Updated Season Report Card Grades for Every NBA Team at Start of March Madness

I figured now would be as good a time as any to get you up to speed on where all 30 NBA teams stand. After all, I'm sure at least some folks out there will take the rest of the month off from pro basketball to focus on all this March Madness business.

(Not that I don't enjoy the NCAA tournament myself. The last-second excitement and overall unpredictability makes it a joy to follow, though the quality of actual basketball leaves plenty to be desired).

So, why not take some time now to catch up on the Association with about three weeks to go in the regular season? We'll have another full report card ready for you when college ball is over and you're ready to jump back into the NBA.

And another one in between. And another.

But I digress. Before I start blathering on about the virtues of the Pac-12 or Harvard's rise in the wake of Jeremy Lin's success, let's have a look at how every team grades out in the here-and-now.

Charlotte Bobcats

Record: 16-52 (.235)

Offensive Efficiency: 97.9 (28th)

Defensive Efficiency: 109.1 (30th)

There may be life left in the Charlotte Bobcats yet! For the first time since late November, the 'Cats are the owners of consecutive victories, courtesy of the Washington Wizards and the Toronto Raptors.

Charlotte's bench has been particularly prolific. The reserves poured in 44 points against the Wizards and followed that up with a whopping 54 at T-Dot's expense.

But, as far as the future of the franchise is concerned, keep an eye on Gerald Henderson. The 25-year-old swingman is averaging 24.2 points on 52.6 percent shooting over his last five games. He'll be a restricted free agent come summer, at which point Michael Jordan and company will have to decide whether it's worth shelling out serious dough to keep a mid-level wing going forward.

Grade: F

Orlando Magic

Record: 18-51 (.261)

Offensive Efficiency: 99.4 (25th)

Defensive Efficiency: 106.8 (26th)

If you didn't think the Orlando Magic were in the tank before, a five-game losing streak should do plenty to sway your opinion now. This marks the fifth time in 2012-13 that the Magic had endured a skid of an equal or greater length.

Which is precisely what most folks expected after Orlando parted ways with Dwight Howard this past summer. But if Grantland's Brett Koremenos were ever to have his way, the Magic's lose-now strategy might quickly become a relic of basketball's past.

Grade: D

Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 22-46 (.324)

Offensive Efficiency: 101.8 (18th)

Defensive Efficiency: 107.0 (27th)

The Cleveland Cavaliers did everything they could to end the Miami Heat's historic streak with Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao all sidelined by injury. They "allowed" fluid to leak from the scoreboard above the court, which postponed the start of the contest. They built up a lead that grew to 27 points in the third quarter. One fan at Quicken Loans Arena even took it upon himself to disrupt the Heat's comeback by running out onto the floor in a shirt anticipating LeBron James' return to Cleveland in 2014.

And yet, none of that was quite enough to fully repay James for jolting the Cavs back in July of 2010. Instead, Cleveland limped out of its own building with a 98-95 loss that, on the whole, would've seemed extraordinary for the lowly Cavs, with or without the intermittent choke job.

Grade: D

New Orleans Hornets

Record: 23-46 (.333)

Offensive Efficiency: 102.5 (17th)

Defensive Efficiency: 107.4 (28th)

The fact that Anthony Davis continues to garner plenty of ink, despite having all but ceded Rookie of the Year honors to Damian Lillard, bodes well for the young forward's future with the New Orleans Hornets. Davis saw his eight-game double-digit scoring streak snapped by the Boston Celtics on March 20th.

Not that the Brow had any less impact on the proceedings. He accounted for the game-winning tip-in and finished the evening with nine points, eight rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal in a modest 28 minutes for the Hornets.

The kid may not be a star just yet, but he'll always be long and athletic. And, at the tender age of 20, he's just getting started.

Grade: C-

Phoenix Suns

Record: 23-46 (.333)

Offensive Efficiency: 97.7 (29th)

Defensive Efficiency: 104.6 (22nd)

There's something about the role of spoiler that seems to suit these Phoenix Suns. They made minced meat of a tired Los Angeles Lakers team on March 18th, 99-76. The win evened the season series between the two teams, with the Suns taking both contests in Phoenix.

Proving, once again, that you can never go home, even if you're as beloved in your old haunt as Steve Nash is by so many in the Valley of the Sun.

Grade: D

Detroit Pistons

Record: 23-46 (.333)

Offensive Efficiency: 100.3 (23rd)

Defensive Efficiency: 105.8 (25th)

The Detroit Pistons appear poised to end the 2012-13 season the same they started it: on a prolonged losing streak. They've now lost nine in a row—to "best" their 0-8 start—and 12 of their last 13 overall. Six of those nine defeats have come by double digits, including a 29-point throttling at the hands of the Tony Parker-less Spurs, a 32-point throttling by the Clippers and, most recently, a 37-point abomination opposite the Brooklyn Nets.

If I were Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank, I'd beware of swinging axes and chopping blocks right about now.

Grade: F

Sacramento Kings

Record: 25-44 (.362)

Offensive Efficiency: 102.7 (15th)

Defensive Efficiency: 108.4 (29th)

It's nights like the one they most recently enjoyed against the Los Angeles Clippers that make the Sacramento Kings' overall failures this season so frustrating. The Kings outscored the Clips 38-18 in the fourth quarter, during which Toney Douglas, a trade-deadline arrival from the Houston Rockets, scored 17 of his 19 points.

Interestingly enough, the Kings' hopes of on-court success have improved right alongside those of staying in Sacramento for the foreseeable future. According to Sam Amick of USA Today, Vivek Ranadive, a billionaire software mogul and minority stakeholder in the Golden State Warriors, will be joining fellow tycoons Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle in their attempt to keep the Kings from moving to Seattle.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 23-43 (.348)

Offensive Efficiency: 99.1 (26th)

Defensive Efficiency: 103.1 (15th)

Here's another bright spot for the Timberwolves amidst a most disappointing season: Derrick Williams is playing well enough to make himself an intriguing trade target this summer. The second-year forward out of Arizona had been averaging 18.7 points and 7.8 rebounds since late February.

That is until Minny ran into Memphis and the Grizzlies' grinding defense limited Williams to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor.

Still, the kid's got talent, and, assuming the T-Wolves intend to proceed with Kevin Love as their centerpiece, the team should be able to fetch a valuable piece or two in return for Williams, a former No. 2 pick.

Grade: C-

Washington Wizards

Record: 24-43 (.358)

Offensive Efficiency: 97.3 (30th)

Defensive Efficiency: 99.9 (7th)

Nobody beats the Wiz!

Except, of course, the Charlotte Bobcats...and the Kyrie Irving-less Cleveland Cavaliers. If not for those two defeats, Washington would be in the midst of a seven-game winning streak.

As it stands, winning five out of seven ain't half-bad for the Wizards. They've held five of those seven opponents under 100 points, thanks to their seventh-ranked defense, and John Wall (21.9 points, 9.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals, .569 from the floor over his last seven) has played at an All-Star level in that span. 

Grade: C

Toronto Raptors

Record: 26-42 (.382)

Offensive Efficiency: 103.0 (14th)

Defensive Efficiency: 104.6 (23rd)

The Wizards shouldn't feel too bad about losing to the 'Cats, though. A similar fate befell the Raptors, just three days after allowing the Miami Heat to run their winning streak to 22 games.

The good news? Rudy Gay has chipped in 26.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists over his last three and the Raptors might just be the geekiest organization in the NBA today.

Which is no easy feat, considering the steps that the likes of the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks (among others) have taken in that general direction.

Grade: D

Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 26-42 (.382)

Offensive Efficiency: 98.8 (27th)

Defensive Efficiency: 102.9 (14th)

Welp...at least the 76ers won't have to concern themselves with waiting around for Godot anymore. Andrew Bynum's officially done for a 2012-13 season that never began after undergoing microfracture surgery on both of his chronically problematic knees.

Not that the Sixers couldn't have used the not-quite-Liam-Neeson-like skills of the All-Star center. Surely, he'd have come in handy during Philly's near-upset of the streaking Heat or, better yet, on the ugly end of their 29-point blowout loss to the Clips in L.A.

Just don't tell that to Spencer Hawes. The mullet-friendly big man has been on a roll of late, with an 18-point, 16-rebound, eight-assist, seven-block showing in a win over the Indiana Pacers serving as, perhaps, the highlight of his pro career.

Grade: C-

Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 32-36 (.471)

Offensive Efficiency: 103.6 (11th)

Defensive Efficiency: 105.6 (24th)

Somebody's going to pay J.J. Hickson a lot of money this summer to play basketball. The fifth-year forward out of North Carolina State ripped down a career-high 21 rebounds during Rip City's 99-89 win over the Chicago Bulls while operating against such primo glass-cleaners as Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.

That performance was just the latest in a long line of strong games for Hickson over the last five weeks or so. In 15 games since the All-Star break, Hickson has averaged 14.5 points and 12.8 rebounds, with 10 double-doubles mixed therein. Look for J.J. to cash in on his recent ascendancy once the likes of Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson have been scooped off the market in free agency.

Grade: B

Dallas Mavericks

Record: 32-36 (.471)

Offensive Efficiency: 103.4 (12th)

Defensive Efficiency: 104.0 (19th)

The Dallas Mavericks certainly weren't expected to beat the likes of the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Brooklyn Nets, seeing as how they were shy of the .500 mark in each instance. But if the Mavs were ever to make a serious move into fringe playoff contention, they needed to come away with wins in at least one or two of those games.

To their credit, the Mavs came within a point of upending the Spurs and were neck-and-neck with OKC before falling to the Thunder by six points at home.

As for that 17-point loss to the Nets...well, there's only so much one team can do when Deron Williams is showing up the fans he might've once called his own and Brook Lopez is having his way on the interior.

Grade: C+

Utah Jazz

Record: 34-34 (.500)

Offensive Efficiency: 103.0 (13th)

Defensive Efficiency: 104.3 (21st)

The Utah Jazz were lucky to catch the Pistons and the Grizzlies in the second half of back-to-backs in their own building. Otherwise, we may well be talking about a once-playoff-hopeful team stuck in the midst of a nine-game slide.

As it stands, the Jazz have dropped 10 of 13 since moving a season-high seven games over .500 back on February 19th. They showed plenty of spirit while fighting back from a 26-point deficit against the Houston Rockets, though not even a close loss could keep Utah from falling even further behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for eighth place out West.

Grade: C

Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 34-33 (.507)

Offensive Efficiency: 101.1 (21st)

Defensive Efficiency: 102.1 (12th)

Save for a pair of single-digit stinkers, Monta Ellis has been on fire for nearly a month now. The oft-maligned guard has averaged 24.2 points, 6.8 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three over his last 13 games, in which the Milwaukee Bucks have gone a respectable 8-5.

Surely, Ellis has done plenty to improve his free-agent stock, which he may or may not wish to test this summer at the expense of the $11 million left on his deal for next season. An impending trip to the postseason—Monta's first since his second season with the "We Believe" Warriors—should offer Ellis another golden opportunity to strut his stuff for all interested parties to see.

Grade: B-

Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 36-33 (.522)

Offensive Efficiency: 105.4 (8th)

Defensive Efficiency: 103.4 (18th)

Pay no attention to that 23-point loss in Phoenix to the slovenly Suns. The Los Angeles Lakers were on the second night of a back-to-back, with a seven-man rotation devoid of the injured Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

The Lakers expect those two to be back in action in time for a March 22nd matchup with the woeful Wizards. It'll mark the first time since L.A. climbed its way into the Western Conference playoff picture that the Purple and Gold will have all four of their All-Stars in uniform at the same time.

Just in time, too. The Lakers will be back on the road shortly for an important four-game road trip, during which they'll play three (relative) patsies after paying an all-important visit to the Warriors in a battle for postseason positioning.

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics

Record: 36-31 (.537)

Offensive Efficiency: 100.4 (22nd)

Defensive Efficiency: 99.3 (4th)

Lady Luck has not been kind to the Boston Celtics of late. First, they blew multiple double-digit leads—not to mention the game of Jeff Green's life—in a heart-breaking loss to the Miami Heat. Then, they were victimized by the long arms of Anthony Davis in a last-second defeat in New Orleans.

Fortunately for the C's, the rest of the East remains enough of a mess that they might just sneak their way to home-court advantage anyway. Just three-and-a-half games separate Boston from fourth-place Brooklyn with 15 left on the schedule.

Though seven of those will be against likely playoff teams.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls

Record: 36-31 (.537)

Offensive Efficiency: 99.8 (24th)

Defensive Efficiency: 99.7 (6th)

Looks like Andrew Bynum might not be the only Eastern Conference star whose absence figures to hamstring his team's hopes this season. The chances of Derrick Rose suiting up for the Chicago Bulls in 2012-13 dwindle by the day. According to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, Rose still has no idea when he'll be back in action for the Bulls, though he's officially listed as day-to-day.

In the meantime, Chicago continues to slide without him. The Bulls were done in by some bad officiating during an overtime loss at home to the Denver Nuggets and were down by as many as 28 points during a pitiful loss to the lottery-bound Blazers on March 21st.

But, if Rose returns in time for the postseason, the Bulls might just have a shot at being something other than a one-and-done squad in the topsy-turvy Eastern Conference.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets

Record: 37-31 (.544)

Offensive Efficiency: 107.0 (6th)

Defensive Efficiency: 104.2 (20th)

Don't look now, but Linsanity might be gearing up for a sequel. Jeremy Lin has a 10-game double-digit scoring streak going, with a trio of 20-plus-point outings in his last three.

If Lin can continue his heady, steady play next to James Harden, the Houston Rockets will have not only a solid shot at putting a scare into the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs, but also (perhaps) a legitimate claim to the title of "Best Backcourt in Basketball."

Strange as that may seem. 

Grade: B+

Golden State Warriors

Record: 39-31 (.557)

Offensive Efficiency: 103.6 (10th)

Defensive Efficiency: 102.6 (13th)

If not for a stinker of a second quarter against the Spurs, the Warriors might be on a bona fide roll right now. Golden State had beaten Houston by 30 and New Orleans by 21 during the first two legs of its three-game road trip, but couldn't quite keep their momentum long enough to win in San Antonio for the first time since the start of the Tim Duncan era.

Not that the Warriors' playoff hopes are (or should be) in danger. They'll finish the season with nine of their last 12 games at home, with a pair of crucial games against the hard-charging Lakers in which the Warriors will have to defend their turf in the standings.

Grade: B+

Atlanta Hawks

Record: 38-30 (.559)

Offensive Efficiency: 102.6 (16th)

Defensive Efficiency: 101.4 (10th)

Sometimes, the Atlanta Hawks look like a team worthy of a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. For instance, this past week saw the Hawks take care of the Nets and the Bucks in rather convincing fashion.

And sometimes, the Hawks do things that make you scratch your head, like give up 127 points in a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

If anything, Atlanta might be the perfect microcosm of the East's muddled middle. With players like Josh Smith, Al Horford and the up-and-coming Jeff Teague, the Hawks have the talent to put a scare into just about anyone on any night. But their tendency toward long lapses on defense and poor execution on offense leaves them vulnerable to embarrassing losses against lesser squads.

Grade: B

Brooklyn Nets

Record: 40-28 (.588)

Offensive Efficiency: 104.1 (9th)

Defensive Efficiency: 103.2 (17th)

Remember when we were all wondering whether we'd seen the last of Deron Williams, the All-Star, and would, instead, be witness to the demise of Deron Williams, Bad Contract?

Well, it seem as though D-Will is on a bit of a mission to silence his doubters. He's poured in 31 points in each of his last two games, including a trip to Dallas that likely left every Mavs fan wondering what might've been had Mark Cuban been in town this past July.

Instead of in L.A., filming an episode of Shark Tank.

Grade: B+

New York Knicks

Record: 40-26 (.606)

Offensive Efficiency: 107.2 (5th)

Defensive Efficiency: 103.2 (16th)

The New York Knicks must be thanking their lucky stars now that Carmelo Anthony is back in the lineup and feeling leaps and bounds better after having his knee drained. Anthony chipped in 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting in his return, a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic.

It was about time the Knicks got some positive injury news. Anthony's recovery aside, the hits kept coming in New York this past week, with the team divulging details regarding the bulging disk in Tyson Chandler's back and Kurt Thomas' broken foot. With those two joining Amar'e Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace on the shelf, the Knicks will need all they can squeeze out of Anthony to avoid losing their tenuous hold on home-court advantage in the East.

And, in turn, becoming easy pickings for a conference rival seeking a deep playoff run.

Grade: B

Indiana Pacers

Record: 42-26 (.618)

Offensive Efficiency: 101.3 (19th)

Defensive Efficiency: 95.6 (1st)

As it happens, the Indiana Pacers really needed a pair of blowout wins over Eastern Conference cupcakes to restore their confidence and keep themselves in line for a No. 2 playoff seed. Prior to beating the Cavs and the Magic by a combined 43 points, the Pacers had tripped over their own shoelaces against the Lakers, who had Kobe in a Willis Reed-like role, and the still-slipping Sixers, who had Spencer Hawes filling the empty shoes of Andrew Bynum more ably than expected.

Indy's hardly out of the woods yet, though. Their upcoming week features four games against playoff-bound opponents, against whom they're 1-4 in their last five such contests.

Grade: B+

Denver Nuggets

Record: 48-22 (.686)

Offensive Efficiency: 107.5 (3rd)  

Defensive Efficiency: 102.0 (11th)

The streak continues for the Denver Nuggets, who've now gone 14 games without losing since suffering a mystifying defeat to the Wizards. They squeaked by the hard-charging Sixers, thanks in no small part to a game-saving block by perennial underachiever Anthony Randolph on a long jumper by Damien Wilkins.

Of course, this isn't the first time the Nuggets have seen their streak survive by a hair. They needed some help from the refs to top the Bulls in overtime on the road on March 18th.

Immediately after which Denver confirmed its better-than-dark-horse status by handling the Thunder in OKC.

Grade: A

Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 47-22 (.681)

Offensive Efficiency: 106.9 (7th)

Defensive Efficiency: 100.3 (8th)

The Los Angeles Clippers appear to be on the decline, at a time when title contenders are usually getting their acts together. They haven't won consecutive games since sweeping a back-to-back to bridge February and March, and, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes, they seem to lack a definitive identity.

Much of the Clips' struggles of late can be traced back to a defense that's fallen off noticeably since a scorching-hot start to the season. L.A. has surrendered 106.6 points per 100 possessions in its last eight games—a mark that would rank 25th overall this season.

Not a good sign for a deep, talented team that had high hopes (and the NBA's best record) at the halfway mark.

Grade: B+

Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 46-21 (.687)

Offensive Efficiency: 101.2 (20th)

Defensive Efficiency: 97.2 (2nd)

The Memphis Grizzlies needed a boost of some sort—at least something better than what a 15-point win over the tumbling T-Wolves could provide. They'd followed up an impressive stretch of 14 wins in 15 games with a pair of road duds against the Nuggets and the Jazz.

A win over the visiting Thunder certainly would've done the trick. The Grizzlies ground OKC through four quarters before Marc Gasol tipped in Zach Randolph's miss to secure a big win for Memphis.

And give Gasol every reason to go berserk right then and there.

Grade: A

Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 50-19 (.725)

Offensive Efficiency: 110.1 (2nd)

Defensive Efficiency: 99.5 (5th)

Don't fret, Thunder fans. Sure, Kevin Durant hasn't exactly been all that since the All-Star break, and sure, OKC's consecutive losses to the Nuggets at home and the Grizzlies on the road weren't all that encouraging.

But Denver and Memphis are both bound for strong showings in the postseason. Moreover, there's some precedent for OKC struggling against top-shelf competition down the stretch. The Thunder lost seven straight games against playoff-bound opponents last April.

And, last I checked, they still managed to fight their way into the NBA Finals. 

Grade: A

San Antonio Spurs

Record: 52-16 (.765)

Offensive Efficiency: 107.3 (4th)

Defensive Efficiency: 98.7 (3rd)

Did somebody turn the clock back to 2003, or has Tim Duncan discovered a new way to reverse aging? Or is there some other way to explain the way this guy's been playing of late. In his last three games, Duncan has averaged 27.7 points, 14.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 blocks while shooting 64.3 percent from the field.

You know, like a guy six years his junior. Now, if only he could keep this revival up for a while longer, the Spurs might be able to sneak their way into the Finals for the first time since 2007.

With or without a healthy Tony Parker or a not-aging-as-well Manu Ginobili.

Grade: A+

Miami Heat

Record: 53-14 (.791)

Offensive Efficiency: 110.4 (1st)

Defensive Efficiency: 101.1 (9th)

The Miami Heat have officially entered the "Not Even The Basketball Gods Can Stop Us" phase of their epic winning streak. They fell behind by 17 points, fought their way back and then went down again by 13 in the fourth—while Jeff Green was going off for an unlikely 43 points—and still managed to survive against the arch-rival Boston Celtics in Boston. Then, they outlasted a delay in the game, a fan running onto the court and a 27-point deficit, thanks in large part to LeBron James going off for a triple-double as a semi-"Eff You" to the legions of Cavs fans who hate him.

Who knows? Maybe now that Passover's around the corner, the Miami Heat will pull a full reverse-Pharoah situation and persevere through all eight plagues over the course of a 48-minute game.

Surely, the '71-72 Lakers wouldn't mind whatever comes Miami's way, so long as the Heat don't make it to 33 wins in a row.

Grade: A+

Follow @Josh_E_Martin