NBA Power Rankings: Curry shoots Warriors to top; Suns, Jazz close behind

By Kurt HelinDec 15, 2021, 5:13 PM EST

The Suns and Warriors have been the best teams in the NBA this season and consistently on top of these NBA Power Rankings, but the play of the Jazz during their winning streak has them in second and in the mix as well.

1. Warriors (23-5, Last Week No. 1). Stephen Curry had already established himself as the greatest shooter the game had ever seen, but the coronation of that, and the celebration as he passed Ray Allen for most 3s in NBA history, just felt right. Curry earned that moment in the sun. Steve Kerr picked up a new side hustle — he will coach Team USA at the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics in Paris. He fits the mold of what Team USA needs: a coach players want to play for, one that brings an uptempo, aggressive style to exploit Team USA’s athletic advantages.

2. Jazz (19-7, LW 3). Utah has found its groove: Winners of seven in a row, best offense in the NBA, best net rating in the league once you filter out garbage time (stat via Cleaning the Glass), and they play their next six tames at home. Even if everyone has a “wait and see” approach to the Jazz in the postseason, they are contenders. We can also wait and see if Danny Ainge taking on a new title with the Jazz and heading basketball operations changes much of anything. Utah has been one of the more stable organizations in the league.

3. Suns (22-5, LW 2). The win over Portland Tuesday improved the Suns to 12-1 in clutch games this season (within 5 points in the final 5 minutes) with a +49 net rating. The lineup responsible for a lot of that the core group of Chris Paul, Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crwoder, and Deandre Ayton, but that fivesome has just a +2 net rating for the season — they haven’t been blowing teams away. At least, not until the final minutes of a game.

4. Nets (20-8, LW 4). Kevin Durant continues to play at an MVP level, but if the Nets are going to be a threat come May and June, some other things need to come together. Kyrie Irving returning to the team would be nice, but despite the rumors Brooklyn can’t bet on that (you want to predict what Kyrie will do?). Mike Prada pointed out that the Nets have been spacing wider in recent games, spacing the floor, which has helped James Harden get downhill (he averaged 9 free throw attempts per game in the last three). If Harden can build on that it would be a big step forward for the Nets.

5. Bucks (18-11, LW 5). This team can’t seem to get its stars on the court all at once for very long: Giannis Antetokounmpo is now in health and safety protocols, and Khris Middleton is out with a knee issue. Starting center Brook Lopez hasn’t played since opening night, and there is a lot of speculation around the league the Bucks will try to add a center at the trade deadline. The good news on the injury front is Donte DiVincenzo is set to return, although that leaves coach Mike Budenholzer with a tough choice because Grayson Allen has played very well in his place. Both deserve some run.

6. Cavaliers (17-12, LW 13). If you think it’s a fluke Cleveland has the fourth best record in the East and have won 8-of-10, know this: The Cavaliers have played the toughest schedule in the NBA so far. This team is no accident, it’s just good. Interesting stat via Michael Pina: Jarrett Allen is shooting 70.7% this season on more than 10 shot attempts a game, and no player in NBA history has ever been that efficient with that many shots.

7. Clippers (16-12, LW 12). Add Brandon Boston Jr. to the long list of guys who were high recruits out of high school, didn’t thrive in the unique college environment at Kentucky, then got to the NBA and their athleticism and skill find a home — Boston had a breakout game scoring 27 points against Boston (yes, you read that sentence correctly). The Clippers have 7 of their next 11 on the road, where their strong record as a clutch team will be put to the test.

"REGGIE JACKSON, ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP?"

Reggie wins it for the @LAClippers. pic.twitter.com/XGmZK24raV

— NBA (@NBA) December 11, 2021

8. Heat (16-12, LW 11). How deep is Miami? The Heat have a +2.4 net rating when both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are off the court — as both are right now due to injuries. The Heat beat the Bucks and Bulls without those two in the past week, and Kyle Lowry deserves credit for being an impressive floor general in those games. It’s also worth noting the Heat have racked up this record against the third toughest schedule in the NBA so far; things should get easier for them as the season moves along.

9. Bulls (17-10, LW 6). No team has been hit harder by COVID than the Bulls, who have 10 players in health and safety protocols and had two games (the Pistons and Raptors) postponed. The games DeMar DeRozan missed after he entered protocols (but before everyone else did) showed how much he means to their offense, they need his shot creation. When healthy, Zach LaVine is putting up numbers, impressing, and seems happy, but know most teams have him on top of their potential free agent board and are monitoring the situation, just in case.

10. Grizzlies (17-11, LW 15). Memphis is now 8-1 since Ja Morant went out, which bight be the most stunning stat of the season. They have done it with defense, allowing less than a point per possession in that stretch, and they have a league-best +19.6 net rating in those games. Desmond Bane has stepped up in those nine games to help carry the offense, the question is how do they carry this momentum over to when Morant does get out of protocols.

11. 76ers (15-13, LW 9). When Matisse Thybulle made the All-Defensive Second Team last season it raised some eyebrows among fans. However, he came out on national television Saturday night, harassed Stephen Curry into an off shooting night, and showed exactly why he got the votes of close league observers — Thybulle is one of the elite man defenders in the league. The Sixers are 1-2 through a brutal stretch of the schedule (losses to the Jazz and suddenly hot Grizzlies, beat the Warriors) and next up are the Heat and Nets on a back-to-back.

12. Lakers (15-13, LW 16). LeBron James returned from his abdominal injury 12 games ago (although he was out for a couple of those dozen), and since that moment the Lakers have the seventh-best defense in the NBA. For all the criticism, Frank Vogel has found lineups that are getting the job done. The Lakers will get Trevor Ariza back in the next couple of weeks, which also will help on that end of the floor. Still, it all comes down to LeBron and him raising the level of the team defense — he was locked in on the Magic Sunday night and had three huge blocks.

13. Mavericks (14-13, LW 19). Dallas may be the hardest team in the NBA to get a pulse on — they’ve had some ugly losses lately, then sat Luka Doncic because of ankle and knee issues, and rattled off a couple straight wins. It’s been like that all season, and it’s more than Doncic’s conditioning. The Mavericks take the six most 3-pointers in the league (37.9 a game) but hit just 33.1% of them (24th in the league).

14 Hawks (13-14 LW 8). New season, same old problem in Atlanta: When Trae Young is on the court the Hawks have a 118.8 offensive rating, which would be best in the NBA; when he sits that rating falls to 104.1, which would be bottom five in the league. Do keep an eye on the Hawks as the trade deadline approaches, this franchise has reached the “can we really pay everyone?” stage of team building and with that wing Cam Reddish is reportedly available, but it’s going to take a quality package (a first round pick, at least)

15. Nuggets (14-13, LW 20). Denver is going to face some big picture questions at the trade deadline and into next offseason. This team is a contender if healthy, but when does Jamal Murray return and how does he look? What does the future hold for Michael Porter Jr. and his back issues? Do the Nuggets hang on to players such as JaMychal Green and Jeff Green, or is it better to trade them and build for something farther down the line? Nikola Jokic remains MVP brilliant this season, but how do the Nuggets get the right players around him (and keep them healthy)?

16. Celtics (14-14, LW 10). Will Brad Stevens look to shake up the inconsistent Celtics team at the trade deadline? There have been reports the Celtics are open to trading point guard Dennis Schroder, who is averaging 17.5 points and almost 5 assists a game. He signed a one-year, $5.9 million contract and he’s outplayed what Boston can offer next season, so it makes sense to explore a trade rather than let him walk. Problem is, any team that trades for him faces the same restriction on re-signing him, so the offers will be low (Schroder would simply be a rental).

17. Hornets (15-14, LW 7). Another team hit hard by COVID, and that has contributed to them dropping 6-of-8. The loss in Dallas Monday was the start of 8-of-10 on the road for the Hornets. The big problem in this stretch is on the defensive end, which has been worst in the NBA for the season but is 13 points per 100 possessions worse over this losing stretch. The offense has remained top five in the league without LaMelo Ball, with a lot of credit going to Cody Martin (outside of the bad foul on De'Aaron Fox late in the Kings game).

18. Wizards (15-13, LW 14). Washington has dropped 5-of-7, with the difference being the top-10 defense that propelled them early in the season has been bottom 10 over those seven games (the offense is bottom 10 in the league for the season and isn’t good enough to cover it up). It doesn’t help that the Wizards keep digging themselves a hole, they have a -6.6 net rating in the first half of games, fifth worst in the league. One highlight sums it all up: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drove baseline for a dunk, cocked it back for a monster slam — and got rejected by the backboard.

Not sure where KCP was trying to dunk this. 😅😅 @shaqtin pic.twitter.com/JFHNAjIQas

— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) December 12, 2021

19. Raptors (14-14, LW 21). The Raptors went 4-3 on a big homestand, but it felt reversed from the rest of the season because the defense was good (top five in that stretch) and the offense was below average. Still, it left the Raptors in the same spot, sitting in the middle of the pack and looking average. Gary Trent Jr. is having some strong games and is looking like a good trade pickup, one Nick Nurse can take advantage of.

20. Pacers (12-17, LW 22). As soon as the report about the Pacers wanting to trade everything not nailed down hit the street, the players rattled off a three-game winning streak. Rick Carlisle would be pleased if he were not isolating at home due to COVID-19 protocols. While the Pacers are talking trades, nobody around the league expects them to really strip it all the way down and rebuild from the ground up (like OKC), this will be another rebuild on the fly.

21. Spurs (10-16, LW 24). As much is this is a young team still learning some hard lessons, they also look like a Gregg Popovich team — plenty of ball and player movement. It also looks like a Popovich team because they don’t shoot a lot of 3s (29 a game, last in the league). San Antonio is 2-2 so far on a five-game homestand that ends tonight against Charlotte, then the team heads West for four on the road, including both Los Angeles teams.

22. Timberwolves (12-15, LW 18). Despite the up-and-down nature of this season — Minnesota snapped a five-game losing streak beating Portland on Sunday — this team is still sitting ninth in the West, in the play-in mix. Their next five games are all against West foes, a chance to climb the ladder in the conference. With Karl-Anthony Towns playing his best ball in years and the growth of Anthony Edwards, there is enough talent on this team to at least make the play-in, if not there needs to be hard questions.

23. Knicks (12-16, LW 17). While it was good to see rookie Quentin Grimes announce his presence with 27 points (7-of-13 from 3) against the Bucks, the fact Kemba Walker didn’t see the court in that game despite Alec Burks being out has led to questions. Walker was the guy benched out of the struggling starting lineup, but since then the Knicks have gone 2-7. Maybe it wasn’t all Walker. Kemba has enough in the tank — 11.7 points per game, 41.3% from 3 — that Thibodeau has to find some role for him.

24. Rockets (9-18, LW 26). Expect a lot of trade talk around Houston as the deadline nears, playoff-bound teams have their eyes on veterans such as Eric Gordon and Christian Wood. The rebuilding want picks and young players back. Houston has not been a great fourth quarter team this season (they have a negative net rating in every quarter), but the comeback against Atlanta on Monday showed the fight of the team that won seven in a row is still there.

25. Kings (11-17, LW 25). Sacramento is 5-6 since Alvin Gentry took over and have a -5.8 net rating in those games. Which is to say, things haven’t really changed, the team’s offense is okay but the defense is dreadful. Will the Kings be sellers at the trade deadline? They could get first-round picks for players such as Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes, but with ownership desperately wanting a push up into the play-in games, it’s hard to predict what direction they might go.

26. Trail Blazers (11-17, LW 23). Even Damian Lillard expressing his love for Portland can’t calm all the anxiety around this team as they struggle. The Trail Blazers have lost 9-of-10 and the problems have been on both ends of the court — Portland is bottom five in offense and defense over their last 10. Chauncey Billups is trying to shake things up a little. Larry Nance Jr. moved into the starting lineup in place of Robert Covington, a move that probably should have happened weeks ago. With CJ McCollum still out, Norman Powell moves into his more natural position as a two (rather than an undersized three).

27. Pelicans (8-21, LW 27). Another week, another Zion Williamson setback. It makes it hard to be optimistic about this team, as does the rumor they want to make a bold win-now move at the trade deadline so they can climb out of last in the West to make the play-in. New Orleans needs to be thinking long term, not short. Brandon Ingram is healthy and averaging 22.9 points a game — when he is on the court the New Orleans offense is 5.3 points per 100 possessions better.

28. Thunder (8-18, LW 28). The Thunder are going to get a lot of calls around the trade deadline because they are the only team with cap space ($34 million) to facilitate a big deal. Teams may also call about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, although the cost of trading for him may be too steep for teams. Luguentz Dort could help a lot of playoff-bound teams with his defense (and his offense has taken a step forward this season), but again the cost will be steep.

29. Magic (5-23, LW 29). The Magic will be an interesting team to watch at the trade deadline as they are rebuilding but have a couple of veterans who would draw interest around the league in Terrence Ross and Robin Lopez. Ross could draw a first-round pick because of the demand for wings who can help on both ends of the floor. The Magic have the worst net rating in the league (-10.5) but it’s been worse in the first half, -16.1. The Magic seem to start every game in a hole.

30. Pistons (4-22, LW 30). Cade Cunningham is showing flashes — he boldly went shot-for-shot with Kevin Durant — but the question now becomes which of their young players can grow around him and be part of the future. Saddiq Bey needs to shoot better if he wants to be part of this future. It will be a surprise if Jerami Grant is not traded at the deadline; many suitors see him as a fit (the Lakers like him a lot but may not have the players to make a deal).

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Zion cleared for on-court work, hamstring re-evaluated in two weeks

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

The New Orleans Pelicans expected Zion Williamson to return from his strained hamstring before the season ends.

The latest news out of the Big Easy doesn’t make that sound likely. While he has been cleared for some on-court activity, Zion will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the team announced.

Medical Update on Zion Williamson:

Following a re-evaluation on his right hamstring strain, Zion Williamson has been cleared to return to on-court activities. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 22, 2023

A two-week timeline has him re-evaluated on April 5. The last day of the NBA regular season is April 9.

If the goal is to have him back for the playoffs, the Pelicans need to make it first — at 35-37 they sat 12th in the West heading into Wednesday night’s action, but that was just half a game out of the play-in and 1.5 games out of tying Golden State for the No. 6 seed (although leapfrogging all those teams to get to the top six is highly improbable). Zion returning would make the Pelicans a lower-seed team to fear in the playoffs, they outscore opponents by 7.2 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court this season.

The problem is he has only been on the court for 29 games. We don’t know when we will see him again.

NBA Power Rankings: Bucks hold on to top spot but 76ers, Celtics close

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 8:09 PM EDT

Not much movement at the top of the NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings this week as teams racked up wins as they jockeyed for playoff seeding. A few teams, such as Miami, are climbing.

1. Bucks (51-20, Last week No. 1). If you believe the MVP should be the best player from the best team, then Giannis Antetokounmpo is your guy — and he has been gaining support in recent weeks (helped in part by the Nuggets’ slide). Antetokounmpo himself is less focused on that award and more on securing the No.1 seed in the East and its easier path through the playoffs. The Bucks have a cushion (three games in the loss column over the 76ers and Celtics) and just have to hold on to it through the four-game road trip that starts Friday in Utah. The most interesting game of that trip is Saturday in Denver, a battle of No.1 seeds.

2. 76ers (48-23, LW 2). Tyrese Maxey has found his groove of late, averaging 22.1 points and 3.4 assists a game in March — his attacking offense has been a critical part of the 76ers’ hot streak (eight straight wins until a loss to the Bulls on Monday). Joel Embiid‘s play — and with its resurgent MVP case — has also been at the heart of that run, but can he keep it going during a four-game road trip. The game everyone has circled on their calendar is Monday when the 76ers travel to Denver and Joel Embiid squares off against Nikola Jokić in a game that will take on outsized importance.

3. Celtics (50-23, LW 3). Robert Williams III returned to the court Tuesday night in an impressive win over the Kings. This matters — Williams will be key for this Celtics team to match up with Milwaukee and Philadelphia, and maybe even in the first round if they face Miami. They simply are not the same defensively or on the glass if he is not right. The other thing the Celtics need to be changed? Jayson Tatum is hitting just 29.2% of his 3-pointers since the All-Star break. Winnable games this week against the Pacers, Spurs, and Wizards.

4. Cavaliers (46-28, LW 4). Cleveland has won 7-of-9, but the two losses (one to the Heat in Miami, the other to Philadelphia) raise some questions about what kind of playoff threat the Cavaliers really are. The loss to the 76ers was the second night of a back-to-back, and Jarrett Allen was out, but it was still troubling. The Cavaliers appear headed for a 4/5 first-round playoff showdown with a scrappy Knicks team, but Cleveland will have the best player on the court in that series in Donovan Mitchell (the one they let get away in New York), and he can do things like this.

EVERY ANGLE of Donovan Mitchell's monster dunk tonight 🎬 pic.twitter.com/CPb9KMRp75

— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2023

5. Nuggets (48-24, LW 5). Denver won 2-of-3 on the road this week, at least stemming the recent slide (although it will take more than just a couple of wins to give a jolt to the narrative around Nikola Jokic’s MVP candidacy). The real tests are awaiting when they arrive home: Milwaukee on Saturday and Joel Embiid and the 76ers on Monday. Those games are measuring sticks for the Nuggets as they prepare for the postseason, but they also will take on outsized importance in the narrative about the MVP (fair or not).

6. Grizzlies (44-27, LW 7). Ja Morant is set to return to the court Wednesday, but Dillon Brooks will be out that night due to a suspension, and that gets at the heart of the bigger issue with the Grizzlies — they have to be disciplined if they want to make a deep playoff run. NBC Sports basketball analyst Corey Robinson talks about the Grizzlies’ “punk rock attitude” which has both been part of what fuels them and part of what trips them up. In a West open for the taking, the Grizzlies have the talent, but they must be disciplined. They also have to get Steven Adams back, they miss him badly on the court and it appears he might be back for the playoffs, but nothing is for sure.

7. Kings (43-29, LW 6). The Kings will make the playoffs as a No.2 or 3 seed, but the ugly loss to the Celtics at home only fuels the questions about how deep a run this team can make in the playoffs with its 24th-ranked defense. (It should be noted that the Celtics game was the second night of a back-to-back for the Kings and their fifth game in seven days.) The Kings have a run in them with their versatile, impossible-to-stop offense, but it will depend on matchups — there are some dangerous teams in the bottom half of the West bracket. Who will the Kings’ face, how healthy will they be and matchups will be deciding factors. The Kings are good enough to make the conference finals, but there will be no easy paths in the West this year.

8. Knicks (42-31, LW 8). Josh Hart wants to stay in New York and the feeling is mutual among Knicks faithful, but the question, as always is money. The Knicks can offer four years, $51 million, but if another team comes in over the top at the restricted free agent (likely with a poison-pill Arenas rule offer) New York’s front office will have a decision to make. The Knicks appear headed for the No. 5 seed, but two of their next four games are against the Heat, New York needs a split there and not to go on a little losing streak to hold on to that spot.

9. Suns (38-33, LW 10). Phoenix has dropped 4-of-5, and them holding on to the No. 4 seed no longer feels like a sure thing, the Clippers are just one game back and the Warriors two games. The problem over those five games has been the Suns’ offense, which is 26th in the league for those games — that’s something Kevin Durant would fix just walking in the door. Durant (left ankle sprain) will be re-evaluated next week and back for at least a handful of the Suns’ remaining games. That means the Suns need wins and they have a tough week ahead with the Lakers, Kings and 76ers on the schedule.

10. Clippers (38-35, LW 12). The Clippers have won 5-of-7, with one of those losses coming in the game Kawhi Leonard sat out. That is not a coincidence, as Law Murray of The Athletic noted, the Clippers have lost seven in a row when Leonard sits and are 3-14 in their last 17 without him. Now the Clippers will need to win the next couple of weeks without Paul George, who will be re-evaluated from a knee sprain in 2-3 weeks. The Clippers are just one game out of four seed with some winnable games this week against OKC, the Pelicans and Bulls.

11. Heat (39-34, LW 11). Miami is making a push to catch the stripped-down Nets for the No.6 seed and avoiding the play-in — they are only half a game back, but Brooklyn has the tiebreaker so it is more like 1.5 games. That makes the Saturday night showdown against the Nets must win. Beyond that one game, the on-again/off-again Heat — beat the Grizzles and Cavaliers, lose to the Bulls — need consistency. And they need Max Strus and some other role players to start hitting their 3-pointers.

12. Warriors (37-36, LW 9). The Warriors snapped their 11-game road losing streak against lowly Houston, but that “winning streak” will get put to the test Wednesday night against Dallas — most importantly, can the Warriors start getting stops on the road? Their defense is 28th in the league on the road, but third-best (and more than 11 points per 100 possessions better) at home. After Wednesday the Warriors have 5-of-6 at home and they need to take advantage of that stretch and lock in their place in the top six in the West. Really good test at home Friday against the 76ers and MVP-candidate Joel Embiid.

13. Mavericks (36-36, LW 14). Dallas went 2-3 in games Luka Dončić missed with a left thigh strain, but the good news is he will be back Wednesday night in a critical showdown against the Warriors, two teams battling for the No.6 seed in the West (Golden State currently hold the spot, but the teams are tied in the loss column). The bad news for Dallas is Kyrie Irving will be out with right foot soreness after Dillon Brooks stepped on his foot in the Memphis game. The Mavericks could use a big night (or few games, if Irving is out) from Jaden Harvey, who will see a minutes bump. After the Warriors the Mavs have winnable games this week against the Hornets (twice) and the Pacers).

14. Thunder (36-36, LW 17). Look who sits at the No.7 seed in the West — the Thunder are not tanking, they are thinking postseason. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is leading that charge and cementing his All-NBA status, scoring 40 points Sunday in a win over the Suns, then dropping 31 on the Clippers on Tuesday. One thing that makes stopping the Thunder difficult is the size of their backcourt — Gilgeous-Alexander is 6’6″ and Josh Giddey is 6’8″. The Thunder started 1-0 on their West Coast road trip (a quick-trigger referee helped with that) and they have the Clippers (again), Lakers and Blazers to round out the trip.

15. Nets (39-33, LW 13). The Nets have dropped four in a row and can feel the Heat… sorry, that joke/line bothered even me. And I wrote it. But with Miami just one game back and eyeing the No. 6 seed and avoiding the play-in, Brooklyn needs wins (and to get some stops, it’s their defense that is letting them down right now). The good news is the Nets have the third easiest schedule in the NBA the rest of the way, but it doesn’t show in the shop term with the Cavaliers up next then a critical game against those Heat.

16. Raptors (35-37, LW 19). It’s the story of their season — Toronto has a +5.1 net rating over its last six games, but just a 3-3 record. For the season, they have the point differential of a team that is 38-34 (which would only move them up one spot to eighth in the East). The Raptors have a three-game cushion, and they are not falling out of the play-in, but the real target is the Hawks at No. 8 — the Raptors are just one game back of that easier path to the playoffs. They have winnable games this week against the Pacers, Pistons and Wizards, the Raptors just need to keep their focus.

17. Lakers 35-37, LW 18). Austin Reaves is earning the big payday he has coming this offseason (four years, $50ish million sounds about right), but the Lakers need more than that to get into the playoffs. They need peak Anthony Davis for a full 48 minutes. And they need LeBron James back from his foot tendon issue, he should be coming up for re-evaluation soon and has hinted on social media he is getting closer to a return. The Lakers have three more at home this week (Suns, Thunder, Bulls) before heading out on the road for five.

18. Timberwolves (36-37, LW 15). Karl-Anthony Towns is returning Wednesday after missing 51 games with a calf injury, a huge boost to the Timberwolves — but also presents a challenge. It’s hard to integrate any player who deserves a lot of offensive touches back into the rhythm of a team used to playing without him, and the fit the 21 games Towns played to open the season was clunky. It should be easier with a distributor in Mike Conley at the point (as opposed to D'Angelo Russell). Anthony Edwards‘s status is still up in the air as of this writing, but it’s good news that he will not miss much time. The Timberwolves need wins and face the Hawks, Warriors and Kings up this week.

19. Hawks (36-36, LW 16). Fans in Atlanta who remember the bump the team got when Lloyd Pierce was pushed out and Nate McMillan became the head coach have wondered why there hasn’t been the same thing with Quin Snyder in the door. It’s a very different situation, and Snyder hasn’t had the chance to install his offense (or tweak the roster). Snyder was a long-term hire. In the short term the goal is to hang on to the No.8 seed and hold off the surging Raptors, which means finding wins in games against the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Pacers and Cavaliers. No easy task.

20. Bulls (34-37, LW 23). The Chicago Bulls needed a fire lit under them this season — that’s what Patrick Beverley excels at. The Bulls are 8-4 since signing Beverley on the buyout market with the second-best net rating in the league over that stretch (+7.9), and that has moved them up to the No.10 seed and the play in with a 2.5 game cushion to keep it. Beverley is not a quiet guy who just leads by example, his voice made a difference. It also helps Zach LaVine is averaging 29.9 points a game and shooting 45% from in those dozen games as well.

21. Jazz (35-36, LW 21). So much for tanking. We thought the Jazz bought tickets for the Wembanyama sweepstakes last summer, but they started the season 10-4. After trading away a lot of depth and quality at the deadline it was thought the tanking would start in earnest, but after a dip the Jazz are back into the top 10 and looking like a possible play-in team. Walker Kessler is drawing the headlines with his play this season, but guard Ochai Agbaji has stepped up in recent weeks, including 27 points against the Kings. Utah has a couple of keepers on the roster.

22. Pelicans (35-37, LW 20). Zion Williamson will be out at least two more weeks (through April 5) while the Pelicans are making their playoff push. Not good news for a team that has fallen to the No.12 seed and needs to string together some wins to make the postseason (things have gotten so bad they have the same record as the Lakers — with whom they have a pick swap this year). The Pelicans head out on the road Saturday for four, facing the Clippers, Blazers, Warriors and Nuggets — a tough challenge for a team needing wins.

23. Wizards (32-40, LW 22). Washington has gone 3-11 since the All-Star break and fallen 2.5 games out of the final play-in spot in the East. They will need help from teams currently playing well in the Bulls and Raptors to have a shot at making the postseason. That’s troubling for a team that entered the season with top-six aspirations — some hard questions are coming this summer. This week the Nuggets, Spurs and Raptors are on the schedule.

24. Pacers (32-40, LW 25). There are bright spots on this roster — Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Bennedict Mathurin — but it has just not come together, particularly on the defensive end. The Raptors are on the road for their next three, and it will be a tough trip: Toronto, Boston and Atlanta.

25. Magic 30-43, LW 26). Orlando is playing the role of spoiler well with some quality on the court in recent wins against Miami, the Clippers and the Wizards. While Paolo Banchero draws the headlines (and will win Rookie of the Year) it’s been the backcourt of a revived Markelle Fultz along with some good nights from Cole Anthony that has these Magic looking like a team that will not go quietly into the offseason.

26. Trail Blazers (31-40, LW 24). While some media outlets ran with this, don’t take Damian Lillard‘s recent comments as a sign he wants out of Portland. The Blazers aren’t going to trade him unless he asks out and league sources have told NBC Sports nobody expects him to (at least for the next year). He’s just frustrated with the losing and is at least considering shutting it down for the season, which is understandable. Portland has lost six in a row and are four games out of the last play-in spot — their postseason dreams are done. Starting Friday against the Bulls, the Blazers are home for five in a row.

27. Hornets (23-50, LW 27). Michael Jordan selling his majority shares of the Hornets has generally been seen as a positive for the franchise around the league. This is a team in need of new investments in practice/training facilities and more, and the new owners can step in and make a difference there right away. It’s also good for the league that Jordan will hang on to a minority ownership share of the team, it’s important for the GOAT to remain involved with the league.

28. Rockets (18-54, LW 28). With a bottom three record (and with it the best possible lottery odds) locked up, coach Stephen Silas has been able to lean into his young core and turn them loose, and they picked up some quality wins against the Celtics, Lakers and Pelicans (New Orleans even that out a couple of nights later). This week Jalen Green and the Rockets head out on the road, starting with two games against Memphis, followed by the Cavaliers.

29. Spurs (19-53, LW 29). The 24-point comeback win against the Hawks showed some heart from San Antonio, but this has been a rough season. Which was to be expected, but this will be the Spurs’ fourth straight season of missing the playoffs and the turnaround has been slow. Some luck — first with the draft, then with health — could turn things around pretty quickly. Part of the challenge this season was all the time Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson missed due to injuries.

30. Pistons (16-57, LW 30). No team is poised for a faster bounce back next season — get Cade Cunningham back healthy and put him next to Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman (who has spread his wings a little in the Motor City), veteran Bojan Bogdanovic, plus whoever they draft, and the Pistons could easily be in the play-in mix. Up on the schedule this week for Detroit are the Raptors and Bucks, to tough asks.

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Clippers’ Paul George out at least 2-3 weeks with sprained knee

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 3:07 PM EDT

Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Clippers’ All-Star forward Paul George will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks after an MRI confined a sprained knee, the team announced on Wednesday. That likely means George is out for the rest of the regular season.

It looked a lot worse when it happened (and it is possible George will be out longer than a few weeks). George was injured with 4:38 left in the Thunder’s win over the Clippers Tuesday night. George had after a collision with Lu Dort when both were for a rebound, Dort was called for a foul on the play.

Here’s the play where Paul George suffered what appears to be a leg injury. pic.twitter.com/k0JbXyrXvn

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 22, 2023

George is critical for the Clippers, who sit as the No.5 seed in the West, just a game back of Phoenix at No.4 but also 2.5 games from falling out of the playoffs entirely in a crowded bottom half of the bracket. George is averaging 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game this season, and the Clippers are 6.8 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court.

The most likely outcome is the Clippers sit George for the rest of the regular season and if, if they can hold on to a top-six seed, that would mean he would have until April 15-16 before the Clippers would have their first postseason game. The question is will that be enough time to get George back on the court?

Karl-Anthony Towns set to make return to Timberwolves Wednesday

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 12:51 PM EDT

David Berding/Getty Images

It was Nov. 28 — 51 games ago — the last time Karl-Anthony Towns stepped on the court for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That changes tonight against the Hawks, according to multiple reports, plus Towns himself said he will make his return to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

“I’m super excited to get back out on the court and help my team because these next nine games are super important,” Towns said…

“I’m just trying to pick up where I left off,” Towns said. “I was telling my dad right before I got hurt, I felt the most complete as a player in my career. From defensive end, from offensive end, from a mental aspect, leadership aspect … I felt very complete.”

The Timberwolves sit ninth in the West, in the middle of a crowded bottom of the conference where they are just a game out of the No.6 seed but also half a game away from falling out of the play-in and missing the postseason entirely. The Timberwolves need wins, and adding an elite offensive player such as Towns should help with that (as would getting Anthony Edwards back from his sprained ankle, which could happen tonight but, if not, is expected soon).

Towns suffered a calf injury just after Thanksgiving that was expected to keep him out for 4-6 weeks. However, a January setback extended that recovery to 51 games. Towns averaged 21.4 points and 8.5 rebounds a game this season before the injury.

However, his fit in those early games with Rudy Gobert (acquired over the summer), Edwards and D'Angelo Russell was clunky. Town’s efficiency was down (32.8% from 3) and the offense had a “your turn then my turn” feel. That offense has started to find a better groove recently with Edwards taking on a larger ball-handling role, then Russell being for Mike Conley (more of a traditional, floor general point guard) — the Minnesota offense in March was 4.8 points per 100 possessions better than it was in November.

How will injecting Towns back into that mix help the offense? How will it impact the defense? Unfortunately, coach Chris Finch and company don’t have time to experiment much and play around with lineup combinations, they need wins and they need them now to make the postseason.

Still, it’s good to have Towns back on the court.

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