This is the final NBA Power standings of the season, due out the day the playoffs begin. After this there is no point in raising the rankings, the NBA has a playoff to determine which team is the best (can you imagine a sport so backward that used media polls to determine a champion?). We only have 22 bubble teams here, and with the way the seed matches have gone these rakings could look upside down in a week.
1. Raptor (53-19, 7-1, LW 1). It is right that the defending champions finish the season at the top of the table. They’ve had the best defense during seed matches, anchored by healthy (and leaner) Marc Gasol, and that can get them far in the playoffs – if they can find an offensive punch in mid-court (fifth worst offense in the second half). That ability to get a bucket when the game slows was a strength last season, the Raptors need Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam to recreate the magic in the playoffs to get back to the Finals.
2. Dollars (56-17, 3-5 on the bubble, LW 2). Giannis Antetokounmpo is frustrated with the $ 3-5 bubble record, the way they entered the postseason and the fact that he had to give up a game to hit Moe Wagner. None of this is a real concern. The Bucks are focused in the first round against a Magic team who have surpassed by 16.3 points out of 100 during the season.
3. Clippers (49-23, 5-3, LW 5). Los Angeles was missing key players for much of the reboot, it wasn’t a team that blew doors on people, but ultimately had the third-best net score in the bubble (+6.1). The Clippers have been doing it all season: winning without yet realizing their potential. He looks like a contender on paper but hasn’t built chemistry yet. Everything comes together for them now in the playoffs?
4. Lakers (52-19, 3-5 on the bubble, last week No. 3). The Lakers shot the ball badly and had the second-worst offense in the second half. Los Angeles has had problems with smaller and faster guards all season and now they face Damian Lillard in the first round. The Lakers will have to work to get out of the first round, but Portland’s challenge could get LA out of its malaise. In the end, Frank Vogel can go to LeBron James / Anthony Davis pick-and-roll all day and who’s gonna stop him?
5. Celtics (48-24, 5-3, LW 4). While the Raptors had the best record in the bubble, the Celtics were probably playing better (they had the best net score). Boston had a top 10 attack and defense in the second half, Kemba Walker is healthy and this list has a lot of versatility. Joel Embiid will be a tough test in the first round, however, Philadelphia outpaced Boston by 2.3 points for every 100 possessions in the regular season.
6. Pacers (45-28, 6-2 LW 8). TJ Warren was a rising star of the bubble, they have a healthy Victor Oladipo, and the Pacers had a top three defense in the bubble – Indiana is ready for the playoffs too. Miami, with Jimmy Butler as the perimeter stopper, presents a real challenge (the Heat outpaced the Pacers by 4.2 points out of 100 during their regular season matches), but the Pacers can win the series if they have balance and role players. increase.
7. Thunder (44-28, 4-4, LW 9). Chris Paul played brilliantly on the reboot (and there may not have been a reboot without him) the Thunder have been on a roller coaster through the eight games. it looks dangerous in one game and like a pushover the next. If Steven Adams can stay on the pitch against the microball Rockets and punish them inside the Thunder they are in good shape in the first round.
8. Rockets (44-28, 4-3, LW 6). No Russell Westbrook to start the series against OKC is a concern (quadriceps injury) because the Rockets are so heavy. James Harden was brilliant, but Eric Gordon, Danuel House, Austin Rivers, Ben McLemore or someone will have to step up and collect the secondary score loa for this to work. On the upside, Houston defended very well in planting matches and this should continue.
9. Heat (44-29, 3-5, LW 7). Jimmy Butler picks up his level of play in the postseason and we (and TJ Warren) can expect it again. However, eventually Indiana (and the teams Miami might face beyond them) will be able to slow it down, so whoever hits and gets buckets. The Heat have had good games from Bam Adebayo and Jae Crowder, plus there are rookies like Tyler Herro who play well, but are any of them ready to be the guy who has to grab a bucket in times of crisis?
10. Trail Blazers (35-39, 6-2, LW 10). Damian Lillard is the deserving MVP of the bubble, but the play-in game win over Memphis proved that it’s not a one-man show that makes Portland dangerous. Jusuf Nurkic dominated the first half and played a 20/20, then CJ McCollum hit three big three late despite a back fracture. Portland has all the pieces to give the Lakers trouble, but how they defend LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be the real keys.
11. Soli (44-39, 8-0, LW 12). Everyone wanted to see the bubble heroes rewarded for their 8-0, but the first 65 games still mattered. We thank Monty Williams (officially the coach of the Seeding Games) and the crew for getting the buy-in from the players and improving during the reboot when the other teams in their location (Sacramento, New Orleans) sent it out. Phoenix looks like a team ready for a playoffs will take place next season, but next season the West will have 12 quality teams.
12. Nuggets (46-27, 3-5, LW 11). Michael Porter Jr. was great to watch – 22.2 points per game, 8.6 rebounds and 42.2% threesomes – and gives them another hit maker besides Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, which gives them makes it dangerous. Denver also had the worst defense in the second half and if it continues Utah have a real shot to knock out the Nuggets.
13. 76ers (43-30, 4-4, LW 15). GM Elton Brand has bet Philly could have won playing big before the season ended, and now the playoffs are coming – and without Ben Simmons – is the direction Brett Brown could take. It will start with Al Horford / Joel Embiid frontline, and Embiid will have to dominate Boston frontline for a chance. Tobias Harris will have to provide more creation possibilities, and some RPGs will have to knock down three for Philly to bring out the upset.
14. Mavericks (43-32, 3-5, LW 13). How good is Luka Doncic? He nearly scored an average of a triple-double in seeded games of 30 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. He, along with the great man Kristaps Porzingis, gives the Mavs the chance to lead the way for a win any night. However, how Dallas will slow down LA’s Paul George and Kawhi Leonard’s wing scoring is by far the biggest challenge of the first round.
15. Jazz (44-28, 3-4, LW 16). No Bojan Bogdanovic (surgery). No Mike Conley, at least for the first games against Denver (birth of the son). No Ed Davis (left knee). A close-range Utah team will need a series of Donovan Mitchell monsters to advance. Denver has dominated the paint in regular season clashes with Utah, Rudy Gobert can’t allow that to happen again in the postseason or Utah will be home soon.
16. Networks (35-37, 5-5, LW 17). Giving Brooklyn Credit: While other teams with nothing to play for were tipping over in their final games, Brooklyn was one shot from beating Portland in the last game and knocking the Trail Blazers out of the postseason. Coach Jacque Vaughn has earned a lot of points in the league for this (whether it means Durant and Irving want him to coach them next season is another matter). Caris LeVert was strong in the second half with an average of 25 points and 6.7 assists per game, while Joe Harris added 20 per night and shot 54.1% from three. They won’t be a problem for Toronto.
17. Grizzlies (34-39, 2-6, LW 19). Ja Morant reminded everyone why he’s the future Rookie of the Year with his performance in the play-in game, but without Jaren Jackson Jr., winning that game was a tough question. However, this is a Memphis side poised to be a threat to next season’s playoffs. Note to Mark Jackson: it’s Taylor Jenkins.
18. Magic (33-40, 3-5, LW 18). Steve Clifford is bringing Markelle Fultz back to the opening playoffs for the playoffs, her match against Eric Bledsoe’s strong defense should be one of the funniest parts of that series. Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier are likely to play well against the Bucks, at least in terms of stretches, which could only fuel commercial speculation.
19. Speroni (32-39, 5-3, LW 14). When asked if he would return to coach next season, Gregg Popovich’s response was “why shouldn’t I?” Popovich found something that worked with the four guard lineup he was forced to employ in the second half, now if he can make that shirt with LaMarcus Aldridge then maybe Spurs can start a new playoff series in a year.
20. King (31-41, 3-5, LW 20). Vlade Divac came out as GM and Joe Dumars is in (at least for next year). It wasn’t just Marvin Bagley III’s pick over Luka Doncic that got Divac fired, there were five years of questionable swaps, contractual moves, coaching changes and a lack of organizational culture. The Kings have some handsome young players (coming for contract extensions) like De’Aaron Fox, but the Kings need to figure out who they are first.
21. Pelicans (30-42, 2-6, LW 21). Alvin Gentry is out as coach after the Pelicans looked flat and uninterested in the bubble (well, except JJ Redick). Some big-name coaches are on the list to replace Gentry, but will the small-market Pelicans pay Tyronn Lue’s money or look for a less expensive up-and-coming assistant?
22. Magicians (25-47, 1-7, LW 22). Well, they showed up in the bubble. They even won a game. That’s all we can say. They bring John Wall and Bradley Beal back to the field next season and we can get back to discussing whether that pairing really works.
