Week 15 of NBA basketball is done and while the NBA trade deadline was not as exciting as last year, there are several interesting names that were shipped to potential contenders.
Today, we will take a look at the ranking of all 30 NBA teams after week 16.
30. Detroit Pistons (Last Week’s Rank: 30)
Detroit went 2-2 despite missing some starters in the lineup. A couple of their veterans were traded to the Knicks and they finally embraced a full rebuild this season.
29. Washington Wizards (Last Week’s Rank: 29)
The Wizards traded Daniel Gafford to the Mavs in exchange for third-string center Richaun Holmes and a future draft pick. As with their play, they went 0-4 this past week and are still undecided on a rebuild.
28. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week’s Rank: 27)
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Even with Wembanyama’s stellar play, the Spurs failed to register a win in week 16. They traded veteran Doug McDermott in exchange for a second-round pick, which is quite an underwhelming move.
27. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
Charlotte went 1-3 this past week despite playing on a depleted roster. They traded PJ Washington to Dallas in exchange for Grant Williams and Seth Curry. With LaMelo Ball’s extended absence, they are now looking at this year’s lottery.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week’s Rank: 26)
The Blazers only had a couple of games in week 16 but ended up 0-2. They surprisingly held on to Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant at the trade deadline, opting to evaluate their direction in the offseason.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week’s Rank: 24)
The Grizzlies’ roster is now made up of mostly of G-league and 10-day contract players. They now have waved the white flag and are yearning for this season to end quickly.
24. Toronto Raptors (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
Toronto made some interesting moves in the trade deadline but none of them quite move the needle just yet. They are in the middle of a rebuild and with the right attitude, perhaps they could make some noise next year.
23. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week’s Rank: 23)
It’s safe to say that the return of Ben Simmons had minimal impact on the team. Mikal Bridges’ play toned down a bit and they are still holding on to the wings of Cam Thomas.
22. Houston Rockets (Last Week’s Rank: 21)
Without Fred VanVleet anchoring the offense, the Rockets are stumbling in the West. They are on a four-game losing streak right now with little hope to turn things around before the all-star break.
21. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week’s Rank: 19)
The Hawks are playing well as of late but so is their competition in the East’s playoff picture. As a result, they are playing catch-up with the Bulls in the standings. On a surprising note, they decided not to trade Dejounte Murray at the trade deadline.
20. Chicago Bulls (Last Week’s Rank: 20)
Chicago refrained from doing any trades at the deadline as their management liked what they saw in their current group. They are a feisty bunch but still tiers below the contenders at the top of the East.
19. Utah Jazz (Last Week’s Rank: 17)
Utah made some baffling moves at the trade deadline, letting go of three rotational pieces without getting much in return aside from future second-rounders. They remain a competitive bunch and as a result, they surprisingly won against the Thunder this past week.
18. Golden State Warriors (Last Week’s Rank: 22)
The Warriors are on a roll right now, winning their last four games and have won 7 out of the 10. Kuminga is becoming a star on his own despite the early communication problems he had with the organization.
17. Miami Heat (Last Week’s Rank: 18)
Miami is slowly regaining their form after losing a bunch of games with Terry Rozier at the point. Jimmy Butler was not selected as an all-star this season but he has stated that his only goal this year is to win a championship for Miami.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week’s Rank: 16)
In what would be an unprecedented move, the Lakers did not make any deals at the trade deadline. Much of it was due to D’Angelo Russell’s sudden emergence and compiling a 6-4 record in their last 10 games. Plus, they’ve added Spencer Dinwiddie to the roster via the buyout market.
15. Orlando Magic (Last Week’s Rank: 15)
The Magic certainly turned a corner before the all-star break. Franz Wagner has emerged as their go-to scorer whenever Paolo Banchero is having an off night. At this rate, their playoff drought may finally end this season.
14. Indiana Pacers (Last Week’s Rank: 13)
The Pacers went 2-1 this past week after losing a bit of ground the past couple of weeks. Haliburton is struggling with his shot for a little bit but that’s understandable as he just came back from an injury.
13. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week’s Rank: 14)
The Mavs added two rotational pieces at the trade deadline while trading away a few guys who’s had an underwhelming season for them. Luka certainly looks like the best player in the league right now but still gets minimal love from the media. However, they are definitely a dark horse team to win it all this season.
12. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week’s Rank: 12)
The Pelicans went an impressive 3-1 this past week. Williamson and Ingram are playing well as of late. It’s quite baffling that neither of the two was named an all-star this season.
11. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week’s Rank: 9)
Without Embiid, the Sixers are sliding further in the Eastern Conference standings. They’ve made some moves at the trade deadline, acquiring Buddy Hield and Cam Payne’s services but sadly, Embiid’s production won’t be replicated by anybody on the team. Maxey is struggling to keep this team afloat.
10. Phoenix Suns (Last Week’s Rank: 11)
The Suns now have gone 6 out of 4 in their last 10 games and they are on a steady momentum before the all-stat break. Bradley Beal is getting comfortable in his role within the team and as a result, he has played well as of late.
9. Sacramento Kings (Last Week’s Rank: 10)
Aside from their forgettable loss against the lowly Pistons this past week, the Kings are slowly climbing in the Western Conference standings recently. It’s a crime that neither Foxx or Sabonis were named all-stars this season. Sabonis just outdueled Nikola Jokic in their recent matchup against the Nuggets.
8. New York Knicks (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
The Knicks have performed relatively well despite the absence of Julius Randle. Jalen Brunson has emerged as one the best point guards in the entire league this season. They also added Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks at the trade deadline. The East now looks much more dangerous.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week’s Rank: 6)
The Bucks have struggled mightily with Doc Rivers at the helm. Many pundits were extremely skeptical of his hiring in the first place. In addition to their woes, the Cavs have overtaken them in the standings and the Knicks aren’t too far behind.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week’s Rank: 7)
The Cavs are on a different level right now. They went 9-1 in their last 10 games and haven’t lost a game since the 25th of January. With a full lineup, their dominance is now on full display. Are they contenders this year?
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
After a brief stay at the top of the West last week, OKC stumbled this week and went 0-2. They traded their end-of-the-bench guys to get Gordon Hayward from Charlotte in the hopes of infusing this team with a veteran punch in the second half of the season.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week’s Rank: 5)
The Wolves went 1-1 this past week, with their lone loss against the Bulls. They reclaimed their top spot in the West but the Nuggets, Clippers and Thunder are only a game or two behind them. Can they defend their reign before the all-star break?
3. Denver Nuggets (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
The Nuggets were outplayed by the Kings this past week, which was somewhat surprising due to their insanely high pedigree as a team. Nonetheless, they are still the team to beat in the West this season.
2. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week’s Rank: 4)
The Clippers move up in this week’s rankings due to their impressive play and their quest to become the number one seed in their conference this season. Although Russell Westbrook is no longer the all-star he once was, he’s still playing well as the 6th man on this team.
1. Boston Celtics (Last Week’s Rank: 1)
From the start of this season right until the mid-season break, Boston still owns the best record in the entire league due to their cohesive starting five and superb play. They are on pace to win 60-plus games at the end of this season.
