The Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (43-12) – The Thunder come out of the All-Star break with the league’s best record.
2. Indiana Pacers (40-12) – The Pacers have let the Miami Heat gain ground on the number one overall seed in the East. The race to the top in that conference is going to be very interesting.
3. Miami Heat (37-14) – The defending champs continue to remain at the top of the NBA standings despite their up-and-down play. We know they’ll take it to another level as we get closer to the playoffs.
4. Houston Rockets (36-17) – The Rockets are the hottest team in the league and have been playing some great basketball, as they’ve won seven games in a row.
Prove You’re Worthy Of Being Mentioned With The Elite
5. Los Angeles Clippers (37-18) – Blake Griffin has kept this team afloat, and with Chris Paul returning, they will be looking to cement themselves as an elite team in the league.
6. San Antonio Spurs (38-15) – The Spurs have had some unfortunate injuries over the past few weeks, but as they get healthy, they’ll get themselves back into the thick of the title race.
7. Portland Trail Blazers (36-17) – Portland has taken a step back over their last 10 games, losing six of their last 10.
8. Memphis Grizzlies (29-23) – Memphis has made the Western Conference playoff race that more interesting. It’s going to be an exciting finish to this season.
Middle Of The Pack
9. Phoenix Suns (30-21) – They continue to pick up some big wins, and are shaping up to be a playoff team out West.
10. Dallas Mavericks (32-22) – Dallas has been a decent team out West and is looking like a team that will be a lock for a playoff seed if they keep playing at this level.
11. Golden State Warriors (31-22) – The Warriors have become the most disappointing team in basketball. For all the talent they have, they might miss out on the NBA playoffs.
12. Toronto Raptors (28-24) – Toronto is shaping into form at the right time. They currently are the number three seed and have been playing some good basketball.
13. Washington Wizards (25-27) – The young and talented Wizards are going to be looking to climb in the standings as we get closer to the playoffs. John Wall has been phenomenal.
14. Chicago Bulls (27-25) – This ball club continues to play hard and gritty basketball. They’ll keep themselves in the playoff hunt by their effort alone.
15. Atlanta Hawks (25-26) – The Hawks have been pretty bad as of late, losing five games in a row. They have to turn it around before they find themselves out of the playoff picture.
16. Brooklyn (24-27) – The Nets continue to get better and better as we inch toward the playoffs.
17. Denver Nuggets (24-27) – Inconsistency has been the narrative of the Nuggets season. If they want a shot at making the playoffs, they’ll have to turn it around soon.
18. New Orleans Pelicans (23-29) – The Pelicans have been playing some very good basketball. They’ve won six of their last 10 and are looking to get themselves into the thick of the playoff race.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-28) – The Timberwolves have yet to put together a consistent stretch of basketball this season. As a result, they’ll likely find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes around playoff time.
Pretty Bad
20. Charlotte Bobcats (23-30) – The Bobcats aren’t good, but they might find themselves in the playoffs because of how poor the East is.
21. Detroit Pistons (22-30) – The Pistons fired head coach Moe Cheeks last week. Hopefully this is a move that can get them playing good basketball, as they are too talented to have a record below .500.
22. New York Knicks (20-32) – Time is running out, and it’s going to be interesting to see if they can climb into the playoffs after the All-Star break.
23. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-33) – The Cavaliers have won four games in a row. This might be one of the first times they’ve had a consistent stretch of decent basketball, and if they continue they might find themselves in the playoffs.
Tank Tank Tank Tank Tank Tank
24. Utah Jazz (19-33) – They aren’t good, and understand that they’ll be looking to rebuild over these next few seasons. Hence why they are in the tank sweepstakes.
25. Boston Celtics (19-35) – At this point, they’re simply trying to develop young guys and find pieces for the future.
26. Los Angeles Lakers (18-35) – The Lakers have lost seven straight games at Staples Center. When it rains, it pours. Tough times for fans.
27. Sacramento Kings (18-35) – They have a bunch of young talent, but aren’t coached well enough to the point where it can translate into wins.
28. Orlando Magic (16-38) – It’s been tough for the young Magic, but they have a lot to look forward, as their young core is one of the best in the league.
29. Philadelphia 76ers (15-39) – The 76ers have lost eight in a row. Pretty bad stretch of basketball for this young team.
30. Milwaukee Bucks (9-43) – There isn’t one team that tanks harder than the Bucks. Period.
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