FanPost

ZLock's Power Rankings - End of March

As most everyone is now aware, I have created this thing (and I think it is pretty cool and you should check it out) and update all of the data within for the current season each Monday morning with the information from a really cool website to keep the tool fresh. For this reason, the power rankings come on the last Tuesday of each month. The month in review is from 2/27 to 3/26.

1. San Antonio Spurs (56-16, 11-3 past month, last: #2)

In all honesty, the Spurs are really only in this position because of the Kevin Durant injury. However, that is not a discredit to San Antonio. Kawhi Leonard is making a push for the MVP award by defending at his usual elite level and letting the league know that he is a superstar on offense now as well. His efficiency has taken a slight hit because of an increase in volume, but that volume increase outweighs the slip in percentage. San Antonio's bench is by far the best in the league, and if they so desire, the Spurs could make a push for the first seed at to end the season, which is highly unlikely.

2. Golden State Warriors (59-14, 10-5 past month, last: #1)

The Warriors' toughest month of the season came about thanks to an injury to Kevin Durant, who may possibly play in Golden State's last two or three games. The disruption in the rotation made for a rough transition period, leading to losses against teams they should have beat and a drop in net rating from +12.6 to +11.6 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors will still be the title favorites, considering the Cavaliers' recent struggles and the fact that Golden State is the only team in the top 5 of the league on both offense and defense, ranking second in both.

3. Washington Wizards (45-28, 11-5 past month, last: #6)

Washington is going to finish in either the third or fourth seed, as the Cavaliers and Celtics are just far enough ahead that the Wizards cannot catch them with so few games left. The Wizards have a net rating of just +2.4 points per 100 possessions, the lowest of all contenders this year, and play almost perfectly league-average defense. The Wizards have to keep pushing, no matter what, in order to remain ahead of the Raptors, who are trying to retake a top-three seed in the East.

4. Houston Rockets (51-22, 9-4 past month, last: #4)

The Rockets had a very good month, holding their net rating at +7 points per 100 possessions, clinching a playoff spot and essentially guaranteeing themselves the third seed. Houston also rose to the top of the offensive leaderboard and continued to play average defense, which may be enough for them to compete with the Spurs for a spot in the Western Conference Finals. James Harden has continued his phenomenal season and looks like a slight favorite for the MVP just because his team wins so much.

5. Boston Celtics (48-26, 10-5 past month, last: #5)

(At the time of writing, the Celtics were still the second seed.) Boston has closed the gap on Cleveland outrageously fast, which is mostly thanks to the struggles of the Cavaliers. The Celtics continue to play their brand of solid-but-not-spectacular basketball, with a net rating of just +2.8 points per 100 possessions. This net rating historically projects to about 48 wins for an entire season, which Boston has already achieved with 8 games left to play. Isaiah Thomas is going to have to be a top-10 superstar in the playoffs for the Celtics to make it through the East, and that is assuming Cleveland never gets their act together. At any rate, expect to see the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

6. Toronto Raptors (44-29, 9-5 past month, last: #12)

The Raptors finally played through the slump they had been experiencing since 2016 died and it comes at just the right time. With 9 games left, Toronto has to solidify their current play and carry it into the playoffs, as they will get just one home playoff series. The problem is this: the Raptors' remaining schedule is vastly easier than that of the Wizards, so it seems likely that Toronto takes the three seed. (Again, written while Boston was the second seed.) It is equally likely that Boston gains the first seed from the Cavs, which would mean the third seed has to go through Cleveland to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors have put themselves in a tough spot.

7. Denver Nuggets (35-38, 9-5 past month, last: #18)

The Denver Nuggets made the smart basketball move in trading for Mason Plumlee. That cannot be argued. In the past month, the Nuggets increased their net rating from -1.1 points per 100 possessions to +0.3 and are holding onto the West's eighth seed. The issue is that the Portland Trail Blazers also got a lot better thanks to the emergence of Nurkic in a new situation as a budding superstar. Now, the two teams are locked in a race for the playoffs.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (47-25, 7-8 past month, last: #3)

The Cavaliers are struggling more than they should be and it is worrying. However, remember that 10 of their 15 games this month were on the road, they had 4 back-to-backs, are struggling to stay healthy, and are still integrating new pieces. The worrying aspect has been the lack of urgency that the team has displayed. The hope is that the Cavs are able to flip the switch at the start of the playoffs. This month cannot be ignored. Their net rating fell from +5.3 to +3.8 points per 100 possessions and the fell to a DRtg z-score of -0.717. The Celtics are on their tail for the first seed in the East and have a much easier schedule remaining than do the Cavs, who have 3 more back-to-backs in the next 9 games, all of which have at least one away game in the pair. One of those is a SEGABABA date with the Celtics in Boston, who will have two days off before the game. I would bet that Cleveland goes into the playoffs as a two seed.

9. Milwaukee Bucks (37-36, 11-5 past month, last: #19)

Lots of NBA fans were waiting for the Bucks to make this push but had given up hope a little over a month ago with the injury to Jabari Parker. Then March happened and the Bucks launched themselves into the East's fifth seed, where they will likely start the playoffs. The interesting point is that their net rating only changed from +0.1 to +0.3 points per 100 possessions. Giannis Antetokounmpo and a young, athletic Milwaukee team should scare whichever team finishes in the fourth seed, as they will be no easy elimination.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (35-38, 11-4 past month, last: #23)

Both Portland and Denver came out better from the Plumlee-Nurkic trade, and now they are battling for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Portland especially has benefitted, flying from a -2.7 net rating to -1.0. With one of the league's premier backcourts and the budding superstar center Jusuf Nurkic, the Trail Blazers pose more of a threat in the playoffs than the Nuggets do. If the Blazers can grab the eighth seed, they could push any team to six or seven games.

11. Miami Heat (35-38, 8-6 past month, last: #8)

The league's hottest team in 2017 slowed down a little in the month of March but continued their meteoric rise to playoff contention. Miami's net rating finally jumped positive, reaching a height of +0.7 points per 100 possessions. The combination of Miami and Milwaukee has pushed Detroit and Chicago out of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, and the Heat should hold onto their eighth seed.

12. Dallas Mavericks (31-41, 8-6 past month, last: #16)

The Dallas Mavericks had a weirdly good month and lost 0.2 points on their net rating. The future of this Mavericks team is interesting and a little unknown, but the goal seems to be getting younger and grooming Harrison Barnes to become a top-25 player. Dallas also seems to hope that Nerlens Noel and Seth Curry will be the main supporting cast he needs. There also seems to be a consensus that no one knows if Dirk will really retire at the end of the season, which would end a lengthy era in Dallas. At any rate, this nice little run to end the season will boost the optimism of Mavs fans.

13. Oklahoma City Thunder (41-31, 7-7 past month, last: #10)

The Thunder increased their net rating from +0.4 to +0.9 in a month that they played to an even record and Russell Westbrook continues to play for the MVP award, but Oklahoma City seems locked into the sixth seed behind LAC. That outcome would be great for fans because OKC in the third seed means that everyone gets to see Harden vs. Westbrook in a playoff series, which should get to count for MVP consideration. The Thunder are also finally above the league average on both offense and defense, however slightly it may be.

14. Los Angeles Clippers (44-31, 7-8 past month, last: #11)

The Los Angeles Clippers are just stuck where they are. They played their month to just under even, maintained the same net rating, and were just all-around unnoteworthy in the month of March. They have everyone on the floor now, but the Clips just don't seem to be the same team that they were at the start of the season. Another regular season full of injury and poor luck must have sapped the magic that had LAC leading the Western Conference at one point. They may be in line for a first-round exit and a slight roster shakeup this summer.

15. New Orleans Pelicans (31-42, 8-5 past month, last: #24)

The Pelicans played great this month with things settling down since the trade for DeMarcus Cousins. Their net rating jumped from -3.9 to -1.9 points per 100 possessions, which is ridiculous for just 13 games this late in the season. The intriguing thing is that the fit between Anthony Davis and DMC is still highly questionable. The strong play of late has not been because the two All-Star big men are dominating because viewers can see that the adjustment has been hard. New Orleans is just winning games somehow, although it is too late to make the playoffs.

16. Charlotte Hornets (33-40, 8-6 past month, last: #27)

Charlotte had a winning record this month, the first positive sign for a team that had been slipping for a half-season. Their net rating rose back to an even +1, but their playoff dream is done and the Hornets are playing for next season. That net rating is just a sign of how good Charlotte was once upon a time earlier in the season.

17. Utah Jazz (44-29, 7-7 past month, last: #7)

The Utah Jazz had a seriously underwhelming and disappointing month of March. The Jazz were very similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who only were more criticized because they are the defending champions and have much higher expectations. Utah had an even .500 record this month but fell in net rating from +5.2 to +3.9 points per 100 possessions. The once league-leader in defense is now third and sits closer in DRtg to the fifth best defense than to the second. Still, they should hold onto the West's fourth seed.

18. Indiana Pacers (37-36, 7-7 past month, last: #17)

The Pacers last 9 games are all must-win games as teams 5-9 in the East battle for playoff seeding and contention. Two games against Toronto and a game against the Cavaliers means that Indiana is not going to have it easy trying to make the playoffs. One game remaining against Atlanta and Milwaukee each will likely be the deciding factor in the Pacers' postseason push.

19. Brooklyn Nets (16-57, 7-8 past month, last: #30)

It was like the Brooklyn Nets hit March and all-of-the-sudden forgot to be awful at basketball. Not only did they nearly double their win total in a single month, they rose from the depths of the league and no longer own the worst net rating. They are a lock to finish the season as the league's fastest team and have 9 games to make up a 5 game deficit to the Lakers for 29th in the league. With Los Angeles trying to lose out and have the best lottery chances, Brooklyn just might do it.

20. Memphis Grizzlies (40-33, 5-8 past month, last: #9)

Why is nobody angry with the Memphis Grizzlies? They just gave up and accepted their seventh seed and stopped playing well. The seventh seed means a certain first round exit, as Memphis has no chance against either San Antonio or Golden State, although they split the season series with the Warriors with a +3 point differential in four games. If Marc Gasol catches fire and burns like a thousand suns in the playoffs, then maybe Memphis pushes their first-round series to seven games.

21. Detroit Pistons (34-39, 6-8 past month, last: #14)

The Pistons have seemingly played themselves out of playoff contention, dropping in net rating from -0.4 to -1.1 points per possession. Detroit does not have a forgiving schedule either, with a four-game stretch that goes: vs. Toronto, @ Houston, @ Memphis, and finished vs. Washington. Stan Van Gundy has some things to work on this offseason, namely scoring the basketball, with the Pistons likely finishing in the bottom 8 in offense this season.

22. Minnesota Timberwolves (28-44, 5-8 past month, last: #20)

One has to wonder how many more years they are going to wait for the young Timberwolves to make the leap. Any sign of progress to end this season would have made all the difference in their future outlook. Zach LaVine will hopefully return from injury the same player he was before, but Minnesota is on the clock for their move into playoff contention.

23. Orlando Magic (27-46, 5-8 past month, last: #28)

Who knows what the Orlando Magic are doing anymore? Their play on the floor doesn't even appear to be to the best of their limited ability, although they have a few promising young pieces left that need to grow together. The emphasis is on few because the front office has done an awful job of retaining potential talent or gaining value in return for it.

24. Atlanta Hawks (37-36, 5-10 past month, last: #13)

The Atlanta Hawks blew a large lead for the fifth seed in the East this month and now find themselves tied with Milwaukee and Indiana in record. Their net rating of -1.4 is notably bad for a team that remains above .500, but their inability to score the ball as the league's fifth-worst offense is going to ruin their season and maybe their chance at a playoff spot.

25. Chicago Bulls (35-39, 5-10 past month, last: #15)

Chicago also blew their playoff seeding with an exceptionally bad month in which their net rating fell from -0.2 to -0.9 points per 100 possessions. Their remaining schedule is easier than that of the Miami Heat, which means that Dwayne Wade and co. may get a shot at the Eastern Conference Playoffs after all. It just depends on if Chicago can actually beat the bad teams remaining on the schedule.

26. Philadelphia 76ers (27-46, 5-10 past month, last: #21)

Losing Joel Embiid until next season just sucked all the energy out of Philadelphia and now all they are waiting for is to find out if he played enough games to win Rookie of the Year. The 76ers may be fringe contenders for the eighth seed next season if Embiid can get healthy and the players continue to develop as expected, but there is not much to look forward to as the season comes to a close.

27. Sacramento Kings (28-45, 3-11 past month, last: #22)

The Kings, interestingly enough, showed signs of life immediately after trading DeMarcus Cousins, only to return to being the Sacramento Kings and going out of the season with a whimper. Conflicting reports about whether or not they are looking to restructure the front office are so Kings that it hurts, but they definitely need help in that department.

28. Phoenix Suns (22-52, 4-11 past month, last: #29)

Phoenix is trying to ruin the Lakers' season by sucking so much that the Lakers don't even have the worst record in the West, let alone the league. If the Suns manage to mess up Los Angeles' lottery chances enough that the Lakers get the third pick or fall outside the top three and lose the pick, it would be the funniest thing that any NBA team has ever done.

29. New York Knicks (27-46, 3-11 past month, last: #25)

The team that Derrick Rose once called a super team and compared to the Golden State Warriors could finish as low as 14th in the East depending on how things shake out. Their net rating of -3.7 isn't even as bad as it could be considering the stretch of strong play the Knicks once went through.

30. Los Angeles Lakers (21-52, 2-11 past month, last: #26)

The Los Angeles Lakers are purposefully losing out in order to give themselves the best chance at a top three pick, which would hopefully bring them the franchise cornerstone player they desperately need and allow the team to actually keep their pick in this draft. The awful moves made by the now-gone Buss brother hang over the team's head as Magic Johnson looks to return the team to greatness from behind a desk.

Best/Worst 5 Offenses

1.) Houston Rockets > 115.4 ORtg > 1.987 ORtg z-score

2.) Golden State Warriors > 115.4 ORtg > 1.987 ORtg z-score

3.) Cleveland Cavaliers > 114.2 ORtg > 1.631 ORtg z-score

4.) Denver Nuggets > 113.2 ORtg > 1.334 ORtg z-score

5.) Toronto Raptors > 112.1 ORtg > 1.007 ORtg z-score

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26.) Atlanta Hawks > 104.8 ORtg > -1.162 ORtg z-score

27.) New Orleans Pelicans > 104.5 ORtg > -1.251 ORtg z-score

28.) Brooklyn Nets > 104.3 ORtg > -1.310 ORtg z-score

29.) Orlando Magic > 103.5 ORtg > -1.548 ORtg z-score

30.) Philadelphia 76ers > 102.9 ORtg > -1.726 ORtg z-score

Best/Worst 5 Defenses

1.) San Antonio Spurs > 103.6 DRtg > 2.106 DRtg z-score

2.) Golden State Warriors > 103.8 DRtg > 2.023 DRtg z-score

3.) Utah Jazz > 105.1 DRtg > 1.483 DRtg z-score

4.) Atlanta Hawks > 106.2 DRtg > 1.027 DRtg z-score

5.) New Orleans Pelicans > 106.4 DRtg > 0.944 DRtg z-score

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26.) Brooklyn Nets > 111.5 DRtg > -1.173 DRtg z-score

27.) New York Knicks > 111.6 DRtg > -1.215 DRtg z-score

28.) Phoenix Suns > 111.9 DRtg > -1.339 DRtg z-score

29.) Denver Nuggets > 112.9 DRtg > -1.754 DRtg z-score

30.) Los Angeles Lakers > 113.4 DRtg > -1.962 DRtg z-score

Best/Worst 5 Teams Net Rating

1.) Golden State Warriors > +11.6 Points per 100 Possessions

2.) San Antonio Spurs > +8.3 Points per 100 Possessions

3.) Houston Rockets > +7.0 Points per 100 Possessions

4.) Toronto Raptors > +4.2 Points per 100 Possessions

5.) Utah Jazz > +3.9 Points per 100 Possessions

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26.) Philadelphia 76ers > -5.4 Points per 100 Possessions

27.) Phoenix Suns > -5.7 Points per 100 Possessions

28.) Orlando Magic > -6.1 Points per 100 Possessions

29.) Brooklyn Nets > -7.2 Points per 100 Possessions

30.) Los Angeles Lakers > -7.5 Points per 100 Possessions

This is a Fan-Created Comment on FearTheSword.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff at FearTheSword