Suns and Warriors lead as we enter the holiday, but where do the rest of the teams fall?
The NBA’s on-court product has largely taken a back seat over the past week due to COVID-19 cases surging around the United States. The league was forced to postpone its first pair of games this season due to an outbreak within the Bulls organization and five more games were subsequently postponed Sunday. It is also grappling with adapting COVID-19 protocols, at least in the near future.
Still, one-third of the season is over, and a number of top teams have started to separate themselves. Here’s a look at where things stand entering the Christmas holiday.
1. Phoenix Suns
Current record: 24–5
Previous ranking: 1
Credit Suns forward Cam Johnson for continuing to improve early in his NBA career. Johnson is shooting a career-high 40.9% from three this season, up from 34.9% in his second campaign. He’s upped his overall scoring numbers and seen his rebounding average increase as well. And his win/shares per 48 minutes is also the high mark in his career, playing a key role on this Western Conference contender.
2. Golden State Warriors
Current record: 24–6
Previous ranking: 2
Warriors star Stephen Curry earned his rest Saturday night against the Raptors. Earlier in the week, Curry surpassed Ray Allen to become the NBA’s all-time leader in made three-pointers, but he did so only after a ton of buildup leading up to Tuesday night’s contest at Madison Square Garden. That night will be remembered far longer than the team’s 19-point loss to Toronto on Saturday night which featured two shorthanded teams.
3. Utah Jazz
Current record: 20–9
Previous ranking: 3
While countless contenders have dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks over the last two weeks, the Jazz have stayed above the fray and have not put a player in the league’s health and safety protocols this season. With their roster intact, Utah is again among the league’s best teams, sitting at 20–9 and in third place in the Western Conference.
4. Brooklyn Nets
Current record: 21–9
Previous ranking: 5
The first 30 games of the Nets’ season have certainly not gone to plan. As my colleague Michael Pina noted in early December, James Harden has been erratic throughout the beginning of his 13th campaign and the team has dealt with injuries to key contributors like Joe Harris. Now, the franchise is also dealing with a COVID-19 crisis with 10 players in the league’s health and safety protocols over the week. Among them are Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who while still unable to play in home games was welcomed back to the team Friday night. And yet, despite all that has gone on, the Nets find themselves at 21–9 and in first place in the Eastern Conference. They look far from the super-team juggernaut that many expected, but give them credit for remaining atop the East, at least for now.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
Current record: 19–12
Previous ranking: 8
If the season ended today, the Cavaliers would find themselves hosting a playoff series for the first time since the spring of 2018. At 19 wins, they need just three more to reach last year’s total and have already matched their win total from the ’18–19 and ’19–20 seasons. Despite being perhaps the league’s best rookie, Evan Mobley finds himself back on the sideline after being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols over the weekend. He’s not alone, though, as six other players were added to the league’s protocols Sunday, joining Mobley and wing Isaac Okoro.
6. Chicago Bulls
Current record: 18–10
Previous ranking: 7
There’s not much to say about the Bulls’ performance over the last week, considering their 115–110 win over the Lakers on Sunday was their first game in eight days. Chicago sits at second in the East but was ravaged by positive COVID-19 cases earlier this week that caused the NBA to postpone its first two games of the schedule.
7. Memphis Grizzlies
Current record: 19–12
Previous ranking: 9
Since Ja Morant went out on Nov. 28 with a left knee sprain, big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has looked increasingly like a centerpiece of the franchise. Six times over that span Jackson has logged 20 or more points in a game. As a testament to his versatility, he’s appeared comfortable being the team’s five man, but he also has meshed well with Steven Adams. The two have put up a +10 net rating in 454 minutes together this season.
8. Miami Heat
Current record: 18–13
Previous ranking: 6
One of the most impressive factors in the Heat’s 18–13 start is that they have been among the East’s best teams despite the struggles of sharpshooter Duncan Robinson. The 6' 7" wing is shooting just 33.6% from three this season, down from a 40.8% mark last year. Robinson’s three-point percentage is the lowest since his rookie season, when he attempted just 35 total threes. He’s bound to improve as the season progresses and when he does, it will add another impactful element to an already dangerous team.
9. Milwaukee Bucks
Current record: 19–13
Previous ranking: 4
Jrue Holiday recorded a career-high 40 points against the Pelicans on Friday night, taking center stage with both Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined. Not only was it his first time reaching the 40-point plateau this season, but Holiday had yet to score 30 points in a game this season. In fact, Friday’s game was only the second time he’s scored 30 or more points as a member of the Bucks.
10. Los Angeles Clippers
Current record: 16–14
Previous ranking: 11
The Clippers’ defense has been among the NBA’s best this year, currently placing No. 4 in defensive rating. Their offense, however, has been among the league’s worst, nearing the Christmas holiday at No. 25. Still, Los Angeles finds itself two games above .500 and has been among the more consistent teams in the Western Conference.
11. Boston Celtics
Current record: 15–15
Previous ranking: 18
A dismal first half vs. the Warriors on Friday night ended up creating a deficit too significant for the C’s to overcome, but the Celtics showed in the game’s final 24 minutes that they are fully capable of competing with the NBA’s top teams, despite also being severely shorthanded. Among the bright spots for Boston is the return of wing Jaylen Brown, who is averaging 20.7 points and 5.7 rebounds since dealing with a right hamstring injury.
12. Denver Nuggets
Current record: 15–14
Previous ranking: 16
Despite being just 15–14 on the season, Nikola Jokić is having another MVP-caliber season. He currently leads all players in a number of advanced metrics including FiveThirtyEight’s Raptor player ranking, ESPN’s PER and NBA.com’s PIE metric. It would certainly bode well for Denver if its roster could ever get healthier.
13. Charlotte Hornets
Current record: 16–16
Previous ranking: 12
Gordon Hayward put together his best game of the season earlier this week against the Spurs, recording a season-high 41 points in just 29 minutes of action. Hayward picked apart San Antonio from all over the field, missing only four of his 19 field goal attempts. He made five of his six three-pointers and all six of his free throws. As impressive as any marker was Hayward’s one turnover. If he’s able to replicate that kind of performance more often, the Hornets could be an even more dangerous team than they already are.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves
Current record: 15–15
Previous ranking: 21
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols late last week but not before making history. Against the Nuggets, he poured in 38 points, becoming the youngest player in league history to make 10 or more three-pointers in a game. His 10 made three-pointers against Denver was also a franchise record.
15. Dallas Mavericks
Current record: 14–15
Previous ranking: 15
Dallas, like a number of other teams in the Western Conference, has struggled to put together sustained stretches of success this season. Earlier this week, they backed up wins over the Thunder and Hornets with a disappointing overtime loss to the Lakers. It was a fitting sequence for a team that is 14–15 through its first 29 games. It doesn’t help that star guard Luka Dončić has missed the last four games with left ankle soreness.
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16. Washington Wizards
Current record: 16–15
Previous ranking: 17
Washington entered Saturday’s contest vs. the Jazz having lost seven of its past eight games. And before the victory, The Athletic reported that several players have concerns about the direction and structure of the team’s offense. However, against Utah, the Wizards played their most organized and focused game in a month. Washington currently has the No. 23 offense in the league and despite a hot start, the Wizards find themselves just 16–15 on the season.
17. Atlanta Hawks
Current record: 14–15
Previous ranking: 13
After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last spring, the Hawks have gotten off to an uneven start through their first 29 games. Sitting at 14–15 the Hawks have not won consecutive games in a row since Thanksgiving, and aside from their seven-game win streak that spanned from Nov. 14 to Nov. 24, they have won just two games in a row only one other time. To make matters worse, on Sunday morning, star guard Trae Young was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, the only Hawks player on the list as of Monday.
18. Los Angeles Lakers
Current record: 16–15
Previous ranking: 14
On Saturday evening, the Lakers announced that star big man Anthony Davis suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee and will miss at least four weeks. It’s an injury that will seemingly put even more strain on the existing Lakers roster, which seems to be on a perpetual hunt for solutions to their problem. Among the recent fixes has been the addition of guard Isaiah Thomas. The 5' 9" guard scored 19 points in 22 points in his debut vs. the Timberwolves on Friday night and another 13 points on Sunday vs. the Bulls after being inserted into the starting lineup. We’ll see how long that run of success lasts.
19. Toronto Raptors
Current record: 14–15
Previous ranking: 20
Only two players who appeared in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals took the floor in Toronto’s 119–100 win vs. the Warriors on Saturday. Among the new faces for the Raptors is rookie forward Scottie Barnes, who is averaging 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. He’s also shooting 35.6% from three, up from the 27.5% mark he recorded at Florida State last season.
20. New York Knicks
Current record: 13–17
Previous ranking: 22
Give Kemba Walker a ton of credit for how he performed in New York’s 114–107 loss to Boston on Saturday night. Having not played since Nov. 26, Walker, who had been relegated to the end of Tom Thibodeau’s bench, was thrust back into the team’s starting lineup with the Knicks shorthanded. He finished the loss with 29 points and six rebounds in 37 minutes of action. Certainly Walker’s homecoming has not gone as planned, but Saturday marked a high point.
21. Philadelphia 76ers
Current record: 15–15
Previous ranking: 10
Joel Embiid continues to be a dominant force for the 76ers and yet again he’s recording a usage rate above 32%. However, with Ben Simmons still sidelined, Embiid and the 76ers have yet to find fully reliable secondary options. Tobias Harris dealt with COVID-19 issues earlier in the season, and Tyrese Maxey is currently dealing with a quad injury. The constant roster cycling, now in part because of more COVID-19 issues, has led Philadelphia, last year’s No. 1 seed in the East, to be just 15–15 on the season.
22. Indiana Pacers
Current record: 13–18
Previous ranking: 19
Indiana hasn’t missed the postseason in consecutive seasons in more than a decade, but it appears as if the Pacers are on track to be among the league’s bottom-feeders for the remainder of this season. Despite having a number of quality players, Indiana appears to be a logical seller ahead of the trade deadline. Now that Dec. 15 has passed, meaning more than 110 free agents signed this offseason are eligible to be traded, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the deals begin to come in.
23. Portland Trail Blazers
Current record: 13–18
Previous ranking: 25
The Blazers picked up a much-needed win against the Hornets on Friday night and another Sunday by knocking off the surging Grizzlies. Before that, however, Portland had lost seven straight games, and its on-court struggles coincided with front-office turmoil. The Blazers’ offense has been league-average this season, and with a defense in the bottom of the NBA, it’s made for a tough combination.
24. San Antonio Spurs
Current record: 11–18
Previous ranking: 23
San Antonio notched what might have been its most impressive win of the season Friday night, when it edged out the Jazz in a 128–126 thriller. Key to that victory was the stellar play of forward Keldon Johnson, who finished the victory with 24 points and eight rebounds. Johnson, 22, has continued to show improvement this season, upping his scoring and rebounding averages and both his field goal and three-point percentage compared to last year.
25. Sacramento Kings
Current record: 13–18
Previous ranking: 24
Just 4.5 games currently separate the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and the 12th-best team. The Kings find themselves in the middle of that range but have yet to win more than three consecutive games this season. This past week, they were among the many teams that dealt with COVID-19 issues as interim coach Alvin Gentry and forward Marvin Bagley III, among others, both tested positive for COVID-19.
26. Houston Rockets
Current record: 10–20
Previous ranking: 26
Credit the Rockets for finally reaching double-digit wins as Saturday’s 116–107 victory over the Pistons was the latest in what’s amounted to a (relatively) strong last month of play. Among the bright spots for Houston is forward Garrison Mathews, who scored 16 points and added five rebounds in Saturday’s contest. Mathews is shooting 42.8% from three for the Rockets and last week signed a four-year contract, reportedly worth more than $8 million. The Wizards let Mathews walk after the 2020–21 season, and it already looks like a move they might come to regret.
27. New Orleans Pelicans
Current record: 10–21
Previous ranking: 27
This past week, New Orleans won consecutive games for the second time this season. But even in a week in which the Pelicans achieved on-court success, it’s still hard to get overly excited about their prospects, as the team announced that star forward Zion Williamson will miss at least another month after receiving a biologic injection to stimulate bone healing in his right foot. The team said in a statement that Williamson, who has yet to play this season, will be limited to low impact, partial weight-bearing activities for an extended period.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder
Current record: 9–19
Previous ranking: 28
Josh Giddey put together one of the best games of his young career Saturday night vs. the Clippers, finishing Oklahoma City’s 104–103 win with eight points, 10 assists and 18 rebounds. His 18 boards were the most by a rookie this season, and he’s quickly become one of the league’s most exciting first-year players. For more on his transition, check out my colleague Michael Shapiro’s feature on the 19-year-old Australian.
29. Orlando Magic
Current record: 6–25
Previous ranking: 29
The Magic came into Saturday’s contest vs. the Nets having lost seven consecutive games. Against a severely depleted Nets team, they eked out a victory behind 20 points from veteran center Robin Lopez. Before Saturday, Orlando had won just one game since Nov. 17. A scan of its schedule reveals that it’s not going to get any easier for the developing team.
30. Detroit Pistons
Current record: 5–24
Previous ranking: 30
Last week, the Pistons announced that forward Jerami Grant would be reevaluated in six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair the UCL ligament on his right thumb. Grant has been Detroit’s leading scorer the past two seasons and is averaging 20.1 points and 4.8 rebounds this year. As the Pistons continue to struggle, his name has also been common in trade rumors. It will be interesting to see whether he does in fact return to the Pistons this year, and if so, for how long. He certainly would provide a boost to a number of contenders.
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