sides. Portland has fallen far since the departure of Damian Lillard.

25. Charlotte Hornets (11-28)
Previous Week Ranking: 28th
The Hornets won all three games they played this week and LaMelo Ball remained the top All-Star vote-getter for guards in the Eastern Conference. The All-Star game is truly a television show and LaMelo brings the eyeballs with his game. Charlotte may be having a little come-up.

24. New Orleans Pelicans (12-32)
Previous Week Ranking: 27th
Speaking of come-ups, New Orleans is on a roll lately. The level of opponent competition is not the strongest, which is just what the Pels needed as the star players work their way back into playing shape. New Orleans has won 4 in a row and 7 of their last 10 games. It is likely too late for them, but it may change the strategy come the trade deadline.

23. Philadelphia 76ers (15-26)
Previous Week Ranking: 22nd
If any team benefits the most from the city’s NFL team still being in the playoffs, it is undoubtedly the Sixers. As long as the Eagles continue to consume 100% of the city’s sports attention, no one is aware of Joel Embiid being out indefinitely or the team being on a 6-game losing streak. At most, the Sixers have about three weeks left to start to turn things somewhat positive.

22. San Antonio Spurs (19-22)
Previous Week Ranking: 21st
At least one Spur will definitely be participating in All-Star weekend, and it may not be who you are thinking. Stephon Castle has committed to the Dunk Contest which has lost a lot of its allure in recent years. Since Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon, excitement has plummeted. In reality, Victor Wemabanyama is also guaranteed to be playing All-Star weekend and who would not want to see him go against the league’s best, regardless of the lack of competitiveness?

21. Chicago Bulls (19-25)
Previous Week Ranking: 23rd
Is Zach LaVine a top-5 shooting guard in the NBA today? Due to the Bulls’ struggles in recent years, LaVine has faced some unfair criticism, yet he continues to kill, especially on the offensive end. More respect needs to be put on his name, and hopefully, he can get traded to a title contender so we can see him ball out in meaningful games.

20. Golden State Warriors (21-21)
Previous Week Ranking: 20th
Steph Curry made headlines this past week when he recommended the front office not sacrifice too much for the current team to succeed. In a player’s league, that includes LeBron James constantly urging the Lakers to mortgage their future, this was a surprise. Curry’s sentiment seems genuine, but with him still playing at an elite level, Golden State may need to go all in for one more run even if it feels unlikely.

19. Dallas Mavericks (23-20)
Previous Week Ranking: 17th
Kyrie is back and looks in proper form. Until Luka Doncic returns though, the Mavericks are not a serious Western Conference contender. As mentioned last week, the hot start was extremely helpful for Dallas’ seeding. They will need a strong push after the All-Star break to set themselves up well for the postseason.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (22-21)
Previous Week Ranking: 16th
Minnesota being a .500 team really feels right. They win some games where you can see the high ceiling that this team and Anthony Edwards have. Then, they lost head-scratchers that have you questioning the team’s identity. Consistency is the name of the game for a team that may be getting too comfortable with regular-season losses.

17. Atlanta Hawks (22-20)
Previous Week Ranking: 19th
Week in and week out, the Hawks continue to confuse NBA fans. They went into the Boston Garden this week and beat the Celtics, and then played the Knicks competitively on the third game of a road trip. Atlanta can turn it on when needed, the problem is they play down to their competition more often than not.

16. Orlando Magic (23-21)
Previous Week Ranking: 9th
This may seem like a large drop in one week for a team at the top of its’ Conference, but Rankings 10 through 19 are all within a razor-thin margin at this point in the season. Orlando has lost 5 of its’ last 6 games in the most recent two weeks and is currently on a three-game losing streak. Those losses came to the Bucks, Celtics, and Nuggets, but they have been trending down with a mismatched roster due to injuries.

15. Phoenix Suns (21-21)
Previous Week Ranking: 18th
The chemistry between Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is undeniable and they have both been killing lately. The best move for the Suns is likely moving Bradley Beal for more complementary role players. Even with his no-trade clause, he has indicated there are teams he is open to being traded to: Lakers, Heat, and Nuggets, that have some assets the Suns could use.

14. Miami Heat (21-20)
Previous Week Ranking: 14th
If you were surprised to see Jimmy Butler suit back up for the Heat this season, join the majority of NBA fans. The NBAPA would have fought back against any extension of Butler’s suspension, still, it was weird seeing him on the court for Miami. It is also clear, he is not interested in playing the way he did when he wanted to be there. In his first two games back he has deferred a lot more than usual and looks much less aggressive. It’ll be in the best interest of both parties once Butler is moved.

13. Detroit Pistons (22-21)
Previous Week Ranking: 15th
Thought and prayers go out to the city of Detroit which suffered a huge loss this weekend as their top-seeded Lions lost in their first postseason game this year to the Washington Commanders. Jayden Daniels is a wagon right now, but the disappointment in Detroit is something they are sadly accustomed to. The Pistons are a much-improved team from last year, but nowhere near a serious contender.

12. Los Angeles Lakers (22-18)
Previous Week Ranking: 8th
LeBron said the Lakers need to play near-perfect basketball to win and that is where this team is this year. It is hard to disagree with him. When LeBron and Anthony Davis ball out, they are a force to be reckoned with. It is a lot to ask though for the two superstars to do it alone and the bench has been wishy-washy this season.

11. LA Clippers (24-18)
Previous Week Ranking: 13th
LA’s four-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt when they ran into a motivated Zach LaVine. The Clippers have had great production from James Harden and Norman Powell. With Kawhi back, some chemistry needs to be rebuilt, although LA is a dark horse to watch in the Western Conference.

10. Indiana Pacers (24-19)
Previous Week Ranking: 12th
Indiana went from an underperforming team early in the season to currently being the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have won 8 of their last 9 matchups and the only loss came to the Cavaliers in a back-to-back after they beat them the game before. This team is starting to resemble the one that made it to last year’s Conference Finals.

9. Sacramento Kings (22-20)
Previous Week Ranking: 11th
Doug Christie is all but guaranteed to be keeping the head coaching job in Sacramento. The franchise might as well sign him long-term already. The Kings look like a completely different team since the firing of Mike Brown. They have won 9 of their last 10 games and beaten the Celtics, Grizzlies, and Rockets in that span. I would not want to face this new-look Kings team.

8. Milwaukee Bucks (24-17)
Previous Week Ranking: 10th
Doc Rivers was fired and Dame was traded when this team started 1-6. Except a season is 82 games, and going 23-11 after that poor start, has the Bucks as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Because of the slow start, Giannis has not been discussed as highly as he should be in the MVP race. He is averaging a career-high 31.5 points per game, good for second in the league while grabbing 12 rebounds per game. Fear the Deer!

7. New York Knicks (28-16)
Previous Week Ranking: 4th
New York needed the win against the Atlanta Hawks yesterday. Trae Young loves to put on a show in the City that Never Sleeps and has owned the Knicks in their building lately. Jalen Brunson and KAT are arguably the best duo in the NBA and it will be interesting to see if this roster can perform when the games matter more.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (28-15)
Previous Week Ranking: 7th
For years after Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook left Oklahoma City, the Thunder moved in silence under the radar and are now the Best in the West. This year all the talk in the West is about the Thunder, and occasionally the Denver Nuggets. Memphis is quietly putting together a very impressive season. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies do not seem to mind and will be a force to be reckoned with come April.

5. Denver Nuggets (26-16)
Previous Week Ranking: 6th
Denver has won 6 of their last 7 games with an average margin of victory of 17.5 points per game. Russell Westbrook has found his role with this team and Jamal Murray is back to playing at the level we expect. Nikola Jokic could win the MVP award every year, and this team is looking scary good again.

4. Houston Rockets (28-14)
Previous Week Ranking: 5th
Houston was the only team to hand the Nuggets a recent loss as they continue to exceed preseason expectations. The young talent on this roster is obvious, but the maturity they have is the most important factor in their success. They play with an unselfishness beyond their years which is exactly what is needed to compete with teams that have more veteran players and stars than they do.

3. Boston Celtics (30-13)
Previous Week Ranking: 3rd
The Celtics got back to some winning ways this week finishing it off with a 40-point win at Golden State. Boston is a completely different team with Kristaps Porzingis on the floor and fully healthy and engaged they can handily beat anyone.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-6)
Previous Week Ranking: 1st
Ranking Cleveland 1st last week was a bit premature so apologies for the slight overreaction after they beat the Thunder. The Conference bests played again this week, this time in OKC, and the Cavs lost by 20 points. This time, the Thunder were not only without Chet Holmgren but also his frontcourt mate, Isaiah Hartenstein. Donovan Mitchell played horribly in both matchups which will likely not persist into the playoffs, but the Cavs confidently slid back to number 2 this week.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-7)
Previous Week Ranking: 2nd
See above! But in all reality, the Thunder re-established themselves as the team to beat this year. In their first matchup against the Cavs, when Hartenstein did play, they were outworked and dominated on the glass and in the paint by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Mark Daigneault deserves a ton of credit for game-planning against this in the rematch and rolling the team with the best record. Welcome back, OKC!