2015 NBA Power Rankings: Who's Rising and Who's Falling Fast as Playoffs Near
Soon enough, the NBA will have a Sweet 16 of its own, like the one the NCAA tournament is currently whittling down to eight and then four.
But the Association's first round of cuts won't come for nearly another three weeks, for better or worse. In the meantime, we'd all be well-advised to keep Florence and the Machine queued up for April 15, the last day of the 2014-15 regular season.
(Not to mention the last day to send your 2014 taxes to Uncle Sam.)
There will be plenty to track before that day comes. A host of playoff hopefuls (i.e. the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder) are waiting on pins and needles for key contributors to heal up. The eight seeds in both conferences remain up for grabs as well.
So while you watch college basketball determine its champion and wait for the pros to get around to choosing their own, why not see where all 30 of the NBA's teams stand right now, based on recent performance and available personnel?
30. New York Knicks
1 of 30
Good news, New York Knicks fans: The season from Hell's Kitchen is almost over! Just 10 games stand between your team's painful campaign and an offseason replete with possibilities.
The Madison Square Garden masses got a live look at two of those possibilities this past week, when the Grizzlies' Marc Gasol and the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan came to town with their respective squads. Gasol, who's basically a Memphis native by now and seems unlikely to leave Tennessee as a result, put up an easy, breezy 21 points and eight boards in a 21-point win for his squad.
Jordan's contributions weren't quite so quiet. He needed just 28 minutes to run, jump and dunk his way to 14 points (on 7-of-7 shooting), 10 rebounds and five blocks in a game that saw L.A. take a 63-33 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"I love New York City. I love the city. But right now I'm not thinking of free agency," Jordan said afterward, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "I'm thinking about finishing our season off strong and focusing on the playoffs."
As Berman went on to note, the Knicks might be better off focusing on other bigs anyway: "The only drawback is he's not a post-up center, which [Phil] Jackson likes for his triangle offense. Jordan also wouldn't be a top priority if the Knicks were able to land Duke center Jahlil Okafor in the draft."
29. Orlando Magic
2 of 30
March has been a good month for rookies. Rather than run smack-dab into the proverbial wall, a slew of the NBA's first-years have (finally) started to show off their true talents on a more consistent basis.
Louisiana-Lafayette's Elfrid Payton has averaged 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.9 steals in 34.6 minutes per game this month. That includes back-to-back triple-doubles against a pair of Western Conference powers (i.e. Portland and Dallas).
Clearly, Payton is finding his comfort zone in the NBA at large and next to Victor Oladipo in particular. A slice of that overall improvement stems from the work Payton has put in on his shot-making around the rim, as the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins detailed:
"With the help of Assistant Coach for Player Development Jay Hernandez, the young point guard has added a floater to his arsenal—a high-arcing shot he can loft over opposing shot-blockers. Payton also has worked on his finishing by attempting to make shots over the outstretched arms of one of the Magic's video coordinators, Matt Hill, who is 6'10" and played basketball for the University of Texas.
"
Statistically speaking, that hard work is already paying off for Payton:
"From the Magic's regular-season opener through the end of November, opposing teams blocked roughly 30 percent of his shot attempts in the restricted area and roughly 30 percent of his shot attempts in the rest of the paint, according to the NBA's statistics database and Orlando Sentinel research.
So far in March, however, opponents have blocked only 11 percent of Payton's shot attempts in the restricted area and have blocked about 17 percent of his shots in the rest of the paint.
"
Payton may not be able to catch Andrew Wiggins for Rookie of the Year honors, but his recent uptick points to a player who will be a factor in the NBA long after the first-year hardware is handed off to someone else.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 30
Andrew Wiggins has all but wrapped up the Rookie of the Year race, but he may not be the only member of the Minnesota Timberwolves to garner postseason honors. With the way Zach LaVine's been playing of late, he too could find himself on one of the league's All-Rookie teams.
Since returning to the T-Wolves' starting five following Ricky Rubio's latest ankle injury, LaVine has averaged 17 points, 4.3 rebounds and four assists while knocking down 53.6 percent of his three-point tries.
LaVine's first go-round as a pro will probably be remembered more for his spectacular performance in the Slam Dunk Contest, but the UCLA product has shown that he can do much more than just jump out of the gym.
For the time being, though, the T-Wolves' 2-7 record during LaVine's latest stint as a starter—and his 4.6 turnovers per contest therein—point to a 20-year-old who has his work cut out for him.
27. Los Angeles Lakers
4 of 30
Point guards comprised the theme of the week for the Los Angeles Lakers.
First, Steve Nash officially retired from the NBA, after refraining from doing so for months at the Lakers' request.
Then, head coach Byron Scott put Jeremy Lin back in the starting lineup, next to Jordan Clarkson. The two combined for 49 points—including a career-high 30 for the rookie Clarkson—in a 10-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They totaled 39 the very next night to beat the T-Wolves in overtime, 101-99.
Now, Lakers fans are hoping that those two, who have both worked with Nash of late, don't play so well that L.A.'s 2015 pick falls outside of the top five. It's a concern borne of the very deal that brought Nash to town in July 2012.
In other news, time is still a flat circle.
26. Denver Nuggets
5 of 30
The Denver Nuggets have long since seen the sunlight abandon them during their dismal season. But there have been some silver linings of which to speak, among them the play of Will Barton.
The third-year swingman out of Memphis played only sparingly with the Portland Trail Blazers. He racked up 23 DNPs and averaged a mere three points in 10 minutes per game across the 30 appearances he did make while in Rip City in 2014-15.
Since arriving in Denver by way of the Arron Afflalo deadline deal, Barton has gotten to play consistently and made plenty of the newfound opportunities. He's poured in 11.9 points in 26.2 minutes, with three games of 20 points or more off the bench.
It's no wonder then that Barton wants to stay awhile, even after his contract expires at season's end.
"I think we can build something here," the 24-year-old told The Denver Post's Christopher Dempsey. "We have a lot of good talent, a good organization, coaching staff is good. I can see us building and having a strong future here. We can grow together."
25. Philadelphia 76ers
6 of 30
Quick! Somebody toss a bucket of water on Robert Covington before he burns up the Philadelphia 76ers (and their odds of winning the draft lottery)!
The second-year shooter out of Tennessee State had his shot working this week. On Wednesday, Covington torched the Nuggets for a game-high 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting (6-of-11 from three) off the bench in a 99-85 Sixers win.
This, less than 24 hours after knocking down five of six threes and ooping all over Andre Miller in Sacramento.
With Covington's help, the Sixers have won three of their last five games and split their last 10 overall, which speaks well of their development but doesn't help their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft.
24. Detroit Pistons
7 of 30
Greg Monroe's recent knee injury has afforded the Detroit Pistons a glimpse at one of their potential futures.
The Pistons have won four of five since Monroe went down, and it's not as though they're beating up on patsies, either. All four of those victories have come against clubs that, as of Thursday, were in the playoff picture, including double-digit triumphs against Memphis and Chicago.
It helps that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (22.4 points on 53.8 percent shooting, 41.2 percent from three in his last five games) and Reggie Jackson (20.2 points, 12.2 assists, six rebounds) have been playing at such a high level around Andre Drummond in the middle.
That's not to say Monroe has been holding those guys back, but when free agency rolls around in July, Stan Van Gundy may well revisit this stretch when considering how vigorously to pursue a new contract with Monroe.
23. Charlotte Hornets
8 of 30
Despite playing Whack-A-Mole with injuries all season and losing seven of their last nine outings, the Charlotte Hornets have managed to hang around the morass of teams fighting for the final few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Not everyone is happy about this, though. Take Grantland's Brett Koremenos, who bemoaned the Hornets' sloth-like pace, uninspiring offense and penchant for taking tons of mid-range shots and forcing their opponents to do the same after Charlotte's 91-88 loss to Brooklyn Wednesday.
"Despite being home to likable, semi-entertaining dudes like Al Jefferson, MKG, Kemba Walker and the captain of Team Knucklehead, Lance Stephenson, this Hornets team is on a mission to destroy my playoff basketball enjoyment," Koremenos wrote. "And I thank the Nets for foiling their plan for at least one night."
22. Indiana Pacers
9 of 30
It feels like eons ago that the Indiana Pacers were the hottest team in the NBA, with a playoff berth seemingly in their grasp.
That's no longer the case now that the Pacers have dropped seven of their last eight games. Indy battled back from a 23-point first-quarter deficit Thursday but never made it all the way back in what turned out to be a 111-107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fortunately for the Pacers, their recent futility has left them just a half-game shy of the East's eighth seed. But they'll have to get their house in order in a hurry, with their next five games coming against teams that are fighting for postseason seeding of one sort or another.
21. Boston Celtics
10 of 30
So much for Isaiah Thomas saving the Boston Celtics' bacon. The diminutive scoring guard managed a mere four points on 2-of-7 shooting in Boston's 93-86 loss to the Miami Heat Wednesday.
As it happens, it was against the Heat that Thomas suffered the back injury that sidelined him for eight games. The man responsible for the hit, Dwyane Wade, missed the game due to a left knee contusion. So did Hassan Whiteside, Miami's starting center, on account of a gash in his hand.
And yet, the C's still managed to fall behind by 22 points before narrowing the gap in the fourth quarter. Weirder still, as of Thursday, Boston was in eighth place in the East, despite losing four of its last five games.
Hooray for the Eastern Conference, right?
20. Sacramento Kings
11 of 30
George Karl has had just three losing seasons in his 25 prior years as an NBA head coach. By the looks of things, he doesn't seem keen to start his tenure with the Sacramento Kings on a sub-.500 note.
The Kings have won four in a row, boosting Karl's mark to 8-11 in California's capital. Getting back to even will be tough, especially with a three-game trip to New Orleans, Memphis and Houston right around the corner.
That just means the Kings will need more of the same from DeMarcus Cousins, who's averaged 25.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.7 combined blocks and steals over his last three outings. With numbers like those, it's no wonder that Cousins is so confident about his primacy in Sacramento.
"And not to sound arrogant, but what's bigger than my name in Sacramento?" Cousins asked The Washington Post's Michael Lee. "It could be a damn forest fire in Sacramento, my name will come up. 'It was near DeMarcus Cousins' house!'"
19. Milwaukee Bucks
12 of 30
Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good.
The Milwaukee Bucks should know. They'd be mired in an eight-game losing streak if not for some strange fortune in their favor.
On Tuesday, the Bucks battled back from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Miami Heat on a buzzer-beater by Khris Middleton. Two nights later, Ersan Ilyasova was a hero of sorts, erupting for 34 points on 12-of-14 shooting to help Milwaukee fend off a furious comeback from the Pacers.
The Bucks could use some more surprise support (and then some) in the week to come. They'll host Golden State on Saturday and Chicago on Wednesday, with a trip to Atlanta in-between.
18. Utah Jazz
13 of 30
There's only so much a great defense—even one as stingy as the Utah Jazz's has been since the All-Star break—can do to keep a team afloat without some reliable scoring, particularly from the perimeter. The Jazz are learning that the hard way while Gordon Hayward nurses a shoulder injury.
Utah almost took down a terrible Minnesota team in Hayward's first game out but couldn't hang onto a five-point lead with just over a minute left in regulation before falling in overtime. Two nights later, the Jazz went into the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead but wound up as the Blazers' latest comeback victim in a 92-89 defeat.
At least Utah, at 31-40, isn't fighting for a playoff spot right now. If anything, losing games while Hayward's away will only improve the Jazz's prospects of landing a top-10 pick in this year's draft, perhaps to be spent on another capable scorer.
17. Brooklyn Nets
14 of 30
If the Brooklyn Nets wind up in the Eastern Conference playoffs, ahead of the passel of subpar squads that are currently competing for that eighth seed, they'll have Brook Lopez to thank.
Lopez was nothing short of beastly in the past week. Over his four most recent games, the Stanford product averaged 30.8 points on 65.8 percent shooting, with nine rebounds and 3.5 blocks to boot. Moreover, Lopez's efforts played a pivotal part in Brooklyn's winning three of those four to move within a half-game of eighth place in the East.
This, after Lopez, a former All-Star, spent much of the 2014-15 season coming off the bench behind Mason Plumlee while battling his own foot issues.
"I felt complete confidence in my body, in my foot, and especially these last six to eight games," Lopez said during a recent appearances on WFAN radio in New York, via The Brooklyn Game's Devin Kharpertian. "I've felt amazingly loose, as good as I've felt since coming into the league, just movement-wise, and being ready to play."
16. Washington Wizards
15 of 30
The Washington Wizards must have been glad to be back home Wednesday. They'd just returned from a Western Conference trip on which they dropped the last three games—to the Clippers, Kings and Warriors, all by double digits—to host a slumping Pacers squad.
But then, Bradley Beal succumbed to an ankle injury in the first quarter. The Wizards still managed to build a 10-point lead in the fourth, only to see George Hill wipe that away with 12 of his 29 points in the final 4:18, capped off by a game-winning layup with Marcin Gortat watching from the bench.
"If we keep lapsing and doing these types of things, we will have an early exit from the playoffs," John Wall said after the 103-101 loss.
He's not wrong, though a first-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors would afford the weak Wizards considerable leeway in that regard.
15. Toronto Raptors
16 of 30
The Toronto Raptors' defensive woes went from bad to worse against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Toronto took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter, only to see Chicago rack up 39 points on 15-of-20 shooting from the field. Of those 15 buckets, seven came within three feet of the rim, with the Bulls bullying their way inside against the Raptors bigs.
Nonetheless, Toronto clinched a playoff spot and will almost certainly secure a second straight Atlantic Division title.
But the Raptors' terrible defense doesn't portend a deep postseason run by any means. According to NBA.com, Toronto ranks 25th in defensive efficiency, 22nd in defensive rebounding percentage and 23rd in shots per game allowed within five feet.
Yikes.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
17 of 30
It pains me to say it, but it may be time to bid farewell to whatever hopes remained of watching Anthony Davis in the playoffs this year. His New Orleans Pelicans have dropped four in a row to fall three-and-a-half games back of the eighth-place Oklahoma City Thunder, with 11 more to play.
Let's not hammer that last nail into the coffin just yet, though. New Orleans' next four games will come against the West's bottom three.
If Davis continues to play as well as he did against the Clippers (26 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks) and Rockets (24 points, 14 boards, three steals, three blocks), the Pelicans' fleeting postseason hopes might avoid certain doom.
13. Phoenix Suns
18 of 30
The Phoenix Suns had strung together a tidy four-game spurt prior to losing to Sacramento on Wednesday, despite still missing Brandon Knight and his bum ankle.
Surprising as it may seem, the Suns' success had stemmed not so much from their fast-paced offense as from their physical defense. In fact, Phoenix has allowed its opponent to score over 100 points in regulation just twice in its last 10 games.
As Grantland's Zach Lowe wrote, the Suns have plenty of room for improvement on that end: "[Alex] Len is a virtual rookie, [Eric] Bledsoe and [P.J.] Tucker get into your jersey, and the Morrii are handsy. Phoenix has the reputation of a fun-'n'-gun bunch, but it is a brutally physical team with a temper."
He added, "That hit-first approach will be good in the long run, but right now, the downside outcomes—personal fouls, technical fouls and an overeager approach to floor balance—outweigh the good."
12. Miami Heat
19 of 30
The fact that the Miami Heat were able to not only score a huge win over the Celtics on Wednesday but own a 22-point lead therein, without Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside, speaks volumes of what Goran Dragic means to this team.
He tallied game highs in points (22) and assists (seven)—his third game with at least 20 points and seven helpers in his last six outings. With Dragic's help, the Heat have managed to put two games between them and the eighth-place C's.
But the bigger compliment from Miami's trip to Beantown belongs to Whiteside. The former journeyman earned high praise in comparison to the great Bill Russell from one of Russell's Celtics teammates, Hall of Fame guard Bob Cousy.
"I have never said this in the 40 years since I retired," Cousy told the Telegram & Gazette's Bill Doyle, "but he is the first big guy, not (Patrick) Ewing, (Hakeem) Olajuwon, Shaq (O'Neal), who reminds me defensively and on the boards of Russell. He runs the floor well, he has excellent timing, he blocks shots and keeps them in play the way Russell did."
11. Oklahoma City Thunder
20 of 30
Russell Westbrook was a bit testy with the media following the Oklahoma City Thunder's 130-91 whitewashing at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
"You can play bad defense [and win], but you don't mention it when we win," Westbrook said during an exchange with a reporter regarding the team's defensive issues, referring specifically to the 117 points allowed to the Lakers on Tuesday. "But when we lose you want to mention it. I'm just a little confused."
As far as the defense, there should be no confusion about OKC's concerns on that end. The Thunder have given up 115 or more points in five of their last six games. OKC has been fortunate to outscore the opposition on three of those five occasions but can't count on Westbrook to be an offense unto himself night in and night out.
Then again, the Thunder may have no choice but to push him to the limit. With Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Andre Roberson and Nick Collison currently on the shelf, OKC is short on talent.
10. Portland Trail Blazers
21 of 30
The Portland Trail Blazers staged a stirring comeback from a double-digit deficit to beat the Jazz on Wednesday, 92-89. Naturally, Damian Lillard led the way, scoring or assisting on 22 of Portland's 37 fourth-quarter points.
The Blazers needed Lillard's heroics in a big way. They'd lost five games in a row prior to that victory while watching the Oklahoma City Thunder shrink their Northwest Division lead to five games.
Portland isn't out of the woods just yet, though. LaMarcus Aldridge is back in action, but Nicolas Batum (back) and Chris Kaman (shoulder) remain sidelined, as does Wesley Matthews. Of course, Matthews isn't coming back from his Achilles tear any time soon, but the Blazers will need all the other healthy bodies they can get if they're to get back in gear ahead of the postseason.
9. Dallas Mavericks
22 of 30
Monta Ellis got an old-fashioned media ripping from ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon, for both his poor post-All-Star play and the apparent discord he's been causing in the Dallas Mavericks locker room.
MacMahon wrote, "The Dallas Mavericks have a major problem with Monta Ellis. Actually, the Mavs have multiple Monta problems, both short term and long term. To put it bluntly, he's a pain in the butt who isn't producing."
Ellis' response? A 38-point explosion to push the Mavs past the rival Spurs, 101-94.
"Too much Monta tonight, don't you think?" Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said afterward.
The Mavs will need more of that from Ellis if they're to persevere through the brutal stretch ahead; Dallas will swing through San Antonio, Indiana and Oklahoma City before returning home to host Houston, Golden State and Phoenix.
8. Chicago Bulls
23 of 30
Saying that things are looking up for the Chicago Bulls is akin to claiming that Kentucky has a decent shot at winning the NCAA tournament.
The Bulls have won four of their last five, beating Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls in each of those victories. Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson are back from their respective injuries. Nikola Mirotic's assault on Andrew Wiggins' claim to Rookie of the Year unanimity (20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds in March) continues apace.
Best of all, Derrick Rose's right knee is pain-free, which means the former MVP could return to the court before the playoffs begin.
"We can be pretty good. We can be really good," Rose said, according to ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell. "It's just all about everybody being healthy, a little bit of luck, and everybody staying together."
7. Memphis Grizzlies
24 of 30
Contrary to what Wednesday's 22-point home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers would suggest, the Memphis Grizzlies have actually been playing pretty well of late. They had won three in a row and five of six, with victories over Dallas and Portland to boot.
"It makes you have a sickness in your stomach because you know you're better than that," Zach Randolph said after the defeat.
The Grizzlies will have to play better if they're to survive a weekend against the Warriors and Spurs—not to mention the six games against playoff hopefuls thereafter.
6. Atlanta Hawks
25 of 30
Don't fret, Atlanta Hawks fans; your team's recent struggles should soon subside.
Kyle Korver is back in action after missing three games with a broken nose. So is Thabo Sefolosha, who had been out since late January while resting a strained right calf.
That healthy depth and restoration of offensive flow, particularly courtesy of Korver, will come in handy down the stretch for Atlanta. The Hawks will play 10 of their last 11 games against teams currently in or around the playoff picture.
Then again, the combined winning percentage of Atlanta's remaining opponents (.494) suggests this squad, which has all but locked up the No. 1 seed in the East, can practically coast into the postseason.
5. San Antonio Spurs
26 of 30
We're nearing the end of March, so, of course, the winter cold is giving way to spring warmth, the NCAA tournament is getting down to the nitty-gritty, and the San Antonio Spurs are once again on a roll.
The defending champs have won four of their last five and 11 of 14 since slogging through a four-game skid in late February. San Antonio's latest triumph? A 39-point pounding of the Thunder that caught the eye of Grantland's Chris Ryan:
"Kawhi [Leonard] is back. Tony [Parker] is back. Putting 130 on OKC—even a Thunder team without Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka—isn't just impressive, it is some elite Doug Moe s---. And it's not just last night's point total that should have Houston—San Antonio's current first-round playoff foe—shaking in its sneakers. It's the manner in which the Spurs scored. This was that crisp, fully operational, Tony Parker–playing-flute-solos-in-the-paint (where he scored 10 of his 21), one-extra-pass-for-the-wide-open-three offense that broke up the Heatles.
"
If the Spurs can keep this up, they'll be as good a bet as any team to win the West, regardless of seeding.
4. Los Angeles Clippers
27 of 30
The Los Angeles Clippers haven't relaxed in the least since escaping the most brutal portion of their schedule with their record intact. They've now won five in a row—all against slumping squads—and may well see that streak stretch to seven with visits to Philadelphia and Boston on tap for this weekend.
The Clippers will have a wake-up call waiting for them when they return home, though: the Golden State Warriors, the newly crowned Pacific Division champs and the only team in the league with a better net rating than L.A.'s.
Jamal Crawford probably won't be back in time for that rekindling of the Clips-Dubs rivalry, but he's optimistic that his calf injury won't keep him out for the rest of L.A.'s campaign. "No, I'm not worried," Crawford told the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch. "I believe I'll be fine."
3. Houston Rockets
28 of 30
At long last, Dwight Howard is back. After missing 26 games with knee troubles, Howard returned in time to partake in the Houston Rockets' 95-93 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday.
Not that Howard contributed much. The superstar center was restricted to just over 16 minutes, recording four points and seven rebounds.
But the Rockets won anyway, just as they did an impressive 17 times during Howard's absence.
"Just seeing how quick guys came together when Dwight went out," James Harden told The Associated Press' Kristie Rieken, when asked about the highlights from his own MVP-caliber season. "We have so many injuries this season to where guys had opportunities to step up and they did. So that was probably the highlight, guys stepping up and taking advantage of their minutes."
Losing Patrick Beverley to a wrist injury could seriously hinder Houston's championship hopes from here on out. Then again, with a healthy Howard in tow, the Rockets might still have enough to fashion a deep playoff run out West.
"The sky's the limit for us," Harden said. "We can be the last team standing."
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
29 of 30
Whatever dysfunction may or may not exist between LeBron James and Kevin Love off the court, it clearly isn't affecting the way the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing on it. The Cavs are an NBA-best 28-6 since Jan. 15, the day after David Blatt took his team on a much-discussed bowling excursion.
They treated the Grizzlies like pins Wednesday during an impressive 111-89 win in Memphis, thanks in large part to Love. The UCLA product put together his most efficient game as a Cavalier, scoring 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting while getting involved early, often and in different ways.
Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney wrote: "His offense was encouraging in its variety. Love got the best of Memphis' defenders on cuts, deep post-ups and pops off screens, avoiding those extended stretches of parked irrelevance on the weak side of the floor."
"It was by design to get Kev involved," James said afterward, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "It's always by design to get him involved."
The more the Cavs can do that, regardless of Love's relationship with his teammates, the better their prospects of storming through the Eastern Conference playoffs will be.
1. Golden State Warriors
30 of 30
As Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine noted, only one team has been more efficient than the Cavs over the last two months. Of course, it's the same team (i.e., the Golden State Warriors) that's been mopping the floor with the rest of the league since the 2014-15 season began.
In fact, according to NBA.com, the Dubs have been outscoring their opponents by 12.1 points per 100 possessions this season. That's nearly double the margin owned by the league's second-most efficient squad—the Los Angeles Clippers, at plus-6.3 points/100.
Those two rivals will meet for the fourth and final time this season on March 31. Golden State could ride into L.A. on a nine-game winning streak if the Warriors are able to take care of business in Memphis and Milwaukee this weekend.
Even if they don't, the Dubs can brag about something the Clips no longer own—the Pacific Division title, which Golden State claimed this past week for the first time since 1975-76, the year after the team's most recent championship.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
