End of The Regular Season Power Rankings
With the regular season now behind us, it’s now time to rank every team’s season. Plus, some much needed vibe checks.
We’ve made it. After six months of action, the regular season is over. Now, it’s time to reflect on everything we saw. For months, the standings were a cluster of mediocre teams fighting for position. The playoff picture remains messy, and I’m starting to dislike the Play-In Tourney. I don’t think we’ve had this much chaos or parity in a long time. But I can confidently say that we know all 30 of these teams pretty well. We know what they can and cannot do. And we know how they did this season relative to expectations.
With that in mind, let’s rank every team around the league. Plus, some vibe checks before the playoffs/offseason.
Warning!
These power rankings are incredibly subjective. I may value certain aspects of teams more than you do. This is a great time to remind you that the power rankings are never wrong. I stand by every assessment I make until I can either scream vindication at something being correct or wiggle my way out of something being wrong. You have been warned.
In addition to ranking every team, every team will be in their own tier. Here they are;
- Wembanyama Watch: They’ve been tanking for months and all they care about are lottery balls in May.
- The Road to Nowhere: Decided to start tanking in the second half of the season — the most depressing teams in the league
- Play-In Tourney Participants: These teams made the Play-In Tournament! Whether that’s good or not remains to be seen.
- Weirdness: Reserved for the Lakers
- Frisky: The ultimate wildcards
- Fringe Contenders: They’re good, but not good enough to get over the hump.
- Contenders: The only thing that can stop them is injuries. Or drama. One or the other.
Without further ado, let’s rank some teams.
Tier 1: Contenders
#1 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (58-24)
Net Rating: +3.4 (5th)
I had to split hairs about lots of teams further down on these rankings. Putting the Bucks as my #1 team was easy, however. Milwaukee won the Eastern Conference, and the gap between them and everybody else is considerable. Whether it be talent or playstyle, the Bucks are an absolute buzzsaw.
After navigating through injuries and spotty bench units that were held together by duct tape, the Bucks are fully healthy and realized. Khris Middleton may not be 100% back, but Jrue Holiday is helping him cover the difference. Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder have been instrumental wing additions that make this team more versatile. Brook Lopez is having one of the best career turnarounds…ever.
Milwaukee isn’t a team that puts up 120 points every night. That’s not their game. They’re built for the slowed-down, grind-it-out style that becomes commonplace in the postseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the anthesis of that style and is the most unstoppable player in the league. He would be winning MVP right now if it weren’t for the herculean efforts being made by Kendrick Perkins, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic.
Getting through this Bucks team is an unenviable task. They’re tough, elite defensively, and they have championship DNA. Since the All-Star Break, they’ve gone 17-7, good for the best record in the league. Mike Budenholzer has a full arsenal of weapons to scheme against anybody.
It’s championship or bust right now for Milwaukee, and for my money, they’ve got to feel great about their chances.
#2 – Boston Celtics
Record: (57-25)
Net Rating: +6.7 (1st)
Statistically, it looks like I’m making a mistake by not putting the Celtics as the #1 team in the league. I mean, their net rating almost doubles that of Milwaukee. And even though they’re only one win behind them, I don’t think the Celtics are quite on Milwaukee’s level.
Don’t get it twisted. The Celtics are an excellent unit. They were the top seed in the East up until a few weeks ago. Even with a new rookie head coach in Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics remain mostly the same as the team that made it to the Finals a year ago.
Led by two dynamic wing scorers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are again a strong candidate to win it all. They have depth, size, and more experience. But this team isn’t as good as the team from last season. For one, Al Horford has regressed, and Robert Williams can’t seem to stay healthy. Boston’s frontcourt isn’t as imposing as it was last year.
The bigger problem is Joe Mazzulla, who I simply don’t trust. When I was talking about every contender’s biggest flaw a few weeks ago, Mazzulla was an easy choice for this Celtics team. He doesn’t call timeouts, and his rotations are confounding at times. I trusted Udoka a lot more last season, and I don’t know if a guy who’s only ever coached at the Division II level can handle the ups and downs of the postseason.
If any team in the East were to give the Bucks a challenge, it would be the Celtics. They know what it takes to get to the Finals. This season, however, that task seems much harder to accomplish.
#3 – Denver Nuggets
Record: (53-29)
Net Rating: +3.3 (6th)
On December 25th, 2022, the Denver Nuggets took sole ownership of the #1 seed in the Western Conference. For the rest of the season, they didn’t give it up. While the rest of the West fought tooth and nail for every game, Denver was on cruise control. They got to rest up as they now prepare for a Finals run.
With Nikola Jokic, Denver has a fighter’s chance in any series. With Jokic’s guidance, Denver’s offense is deadly. They space you out and pick you apart surgically. For the first time, Jokic will have his top two scorers, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr, healthy for the postseason.
Now, Denver is a pretty unorthodox team. They don’t defend, and they’re not particularly deep, either. I don’t know if any team is more reliant on their starting five than Denver. To take that one step further, I don’t know if any team is more dependent on one player than the Nuggets are with Jokic.
When Jokic is on the court, Denver outscores opponents by 13.2 points per 100 possessions. When he heads to bench, Denver’s net rating plummets to -12.5. That +/- 25.7 swing is why it’s hard to take this team seriously. Yes, they’re really good, but they’re vulnerable.
Head coach Michael Malone doesn’t have a lot of great options off his bench. And he seems timid to try out weirder, nonconventional lineups. Aaron Gordon hardly played any minutes at the five this season, and fluid, flexible youngsters like Christian Braun and Payton Watson didn’t play nearly enough.
Denver could use their lack of respect as motivation (like Rodney Dangerfield), but they’re not your typical one seed. Whether that’s a bad thing or not remains to be seen.
Tier 2: Fringe Contenders
#4 – Philadelphia 76ers
Record: (54-28)
Net Rating: +4.4 (3rd)
Meet the most frustrating team in the entire league. At times, it appears that Philly has turned the corner. Like they have the right pieces around Joel Embiid, and they’re pushing all the right buttons. There are moments when this team is on par with Boston and Milwaukee.
On paper, this is the best team that Joel Embiid has been on. James Harden is having a great season as a facilitator. Maxey and Harris score in bunches alongside Embiid, who is set to win his first MVP award after grabbing the scoring title, too.
There’s an array of role players for Doc Rivers to use off his bench. Joel Embiid has never made it past the second round, and if any of his teams were to do it, this would be the one, 2021 notwithstanding.
BUT….
This team isn’t consistent enough to be taken seriously as a contender. There are a myriad of concerns littered throughout this team. At times, they get lethargic and slow in their efforts defensively. Whenever teams go small, the 76ers struggle to keep up.
I don’t know if the 76ers can compete for an entire physical series when they go on prolonged stretches of sluggishness. There’s almost no wing defense on this team outside of Jalen McDaniels. Try as he may, PJ Tucker can’t guard everybody on the perimeter.
Opposing offenses target Maxey and Harden, two smaller guards. Tobias Harris is the modern-day Rashard Lewis, somebody who is allergic to the big moment whenever counted upon. This team should be a contender. Any team with a dominant force like Joel Embiid should be a favorite to win it all. Instead, another second-round exit seems imminent.
#5 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (45-37)
Net Rating: +2.2 (9th)
New owner Mat Ishbia didn’t waste any time ushering in his new regime. In a classic example of New Owner Syndrome, Ishbia traded for Kevin Durant. But, unlike most ill-fated, big swings that we’ve seen teams take in recent years, the Suns struck gold.
Sure, they lost two promising young wings; Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. They also lost a boatload of picks, which is never a good thing (even if the Suns (apparently) hate drafting). In any sense, the Suns gave up a lot. A team with questionable depth before the trade got gutted after acquiring Durant.
But it was easy to see why the Suns wanted KD in the first place. Durant only played 8 games with Phoenix in the regular season. A knee injury sustained in Brooklyn and an ankle injury in warmups prevented him from playing more.
Under most circumstances, a mere 8 games isn’t enough to judge anything. That’s less than 10% of the season! May I now present to you some stats from those fateful eight contests;
- 8-0 record
- 121.0 offensive rating
- 109.6 defensive rating
- Whole lotta buckets
When Durant was on the floor with Chris Paul and Devin Booker, the Suns outscored opponents by a whopping 17.1 points per 100 possessions. Even though they’re the fourth seed, this is the most dangerous team in the Western Conference. Nobody has that amount of firepower in their arsenal.
I don’t love this team’s depth or their size. And the risk of injury looms large. There is a world where that lack of chemistry ends up biting them. But, and you can quote me on this, I think this team will make it out of the Western Conference.
#6 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: (51-31)
Net Rating: +5.6 (2nd)
Over the past few seasons, the Cavaliers have rapidly ascended into one of the NBA’s most exciting teams. In the blink of an eye, they’ve acquired enough talent to join the county fair. After trading for Donovan Mitchell, the time to win was now. And that’s just what this team did all regular season long.
Sure, the Cavaliers aren’t perfect. I don’t love their depth at the wing position. Questions remain about their late-game execution. J.B. Bickerstaff can be best described as unproven. But, talent-wise, the Cavaliers are as good as anybody in the league.
Defense is where Cleveland makes their money. That’s unusual for such a young team, but then again, most young squads don’t have Evan Mobley. The third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft started the year slowly but then blossomed in the second half of the season. Along with Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers have a stout interior defense that’s almost impossible to get through. The Cavs have the league’s best defense.
Donovan Mitchell’s career offensive outburst, which included a 71-point performance against the Bulls, is aided by All-Star point guard Darius Garland. Together, those four run the show for Cleveland. It’s not an overly complicated operation. When those four guys are on the court, Cleveland has a 10.2 net rating.
Cleveland is an easy team to root for. They’re a dark horse team in the Eastern Conference. Even though they’re not being taken as seriously as they should for a deep playoff run, that’s fine. This is their first taste of success without Lebron this century. They will turn some heads this postseason and in the years to come.
We’ll remember this as their first year under the sun, so to speak.
#7 – Memphis Grizzlies
Record: (51-31)
Net Rating: +4.0 (4th)
All things considered, I’m surprised the Memphis Grizzlies are still standing. Most teams can’t endure what they’ve gone through this season. On the court, they’ve lost 2/3 of their main frontcourt. Brandon Clarke tore his Achilles a few weeks ago, and now, Steven Adams is out for the postseason with a knee injury.
I don’t need to tell you that things haven’t been great off the court, either. Ja Morant’s antics and suspension rocked the league and the Grizzlies organization. It wasn’t pretty, and I wondered how this young team would respond under such unique circumstances. Since Morant’s returned from his suspension, I’d say they’ve been a-ok;
- 7-4 record
- 118.9 offensive rating
- +3.6 net rating
For as much talking as this team does, they’ve responded brilliantly amidst all the other crap they’ve been bombarded with. Still, even though they’re the #2 seed in the West and they notched 51 wins, the Grizzlies will be hunted.
Everybody wants to be known as the team who slays the cocky, upstart Grizzlies. Oh, the Grizzlies are “fine in the West.”? I’ll show you. Without most of their frontcourt and a lack of 3-PT shooting, the path to a title seems cloudy…to say the least. Taylor Jenkins’ squad isn’t as deep as they were last season. Melton and Anderson are gone, in addition to the injuries they’ve already sustained. No offense to Kenny Lofton (or his 42 points yesterday!), but a matchup with elite big guys will be strenuous.
Still, if Ja Morant is on his game and Jaren Jackson Jr. can stay out of foul trouble, this team isn’t exactly some throwaway. They’re very much alive.
#8 – Sacramento Kings
Record: (48-34)
Net Rating: +2.6 (8th)
The Sacramento Kings could get swept in the first round of the playoffs by Golden State. They could get eviscerated, rag-dolled, the whole nine yards. And it still wouldn’t take away the shine of this incredibly fun redemption team. For the first time since 2006, the Kings have made the postseason. They also won the Pacific Division for the first time since 2003.
A series is shrewd, smart moves have culminated in a competent team that the city has rallied around. Mike Brown can’t squeeze defense from this team, but he’s the right guiding voice they haven’t had in decades. The Kings stole Kevin Huerter from Atlanta. They drafted Keegan Murray when many laughed in their faces for doing so (but not me!).
But you couldn’t tell the story of the LIGHT THE BEAM Kings without talking about Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis has turned this offense into the most efficient in league history. Yeah, that’s right. The southpaw has made the Kings play a new style of basketball that’s impossible to stop.
The Kings play at a past face. They shot a lot of threes. Their off-ball movement and precision cuts are second to maybe only the Warriors. Sacramento’s dribble handoffs may be the most unstoppable action in the whole sport right now. That’s how good this offense has been. Sabonis has also unlocked the best in his All-Star counterpart, De’Aaron Fox.
Yes, I have my doubts about their volatility in the playoffs. That leaky defense worries the bejeebus out of me. But, without question, the Kings have been the best story of 2023. They hang their heads on that, at the very least.
Tier 3: Frisky
#9 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (44-38)
Net Rating: +1.7 (11th)
Oh god, not again. At about 10,000 different junctures this season, the defending champions looked dead. Before their title defense could even begin, Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole.
That punch started what was an absolutely miserable season at times. There was the short-staffed bench filled with inexperienced youngsters. Curry got hurt for long stretches twice. When he wasn’t hurt, he was throwing his mouthpiece into the stands because Poole is a moron.
And then there were the road struggles. The Warriors were incapable of winning on the road. They looked like a different team when they weren’t at Chase Center. Overall, the Warriors finished 33-8 at home and 11-30 on the road. I’ve never seen that before and I don’t think we’ll ever see that again.
Everything says that the Warriors should be dead. That there’s no chance of a fifth title during this dynastic run. A team with a -4.2 road net rating can’t have a shot to win it all, right?
But, against all odds, here they are. The Warriors avoided the play-in tournament and have found themselves in a familiar place: the postseason. No team is better at handling mood swings like this one.
And no team knows how to dismantle teams with their scheming quite like Golden State. The Warriors are the definition of a frisky, wildcard team. They have star power, experience, and defense, the three ingredients you need to win a title.
Even with all of the shitty, turnover prone basketball this team has produced, they’re not going down without a fight. The evil empire lives to see another day, and they’ll make sure somebody earns the right to take them down.
#10 – New York Knicks
Record: (47-35)
Net Rating: +2.8 (7th)
After a fluky 2021 postseason sent them down a dark path of bad contracts, the Knicks have turned their luck around in a big way. Julius Randle is back to play All-Star-level basketball. Career seasons from Quickley and Grimes plus a Josh Hart addition at the deadline have made this team very well constructed.
But, the biggest change for the Knicks has been at their point guard position. Everybody slandered the big contract they handed out to Jalen Brunson. I liked Brunson, and even I didn’t really like the deal he got. This season, Brunson has enjoyed living life outside of the shadow of Luka Doncic.
Brunson became the first option for the Knicks and gave them some sorely needed stability and scoring. With him at the helm, the Knicks play hard on both sides of the ball. They’ve bought into Tom Thibodeau’s style of coaching.
Here’s the tricky part. Where do the Knicks fit in the East? There’s no guarantee they’ll beat the Cavs in the first round (fun series alert). The last time the Knicks were in the playoffs, it….didn’t go according to plan. Yeah, let’s leave it at that. We’ve seen this team go on long winning streaks and then also stumble around drunkenly.
I dislike RJ Barrett and this team is very isolation centric on offense. Long story short, I don’t know how I feel about this team — which is why they’re in this category. The Knicks are boom or bust. There are a lot of ways they can end this fun turnaround season. Could they make life difficult for Milwaukee in the second round? Perhaps.
New York hasn’t enjoyed sustained postseason success in a while. They’re hoping this season is the start of something new.
#11 – Miami Heat
Record: (44-38)
Net Rating: -0.5 (21st)
I know what you’re thinking. A team with a negative net rating in the top half of my power rankings? Even more than that, you’re putting them in the frisky category? I know, I know. This seems crazy. The Miami Heat were zombies for half of the season. Outside of their trio of Butler, Bam, and Herro, the Heat are a slog of hit-or-miss role players.
Most of their sharpshooters have been off all year long. The Heat have almost no depth, athleticism, or size to speak of. I don’t know what magic Erik Spoelstra has in the locker room to get 44 wins from this team. Most Heat wins are close, nail-biting games that comes down to the wire.
Last season, Miami was one Jimmy Butler three away from going to the Finals. It’s hard to see a reality where they make it past the first round, which they’re not even guaranteed to make since they’re in the play-in tournament.
But, similar to the Warriors, the Heat are that scary wildcard team you don’t want to face. They have experience and the toughness to get down and dirty with their opponents. Assuming Miami makes it out of the play-in tournament, they’ll give the Bucks or Celtics one hell of a fight in the first round. Either of those teams will have more bruises coming out of that series than they started with.
I would be on my knees, hoping to avoid the Heat in the first round. They’re the perfect trap series team — the team that can lull you to sleep before sneaking up on you for an upset.
#12 – LA Clippers
Record: (44-38)
Net Rating: +0.5 (17th)
I almost didn’t put the Clippers in this tier. I kind of didn’t want to. While the 76ers may be the most frustrating team in the league, the Clippers are on their heels. The Clippers have all the ingredients you need to win a title. They have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, two of the best wings in the league. Leonard has been mostly healthy and dominant for months. George is aiming to return from his knee injury by the postseason.
Head coach Tyronn Lue has one of the deepest rosters at his disposal. Experienced veterans like Robert Covington can’t even crack the rotation. With Leonard and George on the floor, LA outscored opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions. The Clippers are a tough out with that tandem at full strength.
The problem is, for the first time during this partnership, that star tandem has been healthy. So, why am I skeptical about the Clippers? Two words;
Russell Westbrook
Inexplicably, immediately after cutting John Wall, the Clippers signed Westbrook after he had been exiled by the Lakers. This, of course, was a stupid idea. Westbrook still thinks he’s a star player and refuses to accept a lesser role. When Westbrook shares the floor with Kawhi and PG, the Clippers’ offense ranks in the 15th percentile of the league.
Just when Lue and co. were figuring out the rotation (aka playing Terance Mann more), Westbrook sabotages things. That, along with their lack of size outside of Ivica Zubac, is enough for me to call the Clippers the unfriskiest frisky team ever. It’ll be a miracle if they get by the Suns in the first round.
(That Paul George trade gets worse by the day…)
Tier 4: Weirdness
#13 – LA Lakers
Record: (43-39)
Net Rating: +0.7 (16th)
I didn’t know what tier to put the Lakers in. They started the season 2-10 and looked dead. But, since the All-Star Break, they’ve had the second-best record in the league. That sort of turnaround seemed impossible for this team in October, but here we are. The Lakers have navigated injuries, Russell Westbrook, and everything in between to get to this point.
Rob Pelinka and the front office deserve medals for the work they’ve done to revamp this roster. Acquiring the likes of Vanderbilt, Beasley, and Hachimura made this team deeper and more versatile. Getting a healthy, dominant version of Anthony Davis helped, too. With Lebron James joining the fray, the Lakers have come together at the perfect time.
Now, it’s a longshot that the Lakers make it back to the Finals. There are so many variables going against them, with the health of Lebron and AD being at the forefront of that. But, the Lakers are the best team participating in the play-in tournament. Their first-round matchup with the Grizzlies gets more favorable by the day, given Memphis’ injuries and inexperience.
The vibes have never been better for the Lakers, who have surely healed their relationship with Lebron…for the moment. A lot of questions remain about their future, but one big question remains in the present. Has this team shot all their bullets? Or do they have more left in the tank to bring chaos to the upper echelon of the Western Conference?
Tier 5: Play-In Tourney Participants
#14 – Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: (42-40)
Net Rating: +0.2 (18th)
If you ever wanted a guide on how to throw away your season in one game, ask the Timberwolves. I don’t think even the best scriptwriters could have concocted a better story. 2023 has been unkind to Minnesota. The Rudy Gobert trade unsurprisingly blew up in their face. Karl-Anthony Towns spent most of the year injured.
Aside from brilliant stretches from rising star Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves were bland and lifeless. But they still managed to make it to the play-in tournament. In their 82nd game of the season, against the Pelicans, they needed a win to get the 8th seed. They got that win, but here’s everything else that happened;
Not only did Gobert swing at a teammate, Minnesota lost their best wing defender, Jaden McDaniels, for the season with that ill-fated punch at the wall. If you remember, Naz Reid is also out for multiple weeks with a fractured wrist. All of this overshadowed another spectacular Edwards performance and the team’s improved performance once Gobert was sent home.
The game’s drama perfectly summed up this wacky, disoriented T-Wolves season. Even though Minnesota will probably make it out of the play-in tournament, the future of Gobert and the rest of this roster hangs in the balance. I doubt they can make much out of the rest of this season with all those important injuries.
We all had high hopes for Minnesota after their breakout 2022 campaign. Even though we’re just a year removed from that point, I don’t think the vibes have ever been worse.
#15 – Brooklyn Nets*
Record: (45-37)
Net Rating: +1.1 (14th)
I know the Nets aren’t in the play-in tournament. So, technically, I’m lying to you by putting them in this category. I’m sorry. But I think we can all agree that this team is no regular sixth seed. I don’t know if a playoff team has ever gone through this much roster turnover in a season.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving helped get this team near the top of the standings just a few months ago. Then, Irving asked for a trade, and all hell broke loose. Shortly after dealing Irving to the Nets, Brooklyn also dealt Durant, sending seismic waves throughout the league.
Soon, the Nets were filled with lots of wings and role players. Chief among them was Mikal Bridges, who has blossomed into a star with the Nets. This team is pretty good, but they don’t have a star that can lead them. There is a world where they can remain competitive with the 76ers, but I doubt it.
It’s hard to get a reading on the Nets since half of their team has since been traded. I also don’t know if their season has been successful. I mean, does trading two superstars but then also making the playoffs warrant pats on the back?
The point is, this team is weird. They’re good but not great, and I don’t think this is the year where the Nets do anything special. All things considered, avoiding the play-in tournament deserves a plaque in Sean Marks’ office. Somewhere.
#16 – New Orleans Pelicans
Record: (42-40)
Net Rating: +1.9 (10th)
It’s been another roller coaster year for the Pelicans. Last season, after starting 1-12, the Pels made it all the way to the playoffs, where they battled the top-seeded Suns. This year, things were supposed to be different. Zion Williamson was back and healthy. All of their young guys were a year older and more experienced.
Coming into the season, New Orleans was a dark horse to make noise in the Western Conference. And that’s what they did for the first few months of the season. The Pelicans started the season 23-14, and everything was going their way. Until…
Zion got hurt
Williamson suffered a hamstring injury on January 2nd, and he hasn’t played since. It doesn’t look like he’s coming back this season. Without Williamson, the Pelicans fell apart. Brandon Ingram also spent time injured, and New Orleans was on a ten-game losing streak at one point.
While the Pelicans ended the season strong by beating crappy opponents, Williamson’s injury again puts a sour note on this team’s progress. Their best player hasn’t been available for either of their play-in opportunities the past two seasons. Without Williamson, New Orleans clearly isn’t the same team.
Even though I like a lot of the players New Orleans has (I’m a member of the Dyson Daniels fan club), this season has brought them more of the same unfortunate reality of life without their generational star.
#17 – Toronto Raptors
Record: (41-41)
Net Rating: +1.5 (12th)
Everybody expected the Toronto Raptors to trade everybody at the trade deadline. We all wanted to see where OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, or maybe even Gary Trent Jr. would be going. Instead, the Raptors doubled down and traded for Jakob Poeltl, the best center on the market.
Huh?
Even though the Raptors’ net rating suggests they’re better than they are, it was a confusing move from a team that looked dead. Rumors about Nick Nurse’s future with the team weren’t helping. Nurse has struggled to keep this team’s energy and effort up, repeatedly calling it out.
The half-court offense is a mess, thanks to a lack of spacing and playmakers. Since the trade deadline, the Raptors went 15-11 with a top-ten defense in the league. It’s a good stretch of basketball, but I don’t think it undoes what you saw before that.
There’s a reason everybody expected this team to sell at the deadline. I like Toronto’s chances in the play-in tournament, but they have almost no chance of a first-round upset. Toronto is almost four years removed from their championship-winning season.
A championship gives teams a sort of protective aura. A good memory that everybody can hold onto. With each passing day, that memory becomes more and more distant. And the cold hand of reality is surely sending uneasy signals to this organization.
#18 – Atlanta Hawks
Record: (41-41)
Net Rating: +0.1 (19th)
Meet the new version of the Sacramento Kings! Just when you thought we would lose the league’s jester, the Hawks kindly stepped in to fill the role. After getting to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Hawks were aggressive. They wanted to build on that season and push for a championship. What’s followed has been two mediocre seasons filled with nothing but bad signals.
Nate McMillan was fired midway through this season and replaced with Quin Snyder. Under Snyder, the Hawks have gone 10-11. That followed a trend of the Hawks being average for the entirety of the season. Since January 21st, the Hawks have been within one game of 0.500! That’s 78 straight days of being average! Atlanta scored 9711 points this season and they allowed 9687. They were 26-26 against the East and 15-15 against the West. You can’t make this stuff up.
In the land of front offices, there’s been lots of turnover and drama. Travis Schlenk was “let go” earlier in the season. Schlenk was reportedly against trading for Dejounte Murray, but his objections were overruled. Owner Tony Ressler’s son, Nick, has had a growing hand in the basketball decisions. No nepotism to see here…
As the Hawks limp into the play-in tournament, they stare down the barrel of a bleak future. They don’t have many picks (thanks, Nick), Trae Young is moody, and they’re spending a lot of money to be average.
Now’s a great time to revisit that terrible Kevin Huerter trade.
#19 – OKC Thunder
Record: (40-42)
Net Rating: +1.0 (15th)
I did not have the OKC Thunder being one of the most fun and upstart teams of 2023 on my bingo card. That was especially unexpected when it was announced that Holmgren would miss his entire rookie season with a foot injury. Still, even without a center, the Thunder found a way to make things work.
I didn’t love that OKC was trying to lose games at the end of the year to miss the playoffs. But hey, nobody’s perfect! Powered by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s mid-range scoring prowess, the Thunder played spaced-out basketball offensively.
They wanted opposing teams to match their quickness and length, and more often than not, they couldn’t. Rookie lottery pick Jalen Williams fit into this system perfectly alongside Giddey and SGA. On defense, the Thunder make up for their size by flying around the court and wreaking havoc in the passing lanes. OKC finished 7th in deflections and 1st in charges drawn per game this season.
40 wins is quite the step up for the Thunder, who I think we can now say are out of that rebuilding umbrella. Sam Presti has assembled an impressive core of youngsters. This play-in tournament should be a great way to find out more about what this team is made of.
#20 – Chicago Bulls
Record: (40-42)
Net Rating: +1.3 (13th)
Last season, the Bulls kind of ran out of gas after a hot start. This season, I don’t know if there ever was gas, to begin with. Without Lonzo Ball for the entire season, the Bulls stumbled around for most of it. Even though DeRozan, Lavine, and Caruso were all excellent, the help around those guys was substandard, to say the least.
The Bulls changed their whole identity midseason. After the All-Star break, Chicago had the best defense in the entire league. Acquiring Patrick Beverley gave them a much-needed edge. Still, that hot finish only got the Bulls as far as the 10th seed, where they need two wins to even get the reward of facing the Bucks in the first round. Not exactly what they were hoping for when the season started.
Don’t let that nice finish distract you from this team’s grim future. Chicago doesn’t have a ton of money or picks to work with. A lot of their core is aging and a rebuild seems imminent. Lonzo Ball’s knee injury sounds incredibly serious and there’s a chance we never see him on the court again.
If any team in the league needed to tank, it would be the Bulls. Instead, they’ll have to settle for the 10th seed. Oh well.
Tier 6: The Road to Nowhere
#21 – Dallas Mavericks
Record: (38-44)
Net Rating: -0.2 (20th)
I knew the Kyrie Irving trade was a bad idea from the jump. But missing the playoffs? I didn’t know things could get that bad that fast. The Mavericks were firmly in the playoff picture before getting Irving. To go from that to tanking the final few games of your season for better draft odds is just unsettling.
Dallas is a mess right now. There’s no other way to put it. The roster they’ve put around Luka is laughable. And now, they’ve put themselves in a position where they must pay Kyrie Irving a lot of money — which is a position no person in their right mind should ever be in.
The Jalen Brunson blunder still looms large for all parties. Marc Cuban can blame Jalen’s father, Rick, all he wants. If the Mavericks had just extended Brunson, I’m willing to bet that they’d be in the playoffs right now. They wouldn’t have to pay Irving. Instead, Dallas’ roster is barren and devoid of anything meaningful outside of their All-Star backcourt.
Christian Wood probably isn’t staying. This free agency class sucks. And the Mavericks aren’t even guaranteed to keep their first-round pick this year. There’s a world where is falls to 11th, and the Knicks get it! Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for this team, who are now on the clock with Luka Doncic.
Keeping that guy happy isn’t that hard to do, but, of course, the Mavericks missed the playoffs with one of the five best players on the planet. That won’t do you any favors in courting a healthy relationship, you know?
#22 – Washington Wizards
Record: (35-47)
Net Rating: -1.2 (23rd)
The most boring and mediocre franchise in the NBA put up another listless, 35-win season. Even though the Wizards were somewhat fun to watch, they dug themselves too big a hole to even make the play-in tournament — aka Tommy Shepard’s Super Bowl. Washington went on a ten-game losing skid in December that sunk their “hopes” of being competitive.
It’s another year of circling the drain for Washington. They had some decent seasons from the top guys, marginal development from the youngsters, and lukewarm turnout from fans. This team needs to rebuild, but they’re not smart enough to. Now, granted, it’s hard for them to blow things up when they’re paying Beal that albatross contract of his.
This offseason, get ready for Kyle Kuzma to get a massive contract — further committing this team to this sort of season. The trio of Porzingis, Beal, and Kuzma isn’t enough to be competitive in the league. And I think the Wizards know that, but they just don’t care. That’s the only explanation for constantly running things back when it’s clearly not working.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That’s the best way to describe this organization at the moment.
#23 – Portland Trail Blazers
Record: (33-49)
Net Rating: -4.0 (26th)
There aren’t many times in life when you feel helpless. Totally lost. Like you’re just circling the drain with no purpose. Unless you’re the Blazers, this feeling is usually fleeting. However, for this franchise, it’s a typical season. Portland ended their season with an unceremonious thump as soon as they shut down Damian Lillard.
Despite Lillard putting up the best numbers of his career, Portland couldn’t even crack 40 wins. The season was all but over at the trade deadline. Joe Cronin made moves that prioritized the future instead of the present. It was a lost season. Another season where the Blazers kicked the can down the road a few seasons, hoping that their turbulent roster would magically make a turnaround into relevance.
Chauncey Billups was hired to turn around the defense. He hasn’t done that, although, in fairness to him, management hasn’t been throwing him bones. Josh Hart and Gary Payton II, the type of win-now players this roster needs, were traded for project players. Still, the same problems that doomed the Blazers during the Stotts regime plague the team.
Anfernee Simons struggled after getting $100 million in the offseason. Jerami Grant is going to get a similar contractual commitment, further capping this team’s title aspirations. Similar to Simons, the Blazers have to pay Grant, even if it doesn’t move the needle much.
Jusuf Nurkic played the worst season of his career. Shaedon Sharpe wasn’t allowed to do anything until the team started tanking. The bench unit remains too inexperienced to be effective, and to top it all off, the Blazers are one of the smallest teams in the league.
The trade returns for Norman Powell and CJ McCollum have been pitiful. In the case of McCollum, nobody from that deal is still on the team. So, not only did Portland make those deals a few seasons too late, they got next to nothing in return.
They’re probably backing themselves into a similar corner with Damian Lillard. For reasons I will never understand, Lillard — the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and its best player — wants to stay a Blazer. He has patience that I can’t even fathom. Dame is 32 right now. Not only does he not have too many high-level years left, the same goes for his trade value. Teams will be hesitant to throw a boatload of picks at a guy who’s struggled to stay healthy over the past few seasons.
(Note: That being said, there’s always somebody willing to pay that price. Just look at Kyrie)
Nothing has changed since Stotts and Olshey left town. The small backcourt that holds back the defense is still here — only the offensive output is worse now. There’s almost no depth, and there aren’t youngsters who can immediately make an impact. Portland is asking Billups and Lillard to both be a mentor while also trying to be competitive. In the NBA, you can’t pick both. It’s either one or the other.
Teams like Utah, OKC, and Indiana ripped off the band-aid quicker than Portland. Now, they have similar records without trying to be competitive! Heck, the Thunder traded away Westbrook and George in part thanks to Lillard’s 2019 volcanic eruption in the playoffs. And now the Thunder are 4.5 games better.
In a cruel twist of fate, the best option for the Blazers is to run things back. They’re not going to trade Dame and they’ll have even less cap space once they (hopefully) extend Jerami. And barring a lottery miracle, there’s not going to be a future superstar falling into their lap.
Even with a somewhat healthy Lillard, the Blazers were mediocre at best. What does that say about next season and the seasons after it? Major changes have to be made, but this franchise isn’t ready to make them. All of their half-way attempts at going all in have backfired (damn you, Larry Nance).
For most teams, directionless is a fleeting moment. In Portland, it’s the status quo.
Tier 7: Wembanyama Watch
#24 – Indiana Pacers
Record: (35-47)
Net Rating: -3.3 (25th)
If they weren’t trying to tank, the Pacers could have made the play-in tournament. Instead, they took their foot off the gas after it became clear that taking Haliburton out of the lineup meant automatic losses. I think they’re better than their 35-47 record indicates, but that’s neither here nor there.
Still, the Pacers made progress in their first full rebuilding season. Tyrese Haliburton made his first All-Star team, showing that he has the chops to be this team’s franchise leader. Other pieces like Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin are here for the long haul.
Indiana doesn’t have a lot of draft capital like many of their rebuilding counterparts, but they do have a lot of young talent already on hand. Rick Carlisle isn’t exactly coaching the Pistons, you know? It’ll be interesting to see who the Pacers go after in the draft. Their backcourt is already filled up, and they need reinforcements on the wing.
That’s where this team can improve in the future. But I don’t think this season can be viewed as anything but a success. Indiana got development for lots of their youngsters while still ending up in the lottery. Aka, the perfect season.
#25 – Utah Jazz
Record: (37-45)
Net Rating: -0.7 (22nd)
The Utah Jazz are another team that could have pushed for the play-in tournament if they wanted to. Instead, after a fast start, Danny Ainge decided to pull the plug at the trade deadline. As a reward for not blowing things up in October, the Jazz got one of the Lakers’ prized future first-round picks.
I’m not a huge fan of them trading Jarred Vanderbilt, but that’s not the point. The biggest positive to come from this season, however, was Lauri Markkanen. The most improved player of the year to be turned into a Dirk Nowitzki-esque scoring force. Markkanen became deadly from inside and outside the arc, all but earning a spot on an All-NBA team in the coming weeks.
Walker Kessler also emerged as one of the best rookies from this draft class. Kessler was one of the many pieces Utah in their king’s ransom for Rudy Gobert. Kessler is better than Gobert right now and less prone to throwing punches!
It’s hard to find a team better set up for the future than the Jazz. They have young guys, draft picks, and a rising star in Lauri Markkanen. Danny Ainge has made this franchise do a 180 from where they were last season. And it’s all for the better.
#26 – Orlando Magic
Record: (34-48)
Net Rating: -2.3 (24th)
After starting the season 5-20, it looked like the Magic would be one of the worst teams in the league. And not one of those teams that is understandably bad, but one of those teams that’s hard to watch. But, second year head coach Jahmahl Mosley didn’t panic and neither did his players.
Orlando cycled through point guards. Jalen Suggs got injured (again) and Markelle Fultz started the year injured. As the season progressed, the Magic found a guard rotation that worked. Fultz became their starter and enjoyed a career season. Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs filled in wherever they were needed.
That stabiltiy at the guard position allowed Orlando to finish the season 29-28. Had they had a better start to the season, this team could have easily pushed for 40 wins. It’s a testament to their accruement of young talent — namely at the forward position.
Franz Wagner was drafted using the pick acquired in the Nikola Vucevic deal. He’s since turned into one of the best offensive forwards in the league. And with the #1 overall pick in this past year’s draft, the Magic took Paolo Banchero. For months, everybody expected Orlando to take Jabari Smith Jr, who ended up going third to the Rockets.
What a mistake that would have been. Instead, the Magic got Banchero, a player with sky high potential and the future winner of the rookie of the year award. Entering this offseason and beyond, the Magic are on the rise. If they can find a true point guard, this team could replace OKC as the frisky team of 2024.
#27 – Charlotte Hornets
Record: (27-55)
Net Rating: -6.3 (27th)
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#28 – Houston Rockets
Record: (22-60)
Net Rating: -8.1 (29th)
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#29 – San Antonio Spurs
Record: (22-60)
Net Rating: -9.9 (30th)
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#30 – Detroit Pistons
Record: (17-65)
Net Rating: -7.9 (28th)
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What are your thoughts on these rankings? Leave a comment down below!
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