30. Utah Jazz (15-54)
Previous Week Ranking: 30th
After plummeting to the worst Ranking last week, the Jazz continues their losing streak which is now active at 10 straight losses. Utah’s misfortune (or more likely fortune) has now sunk them below the Wizards for the worst record in the NBA.

29. Charlotte Hornets (17-50)
Previous Week Ranking: 29th
Charlotte would likely be the most fun place to see Cooper Flagg end up next year. The vibes in the city would be a change of scenery for the Duke big man and pairing him alongside LaMelo could help his NBA development. Whether he is the perfect on-court fit for the current Hornets’ roster is debatable, but they are so bad it does not even matter.

28. New Orleans Pelicans (18-51)
Previous Week Ranking: 26th
As good as Zion Williamson is in the rare times he is on the court, it is not enough to propel this embarrassment of a team. New Orleans has lost 7 of their last 8 games, most recently a 127-81 blowout loss to Detroit. And if that was not bad enough, they lost Tre Murphy for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

27. Philadelphia 76ers (23-45)
Previous Week Ranking: 27th
The Rankings will ask the question that is on the top of everyone’s mind this morning: Now that Paul George is shut down for the season, will he resume his podcast? Let’s hope for everyone’s sake the answer is still no. As an aside, if anyone is still watching 76ers basketball games, you have gotten to see Quentin Grimes absolutely ball out. Straight greenlight for the shooting guard.

26. Washington Wizards (15-52)
Previous Week Ranking: 28th
Since no one probably saw the Wizards versus Trailblazers game the other night, let us fill you in. Washington clearly tanked by keeping Poole and Middleton sidelined late in the game to ensure they lost. Saying that the Wizards had to try to lose a game seems laughable, but they are no longer in the driver’s seat for the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes and are trying to get back there.

25. Brooklyn Nets (23-45)
Previous Week Ranking: 25th
It probably comes as no surprise that the Nets score the second-fewest points per game in the NBA at 105 per game. The only team worse is the Orlando Magic. Fun fact though, the Magic actually play defense and only have a -1.4 point differential. For the lowly Nets, multiply that by at least 4x.

24. Miami Heat (29-39)
Previous Week Ranking: 22nd
What is happening in the 305? Miami has lost 8 straight games and appears to be tanking following the departure of Jimmy Butler. The unfortunate news for the Heat is that even with an embarrassing 8 losses in a row, they are still 5.5 games ahead of Toronto for the last Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference.

23. Toronto Raptors (24-45)
Previous Week Ranking: 24th
Whether the Raptors can catch the Heat with only 13 games remaining, is yet to be seen. Before this week, Toronto had won 6 out of 7 games and their backcourt has been playing (relatively) impressive basketball. They took losses to the Blazers and Suns this week, the latter which was a 40-point beating.

22. San Antonio Spurs (28-39)
Previous Week Ranking: 23rd
Go back a few weeks, and The Rankings predicted De’Aaron Fox would be shut down soon. San Antonio is sitting the guard for the rest of the season with a finger injury. The injury is real, but the convenience of it cannot be ignored. Wemby, Fox, and a young star in this upcoming draft are hoping to reshape the NBA landscape in a few year’s time.

21. Orlando Magic (32-37)
Previous Week Ranking: 21st
Orlando has not been a good team in the second half of the NBA season. However, they were able to get a big victory on Sunday night as they ended the league-leading Cavaliers’ winning streak at 16 games. As is the case in all of the Magic’s wins, Franz and Paolo led the team on both ends of the floor.

20. Chicago Bulls (29-39)
Previous Week Ranking: 19th
The Bulls seem to have hit their stride lately and moved up to 9th in the Eastern Conference with Miami’s plummeting. Do not expect Chicago to do anything in the playoffs. Still, they won 5 of their last 6 games, with the only loss being by one possession to a red-hot Rockets team.

19. Dallas Mavericks (33-36)
Previous Week Ranking: 16th
Did you think that it couldn’t possibly get worse for the Dallas Mavericks? Well, apparently there is a place below rock bottom. Dallas is almost at their limit for games played by their two-way contract players, and without the financial ability to even sign a 10-day player, they are on the verge of forfeiting games. You read that right, without the league minimum of active players, unless players on IR get healthy, the Mavs will forfeit. There are no words.

18. Phoenix Suns (32-37)
Previous Week Ranking: 20th
As bad as the Suns record is, they are now only a game behind the Mavericks for the final Play-In spot in the Western Conference. As seen above, the Mavericks are absolutely going to lose/forfeit more games which makes it all but assured we will see Devin Booker and KD in meaningful postseason games. Can they turn it around in any capacity?

17. Portland Trailblazers (30-39)
Previous Week Ranking: 18th
There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel for Portland. They faced arguably one of the hardest five-game stretches which resulted in 5 consecutive losses. This week the Trailblazers got back on track with wins over the Raptors and Wizards. With more manageable games ahead, can Portland make a push to catch the Mavericks and Suns?

16. Atlanta Hawks (32-36)
Previous Week Ranking: 17th
Trae Young is well known for putting on shows in New York. The big stage suits him well, especially Madison Square Garden. Apparently in Brooklyn though, there is a stark contrast. Even as sorry as the Nets are, they have now beaten the Hawks six consecutive times at the Barclays Center, dating back to 2021.

15. Sacramento Kings (34-33)
Previous Week Rankings: 15th
The Kings got a welcome reprieve from their losing streak with a home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Sacramento is built to win games on offense and having only eclipsed 110 once in their last five games, they do not stand a chance to stack wins.

14. Indiana Pacers (38-29)
Previous Week Ranking: 14th
Indiana is about to take over the nickname of the “Cardiac Kids”. Everyone probably saw the highlight of Tyrese Haliburton scoring a 4-point play to life the Pacers over the Bucks last week. Fast forward a few games, and this time Obi Topping drilled a dagger for Milwaukee to beat Minnesota.

13. LA Clippers (38-30)
Previous Week Ranking: 13th
One team that may be getting ignored in the Western Conference is the Clippers. They are not flashy or sexy, but anchored by Big Zubac in the paint, and with veteran superstars leading the charge, LA should have its respect paid. They have won six of their last seven games and are climbing up the standings at the right time.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (43-26)
Previous Week Ranking: 11th
For as good as their regular season record is, expectations should be tempered for the Grizzlies. The youth and lack of interior size are Memphis’ biggest concerns as the season comes to a close. Unfortunately, they seem like a popular choice for a first-round playoff exit.

11. Detroit Pistons (38-31)
Previous Week Ranking: 10th
The Rankings are still riding with the Motor City Pistons as a legitimate team in the Eastern Conference. For all the hate Tobias Harris received in Philadelphia, he has been a welcome addition to Detroit. Cade Cunningham has earned his spot on an All-NBA team and can lead this team at least to the second round in the playoffs.

10. Milwaukee Bucks (38-29)
Previous Week Ranking: 9th
Milwaukee matched up with each of the Conference-leading teams over the last week plus and took two decisive losses. On paper, Giannis and Dame may be the headliners, but OKC and Cleveland are both built with the team first in mind. The balance other great teams have this year will likely be a mismatch for a star-led Bucks roster.

9. Houston Rockets (44-25)
Previous Week Ranking: 12th
After a few weeks of hate coming the Rockets’ way, they appear to have found a winning formula. Houston holds the longest active winning streak at 7 straight games. Looking ahead, there is a strong possibility they can extend this streak into the double digits.

8. New York Knicks (43-24)
Previous Week Ranking: 7th
The viral videos of KAT searching for fouls are just another piling on to a superstar who is thriving under even the brightest of lights. He has had New York firmly in the 3rd spot in the East most of the season and has been the most consistent player on the Knicks. When players start complaining about playing time though, that is when Thibs may need to take a hint.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-30)
Previous Week Ranking: 8th
Minnesota was an Obi Toppin near-buzzer beater away from being on a nine-game winning streak. Anthony Edwards has this team peaking at just the right time and the Timberwolves look very much like the team that made a run to last year’s Western Conference Finals. Beware of Dog!

6. Golden State Warriors (39-29)
Previous Week Ranking: 5th
Yet another team that was riding an extraordinary hot streak was the Golden State Warriors. They entered Monday’s matchup with the Nuggets having won seven straight and twelve of thirteen. It seemed like an easy win for Golden State as Jokic, Murray, and Braun were all sidelined with injuries. Combine Steph’s poor shooting night with a heroic performance by Russell Westbrook and the Warriors looked plain exhausted.

5. Los Angeles Lakers (42-25)
Previous Week Ranking: 6th
It is hard to fairly judge the Lakers until LeBron returns from his injury. Luckily, for Los Angeles, that return could come as early as this upcoming week. LeBron and Luka are ultra-talented and can figure out how to play with each other. However, to maximize the necessary chemistry to be a true title contender, the superstars will want as much on-court time as they can get before the playoffs start.

4. Denver Nuggets (44-25)
Previous Week Ranking: 4th
Denver has been waiting for the playoffs all year, similar to the Boston Celtics. These veteran perennial playoff teams get bored by the lengthy regular season. When the Nuggets beat Golden State behind impressive efforts by Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon, in the absence of Jokic and Murray, it provided even more confidence in this team’s ability to win.

3. Boston Celtics (49-19)
Previous Week Ranking: 3rd
The Celtics we have become accustomed to over the last five years appear to be back in form. Boston has won seven of their last eight games, and the only loss having come to the Oklahoma City Thunder. If a rivalry did not exist between these teams before that game, it does now. See the Thunder write-up for more.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-12)
Previous Week Ranking: 2nd
Over the last month and change, the Thunder have gone 19-3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is certifying his MVP season and is now in an elite company having scored 20+ points in 60 straight games. The other players on that list are Wilt, Oscar, Kareem, MJ, Kobe, and KD, all known by one name. To add to this impressive feat, following OKC’s win over Boston in Boston, Converse projected SGA’s signature logo on a number of buildings across the city, including on the TD Garden. The disrespect was real and that is one of the coldest moves ever!

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (56-11)
Previous Week Ranking: 1st
Well, after being Ranked 1st last week, the Cavaliers did end up losing, suggesting there is a curse for them topping The Rankings. The thing is, this seemed like a scheduling loss for Cleveland more than anything else. You really cannot win every game, and with a 7.5-game lead for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, it is remarkable they have the motivation that they show night in and night out.