By Law Murray | The Athletic, 2026-03-02 15:34:53
本周推荐专辑：《56 Nights》，Future (2015)
我知道《56 Nights》是一张混音带，但它同样应景。3 月已经到来，在这个常规赛中，我们剩下的时间不到 56 天了，还有很多事情需要弄清楚。
上周在《The Athletic》，我们重点介绍了“40 胜 20 负”俱乐部的最后几支球队：俄克拉荷马城雷霆、底特律活塞和圣安东尼奥马刺。如果你是其中某支球队的粉丝，你现在感觉一定很棒。对于其他人来说，你可能不再相信统计趋势，只希望光芒能照耀在你自己支持的球队身上。
话虽如此，我们最近的赛程中确实出现了一些精彩的比赛。你以前从未在全美直播中看到过活塞这么多次，而这种情况本周仍将继续。我很高兴我们能把精力集中在篮球本身，而不是 2 月中旬讨论的那些琐事上，所以在这里我们会继续聚焦赛场。
细节说明：这份战力榜不仅仅是对球队进行排名。我们将保留梯队制度，球队会根据表现升级或降级。每周共有五个梯队：
- 顶级争冠者 (Top Contenders) —— 固定为五支，他们是联盟的佼佼者
- 处于佳境 (In a Good Place) —— 可能是一支球队，也可能是七支
- 季后赛边缘 (The Bubble) —— 不要和华特迪士尼世界的复赛园区混淆，这里指中游球队
- 不容乐观 (Not the Tier to Fear) —— 虽然不是联盟表现最差的，但还有很多工作要做
- 底层大本营 (Basement Floor) —— 排名垫底
战力榜预期说明：
- 这些是我的主观排名。我会参考各种客观指标，但最终由我拍板。
- 这些排名不仅仅是对过去一周的回顾——我们也对未来进行预测，所以它是两者的平衡。
- 排名是主观的，但并非心存偏见。战力榜不预设任何立场，我们力求建立一个包容的精英管理体系。
- 这份排名具备的一个特质是：“冷酷的侵略性”。
- 请享受比赛，也请享受这份排名！
在第 20 周的《The Athletic》NBA 战力榜中，我们将探讨每支球队剩下的最重大比赛（每队不超过五场；我们可不是在为你家冰箱印日历）。胜负记录和其他统计数据截至上周日的比赛。
第一梯队：顶级争冠者
1. 俄克拉荷马城雷霆 (47-15)
上期排名： 3
上周战绩： 客场胜猛龙，客场负活塞，主场胜掘金，客场胜独行侠
进攻效率： 117.2 (第 6) 防守效率： 106.1 (第 1)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 9 日主场对阵掘金、3 月 12 日主场对阵凯尔特人、3 月 15 日主场对阵森林狼、3 月 29 日主场对阵尼克斯、3 月 30 日主场对阵活塞
卫冕冠军雷霆队成为了第一支正式锁定季后赛席位的球队。这听起来可能有点老生常谈，但结合卫冕 MVP 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 的回归，这足以让他们重回榜首。未来他们仍面临许多严峻挑战。他们并未在西部的战绩竞争中绝尘而去，而且还在底特律输了球，尽管当时球队阵容极其残缺。
2. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (43-17)
上期排名： 2
上周战绩： 客场胜活塞，客场胜猛龙，客场胜篮网，客场负尼克斯
进攻效率： 116.8 (第 8) 防守效率： 110.5 (第 3)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四主场对阵活塞、周日主场对阵火箭、3 月 10 日主场对阵凯尔特人、4 月 4 日客场对阵掘金、4 月 12 日主场对阵掘金
在 1 月的最后一天，马刺在夏洛特输了球。随后，他们横扫了 2 月的赛程，而且 11 场胜利中的大多数都毫无悬念。但 3 月已经到来，马刺在纽约打出了本赛季最糟糕的进攻表现。每当我考虑将马刺排在榜首时，他们就会出现这样的一场失利。不过，接下来的这一周非常关键，圣安东尼奥将结束“牛仔竞技客场之旅”回到主场，再次对阵活塞。据推测，随着艾赛亚·斯图尔特 (Isaiah Stewart) 的回归，活塞将变得更加强硬。接着，马刺将有机会提前锁定对阵火箭的常规赛系列赛胜利。
3. 底特律活塞 (45-14)
上期排名： 1
上周战绩： 主场负马刺，主场胜雷霆，主场胜骑士，客场胜魔术
进攻效率： 116.3 (第 11) 防守效率： 108.2 (第 2)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四客场对阵马刺、3 月 30 日客场对阵雷霆
我很喜欢这一整周都在电视上看到底特律的比赛。另外，我很惊讶自己竟然在沙发上坐了那么久看这些比赛，但当两支南加州球队中一支（湖人）在客场征战，而另一支（快船）完全没有比赛时，情况就是这样。活塞仍然拥有全联盟最好的战绩，但在季后赛开始前，他们还需要进行一些微调。我们可以列出更多焦点战，但我真正想看的活塞比赛只有两场，其中一场就在本周，在德克萨斯州的核心地带。
4. 纽约尼克斯 (39-22)
上期排名： 5
上周战绩： 客场负骑士，客场胜雄鹿，主场胜马刺
进攻效率： 118.3 (第 3) 防守效率： 112.2 (第 8)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周三主场对阵雷霆、周五客场对阵掘金、3 月 29 日客场对阵雷霆、3 月 31 日客场对阵火箭、4 月 9 日主场对阵凯尔特人
尼克斯自上一次多场连败以来，取得了 14 胜 4 负的战绩。其中两场失利是对阵活塞，所以他们可能得等到季后赛才能弄清如何对付活塞。此外，尼克斯在俄亥俄州打铁严重。但自马丁·路德·金纪念日以来，迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 已将尼克斯调教成了联盟最强硬的防线，他们对马刺的锁死极具含金量。本周他们将立即获得更多展示防守功底的机会。
5. 凯尔特人 (40-20)
上期排名： 4
上周战绩： 客场胜太阳，客场负掘金，主场胜篮网，主场胜 76 人
进攻效率： 120.3 (第 1) 防守效率： 112.0 (第 6)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周日客场对阵骑士、3 月 10 日客场对阵马刺、3 月 12 日客场对阵雷霆、3 月 22 日主场对阵森林狼、4 月 9 日客场对阵尼克斯
凯尔特人本有机会加入“40 胜 20 负”俱乐部。他们在杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown) 缺阵的情况下，于菲尼克斯取得了一场艰难的胜利，为此做好了铺垫。但即便布朗出战，凯尔特人在丹佛时也已精疲力竭，毕竟他们在赛程休息上处于极大劣势。这就是凯尔特人的现状：他们或许没有最高的上限（除非杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 创造医学奇迹），但他们可能是东部下限最高的球队。他们的出手次数会比你多，并且会逼得你不得不像用左手打球一样别扭。现在，常规赛接近四分之三，他们拥有全联盟最顶尖的进攻。
第二梯队：处于佳境
6. 休斯顿火箭 (37-22)
上期排名： 7
上周战绩： 主场胜爵士，主场胜国王，客场胜魔术，客场负热火
进攻效率： 117.0 (第 7) 防守效率： 111.7 (第 5)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周日客场对阵马刺、3 月 11 日客场对阵掘金、3 月 16 日主场对阵湖人、3 月 31 日主场对阵尼克斯、4 月 10 日主场对阵森林狼
火箭队擅长压制大多数球队，这是一件好事，因为他们每周仍会在第四节“短路”一次。最近，火箭在迈阿密被佩勒·拉松 (Pelle Larsson) 逆转，阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Şengün)、阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson)、塔里·伊森 (Tari Eason) 和里德·谢泼德 (Reed Sheppard) 在最后一节 18 投仅 4 中。在本赛季剩下的时间里，火箭几乎每周都有关键比赛，他们必须努力保持领先，以免陷入那场预想中难度极大的首轮 4 号对 5 号种子的对决。
7. 明尼苏达森林狼 (38-23)
上期排名： 9
上周战绩： 客场胜开拓者，客场胜快船，客场胜掘金
进攻效率： 116.6 (第 9) 防守效率： 112.3 (第 9)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四主场对阵猛龙、3 月 10 日客场对阵湖人、3 月 15 日客场对阵雷霆、3 月 22 日客场对阵凯尔特人、3 月 25 日客场对阵凯尔特人、4 月 10 日客场对阵火箭
稳定性。这就是我向森林狼要求的全部。他们在这方面仍有进步空间，但本周他们以日益高涨的势头赢得了胜利。杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 在波特兰的防守略显挣扎之夜表现出色，安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 不得不在洛杉矶提醒他的教练他是谁，而他们在丹佛的一场逆转胜中将一切捏合在了一起。现在，森林狼回到了主场，有机会在重返加利福尼亚寻求更多正名机会之前，创下本赛季最长的连胜纪录。
8. 克利夫兰骑士 (38-24)
上期排名： 6
上周战绩： 主场胜尼克斯，客场负雄鹿，客场负活塞，客场胜篮网
进攻效率： 117.3 (第 5) 防守效率： 113.1 (第 12)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周二客场对阵活塞、周日主场对阵凯尔特人、3 月 9 日主场对阵 76 人
克利夫兰的赛季如果不经历一些伤病相关的坎坷就不算完整。在多里安·芬尼-史密斯交易前伤愈挣扎以及埃文·莫布利 (Evan Mobley) 缺阵期间，多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell) 整个赛季都撑起了球队。现在，米切尔必须从腹股沟伤势中恢复，而詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden) 的非投篮手拇指也受伤了。令人振奋的是，哈登正在做他一贯做的事——不计代价地上场比赛，但为了让哈登在季后赛中保持一定的活力，骑士本应尽量避免这类情况发生。这些伤病也恰好出现在克利夫兰赛程中一些重要对决即将到来的时刻。
9. 丹佛掘金 (37-24)
上期排名： 8
上周战绩： 主场胜凯尔特人，客场负雷霆，主场负森林狼
进攻效率： 120.2 (第 2) 防守效率： 115.7 (第 21)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四主场对阵湖人、周五主场对阵尼克斯、3 月 9 日客场对阵雷霆、3 月 11 日主场对阵火箭、4 月 12 日客场对阵马刺
丹佛现在可不是个好玩的地方。掘金虽然搞定了疲惫的凯尔特人，但那是在一个糟糕的周日之后，他们在金州看起来打得一团糟。随后，掘金在对阵雷霆和森林狼的比赛中，尽管早早取得两位数领先，最终还是输了球。如果再经历这样的一周，特别是同样防守拉胯的湖人即将造访，我就得考虑调整他们的梯队了。卡梅隆·约翰逊 (Cameron Johnson) 最近过得很艰难，在周日表现惨淡，本赛季第二次单场零分（这是第一次出现在输球中），希望这就是他的谷底。一旦阿伦·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 和佩顿·沃森 (Peyton Watson) 回归，掘金的阵容深度将得到提升，但他们的防守在季后赛中将是一个大问题。
布朗登·英格拉姆和猛龙在对阵马刺的比赛中遭遇了一场艰难的失利。 (John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)
第三梯队：季后赛边缘
10. 多伦多猛龙 (35-25)
上期排名： 11
上周战绩： 主场负雷霆，主场负马刺，客场胜奇才
进攻效率： 113.9 (第 16) 防守效率： 112.0 (第 7)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四客场对阵森林狼、3 月 13 日主场对阵太阳、3 月 29 日主场对阵魔术、4 月 7 日主场对阵热火、4 月 9 日主场对阵热火
猛龙队本周迎来了西区前二强队的“粗鲁”登门。阵容残缺的雷霆轻松击败了猛龙，而虽然布兰登·英格拉姆 (Brandon Ingram) 对阵马刺时有过一次扳平比分的尝试，但多伦多在输给圣安东尼奥的比赛中全场仅送出 17 次助攻，创赛季新低。即便在周六，猛龙在华盛顿也曾一度落后 13 分，随后才逆转局势。多伦多有机会在首轮冲击主场优势，但他们也必须表现得足够出色，才能稳住位置避免落入附加赛。
11. 菲尼克斯太阳 (34-26)
上期排名： 11
上周战绩： 主场负凯尔特人，主场胜湖人
进攻效率： 113.4 (第 20) 防守效率： 112.7 (第 10)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 22 日主场对阵猛龙、3 月 31 日客场对阵魔术、4 月 7 日客场对阵火箭、4 月 10 日客场对阵湖人
太阳队找到了如何弥补德文·布克 (Devin Booker) 和狄龙·布鲁克斯 (Dillon Brooks) 这两位 20 分级射手缺阵的方法，那就是尽可能多地出手三分。在对阵凯尔特人的比赛中，他们没有足够的球权来实现这一点，但在对阵湖人时，他们命中了 22 记三分球。在布克回归之前，菲尼克斯仍然是脆弱的，而布鲁克斯整个 3 月可能都打不了，所以他们在这个月必须拿出季后赛级别的能量和紧迫感。
12. 奥兰多魔术 (31-28)
上期排名： 16
上周战绩： 客场胜湖人，主场负火箭，主场负活塞
进攻效率： 113.4 (第 19) 防守效率： 113.4 (第 13)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 14 日客场对阵热火、3 月 16 日客场对阵老鹰、3 月 21 日主场对阵湖人、3 月 29 日客场对阵猛龙、3 月 31 日主场对阵太阳
魔术队的赛程非常艰难。他们在结束全明星赛后的客场之旅并取得令人激动的连胜后回到家，却没能延续势头。火箭到访时，魔术对凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 和里德·谢泼德无可奈何，随后又在活塞这台“篮球暴力机器”面前得分枯竭。魔术也是另一支在这个月可以期待关键成员回归的球队，那就是弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner)，但硬币的另一面是，如果奥兰多想要避免参加附加赛，他们必须提高稳定性。
13. 洛杉矶湖人 (36-24)
上期排名： 12
上周战绩： 主场负魔术，客场负太阳，客场胜勇士，主场胜国王
进攻效率： 116.5 (第 10) 防守效率： 116.3 (第 22)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周日主场对阵尼克斯、3 月 10 日主场对阵森林狼、3 月 14 日主场对阵掘金、3 月 18 日客场对阵火箭、4 月 10 日主场对阵太阳
与本赛季的大多数时间相比，这对湖人来说是非常奇怪的一周。湖人在连续两场对阵理应轻松拿下的球队时，防守在关键时刻崩盘。但随后，湖人却以连续两场 20 分以上的大胜血洗了北加州双雄，这也是他们本赛季首次做到这一点。湖人现在真正能要求的只有保持健康、不断进步。绕了一大圈，他们最终还是回到了正轨，目前的场均净胜分也扭亏为盈。但输给太阳的比赛伤害尤为严重，因为太阳很可能正在追赶湖人，争夺最后一个西区前六席位。这两支球队将在倒数第二场比赛中交手，而菲尼克斯现在拥有交锋记录的优势。
14. 费城 76 人 (33-27)
上期排名： 14
上周战绩： 客场胜步行者，主场胜热火，客场负凯尔特人
进攻效率： 114.9 (第 13) 防守效率： 114.4 (第 16)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 9 日客场对阵骑士、3 月 17 日客场对阵掘金、3 月 23 日主场对阵雷霆、3 月 30 日客场对阵热火
我很享受乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 连续几周领跑全联盟得分榜的那段时光，但那股势头现在已经消散。恩比德在缺席两周多后打了几场像样的比赛，接着又拉伤了右斜肌，重新回到了每日观察名单。我才不管是不是要把恩比德裹进气泡膜里保护，只要确保本赛季我们终于能在丹佛看到他与尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 决斗就行。我们就快等到了。给球迷们一些他们想看且必须看的东西吧！
15. 迈阿密热火 (32-29)
上期排名： 13
上周战绩： 客场负雄鹿，客场负 76 人，主场胜火箭
进攻效率： 114.1 (第 15) 防守效率： 111.5 (第 4)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 14 日主场对阵魔术、3 月 19 日主场对阵湖人、3 月 30 日主场对阵 76 人、4 月 7 日客场对阵猛龙、4 月 9 日客场对阵猛龙
我问过帕特·莱利 (Pat Riley)，如果他今天执教，是会穿运动拉链衫还是阿玛尼西装，我们为此写了不少报道。我希望我当时能有更犀利的观点，否则我或许能写出一篇属于自己的重磅文章。在此顺便提一嘴，联盟应该规定每个月都要有一场比赛允许主场教练随心所欲地着装，无论是来自 Wirecutter 推荐的正装，还是耐克或路易威登设计的运动休闲装。至于热火，2026 年全明星后卫诺曼·鲍威尔 (Norman Powell) 因腹股沟拉伤每周观察。方便的是，2025 年全明星后卫泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro) 随时可以填补鲍威尔留下的空缺，而不用继续担任那个大材小用的第六人角色。希罗将承担起帮助巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 远离附加赛的重任。
16. 夏洛特黄蜂 (30-31)
上期排名： 17
上周战绩： 客场胜公牛，客场胜步行者，主场胜开拓者
进攻效率： 117.5 (第 4) 防守效率： 114.5 (第 17)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周五主场对阵热火、3 月 10 日客场对阵开拓者、3 月 17 日主场对阵热火、3 月 19 日主场对阵魔术、4 月 10 日主场对阵活塞
连续三个赛季，黄蜂队在 2 月结束时就锁定了胜率不足五成的败局。但今年，夏洛特正一路狂奔向 50% 的胜率大关，如果能在 3 月初赢下几场比赛，他们的胜率甚至能过半。以黄蜂过去两个月的表现，他们有一丝微弱的机会冲进前六。更现实的威胁是，他们可能会从佛罗里达的两支球队手中抢走第七或第八的位置。
17. 亚特兰大老鹰 (31-31)
上期排名： 20
上周战绩： 主场胜奇才，主场胜奇才，主场胜开拓者
进攻效率： 113.6 (第 17) 防守效率： 113.6 (第 14)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周三客场对阵雄鹿、3 月 14 日主场对阵雄鹿、3 月 16 日主场对阵魔术、3 月 21 日主场对阵勇士、4 月 12 日客场对阵热火
亚特兰大的这个赛季真是波折。老鹰的表现介于令人失望（对于像我这样对他们期望很高的人来说）和被忽视（对于你们大多数比我聪明的人来说，你们知道永远不要对这支倒霉的球队抱有高期望）之间。但老鹰自入冬以来首次回到了 50% 胜率，乔纳森·库明加 (Jonathan Kuminga) 的表现甚至让多米尼克·威尔金斯 (Dominique Wilkins) 都深有感触，而且“魔幻之城周一”活动正在向州立农业球馆扩张（算是一场焦点战！）。他们的净胜分也重新扭亏为盈——仅领先 1 分。全联盟最平庸的球队！我已经准备好再次失望了！
18. 金州勇士 (31-29)
上期排名： 15
上周战绩： 客场负鹈鹕，客场胜灰熊，主场负湖人
进攻效率： 114.3 (第 14) 防守效率： 112.8 (第 11)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 13 日客场对阵森林狼、3 月 21 日客场对阵老鹰、4 月 9 日主场对阵湖人、4 月 12 日客场对阵快船
让我们看看自凯文·杜兰特离开后，勇士队前 60 场比赛的记录：
- 2020 年：13 胜 47 负
- 2021 年：30 胜 30 负
- 2022 年：43 胜 17 负
- 2023 年：30 胜 30 负
- 2024 年：32 胜 28 负
- 2025 年：32 胜 28 负
- 2026 年：31 胜 29 负
其中有几年是例外，一年他们赢得了冠军，另一年他们最终选到了詹姆斯·怀斯曼 (James Wiseman)。除此之外，这就是勇士的真实写照：一支在西部跑龙套，却仍被讨论得仿佛具备极大威胁的球队。问题不在于勇士是否会进入附加赛，而是在哪个顺位。他们正祈祷一位 38 岁（这个月过生日！）的小个后卫来拯救他们，既然他是斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)，这倒也有可能。但勇士要么靠抢断和三分活，要么就玩完。当德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green) 在 2 月出战时，勇士仅取得 2 胜 6 负，而且在其中一半的失利中，格林在场时勇士的输分超过了 25 分。
第四梯队：不容乐观
19. 洛杉矶快船 (28-31)
上期排名： 18
上周战绩： 主场负森林狼，主场胜鹈鹕
进攻效率： 115.2 (第 12) 防守效率： 115.5 (第 18)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周一客场对阵勇士、3 月 29 日客场对阵雄鹿、3 月 31 日主场对阵开拓者、4 月 10 日客场对阵开拓者、4 月 12 日主场对阵勇士
快船审视了他们 3 月份的赛程，决定把弹珠台的拉杆拉到底重开，即便这意味着要送给森林狼一个缺乏组织、投射和内线得分的残缺阵容。科怀·莱昂纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 要做他去年 3 月做过的事，那就是带领快船完成强力冲刺，这对于快船挺进季后赛，或者至少实现常规赛胜率过半是必不可少的。达里厄斯·加兰 (Darius Garland) 也终于将在金州迎来他期待已久的快船首秀，此前泰伦·卢 (Tyronn Lue) 将加兰预期的角色比作十年前卢手下的凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving)。快船在接下来的日子里没有任何额外的休息日，在他们力争赢下尽可能多比赛的过程中，他们需要全员出动。
20. 波特兰开拓者 (29-33)
上期排名： 19
上周战绩： 主场负森林狼，客场胜公牛，客场负黄蜂，客场负老鹰
进攻效率： 112.5 (第 25) 防守效率： 115.7 (第 20)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 10 日主场对阵黄蜂、3 月 25 日主场对阵雄鹿、3 月 31 日客场对阵快船、4 月 10 日客场对阵快船
本可以更糟，但这对开拓者来说是艰难的一周。谢顿·夏普 (Shaedon Sharpe) 有时是个令人沮丧的球员，因为他的效率平平，但对于一支得分深度并不理想的波特兰球队来说，他 3 月份可能完全不打。德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija) 在处理背部疼痛，2 月份只打了四场比赛。或许最大的问题是，波特兰将令人担忧的球员伤病与防守结合在了一起，而这种防守总是被进攻端的失误置于不利地位。周日在亚特兰大的失利是开拓者本赛季第八次让对手利用失误得到至少 30 分。
莱昂纳德·米勒和公牛队在 3 月 1 日击败雄鹿之前，连败纪录达到了 11 场。 (David Banks / Imagn Images)
21. 芝加哥公牛 (25-36)
上期排名： 24
上周战绩： 主场负黄蜂，主场负开拓者，主场胜雄鹿
进攻效率： 112.6 (第 24) 防守效率： 117.0 (第 25)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 16 日主场对阵灰熊、4 月 12 日客场对阵独行侠
公牛队不该排在这么高的位置。他们可能也不想排在这么高。但在周日对阵雄鹿完成惊人的 39 分大逆转并终结 11 连败后，他们确实升到了这里。芝加哥在第四节以 33-8 狂胜雄鹿，仅让对手得到 8 分，创下队史第四节失分第二少的纪录。我确实没有任何理由关注公牛余下赛季的赛程，但我必须因他们能打出这种表现而给他们点赞。
22. 密尔沃基雄鹿 (26-33)
上期排名： 21
上周战绩： 主场胜热火，主场胜骑士，主场负尼克斯，客场负公牛
进攻效率： 113.0 (第 22) 防守效率： 116.7 (第 23)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周三主场对阵老鹰、3 月 14 日客场对阵老鹰、3 月 25 日客场对阵开拓者、3 月 29 日主场对阵快船、4 月 5 日主场对阵灰熊
道格·里弗斯 (Doc Rivers) 说公牛队又增加了 17 个后卫，然后雄鹿在芝加哥浪费了 16 分的领先优势。这简直是一场令人不安的失利，对于一支如果想要追上老鹰和黄蜂争夺最后一个附加赛席位的球队来说，至少是一个错失的机会。雄鹿已经打完了轻松的公牛赛程，也不再对阵黄蜂。对老鹰的比赛至关重要；只要赢下其中一场，雄鹿就能锁定对阵老鹰的常规赛系列赛胜局。但考虑到密尔沃基目前的战绩和所剩无几的时间，他们需要拿下这两场比赛。
23. 新奥尔良鹈鹕 (19-43)
上期排名： 25
上周战绩： 主场胜勇士，客场胜爵士，客场胜爵士，客场负快船
进攻效率： 112.7 (第 23) 防守效率： 117.9 (第 26)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周日主场对阵奇才、3 月 16 日主场对阵独行侠、3 月 19 日主场对阵快船、4 月 2 日客场对阵开拓者、4 月 7 日客场对阵爵士
在那个“摆烂”盛行的世界里，去做鹈鹕吧。或者至少你的球队里得有德章泰·默里 (Dejounte Murray)！这位老兄是 ACL 和跟腱断裂康复者的少数典型，他回到这支战绩惨淡、令人绝望的球队，并宣称只要他还有机会，他们就在打有意义的篮球。这对我很有触动。恭喜默里完成了一次凯旋，因为他在击败勇士的稳健胜利后说了这番话。说清楚，鹈鹕在积分榜上落后太远，不可能潜入第 10 名。剩下的时间和比赛都不够了。但对阵鹈鹕绝不会像吃国王蛋糕那样轻松，而在余下的赛程充满变数的情况下，能迈过这个相对较低的门槛也值得赞赏。
24. 孟菲斯灰熊 (23-36)
上期排名： 22
上周战绩： 主场负国王，主场负勇士，客场胜独行侠，客场胜步行者
进攻效率： 113.5 (第 18) 防守效率： 115.6 (第 19)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 12 日主场对阵独行侠、3 月 28 日主场对阵公牛、4 月 5 日客场对阵雄鹿、4 月 10 日客场对阵爵士
灰熊队正处于摆烂区间，但由于他们的阵容伤兵满营，你不得不承认，在让 6 英尺 7 英寸的奥利维耶-马克桑斯·普罗斯珀 (Olivier-Maxence Prosper) 顶上中锋首发的情况下，他们还能拿到几场胜利。除了普罗斯珀、二年级前锋 GG·杰克逊二世 (GG Jackson II) 和交易来的泰勒·亨德里克斯 (Taylor Hendricks) 之外，这里已经没有大个子了。布兰登·克拉克 (Brandon Clarke) 正处于伤病恢复的第三个月，扎克·埃迪 (Zach Edey) 需要再次进行脚踝手术，而桑提·阿尔达马 (Santi Aldama) 自交易截止日以来一直无法出战。
25. 达拉斯独行侠 (21-39)
上期排名： 23
上周战绩： 客场胜篮网，主场负国王，主场负灰熊，主场负雷霆
进攻效率： 110.2 (第 26) 防守效率： 113.7 (第 15)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 12 日客场对阵灰熊、4 月 12 日主场对阵公牛
独行侠在客场击败步行者和篮网并得到大量分数后，确立了自己的下限。但回到主场后，他们却陷入了得分荒。现在，独行侠接下来的九场比赛将在九个不同的州/省进行。作为巡演的一部分，我们将不得不观察库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 何时或是否会复出。
第五梯队：底层大本营
26. 萨克拉门托国王 (14-48)
上期排名： 30
上周战绩： 客场胜灰熊，客场负火箭，客场胜独行侠，客场负湖人
进攻效率： 109.5 (第 28) 防守效率： 120.2 (第 29)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周日主场对阵公牛、3 月 10 日主场对阵步行者、3 月 15 日主场对阵爵士、3 月 22 日主场对阵篮网、3 月 29 日客场对阵篮网
国王队的战绩全联盟最差，但他们对阵那些甚至不在底层梯队的球队时赢了几场，所以我得承认这一点。当然，国王去了休斯顿和洛杉矶就被打回原形，但现在的国王队并不是为了赢球而建的，更多是看普雷舍斯·阿丘瓦 (Precious Achiuwa) 和尼克·克利福德 (Nique Clifford) 这种边缘球员能打得有多卖力。
27. 犹他爵士 (18-42)
上期排名： 27
上周战绩： 客场负火箭，主场负鹈鹕，主场负鹈鹕
进攻效率： 113.0 (第 21) 防守效率： 120.7 (第 30)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四客场对阵奇才、3 月 15 日客场对阵国王、3 月 25 日主场对阵奇才、4 月 10 日主场对阵灰熊
爵士已经两年多没有取得过超过两场以上的连胜了。两年啊！而且爵士一直在流失球员。我们都看到了文斯·威廉姆斯 (Vince Williams) 不幸的膝伤。但在那之前，球队确定尤素夫·努尔基奇 (Jusuf Nurkić) 将接受赛季报销的鼻子手术。至少莫·班巴 (Mo Bamba) 回来了。
28. 布鲁克林篮网 (15-45)
上期排名： 28
上周战绩： 主场负独行侠，主场负马刺，客场负凯尔特人，主场负骑士
进攻效率： 109.8 (第 27) 防守效率： 118.3 (第 27)
剩余最重大的比赛： 3 月 20 日主场对阵尼克斯、3 月 22 日客场对阵国王、4 月 5 日主场对阵奇才、4 月 9 日客场对阵步行者
篮网队以七连败开启赛季。他们在 1 月份经历了七连败。现在他们正处于另一波七连败中。对篮网来说这是一段艰难的赛程，但他们以输给独行侠作为开端。篮网已经三年多没赢过尼克斯了；除非你是丹尼·沃尔夫 (Danny Wolf) 的超级粉丝，否则这可能是唯一值得一看的内容。
29. 华盛顿奇才 (16-43)
上期排名： 26
上周战绩： 客场负老鹰，客场负老鹰，主场负猛龙
进攻效率： 109.3 (第 29) 防守效率： 120.1 (第 28)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周四主场对阵爵士、3 月 25 日客场对阵爵士、4 月 5 日客场对阵篮网、4 月 7 日主场对阵公牛、4 月 9 日主场对阵公牛
奇才在全明星赛后背靠背战胜了同样在摆烂的步行者，但随后在造访特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 的老东家时回归了正轨（当然，特雷·杨穿的是便装）。华盛顿本赛季还将举办两组系列赛，一组是他们本应轻松输掉的比赛（3 月份对阵活塞，一支奇才曾在交易截止日次日大胜过的球队），另一组是 4 月份对阵公牛，那会更有趣一些。
30. 印第安纳步行者 (15-46)
上期排名： 29
上周战绩： 主场负 76 人，主场负黄蜂，主场负灰熊
进攻效率： 108.7 (第 30) 防守效率： 116.7 (第 24)
剩余最重大的比赛： 周三客场对阵快船、3 月 10 日客场对阵国王、3 月 13 日主场对阵尼克斯、3 月 27 日主场对阵快船、4 月 9 日客场对阵篮网
步行者的赛程中有很多引人注目的比赛。可惜的是，没有任何迹象表明伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac) 会从冷水桶里出来（复出）。步行者在余下的赛季中胜场难寻。这一切是否值得，将取决于 5 月 10 日的选秀抽签结果。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA Power Rankings: Thunder back at No. 1, plus the games to circle on your calendars
NBA Power Rankings: Thunder back at No. 1, plus the games to circle on your calendars
Album of the Week: “56 Nights,” Future (2015)
I know that “56 Nights” is a mixtape, but it works all the same. March has arrived, and we have fewer than 56 days left in this regular season to figure out some things.
Last week at The Athletic, we featured the conclusion of the 40 Before 20 teams: the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs. If you’re a fan of one of those teams, you’re feeling good. For everyone else, you are going to be a nonbeliever in statistical trends and hoping that the light shines on your team and your team only.
With that said, we have had some spectacular games on the schedule lately. You’ve never seen the Pistons on national television this much. And that will continue this week. I’m glad we can focus on basketball instead of whatever we were talking about in the middle of February, so we’ll continue to do that here.
Fine print: These Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We’ll retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers each week:
- Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
- In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
- The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
- Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
- Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear
What to expect from Power Rankings:
- These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my final call.
- These rankings are not just a review of the past week — we are projecting forward as well, so it is a balance of the two.
- These are subjective, but not biased. There are no agendas in the Power Rankings, and we strive for an inclusive meritocracy
- The one quality that these rankings possess: “Ruthless aggression.”
- Enjoy the games, and enjoy the rankings, please!
For Week 20 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, we will explore the biggest games left for each team (no more than five per team; we’re not printing a calendar for your refrigerator). Win-loss records and other statistical data are through Sunday’s action.
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-15)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W at TOR, L at DET, W vs DEN, W at DAL
Offensive rating: 117.2 (sixth place)Defensive rating: 106.1 (first place)
Biggest games left: March 9 vs DEN, March 12 vs BOS, March 15 vs MIN, March 29 vs NY, March 30 vs DET
The Thunder, the reigning champions, became the first team to officially clinch a playoff spot. Maybe that’s a lame hook, but that, combined with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets them back in their spot. They still have plenty more worthy challenges ahead. They’re not running away with the best record in the Western Conference, and they lost in Detroit, albeit extremely short-handed.
2. San Antonio Spurs (43-17)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W at DET, W at TOR, W at BRK, L at NY
Offensive rating: 116.8 (eighth place)Defensive rating: 110.5 (third place)
Biggest games left: Thursday vs DET, Sunday vs HOU, March 10 vs BOS, April 4 at DEN, April 12 vs DEN
On the last day of January, the Spurs lost in Charlotte. They proceeded to sweep the February schedule, and most of the 11 wins weren’t close. But March is here, and the Spurs had their worst offensive showing of the season in New York. Every time I consider the Spurs for the top of the rankings, they have a loss like that. But it’s a big week ahead, as San Antonio will return home from the Rodeo Trip for a rematch with the Pistons, who presumably will have added muscle with the return of Isaiah Stewart. And then the Spurs have an opportunity to clinch the regular-season series against the Rockets.
3. Detroit Pistons (45-14)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: L vs SA, W vs OKC, W vs CLE, W at ORL
Offensive rating: 116.3 (11th place)Defensive rating: 108.2 (second place)
Biggest games left: Thursday at SA, March 30 at OKC
I loved seeing Detroit on the television all week. Also, I’m shocked that I was on the couch long enough to watch those games, but that’s what happens when one SoCal team (the Lakers) hits the road and the other (the Clippers) stops playing games entirely. The Pistons still have the best record in the league, but they have some fine-tuning to do before the playoffs. We could fill this out more, but there are just two games I’d really want to see from the Pistons, and one of them is this week, deep in the heart of Texas.
4. New York Knicks (39-22)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: L at CLE, W at MIL, W vs SA
Offensive rating: 118.3 (third place)Defensive rating: 112.2 (eighth place)
Biggest games left: Wednesday vs OKC, Friday at DEN, March 29 at OKC, March 31 at HOU, April 9 vs BOS
The Knicks are 14-4 since their last multi-game losing streak. Two of those losses were against the Pistons, so they’re going to have to wait until the playoffs to figure them out. And the Knicks didn’t bring buckets to Ohio. But Mike Brown has gotten the Knicks to be the toughest defense in the league since MLK Day, and their shutdown of the Spurs was quite validating. They’ll have more opportunities to flash their defensive wares immediately this week.
5. Boston Celtics (40-20)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: W at PHO, L at DEN, W vs BRK, W vs PHI
Offensive rating: 120.3 (first place)Defensive rating: 112.0 (sixth place)
Biggest games left: Sunday at CLE, March 10 at SA, March 12 at OKC, March 22 vs MIN, April 9 at NY
The Celtics had a chance to join that 40 Before 20 club. They set it up with a gritty win in Phoenix without Jaylen Brown. But even with Brown playing, the Celtics were completely out of gas in Denver while at a major rest disadvantage. Such is life for a Celtics team that doesn’t have the highest ceiling (a Jayson Tatum medical miracle withstanding) but has arguably the highest floor of any team in the East. They are going to get more shots than you, and they’re going to make it so that you have to play left-handed. And now, they have the league’s best offense nearly three quarters through the regular season.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. Houston Rockets (37-22)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: W vs UTA, W vs SAC, W at ORL, L at MIA
Offensive rating: 117.0 (seventh place)Defensive rating: 111.7 (fifth place)
Biggest games left: Sunday at SA, March 11 at DEN, March 16 vs LAL, March 31 vs NY, April 10 vs MIN
It’s a good thing that the Rockets are so good at overpowering most teams, because they still short-circuit a fourth quarter once a week. Most recently, the Rockets got walked down by Pelle Larsson in Miami while Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard missed 14 of 18 shots in the final period. Houston has a big game almost every week for the rest of the season, and it has work to do to stay out of what promises to be a maximum-difficulty No. 4 vs. No. 5 first-round matchup.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (38-23)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: W at POR, W at LAC, W at DEN
Offensive rating: 116.6 (ninth place)Defensive rating: 112.3 (ninth place)
Biggest games left: Thursday vs TOR, March 10 at LAL, March 15 at OKC, March 22 at BOS, March 25 at BOS, April 10 at HOU
Consistency. That’s all I asked for from the Timberwolves. They can still be better there, but they got wins at an increasingly loud rate this week. Jaden McDaniels was spectacular in Portland on a night where the defense wasn’t quite there, Anthony Edwards had to remind his coach who he is in LA and they brought it all together in a comeback win in Denver. Now the Timberwolves go home and have a chance to establish their longest winning streak of the season before heading back to California for more statement opportunities.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-24)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W vs NY, L at MIL, L at DET, W at BRK
Offensive rating: 117.3 (fifth place)Defensive rating: 113.1 (12th place)
Biggest games left: Tuesday at DET, Sunday vs BOS, March 9 vs PHI
There’s not a Cleveland season without some prickly injury-related segments. Donovan Mitchell has held it down all season while Darius Garland struggled with pre-trade injury and Evan Mobley missed time. Now, Mitchell has to recover from a groin injury, while James Harden is dealing with an injury to the thumb on his non-shooting hand. It’s encouraging that Harden is doing what he always does, playing by any means necessary, but these are the kinds of things that the Cavaliers would have ideally avoided to keep Harden somewhat fresh for the postseason. The maladies also come at a time in Cleveland’s schedule where some of its more notable matchups are coming up quite soon.
9. Denver Nuggets (37-24)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: W vs BOS, L at OKC, L vs MIN
Offensive rating: 120.2 (second place)Defensive rating: 115.7 (21st place)
Biggest games left: Thursday vs LAL, Friday vs NY, March 9 at OKC, March 11 vs HOU, April 12 at SA
It’s not a fun time in Denver right about now. The Nuggets took care of business against a weary Celtics team, but that was after a Sunday in which they looked awful in Golden State. Denver followed that up with losses at Oklahoma City and at home against the Timberwolves despite early double-digit leads. Another week like that, particularly with the similarly defensive-challenged Lakers coming to town, and I’ll have to consider the tier assignment. Cameron Johnson has had a rough time lately, hitting what is hopefully rock bottom after going scoreless Sunday for the second time this season (first time in a loss). The Nuggets have personnel upgrades to look forward to whenever Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson return, but Denver’s defense is going to be an issue in the playoffs.
Brandon Ingram and the Raptors had a tough loss against the Spurs. (John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)
Tier 3: The Bubble
10. Toronto Raptors (35-25)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: L vs OKC, L vs SA, W at WAS
Offensive rating: 113.9 (16th place)Defensive rating: 112.0 (seventh place)
Biggest games left: Thursday at MIN, March 13 vs PHO, March 29 vs ORL, April 7 vs MIA, April 9 vs MIA
The Raptors got some rude guests this week in the top two teams in the West. The short-handed Thunder handled the Raptors, and while the Raptors had a game-tying attempt out of Brandon Ingram against the Spurs, Toronto was held to a season-low 17 assists in the loss to San Antonio. Even on Saturday, the Raptors trailed by 13 points in Washington before turning the game around. Toronto has a shot at home-court advantage in the first round, but it also has to play well enough to stay out of the Play-In Tournament.
11. Phoenix Suns (34-26)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: L vs BOS, W vs LAL
Offensive rating: 113.4 (20th place)Defensive rating: 112.7 (10th place)
Biggest games left: March 22 vs TOR, March 31 at ORL, April 7 vs HOU, April 10 at LAL
The Suns found out how they’re going to make up for not having their 20-point scorers in Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, and that’s to get up as many 3s as possible. They didn’t have enough possessions to make that happen against the Celtics, but they found 22 made 3s against the Lakers. Phoenix will be vulnerable until Booker gets back, and Brooks might not play in March, so they will have to play with postseason-level energy and urgency this month.
12. Orlando Magic (31-28)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: W at LAL, L vs HOU, L vs DET
Offensive rating: 113.4 (19th place)Defensive rating: 113.4 (13th place)
Biggest games left: March 14 at MIA, March 16 at ATL, March 21 vs LAL, March 29 at TOR, March 31 vs PHO
Tough schedule for the Magic, as they went home after their thrilling wins to cap a post-All-Star break road trip and were unable to capitalize on the momentum. They had nothing for Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard when the Rockets visited, then ran out of buckets against the basketball brutality machine that is the Pistons. Count the Magic as another one of those teams that has a key piece to look forward to getting back at some point this month in Franz Wagner, but the flip side to that is Orlando needing to develop some consistency if it wants to avoid the Play-In.
13. Los Angeles Lakers (36-24)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: L vs ORL, L at PHO, W at GS, W vs SAC
Offensive rating: 116.5 (10th place)Defensive rating: 116.3 (22nd place)
Biggest games left: Sunday vs NY, March 10 vs MIN, March 14 vs DEN, March 18 at HOU, April 10 vs PHO
This was a very odd week for the Lakers, compared to how most of their season has gone. The Lakers saw their defense chewed up in clutch time in back-to-back games against teams that they probably expected to handle easily. But then, the Lakers obliterated the NoCal teams for their first back-to-back wins of 20-plus points each all season. All the Lakers can really ask for is to stay healthy and to keep progressing and playing better. In a roundabout way, they did that eventually, and the point differential is in the black for now. But the loss to the Suns was a particularly damaging one, considering the Suns are likely chasing the Lakers for the last top-six spot in the West. Those teams will meet in the penultimate game of the season, and Phoenix owns the head-to-head tiebreaker now.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (33-27)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W at IND, W vs MIA, L at BOS
Offensive rating: 114.9 (13th place)Defensive rating: 114.4 (16th place)
Biggest games left: March 9 at CLE, March 17 at DEN, March 23 vs OKC, March 30 at MIA
I enjoyed that run Joel Embiid was on where he was literally leading all league scorers for several weeks. That momentum is gone now. Embiid had a solid couple of games after missing more than two weeks, then strained his right oblique, leaving him day-to-day-to-day again. Bubble wrap Embiid for all I care. Just make sure we finally get him against Nikola Jokić in Denver this season. We are so close. Give the people what they want and need to see!
15. Miami Heat (32-29)
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: L at MIL, L at PHI, W vs HOU
Offensive rating: 114.1 (15th place)Defensive rating: 111.5 (fourth place)
Biggest games left: March 14 vs ORL, March 19 vs LAL, March 30 vs PHI, April 7 at TOR, April 9 at TOR
I asked Pat Riley about quarter zips or Armani suits if he were coaching today, and we wrote a few stories out of that. I wish I had a stronger take, or else I might have had my own piece. I’ll settle for mentioning here that there should be one game a month where a coach in a home game can wear whatever they want, whether it’s something from the Wirecutter reviews or whatever athleisure Nike or Louis Vuitton comes up with. As far as the Heat are concerned, 2026 All-Star guard Norman Powell is week-to-week with a groin strain. Conveniently, 2025 All-Star guard Tyler Herro is around to fill Powell’s vacant role instead of being an overqualified sixth man. It will be up to Herro to help Bam Adebayo stay out of the Play-In.
16. Charlotte Hornets (30-31)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W at CHI, W at IND, W vs POR
Offensive rating: 117.5 (fourth place)Defensive rating: 114.5 (17th place)
Biggest games left: Friday vs MIA, March 10 at POR, March 17 vs MIA, March 19 vs ORL, April 10 vs DET
For three straight seasons, the Hornets had a losing season locked up by the end of February. But this year, Charlotte is screaming toward .500, and it could have a winning record if it starts off March with a couple of wins. With the way the Hornets have played over the last two months, there’s an outside chance that they could sneak into the top six. The more realistic threat is stealing the seventh or eighth spot from one of the Florida teams.
17. Atlanta Hawks (31-31)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: W vs WAS, W vs WAS, W vs POR
Offensive rating: 113.6 (17th place)Defensive rating: 113.6 (14th place)
Biggest games left: Wednesday at MIL, March 14 vs MIL, March 16 vs ORL, March 21 vs GS, April 12 at MIA
What a season in Atlanta. The Hawks have been somewhere between a disappointment (to the people like me who had high expectations for them) and an afterthought (to most of the rest of you who were smarter than me and know to never have high expectations for this forlorn franchise). But the Hawks are back at .500 for the first time since before winter, Jonathan Kuminga is getting Dominique Wilkins to feel things, and Magic City Monday is expanding to State Farm Arena (kind of a big game!). They’re back in the black in the point differential as well — by a single point. The most mid team in the league! I’m ready to be disappointed again!
18. Golden State Warriors (31-29)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L at NO, W at MEM, L vs LAL
Offensive rating: 114.3 (14th place)Defensive rating: 112.8 (11th place)
Biggest games left: March 13 at MIN, March 21 at ATL, April 9 vs LAL, April 12 at LAC
Let’s look at Golden State’s records through 60 games since Kevin Durant left:
- 2020: 13-47
- 2021: 30-30
- 2022: 43-17
- 2023: 30-30
- 2024: 32-28
- 2025: 32-28
- 2026: 31-29
A couple of outlier years in there, one where they won a championship and one where they wound up getting to draft James Wiseman. But other than that, this is who the Warriors are: an also-ran in the West that still gets discussed like an active threat. It’s not a question of if the Warriors are in the Play-In; it’s a matter of where. They’re praying for a 38-year-old (birthday this month!) small guard to save them, which is possible since it’s Stephen Curry. But the Warriors are steals, 3s or bust. Golden State was only 2-6 when Draymond Green played in February, and the Warriors were outscored by more than 25 points with Green on the floor in half of those losses.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
19. LA Clippers (28-31)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: L vs MIN, W vs NO
Offensive rating: 115.2 (12th place)Defensive rating: 115.5 (18th place)
Biggest games left: Monday at GS, March 29 at MIL, March 31 vs POR, April 10 at POR, April 12 vs GS
The Clippers took a gander at their March schedule and decided to pull the lever all the way back on the pinball machine, even if it meant gifting the Timberwolves a gameday roster bereft of playmaking, shooting and interior scoring. Kawhi Leonard is here to do what he did last March, and that is help lead LA to a powerful sprinting finish that will be necessary for the Clippers to reach the playoffs, or at least another winning regular season. Darius Garland is also making his long-awaited Clippers debut, and it comes in Golden State after Tyronn Lue compared Garland’s anticipated role to what Lue had with Kyrie Irving a decade ago. There are literally no extra days off for the Clippers going forward, and they’re going to need the entire roster as they attempt to win as many games as possible.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (29-33)
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: L vs MIN, W at CHI, L at CHA, L at ATL
Offensive rating: 112.5 (25th place)Defensive rating: 115.7 (20th place)
Biggest games left: March 10 vs CHA, March 25 vs MIL, March 31 at LAC, April 10 vs LAC
It could have been worse, but this was a rough week for the Trail Blazers. Shaedon Sharpe might be a frustrating player at times because of his middling efficiency, but there’s a chance he doesn’t play at all in March for a Portland team that isn’t exactly teeming with scoring depth. Deni Avdija only played four games in February as he deals with an aching back. Perhaps the biggest issue is that Portland combines the worrisome personnel issues with a defense that consistently gets put in bad spots by the offense’s mistakes. Sunday’s loss in Atlanta was the eighth time this season that the Trail Blazers have allowed at least 30 points off turnovers.
Leonard Miller and the Bulls saw their losing streak reach 11 before beating the Bucks on March 1. (David Banks / Imagn Images)
21. Chicago Bulls (25-36)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: L vs CHA, L vs POR, W vs MIL
Offensive rating: 112.6 (24th place)Defensive rating: 117.0 (25th place)
Biggest games left: March 16 vs MEM, April 12 at DAL
The Bulls shouldn’t be up this high. They likely don’t want to be up this high. But here they are after an astounding 39-point turnaround against the Bucks on Sunday to snap an 11-game losing streak. Chicago allowed its second-fewest fourth-quarter points ever in outscoring the Bucks 33-8. I literally have no reason to track the Bulls’ schedule the rest of the season, but I’ll give them a lot of credit for being capable of this kind of performance.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (26-33)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: W vs MIA, W vs CLE, L vs NY, L at CHI
Offensive rating: 113.0 (22nd place)Defensive rating: 116.7 (23rd place)
Biggest games left: Wednesday vs ATL, March 14 at ATL, March 25 at POR, March 29 vs LAC, April 5 vs MEM
Doc Rivers said the Bulls added 17 more guards to their team, then the Bucks blew a 16-point lead in Chicago. Simply a disturbing loss and a missed opportunity to say the least for a team that now has multiple games in the loss column to make up if it wants to catch the Hawks and Hornets for the last Play-In spots. The Bucks are done with their cupcake Bulls schedule, and they don’t play the Hornets again either. The Hawks games are huge; just one of those wins will clinch the regular-season series for the Bucks, but they are going to need both of those games given Milwaukee’s record and how late it is getting.
23. New Orleans Pelicans (19-43)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: W vs GS, W at UTA, W at UTA, L at LAC
Offensive rating: 112.7 (23rd place)Defensive rating: 117.9 (26th place)
Biggest games left: Sunday vs WAS, March 16 vs DAL, March 19 vs LAC, April 2 at POR, April 7 vs UTA
In a world of tanks, be the Pelicans. Or at least have Dejounte Murray on your team! This man is on the short list of ACL and Achilles tear patients, and he comes back to this woebegone team with the record they have and declared that they’re playing meaningful basketball as long as he has a chance. That meant something to me. Congrats to Murray on a triumphant return, because he said all of this after a solid win against the Warriors. To be clear, the Pelicans are so far gone in the standings that they’re not sneaking into 10th place. There’s not enough time or games left for that to happen. But playing the Pelicans won’t be a king cake walk, and with the remaining schedule littered with chalk, clearing that relatively low bar should be appreciated.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (23-36)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L vs SAC, L vs GS, W at DAL, W at IND
Offensive rating: 113.5 (18th place)Defensive rating: 115.6 (19th place)
Biggest games left: March 12 vs DAL, March 28 vs CHI, April 5 at MIL, April 10 at UTA
The Grizzlies are in tank territory, but their roster is so banged up that you have to acknowledge how they were able to find a couple of wins while starting the 6-foot-7 Olivier-Maxence Prosper at center. There are no bigs left here besides Prosper, second-year forward GG Jackson II and trade acquisition Taylor Hendricks. Brandon Clarke is on his third month of recovery from injury, Zach Edey needs another ankle surgery and Santi Aldama hasn’t been able to play since the trade deadline.
25. Dallas Mavericks (21-39)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: W at BRK, L vs SAC, L vs MEM, L vs OKC
Offensive rating: 110.2 (26th place)Defensive rating: 113.7 (15th place)
Biggest games left: March 12 at MEM, April 12 vs CHI
The Mavericks established a floor by getting wins in Indiana and Brooklyn and scoring plenty of points along the way. Then they came home and got shut down. Now, the Mavericks will play their next nine games in nine different states/provinces. We’ll have to see when or if Cooper Flagg comes back as part of that tour.
Tier 5: Basement Floor
26. Sacramento Kings (14-48)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W at MEM, L at HOU, W at DAL, L at LAL
Offensive rating: 109.5 (28th place)Defensive rating: 120.2 (29th place)
Biggest games left: Sunday vs CHI, March 10 vs IND, March 15 vs UTA, March 22 vs BRK, March 29 at BRK
The Kings have the worst record, but they got a couple of wins against teams that aren’t even in the bottom tier with them, so I’ll acknowledge that. Of course, the Kings went to Houston and Los Angeles and got buried, but this Kings team isn’t built to do much outside of seeing how hard Precious Achiuwa and Nique Clifford can play.
27. Utah Jazz (18-42)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L at HOU, L vs NO, L vs NO
Offensive rating: 113.0 (21st place)Defensive rating: 120.7 (30th place)
Biggest games left: Thursday at WAS, March 15 at SAC, March 25 vs WAS, April 10 vs MEM
It’s been more than two years since the Jazz won more than two games in a row. Two years! And the Jazz just keep losing players. We all saw the unfortunate Vince Williams’ knee injury. But before that, it was determined that Jusuf Nurkić was getting season-ending nose surgery. At least Mo Bamba is back.
28. Brooklyn Nets (15-45)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L vs DAL, L vs SA, L at BOS, L vs CLE
Offensive rating: 109.8 (27th place)Defensive rating: 118.3 (27th place)
Biggest games left: March 20 vs NY, March 22 at SAC, April 5 vs WAS, April 9 vs IND
The Nets began the season on a seven-game losing streak. They had a seven-game losing streak in January. They are on a seven-game losing streak now. This was a tough schedule for the Nets, but they began it with a bad loss to the Mavericks. The Nets haven’t beaten the Knicks in more than three years; that may be the only thing to watch for unless you’re a huge Danny Wolf fan.
29. Washington Wizards (16-43)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at ATL, L at ATL, L vs TOR
Offensive rating: 109.3 (29th place)Defensive rating: 120.1 (28th place)
Biggest games left: Thursday vs UTA, March 25 at UTA, April 5 at BRK, April 7 vs CHI, April 9 vs CHI
The Wizards came out of the All-Star break with back-to-back wins against tank competitors Pacers, but they got back on track with a visit to Trae Young’s original city (with Young in street clothes, of course). Washington hosts two more miniseries this season, one in which it shouldn’t have an issue losing games (March against the Pistons, a team that the Wizards did blow out in Detroit the night after the trade deadline) and a more interesting set of games in April against the Bulls.
30. Indiana Pacers (15-46)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs PHI, L vs CHA, L vs MEM
Offensive rating: 108.7 (30th place)Defensive rating: 116.7 (24th place)
Biggest games left: Wednesday at LAC, March 10 at SAC, March 13 vs NY, March 27 vs LAC, April 9 at BRK
There are a lot of intriguing games on Indiana’s schedule. Too bad that none of them are coming with any hint that Ivica Zubac is getting out of the cold tub. Wins are going to be rare for the Pacers for the rest of the season. Whether or not it is worth it will come down to the May 10 lottery.
By Law Murray, via The Athletic