By Law Murray | The Athletic, 2026-04-13 17:35:03
本周推荐专辑：《Candy Girl》，New Edition (1983)
这就结束了吗？！对于10支球队来说，是的。感谢密尔沃基、芝加哥、新奥尔良、孟菲斯、达拉斯、萨克拉门托、犹他、布鲁克林、印第安纳和华盛顿的参与。现在是“压力意识月”，而摆烂对一个组织来说肯定压力山大。
附加赛将再淘汰四支球队，然后在本周末，我们将迎来八场系列赛首战。这是一年中最美好的时光，圣诞老人也会同意这一点，因为他正和乐透区球队一起过休赛期呢。
现在，我们要给出最终评分了。确切地说是第四季度的评分。明目张胆的摆烂行为让一些球队在最后20场比赛中打出了极其极端的战绩：
每支NBA球队在赛季最后20场比赛中的战绩
亮点在于…… pic.twitter.com/h0fmpinSkU
— Law Murray
(@ LawMurrayTheNU) 2026年4月13日
本期是实力榜项目的常规赛收官篇。这些评分侧重于过去五周的表现，并结合球队在整个赛季的整体表现进行小幅调整。有些球队早早完成了任务，在最后一个月患上了“毕业班综合征”。这是一个荒诞的赛季，但我们即将进入严肃模式。以下是赛季第一季度、第二季度和第三季度的评分，供参考。
补充说明：本实力榜不仅会对每支球队进行排名，还会保留晋级和降级的梯队制度。每周分为五个梯队：
- 顶级竞争者 (Top Contenders) —— 固定为五支，是联盟的顶尖力量
- 处境良好 (In a Good Place) —— 可能是一支，也可能是七支
- 季后赛边缘 (The Bubble) —— 不要与迪士尼乐园的隔离赛区混淆，指中游球队
- 不足为惧 (Not the Tier to Fear) —— 表现不是联盟最差，但仍有大量工作要做
- 垫底区 (Basement Floor) —— 排名末尾
实力榜预期：
- 这些是我个人的主观排名。我会参考各种客观指标，但最终由我决定。
- 这些排名不仅是对过去一周的回顾——我们也会向前展望，所以是两者的平衡。
- 虽然是主观的，但并非偏见。实力榜中没有私人恩怨，我们力求建立一个包容的精英管理体系。
这些排名具备的一个品质是：“残酷的侵略性”。 - 请享受比赛，也请享受排名！
在第26周的《The Athletic》NBA实力榜中，我们将探讨每支球队的第四季度评分。
第一梯队：顶级竞争者
1. 俄克拉荷马城雷霆 (64-18)
上期排名： 1
上周战绩： 胜湖人，胜快船，负掘金，负太阳
进攻效率： 117.6 (第7位)
防守效率： 106.5 (第1位)
第一季度： A
第二季度： A-
第三季度： A-
第四季度： A
雷霆锁定了季后赛的全程主场优势，并随后对核心球员进行了相应的保护。在赛季最后一个季度，没有球队比雷霆限制对手投篮命中率做得更好，全明星球员切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 自3月8日以来场均贡献1.5次盖帽。在追求成为2020年代首支卫冕球队的道路上，他们在分区决赛前最多只会遇到圣安东尼奥马刺、丹佛掘金和明尼苏达森林狼中的一支。
2. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (62-20)
上期排名： 2
上周战绩： 胜费城，胜波特兰，胜达拉斯，负掘金
进攻效率： 118.7 (第3位)
防守效率： 110.4 (第3位)
第一季度： B+
第二季度： B
第三季度： A
第四季度： A
他们就像2024年的雷霆，在之前几年甚至没能进入季后赛的情况下，直接跃升至西部顶端。马刺在攻防两端都是联盟前三的球队，虽然维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 坐镇的防守吸引了所有注意力，但进攻端的进步同样令人惊叹。德阿伦·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 在处理球的效率方面做得尤为出色，而斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 承担了更多的组织任务；马刺极少失误。但现在的考验来了，我们将看到马刺第一次共同面对季后赛的严苛审视。他们注定要在半决赛与掘金或森林狼展开一场史诗级的对决，这场比赛将给所有参与者留下深刻烙印。
3. 底特律活塞 (60-22)
上期排名： 3
上周战绩： 负魔术，胜雄鹿，胜黄蜂，胜步行者
进攻效率： 117.3 (第9位)
防守效率： 108.9 (第2位)
第一季度： A
第二季度： A
第三季度： B
第四季度： A
在J.B.·比克斯塔夫 (J.B. Bickerstaff) 执教的两个赛季里，活塞赢得了104场比赛，包括本赛季的60胜，这是20年来的最高纪录。在比克斯塔夫到来之前的五个赛季季后赛荒中，活塞总共才赢了94场。这是一次了不起的翻身仗，而这一切都建立在防守之上。小前锋奥萨尔·汤普森 (Ausar Thompson) 在赛季最后一个季度场均贡献1.3次盖帽。凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham) 已经回归，这是东部联盟阵容深度最厚的球队，他们不应畏惧任何东部对手。
4. 波士顿凯尔特人 (56-26)
上期排名： 4
上周战绩： 胜黄蜂，负尼克斯，胜鹈鹕，胜魔术
进攻效率： 120.0 (第2位)
防守效率： 111.7 (第4位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： A
第三季度： A
第四季度： A-
杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 的回归表现尤为精彩。虽然他的进攻端还需要时间适应，但在本赛季参加的16场比赛中，塔图姆场均贡献职业生涯最高的10.0个篮板和1.4次抢断。波士顿拥有东部最强的进攻，同时重新建立了前五级别的防守，而现在塔图姆的篮板保护比以往任何时候都要好。唯一的疑问是如果与尼克斯相遇会发生什么，考虑到去年的情况以及今年的常规赛交锋记录，不过值得一提的是，波士顿本赛季在对阵纽约的比赛中从未让塔图姆和杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown) 同时上场。
5. 丹佛掘金 (54-28)
上期排名： 5
上周战绩： 胜波特兰，胜灰熊，胜雷霆，胜马刺
进攻效率： 121.2 (第1位)
防守效率： 116.0 (第21位)
第一季度： B+
第二季度： B
第三季度： C-
第四季度： A
丹佛在赛季末打出了最佳表现，以12连胜收官。这是掘金13年来最长的连胜纪录；在尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 效力期间，球队此前从未获得过10连胜。约基奇本赛季最终场均砍下三双，同时领跑联盟篮板榜和助攻榜，掘金的进攻从始至终都是NBA最强的。贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 在赛季最后一个季度场均也能贡献7.0次助攻，且仅有1.9次失误。这波连胜让掘金成功避开了雷霆所在的季后赛半区。
第二梯队：处境良好
6. 纽约尼克斯 (53-29)
上期排名： 9
上周战绩： 胜老鹰，胜凯尔特人，胜猛龙，负黄蜂
进攻效率： 118.7 (第4位)
防守效率： 112.3 (第7位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： B-
第三季度： A
第四季度： B
迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 带领纽约取得了13年来的最佳常规赛战绩，同时保持了前五的进攻和前十的防守。虽然防守在最后一个季度有所下滑，但进攻依然稳健，尼克斯仍然是一支优秀的进攻篮板球队。替补中锋米切尔·罗宾逊 (Mitchell Robinson) 在赛季最后一个季度场均抢下3.7个进攻篮板。只要布朗不像2023年在萨克拉门托国王时那样作为三号种子意外翻车，尼克斯有望重现去年的季后赛征程。
7. 克利夫兰骑士 (52-30)
上期排名： 7
上周战绩： 胜灰熊，胜老鹰，负老鹰，胜奇才
进攻效率： 118.3 (第6位)
防守效率： 114.1 (第15位)
第一季度： B-
第二季度： C-
第三季度： A
第四季度： B
骑士重新回到了高水平得分轨道，埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley) 在赛季最后一个季度表现出色，场均以62.7%的命中率砍下19.6分。如果克利夫兰能打进半决赛，那么与活塞（以及前克利夫兰主帅比克斯塔夫）的对决将会非常引人注目，尤其是考虑到交易后的交手情况。骑士是时候在季后赛爆冷赢一次了，且看今年是否能最终突破进入东部决赛。
8. 洛杉矶湖人 (53-29)
上期排名： 11
上周战绩： 负雷霆，胜勇士，胜太阳，胜犹他
进攻效率： 117.0 (第10位)
防守效率： 115.5 (第20位)
第一季度： A
第二季度： C-
第三季度： B-
第四季度： A-
湖人整个赛季都没有出现过一次四连败。上一支做到这一点的勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 球队是10年前夺冠的那支骑士，而上一支在82场赛季中做到这一点的湖人是2010年的冠军湖人。当然，在得分王卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 和奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 遭遇数周伤病后，湖人现在对詹姆斯的依赖程度是本赛季前所未有的。湖人以16胜4负收官，最令人振奋的因素是防守端的执行力非常好，特别是在限制对方上罚球线方面。即便有得分手的伤病，湖人也应该比上赛季更有竞争力。
9. 明尼苏达森林狼 (49-33)
上期排名： 13
上周战绩： 胜步行者，负魔术，胜火箭，胜鹈鹕
进攻效率： 115.5 (第13位)
防守效率： 112.4 (第8位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： A
第三季度： B
第四季度： C
森林狼连续第二年排名第六，战绩与上赛季完全持平，并且他们在四年内第三次在季后赛遇到掘金。赛季最后一个季度是他们最疲软的时期，最后20场比赛胜负参半，进攻端表现跌至联盟后十位。好消息是安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和贾登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 都已回归，森林狼没有理由认为自己不能再次在春天大显身手。
10. 休斯顿火箭 (52-30)
上期排名： 6
上周战绩： 胜太阳，胜费城，负森林狼，胜灰熊
进攻效率： 117.5 (第8位)
防守效率： 112.1 (第6位)
第一季度： A
第二季度： B-
第三季度： B
第四季度： B
火箭取得了与上赛季相同的战绩，虽然他们在最后10场比赛中赢了9场，但最后两场失利都是输给了森林狼。这两场失利让火箭失去了首轮的主场优势。虽然52胜在去年足以排到第二种子，但火箭这次在争冠梯队中被另一支德州球队超越了。即便没有史蒂文·亚当斯 (Steven Adams)，火箭在赛季末依然展现了极强的进攻篮板冲抢能力，阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson) 在最后20场比赛中场均抢下3.3个进攻篮板。现在，火箭将带着他们不稳定的关键时刻执行力，去挑战全联盟关键时刻表现最好的球队——湖人。
戴森·丹尼尔斯，图中正在防守杰伦·布朗，在最后20场比赛中场均贡献2.3次抢断。(Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
11. 亚特兰大老鹰 (46-36)
上期排名： 10
上周战绩： 负尼克斯，负骑士，胜骑士，负热火
进攻效率： 115.0 (第14位)
防守效率： 112.9 (第10位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： D
第三季度： C+
第四季度： A
老鹰交易走了特雷·杨 (Trae Young)，并且五年来第一次不需要通过附加赛就拿到了季后赛席位。尽管最后一周表现不佳，但老鹰在常规赛最后一个季度的表现还是令人印象深刻。和大多数想要扭转局面的球队一样，亚特兰大的防守大放异彩，他们迫使对手失误的频率很高；小前锋戴森·丹尼尔斯 (Dyson Daniels) 在最后20场比赛中场均贡献2.3次抢断。他们将是尼克斯难以对付的对手。
12. 多伦多猛龙 (46-36)
上期排名： 14
上周战绩： 胜热火，胜热火，负尼克斯，胜篮网
进攻效率： 115.0 (第15位)
防守效率： 112.1 (第5位)
第一季度： A
第二季度： C
第三季度： C+
第四季度： B
猛龙打出了一个非常漂亮的赛季，不仅避开了附加赛，也避开了尼克斯。达科·拉贾科维奇 (Darko Rajaković) 作为猛龙主帅对阵尼克斯的战绩是0胜13负，但猛龙本赛季横扫了骑士。在那几场对决中，骑士都没有戴瑞斯·加兰 (Darius Garland)，而且在与猛龙最后一次交手后，他们用加兰交易来了詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden)。伊曼纽尔·奎克利 (Immanuel Quickley) 的持球压迫（赛季最后一个季度场均1.9次抢断）在那轮系列赛中将至关重要，但他因腿筋受伤退出了常规赛收官战。
第三梯队：季后赛边缘
13. 夏洛特黄蜂 (44-38)
上期排名： 8
上周战绩： 负凯尔特人，负活塞，胜尼克斯
进攻效率： 118.4 (第5位)
防守效率： 113.5 (第11位)
第一季度： D+
第二季度： C-
第三季度： A
第四季度： B-
总的来说，黄蜂的表现是令人欣喜的。他们在防守端表现出色，在不犯规的情况下保持了高水平的防守。但夏洛特遭遇了一些惨痛的失利，使他们被锁定在附加赛第9-10名的位置。黄蜂需要一个强势的一周来终结东部球队中最长的季后赛荒。
14. 波特兰开拓者 (42-40)
上期排名： 18
上周战绩： 负掘金，负马刺，胜快船，胜国王
进攻效率： 113.1 (第21位)
防守效率： 113.5 (第12位)
第一季度： C-
第二季度： B+
第三季度： C-
第四季度： B
赛季最后一个季度，NBA最强的防守在波特兰，这主要归功于二年级中锋多诺万·克林根 (Donovan Clingan) 的坐镇（自3月8日以来场均2.4次盖帽）。波特兰赢下了关键的比赛，确保了两次终结四年季后赛荒的机会。开拓者也正变得更加健康，在谢顿·夏普 (Shaedon Sharpe) 和维特·克雷伊奇 (Vit Krejci) 最近复出后，目前只剩杰拉米·格兰特 (Jerami Grant) 尚未归阵。
15. 奥兰多魔术 (45-37)
上期排名： 15
上周战绩： 胜活塞，胜森林狼，胜公牛，负凯尔特人
进攻效率： 114.2 (第18位)
防守效率： 113.6 (第13位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： C
第三季度： C
第四季度： C+
奥兰多的这个赛季跌宕起伏，但魔术至少有两次机会锁定季后赛席位。他们也正恢复到全盛状态，弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner)、安东尼·布莱克 (Anthony Black) 和乔纳森·艾萨克 (Jonathan Isaac) 均已回归。魔术在攻防两端都表现得平庸得令人痛苦，但本赛季没有球队比他们赢得更多的关键时刻比赛（27场）。
16. 洛杉矶快船 (42-40)
上期排名： 19
上周战绩： 胜达拉斯，负雷霆，负波特兰，胜勇士
进攻效率： 116.3 (第11位)
防守效率： 115.2 (第18位)
第一季度： F
第二季度： B
第三季度： B-
第四季度： B-
当快船在11天内第二次输给开拓者时，主帅泰伦·卢 (Tyronn Lue) 表示，走艰辛的路才是“快船方式”。事实确实如此。你从未见过一支球队在落后胜率15场比赛后还能重回5成胜率，但快船本赛季做到了。这也是他们八年来第一次在常规赛结束时跌出西部前八。而且这还是在赛程相对有利的情况下——快船只需对阵雷霆、马刺和掘金各三次，而快船对阵这些球队的战绩是1胜8负。我们将拭目以待科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 如何应对他的职业生涯首次附加赛。
17. 菲尼克斯太阳 (45-37)
上期排名： 17
上周战绩： 负火箭，胜达拉斯，负湖人，胜雷霆
进攻效率： 114.2 (第17位)
防守效率： 112.9 (第9位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： B-
第三季度： B-
第四季度： C
太阳超出了所有合理的预期，自1月23日以来，他们每天都占据着第七的位置。现在，他们必须证明自己的进攻能突破开拓者的防线，从而赢得与马刺会师的机会。太阳在最后20场比赛中胜负各半，但他们拥有联盟前十的防守，这种拼抢积极性在对阵波特兰时尤为关键。
18. 迈阿密热火 (43-39)
上期排名： 16
上周战绩： 负猛龙，负猛龙，胜奇才，胜老鹰
进攻效率： 115.8 (第12位)
防守效率： 113.6 (第14位)
第一季度： B+
第二季度： D
第三季度： B
第四季度： C
以下是热火防守在各季度的排名：第4、第14、第5、第26。虽然热火以胜多负少的战绩收官并领跑全联盟的节奏榜，但他们很难将这种优势转化为胜势。迈阿密去年作为第10号种子在附加赛中突围，但当时他们面对的两支球队战绩也都是负多胜少。热火在最后20场比赛中胜负参半，是东部唯一一支最后20场胜率未过半的附加赛球队。
19. 费城76人 (45-37)
上期排名： 12
上周战绩： 负马刺，负火箭，胜步行者，胜雄鹿
进攻效率： 114.3 (第16位)
防守效率： 114.4 (第17位)
第一季度： B
第二季度： B
第三季度： C
第四季度： B-
乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 本已趋于健康并有望出战季后赛，结果他切除了阑尾。这支整个赛季净胜分为负的76人队，今年春天可能再也见不到恩比德了。至少他们有两个主场机会来锁定一个季后赛席位。
斯蒂芬·库里试图突破快船球员本内迪克特·马图林的防守。(Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)
20. 金州勇士 (37-45)
上期排名： 20
上周战绩： 胜国王，负湖人，负国王，负快船
进攻效率： 113.8 (第19位)
防守效率： 114.4 (第16位)
第一季度： C-
第二季度： C+
第三季度： C-
第四季度： D
勇士甚至不该出现在这个梯队，但斯蒂芬·库里 (Steph Curry) 在因膝伤缺阵两个多月后成功复出。如果勇士本周在Intuit Dome球馆能让他上场超过30分钟，谁知道会发生什么呢？除此之外，这是一个糟糕的勇士赛季，充满了老龄化、伤病，以及在缺乏核心阵容时显得毫无章法且平庸的进攻。勇士是目前仍有比赛任务的20支球队中表现最差的。
第四梯队：不足为惧
21. 芝加哥公牛 (31-51)
上期排名： 23
上周战绩： 胜奇才，胜奇才，负魔术，负达拉斯
进攻效率： 112.1 (第25位)
防守效率： 117.4 (第22位)
第一季度： C-
第二季度： C
第三季度： D
第四季度： D
公牛正在寻找新的管理层，但他们已经通过神化名人堂教练比利·多诺万 (Billy Donovan) 限制了搜索范围。并不是说公牛长期的平庸要归咎于多诺万，但你应该让新的篮球主管来决定教练人选。去年常规赛结束时公牛还很令人兴奋，尽管在附加赛输了。这次完全没有那种兴奋感，尤其是马塔斯·布泽利斯 (Matas Buzelis) 在最后一个季度的三分命中率只有30.4%。最后20场比赛中，没有球队的三分表现比芝加哥更差。
22. 密尔沃基雄鹿 (32-50)
上期排名： 21
上周战绩： 负篮网，负活塞，胜篮网，负费城
进攻效率： 112.2 (第24位)
防守效率： 118.3 (第26位)
第一季度： D
第二季度： D
第三季度： C
第四季度： F
说到职业生涯末期的名人堂主帅……这真是一场彻头彻尾的灾难。道格·里弗斯 (Doc Rivers) 在经历职业生涯仅有的第二个50败赛季后辞去了雄鹿主帅一职。密尔沃基可能还会迎来更多这样的赛季，因为除了头号交易候选人扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 之外，这里的家底已经空了。这支球队缺乏防守者和有活力的侧翼。里弗斯会为这支表现不佳的球队背锅，但这不再是他的问题了。密尔沃基必须认真考虑阵容的发展方向。至少雄鹿今年夏天没有任何理由使用延伸条款。
23. 新奥尔良鹈鹕 (26-56)
上期排名： 25
上周战绩： 胜犹他，负凯尔特人，负森林狼
进攻效率： 113.2 (第20位)
防守效率： 117.6 (第23位)
第一季度： F
第二季度： D+
第三季度： C
第四季度： D
杰里迈亚·菲尔斯 (Jeremiah Fears) 本月有三场30+的表现，德里克·奎因 (Derik Queen) 本赛季拿到了两次三双，并在收官战贡献了30分22个篮板。蔡恩·威廉森 (Zion Williamson) “仅”缺席了20场比赛。德章泰·穆雷 (Dejounte Murray) 从跟腱撕裂中复出。路易斯安那州又一个被遗忘的篮球赛季亮点也就这些了。对鹈鹕来说最令人失望的是，除了正值巅峰的威廉森，他们还有这么多年轻的大个子，却成了联盟防守篮板最差的球队之一。未来并没有太多值得期待的地方。
24. 达拉斯独行侠 (26-56)
上期排名： 22
上周战绩： 负快船，负太阳，负马刺，胜公牛
进攻效率： 110.3 (第27位)
防守效率： 115.5 (第19位)
第一季度： D-
第二季度： C
第三季度： D
第四季度： D-
本赛季没有球队比独行侠打过更多的关键时刻比赛。但独行侠在非关键时刻的比赛战绩是9胜28负。没有人应该仅仅把达拉斯看作一支不健康的球队，这支球队的出勤率问题一直存在。这是一个在库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 身边围了一群缺乏优秀进攻球员的群体，或者至少是那些在2026年不再优秀的球员。在另行通知之前，这套阵容中除了弗拉格之外没有一个轻松得分点，而这个赛季也没能培养出一个。
25. 孟菲斯灰熊 (25-57)
上期排名： 24
上周战绩： 负骑士，负掘金，负犹他，负火箭
进攻效率： 112.4 (第23位)
防守效率： 118.4 (第27位)
第一季度： D
第二季度： C
第三季度： D
第四季度： F
干脆叫他们“孟菲斯十天短合同队”吧。全联盟没有哪支球队在最后一个季度比他们更破败不堪。结果是：最后23场比赛输了21场，防守在所有摆烂球队中垫底。这完全是一个明目张胆的烂摊子，甚至不值得进一步分析。
第五梯队：垫底区
26. 萨克拉门托国王 (22-60)
上期排名： 26
上周战绩： 负勇士，胜勇士，负波特兰
进攻效率： 110.6 (第26位)
防守效率： 120.3 (第28位)
第一季度： F
第二季度： D
第三季度： F
第四季度： D+
在所有乐透区的摆烂球队中（抱歉，新奥尔良），我最感兴趣的是国王会发生什么。如果篮球之神存在——我相信是存在的——那么国王理应得到奖赏。在最后一个季度，没有哪支摆烂球队比国王赢球更多，他们在最后20场比赛中是表现更好的北加州球队。话虽如此，想到本赛季只有勇士和快船比国王更老，这确实挺疯狂的。道格·克里斯蒂 (Doug Christie) 将会回归，但他需要外线球员提供一些防守活力。
27. 印第安纳步行者 (19-63)
上期排名： 27
上周战绩： 负森林狼，胜篮网，负费城，负活塞
进攻效率： 110.1 (第28位)
防守效率： 117.9 (第24位)
第一季度： F
第二季度： D
第三季度： D
第四季度： F
“空档年”结束了。步行者从总决赛抢七直接跌到了创纪录的63败。如果乐透抽签没能抽中前四顺位，那这一切可能都不值得，因为他们得把五号或六号签送给快船。正如泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 所说，这不会成为常态。但在经历这样一个赛季后，印第安纳确实需要再增加一名基石型球员。
28. 犹他爵士 (22-60)
上期排名： 29
上周战绩： 负新奥尔良，胜灰熊，负湖人
进攻效率： 112.7 (第22位)
防守效率： 120.8 (第29位)
第一季度： D+
第二季度： D-
第三季度： F
第四季度： D
过去两个赛季是爵士队史上首次遭遇60败。这支球队拥有太多天赋，不应该在下个赛季再次垫底，所以我们将拭目以待爵士如何补强。犹他的防守很糟糕，但三年来第一次，他们不再是NBA防守最烂的球队。
29. 布鲁克林篮网 (20-62)
上期排名： 28
上周战绩： 胜雄鹿，负步行者，负雄鹿，负猛龙
进攻效率： 108.2 (第30位)
防守效率： 118.2 (第25位)
第一季度： D-
第二季度： D+
第三季度： F
第四季度： D
NBA进攻最烂的球队。到赛季结束时，篮网不仅投篮像打铁，还是全联盟抢进攻篮板最差的球队。如果你觉得联盟的进攻火力太猛，那么今年春天的篮网一定会让你满意。
30. 华盛顿奇才 (17-65)
上期排名： 30
上周战绩： 负公牛，负公牛，负热火，负骑士
进攻效率： 109.7 (第29位)
防守效率： 121.5 (第30位)
第一季度： F
第二季度： D+
第三季度： D
第四季度： F
奇才在最后27场比赛中输掉了26场。唯一的胜利是击败了同样在摆烂的犹他。他们在全明星赛后的其他胜利仅限于对阵印第安纳步行者的两场系列赛。这支球队历史上三分之一的60败赛季都发生在过去三年。特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 和安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 在阵中（至少在精神上）意味着连败纪录应该终结。但当你甚至无法让五名处于培养期的球员打满60场比赛时，这局面确实很难看。
由生成式 AI 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, Spurs, Pistons lead contenders tier as playoffs loom
NBA Power Rankings: Thunder, Spurs, Pistons lead contenders tier as playoffs loom
Album of the Week: “Candy Girl,” New Edition (1983)
Is this the end?! For 10 teams, yes. Thanks for playing, Milwaukee, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento, Utah, Brooklyn, Indiana and Washington. It’s Stress Awareness Month, and tanking must be really stressful on an organization.
The Play-In Tournament will eliminate four more teams, and then this weekend, we have eight Game 1s. It’s the true most wonderful time of the year, and Santa Claus would agree, as he’s in his offseason along with the lottery teams.
Now, we have final grades to hand out. Fourth-quarter grades to be exact. Flagrant levels of tanking made for some quite extreme records over each team’s last 20 games:
Every NBA team’s record in the last 20 games of the season
What stands out… pic.twitter.com/h0fmpinSkU
— Law Murray
This new edition is the regular-season finale of the Power Rankings project. These grades focus on the last five weeks, with a slight curve toward how teams performed throughout the campaign. Some teams did their work early and got senioritis over the last month. It was a silly season, but we’re about to get serious. Here are the grades from the first, second and third quarters of the season for reference.
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 26 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, we will explore final-quarter grades for each team.
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W at LAL, W at LAC, L at DEN, L vs PHO
Offensive rating: 117.6 (seventh place)
Defensive rating: 106.5 (first place)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: A-
Third quarter: A-
Fourth quarter: A
The Thunder clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and then bubble-wrapped accordingly. No team allowed a lower field goal percentage than the Thunder over the last quarter of the season, with All-Star Chet Holmgren averaging 1.5 blocks since March 8. They also will face no more than one of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves as they look to become the first team of the 2020s to repeat.
2. San Antonio Spurs (62-20)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W vs PHI, W vs POR, W vs DAL, L vs DEN
Offensive rating: 118.7 (third place)
Defensive rating: 110.4 (third place)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: A
They’re the 2024 Thunder in terms of how they have leapt to the top of the West after not even qualifying for the postseason in the years prior. The Spurs are a top-three team on both ends of the floor, and while the Victor Wembanyama-anchored defense gets the attention, it is remarkable how well the offense has developed. De’Aaron Fox in particular has done a masterful job being efficient with his touches, while Stephon Castle handled more of the playmaking; the Spurs rarely turn the ball over. But now the tests come, as we will see the Spurs react to postseason scrutiny for the first time together. They’re headed for an epic semifinals against either Denver or Minnesota that will leave a mark on all involved.
3. Detroit Pistons (60-22)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: L at ORL, W vs MIL, W at CHA, W at IND
Offensive rating: 117.3 (ninth place)
Defensive rating: 108.9 (second place)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: A
Third quarter: B
Fourth quarter: A
The Pistons have won 104 games in two seasons under J.B. Bickerstaff, including 60 this season, the most in 20 years. During Detroit’s pre-Bickerstaff five-season playoff drought, the Pistons won a total of 94 games. A remarkable turnaround, and it was built on defense. Small forward Ausar Thompson averaged 1.3 blocks per game over the last quarter of the season. Cade Cunningham is back, and this is the deepest team in the Eastern Conference, one that should have no fear of any of their East competitors.
4. Boston Celtics (56-26)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: W vs CHA, L at NY, W vs NO, W vs ORL
Offensive rating: 120.0 (second place)
Defensive rating: 111.7 (fourth place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: A
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: A-
It’s been a particularly wonderful return for Jayson Tatum. While his offense takes time to get acclimated, Tatum averaged career bests in rebounds (10.0) and steals (1.4) in his 16 games this season. Boston was the best offense in the East while re-establishing a top-five defense, one that now has Tatum rebounding better than ever. The only question mark is what happens in a series with the Knicks, given how last year went and how the regular-season series played out this year, though it’s worth mentioning that Boston never had both Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the same game against New York this season.
5. Denver Nuggets (54-28)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W vs POR, W vs MEM, W vs OKC, W at SA
Offensive rating: 121.2 (first place)
Defensive rating: 116.0 (21st place)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: C-
Fourth quarter: A
Denver played its best basketball to end the season, finishing with a 12-game win streak. That’s the longest Nuggets win streak in 13 years; there had never been a 10-game win streak with Nikola Jokić on the team until now. Jokić wound up averaging a triple-double this season while leading the league in both rebounds and assists, and the Nuggets were the NBA’s best offense from start to finish. Jamal Murray averaged 7.0 assists and only 1.9 turnovers per game over the last quarter of the season as well. The win streak allowed the Nuggets to get out of the Oklahoma City side of the playoff bracket.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. New York Knicks (53-29)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: W at ATL, W vs BOS, W vs TOR, L vs CHA
Offensive rating: 118.7 (fourth place)
Defensive rating: 112.3 (seventh place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: B-
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: B
Mike Brown led New York to its best regular-season finish in 13 years while maintaining a top-five offense and establishing a top-10 defense. While the defense slipped in the last quarter, the offense was still good, and the Knicks remained a great offensive rebounding team. Backup center Mitchell Robinson averaged 3.7 offensive rebounds a game over the last quarter of the season. As long as Brown doesn’t slip up as the third seed as he did in 2023 with the Sacramento Kings, the Knicks are on track to have a similar playoff run to last year.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: W at MEM, W vs ATL, L at ATL, W vs WAS
Offensive rating: 118.3 (sixth place)
Defensive rating: 114.1 (15th place)
First quarter: B-
Second quarter: C-
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: B
The Cavaliers are back to scoring at a high level, and Evan Mobley flourished in the final quarter of the season, scoring 19.6 points on 62.7 percent from the field. If Cleveland can get to the semifinals, then the matchup with the Pistons (and former Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff) will be fascinating given how the post-trade matchups looked. It’s about time the Cavaliers upset a team in the postseason for once, so we’ll see if this is the year it finally breaks through to the Eastern Conference finals.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: L vs OKC, W at GS, W vs PHO, W vs UTA
Offensive rating: 117.0 (10th place)
Defensive rating: 115.5 (20th place)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: C-
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: A-
The Lakers didn’t have a single four-game losing streak all season. The last LeBron James team to do that was the champion Cavaliers 10 years ago, and the last Lakers team to do it in an 82-game season was the champion Lakers in 2010. Of course, the Lakers are now relying on James entering the postseason in a way they haven’t had to all season in the wake of multi-week injuries to scoring champion Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. The most encouraging factor of the Lakers’ 16-4 finish to the season was a defense that executed quite well, specifically in regards to keeping teams off the free-throw line. The Lakers should be better prepared to compete in the playoffs than they were last season, even with the injuries to the scorers.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: W at IND, L at ORL, W at HOU, W vs NO
Offensive rating: 115.5 (13th place)
Defensive rating: 112.4 (eighth place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: A
Third quarter: B
Fourth quarter: C
The Timberwolves are the sixth seed for the second year in a row after finishing with the same exact record as last season, and they get the Nuggets in the playoffs for the third time in four years. The last quarter of the season was their weakest, as they split their final 20 games and saw the offense play at a bottom-10 level. The good news is that both Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels returned to action, and there’s no reason for the Timberwolves to think that they can’t make another spring run.
10. Houston Rockets (52-30)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W at PHO, W vs PHI, L vs MIN, W vs MEM
Offensive rating: 117.5 (eighth place)
Defensive rating: 112.1 (sixth place)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: B-
Third quarter: B
Fourth quarter: B
The Rockets finished with the same record as they did last season, and though they won nine of their last 10 games, their last two losses were both against the Timberwolves. Those losses cost the Rockets home-court advantage in the first round. While 52 wins were enough to be the second seed last year, the Rockets got lapped by another Texas team in the contender standings this time. Even without Steven Adams, the Rockets crashed the offensive glass at a high level to end the season, with Amen Thompson averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds over the final 20 games of the season. Now, the Rockets take their shaky late-game execution into a series with the league’s best clutch-time team, the Lakers.
Dyson Daniels, seen here defending Jalen Brunson, averaged 2.3 steals per game in the final 20 games. (Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
11. Atlanta Hawks (46-36)
Last ranking: 10
In the last week: L vs NY, L at CLE, W vs CLE, L at MIA
Offensive rating: 115.0 (14th place)
Defensive rating: 112.9 (10th place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: C+
Fourth quarter: A
The Hawks trade Trae Young and don’t need the Play-In for a playoff spot for the first time in five years. Even with a bad final week, the Hawks had one of the more impressive final quarters of the regular season. Like most teams that want to turn things around, the defense shone for Atlanta, as they forced turnovers at a high rate; small forward Dyson Daniels averaged 2.3 steals per game over the last 20 games. They’re going to be a tough out for the Knicks.
12. Toronto Raptors (46-36)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W vs MIA, W vs MIA, L at NY, W vs BRK
Offensive rating: 115.0 (15th place)
Defensive rating: 112.1 (fifth place)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: C+
Fourth quarter: B
The Raptors put together a very nice season and not only stayed out of the Play-In but stayed away from the Knicks as well. Darko Rajaković is 0-13 against the Knicks as Raptors head coach, but the Raptors swept the Cavaliers this season. The Cavaliers didn’t have Darius Garland for any of those meetings and they traded Garland for James Harden after the last meeting with the Raptors. The ball pressure of Immanuel Quickley (1.9 steals over the final quarter of season) will be important in that series, but he left the regular-season finale because of a hamstring injury.
Tier 3: The Bubble
13. Charlotte Hornets (44-38)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: L at BOS, L vs DET, W at NY
Offensive rating: 118.4 (fifth place)
Defensive rating: 113.5 (11th place)
First quarter: D+
Second quarter: C-
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: B-
Overall, a triumphant run for the Hornets. And they were great defensively, performing at a top level while defending without fouling. But Charlotte had some tough losses that locked it into a 9-10 game. The Hornets need a strong week to snap the longest playoff drought of any East team.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (42-40)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: L at DEN, L at SA, W vs LAC, W vs SAC
Offensive rating: 113.1 (21st place)
Defensive rating: 113.5 (12th place)
First quarter: C-
Second quarter: B+
Third quarter: C-
Fourth quarter: B
The best defense in the NBA over the last quarter of the season was in Portland, and it was anchored by sophomore center Donovan Clingan (2.4 blocks per game since March 8). Portland won the big games it needed to secure two chances to end a four-year playoff drought. Portland is also getting healthier, with Jerami Grant the only player left to return following recent appearances from Shaedon Sharpe and Vit Krejci.
15. Orlando Magic (45-37)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: W vs DET, W vs MIN, W at CHI, L at BOS
Offensive rating: 114.2 (18th place)
Defensive rating: 113.6 (13th place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: C
Fourth quarter: C+
It’s been a turbulent season in Orlando, but the Magic at least have two chances to clinch a playoff spot. They are rounding into full strength as well, with Franz Wagner, Anthony Black and Jonathan Isaac all returning. Orlando has been painfully average on both ends of the floor, but no team won more clutch-time games (27) this season.
16. LA Clippers (42-40)
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: W vs DAL, L vs OKC, L at POR, W vs GS
Offensive rating: 116.3 (11th place)
Defensive rating: 115.2 (18th place)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: B-
When the Clippers were beaten for the second time in 11 days by the Trail Blazers, coach Tyronn Lue said that the hard way is the Clipper Way. Indeed it is. You’ve never seen a team make it back over .500 after falling 15 games under .500, but that’s what the Clippers did this season. They are also outside of the top eight in the West at the end of the regular season for the first time in eight years. And that was with a relative gift from scheduling, as the Clippers only had to face Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Denver three times each; the Clippers went 1-8 against those teams. We’ll see how Kawhi Leonard handles his first Play-In Tournament.
17. Phoenix Suns (45-37)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: L vs HOU, W vs DAL, L at LAL, W at OKC
Offensive rating: 114.2 (17th place)
Defensive rating: 112.9 (ninth place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: B-
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: C
The Suns exceeded all reasonable expectations, and they’ve held seventh place every day since Jan. 23. Now, they have to show that their offense can come through against the Trail Blazers to earn a meeting with the Spurs. The Suns split their final 20 games but finished with a top-10 defense that featured the kind of ballhawking that would be critical against Portland in particular.
18. Miami Heat (43-39)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: L at TOR, L at TOR, W at WAS, W vs ATL
Offensive rating: 115.8 (12th place)
Defensive rating: 113.6 (14th place)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: B
Fourth quarter: C
Here are the ranks of the Heat defense over the quarters of the season: fourth, 14th, fifth, 26th. While the Heat finished with a winning record and led the league in pace, they struggled mightily to maintain that advantage for themselves. Miami survived the Play-In as the 10th seed last year, but it played two teams that also had losing records. The Heat split their final 20 games, the only East Play-In team that didn’t win more than half of their final 20 games.
19. Philadelphia 76ers (45-37)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: L at SA, L at HOU, W at IND, W vs MIL
Offensive rating: 114.3 (16th place)
Defensive rating: 114.4 (17th place)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: C
Fourth quarter: B-
Joel Embiid was trending toward being healthy and available for the playoffs, and then he lost his appendix. A 76ers team that was outscored on the season now might not see Embiid again this spring. At least they have two home games to lock up a playoff spot.
Stephen Curry looks to drive against the Clippers’ Bennedict Mathurin. (Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)
20. Golden State Warriors (37-45)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: W vs SAC, L vs LAL, L at SAC, L at LAC
Offensive rating: 113.8 (19th place)
Defensive rating: 114.4 (16th place)
First quarter: C-
Second quarter: C+
Third quarter: C-
Fourth quarter: D
The Warriors shouldn’t even be in this tier, but Steph Curry has had a successful return to play after missing more than two months to manage a knee injury. If the Warriors can get more than 30 minutes out of him this week at Intuit Dome, who knows? Other than that, this was a bad Warriors season pockmarked by age, injury and an offense that isn’t special or organized at all when Golden State doesn’t have a full complement of stars. The Warriors were by far the worst out of the 20 teams that are still kicking.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
21. Chicago Bulls (31-51)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: W at WAS, W at WAS, L vs ORL, L at DAL
Offensive rating: 112.1 (25th place)
Defensive rating: 117.4 (22nd place)
First quarter: C-
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: D
The Bulls are looking for a new front office, and they’re already limiting their search by putting Hall of Fame coach Billy Donovan on a pedestal. Not that the Bulls’ chronic mediocrity is on Donovan, but you need to let your new basketball execs determine the coach. The Bulls were exciting to end the regular season last year despite losing in the Play-In. There’s no such excitement this time around, especially with Matas Buzelis only making 30.4 percent from 3 in the last quarter of the season. No team was worse from 3 over the last 20 games than Chicago.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (32-50)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L at BRK, L at DET, W vs BRK, L at PHI
Offensive rating: 112.2 (24th place)
Defensive rating: 118.3 (26th place)
First quarter: D
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: C
Fourth quarter: F
Speaking of end-stage Hall of Fame head coaches … what a complete and total smoldering mess. Doc Rivers stepped down as head coach of the Bucks after only his second 50-loss season. There may be more of those to come in Milwaukee, because this cupboard is bare outside of prime trade candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s a group that lacks defenders and viable wings with juice. Rivers will take the heat of an underachieving team, but this isn’t his problem anymore. Milwaukee has to get serious about the direction of the roster. At least the Bucks don’t have any reason to use the stretch provision this summer.
23. New Orleans Pelicans (26-56)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: W vs UTA, L at BOS, L at MIN
Offensive rating: 113.2 (20th place)
Defensive rating: 117.6 (23rd place)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: D+
Third quarter: C
Fourth quarter: D
Jeremiah Fears had three 30-point games this month, and Derik Queen had two triple-doubles this season before adding a 30-point, 22-rebound performance in the season finale. Zion Williamson missed “only” 20 games. And Dejounte Murray returned from a torn Achilles. That just about does it for highlights of another forgettable season of basketball in Louisiana. The most disappointing part for the Pelicans is that they have so many young bigs in addition to Williamson being in his prime, and this was one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the league. There’s not a whole lot to be excited for going forward.
24. Dallas Mavericks (26-56)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L at LAC, L at PHO, L at SA, W vs CHI
Offensive rating: 110.3 (27th place)
Defensive rating: 115.5 (19th place)
First quarter: D-
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: D-
No team played more clutch-time games than the Mavericks this season. But the Mavericks were also 9-28 in games that weren’t in clutch time. No one should look at Dallas as simply a team that wasn’t healthy. This team was always going to have availability issues. This is a group that surrounded Cooper Flagg with a dearth of good offensive players, or at least players who are good in the year 2026. There’s not a single easy bucket on this roster outside of Flagg until further notice, and this season did little to develop one.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (25-57)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: L vs CLE, L at DEN, L at UTA, L at HOU
Offensive rating: 112.4 (23rd place)
Defensive rating: 118.4 (27th place)
First quarter: D
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: F
Just call them the Memphis 10-day contracts. There wasn’t another team in the league that was more rundown by the last quarter of the season. The result: 21 losses in the last 23 games and the worst defense out of all the tanks to close the season. Just a complete and blatant eyesore that isn’t even worthy of further analysis.
Tier 5: Basement Floor
26. Sacramento Kings (22-60)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at GS, W vs GS, L at POR
Offensive rating: 110.6 (26th place)
Defensive rating: 120.3 (28th place)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: F
Fourth quarter: D+
Of all the tanks in the lottery (sorry, New Orleans), I’m most interested to see what happens with the Kings. If there are basketball gods, and I believe that there are, then the Kings shall be rewarded. No tank won more games in the last quarter of the season than the Kings, the better Northern California team over the final 20 games. That being said, it’s wild to think about the fact that only the Warriors and Clippers were older than the Kings this season. Doug Christie will be back, but he needs some defensive energy from his perimeter players.
27. Indiana Pacers (19-63)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L vs MIN, W at BRK, L vs PHI, L vs DET
Offensive rating: 110.1 (28th place)
Defensive rating: 117.9 (24th place)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: F
The gap year is over. The Pacers went from Game 7 of the NBA Finals to a franchise record 63 losses. And it might not be worth it if the lottery doesn’t net a top-four pick, as they would turn over the fifth or sixth pick to the Clippers. As Tyrese Haliburton said, this won’t be the norm. But Indiana definitely needs one more blue-chip player after going through a season like this.
28. Utah Jazz (22-60)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L at NO, W vs MEM, L at LAL
Offensive rating: 112.7 (22nd place)
Defensive rating: 120.8 (29th place)
First quarter: D+
Second quarter: D-
Third quarter: F
Fourth quarter: D
These last two seasons were the first 60-loss seasons in Jazz history. There’s too much talent to bottom out again next season, so we’ll see how the Jazz add to this group. Utah’s defense was awful, but for the first time in three years, it wasn’t the NBA’s worst.
29. Brooklyn Nets (20-62)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: W vs MIL, L vs IND, L at MIL, L at TOR
Offensive rating: 108.2 (30th place)
Defensive rating: 118.2 (25th place)
First quarter: D-
Second quarter: D+
Third quarter: F
Fourth quarter: D
The NBA’s worst offense. And by the end of the season, the Nets not only were bricks, but they were also the worst team in the league at getting offensive rebounds. If you thought there was too much offense in the league, then you were satisfied with the Nets this spring.
30. Washington Wizards (17-65)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: L vs CHI, L vs CHI, L vs MIA, L at CLE
Offensive rating: 109.7 (29th place)
Defensive rating: 121.5 (30th place)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: D+
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: F
The Wizards lost 26 of their final 27 games. The lone win was at fellow tank Utah. Their only other wins after the All-Star break were two miniseries games against the Indiana Pacers. One-third of this franchise’s 60-loss seasons have come in the last three years. Trae Young and Anthony Davis on the team (at least in spirit) means the streak should end. But it’s a rough look when you can’t even get five developing players to appear in 60 games.
By Law Murray, via The Athletic