30. Utah Jazz (29-49)
Previous Ranking: 28th
Last week the Raptors were the team of my ire; this week it is the Jazz. The Jazz have 29 wins, substantially more than some of the league’s worst, however, they have been the worst-performing team as of late. Utah is on a 12-game losing streak. If you look at the teams they played, it is a gauntlet, but still, they have not looked to be competing. There may be some strategy in trying to keep picks that are partially protected which would make more sense considering their general manager is Danny Ainge. Regardless, the Jazz have been an embarrassment.

29. Detroit Pistons (13-65)
Previous Ranking: 26th
You are forgiven if you are not familiar with Malachi Flynn. Most NBA fans had not heard his name until this week when he put together one of the most improbable performances. Flynn scored 50 points and became the third player off the bench to ever surpass the 50 mark. Flynn had the lowest career points per game average, 5.2, at the time of his 50-point game. Will this be enough to keep him out of the G-League next year?

28. Washington Wizards (15-64)
Previous Ranking: 27th
The Wizards set a franchise record this week! Washington fans must be so proud to have seen the most losses in a single season in franchise history. This Wizards team has been the worst the nation’s capital has seen ever, and honestly I did not need a record to tell me that.

27. Charlotte Hornets (19-59)
Previous Ranking: 25th
Charlotte handed Orlando one of its few losses as of late this week. They also played the Thunder relatively competitively, even if OKC was missing two of its three best players. It is nice to see the Hornets have not completely mailed it in just yet.

26. Portland Trailblazers (21-57)
Previous Ranking: 29th
Two good things happened for Portland this week. The first was ending a ten-game losing streak with wins over the Hornets and Wizards. The second, is less applicable to Portland as a franchise, but their head coach Chauncey Billups was selected to the 2024 NBA Hall of Fame class.

25. Toronto Raptors (25-53)
Previous Ranking: 30th
The Raptors got off my hate list after their 15-game losing streak ended this past week. Toronto finished the week with wins over the Bucks and Wizards. The Bucks win might seem somewhat impressive, yet Milwaukee has been playing like one of the worst team’s in the league lately. Congrats on not being 30th Toronto.

24. San Antonio Spurs (19-59)
Previous Ranking: 24th
One of my favorite things to do lately is check Victor Wembanyama’s box score following every game. The statistics this teenager(!) continues to stack up would be impressive for a veteran All-Star player. The big offseason question is if the Spurs will be active this offseason to try and be competitive by as early as next season.

23. Memphis Grizzlies (27-51)
Previous Ranking: 23rd
Memphis continues to field a G-League roster towards the end of the season. The injured list for the Grizzlies now includes Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. It is hard to be competitive when your entire starting five entering the season is not available to play.

22. Brooklyn Nets (31-48)
Previous Ranking: 22nd
Is there a possibility Ben Simmons will retire this offseason? The injury-plagued former All-Star played only 15 games this season and when on the floor his impact does not seem to be what it used to be early in his career. Simmons has fallen a long way from being nicknamed “Baby LeBron” at LSU.

21. Houston Rockets (38-40)
Previous Ranking: 14th
A lot can change in a week, and no team knows that better than the Houston Rockets. Four games and four losses later, they are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Head coach, Ime Udoka, essentially called his team soft and said they were not ready for the moment. Expect Houston to be active with free agents this offseason.

20. Atlanta Hawks (36-42)
Previous Ranking: 20th
Atlanta and Chicago are locked into the 9th and 10th seeds for the Play-In meaning they will matchup for a loser goes home matchup early next week. The only question is where the game will be played. Both teams are better at home, yet the variance is greater for the Hawks. With four games left, and trailing by one game, can they secure a home-court game versus the Bulls?

19. Chicago Bulls (37-41)
Previous Ranking: 19th
The Bulls beat the Timberwolves and Knicks this week, showing that on any given night, this team has the grit to win against good teams. With the one-and-done situation in the Play-In, Chicago should not be written off.

18. Golden State Warriors (43-35)
Previous Ranking: 18th
For a team that has Steph Curry, anything is still possible, right? Steve Kerr and the Warriors sure hope so, but this just feels like dragging out the inevitable for an extra week or so. Golden State is not a title contender this season and they have a lot to figure out this offseason to try to bridge the gap to the next generation.

17. Miami Heat (43-35)
Previous Ranking: 17th
It is the time of year that South Beach, players and fans, start paying attention to basketball in their city. Miami lost two big games this week to the Sixers and the Pacers, the two teams they are battling with to avoid the Play-In. If it could hurt more, the two losses were by a total of 6 points.

16. Cleveland Cavaliers (46-33)
Previous Ranking: 12th
Cleveland suffered a stunning loss to the Clippers, a game in which they held a 26-point lead in the third quarter. The Cavs look like a team that will have a swift first-round exit to whoever they play. For a team that was in 2nd a month ago, a Play-In spot is still a possibility.

15. Milwaukee Bucks (47-31)
Previous Ranking: 6th
I wonder if Milwaukee and Doc Rivers think the playoffs have already started because they are falling off a cliff. The Bucks were an embarrassment this week. They lost to the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Raptors all in succession. Somehow they still hold the 2nd seed in the East, but seeding will not matter to a team that cannot beat the worst NBA teams.

14. New Orleans Pelicans (46-32)
Previous Ranking: 7th
NOLA picked the wrong time to drop a string of games. They were on the verge of a first-round series at home in New Orleans before they lost four straight, including a loss to the Spurs. Now they sit in the 7th seed and the Play-In and three of their remaining games are against the 8th, 9th, and 10th seeds in the West. The Pelicans could fall even further if they do not figure out their issues.

13. Los Angeles Lakers (45-34)
Previous Ranking: 15th
The Lakers are hoping for a playoff run like last season where they snuck in and then made it to the Western Conference Finals. As it stands now, LA would face Golden State in the first Play-In elimination game. Would you take the Thunder or Timberwolves over the Lakers or Warriors in a 7-game series?

12. Philadelphia 76ers (44-35)
Previous Ranking: 19th
If anyone doubted the impact of Joel Embiid on this Sixers team, his return to the court has proven his worth. Embiid is the league’s most valuable player to his team. Since his return, the Sixers are 5-0 and have looked like a completely different team on both ends of the floor. Outside of Boston, the Sixers may be the most dangerous challenger in the Eastern Conference.

11. Sacramento Kings (45-33)
Previous Ranking: 11th
It seems all Western Conference teams vying to move up in the standings have brutal schedules in the final week of the season. The Kings, who were briefly caught by the Lakers in the standings earlier in the week, finish the season with the Thunder, Pelicans, Suns, and Trailblazers.

10. New York Knicks (46-32)
Previous Ranking: 9th
The news came this week that Julius Randle will undergo season-ending surgery and Knicks fans everywhere were sick. New York appeared primed for a deep playoff run following their acquisitions of Bogdanovic and Anunoby, yet injuries continue to plague them. On top of that, these players are coached by Tom Thibodeau who is known to burn out his teams. Do they have enough left to show up in the playoffs?

9. Indiana Pacers (45-34)
Previous Ranking: 16th
The Pacers proved this week they are not just content holding off the Heat and Sixers to avoid the Play-In. Tyrese Haliburton is looking like the player we saw burst onto the scene during the In-Season Tournament. With the Cavs in free fall, Indiana is eyeing a higher seed this week.

8. Phoenix Suns (46-32)
Previous Ranking: 13th
Kevin Durant and the Suns hold the coveted 6th seed in the Eastern Conference after winning three of their last four games. They hold the tiebreaker over the Pelicans for the moment, but their remaining four games are the Clippers twice, the Kings, and the Timberwolves. Will they be able to stay out of the Play-In Tournament? This week will tell.

7. Orlando Magic (46-32)
Previous Ranking: 10th
Orlando is hard to rank week in and week out. I want to give them the respect they deserve, yet they still feel too young to be good in the playoffs. The thing is, they are only a game out of the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference! The Magic are getting wins when the rest of the East is struggling to get to the end of the regular season.

6. LA Clippers (50-28)
Previous Ranking: 8th
Paul George leading the Clippers to a 26-point comeback over the Cavaliers should scare Western Conference playoff teams. Cleveland has struggled as of late, but still George scored 23 points in the fourth quarter and snapped without Kawhi. LA can turn it on when they need to and are doing it at the right time.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder (53-25)
Previous Ranking: 4th
The Thunder have lost three of their last four games although it should be noted they have been without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams who were sidelined due to injury. Neither appears serious and OKC is doing the right thing by focusing more on health than seeding heading into the postseason.

4. Dallas Mavericks (48-30)
Previous Ranking: 5th
Dallas is the hottest team in the NBA and they still seem to be underrated and underreported nationally. They have won 10 of their last 11 games, and excluding the most recent matchup with the Houston Rockets, have surprisingly been winning games with defense. You read that right, in the previous 10 games the Mavericks, a team led by Luka and Kyrie, allowed 102 points per game.

3. Denver Nuggets (54-24)
Previous Ranking: 3rd
Last year, Denver had a home-court advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. With only four games left, and one incredibly key matchup against the Timberwolves this week, the Nuggets have a chance to top the Western Conference in back-to-back seasons. Make sure to tune in to ESPN on Wednesday at 10 PM.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves (54-24)
Previous Ranking: 2nd
Minnesota is in a heated battle with Denver to secure the top seed in the Western Conference. Luckily for the T-Wolves, they currently hold the tiebreaker. Can Anthony Edwards maintain his MVP level of play when the lights are brightest?

1. Boston Celtics (62-16)
Previous Ranking: 1st
Heading into the playoffs, the Celtics will have more pressure than any other team. Not only have they been #1 in The Rankings most of the year, but they have also been the best team in the NBA and held the best record for the majority of the season. Barring injury, it is Championship or bust for Boston.