Golden State Warriors

Greatest. NBA. Team. Of. All. Time. K?

Last Week (1)

I’m starting to think the Thunder could hang with the Spurs in a seven-game series.

*punches self*

The Spurs are so going to the Western Conference Finals.

Last Week (2)

To really make a splash, the Thunder will need to get their late-game theatrics together. Also, as per usual, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will be need to be superhuman.

Last Week (3)

LeBron is playing out of his mind. J.R. Smith, too. The rest of Cleveland? Not so much.

Facing the Pacers in the first round will be a good test of how far these Raptors have actually come. Do they have the defense to support an offense that will, at some point, bend to Indiana’s own defense?

Last Week (5)

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers went from matching up with the browbeaten Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs to being pitted against the Blazers. Talk about your unfortunate turn of events.

Last Week (7)

Atlanta Hawks

Paul Millsap and Al Horford are somehow the East’s best frontcourt duo and underrated. Go. Freaking. Figure.

Last Week (5)

Miami Heat

The Heat are catching fire at the right time. Josh McRoberts is getting healthy at the right time, too. The main concern from here on is covering up Hassan Whiteside when he gets switched onto ball-handlers and shooters.

Last Week (9)

Still think the Celtics are the biggest threat to Cleveland’s Eastern Conference throne. When they’re on, they can beat anyone, and their fast-paced, defense-heavy style is difficult to combat.

Last Week (8)

Charlotte Hornets

Though the Hornets basically flirted with the idea of winning 50 games, it remains unlikely they win a playoff series. That is, unequivocally, crazy.

Last Week (10)

Neil Olshey isn’t getting enough Executive of the Year dap. Let’s hope that changes. And fast.

Last Week (12)

No Deron Williams? No Chandler Parsons? No problem. Seriously. My mind is blown.

Last Week (15)

Indiana Pacers

Congratulations to the Pacers for avoiding the Cavaliers through the first, and potentially second, round of the playoffs.

Last Week (13)

Detroit Pistons

Reggie Jackson wants to face Cleveland in the first round of the postseason. He got his wish, and the Cavaliers will make him regret it.

Last Week (14)

Houston Rockets

Somehow, someway, the Rockets are playoff-bound. They should thank the Jazz for their untimely meltdowns and influx of injuries. They wouldn’t be in the playoffs otherwise.

Last Week (16)

Utah Jazz

Tough season for the Jazz. Injuries and crunch-time warts really killed them. They’re still one of the most intriguing teams to watch moving forward.

Last Week (11)

Chicago Bulls

Joakim Noah is a free agent. Pau Gasol is a free agent. Derrick Rose still thinks he’s the business. Jimmy Butler apparently isn’t well-liked.

Chicago’s offseason is going to be so boring, am I right?

Washington Wizards

Missing out on the playoffs as Kevin Durant approaches free agency was not ideal.

Last Week (17)

Orlando Magic

From last week: “If the NBA had a ‘Roller Coaster NBA Team of the Year’ award, the Magic would totally win it.”

This remains true.

Last Week (19)

Denver Nuggets

If the Nuggets hit on their top-seven pick this year, they’ll be super scary by 2018.

Last Week (21)

Memphis Grizzlies

Poor Grizzlies. They held serve for a while without Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, remaining matched up with the Clippers in the first round. Now they pull the Spurs. Yikes.

Last Week (20)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Anyone who doesn’t give Karl-Anthony Towns a first-place vote for Rookie of the Year is on drugs. And not the good kind.

Last Week (22)

Milwaukee Bucks

Here’s a thought: The Bucks should hold on to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker, and then gut the rest of the roster.

Last Week (23)

Sacramento Kings

R.I.P. George Karl’s NBA head coaching career.

Last Week (25)

New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony wants a say in the Knicks’ offseason decisions, Phil Jackson has no idea what he’s doing and New York is no longer a hot destination for free agents.

What could possibly go wrong this summer?

Last Week (24)

New Orleans Pelicans

Am I still on the Ben Simmons-or-Brandon Ingram-to-New Orleans train? Yes. Yes, I am.

Last Week (26)

Phoenix Suns

So, like, the Suns have to trade one of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight this summer. Right?

Last Week (29)

Los Angeles Lakers

Goodbye, Kobe Bryant. It’s been real. It’s been fun, though not so much lately. Thank you for marketing yourself perhaps better than any other NBA player before you. And thanks for going from a crazed psychopath to a teddy bear. The transition has been amazing to watch.

Last Week (27)

Brooklyn Nets

Should the Nets sign Seth Curry this offseason? Most definitely.

Last Week (28)

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

It’s starting to look like the Warriors are conserving energy for the postseason slog ahead. And yet they’re still winning ALL the games.

Last Week (1)

Well, it’s official: Gregg Popovich has entered “Fuck these games, I’m resting everyone all day erryday!” mode.

Last Week (2)

Good on the Thunder for starting to rest some peeps, like Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka, themselves. Imaginary sources told me they tried to rest Russell Westbrook, too, but he put Coach Billy Donovan in an irreversible headlock while foaming at the mouth when approached with the suggestion.

Last Week (3)

Holy crap, the Hawks’ defense is good. Their offense is mostly disappointing relative to last season, but the D is most definitely better built to succeed in the playoffs.

At what point do we start asking ourselves if the Heat are at their best with only one of Hassan Whiteside and Chris Bosh on the floor?

Last Week (6)

Los Angeles Clippers

Blake Griffin should be returning from injury/suspension soon. This is one part scary for the rest of the league, two parts pointless, since, really, the Clippers won’t be making it out of the second round anyway.

Last Week (10)

Cleveland Cavaliers

That the Cavaliers are still so dependent on James, even with two other superstars in the mix, is a problem—both now, and even more so moving forward.

Last Week (4)

Toronto Raptors

What in the hell is happening with the Raptors? It’s almost like they didn’t like being mentioned in the same breath as the Cavaliers.

Last Week (5)

Imagine a world in which the Hornets, depending on seeding, make the Eastern Conference Finals. Then imagine a world in which imagining this isn’t crazy. That’s the world we live in.

Last Week (9)

Boston Celtics

Jae Crowder needs to get back ASAP.

Last Week (8)

Really just want to fast forward to free agency, so we can see what the Pistons do to improve their fringe contender.

Last Week (12)

Maybe it’s time to start believing in the Jazz. Again. For real this time. Without the fear of them burning that belief to the ground.

Last Week (14)

Portland Trail Blazers

Terry Stotts or Brad Stevens for Coach of the Year? It’s one of life’s great questions.

Last Week (15)

Indiana Pacers

Indiana really needs to sort itself out on the offensive end over the summer. And banking on Myles Turner to make the leap next year won’t qualify as a enough.

Last Week (11)

Houston Rockets

Can you play much better overall basketball and still lose games? Yes, yes you can. The Rockets are proof.

Last Week (17)

Washington Wizards

Who’s more likely to be in Washington next season: Randy Wittman or Kevin Durant?

Last Week (13)

Chicago Bulls

For the love of logic, the Bulls really need to hit reset this offseason. Keep Jimmy Butler, Bobby Portis and Doug McDermott. Dump everyone else and start striving for more than delusional Eastern Conference contention.

Dallas Mavericks

Deron Williams and Chandler Parsons are both on the sidelines. Incidentally, the Mavericks’ playoff hopes are in the toilet.

Last Week (18)

Memphis Grizzlies

Lance Stephenson facing the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs is going to be fun.

Last Week (19)

Orlando Magic

And the “Seesaw Team of the Year” award goes to…the Orlando Magic.

Last Week (22)

Denver Nuggets

If you don’t have Nikola Jokic in the top three of your Rookie of the Year ballot, you’re doing life wrong.

Last Week (21)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota ranks in the top 10 of offensive efficiency for the month of March. WUT.

Last Week (24)

New York Knicks

Phil Jackson really needs to offer the world to any one of the Spurs’ main assistant coaches over the summer in hopes they’re willing to steer his forsaken rebuild.

Last Week (23)

Sacramento Kings

George Karl is the sitting duck that other sitting ducks make fun of.

Last Week (25)

Milwaukee Bucks

The optimism surrounding Milwaukee’s late-season progression sure didn’t last long. The Bucks are back to losing in volume, faced with a plethora of questions they’ll need to answer before next year.

Last Week (20)

New Orleans Pelicans

Jrue Holiday and Alonzo Gee are now done for the season. The basketball gods, it stands to reason, are not Pelicans fans.

Last Week (26)

Brooklyn Nets

Sean Kilpatrick should be everyone’s guilty-pleasure viewing on League Pass.

Last Week (28)

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker is probably going to steal some top Rookie of the Year votes, and it’s difficult to be mad about that.

Last Week (27)

Los Angeles Lakers

It’s a wonder Byron Scott hasn’t murdered anyone this season. Yet. That we know of.

Last Week (29)

If Richaun Holmes could just get healthy, and then stay healthy, I’d totally watch the Sixers more.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

Did the Warriors lose to the Spurs? Yes, but they’ve also beat them before, and these power rankings, while rooted in recency can’t be too impulsive. For the Spurs to really pass the Warriors, they’ll have to beat them at least once more this season.

Last Week (1)

What the Warriors box said, with the additive of acknowledging San Antonio is closer to Golden State than any of us realized or initially appreciated.

Last Week (2)

I’m 99.99999999% certain that I couldn’t replicate Russell Westbrook’s production in NBA 2K even if I tried.

Last Week (4)

Someone needs to find LeBron James’ fun gene. It appears to be missing. Oh, also, the Cavaliers’ defense needs a reality check.

Imagine, for a second, that the Raptors snare the East’s one seed. They’ll probably still lose to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals, if not before then, because, well, LeBron. But if they get first place and make an ECF bid, think about how much more difficult Masai Ujiri’s offseason approach becomes, with Bismack Biyombo, DeMar DeRozan and Luis Scola all tracking toward free agency. This is a good problem to potentially have, but it’s a problem all the same.

Last Week (5)

Miami Heat

Who has a better offense than the Heat since they acquired Joe Johnson? Nobody. Seriously.

Last Week (8)

Atlanta Hawks

There are few signs of an offensive resurgence in Atlanta, but that hardly matters. The Hawks have the second-best defense in the league and are regaining some of last season’s contender mojo.

Last Week (9)

Boston Celtics

Even without Jae Crowder, the Celtics are impressive, albeit slightly less so. It makes you excited/scared for what’ll happen once Crowder returns from his high ankle sprain.

Last Week (7)

In the month of March, the Hornets rank eighth in offensive efficiency, fifth in defensive efficiency and fourth in net rating. They’ve also beaten the Spurs. Now that’s a month.

Last Week (10)

Los Angeles Clippers

Let’s start a pool: Will Blake Griffin return before the playoffs or no?

Last Week (6)

The Pacers offense is the J.R. Smith of point-piling machines: streaky and maddening, with a dash of crazy.

Last Week (11)

Detroit really needs Chicago to start losing games, otherwise its winning streaks will be going to waste.

Last Week (13)

Washington Wizards

Why, hello, Wizards. Washington has won five in a row and, while the offense is in shambles, has the third-best defense for the month of March.

Last Week (17)

Utah Jazz

Utah’s defense is getting stronger. It’s offense, however, consists of too much Shelvin Mack.

Last Week (15)

Portland Trail Blazers

Our favorite Cinderella story is cooling fast. That said, the Blazers are still terrors at home, and you shouldn’t envy the Thunder if Portland grabs the West’s six seed.

Last Week (12)

Chicago Bulls

Winners of their last three, as well as four of the five games since Jimmy Butler returned, the Bulls have an opportunity to separate themselves from the East’s fringe playoff pack with a home-and-home against the crappy Knicks.

Last Week (18)

Houston Rockets

Though you should already know this, Houston’s defense is not even close to okay.

Dallas Mavericks

Chandler Parsons might be done for the season, news that accompanies Dallas’ ongoing fall through the West standings. There’s a chance—a real, legitimate chance—they miss the postseason.

Last Week (16)

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies: Treading water since the dawn of time.

Last Week (19)

Milwaukee Bucks

Try envisioning what the Bucks would look like if Point Giannis Antetokounmpo could shoot, or if the Bucks had more shooters to surround him with.

Now go change your pants.

Last Week (20)

Denver Nuggets

At what point do we start concerning ourselves with Emmanuel Mudiay’s historically bad efficiency? Probably when Nikola Jokic and Will Barton stop playing so damn good.

Last Week (22)

Orlando Magic

This cannot be stressed enough: The Magic need to consolidate some of their assets into a high-end impact player. They’re still rebuilding, but with Victor Oladipo eligible for an extension this summer, Orlando cannot afford to, once again, reinvest in its underwhelming nucleus.

Last Week (21)

New York Knicks

Kurt Rambis’ use of Kristaps Porzingis makes me want to vomit.

Last Week (23)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl-Anthony Towns is a freaking machine. Stamina is still on the fritz, but that’s to be expected. Dude is alreadya star and, along with Porzingis and perhaps a healthy Anthony Davis, will become the face for the future of big men.

Last Week (25)

Sacramento Kings

Sacramento’s offseason is going to be lit.

Last Week (24)

New Orleans Pelicans

No more AD for the Pellies, who, with 12 games left to play, have a chance for top-five lottery odds.

Last Week (26)

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker is pretty much what Klay Thompson would be like if he could play point guard—which is beyond terrifying.

Last Week (28)

Brooklyn Nets

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is back! Everybody dance.

Last Week (27)

Los Angeles Lakers

There are moments when D’Angelo Russell looks like the All-Defensive Team version of Manu Ginobili.

Last Week (29)

Random thought: If the Sixers win the lottery, do they take Ben Simmons, who is best suited at the 4, thus complicating their logjam of Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric? Or do they roll with Brandon Ingram, a small forward who, at 6’9″, might be better off at the 4 long term anyway? Decisions, decisions.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

Some are still inclined to rank the Warriors ahead of the Spurs. I’m just not there. Golden State may be in cruise control, but it’s the best gotdamn cruise control in existence.

Last Week (1)

It seems as if the Spurs are tailor-made to beat the Warriors. They’re slow, methodical, efficient and ready bludgeon opposing offenses to death. And yet, the Spurs’ chances may come down to whether they’re able to play Boris Diaw at the 5 and Kawhi Leonard at the 4 whenever the Warriors throw Draymond Green at center.

Last Week (2)

No contender has made me more uncomfortable in recent memory than these Cavaliers. They’re hot and cold, and their propensity for playing down to the level of their opponents, however low, is second to none.

Last Week (3)

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are one of the best one-two punches in NBA history, and somehow it’ll be a surprise if the Thunder make it out of the second round.

Still without DeMarre Carroll, and this time without DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas, the Raptors destroyed the Bucks. Toronto is misleadingly deep.

Last Week (5)

Los Angeles Clippers

Breaking: The Clippers are showing signs of needing Blake Griffin.

Last Week (6)

Boston Celtics

Jae Crowder’s absence is going to test these Celtics. He’s so important to what they do on both ends of the floor. That said, the Celtics have a positive net rating whenever they play without any one of their guys, per NBA.com, and I’m pretty sure the only other team that can say the same is the Spurs.

Last Week (7)

Miami Heat

Joe Johnson has ice in his veins but flamethrowers for arms. That’s inexplicably amazing, and the Heat’s offense has exploded accordingly.

Last Week (9)

Jeff Teague’s decision-making within pick-and-rolls has been bad this year. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder is the little engine that could but then decided that wasn’t enough and started doing more.

Last Week (11)

Charlotte Hornets

If Kemba Walker’s and Courtney Lee’s shooting hold up into the playoffs, the Hornets are going to be a problem.

Last Week (10)

There are glimpses of an elite offense brewing in Indiana, specifically because the Paul George-Myles Turner marriage is going to be straight fire.

Last Week (12)

Ed Davis is the MVP of Players Who Should Never Be Considered for MVP. The Blazers cannot function without him on defense, and he’s doing a bang-up job chasing around power forwards and centers.

Last Week (8)

Detroit Pistons

Something needs to give for the Pistons outside their starting lineup. Their playoff hopes depend on it.

Last Week (13)

Houston Rockets

Small sample in mind, the Rockets have a top-three defense for the month of March, per NBA.com. Their offensive efficiency has dipped, but their overall net rating falls inside the top seven. If this portends a profound shift in play style, they’re going to be a troubling sixth seed out west.

Last Week (16)

Utah Jazz

Uh oh. The Jazz are doing it again. You know, that thing where they make you believe they’re a bona fide playoff team. Expect them to begin a maddening losing streak any day now.

Last Week (20)

Dallas Mavericks

Has there been another team that’s experienced a wider variety of power rankings placements than these Mavericks? Maybe the Blazers, but that’s about it.

Last Week (14)

Washington Wizards

Crazy to think that, less than one year ago, the Wizards were considered favorites to land KD if he decided to leave OKC.

Chicago Bulls

Not impressed with the Bulls, even with Jimmy Butler back in the lineup. Feels like they’re going to miss the postseason for the first time since 2008.

Last Week (17)

Memphis Grizzlies

Okay, so, now that Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are both injured, the Grizzlies have to stop winning games, right? RIGHT?

Last Week (15)

Milwaukee Bucks

Point Giannis Antetokounmpo has been mostly great for the Bucks, but their offense still gets bogged down by spacing issues. They really need him and Jabari Parker to expand their ranges before next season.

Last Week (19)

Orlando Magic

All our Magic-related posts from now until the end of time are probably going to be about the high-flying, fast-rising, stretch-5-to-be Aaron Gordon, because why the hell not?

Last Week (22)

Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic, even in limited playing time, is quietly morphing into a huge fantasy asset.

Last Week (21)

New York Knicks

Did I move the Knicks up two spots in hopes they would notice and decide to ditch whatever half-baked plan Phil Jackson may or may not have to coach the team half of the time next season? No, I didn’t. But I didn’t not do it for that reason, either.

Last Week (25)

Sacramento Kings

Few teams are as painful to watch as the Kings these days. DeMarcus Cousins is good, and the Kings are fast. But it’s just not entertaining basketball.

Last Week (24)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Real talk: I’m not sure whether to be ecstatic that Ben Simmons has a shot to join Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota or concerned that the Timberwolves somehow entered the running for Ben Simmons despite employing Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

Last Week (26)

New Orleans Pelicans

Judging from all the injuries, the Pelicans definitely did something to piss off the gods of fate.

Last Week (23)

Brooklyn Nets

Bojan Bogdanovic dropped 44 points against the Sixers, because, apparently, the world is upside down.

Last Week (28)

Phoenix Suns

Well, well, well. The Suns offense and defense is largely crap, but Phoenix is starting to win ballgames.

Last Week (29)

Los Angeles Lakers

Anyone else interested in how much Jordan Clarkson is going to command in restricted free agency?

Last Week (27)

Turns out the Sixers’ problems extend way beyond Jahlil Okafor’s crap defense.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

Pretty sure the Warriors have entered cruise control this side of the All-Star break…and they’re still indomitable.

Last Week (1)

The Spurs are on pace to improve their winning percentage between last season and now by the second-highest margin in the NBA. So, you know, they’re still not fair.

Last Week (2)

Kudos to LeBron James for championing what will soon be the most uptight, high-strung, un-fun 60-win team in NBA history.

Last Week (3)

If the Thunder played smarter down the stretch, they’d have about 10 more victories than they do now.

Imagine what this Raptors team could look like if DeMarre Carroll was healthy.

Last Week (5)

Los Angeles Clippers

T minus a few weeks until we see if the Clippers’ supremacy can fly higher with Blake Griffin.

Last Week (6)

Boston Celtics

The more I watch the Celtics, the more I’ve decided Nicolas Batum should sign with them this summer.

Last Week (7)

Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard is kicking ass and taking names and dropping 40-plus point performances like it’s nothing.

Last Week (8)

It’ll be super surprising if Chris Bosh plays again this season. Even more surprising is that the Heat should be okay without him.

Last Week (9)

Charlotte Hornets

Marvin Williams for MVP.

Last Week (11)

Dennis Schroder and Jeff Teague should learn to play together. That would solve a lot of Atlanta’s issues, not to mention be super fun to watch.

Last Week (12)

Take me to the Paul George-Myles Turner pairing of two years from now? Please? K, thanks.

Last Week (14)

Detroit Pistons

Detroit’s new starting five is an offensive and defensive dream. If only the rest of the roster lived up to that standard.

Last Week (13)

Dallas Mavericks

The 2015-16 Mavericks, forever hot-and-cold and up-and-down.

Last Week (10)

Memphis Grizzlies

To this point, even after their blowout loss to the Celtics, the Grizzlies have been statistically better without Marc Gasol. This is weird.

Last Week (15)

Houston Rockets

It seems like the Rockets are starting to show some signs of life, which probably means they’ll promptly spiral out of control.

Last Week (18)

Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler’s injury is no bueno. If he’s not better soon, the Bulls should consider shutting him down rather than compromise that left knee of his even further.

Washington Wizards

Still can’t imagine the Wizards missing the playoffs, and that’s a problem, since they’re probably going to miss the playoffs.

Last Week (16)

Milwaukee Bucks

Point Giannis Antetokounmpo is my muse.

Last Week (19)

Utah Jazz

Should the Jazz offer Mike Conley a huge-ass contract over the offseason? Asking for a friend.

Last Week (17)

Denver Nuggets

Update: JaKarr Sampson is fun.

Last Week (24)

Orlando Magic

Aaron Gordon is either a crazy advanced robot that’s excellent at feigning human emotion, or he’s an alien life form from a distant galaxy. Take your pick.

Last Week (22)

New Orleans Pelicans

Random but true: The idea of the Pelicans signing Evan Fournier in free agency makes sense.

Last Week (20)

Sacramento Kings

Anybody else excited to see how destructively impulsive the Kings get this offseason?

Last Week (23)

New York Knicks

Someone needs to tell Kurt Rambis that despite Kristaps Porzingis hitting a rookie wall he deserves all the minutes ever.

Last Week (26)

Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s going to be oddly unsettling if and when the Timberwolves bring back Sam Mitchell as head coach next season.

Last Week (25)

Los Angeles Lakers

A recent uptick in production by the Lakers’ kiddies—specifically D’Angelo Russell—might save Byron Scott’s job.

Last Week (27)

Brooklyn Nets

Should the Nets beat whatever the Jazz would hypothetically offer Mike Conley in free agency? Asking for another friend.

Last Week (28)

Phoenix Suns

Don’t look now, but the Suns are starting to figure things out on offense. No, seriously, don’t look. It still isn’t pretty.

Last Week (30)

Started from the bottom, now they’re here, back at the bottom.

Last Week (29)

Golden State Warriors

I’m just about ready to leave the Warriors atop the power rankings for the next half-decade. What say you?

Last Week (1)

Um, it seems like people are forgetting about the Spurs again. And, you know, don’t do that.

Last Week (2)

Has there ever been a more tightly wound and inconsistent title contender than this year’s Cavaliers?

Last Week (3)

For those keeping score at home, the Thunder have played valiantly against the Warriors twice only to have their dreams crushed.

A win over the Cavaliers was the Raptors’ here-we-are victory. Not they needed it. Everyone who’s anyone knew long before then this team was dangerous.

Last Week (5)

Los Angeles Clippers

Blake Griffin should return to the lineup shortly, as within the next few weeks. We’re going to assume the Clippers will be better off until otherwise shown.

Last Week (5)

Boston Celtics

Brad Stevens could coax victories out of a team comprised only of traffic cones.

Last Week (7)

Portland Trail Blazers

Nothing the Blazers are doing makes sense, and yet it makes perfect sense, all at the same time. The offense is humming and surprisingly spacey, Damian Lillard is a legit leader, C.J. McCollum is a phenomenal shot-creator, the defense has started to lock down, and Terry Stotts deserves serious Coach of the Year dap.

Last Week (8)

All the Heat need to do now is sign Kevin Martin and Ty Lawson and they’ll be able to field a lineup consisting of mostly buyout acquisitions.

Last Week (9)

Dallas Mavericks

Chandler Parsons’ career-best stretch has the Mavericks chasing down another top-five playoff berth. And if they get it, a Clippers-Mavs series has the potential to be hella fun.

Last Week (14)

Just. Keep. Shooting.

Last Week (10)

Al Horford and Paul Millsap are gods, but the Hawks are still, somehow, inconsistent as hell.

Last Week (12)

Detroit Pistons

Tobias Harris has regained last season’s three-point form, and the Pistons are heating up. Coincidence?

Last Week (15)

Indiana Pacers

To-do list for the Pacers this offseason: Assemble a bench that can score.

Last Week (11)

Memphis Grizzlies

On some level, I fully expect the Mavs to overtake the Grizzlies for the West’s No. 5 seed. On another level, I’m gearing up for the Grizzlies’ first-round upset of the Clippers.

Last Week (19)

Washington Wizards

If the Wizards don’t make the playoffs, we can essentially cross another potential Kevin Durant suitor off the list of likely destinations. That’s good news for OKC and Golden State fans.

Last Week (16)

Utah Jazz

Aaaaaaand the Team Most Likely to Self-Destruct Even When the Going Is Super Good award goes to the Utah Jazz.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets really need a point guard/point forward who could play off James Harden. If they can figure out how to open two max slots this summer, expect Al Horford-Kevin Durant rumors to gain traction.

Last Week (18)

Milwaukee Bucks

Hip hip hooray! The Bucks are fun again! Hip hip hooray!

Last Week (20)

New Orleans Pelicans

The Anthony Davis-Ryan Anderson combination will be missed next season, and the season after that, and in any season the Pelicans aren’t Western Conference mush.

Last Week (23)

Chicago Bulls

It’s panic button time.

AKA: It’s rush Jimmy Butler back from his knee injury time.

Last Week (17)

Orlando Magic

Okay, I’m here: The Magic need to craft some blockbuster offers around Nikola Vucevic this summer and move forward with Aaron Gordon as their center.

Last Week (21)

Sacramento Kings

Fast and furious and futile: The 2015-16 Sacramento Kings.

Last Week (22)

Denver Nuggets

Losing Danilo Gallinari, who was playing like a borderline All-Stars, sucks. The good news is Will Barton’s field-goal attempts are going to skyrocket.

Last Week (24)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Tyus Jones sightings are fun.

Last Week (25)

New York Knicks

Well, look at that. The Knicks have actually NBA talent on the roster and are still a dumpster fire. Go figure.

Last Week (26)

Los Angeles Lakers

D’Angelo Russell out here exploding for 39 points against the Brooklyn Nets as if he’s a good prospect and has unfairly spent a large chunk of this season in Byron Scott’s doghouse. Or something.

Last Week (28)

Brooklyn Nets

Already missing Joe Johnson.

Last Week (27)

Philadelphia 76ers

It’s quite frankly amazing, and harrowing, how much better the Sixers look when Jahlil Okafor doesn’t play.

Last Week (29)

Phoenix has to do something with this Tyson Chandler-Alex Len frontcourt pairing. Taking a stick of dynamite to it is preferable.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

It’s cute how some people try to get angry with the Warriors, like they haven’t earned the right to have fun. News flash: They most certainly have.

Last Week (1)

We’ve reached the point of the season where we need to assume each of the Spurs’ key players are sitting out unless otherwise told.

Last Week (2)

Remember when Tyronn Lue was going to have the Cavaliers play with a semblance of pace?

Last Week (4)

The Thunder are amazing, as balanced as they’ve been during the Kevin Durant era, and yet you could make the case they don’t stand a chance in hell of reaching the NBA Finals. Just crazy.

A lottery-protected first-round pick for Jeff Green? Seriously?

Last Week (6)

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors’ motto for the rest of this season, inspired by Masai Ujiri: Fuck first-round exits.

Last Week (5)

Boston Celtics

There is a chance that, by season’s end, the Celtics will be the Cavaliers’ biggest “threat” in the Eastern Conference.

Last Week (7)

Portland Trail Blazers

Nothing about this Blazers team makes sense. They’re good but shouldn’t be. They’re able to space the floor even with a dearth of frontcourt shooting. It’s madness. Much respect for Terry Stotts.

Last Week (8)

Chris Bosh is still a bystander, which is troubling. But the Heat are playing faster and winning and have regained control of the East’s No. 3 seed. That’s not troubling.

Last Week (18)

Charlotte Hornets

Marvin Williams has arguably been the Charlotte Hornets’ best player, and I’m being mostly serious.

Last Week (14)

Everything about the Pacers’ devolving offense makes me cringe. Too much shot-hunting, too little ball movement, not enough Myles Turner.

Last Week (11)

The 2015-16 Atlanta Hawks: Confusing the hell out of us all since October 27.

Last Week (10)

Utah Jazz

Totally unofficial stat: The Jazz lead the league in blowing leads that shouldn’t be blown.

Last Week (9)

Dallas Mavericks

So who do the Mavericks offer more money to this offseason, Dwight Howard, Al Horford or Hassan Whiteside?

Last Week (13)

Detroit Pistons

What a drag that the Donatas Motiejunas trade couldn’t go through. It means that Motiejunas is both unhealthy and, likely, won’t ever get to bust defenses up in Stan Van Gundy’s system.

Last Week (8)

Washington Wizards

Update: John Wall’s back still hurts from carrying the rest of the Wizards.

Last Week (16)

Chicago Bulls

Two impressive wins outside of the All-Star break is encouraging. That they’re teetering on the brink of the lottery is not.

Houston Rockets

Houston’s defense is a through exercise in how to sniff out crap.

Last Week (17)

Memphis Grizzlies

Marc Gasol is now officially done for the season, so I had to do this. Sorrrrrry.

Last Week (18)

Milwaukee Bucks

There is life in Milwaukee! The Bucks defense has returned to former glory, aided in part by Greg Monroe’s move to the bench. This feels like a long-term issue they’ll have to address over the summer, but for now, whatever works is all that matters.

Last Week (21)

Orlando Magic

Still trying to wrap my head around the sight of Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova in Magic jerseys.

Last Week (26)

Sacramento Kings

Vlade Divac didn’t do anything insane at the trade deadline, which makes me sad. The Kings in general, save for random shows of competence, are just sad.

Last Week (22)

New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis’ supporting cast is laughable. General manager Dell Demps has some work to do this summer, assuming he even still has a job.

Last Week (25)

Denver Nuggets

MOAR JOKIC.

Last Week (21)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Watching Karl-Anthony Towns is surreal. Dude is already an All-Star in my book. There won’t be any aspect of the game he can’t dominate once he develops a better passing eye.

Last Week (23)

New York Knicks

Kurt Rambis is most likely about to make some changes to the Knicks’ starting lineup. Jose Calderon will probably be the first to go.

His replacement?

Langston Galloway is the logical answer.

Which means it’ll be Sasha Vujacic.

Last Week (24)

Brooklyn Nets

Does anyone else feel bad that Brook Lopez is stuck in Brooklyn?

Last Week (28)

Los Angeles Lakers

D’Angelo Russell is starting!

D’Angelo Russell is starting!

D’Angelo Russell is starting!

D’Angelo Russell is starting!

D’Angelo Russell is starting!

Last Week (29)

Philadelphia 76ers

Please, for the love of sensibility, break up your frontcourt logjam this summer, Sixers.

Last Week (27)

Kris Humphries in a Suns jersey is one of the more sublime sights you’ll see this year.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

You. Can. Not. Beat. This. Team.

Last Week (1)

Chances of the Spurs being active at the trade deadline are slim to unfathomably slim to SHUT THE FUCK UP WHY ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.

Last Week (2)

Oklahoma City missed out on Courtney Lee, which is a shame. It would be less of a shame if Billy Donovan let Anthony Morrow see the floor more.

Last Week (3)

Please, oh please, let Ben McLemore get traded to the Cavaliers for a ball of yarn, some lint and J.R. Smith’s favorite playlist.

I’m not against the Raptors trading for another power forward. It just better be Channing Frye or Ryan Anderson and not Kenneth Faried or Markieff Morris.

Last Week (5)

Los Angeles Clippers

So has anyone heard anything about Blake Griffin’s future in Los Angeles lately?

Last Week (6)

Boston Celtics

If Gregg Popovich didn’t exist, Brad Stevens would win Coach of the Year.

Also, is Al Horford a Celtic yet?

Last Week (7)

Detroit Pistons

Tobias Harris is a good fit for the Pistons. If he can regain last year’s spot-up form, he’ll be the ideal Stan Van Gundy power forward. What’s more is I’m fairly certain the Pistons can still carve out $20 million-plus in cap space this summer.

Cha-ching!

Last Week (10)

Word on the Twittersphere is that the Jazz are most definitely not trading for Jeff Teague. This makes me sad.

Last Week (8)

Atlanta Hawks

Please blow it up, Hawks. I say this not because you need to, but in the name of an interesting trade deadline.

Last Week (9)

Is it wrong that I think the Pacers are a Knicks and Wizards hot streak away from falling out of the playoff picture?

Last Week (11)

Terry Stotts deserves some Coach of the Year dap, too.

Last Week (12)

Dallas Mavericks

Kind of surprised the Mavericks haven’t weaseled their way into the Dwight Howard (not-a-)sweepstakes with an offer of Wesley Matthews and Zaza Pachulia. Maybe Mark Cuban and Daryl Morey do hate each other that much.

Last Week (14)

Charlotte Hornets

Courtney Lee is a necessity in the wake of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s latest injury. He also makes the Hornets offense even more interesting.

Last Week (17)

Memphis Grizzlies

Kudos to the Grizzlies for preserving their playoff window without Marc Gasol by acquiring Brian Roberts, P.J. Hairston and Chris Andersen.

Shame on them, though, for doubling down on a model that just isn’t working.

Last Week (15)

Washington Wizards

Is it also wrong that I’m suddenly feeling good about the Wizards?

Last Week (19)

Houston Rockets

What in tarnation are the Rockets trying to do this season? Gun for the playoffs? Act as deadline sellers? Both?

Asking for a friend.

Miami Heat

This Chris Bosh blood clot news is awful. Hopefully he’s Ok.

On a basketball note, the Heat are screwed without him.

Last Week (16)

Chicago Bulls

My Fred Hoiberg crush that dates back to his time at Iowa State is waning.

Last Week (18)

Denver Nuggets

Doc Rivers apparently tried to get Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried in exchange for Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson.

Here’s how that conversation most definitely went:

Nuggets GM Tim Connelly: Hello?

Doc: Tim, I can trade you Blake.

Tim: For?

Doc: Jok—

*click*

Doc: Hello? Tim?

Last Week (20)

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee seems to be regaining some of last season’s swagger. Will it be enough to get them back in the playoff picture?

(Spoiler: No.)

Last Week (21)

Sacramento Kings

Here’s hoping Vlade Divac does something insane at the trade deadline.

Last Week (22)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Something I didn’t know until recently: Ricky Rubio has never even shot 39 percent from the floor for an entire season.

I mean, wow.

Last Week (24)

New York Knicks

Kurt Rambis is going to turn the Knicks around coming outside the All-Star break and they’re going to make the playoffs and give the impression that they’re a fully functioning, ready-made contender.*

*I’m lying.

Last Week (25)

New Orleans Pelicans

Whatever it takes the Pelicans to dump Omer Asik, even if it’s a tightly protected first-rounder, they really need to do it.

Last Week (26)

Orlando Magic

Am I overreacting to the Magic trading Harris for Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings? Perhaps, but OMFG HOW COULD THE MAGIC TRADE HARRIS FOR JENNINGS AND ILYASOVA.

Last Week (23)

Philadelphia 76ers

Nerlens Noel deserves some Defensive Player of the Year consideration. Just saying.

Last Week (27)

Brooklyn Nets

Update: I still miss Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Last Week (28)

Los Angeles Lakers

Does anyone know if Byron Scott is trying to get the Lakers to trade D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson for Paul Pierce yet?

Last Week (29)

It makes sense that the Suns haven’t yet traded Markieff Morris.

Oh, wait, no it doesn’t.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

The more you watch the Warriors, the more you can’t help but think adding Kevin Durant would hurt them. Which is absurd.

Last Week (1)

No Tim Duncan? No Manu Ginobili? No. Freaking. Problem.

Last Week (2)

Cameron Payne for President.

Last Week (3)

Ever since David Blatt was fired, the Cavaliers look…almost exactly the same.

Is it written somewhere that the Raptors have to inexplicably lose every once in a while just so we’re reminded how far the gap between Cleveland and the rest of the Eastern Conference actually spans?

Last Week (5)

Los Angeles Clippers

What the Clippers are doing without Blake Griffin is truly, totally, mesmerizing.

Last Week (6)

Boston Celtics

Don’t look now, but the Celtics, still devoid of a superstar, are the third best team in the Eastern Conference. Kudos to Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens and Isaiah Thomas.

And, you know, Jae Crowder.

Last Week (7)

Utah Jazz

Rodney Hood is so gottdamn good.

Last Week (17)

There’s a chance the Hawks blow it up at the deadline. I’m already envisioning Horford in a Celtics jersey.

Last Week (8)

Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons: Winning ugly since late October.

Last Week (10)

More Myles Turner at the 5 and Paul George at the 4 lineups please.

Last Week (12)

Major props to head coach Terry Stotts for finding creative ways to create space even when one or both of Ed Davis and Mason Plumlee is on the floor.

Last Week (13)

Houston Rockets

Someone needs to help James Harden. It’d be nice if that someone was Ty Lawson.

Related: It probably won’t be Ty Lawson.

Last Week (11)

Dallas Mavericks

Chandler Parsons is getting hot, but the Mavericks’ early season jubilation has cooled. Luckily for them, opportunity has presented itself in the form of an inconsistent Western Conference middle class.

Last Week (15)

Memphis Grizzlies

Speaking of the inconsistent Western Conference middle class, the Grizzlies could very well be screwed now that Marc Gasol is out indefinitely. I’m not ready to have them tank just yet, however, because they’ve shown they can piece together a decent defense with Zach Randolph at center.

Last Week (9)

Miami heat

T minus three seconds until the Heat completely implode.

Last Week (16)

Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte has an on-again off-again relationship with winning. Chalk it up to them trying to sustain an offensive style with players who aren’t fit to sustain said offensive style.

Chicago Bulls

Unlike the Grizzlies without Marc Gasol, the Bulls are absolutely screwed without Jimmy Butler. They should be able to stave off lottery woes, but then again, who knows.

Last Week (14)

Washington Wizards

Us: “Hey, John. How’s your back?”

Wall: “What ever do you mean?”

Us: “Like, you know, does it hurt from single-handedly carrying your team?”

ZING.

Last Week (20)

Denver Nuggets

Is Nikola Jokic having a better rookie season than Kristaps Porzingis?

*runs for cover*

Last Week (22)

Milwaukee Bucks

Trade Greg Monroe already, Bucks. For the sake of how y’all used to play defense, trade him already.

Last Week (25)

Sacramento Kings

To sum up the last week: George Karl was the Kings coaches, then he wasn’t, but now he is again. This time for real, apparently.

Last Week (18)

Orlando Magic

Orlando seems to be falling out of love with Victor Oladipo, which is the weirdest thing ever.

Last Week (24)

Minnesota Timberwolves

The win column doesn’t show it, and Sam Mitchell isn’t doing the offense any favors, but the Timberwolves are fun. Plus, who needs wins when you have a chance to add Ben Simmons alongside Karl-Anthony Towns?

Last Week (28)

New York Knicks

Allow me to explain the Knicks’ decision to fire Derek Fisher:

Last Week (21)

New Orleans Pelicans

Now that Tyreke Evans is officially—well, likely—out for the season, can the Pelicans finally start tanking?

Last Week (23)

Philadelphia 76ers

Jahlil Okafor’s defense < Your defense

Last Week (26)

Brooklyn Nets

I miss Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Last Week (27)

Los Angeles Lakers

When D’Angelo Russell goes off, he looks like a future Hall of Famer. When he doesn’t, he looks like a borderline bust. There is no in-between.

Last Week (29)

Tyson Chandler is now expected to shoot, and make, jumpers. This is the Suns’ season in a nutshell.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

Golden State’s small-ball “Death Squad” has outscored opponents by 107 points in 93 minutes, per NBA.com. If the playoffs started today, eight of the other 15 playoff teams wouldn’t even be a plus-107 overall.

Last Week (1)

Look, the Spurs are great. Their defense is incredible. Their offense remains insane. But unless they beat the Warriors on Jan. 25, they’re still just second best.

Last Week (2)

Crazy to think that, if all goes according to plan, the Thunder won’t even sniff the Western Conference Finals.

Last Week (5)

Quite obviously, the Clippers aren’t better off without Blake Griffin. But…what if they’re better off without Blake Griffin?

Last Week (4)

It’s gonna be hella weird to watch the Cavaliers try to reinvent their roster once they get bounced from the NBA Finals by the Warriors or Spurs.

Last Week (3)

Toronto Raptors

Once DeMarre Carroll gets healthy, the Raptors have the makings of the Cavaliers’ only conference rival.

Last Week (7)

Atlanta Hawks

Somehow, the Hawks still feel one transcendent player short of making any championship noise.

Last Week (6)

Chicago Bulls

One of these days, the Bulls are going to stop making every game, irregardless of their opponent, a tightly contested affair.

Last Week (8)

Myles Turner is having a coming-out party. We’re all invited.

Last Week (9)

Boston Celtics

If the Celtics aren’t going to trade for a star this season, they should consider rescuing K.J. McDaniels from his Houston prison. I’d really enjoy watching opposing offenses try, and fail, to score on a lineup featuring Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, McDaniels and Jae Crowder.

Last Week (13)

Could we maybe, quite possibly, see Marcus Morris play power forward instead of small forward?

Last Week (12)

Please, Rockets, don’t trade Terrence Jones for Markieff Morris. That is all.

Last Week (14)

Dallas Mavericks

Can we all just agree that Dirk Nowitzki kidnapped Father Time and left him for dead?

Last Week (11)

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are actually inexplicable. Almost every metric has them playing like a sub-.500 lottery team. And yet, here they are, once again in play for a top-five seed out west.

Last Week (18)

Miami Heat

Aaaaand the award for “NBA Team That Could Feasibly Make the Conference Finals But Also Miss the Playoffs Entirely” goes to the Heat.

Last Week (10)

Last Week (15)

Washington Wizards

Kelly Oubre Jr. has amazing hair. He’s also pretty good at basketball.

Last Week (17)

Utah Jazz

Given the misshapen structure of the West, it’s easy to see the Jazz making a run at a top-five spot once they’re fully healthy and operational.

Last Week (19)

Orlando Magic

More minutes for the Tobias Harris-Aaron Gordon pairing, please.

Last Week (16)

Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard is going to make a great Stephen Curry impersonator at playgrounds once he retires.

Last Week (22)

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are on a little bit of a hot streak, but they’re still an aesthetic crap fest. This. Team. Needs. Spacing.

Last Week (24)

Charlotte Hornets

Marvin Williams ranks among the league’s best rim protectors this season, per NBA.com. Let’s talk about that.

Last Week (20)

Sacramento Kings

Omri Casspi, #NBAVote.

Last Week (21)

Denver Nuggets

Check it:

Three players are averaging at least 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists per 36 minutes while shooting 38 percent or better from three-point land, according to Basketball-Reference.

Kevin Durant.

Draymond Green.

Will Barton.

WUT.

Last Week (23)

New Orleans Pelicans

Tyreke Evans is hurt. Again. Eric Gordon is hurt. Again. So this is my call for the Pelicans to prioritize Ben Simmons and cap space over winning games. Again.

Last Week (25)

Philadelphia 76ers

I’m willing to bet that No. 26 is the Sixers’ highest power rankings placement this side of Andrew Bynum.

Last Week (28)

Los Angeles Lakers

Still not cool that Lou Williams starts over D’Angelo Russell. Just saying.

Last Week (26)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Breaking: The Timberwolves are really good at blowing leads.

Last Week (27)

Brooklyn Nets

Dear Tom Thibodeau,

Run. Run and never look back.

Signed,

The Universe

Last Week (29)

Devin Booker has the chance to be special. The Suns, meanwhile, are still especially bad.

Last Week (30)

Golden State Warriors

Some people are ready to place the Spurs above the Warriors, but I’m not there yet, nor will I be unless San Antonio wins its Jan. 25 matchup with Golden State…

Last Week (1)

…That said: HOLY CRAP SPURS.

Boban Marjanovic #NBAVote.

Jonathan Simmons #NBAVote

Last Week (2)

The Cavaliers are outscoring opponents by more than 17 points per 100 possessions when Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love share the floor. I’d say it’s good to have this tricycle band back together again.

Last Week (4)

Oh my god, the Clippers are better without Blake Griffin—except they’re not. Their offense needs only Chris Paul to thrive, and their defense looks, um, less crappy.

Last Week (10)

As for the Bulls, they actually are better when Derrick Rose is not on the floor—by a statistical mile.

Last Week (14)

Atlanta Hawks

Sometimes you watch the Hawks and are like, “Yeah, they’re back!” Other times you’re like, “Shit, this team is back to being mediocre.”

Last Week (5)

Miami Heat

Dwyane Wade is scary ageless this season.

Last Week (10)

Oklahoma City Thunder

Losing Kevin Durant, even for a few games, could cost the Thunder their hold on the West’s No. 2 seed. The Clippers are surging, and Oklahoma City, as we saw in Monday’s loss to Sacramento, really struggles to function without Durant.

Last Week (3)

After a hot start, the Pacers are firmly entrenched inside the Eastern Conference’s widening “Could Make It to the Eastern Conference Finals, Could Miss the Playoffs Entirely” class.

Last Week (7)

Boston Celtics

Jae Crowder is, like, Draymond Green…minus above-average court vision.

Last Week (6)

A top-five offense and top-10 defense and still the Raptors struggle to remain consistent.

Last Week (8)

Speaking of maddeningly inconsistent teams, the Mavericks may just kill Rick Carlisle by the end of this season.

Last Week (12)

Detroit Pistons

Imagine how good the Pistons could be if they didn’t hover around the bottom seven in offensive efficiency.

Last Week (16)

Charlotte Hornets

Statistically speaking, the Hornets are a really good team. Their schedule just hasn’t been the greatest, as they continue to search for a trademark victory.

Last Week (13)

Houston Rockets

James Harden’s defense has gone from bad in 2013-14, to pretty OK in 2014-15, to inexplicably lazy in 2015-16.

Last Week (15)

Offensive misgivings have the Magic floating outside the East’s playoff picture once again. They really need Elfrid Payton to start progressing as a jump shooter.

Last Week (11)

Washington Wizards

The Wizards, quite simply, are still confusing.

Last Week (17)

New York Knicks

Um, I don’t even know. The Knicks have no identity, and yet there are nights when they look like legit a postseason team.

Last Week (20)

Utah Jazz

Get. Healthy. Soon. Jazz. OK?

Last Week (19)

Memphis Grizzlies

This is me, giving the Grizzlies’ championship window a proper burial.

Last Week (18)

Portland Trail Blazers

No, the Blazers aren’t very good. But they’re damn fun on offense, and this rebuild needn’t last too long.

Last Week (22)

Sacramento Kings

What’s it going to take for the Kings to defend, like, ever?

Last Week (23)

Denver Nuggets

Three years from now, I bet we’ll look back fondly upon this Denver squad.

Last Week (21)

Los Angeles Lakers

Three-game winning streak. SHUT IT DOWN.

Last Week (29)