PBT Power Rankings: Streaking Spurs on top, streaking Sixers on bottom

By Kurt HelinMar 24, 2014, 1:41 PM EDT

San Antonio is playing the best ball in the NBA right now, having won 13 games in a row and looking like contenders since getting healthy. What that means come the playoffs remains to be seen, but right now they are setting the bar in the NBA. So are the Sixers, but not in a good way….
1. Spurs (53-16, Last week No. 1). They have a 13-game winning streak (and face the Sixers next… so count on 14) and will go into the playoffs setting the bar for consistency and execution in the West. They are the favorites. My only question is athleticism — would peak play from the Clippers or Thunder be too much for them to handle (as it was for Spurs in 2012)?
2. Clippers (49-21, LW 2). Their one loss in their last 13 gems was the second night of a back-to-back at altitude at Denver — that’s a schedule maker’s loss. The chemistry between Chris Paul and Blake Griffin is at an all-time high now and that (along with much better defense) has been key to the Clippers moving up to contender status.
3. Thunder (51-18, LW 5).. Fortunately the scare with Russell Westbrook’s knee turned out to be nothing, They are two games back of San Antonio but have a soft schedule this week (save for at Dallas) where they can make up some ground. Then things get much tougher for them.
4. Rockets (47-22, LW 7). Houston is right to be cautious with Dwight Howard returning from his ankle injury — he has played fantastic ball since the All-Star break and they need him healthy come the playoffs, not with a lingering issue. The Rockets keep winning without Howard because James Harden has sparked the offense in his absence (they scored 124, 129 and 118 in their last three. Big showdown with the Clippers Saturday.
5. Pacers (51-19, LW 3). This has been a .500 team the last 10 games (12-8 their last 20) and Paul George has looked tired, missing from three and not finishing in the lane. Worse than that, since the All-Star break they are 1-4 against teams over .500 and their defense hasn’t been the same. Like the Heat, the advantage they have is in the East they get a playoff round to use as a tune up.
6. Heat (47-21, LW No. 4). They are 3-4 in their last seven and now are three games back of Indiana for the top seed in the East… is it time to let that go as a goal? LeBron James expressed frustration with their play and they have been worse on both ends of the court, but the lack of pressure defense and good help rotations has been the biggest issue.
7. Bulls (39-31, LW 6). They remain half a game back of the Raptors for the three seed, but after the Pacers and Trail Blazers this week their schedule gets easier with just two teams over .500 the rest of the way (Washington, Minnesota).
8. Grizzlies (41-28, LW 8). When Marc Gasol was leaving the arena in a walking boot Friday night there was legitimate reason for concern, but he bounced back and played Saturday in the win over Indiana. They are on pace for 49 wins, yet have just half a game lead over Phoenix for the final playoff spot in the West — that conference is just brutal.
9. Warriors (44-27, LW 9). Harrison Barnes simply has regressed this season, particularly of late — he started three games this week with Andre Iguodala out and shot 2-of-19. Barnes has a world of athleticism but has become a passive jump shooter rather than a guy who attacks, draws contact and puts pressure on a defense. If things don’t change Mark Jackson will have to limit his run come the playoffs.
10. Suns (41-29, LW 11). They are in a fight with Memphis and Dallas for the final playoff spots in the West — when the music stops one of those teams will be without a chair. This week the schedule is relatively soft (at Hawks, at Wizards, Knicks, at Lakers) then they have tough games the rest of the way. They need to bank some wins this week.
11. Nets (37-31, LW 15). That they continue to win (four in a row) without Kevin Garnett is impressive. Mason Plumlee is playing well and the Nets are showing the kind of resilience they didn’t last season (when the shorthanded Bulls knocked them out of the first round of the playoffs). Like I said, it’s been impressive and Jason Kidd deserves some credit here. But they still need KG back for the playoffs.
12. Mavericks (42-29, LW 10). They lost two overtime games last week (Timberwolves and Nets) and now things get interesting with the Thunder and Clippers coming to Dallas this week. Dallas is just half a game ahead of the 9 seed Suns, they are just half a game from falling out of the playoffs. They need some big wins.
13. Trail Blazers (45-25, LW 12). Not sure when we will see LaMarcus Aldridge back, the Trail Blazers want him to practice before he plays but with five games this week there will not be a full practice for the team. So, no timetable yet. Five of their next six games are on the road (and the one home game is a tough one against Memphis).
14. Hawks (31-36, LW 19). They have a three game cushion over the Knicks and are four up in the loss column, but this week’s Hawks schedule should give the Knicks some hope — Suns, at Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, at Wizards. If the Hawks can just go 2-2 it likely is asking too much for New York to catch up.
15. Raptors (39-30, LW 14). Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan led a big comeback against the Hawks on sunday, and with that the Raptors seemed to gain momentum going into a soft part of the schedule this week. The Raptors remain just half a game ahead of the surging Bulls for the three seed and it will be hard to hold Chicago off.
16. Knicks (29-41, LW 18). The hole they dug themselves was so big that even an eight-game winning streak (which included a win over the Pacers) couldn’t help them climb all the way out of it. Now they head out on a West Coast road trip where they have to rack up wins against good teams (and the Lakers) to have any shot at the postseason.
17. Nuggets (32-38, LW 20). They look like they would have been a playoff team if Ty Lawson could have stayed healthy — they have won 5-of-7 and that includes beating the Heat and Clippers. However losing J.J. Hickson for the rest of the season is a blow.
18. Wizards (36-34, LW 13). Their defense has been terrible of late (which is bad news with the hot Suns on the schedule of late) and it makes me think more and more they will make the playoffs but be one and done. Unless everything changes when Nene returns.
19. Bobcats (34-36, LW 16). Michael Kidd-Gillchrist just has been a let down this year — he did not fix is jump shot in the least and he relies on it too much rather than attacking the rim. He’s become a good defender that fits what Charlotte is doing, but he can’t make a real impact being a big drain on the other end of the court.

20 . Timberwolves (34-34, LW 17). Everything you need to know about why Minnesota is going to be outside the playoffs rather than in them could be seen last week — they had a 22 point lead against Dallas and needed overtime and a big Kevin Love shot to win; they had a 22 point lead against the Suns and lost.
21. Pelicans (29-40, LW 24). Anthony Davis is playing like a beast — in his last five games he’s averaged 33.8 points on 59.6 percent shooting, plus grabbing 12.4 rebounds and blocking 2.2 shots a game. He’s a top 10 player in the NBA right now, the only question is where he is on that scale. And how soon before he is in LeBron James/Kevin Durant territory.
22. Cavaliers (27-44, LW 21). Jarrett Jack is the man — he was Kyrie-like leading the Cavs back against the Knicks Sunday. The Cavs have made a real habit of falling behind and storming back lately, which you can take as good or bad depending on how you want to spin it.
23. Kings (24-45, LW 22). They are the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft as of right now (depending on the lottery) but have a lot of games left against the tough West, don’t be shocked if they climb a little higher on the draft ladder as the season winds down.
24. Pistons (25-44, LW 23). We remain on lottery watch — if they finish in the top 8 in the draft they keep their pick, 9 or higher and it goes to Charlotte. Right now they are 8th but just one game “ahead” of Cleveland. It’s time to full on tank in Detroit to keep that pick, and watching Josh Smith’s play last week he seems on board with it.
25. Celtics (23-47, LW 26). They lost every road game against teams from the West this season — 0-15. That said they did beat the Miami Heat again last week, getting a big jump shooting night from Avery Bradley, so there is that sign of hope.
26. Jazz (23-47, LW 27). Interesting draft question for Utah: As of right now they have the No. 4 pick, Assuming Wiggins, Embiid and Parker are off the board, would Utah take Marcus Smart or Dante Exum even though they already have Trey Burke and he has shown signs of life, or would they take someone more like Julius Randall?
27. Lakers (23-46, LW 25). Jordan Hill showed up big in the win over Orlando Sunday, which had some Lakers fans wondering why he doesn’t play more. But he also missed the team photo last week. Let’s just say I’m not sure he is part of the team’s future plans.
28. Magic (19-51, LW 28). They have lost nine in a row and what’s brutal is their schedule the rest of the way — they only have two games left against non-playoff teams. With all those losses not sure Victor Oladipo is playing well enough to take the ROY award away from Michael Carter-Williams.
29. Bucks (13-56, LW 29). They have lost seven in a row and all you can really say for them is they put up points and put up a fight before losing because they can’t get a stop. They have the Clippers and Heat on the schedule this week, which will not end well.
30. 76ers (15-55, LW 30). Up to 24 losses in a row and the next two games are at San Antonio and at Houston — they will get to 26 straight, which ties the league record. The showdown is Saturday at home, a chance to break the streak against the Pistons. Question is, if they lose 27 in a row will Sixers fans (all in for the tanking) cheer it on?

Report: Lakers, Austin Reaves have mutual interest in new contract

By Kurt HelinMar 20, 2023, 7:57 PM EDT

Austin Reaves is the latest in the impressive Lakers finds of role players. Undrafted out of Oklahoma, Reaves got a two-way contract from the Lakers, which was eventually turned into a regular minimum deal — he is making $1.6 million this season.

He had far outplayed that deal, averaging 12 points a game, becoming a key part of the Lakers’ rotation, and he dropped a career-high 35 on Sunday night. Reaves is up for a massive pay raise this summer, the Lakers want to give it to him and there is mutual interest, reports Jovan Buha at The Athletic.

He will be a restricted free agent this summer, and will undoubtedly have multiple suitors looking to pry him from the Lakers — especially after stat lines like Sunday’s. Both the Lakers and Reaves’ camp have interest in Reaves re-signing in Los Angeles, according to multiple league sources who were granted anonymity so that they coud speak freely. The max the Lakers can offer Reaves is a four-year, $50.8 million contract if they chose to use his Early Bird Rights, but they also have the power to match any contract he signs with another team.

While the Lakers can match any offer, it’s a little more complex than that because Reaves is an Arenas Rule free agent (named after The Hibachi himself). I’ll let our friend Keith Smith of Sportrac explain it.

When a player is an Arenas free agent, opposing teams can still offer whatever salary they are able to give, but the incumbent team is given an avenue to match the offer. What happens in these offers is that the first-year salary for an Arenas free agent is limited to either the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NTMLE) or what a team can match using their Early Bird exception…. That results in what is often referred to as a “poison pill” structure for a contract.

In the case of Reaves, let’s say a team looking for a well-rounded guard — the Orlando Magic — offer something like four years, $60 million. On the Orlando books, that would look like $15 million a season. However, under the Arenas provision, on the Lakers’ books the first year of that deal can only be for the $11.4 million the Lakers can offer right now, and Reaves would make less than $12 million in the second year (still far more than he makes this season). However, in the final two years of this hypothetical offer Reaves would make $17.9 million and $18.8 million on the Lakers’ books, a considerable jump. (If this were an $80 million offer from the Magic, the first two years would be the same but the last two would hit the Lakers’ books hard for more than $27 million a season, hence the poison pill name.)

The Lakers might well match that offer anyway, they still feel the sting of losing another of their young finds, Alex Caruso, and don’t want to let Reaves leave and then thrive somewhere else. Reaves isn’t looking to leave, he has said he loves Los Angeles and playing for the Lakers. However, this is a business and Reaves is not in a position to leave money on the table.

While everyone’s intentions are good, the Lakers have a lot of free-agent decisions to make this summer: D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Lonnie Walker IV, Dennis Schroder, Troy Brown Jr. and more (plus Jarred Vanderbilt is extension eligible). There are going to be roster changes, and the Lakers can’t spend like the Warriors or Clippers who don’t appear to care about the tax — the Lakers are a family business and there is a budget.

Two things are for sure: It will be a wild offseason in Los Angeles, and Austin Reaves will get paid. By whom is the question.

Lillard sounds like a guy considering shutting it down for season

By Kurt HelinMar 20, 2023, 2:48 PM EDT

Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

The Portland Trail Blazers have lost six in a row, are 31-40 and sit 3.5 games out of the 10 seed and final play-in spot in the West (a few teams sit between them and that goal, too). It’s not impossible, but with just 11 games remaining there’s a reason fivethirtyeight.com gives them just a 0.4% chance of making the playoffs. It’s hard to be optimistic.

Even for the perpetually optimistic Damian Lillard.

Check out his quotes postgame, with the first being via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Blazers fans should subscribe).

“I think everybody in here is not crazy,” Lillard said… “You look at what other teams are doing, they’re creating separation, and we’re on a losing streak. We’ve pretty much fallen out of the race for the 10th spot unless we win every game, if you really look at it truthfully.”

"We pretty much fallen out of the race for the 10th spot… I love to play, I love the competition and I haven't been ready to give that up. But it does come a point in time when do you stop putting your competitive nature out front."

— Damian Lillardpic.twitter.com/1N2IodudOE

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 20, 2023

Lillard has played at an All-NBA level this season, averaging 32.2 points and 7.2 assists a game, shooting 37.3% from 3, an insane-for-a-guard 64.5 true shooting percentage, all while having the fifth highest usage rate in the league. Put simply, he has carried the Blazers.

Maybe it’s getting close to time to take that burden off his shoulders.

If/when Lillard decides to sit out the rest of the season, it will start another round of “should Lillard leave” speculation in the media and around the league (other teams are certainly watching). Just don’t bet on it happening. As Lillard said recently about staying to win in Portland, “I’m also willing to die on that hill.” Lillard has four years, $216.2 million remaining on his contract after this season, the deal he signed just last summer. However, more than the money, Lillard sees himself in the Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas or Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee mold — he wants to stay and win in his city.

Rather than selling, look for the Trail Blazers to try and be buyers around the Draft or into the summer, offering good young players such as Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, plus plenty of draft picks. Portland wants to win around Lillard and is willing to be aggressive.

But that’s next season, this season has reached the point it may be time to pack it in for Lillard.

Morant reportedly could return to Grizzlies Wednesday vs. Rockets

By Kurt HelinMar 20, 2023, 12:50 PM EDT

Despite his eight-game suspension being up, Ja Morant will not be on the court Monday night when the Grizzlies host the Mavericks (Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving are questionable for the Mavericks as of this writing, although Dončić has been hopeful he could play).

In good news for Grizzlies fans, Morant could return as soon as Wednesday against the Rockets, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

“I’m told he could return to the lineup as soon as Wednesday at home against the Rockets”@ShamsCharania with the latest on Ja Morant’s return from his 8-game suspension#RunItBack #BigMemphis pic.twitter.com/YNflRSG3qV

— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) March 20, 2023

The Rockets and their porous defense are an excellent soft landing spot for Morant to return, put up some numbers, but not have to play heavy minutes. The Grizzlies play the Rockets both Wednesday and Friday and need wins as they are in a fight for the two seed with the red-hot Sacramento Kings.

Morant was suspended for flashing a gun in a club and broadcasting it on social media, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called “irresponsible” and “reckless.”The suspension was retroactive, including games he was “away from the team” following the incident. The suspension cost Morant $668,659 in pay, but it hit his bank account harder than that after one of his major sponsors — Powerade — pulled an ad campaign featuring him that would have run heavily during March Madness. Morant is also in the mix for an All-NBA spot — which, via the Rose rule could increase his contract extension that kicks in next season — and this incident and missed games will not help his cause.

Hopefully, Morant got a chance to step back and consider his path forward during the suspension. If the Grizzlies are going to make the postseason run this season — and be a contender for years to come — as they expect, they need peak Morant on the court.

Watch Antetokounmpo shoot 9-of-9, get triple-double in win against Raptors

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:14 AM EDT

MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, Brook Lopez scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 118-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Khris Middleton added 20 points and Bobby Portis had 14 as the Bucks improved to an NBA-best 51-20. Antetokounmpo had his 33rd career triple-double, making all nine of his field goal attempts.

Giannis recorded a triple-double on PERFECT 100% shooting as the Bucks won at home 💪

22 PTS, 13 REB, 10 AST, 9/9 FG

No misses. Just buckets. pic.twitter.com/JXGBobyJEw

— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2023

Lopez scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter on a pair of 3-point plays and a dunk to put Milwaukee in front 97-95. Middleton’s free throw capped the 15-2 run that put the Bucks up 104-97.

“We settled down, we got back in control,” said Lopez, who outscored Toronto 17-16 in the fourth quarter. “We talked about the third quarter-fourth quarter break. They just shot more times than us. We were shooting just as well, or better than them from two and three. We just had to take care of the ball and keep them off the offensive glass.”

A dunk by Jakob Poeltl brought Toronto within 110-107, but Lopez scored underneath and Jrue Holiday hit two free throws to make it 114-107 with 1:29 remaining.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Lopez’s outburst to start the fourth quarter was key.

“It changed the game,” Budenholzer said. “I think what he did offensively was important, and then the defense always stands out. It was a little bit muddy, not a pretty game there, and he stepped up and kind of just changed our feel and changed the momentum for us, particularly offensively, which we needed tonight.”

Only 4 players in NBA history have recorded a 20+ point triple-double on 100% FG shooting.

Wilt Chamberlain (twice)
Draymond Green
Nikola Jokic
Giannis Antetokounmpo pic.twitter.com/EwVNmEWh8u

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 20, 2023

Fred VanVleet had 23 points and O.G. Anunoby added 22 for the Raptors, who had won their three previous games. Toronto missed a chance to move into eighth in the East Conference ahead of Atlanta, which lost to San Antonio 126-118.

“All these games are important to us, that’s for sure,” said Toronto coach Nick Nurse, whose team plays their next four at home. “I like, kind of, how we’re playing. I think we’re very well for long stretches of games. Hopefully, we can just keep building on that.”

Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Raptors up 83-76 with just under 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Toronto led 95-89 entering the final period.

“There was just two little probably bad stretches,” Nurse said. “In those stretches, they kind of got a couple of at the rim … a couple of and-ones. We just kind of lost our rim protection, and then kicked out and made a couple 3s after we kind of got that fixed. Give them credit, they made a couple big ones down the stretch when they needed them.”

The Bucks hit seven of their 16 3-pointers in the first period en route to a 33-29 lead.

Antetokounmpo, in his 10th season with the Bucks, played in his franchise-record 712th game, surpassing Junior Bridgeman. Antetokounmpo already was the franchise leader in points, assists, triple-doubles, free throws and minutes played. “It’s a great feeling. I wasn’t aware of it coming into the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s been a long, long journey. There’s more to be accomplished yet, I believe.”

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