30. Washington Wizards (10-53)
Previous week ranking: 30th
The Wizards got a win…over the Charlotte Hornets at home. They were on a franchise record losing streak of 16 games before this W. Does anyone think it is possible they lose the next 19 games to go 10-72? Regardless, they are the first Eastern Conference team to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs already.

29. Detroit Pistons (10-52)
Previous week ranking: 29th
If you are a Detroit fan and still watching Pistons games, I applaud you. And as a Process Sixers fan, I can empathize with a fellow 10-win team. At least the Red Wings will likely make the playoffs, right?

28. Charlotte Hornters (15-48)
Previous week ranking: 28th
Can you have a worse week than losing to the worst team in the NBA on a 16-game losing streak? Charlotte continues to hold the lead for worst point differential at -10.4 and the Wizards actually beat them by 12 points, so there is that.

27. Portland Trailblazers (17-45)
Previous week ranking: 26th
Last week the Trailblazers were riding high on a two-game win streak against the garbage Memphis Grizzlies. This week, they regressed to the mean, taking three losses to the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Rockets. Unfortunately, coming up this week will be the Boston Celtics who are desperate to pummel some team after two losses.

26. San Antonio Spurs (13-50)
Previous week ranking: 25th
The Wemby slander following the Houston Rockets game was a little much. Alperin Sengun did give Victor the business, not just on the offensive end of the floor where he scored 45 points, but also on the defensive end. Still, the Rockets fans know, regardless of what they tweet, that they would take Wemby over Sengun in a heartbeat if offered.

25. Memphis Grizzlies (22-42)
Previous week ranking: 27th
Memphis knocked off the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers on a brief road trip and even with the latter being diminished without Joel Embiid, this was a surprise. The Grizzlies seem to have tapped into something on defense as they have held teams to an average of 104 points per game in their last four games.

24. Utah Jazz (28-35)
Previous week ranking: 24th
Utah’s record is sneaky better than I thought. Technically they are 5.5 games out of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, but a look ahead at their schedule should not make anyone optimistic. The next six games are against the Nuggets, Celtics, Hawks, Timberwolves, Timberwolves, and Thunder. Buena suerte.

23. Toronto Raptors (23-40)
Previous week ranking: 22nd
The Raptors took an absolute hammer on the chin from the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Toronto fans that came out to see that should get refunded because they showed up which is more than the players can say. No one is expecting the Raptors to win this game, or win much at all, but look like you are trying.

22. Brooklyn Nets (25-38)
Previous week ranking: 21st
It is taking everything in me not to express my true feelings about Ben Simmons being shut down for the season. Look as a human being, he has been through the wringer the last few years. As someone who watched him in Philly turn his back and take no accountability, karma appears a real thing.

21. Houston Rockets (28-35)
Previous week ranking: 23rd
Houston is 3-1 in March and the only loss came in a truly hard-fought game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Watching that game it seemed like Houston was the better team for much of the night, but being on the back half of a home and away back-to-back showed itself in the fourth quarter.

20. Atlanta Hawks (29-34)
Previous week ranking: 20th
The Hawks got a little heater going down in the ATL! They knocked off the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden and then played the next day in Atlanta against the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference the Cleveland Cavaliers and beat them too. After taking down the Grizzlies the Hawks have won three straight.

19. Chicago Bulls (35-28)
Previous week ranking: 19th
Another team that won three straight this week is the Chicago Bulls. Two of those wins were surprising over the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors. Chicago and Atlanta are fighting it out at the bottom of the Play-In seedings.

18. Golden State Warriors (33-29)
Previous week ranking: 16th
Two words the Golden State Warriors hate more than “Draymond suspended” are “Curry ankles”. Steph has had ankle issues that have caused him to be sidelined over the years and this week he tweaked his right ankle driving to the hoop. Golden State cannot afford Curry to be sidelined for too long.

17. Philadelphia 76ers (35-28)
Previous week ranking: 14th
As was expected, the Sixers have dropped into the Play-In Tournament 7-seed after going 3-7 in their last ten games. A couple of months ago this team was making a surge for the 2-seed and their fortunes have drastically turned. However, the silver lining is if, and it is a big if, Embiid is fully healthy by the start of the playoffs, the Sixers should fear no one outside of the Boston Celtics.

16. Indiana Pacers (35-29)
Previous week ranking: 18th
Indiana versus Minnesota was one of the best games of the past few weeks and arguably had the best ending of the NBA season. Unfortunately, the Pacers were on the wrong end of this outcome. Can they make a push for the top six spots in the East with just 18 games remaining?

15. Dallas Mavericks (35-28)
Previous week ranking: 15th
After a good start and middle of the season, the Mavericks appear to be going in the wrong direction. Luka Doncic is averaging 34.6 points per game, more than three points higher than SGA in second. Doncic is not getting much MVP talk and maybe it is due to his production not equating to wins for his team.

14. Los Angeles Lakers (35-30)
Previous week ranking: 17th
The Lakers’ win over the Bucks on Friday without LeBron James was inspiring. Dame had the ball in his hand with the clock winding down which normally is bad news for opposing teams, but Spencer Dinwiddie blocked Lillard’s game-winning shot attempt. Would you take the Lakers in a first-round playoff series over the Oklahoma City Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves?

13. New York Knicks (37-26)
Previous week ranking: 13th
Jalen Brunson returned for the Knicks and the team returned to their winning ways. The Knicks smothered a red-hot Orlando Magic team and held them to just 74 points (yes that is for four quarters). Is it back to orange and blue skies in the Big Apple?

12. Miami Heat (35-28)
Previous week ranking: 9th
Coming into this week the Heat were arguably the hottest team in the league over the last ten games. Then they met two of the better Western Conference teams on the road, Dallas and Oklahoma City, and took two L’s. A matchup with the Wizards should allow the Heat to get an easy win.

11. Sacramento Kings (36-36)
Previous week ranking: 10th
Sacramento beat the Lakers and Spurs this week on back-to-back nights. In LA, De’Aaron Fox shined matching a career-high with 44 points. The following night, Domantas Sabonis sealed the win behind 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 9 assists. The two non-All-Stars are exacting their revenge.

10. Orlando Magic (37-27)
Previous week ranking: 8th
In October, no one was picking the Orlando Magic to make the playoffs, let alone climb toward the top. Yet six short months later, the Magic are only a half-game out of the 4-seed which would allow them to host a first-round playoff series. The Wagner brothers and Paolo Banchero are here to stay.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers (41-22)
Previous week ranking: 11th
By record, the Cavs are the second-best in the Eastern Conference, although the Bucks are closing fast. It was an impressive week for Cleveland as they took down the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves, the best teams in their respective Conferences.

8. Phoenix Suns (37-26)
Previous week ranking: 12th
As we approach the playoffs, it is time to pay more attention to the Phoenix Suns. The regular season is all well and good, but it is well-known that the playoffs are a different beast. With some inexperienced teams atop the Western Conference, the Suns will be dangerous come the postseason.

7. New Orleans Pelicans (38-25)
Previous week ranking: 7th
Through three games in March, the Pelicans are averaging over 123 points per game and have won all three. The most exciting news coming out of New Orleans may have been off the floor when Zion said he would compete in the dunk contest if he was voted an All-Star. Lock of the century is Adam Silver making sure Zion is an All-Star next season.

6. Milwaukee Bucks (41-23)
Previous week ranking: 4th
Riding a six-game win streak, Milwaukee appeared to have turned things around. Their defense was the improvement since Doc Rivers’ hiring, however, the team must’ve forgotten the message as the Warriors and Lakers put up 125 and 123, respectively in wins over the Bucks this week. The Warriors win was by 35 points. Do not trust Milwaukee.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (44-20)
Previous week ranking: 6th
If I had an MVP voting ballot, Anthony Edwards would be at the top of it! This is not recency bias, this is just watching him play with my eyes. The composure after missing a free throw to rush back on defense to make a game-winning block at the buzzer. If you did not see this block, stop reading this and look it up now. Edwards hit his head on the rim and it was undoubtedly the most athletic thing I have seen on a basketball court since LeBron’s legendary block in the NBA Finals.

4. LA Clippers (40-21)
Previous week ranking: 5th
This year seems to be the Clippers’ best chance at winning the title. Kawhi, PG, and Harden are all playing at an All-Star level and more importantly are all healthy. If general basketball fans are excited about this team, can you imagine what Steve Ballmer is like on a day-to-day basis with this team?

3. Denver Nuggets (43-20)
Previous week ranking: 3rd
Denver versus Boston was possibly the NBA Finals preview this week and it did not disappoint. The game went right down to the wire with Nikola Jokic outplaying Jayson Tatum to give Denver the win. This was a needed bounceback for the Nuggets after they blew a 22-point lead to the Suns in the game before.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (44-19)
Previous week ranking: 2nd
The Thunder remain 2nd in this week’s Rankings and I am sure that may cause some disagreement. They are first in the Eastern Conference, having won three of their last four games, and hold the second-best point differential in the league at +7.6. Using the eye test though, there is still one team better than them in my opinion.

1. Boston Celtics (48-14)
Previous week ranking: 1st
Did you think back-to-back losses by the Celtics would knock them off the top spot in The Rankings? In fairness, there was a lot of consideration, but this is not a hot take or reactionary site. The Boston Celtics are still the best team in the NBA, full stop. Great teams can get bored at times during the season and the Celtics got bored this week. Expect a bounce back this upcoming week.