NBA Power Rankings: Kings closing in on a playoff berth; Sixers stay hot in the East
The playoff races in the NBA are coming down to the wire as teams in each conference embark on their last dozen or so games of the 2022-23 season.
Some teams have fallen out of contention after struggling of late. However, there are 26 teams still mathematically alive with things tightening up around the league.
In the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are holding onto the final spot in the play-in race, ahead of the Pacers, Wizards and Magic. Over in the Western Conference, seeds 5-12 are separated by just 3.5 games with the playoff picture seemingly changing nightly.
To make further sense of it, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We come back each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.
Detroit Pistons (16-56)
Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 30
James Wiseman continues to produce in the early going with the Pistons. He registered his first 20-10 game on Sunday in a loss to the Heat, recording 22 points and 13 rebounds. He has put up five double-doubles over his last seven games after finishing with only three in his first 67 career games.
Houston Rockets (18-53)
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Last Rank: 29
Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. is playing some of his best basketball and looks to be building some great momentum heading into the offseason. He is averaging 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10 games during the month of March. He recently put up three straight games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first Rockets rookie to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985.
For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire
San Antonio Spurs (19-52)
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 28
The Spurs started last week with a dominating win over the Magic — in which they set a franchise record for 3s in a game — and beat the Hawks on Sunday. They dropped a couple of overtime decisions in between those wins but have been very competitive of late. They now hit the road for four games starting on Tuesday in New Orleans.
Charlotte Hornets (22-50)
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Last Rank: 27
The Hornets have dropped four straight games and were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week. The team will also head in a different direction as majority owner Michael Jordan is reportedly set to sell his stake in the team. It has been a largely down year in Charlotte, but the team will have a high draft pick and could add a franchise-changing player in the process.
Portland Trail Blazers (31-40)
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Last Rank: 25
The Trail Blazers have lost six straight and look to be all but eliminated from playoff contention, sitting 3.5 games back of 10th place. The team will likely hold Damian Lillard out at some point and look ahead to next season, as a result.
Orlando Magic (29-43)
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 26
The Magic look to be falling out of the play-in race after going 1-3 on their recent four-game road trip. However, the team has made real progress this year, led by Rookie of the Year front-runner Paolo Banchero. After topping their win total from last year and playing meaningful games this late in the season, the Magic look to have a bright future ahead under second-year head coach Jamahl Mosley. They will also likely add two lottery picks so the roster will have plenty of talent to build around.
Required Reading: Jon Scheyer on Banchero, Carter: They are two of my all-time favorite guys
Washington Wizards (32-39)
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 24
The Wizards are fading out of the play-in race in the Eastern Conference after going 3-7 over their last 10 games. However, they are a game-and-a-half back of 10th place with 11 games to play and still have a shot to get back into it. Up this week: at Orlando, vs. Denver, vs. San Antonio and vs. Toronto.
Indiana Pacers (32-39)
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 22
The Pacers are hanging around in the play-in race after dealing with injuries to Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner, who is back after missing two games. They begin a pivotal four-game road trip on Monday in Charlotte. We should know a lot more about their playoff chances at the conclusion of that trek.
Atlanta Hawks (35-36)
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 21
The Hawks dropped their contest on Sunday to the Spurs to fall to 4-6 over their last 10 games. Barring something catastrophic, the Hawks will be in the play-in race but their chances of making a run remain iffy after an inconsistent 2022-23 campaign.
New Orleans Pelicans (34-37)
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Last Rank: 20
The Pelicans continue to slip in the standings but are just a half-game back of the Lakers in 10th place. The playoff race in the Western Conference will likely come down to the wire with the Pelicans among those in contention. They have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games so we’ll see if they can keep up this week. They have the Spurs on Tuesday and Hornets on Thursday.
Chicago Bulls (33-37)
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 23
DeMar DeRozan is heating up and the Bulls have suddenly won four out of their last five games. DeRozan has led the team in scoring in three straight games, including a 49-point game on Friday in a double-overtime win over the Timberwolves. They have built a game-and-a-half lead for the final play-in spot and will look to continue to distance themselves this week.
For more coverage on the Bulls, visit Bulls Wire
Minnesota Timberwolves (35-37)
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 17
The Timberwolves have dropped three straight and have slipped to ninth place in the standings. Fortunately, the ankle injury Anthony Edwards suffered on Friday isn’t considered to be serious so the team is hopeful it can get its All-Star back soon. They will certainly need him in the ultra-competitive play-in race.
Utah Jazz (34-36)
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 19
The Jazz had just two games last week and are coming off an impressive win over the Celtics on Saturday. There weren’t many that had them competing for a play-in spot this season, but the team has exceeded all expectations on all fronts. They are in 11th place at the moment and have seven of their last 12 games against teams above .500.
Toronto Raptors (35-37)
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Last rank: 18
Toronto has won three out of its last four games and has its next four at home. They look to be comfortably in the play-in group but will be looking to continue their recent run and build some positive momentum heading into the postseason. They are 12-8 since the start of February, the eighth-best record.
Dallas Mavericks (36-35)
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Last Rank: 16
The Mavericks have posted back-to-back wins for the first time since Feb. 6-10 when they won three straight. Kyrie Irving (foot) returned with 38 points on Friday after a three-game absence in a win over the Lakers. They are up to sixth again in the Western Conference but will have a tough start to the week: at Memphis, vs. Golden State, vs. Charlotte, at Charlotte.
Miami Heat (39-34)
Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 13
The Heat are just one game back of the Nets in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Avoiding the play-in tournament would be huge for them after playing some inconsistent basketball of late. Of their nine games left, five of them are against teams above .500. They have a few days off before hosting the Knicks on Wednesday. They will then see the Nets on Saturday.
Brooklyn Nets (39-32)
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 10
The Nets have lost three straight and are just one game up on the Heat for sixth place. They have a tough upcoming week with two games against the Cavaliers and two road games versus Miami and Orlando. We should know a lot more about the Nets after that stretch.
For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire
Golden State Warriors (36-36)
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 11
The Warriors continue to struggle on the road after dropping their 11th straight game away from the Chase Center on Saturday in Memphis. They have two games left on their five-game road trip and will be looking to end that streak on Monday in Houston. Following their recent struggles, the group is down to seventh in the Western Conference.
For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire
Los Angeles Lakers (35-37)
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 12
Austin Reaves erupted for a career-high 35 points on Sunday to lead the Lakers to a win over the Magic. The victory helped keep the Lakers in 10th place with 10 games to play. They have only three opponents above .500 the rest of the way, the fewest of any team in the play-in race, so we’ll see if they can take advantage of that schedule.
For more coverage on LeBron James and the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire
Oklahoma City Thunder (35-36)
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 15
Since losing five straight games, the Thunder have gone 7-2 to jump up to eighth in the Western Conference. With seeds 5-12 separated by just 3.5 games, sneaking up to sixth and avoiding the play-in race is not entirely out of the question for the Thunder. They are playing some of their best basketball at the right time.
For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire
LA Clippers (38-34)
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 14
The Clippers have won five out of their last six games behind a strong run by Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook. They continue a home-heavy month of March with a two-game series versus OKC starting on Tuesday.
Memphis Grizzlies (43-27)
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 9
The Grizzlies have won five out of their last six games after defeating the Warriors on Saturday. Jaren Jackson Jr. tied his season high with 31 points and has led the team in scoring in each of its last three games. They continue a home-heavy stretch with seven out of their next nine games in Memphis.
Phoenix Suns (38-33)
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 6
The Suns have dropped four out of their last five games. They fell to the Thunder on Sunday despite a 46-point effort from Devin Booker. The group is currently holding onto the fourth seed, and homecourt advantage in the first round, and will be looking to finish strong over its last 11 games.
Cleveland Cavaliers (45-28)
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 8
The Cavaliers are 7-3 over their last 10 games to maintain ground at fourth in the Eastern Conference. They surpassed their win total from last season after defeating the Wizards on Friday and have their best record since the 2017-18 season when they went 50-32.
New York Knicks (42-30)
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 7
The Knicks have continued their recent dominant run after winning three straight games. They have gone 15-5 since the start of February, the third-best record, with the No. 3 offense over that span. They look to be locked into the fifth seed at the moment with 10 games to go.
Denver Nuggets (48-24)
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 4
The Nuggets have hit a bit of a rough patch after dropping five out of their last seven games. However, they still have a four-game lead over the Kings and Grizzlies in first place and became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth last week. They wrap up a five-game East Coast road trip on Wednesday versus the Wizards.
Sacramento Kings (43-27)
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 5
The Kings are currently in second place after going 7-2 so far in March. Domantas Sabonis was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the second straight week after averaging 22.8 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. They will look to close out their four-game East Coast road trip with a perfect record on Monday in Utah before returning home for four straight games.
Required Reading: Donovan Mitchell hilariously thought Keegan Murray was still in college
Boston Celtics (49-23)
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 3
The Celtics have won four out of their last six games after losing three straight earlier this month. They have clinched a playoff berth but dropped to third in the Eastern Conference as the Sixers have won eight straight. In any case, they should have homecourt advantage for much of the postseason.
For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire
Philadelphia 76ers (48-22)
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 2
The Sixers have won eight straight to climb up to second place in the standings. The team continues to be led by Joel Embiid, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second straight week. The Sixers can clinch a playoff berth on Monday with a win over the Bulls at home.
For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire
Milwaukee Bucks (51-20)
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Last Rank: 1
The Bucks have remarkably gone 17-3 since the start of February, and 28-8 since Jan 1. After becoming the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth last week, they also became the first to reach 50 wins. They have posted at least 50 wins in four out of five seasons under head coach Mike Budenholzer. All of this is to say that the Bucks are coming together at the right time and should be the favorites this year to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Required Reading: Bucks’ MarJon Beauchamp on Giannis Antetokounmpo: ‘He is a great role model’
