Week 18 of NBA basketball is done and with the schedule back at a normal rate after the all-star festivities, most of the top teams are ramping up their bid to secure a playoff spot next month.
Today, we will take a look at the ranking of all 30 NBA teams after week 19. There are some surprises in this list so let’s get into it.
30. Washington Wizards(Last Week’s Rank: 30)
Ever since Kyle Kuzma mocked Detroit’s legendary losing streak a couple of months ago at X.com(formerly Twitter), the Wizards went into a nosedive. They went 0-12 in the month of February. Plus, Jordan Poole got demoted to the bench. Yikes.
29. Detroit Pistons (Last Week’s Rank: 29)
Unlike the hapless Wizards, this Pistons team often shows some fight in them even though they are essentially a no-match for most NBA teams. They went 1-4 this past week. The lone win came at the expense of the Chicago Bulls.
28. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
The Spurs surprisingly went 2-2 this past week, with wins against OKC and the Pacers. There’s not a single doubt in everybody’s mind that Wembanyama should win the ROTY this season.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week’s Rank: 27)
The Blazers went just 2-8 in their last 10 games. However, they are now on a two-game win streak right now after dismantling the Grizzlies in back-to-back games.
26. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week’s Rank: 26)
After surprising everybody with their winning streak last week, the Hornets inevitably came back crashing and now have lost four straight games. With the playoffs already out of the picture a long time ago, they should start playing their young guys more minutes.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
The Grizzlies only went 2-8 in their past 10 games and things are quickly going south due to the plethora of injuries their roster is currently dealing with. If you’re a G-league guy who wants an NBA roster spot, Memphis is the spot for you.
24. Toronto Raptors (Last Week’s Rank: 23)
The Raptors are definitely showing up in a fight but the wins have been elusive. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games, which is not really bad if you think about it.
23. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week’s Rank: 24)
The Nets are 3-1 in their last 4 games and they are slowly gaining some ground towards the 10th spot in the East, which is currently occupied by the Atlanta Hawks. And oh, they just beat Atlanta in back-to-back games this past week.
22. Houston Rockets (Last Week’s Rank: 22)
After much hope at the start of the season, it certainly looks like that the Rockets will miss the playoffs and even the play-in tournament this year. At least they have Turkish big man Alperen Sengun to build around.
21. Utah Jazz (Last Week’s Rank: 20)
The Jazz only got two themes as a team this season: hot or cold. Right now they are on a very cold spell, only going 2-8 in their last 10 games. The train ride to the playoffs is already in the rearview mirror for them if we are being honest about it.
20. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week’s Rank: 21)
With the Nets suddenly getting ground in the Eastern Conference standings, the Hawks are in deep trouble losing their play-in spot in the East. What’s worse is that Trae Young is expected to miss four weeks due to a broken hand. Ouch. Is it time for Dejounte Murray to prove his worth?
19. Chicago Bulls (Last Week’s Rank: 19)
The Bulls went 2-2 in the past week and 5-5 in their last 10 games. A top 8 finish in the East might be too much of a reach for them, realistically speaking. They might be content to grab one of the available play-in spots later this season.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week’s Rank: 16)
A huge congratulations to LeBron for reaching the 40,000 mark but it still doesn’t hide the fact that the Lakers lost a bit of steam in week 19. They currently sit at the 10th spot in the West while trying to chase the suddenly hot Warriors in the standings.
17. Golden State Warriors (Last Week’s Rank: 18)
Everybody is admiring the Warriors for still grinding it out at this stage despite the evident struggles of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. It’s quite baffling that Steph Curry is still scoring and shooting this much now that he’s in his mid-30s.
16. Miami Heat (Last Week’s Rank: 17)
Nobody’s really talking about it much but the Miami Heat just went 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are only trailing a few games behind the Knicks, Sixers and Magic in order to reach the top-four spot in the East.
15. Indiana Pacers (Last Week’s Rank: 13)
No star should go scoreless in an NBA game but Tyrese Haliburton inexplicably achieved that feat in a game against the Pelicans this past week. As a result, the team’s confidence is waning at a bad time.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week’s Rank: 14)
The Sixers, sans reigning league MVP Joel Embiid, admirably went 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are still at the top 6 in the Eastern Conference standings but teams like Miami and Orlando are slowly gaining a ton of ground as of late.
13. Orlando Magic (Last Week’s Rank: 15)
This might be the year that the Orlando Magic will finally end their playoff drought. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and everybody in their team has finally embraced their roles in order to progress this season.
12. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week’s Rank: 9)
After a stunning 7-game winning streak, the Mavs now have lost 4 out of 5 games. It’s not that Luka and Kyrie have struggled, but Jason Kidd’s coaching style has been criticized by their fans throughout this season. Is the former Maverick the right coach for this team moving forward?
11. Sacramento Kings(Last Week’s Rank: 12)
If not for Malik Monk’s recent scoring outbursts, the Kings would be telling a completely different story this time of the season. Who knew that the former lottery pick would become one of the best sixth man in the entire league today?
10. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week’s Rank: 11)
The Pels don’t get much love from the national media but a few analysts are labeling them as a dark horse team in the West this season. That’s quite a reach in all honesty but if Ingram and Williamson continue to ball out for the rest of the year, then teams should be wary.
9. Phoenix Suns (Last Week’s Rank: 9)
The Suns may have struggled for quite a bit this season but one thing is still certain: they are legitimate contenders in the West. Whenever you have Kevin Durant on the roster, you will always have the chance to contend.
8. New York Knicks (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
Despite the Knicks only going 3-7 in their last 10 games, they are surprisingly still sitting at the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. But Knicks fans should not celebrate yet as the Heat, Magic and Sixers are all closing in on them.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week’s Rank: 6)
After an unbelievable stretch in the month of January, the Cavs are playing sluggish basketball as of late. They just went 5-5 in their last 10 games and opposing teams are pouncing on their sudden uninspired play right now.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week’s Rank: 5)
Same with the Cavs, the Clippers just went 5-5 in their last 10 games. It’s quite unclear why they are somewhat struggling right now as everybody is healthy on the roster. Despite their poor play, they are still one of the best teams in the West.
5. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week’s Rank: 7)
After their initial struggles with new head coach Doc Rivers, the Bucks are on a roll right now. They now have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and are looking like they could give Boston a run for their money in the East come playoff time.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week’s Rank: 2)
The Wolves only went 2-2 this past week. They lost close games against the Kings and the Clippers – a heartbreaking outcome for the team and their fans. As a result, the West has a new number-one team in the standings in week 19.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
Despite suffering a loss to the cellar-dwelling Spurs this past week, OKC went ahead and grabbed the top spot in the West away from the Timberwolves. Is SGA truly an MVP candidate? Many firmly believe so.
2. Denver Nuggets (Last Week’s Rank: 4)
Nikola Jokic can pretty much obliterate anybody who’s assigned to guard him on a nightly basis. Just one bad stretch from OKC or Minnesota and the Nuggets might snatch up the top spot in the Western Conference sooner rather than later.
1. Boston Celtics (Last Week’s Rank: 1)
Boston is inching towards securing a home-court advantage throughout the upcoming 2024 playoffs. They have arguably the best starting five in the entire league right now and the team certainly looking like the clear-cut favorite to win it all this season.
