Grading Every NBA Team: Hot or Not
The second half of the NBA season has been kind to some, but brutal to others.
Trades, injuries and coaching changes have all had direct effects on the direction of each team.
Despite success early on, not every powerhouse has proven as impenetrable as the Chicago Bulls. Unlike the Phoenix Suns, few teams on the brink have shown a willingness to continue fighting.
As the regular season winds down, every team will look to finish strong. However, if some continue down their current path, such an ending will prove impossible.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30Hot or Not: Not
After beginning the season on a tear, the Hawks have tapered off quite a bit.
Atlanta has played uninspired .500 ball since the All-Star break and doesn't seem prepared to make any noise come playoff time.
Many had written the Hawks off prior to the start of the season, but Atlanta's play early on raised the bar of expectations significantly.
Now, though, the club isn't even grazing their newly established ceiling.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
Although back-to-back losses against the Kings and Nuggets were disheartening, the Celtics are winners of nine out of 13 since the All-Star break.
Injuries have left Boston undersized and as old as ever, yet the team continues to persevere.
Rajon Rondo has emerged as both a leader and beacon of youth. He's kept the Celtics focused on their ultimate goal: making one last run with their current group.
Charlotte Bobcats
3 of 30Hot or Not: Not
By Charlotte standards, the Bobcats have been on fire. Conventional standards, however, suggest otherwise.
Charlotte is 3-9 since the All-Star break. Two of these victories came against a flailing, pre-deadline Magic franchise and a Raptors team that touched ground merely hours before game time, after a grueling overtime victory over the Grizzlies the night before.
Stealing 10 victories by the season's end is not yet out of reach, but aside from that, Bismack Biyombo's shot-blocking reels are all the Bobcats and their fans have to look forward to.
Chicago Bulls
4 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
It doesn't get much hotter than the Bulls.
Chicago—without the likes of Derrick Rose, mind you—are fresh off a romping of the Magic in Orlando and an impressive victory at home over the Heat.
The Bulls have the best record in the NBA, are 11-2 post All-Star break and haven't lost on the road since February 12th.
Chicago's performance as of late really makes you wonder how dangerous this team will be once Rose returns.
Cleveland Cavaliers
5 of 30Hot or Not: Not
Aside from an impressive victory over the Thunder out of the All-Star break, the Cavaliers have looked out of sync lately.
Cleveland is 4-7 since the break and doesn't appear to be equipped to remain within reach of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.
Kyrie Irving's rookie season has been laden with pleasant surprises, but it stands to be marred by the memory of a less than tepid finish.
Dallas Mavericks
6 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
Despite posting a 6-7 record since the All-Star break, the Mavericks have hit their stride over the past week.
Dallas has won four straight, including impressive victories at home over the Spurs, and on the road against the Nuggets.
Successfully defending their NBA title may prove to be a stretch, but Dirk Nowitzki and company at least seem as if they will be ready to make some sort of a postseason run.
Denver Nuggets
7 of 30Hot or Not: Not
After winning four straight games out of the All-Star break, the Nuggets have lost four of their last seven.
The injury bug continues to haunt Denver—its latest victim the club's leading scorer, Danilo Gallinari—and Nene's departure has left a hole in the middle which JaVale McGee is unlikely to fill.
Wilson Chandler's return is a welcomed reality, but not enough to eclipse the ever-growing sense of uncertainty surrounding the team.
At full-strength, the Nuggets are a team to be feared. Whether or not they'll be completely healthy by the postseason though, remains to be seen.
Detroit Pistons
8 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
The Pistons have played .500 basketball over the past few weeks, and that's a monstrous victory for a team that looked to be headed nowhere early on.
Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey have toed with the line of future stardom, and Detroit has shown glimpses of evolving into the same kind of scrappy team that was a title contender at the beginning of the millennium.
It's still a little premature to deem the Pistons' future bright, so let's just say there's light at the end of the tunnel.
Golden State Warriors
9 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Warriors are 5-7 since the All-Star break and losers of their last four.
The Monta Ellis trade hasn't sat well with Golden State's faithful, and is even more difficult to accept because of Stephen Curry's bum ankle.
Aside from the scoring that Nate Robinson and Klay Thompson have provided, there hasn't been many reasons for Warriors' fans to cheer.
Houston Rockets
10 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The uncertain status of Kyle Lowry coupled with the shoulder injury to Kevin Martin has left the Rockets on the cusp of a downward tailspin.
Houston has lost eight of 13 since the All-Star break, and help doesn't appear to be on the way. Victories over the Lakers and Thunder are encouraging, but the lapses suffered against other opponents are far more discouraging.
With the Suns, Jazz, Trail Blazers and Timberwolves hot on their trail, there is a real possibility the Rockets fall outside of the Western Conference playoff bubble.
Indiana Pacers
11 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Pacers have dropped six of 10, and are 5-6 since the All-Star break.
For a while, it appeared that Indiana was on the precipice of something great, but the team has struggled to beat formidable opponents on a consistent basis.
The Pacers have played their way down to the Eastern Conference's fifth seed, and continue to search for ways to put together a string of victories.
Despite ascending as high as third place in the East, Indiana's ability to contend with teams like the Bulls and Heat has come under fire. Currently, the Pacers aren't doing much to prove doubters wrong.
Los Angeles Clippers
12 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Clippers have struggled since the All-Star break to put away inferior teams, and found it even more difficult against playoff-bound squads.
Before being manhandled by the Pacers, Los Angeles barely prevailed over a shorthanded Houston team. It also took them an additional five minutes to send Detroit home with a loss.
Unless the Clippers are content with an above-average roster yielding mediocre results, they must find a way to establish continuity on both ends of the floor.
Los Angeles Lakers
13 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
Kobe Bryant, the man in the transparent mask, has led the Lakers to an 8-4 record post All-Star break.
Los Angeles has climbed into the Western Conference's third seed and even shown flashes of being a bona fide championship contender again.
While losses to shorthanded Jazz and Houstons clubs is troubling, we must keep in mind the Lakers are still working out the kinks with Ramon Sessions as their point man.
As long as Los Angeles continues to implement a balanced attack on both ends of the floor though, there's no reason why the team's "hot" status should fade before the end of the season.
Memphis Grizzlies
14 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Grizzlies were winners of six of their last seven before suffering back-to-back home losses at the hands of the Lakers and Raptors.
Zach Randolph's return has disrupted Memphis' chemistry a bit—just as Rudy Gay's return did at the beginning of the season—but not to the point that teams like the Raptors or Wizards should be able to see the light of day.
Memphis has struggled to close out games down the stretch, and outside of Gay, another go-to scorer has not emerged. And while Gilbert Arenas adds some depth to the point guard position, his potential impact remains unknown.
There's still time before the playoffs for the Grizzlies to establish the sense of dominancy so many had them pegged for, but they must gather themselves quickly.
Miami Heat
15 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Heat have found ways to win despite their struggles, but have posted a halfhearted 7-4 record since the All-Star break.
Miami's loss to a Rose-less Chicago team, followed by an unnecessary nail-biter in Philadelphia were disconcerting, to say the least. The Heat led by as many as 29 points in the latter game, yet allowed the 76ers to claw their way back.
Prior to the break, the Heat were winning almost all of their games by double-digit margins. That type of dominancy has hardly surfaced in the month of March.
Miami better hope it finds it, though, because that's what its going to take to come out of the East ahead of the Bulls.
Milwaukee Bucks
16 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
The Bucks have won six in a row, and played their way into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
No wonder Monta Ellis didn't take the trade from Golden State personal.
During the recent winning streak, Milwaukee has taken advantage of opponents in disarray, but that's what superior teams are supposed to do.
If the Bucks continue to put together stretches of victorious basketball, a postseason bid could become a reality.
Minnesota Timberwolves
17 of 30Hot or Not: Not
You so badly want the Timberwolves to be hot, but without Ricky Rubio, that just hasn't been the case.
Minnesota has lost three of its last four and has fallen below .500 and out of the Western Conference playoff picture.
Kevin Love has emerged as an MVP candidate, but the Timberwolves no longer have the necessary floor general they so sorely need to play at a high level.
New Jersey Nets
18 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Nets are in trouble, and not just because Dwight Howard is still a member of the Magic.
New Jersey has lost seven of 11 since the All-Star break, including their last three.
Despite acquiring Gerald Wallace just before the trade deadline, there is no late-season turnaround in the works.
Aside from the occasional victory, the Nets are destined to finish out the season amongst the rest of the NBA's basement teams.
New Orleans Hornets
19 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Hornets made a push of their own just before the All-Star break, but have settled back into their below average ways.
New Orleans has lost nine of 12 off the break, finding themselves at the mercy of teams who have a go-to scorer.
While the Hornets are slowly but surely seeing players return from injury, their chemistry, prior to their latest victory over the Nets, has appeared non-existent.
From here on out, New Orleans has essentially nothing to look forward to, except the possible return of Eric Gordon.
New York Knicks
20 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
For the first time all season, the Knicks are playing with a sense of urgency.
Despite posting a 4-6 record since the All-Star break, New York has been winners of their last four, all of which have come by double-digit margins.
While the recent six-game skid is not yet a distant memory, it's no longer hanging over the heads of the Knicks and their fans either.
Carmelo Anthony has bought into what Mike Woodson is preaching, and New York has started to play the type of unselfish basketball they should have from the beginning.
It's much too early for a victory lap, but if the Knicks continue to play inspired basketball, a strong finish seems inevitable.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Thunder are just 7-5 since the All-Star break, and haven't won back-to-back games since the beginning of the month.
As dangerous as Oklahoma City is, Kevin Durant and company are susceptible to poor execution far more often than a team in their position should be.
The Thunder have let numerous winnable games slip through the cracks of their fingers, and if they are unable to re-establish the dominance that carried them into the break, they'll have more doubters than believers heading into the postseason.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Magic have played well enough to convince Dwight Howard to void his early termination option, but not well enough to be considered a legitimate contender.
Orlando is 7-5 since the All-Star break, but has lost its last two games against Chicago and Miami, contests that served as measuring sticks for where they are in the NBA's food chain.
At times, the Magic resemble a powerhouse, but far too often, they play down to the level of inferior opponents and fail to show up against formidable adversaries.
The manner in which Orlando finishes out the season will play a key role in what Howard ultimately decides to do.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30Hot or Not: Not
At one point, it seemed that the 76ers would run away with the Atlantic Divison, Now, though, they've played their way into a tight contest with the Knicks and Celtics.
Philadelphia is 6-6 off the All-Star break and has failed to measure up against the league's elite teams.
The 76ers continue to play strong on both ends of floor, but lack that necessary killer instinct that separates the contenders from the pretenders.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
Steve Nash hasn't received much consideration for the MVP award this year, and we must ask ourselves why.
Nash has a group of marginal role players playing above .500 basketball and keeping pace with championship contenders like the Heat.
Phoenix is 9-3 since the All-Star break, including a stretch in which they won five straight before coming out on the wrong end of a nail-biter against Miami.
The Suns have a tough schedule to close out the season, but a playoff berth is not yet out of the question.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Blazers are 3-9 since the All-Star break and look completely confused on both ends of the floor.
Portland was supposed to contend for a title heading into the season, but instead the club became sellers at the trade deadline and fired head coach Nate McMillan.
The talent is clearly there for the Blazers to succeed, but the effort is clearly not.
At least, that's what their display at home against the Bucks suggests anyway.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
The Kings tied their longest winning streak of the season Wednesday night, defeating the Grizzlies at home for their third straight victory.
Since the All-Star break, Sacramento is 8-7 and looks like a team that is headed in the right direction.
DeMarcus Cousins has been a stat-producing machine, Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton have been solid, Isaiah Thomas continues to impress and Jimmer Fredette has emulated confidence.
The playoffs are clearly out of reach for the Kings, but the season is far from a lost cause.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Spurs are a less than impressive 5-4 and have cooled off considerably since the All-Star break.
San Antonio is fresh off a three-game winning streak that included victories over the Thunder and Magic, but losses at home to the Clippers and Nuggets were unbecoming.
Tony Parker and company are still one of the most efficient teams in the league, but if the Spurs wish to be taken seriously as title contenders, they must ensure they don't fade down the stretch as they did last year.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Raptors have continued to struggle in their search for an identity, posting a 5-8 record since the All-Star break.
Jerryd Bayless has turned heads since his return to the court, but Toronto has been unable to capitalize on a consistent basis off of his improved performance.
An overtime victory over the Grizzlies implied that the Raptors would perhaps play the role of spoiler down the stretch, but their listless effort against the Knicks proved otherwise.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30Hot or Not: Hot
The Jazz have won four in a row and look like the team that started the season 9-4.
Utah is off impressive wins over two Western Conference powerhouses in the Lakers and Thunder, the first of which came without Al Jefferson, the team's leading scorer, in the lineup.
With only 20 games to go, the Jazz are a half-game behind the Rockets for the West's final playoff spot. Should they continue to rattle off win after win, there's a good chance they take possession of it and never look back.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30Hot or Not: Not
The Wizards are 3-8 since the All-Star break and continue to duke it out with the Bobcats and Hornets for the league's worst record.
John Wall has been a fantasy owner's dream, but there has been little, if anything, to cheer about in Washington.
The addition of Nene provides the Wizards' locker room with some much-needed veteran guidance, but whether or not that will translate into the win column remains to be seen.
