Just a few games in a week against a tanking team can really spike the short-term numbers for a team, but who really deserves to be on top? We have no movement in the top 10 of our NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings this week.
1. San Antonio Spurs
(43-17, last week No. 1)
San Antonio holds on to the top spot despite the fact that Sunday's loss in New York was the Spurs' worst loss of the season. You can be sure other teams took note of how the Knicks attacked and spaced out Victor Wembanyama and they will follow suit. That said, don't read too much into one loss after San Antonio didn't lose a game in February, and they stay on top of these rankings because of the recent win over Detroit. Don't look for the Spurs to rest Wembanyama down the stretch of the season. He may have looked a little tired lately (three straight games under 40% shooting before looking better against the Knicks on Sunday, with 25 points and 13 rebounds). Part of the reason to play him is that the Spurs are chasing the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West — they need to make up three games with 22 games to play. The other part is that Wembanyama can only miss four more games and still be eligible for postseason awards (and he is on track to win Defensive Player of the Year and be in the top five in MVP voting).
2. Detroit Pistons
(45-14, last week No. 2)
JB Bickerstaff made his case for Cade Cunningham to be MVP. "Right now, again, if the season were to end today, the best player on the team with the best win percentage, to me, is the guy that deserves to be the MVP. What he does for us on both ends of the floor, he doesn't take nights, or times, or possessions off defensively. We'll put him on the other team's best perimeter player, and he'll go down on the offensive end and score his 25 points, but create for his teammates. He's second in the league in assists and makes his teammates better also. And, then the game's on the line, you can give him the ball, and he's one of the best clutch players we have in this league. So, I'm hard pressed to find a better example or statement of who the MVP should be."
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
(47-15, last week No. 3)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back and dropped 36 points on the Nuggets in his return and he didn't play in overtime (due to a minutes restriction). SGA missed nine games and the Thunder went 5-4, holding on to the top spot in the West, now three games up on the Spurs. Count me in the group that, despite the ejection, thought Lu Dort got off light for the cheap shot hip check into the sore knee of Nikola Jokic this weekend — that was not a basketball play. Fun showdown with the Knicks on Wednesday (unfortunately, the second night of a back-to-back for OKC).
4. Boston Celtics
(40-20, last week No. 4)
It's a bit unexpected, but the Celtics play at the slowest pace in the league: Their pace of 95.5 possessions per game is more than one possession less than any other team. Just 13.6% of their plays start in transition (third lowest in the league, via Cleaning the Glass). They make up for it by having the league's lowest turnover rate. Part of that is Payton Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, who has thrived since returning to that role after the trade deadline, averaging 19.8 points and 5.8 assists a game, shooting 45.1% from 3-point range. (Pritchard started 48 games to open the season, so he's not going to repeat as Sixth Man). It was great to see Neemias Queta have a huge game on NBC against the 76ers on Sunday, he has been fantastic all season, one of the key reasons Boston is a threat in the east (especially with Jayson Tatum possibly returning as early as this week) and he deserved the flowers on NBC's Sunday Night Basketball.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
(38-24, last week No. 5)
Cleveland made a statement win over the Knicks early in the week… and then they lost to Detroit (a respectable OT loss without Donovan Mitchell) and Milwaukee (not so respectable), then didn't look sharp beating Brooklyn. Reality is injuries are hitting the Cavs at a tough time, with Mitchell missing time and Harden playing through a finger fracture on his off hand. Only two games on the schedule this week but both are huge for East playoff seedings, with Cleveland hosting Detroit and Boston.
6. New York Knicks
(39-22, last week No. 6)
It's been a roller coaster week for the Knicks, but it ended on a high note. The Knicks' defense against San Antonio on Sunday — holding the Spurs to less than a point per possession, a 91.2 offensive rating — is what the Knicks need to do in the postseason if they want to reach the Finals. OG Anunoby was on another level. They slowed down a big, athletic, talented team. The low this week came on Tuesday, in a loss to the Cavaliers. Mike Brown was brought in to give New York an offense that wasn't as predictable as what Tom Thibodeau did (having Jalen Brown pound the ball out top). Brown installed a player-and-ball-movement system that, in theory, would work better in the playoffs. We're now three-quarters of the way through the NBA season what's clear is that the Knicks don't have the personnel to effectively run that style of offense night in and night out. That said, it worked well enough against an Elite Spurs defense on Sunday.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
(38-23, last week No. 7)
Anthony Edwards is the All-Star Game MVP and is getting mentioned as a guy who could be on a lot of MVP ballots. If he's going to take his game to another level, how does that even happen? "I think it's high-level defense. I think he's got another gear there," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "When he does play that way for us, he's transcendent. There's been some games where he's just kind of taking over, and it leads to a lot of other great plays, not just the defense, but it's kind of inspirational plays for us." Inspirational plays like this insane dagger 3 against the Clippers.
8. Denver Nuggets
(37-24, last week No. 8)
The Nuggets were tested this week, beating the Celtics but losing to the Thunder (in overtime) and the Timberwolves. Injuries remain the big issue in Denver, and this team will look a lot better when Aaron Gordon and Payton Watson return — this is where Cameron Johnson was supposed to step up, but he went scoreless on Sunday against Minnesota. Denver needs more from him. What has kept the Nuggets afloat through a tough patch in the schedule has been their defense, which ranks in the top four in the league through the last five games. The offense has good but not elite, as we have come to expect around Jokic. Tough Thursday/Friday back-to-back this week against the Lakers and Knicks.
9. Houston Rockets
(37-22, last week No. 9)
The worst place to be in the West to start the playoffs is the 4/5 matchup, which promises to be stacked. As of today, Houston and Minnesota are tied for the 3/4 seeds in the West, and while the Rockets have the easier schedule the rest of the way (according to the Elias Sports Bureau) and have a better net rating since the All-Star break, they also have some ugly fourth-quarter meltdowns, like the one against Miami last week where Alperen Şengun, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined to shoot 4-of-18 in the fourth quarter as the Heat came back to win. Big Texas showdown coming Sunday against the Spurs.
10. Toronto Raptors
(35-25, last week No. 10)
Toronto is predictable: They beat the teams they are supposed to, going 23-7 against teams under .500 this season, but are 11-18 against teams over that mark. That does not bode well for the postseason, where the Raptors appear likely to be the No. 5 or 6 seed in the East, giving them a tough first-round matchup. There are a couple of tough games ahead this week against the Knicks and Timberwolves.
11. Philadelphia 76ers
(33-27, last week No. 16)
Give Tyrese Maxey his flowers — he is having an All-NBA season, carrying a 76ers offense where nothing around him is consistent. In his last five games, he's averaged 31.8 points and eight assists per game. In that same time Joel Embiid made his return to the Philadelphia lineup, but that lasted just two games before he went out with an oblique strain. Which means he will miss Tuesday night's game against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, which will be a throwback game with a 1990s feel on NBC: Bob Costas will do the play-by-play, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello will be the analysts, and the courtside reporter will be Jim Gray. Just like the vintage NBA on NBC days in the 1990s. Worth watching for that alone.
12. Miami Heat
(32-29, last week No. 14)
All-Star Norman Powell is now week-to-week with a groin strain, a concern as he gives them 22.5 points a game while shooting 39% from 3-point range this season. Even without Powell, the Heat picked up a quality come-from-behind home win over the weekend against the Rockets, with seven players scoring in double figures (led by Bam Adebayo at 24). A lot of people nationally sleep on just how good Bam is. Expect Tyler Herro to step up into Powell's role as the Heat have a huge game Friday night against a hot Charlotte team looking to pass them and get into the top eight in the East (and with that, at least an easier route out of the play-in).
13. Orlando Magic
(31-28, last week No. 15)
Orlando needs wins: They sit as the No. 7 seed, but are just 1.5 games out of the No. 6 seed (Philadelphia) and avoiding the play-in altogether, but they are also 1.5 games out of the No. 9 seed and having a much tougher route out of the play-in. Orlando is not consistent without Franz Wagner (he should return at some point in March), it looked good going 3-1 on a post-All-Star road trip (including sweeping the Los Angeles teams), but fell at home to Houston and Detroit. The game to watch this week is when Orlando travels to Milwaukee on Sunday (the second game of a back-to-back), that's the kind of game Orlando needs to win to hold on to, or improve, its standing in the East.
14. Los Angeles Lakers
(36-24, last week No. 11)
The Lakers are in a race with the Suns for the No. 6 seed in the West, so Los Angeles dropping a game in Phoenix last Thursday — on a night the Suns were without Devin Booker or Dylan Brooks (while the Lakers were basically at full strength) — hurts. A lot. The Lakers are 12-16 against teams over .500 this season. The problem is simply this: The Lakers have a -1.8 net rating when Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Deandre Ayton share the court (that is, in non-garbage-time minutes, via Cleaning the Glass). And those numbers got pumped up by a couple of blowout wins recently over tanking teams, it was -7.8 per 100 with those four on the court recently. The reality is the Lakers could really use a big man like vintage Clint Capela.
15. Golden State Warriors
(31-29, last week No. 12)
Stephen Curry has missed the last 10 recovering from "runner's knee," and the Warriors are 4-6 in that stretch with a bottom-10 offense in the NBA (being without Jimmy Butler due to his torn ACL only adds to the shot creation issues). Curry said he has not done any on-court work as part of his rehab and would be out "a little bit longer", which is going to be at least five more games. On the bright side, the Warriors did extend Brazilian forward Gui Santos, who was headed to restricted free agency but has stepped up in Steve Kerr's rotation since Butler went down. This is a good deal for both sides.
16. Charlotte Hornets
(30-31, last week No. 17)
Coby White made his Hornets debut, and he looked a little rusty — he even forgot to take his leg wrap off when he first went in. Through three games, all with him coming off the bench, White is averaging 12.3 points and 3.7 assists a game, although he has struggled with his shot. The Hornets have found their groove again, winning four in a row, and are just 2 games back of Miami for the No. 8 seed (and easier route out of the play-in) — which is why Friday night's showdown with the Heat is a massive game. Charlotte is also 3.5 games back of Philadelphia and the No. 6 seed (avoiding the play-in altogether).
17. Phoenix Suns
(34-26, last week No. 13)
Devin Booker could return from his hip issue as early as Tuesday and the Suns need him — they have the worst offense in the NBA across the last nine games (dating back to before the All-Star break). Dillon Brooks is gone for most of the rest of the season with a fractured hand, so more falls to Booker. The Suns picked up a key win in their quest to get into the top six in the West last week, beating the Lakers, and this week is filled with very winnable games, plus a real test against Charlotte.
18. Atlanta Hawks
(31-31, last week No. 21)
It's only been three games, but Jonathan Kuminga is fitting in just fine in Atlanta. In his debut he dropped 27 on Washington, then it was 17 (also on Washington, easy week for the Hawks) and then 20 on Portland on Sunday. Most importantly, he's doing it efficiently, shooting 67.7% (and 5-9 from 3-point range). The question is can he keep doing this consistently? Kuminga has had great stretches — even in the playoffs last year when Curry went down — but consistency has not been his strength. Still, great start in his new home, it's promising.
19. Los Angeles Clippers
(28-31, last week No. 18)
After trading away James Harden and Ivica Zubac, what is the goal for the No. 10 seed Clippers for the remainder of the season? "Our mindset is trying to get to seven or eight [seed], so we have two opportunities to win one game…" coach Tyronn Lue said, looking ahead to a path out of the play-in. "Getting to six is going to be tough, you know, looking at the standings, but we got to try to get to seven or eight." The Clippers are currently the No. 9 seed (tied with Portland), 2.5 games back of the No. 8 seed Warriors. Getting Darius Garland to make his debut and play for the team starting Monday against the Warriors will be a big help toward that goal — and you can watch it and a key postseason seeding game against Golden State live on Peacock.
20. Portland Trail Blazers
(29-33, last week No. 19)
Portland's offense has not been consistently great all season, but with Deni Avdija missing 9-of-13 (back) and now Shaedon Sharpe maybe out for all of March (calf), points are going to be hard to come by. Portland has the 24th-ranked offense in the league across its last 10 games, with a -7.3 net rating, yet has still gone 5-5. The Trail Blazers are not in danger of falling out of the play-in simply because everyone behind them is tanking. That said, games against Memphis and Indiana this week are potential wins.
21. Milwaukee Bucks
(26-33, last week No. 20)
After missing 15 games with a right calf strain, Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to return to the Bucks lineup Monday night against Boston. Milwaukee went 8-7 in this stretch without the Greek Freak, including an 8-2 run in which it had the league's third-best offense. That kept the Bucks in the mix for the postseason, and Antetokounmpo's return should be a huge boost toward getting into the play-in. That said, it's not going to be easy: Milwaukee currently sits as the No. 11 seed, three games back of a hot Charlotte team at No. 10 (Atlanta is No. 9, 3.5 games up on Milwaukee). The Bucks are just 15-15 in games Antetokounmpo has played this season, despite his MVP-like numbers (28 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.6 assists a game while shooting 64.5%). Big game this week against Atlanta in that chase for the postseason.
22. New Orleans Pelicans
(19-43, last week No. 22)
Dejounte Murray is back on the court, which is an impressive accomplishment considering all he has been through personally — it's much more than the Achilles tear — in the past couple of years. The other great story this season in New Orleans is Saddiq Bey, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL and then was traded to the Big Easy as part of the CJ McCollum deal, and now he's having the best season of his career averaging 17.4 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, all with improved efficiency (plus he's up for a new contract after this season and has earned himself a healthy raise). One final note, Zion Williamson had played in 35 consecutive games, the longest streak of his career, but on Saturday, he tweaked his ankle against Utah, and that streak ended Sunday against the Clippers.
23. Memphis Grizzlies
(23-36, last week No. 23)
Zach Edey is undergoing another ankle surgery, since the last one never got him right and back on the court. He's done for the season, but hopefully this gets him back next season. With Edey, Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama all missing time lately, 6'7" Oliver-Maxence Prosper has been the team's starting center. Memphis may be the best of the tanking teams, but it's still a tanking team, so we can expect things like last week's loss to Sacramento.
24. Dallas Mavericks
(21-39, last week No. 25)
Cooper Flagg has missed seven games with a sprained foot and the Mavericks are 2-5 in those games as they continue to tank toward another high draft pick. Dallas has lost 13-of-15 games and those two wins were against fellow tanking teams (Indiana, Memphis). Things do not get easier as Dallas heads out on the road for 8-of-9, with only one tanking team in that stretch.
25. Chicago Bulls
(25-36, last week No. 27)
Bulls win! Bulls win! After a winless February where it dropped 11 in a row, Chicago had a 27-0 run at one point and beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday as the calendar flipped to March. Watching Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis (plus Collin Sexton off the bench) have that kind of game is a reminder that there are some players on the roster now who can and should be part of a good Bulls team in the future. The cupboard isn't bare. Tough stretch coming up with OKC followed by a five-game road trip through the Pacific Division.
26. Utah Jazz
(18-42, last week No. 24)
Add Lauri Markkanen to the list of the injured in Utah, recovering from a hip impingement suffered at practice. It's not a coincidence: The Jazz learned the lesson from Adam Silver's $500,000 fine and are going to sit guys with injuries to make sure they hold on to their top-eight protected pick. (A common talking point in league circles is that Silver came down so hard on the Jazz because of how the Jazz tanked, sitting Markanen and JJJ in the fourth quarter, messing with the league's gambling partners.) On the bright side in Utah, Mo Bamba is back.
27. Washington Wizards
(16-43, last week No. 26)
Can Bub Carrington be Trae Young's backup point guard next season in Washington? He's getting an extended tryout right now as the starter and the results are... mixed. To be kind. In his last five games, he's averaged 5.8 points per game on 29.7% shooting, but with 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per night. His 3-point shooting has to be consistent (38% for the season but 23.5% the last five games). Washington has a tank-a-thon showdown with Utah this week.=
28. Indiana Pacers
(15-46, last week No. 28)
Interesting game on the schedule this week as Indiana travels to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers and Bennedict Mathurin — he has had some big games since being sent to LA as part of the Ivica Zubac trade (Zubac remains out for the tanking Pacers). Mathurin is averaging 19 points a game since coming to Los Angeles, and while Tyronn Lue has leaned on him less and less in the last week or so, expect Mathurin to get all the shots he wants against his former team. Pascal Siakam has missed a lot of time lately and the Pacers are 1-8 when he is out this season.
29. Sacramento Kings
(14-48, last week No. 30)
There was good news at the Golden 1 Center this week — leading up to the Kings being in a rare nationally televised game on Tuesday night, taking on Phoenix in a game on NBC and Peacock. First, not only did the Kings snap their 16-game losing streak, they won twice last week, beating two other tanking teams in Memphis and Dallas. The other good news is that Keegan Murray avoided any serious injury when he sprained his ankle last week, an MRI determined this was just a mild sprain. The bad news is that he is still going to be sidelined for two weeks, which means he will not be available against the Suns on Tuesday.
30. Brooklyn Nets
(15-45, last week No. 29)
Part of what the Nets are doing as they try to tank their way to a high draft pick is find guys who can be part of the rotation for whatever is coming next. Nolan Traore is looking like he might be one of those guys. Traore, a point guard out of France and one of five first-round picks Brooklyn held on to last year (he was No. 19) is averaging 13 points and 5.6 assists a game over his last 10. He's still got to improve his 3-point shot and turn the ball over less, but watch Brooklyn play and you start to see there may be something there for the future. Despite his improved play, the Nets have dropped eight in a row and it's going to be tough to turn that around on the road this week with two in Miami and one in Detroit.
