NBA Power Rankings: Can the Philadelphia 76ers Hang onto Top Spot with 2 Weeks Left?
The NBA feels as tightly packed as it's been in years.
At plus-5.7, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are tied for first in net rating (point differential per 100 possessions), a number the league tracks on its website back to 1996-97. That would be the lowest net rating to finish first in that 20-plus-year stretch.
And that's not all. After another week that felt like musical chairs, there are 20 teams between plus-3.0 and minus-3.0. There are 12, nearly half the league, between plus-1.0 and minus-1.0.
That's made an exercise like the power rankings trickier than it's been in the past. Just about anyone is prone to a seemingly random loss. With so little margin for error, one good or bad stretch can feel magnified.
But volatility is no excuse to shed the mantle. As is the case every week, all 30 teams are ranked below, based on numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.
And, as always, there's a little treat in the form of the stat of the week before we get into the teams.
Stat of the Week
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Statistical models like Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("based on a model built using previous voting results") may still have Nikola Jokić winning in a landslide, but there's no doubt the narrative and betting odds have shifted to favor Joel Embiid in the MVP race.
Between now and the end of the regular season...
- Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo will play each other on March 25
- Embiid and Jokić will play each other on March 27
- Embiid and Giannis will play each other on April 2.
Embiid has a ton of momentum right now, but each of those matchups could have an impact on this race. If he holds on, he'll buck a pretty significant trend.
Ten of the last 11 MVP winners led the league in box plus/minus. Ten of the last 11 MVP winners led the league in win shares per 48 minutes. And the estimated plus-minus leader has won MVP in six of the nine seasons for which that metric is available.
In addition to nearly averaging a triple-double with peak Stephen Curry-like scoring efficiency and leading the league in raw plus-minus (by a massive margin), Jokić has comfortable leads in each of the aforementioned catch-alls.
That doesn't mean he'll win. If the vote were taken today, it feels like Embiid's scoring prowess, ability to draw fouls and shot-blocking would give him the nod. And he can solidify that by outplaying Jokić for the second time on March 25.
But the door is still open for the two-time reigning MVP. And who knows, if the Milwaukee Bucks keep galloping toward the best record in the league and Giannis dominates these late-season matchups against both Denver and Philadelphia, he could still swoop up his third win.
30. Detroit Pistons (16-57)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -7.5
The Detroit Pistons are 2-18 in their last 20 games. That is, unsurprisingly, the worst record in the NBA over that stretch.
And while earlier portions of the season provided hints of or reasons for optimism, those are getting harder to come by as we near this season's finish line.
Jaden Ivey is shooting 37.9 percent from the field in those 20 games. James Wiseman has 26 turnovers and nine assists as a Piston. And the veterans who were making Detroit occasionally competitive (Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović) are on the shelf with injuries.
On the bright side, Killian Hayes is averaging 7.3 assists during this 20-game freefall (and is 14th in the league in season-long assist percentage), but even that comes with a massive caveat. On the year, Hayes is shooting 42.4 percent on twos and 28.4 percent on threes.
29. San Antonio Spurs (19-54)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -9.9
The San Antonio Spurs are a respectable 5-7 in their past 12 games, with wins over the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks mixed in there.
Fortunately, this little taste of semi-success shouldn't frustrate the team's pursuit of the top pick in the NBA Draft, either.
San Antonio has had a bottom-three record (and thus a 14 percent chance to land that pick) for the bulk of the season, and the Charlotte Hornets, which own the league's fourth-worst record, still have four fewer losses than the Spurs.
28. Houston Rockets (18-55)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -8.1
After an unexpected three-game winning streak last week, the Houston Rockets got back to their losing ways with three straight losses leading up to the power rankings.
For anyone who's paid even a little attention to Houston this season, that's not surprising (or notable, really).
What is worth highlighting is the recent play of Jalen Green. Green had a 40-point performance against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. And after struggling with his shot for most of the season, he's averaging 29.3 points and 2.8 threes while shooting 37.9 percent from deep over his past four games.
That's obviously a tiny sample size, but Green has only hit 46.7 percent of his twos and 33.8 percent of his threes this season. Any reminder of his No. 1 option upside, no matter how fleeting, is encouraging. He just turned 21 in February.
27. Charlotte Hornets (23-51)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -6.3
After an unexpected five-game winning streak in February, the Charlotte Hornets are 3-8 in their last 11.
And even as the losses keep piling up, the Hornets veterans may be opening up some roster flexibility for the front office this offseason.
Should Charlotte choose to make Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier available this summer, there might actually be some takers (though Hayward's $31.5 million salary certainly makes that one trickier).
Over his last 17 games, Hayward looks like a decent point forward, with 16.2 points, 4.9 assists and a 36.4 three-point percentage. And since LaMelo Ball left the rotation with an ankle injury, Terry Rozier is averaging 19.7 points.
26. Washington Wizards (32-41)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -1.0
The Washington Wizards won their first game in March, moved to 30-32 on the season and were still in the hunt for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Since then, Washington is 2-9 and on the way to pretty solid odds for the top overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They won't catch the bottom four teams, but the Orlando Magic and their 10.5 percent chance are in play.
And the idea of a Kristaps Porziņģis/Victor Wembanyama frontcourt is mighty enticing.
25. Portland Trail Blazers (32-40)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -1.7
Remember that 10-4 start for the Portland Trail Blazers? They're 22-36 since then (the fourth-worst record in the NBA over that span), and speculation about Damian Lillard's future has fired up again.
This time, it's driven by the man himself.
The reporter who asked the question that prompted that response (Danny Marang) provided a bit more context, but that may not quiet the noise.
After back-to-back seasons missing the playoffs (assuming Portland doesn't close on some miraculous run), and with no other superstars on the roster, fans and media are going to fan the flames of any rumor this summer.
That's just the nature of today's NBA and the media cycles surrounding it.
And with Lillard turning 33 in July, his basketball mortality has to be a consideration.
24. Indiana Pacers (33-40)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -2.5
The Indiana Pacers plummeted out of the playoff race when Tyrese Haliburton had his first extended absence in January, but his time away has afforded rookie Andrew Nembhard some extra opportunities. And he's taking advantage.
Haliburton is out again (this time with a knee injury), and Nembhard has looked like a solid scorer and playmaker without him.
After going for 25 points and 10 assists in Wednesday's win over the Toronto Raptors, Nembhard is now averaging 17.3 points, 5.6 assists and 2.0 threes, while shooting 48.3 percent from deep over his last seven games.
23. Orlando Magic (31-43)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -2.4
It's come up before, but the Orlando Magic offered another reminder that they've been straight-up solid for more than half of the season when they beat the New York Knicks on Thursday.
After a 5-20 start that pretty much doomed their playoff chances in early December, the Magic have gone 26-23 since, plenty encouraging for the third-youngest team in the league.
Within that win on Thursday, we also got a reminder of the wide-ranging potential of Paolo Banchero.
By one measure (total points above or below average on field-goal attempts), Banchero has been the least efficient shooter in the NBA this season, but he had six rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks and two threes against New York.
He has very real point forward upside. And his size and athleticism could make him a terror on defense. If he ever does figure out the shot, he'll be a perennial All-Star.
22. Utah Jazz (35-37)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: +0.1
Lauri Markkanen missed Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings with back soreness. In his 40-point performance on Wednesday, he injured his wrist.
Considering the fact that the Utah Jazz are within just a few losses of significantly better odds at a top-three draft pick, a very cautious approach to Markkanen's playing status wouldn't be surprising.
So, now feels like a good time to remind everyone just how absurd his season has been.
Markkanen is averaging 25.7 points while shooting 59.1 percent on twos and 40.0 percent on threes. No one in NBA history matched or exceeded all three of those marks for a full season.
21. Chicago Bulls (34-38)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: +0.7
The Chicago Bulls were annihilated by the Philadelphia 76ers (who only needed 16 total minutes from Joel Embiid and James Harden to do so) on Wednesday, but they'd won five of seven before that.
With the solid recent play, they should now have enough of a cushion between themselves and 11th place to make the play-in tournament, and their leading scorers have done plenty to build that cushion.
During the 5-2 stretch, Zach LaVine averaged 30.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 threes while shooting 42.3 percent from deep, while DeRozan averaged 28.3 points, 5.0 assists and 1.6 threes, with a 42.3 three-point percentage.
20. Atlanta Hawks (36-37)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -0.1
The Atlanta Hawks were 31-30 when Quin Snyder took over. After going 5-7 in his first 12 games there, they're now 36-37, but he may be operating against some cosmic power.
Wild as that stat is, and tempting as it may be to chalk it up to the supernatural, the likelier reason for Atlanta's continued mediocrity is probably the lack of runway the new coach had to install his system.
The Hawks are pretty much locked into the play-in tournament now, and they really weren't going to threaten the contenders before Snyder's arrival either.
The 2022-23 season has morphed into some kind of basketball purgatory for Atlanta, which makes it easy to look ahead to the offseason.
Will John Collins finally get moved? Can the front office add a little more defense around Trae Young? Can Snyder mold a competent defense the way he did with the Utah Jazz?
Lots of questions and very few answers right now.
19. New Orleans Pelicans (36-37)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: +1.3
Brandon Ingram has struggled with his health for much of this season, but the New Orleans Pelicans are making what feels like a final push for a play-in spot behind Ingram looking and playing more like the All-Star version of himself.
New Orleans has won three straight. And after posting a 30-point triple-double in Thursday's win over the Charlotte Hornets, Ingram is averaging 28.2 points and 7.6 assists in his last five.
It remains to be seen whether this momentum will actually carry the Pelicans to the postseason, though. This week, New Orleans starts a four-game road trip that includes matchups with the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (36-37)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -0.1
When LeBron James went down with a foot injury in February, it felt like a death knell for a Los Angeles Lakers team that was already struggling to maintain a spot in the play-in race. But the supporting cast has gone 7-5 in LeBron's 12 recent absences, and L.A. is clinging to 10th place.
During this stretch, the other Lakers are more than carrying their weight.
- Anthony Davis: 26.3 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.1 blocks, 54.3 field-goal percentage
- D'Angelo Russell: 21.6 points, 7.1 assists, 3.4 threes, 1.0 blocks, 40.7 three-point percentage
- Austin Reaves: 18.3 points, 6.5 free throws, 5.8 assists, 1.3 threes, 41.0 three-point percentage
And if the confidence they're developing now allows them to keep this up beyond LeBron's return, L.A. might be good enough to do more than escape the play-in tournament.
17. Toronto Raptors (35-38)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +0.6
The Toronto Raptors ended the week with back-to-back losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, but they're darn-near locked into a play-in spot. And they have a starting lineup that should be plenty dangerous in that scenario.
Jakob Poeltl has only been around since the mid-February trade deadline, but Toronto is plus-10.6 points per 100 possessions when he, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are all on the floor.
Adding the big man's rebounding, defense and underrated passing to the mix, while backing off positionless basketball a bit, has generally stabilized the team in time for the stretch run.
16. Dallas Mavericks (36-37)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +0.2
Luka Dončić returned from a five-game absence because of a thigh injury on Wednesday. He went for 30 points and 17 assists and was plus-two in a two-point loss to the Golden State Warriors.
A loss the Dallas Mavericks are officially protesting, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
After the dust settles, the Mavericks will still be below .500 and in real danger of missing the playoffs.
In today's NBA, when every superstar on a non-marquee franchise is seemingly on the clock for a potential departure, an exit that early will draw all kinds of unwanted attention for Luka and the Mavs, who also have Kyrie Irving's free agency to deal with this summer.
15. Brooklyn Nets (39-34)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +0.6
After a strong run in early March that suggested the Brooklyn Nets might find a way to be competitive without the recently traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, they've now lost five in a row and slid below the Miami Heat and into the play-in tournament.
On the bright side, Brooklyn has four games between itself and ninth place, so it'll probably have the more favorable play-in scenario (win one game and you're in the playoffs).
But even with Mikal Bridges making a borderline star turn (he's averaged 25.8 points as a member of the Nets), this stretch suggests there might not be enough high-end talent here to scare anyone in the first round.
14. Oklahoma City Thunder (36-37)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +1.1
Despite getting blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder are still 8-3 in their last 11 games.
If they keep winning at this rate for the rest of the regular season, there's a chance the Thunder finish ahead of the play-in range. And even if they don't, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has almost certainly done enough to get into the conversation for a first-team All-NBA nod.
After scoring 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting in Thursday's loss, SGA is fourth in the league in scoring at 31.4 points per game. Luka Dončić (the lock for first-team All-NBA) and Damian Lillard are ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander on that list, but he's a better and more versatile defender than both. And his team now has a pretty comfortable lead over Dame's in the standings.
If that's not enough, SGA is on track to become just the fourth player in NBA history to have a season with 30-plus points, five-plus assists, one-plus steals and one-plus blocks per game. The other three are Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
If you bump the points-per-game qualifier up to the 31, the list narrows to just MJ and SGA.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (37-37)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: -0.1
With just a couple weeks left in the regular season, are things finally starting to come together for the Minnesota Timberwolves?
On Wednesday, Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the lineup after missing 52 games with a calf injury. Anthony Edwards is already nearing a return from a sprained ankle. Rudy Gobert is averaging 15.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks since the trade deadline. And Jaden McDaniels is averaging 19.1 points and 2.0 threes while shooting 45.2 percent from three over his past seven games.
Add the steady-handed playmaking of Mike Conley and Swiss Army knife game of Kyle Anderson to that mix, and it's easy to see the Timberwolves making quick work of the play-in tournament.
Given the inconsistency of the Golden State Warriors this season, a suddenly healthy Minnesota squad might even be able to finish sixth and skip the play-in altogether.
12. Golden State Warriors (38-36)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +0.4
One of the bigger problems for the underachieving (and reigning champion) Golden State Warriors was the level of trust they put in the young core.
The front office felt comfortable letting Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica leave this past summer, in part because it had James Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga coming up behind them.
Wiseman is gone, and Moody has had a hard time maintaining a meaningful spot in the rotation, but Kuminga may finally be coming alive.
He had 22 points in just over 30 minutes off the bench in Wednesday's road win over the Dallas Mavericks. And in his last 11 games, he's averaging 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 25.9 minutes while shooting 60.5 percent from the field.
If this version of Kuminga is here to stay, the Warriors' bench may not be the nightmare (for Golden State) that it's been for much of the season.
11. New York Knicks (42-33)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +2.4
The New York Knicks have lost three straight (and six of their last nine). And at a certain point, if they want to make some noise in the playoffs, they might have to seriously reconsider RJ Barrett's role.
In Thursday's five-point loss to the Orlando Magic, Barrett was minus-15 in 30 minutes. He scored 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
And that kind of efficiency (or, more accurately, inefficiency) really isn't unusual for him.
Basketball Reference's "points added by field goal shooting" measures the number of points above or below average a player scores on his shot attempts. Barrett's minus-116.4 ranks outside the top 500 and means he's scored that many fewer points than a perfectly average shooter would've on the same number of two- and three-point attempts.
And the impact on plus-minus is sort of par for the course too. On the season, the Knicks have a point differential around that of a 38-win team when Barrett is on the floor and one around that of a 65-win team when he's off.
It's obviously too early for sweeping declarations about Barrett's career, but if the Knicks are interested in winning a playoff series, it might be time to experiment with Josh Hart in the starting five.
10. Phoenix Suns (38-34)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +1.7
The Phoenix Suns are 1-5 in their past six games. The only win came against the Orlando Magic, and head coach Monty Williams is understandably experiencing some frustration.
In those six games, Phoenix has attempted 121 free-throw attempts, while its opponents have attempted 203.
Of course, a lot of that has to do with the Suns' affinity for pull-up jump shots, but it's hard to look at that disparity and not see where Williams was coming from after Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
If Phoenix is unable to generate a few more trips to the line in the playoffs, teams that enjoy a steady diet of free throws are going to be tough to beat.
Getting Kevin Durant back should help, but at some point, Deandre Ayton probably has to start executing more moves toward the rim instead of away from it. Among the 77 players who've averaged at least as many minutes as Ayton over the course of his career, he's 66th in free-throw attempts per game.
All but one player behind him on that list (Nikola Vučević) is a guard or wing.
9. Los Angeles Clippers (39-35)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +0.5
With Paul George likely on the shelf for the remainder of the regular season with a right knee sprain, the Los Angeles Clippers will be in the hands of Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook till the playoffs.
And in their first test without George, L.A. and its two remaining stars passed with flying colors.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Thursday's matchup with the Clippers with wins in eight of their last 10 games, but Kawhi, Russ and the Clippers beat them soundly enough to ensure almost an entire fourth quarter of garbage time.
Leonard finished with 32 points on 13-of-15 shooting, six assists and four steals. Westbrook added 24 points and seven assists. And this team looked dynamic enough to secure fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round even without its second-best player.
8. Miami Heat (40-34)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: -0.6
It's long past time to give Jimmy Butler a little spotlight.
After going for 35 points in Wednesday's win over the New York Knicks, Butler is up to 22.9 points, 5.1 assists and 1.9 steals for the season.
And while the Boston Celtics' early-season success and the established narrative probably already has First Team All-NBA locked up for Jayson Tatum, Butler should at least be in the conversation to have the second forward spot alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Butler trails only Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid in Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus, and no one matches or exceeds all of his aforementioned averages for points, assists and steals this season.
7. Sacramento Kings (43-29)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +2.3
The Sacramento Kings closed out the week with back-to-back losses to the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics, but no one should be playing Chicken Little over this.
For some perspective, it's worth remembering that Sacramento is already eight wins clear of its preseason over-under. It still has the best offense in the NBA, and Domantas Sabonis is in the middle of a historic campaign.
Sure, it could all come crashing down against a more experienced team in the postseason, but this is undoubtedly a season for celebration for the Kings, whose magic number to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006 is four.
6. Memphis Grizzlies (45-27)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +4.0
The Memphis Grizzlies had already gained some traction before Ja Morant's return on Wednesday—winning six of their last seven without him—but they're surely glad to have their leading scorer back on the floor.
After missing nine games due in part to a suspension by the league for going live on Instagram while holding a gun, Morant scored 17 points in 24 minutes off the bench in Memphis' win over the Houston Rockets.
Without Ja's ability to pour in points in bunches, Memphis' playoff hopes were dire, at best, but his teammates reminded everyone of how good they are during his absence.
Since a losss to the Denver Nuggets in early March (Morant's last game before the suspension), Jaren Jackson Jr. has averaged 24.1 points, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 threes, including 37 in Wednesday's win. Over the same stretch, Desmond Bane put up 20.1 points, and Tyus Jones averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 assists.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (47-28)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +5.7
After a bit of a slow start to his sophomore campaign, Evan Mobley has looked like a bona fide All-Star on both sides of the ball lately.
Over his last 15 games, Mobley is averaging 19.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 blocks while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.
And adding that kind of production to a group that already includes three All-Stars (Donovan Mitchell in each of the last four seasons and Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen last season) should have the East's top three at least a little concerned with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
4. Denver Nuggets (49-24)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +3.9
You certainly can't expect him to hit five threes every time he plays, but the Denver Nuggets should probably be making a more concerted effort to get the ball to Michael Porter Jr. outside.
In Wednesday's win over the Washington Wizards, Porter played 31 minutes and went 6-of-9 from deep, which pushed the Nuggets to 26-8 when Porter plays at least 28 minutes and 10-2 when he hits at least five triples.
When MPJ is on the floor and involved, defenses have to be aware of his every movement around the three-point line. That loosens things up inside for Nikola Jokić and the rest of the starters.
When those two are on the floor, Denver is a massively successful plus-16.4 points per 100 possessions
3. Boston Celtics (50-23)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +5.7
After a rough stretch in late February and early March, the Boston Celtics seem to be, more or less, back on track.
They crushed the Sacramento Kings on the road Tuesday and have won five of their last seven.
And during that stretch, Jaylen Brown is putting up 27.4 points, 4.0 assists and 2.9 threes, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field.
There's at least some level of uneasiness potentially brewing, though.
This week alone, Brown was quoted in a feature by The New York Times' Sopan Deb, in which he called a portion of the Celtics fanbase "extremely toxic." A few days later, when asked about staying in Boston for the long term, Brown told The Ringer's Logan Murdock, "I will stay where I'm needed and treated correct."
All of this coming on the heels of poor play from the team and just ahead of the playoffs isn't ideal, but games like Tuesday's can serve as a reminder of how good this team can be when all of the noise is secondary.
2. Milwaukee Bucks (52-20)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +4.2
Giannis Antetokounmpo only needed 24 minutes to make 14 shots and score 31 points in Wednesday's blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs, and performances like this feel like a decent reminder of Milwaukee's offensive upside when Giannis is rolling.
But San Antonio has the worst defense in the NBA, and Milwaukee's seasonlong mediocrity on offense has to at least be a bit of a concern heading into the playoffs.
Since that tweet, Milwaukee has risen to 14th on offense, but the point remains. In a playoff series against a team that can tighten the screws on defense (like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics or Miami Heat), the Bucks' middling effective field-goal percentage, bottom-three free-throw rate and bottom-three free-throw percentage could haunt them.
On the bright side, a lot of those offensive struggles might be attributable to Khris Middleton missing well over half this season's games, and he's starting to look like his old self.
Over his past seven appearances, Middleton is averaging 20.0 points, 7.7 assists and 2.3 threes while shooting 42.1 percent from deep. Over the course of the entire season, Milwaukee scores 115.8 points per 100 possessions (62nd percentile) when Giannis plays without Middleton and 122.9 (96th percentile) when they're together.
1. Philadelphia 76ers (49-23)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +5.3
The 76ers suffered a disappointing double-overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, but they more than avenged that by beating the same team by 25 two days later.
And they got that second result with Joel Embiid only playing 16 minutes and James Harden missing the game altogether. It was a good showcase of the depth of this squad, which is often spearheaded by De'Anthony Melton.
On Wednesday, he started in Harden's absence, scored 25 points, handed out four assists and ripped three steals. On the season, Melton is now second in the league in steal percentage.
The Playoff Picture
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The NBA recently plastered a very literal "playoff picture" at the top of its standings page, and the league has to be giddy over some of the potential matchups.
If the postseason started today, we'd get Kawhi Leonard vs. Kevin Durant (assuming the latter is back from injury), shootouts between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors and the Donovan Mitchell series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
But the matchups are far from settled, and other possibilities loom.
With just over two weeks for things to finalize, the best potential first-round series that are still on the table are:
- 4-5 matchup between Durant and Stephen Curry
- 4-5 matchup between Mitchell's Cavaliers and the almost-Mitchell's Knicks
- 3-6 matchup between Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers and Jimmy Butler (who took Embiid as far as he's ever gone in the playoffs) and the Miami Heat
Regardless of how things shake out, the tightly packed NBA is going to lead to one of the most compelling first rounds in recent memory.
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