Extremely tight races highlight both conferences as the postseason rapidly approaches
• 1 min read
Is it just me or does the NBA’s “silly season” seem to arrive earlier and earlier each year? It would make sense that tanking teams would start to truly throw in the towel even sooner this season due to the plethora of potentially franchise-changing talent at the top of the 2025 draft, but we used to at least get through March before seeing the likes of A.J. Lawson, Johnny Juzang and Daquan Jeffries lighting up the scoreboard.
This is just the way things are going to be until losing is no longer rewarded with a better chance at a top pick, but it’s unfortunate that it can affect the outcomes for teams that are embroiled in actual, competitive playoff races. You just have to hope that the teams in the remaining part of your schedule are less incentivized to win than those of your competition.
One team that’s plowing through any competition whatsoever is the Golden State Warriors, who are now 12-1 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. It’s hard to recall one single player having this much effect on winning and losing this quickly, especially without going out and scoring 30 points every night. Golden State now has the league’s third-best defense and fifth-best offense since Butler’s first game and has finally cracked the top 10 in this week’s Power Rankings after consistent upward movement.
Heading in the opposite direction are the Los Angeles Lakers, who saw LeBron James go down with a groin injury and have struggled because of it. James and Luka Dončić were starting to develop some real chemistry, and that will now be delayed for as long as James will have to sit out. It affects the standings as well, because the Lakers are jam-packed toward the top of the West with the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. Any extended period of losing could take them from No. 2 to No. 5 real quick.
The top of the rankings remains steady, with the juggernaut Cleveland Cavaliers at the top once again, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. Those aforementioned Grizzlies were the week’s biggest risers, moving up three spots to No. 4.
Here are this week’s NBA Power Rankings.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cavaliers |
The Cavs are apparently never going to lose again so let’s take a minute to check in on the De’Andre Hunter addition — yeah, he’s been great. Cleveland has improved both offensively and defensively when he’s been on the floor, and the team is a ridiculous plus-115 in his nearly 300 minutes as a Cav (they’ve won all 12 games). His blend of shot-making and defensive versatility is exactly what Cleveland will need against marquee wings in the postseason. | — | 55-10 |
| 2 |
Thunder |
OKC bounced back from a loss to the Nuggets to go into Boston and beat the champs without the services of Jalen Williams, arguably their second-best player. The Thunder sweep the season series with the Celtics (important for a potential Finals meeting), and held them to just 106 points per 100 possessions in the two games, compared to Boston’s season average of 119. Sure it could be shooting variance, but the Thunder defense has been so dominant all season that it’s earned the benefit of the doubt. | — | 54-12 |
| 3 |
Celtics |
The Celtics picked up a big win against the scorching-hot Lakers last weekend, but then lost on Wednesday after putting up another clankfest against OKC. In two losses to the Thunder this season, Boston shot 29 for 109 from 3-point range, a crisp 27% clip. Celtics fans will point to the numbers game they assume will eventually move in their favor, but chances are the stout Thunder defense is doing SOMETHING to make them miss. Perhaps we’ll get a closer look in June … | — | 47-19 |
| 4 |
Grizzlies |
The Grizzlies have taken advantage of a soft spot in the schedule without Jaren Jackson Jr., winning four straight to pull back into the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. Desmond Bane has been picking up the slack on the boards, going for 8.5 per game — in addition to 23 points and six assists — over his last eight games. | 3 | 42-24 |
| 5 |
Knicks |
Scoring has been a bit of an issue without Jalen Brunson (except against the Kings), but the Knicks have won two straight after Wednesday night’s thriller against the Blazers was capped by Mikal Bridges’ game-winning 3-pointer. It saved Josh Hart some embarrassment, as his inbound violation on the previous possession led to a go-ahead three-point play by Deni Avdija. Those Nova guys really stick together. | 1 | 42-23 |
| 6 |
Nuggets |
A split in consecutive road games against OKC is probably the best you can hope for, but Wednesday’s 20-point home loss to the Wolves was a bit of a disappointment for Denver, which fell to the No. 3 seed. Nikola Jokić says he’s playing the best basketball of his career, which is remarkable, and he’s not wrong — putting up the league’s first-ever 30-20-20 game is pretty strong evidence. | 1 | 42-24 |
| 7 |
Rockets |
Losing Amen Thompson for extended time hurts, but the Rockets have kept winning behind suffocating defense. Fred VanVleet returned to the lineup (again) on Wednesday, putting up 10 points and four assists in 28 minutes as Houston beat Phoenix for its fourth straight victory. | 1 | 41-25 |
| 8 |
Lakers |
Man, just when things were absolutely rolling for the Lakers, LeBron goes down with a groin injury. Hopefully it isn’t too serious, since they’ve lost both games without him (if you count the Boston game, in which he went out before the Lakers mounted their comeback). Not too much should be read into the Brooklyn loss, as the Lakers were also without Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes, but it sounds like James won’t be around for road games against Milwaukee and Denver either, obviously much more difficult matchups. | 2 | 40-23 |
| 9 |
Timberwolves |
Winners of six straight including a 20-point thumping of the Nuggets in Denver on Wednesday night, the Wolves are officially hot. Julius Randle and Naz Reid have been shredding defenses in their time on the floor together, averaging 132 points per 100 possessions in 108 minutes during the winning streak. | 1 | 38-29 |
| 10 |
Warriors |
The Jimmy train just keeps on rolling with three more wins to bring Golden State’s record to 12-1 with Butler in the lineup. Recently he’s even had to do something he seems to occasionally hate — score. He put up 51 total points in consecutive victories over the Nets and Pistons, the first time he’s eclipsed the 20-point mark in two straight games since his second and third games in a Warriors uniform. | 2 | 37-28 |
| 11 |
Pistons |
There’s a realistic world in which the Pistons, just one game back of the No. 4 seed in the loss column, host a first-round playoff series the year after finishing with the worst record in the NBA. Simply unreal. Quick check-in on Cade Cunningham: 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds per game on 46/36/86 splits, while the team’s net rating has improved by over six points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. | 2 | 37-29 |
| 12 |
Bucks |
The Bucks have lost three straight after winning eight of nine, and they’re now essentially tied with the Pacers and Pistons for the No. 4 through No. 6 seeds out East. Milwaukee lineups featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Kyle Kuzma have an impressive plus-9.4 net rating in almost 180 minute so far. | 3 | 36-28 |
| 13 |
Clippers |
Kawhi’s hitting game-winners. James Harden’s putting up 50-burgers. The Clippers have won four of five. Things are moving back in a positive direction for L.A. as it attempts to climb out of the Play-In over the next few weeks. | 1 | 36-30 |
| 14 |
Pacers |
Tyrese Haliburton is basically having the exact inverse season of the one he had last year. Instead of starting off in All-NBA form and petering out, he began the season miserably and has slowly once again become one of the league’s most impactful players, as he showed the Bucks with his game-winning four-point play on Tuesday night. | 3 | 36-28 |
| 15 |
Kings |
The Kings are going back and forth between the No. 8 and No. 9 positions in the West, which is actually a huge difference. The eighth spot would allow them to lose the first Play-In game and still get another shot. Sacramento has dropped three of its last four as Domantas Sabonis recovers from a hamstring injury. | — | 33-31 |
| 16 |
Mavericks |
The steady decline continues for the Mavs, but hey, at least Naji Marshall is playing well! The offseason addition has been the engine of the depleted offense, averaging 23.5 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 51% shooting over his last six games. | — | 33-34 |
| 17 |
Hawks |
Not exactly the stiffest competition, but four straight wins are four straight wins — especially when they keep you in the No. 7 spot, the cream of the Play-In crop. Dyson Daniels is averaging 15.5 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals during the win streak on 54/57/80 splits. | 3 | 32-34 |
| 18 |
Magic |
The Magic are 6-11 since Jan. 31 and are still in the exact same No. 8 playoff spot — gotta love the Eastern Conference. Orlando has generated just 107 points per 100 possessions this season with its two best scorers — Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — on the floor. | — | 30-36 |
| 19 |
Suns |
Trade rumors are swirling about both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Ironically, the only one left in Phoenix after all this might be Bradley Beal because of his no-trade clause. The Suns are 5-14 since Feb. 1, with the league’s worst defensive rating over that stretch. | — | 30-36 |
| 20 |
Heat |
The Heat have only scored over 110 points once since the end of February, and that game went to overtime. They’ve dropped five in a row while averaging just 108 points per 100 possessions. | 3 | 29-36 |
| 21 |
Trail Blazers |
Portland’s five-game losing streak has made any thoughts the Play-In seem a bit far-fetched, but they did almost pull out one of the most exciting games of the year against the Knicks on Wednesday. No matter how the season turns out, acquiring Deni Avdija last offseason is looking like a wise move, as the forward has averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists over his last 12 games. | — | 28-39 |
| 22 |
Bulls |
Not only have the Bulls won three games in row, but two of the three were also against their direct competition for Play-In positions. Chicago is now just two games back of the reeling Heat for the No. 9 spot and the right to host the 9-10 Play-In game. If you’re going to talk about the Bulls over the past couple of months, you have to talk about Josh Giddey, who is putting up monster numbers with averages of 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 49% 3-point shooting since Feb. 1. | 1 | 27-38 |
| 23 |
Spurs |
The Spurs have managed to put points on the board without the services of Victor Wembanyama — a respectable 12th in the league in offense since the All-Star break. Defense, on the other hand, has been a different story. They’re dead last in 12 games since the break, allowing over 122 points per 100 possessions. | 1 | 27-37 |
| 24 |
Raptors |
We’ve officially entered A.J. Lawson-Jared Rhoden season, and yes those are real NBA players who have scored 32 and 25 points, respectively, in the Raptors’ last two games — both wins. In fact, Toronto has now won five of its last six games as the front office gets a look at multiple pieces that may or may not be part of the future. | 1 | 23-43 |
| 25 |
76ers |
The Sixers are pulling out all the stops to try to keep their top-six protected pick, and it’s fair to wonder how much, if at all, we’ll see Tyrese Maxey and Paul George for the rest of the season. Oh well, who needs them when you’ve got Quentin Grimes? The fourth-year wing has been nothing short of outstanding as the team’s offensive engine, averaging 26 points, five rebounds and four assists on 54/39/75 shooting splits over the past seven games — and that’s including a six-point dud against the Celtics. | 1 | 22-43 |
| 26 |
Nets |
The Nets pulled off a big-time tank move by losing to the Hornets, then messed it all up by beating the Lakers without LeBron. Just kidding … sort of. Noah Clowney had a team-high 19 points off the bench in the win over L.A. | — | 22-43 |
| 27 |
Pelicans |
Tank Tracker 2025: The Pelicans are two wins ahead of Charlotte for the third-worst record in the league — which guarantees you a share of the highest odds at landing the No. 1 pick. Will Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Co. get an early summer vacation as New Orleans attempts to rack up the losses? I think I speak for all of us when I say we can’t wait to find out. | — | 18-48 |
| 28 |
Hornets |
The NBA’s leading scorers since March 3: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum and … Miles Bridges. The athletic, powerful forward is averaging 33 points, nine rebounds and four assists in his last six games on 52/40/89 splits. | 1 | 16-49 |
| 29 |
Jazz |
The Jazz were fined for not playing Lauri Markkanen, so they threw their franchise forward out there on Wednesday and … they still lost. Walker Kessler joined some incredibly famous names like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal by putting up a rare line of 18 points, 25 rebounds and eight blocks against the Raptors last week. That’s one of the rare highlights, however, as Utah has dropped seven in a row. | 1 | 15-51 |
| 30 |
Wizards |
Even with three wins in their last six games, the Wizards are in no danger of climbing out of the bottom three NBA records — so fans can go ahead and enjoy it. Washington is 4-4 this season with Khris Middleton and 9-47 without him … what a pickup. | — | 13-51 |
