Here is where every NBA team stands after the All-Star Break.
Kirby Lee - Imagn Images
Roughly 30% of the NBA regular season remains. Here’s how each team stacks up after the All-Star Break.
30. Washington Wizards (9-45)
The Wizards do have some young players in Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly that are showing flashes on any given night. But, this is a really, really, bad professional basketball team.
29. New Orleans Pelicans (13-42)
Zion Williamson is the most unreliable superstar in sports, which is saying something considering that he shares a league with Joel Embiid. He was supposed to lead the franchise to new heights. Six years after being drafted, the team is in the cellar again.
28. Charlotte Hornets (13-39)
LaMelo Ball might routinely go viral on social media. But, time and time again, he has proved that he is not a winning basketball in the NBA. If they can move him for assets and build around Brandon Miller, it would move the franchise forward.
27. Utah Jazz (13-41)
In many ways, the Jazz are an Island of Misfit Toys. If you look at their roster, they really shouldn’t be this bad. But, their top players don’t compliment each other, and they are absolutely awful.
26. Toronto Raptors (17-38)
Was the Scottie Barnes max contract a mistake? I think you could argue it was. He’s a good player, but is he a max-level player? He certainly hasn’t shown that in his career so far.
25. Portland Trail Blazers (23-32)
Scoot Henderson has started to come on strong. That’s a big development for Portland, as he’s a centerpiece of their rebuild.
24. Chicago Bulls (22-33)
The Bulls finally traded away assets like Zach Lavine at the trade deadline, and are headed towards a full rebuild. Rookie Matas Buzelis needs to be getting a ton of playing time down the stretch.
23. Brooklyn Nets (20-34)
The Nets certainly aren’t good. But, they’ve been better than many expected this year, and continue to play hard every night. They’re hoping for a bit of draft lottery luck to really move the franchise forward.
22. Philadelphia 76ers (20-34)
It’s been an unmitigated disaster in Philadelphia from the start this year. At this point, it’s best to shut down Joel Embiid, and try to get a top-six pick. If they don’t get a top-six pick, their pick will go to Oklahoma City.
21. Orlando Magic (27-29)
Last year’s breakout team has to find ways to shoot and score the ball more effectively. Injuries hurt that cause in the first half, but as they get healthy, they have to find some scoring.
20. San Antonio Spurs (23-29)
Can DeAaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama get the Spurs into the postseason? It’s one of the most intriguing stories of the rest of the season.
19. Miami Heat (25-28)
The team finally rid themselves of Jimmy Butler, who had turned into a cancer. Eric Spoelstra has made a career out of getting the most out of his teams. He’s got his work cut out this year.
18. Phoenix Suns (26-28)
The Kevin Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal experiment was doomed to fail from the start, mainly because Bradley Beal is not a winning basketball player. Durant will almost certainly be moved this offseason.
17. Atlanta Hawks (26-29)
The injury to Jaylen Johnson really hurts a team that, if you squinted hard enough, could’ve been a tough out in the playoffs.
16. Sacramento Kings (28-27)
Credit to the Kings, who have played well since trading away DeAaron Fox. How long will that last?
15. Golden State Warriors (28-27)
The trade for Jimmy Butler reeks of desperation for a team that is well past contending for a championship and is grasping at straws.
14. Detroit Pistons (29-26)
The Pistons have been the most-improved team in the league this year, as Cade Cunningham and Jayden Ivey have both taken huge steps forward. The fans in Detroit deserve a playoff berth.
13. Milwaukee Bucks (29-24)
The Bucks were awful to start the year, and criticism of Doc Rivers was fierce. Credit to both the team and Doc, as they’ve turned things around in a big way. Are they good enough to win a title? Probably not. But, they will be a tough out in the playoffs.
12. Dallas Mavericks (30-26)
Yes, they really did trade Luka Doncic. That actually happened. Now, they have to survive injuries that have decimated the frontcourt, including an injury to Anthony Davis, the main return in that trade.
11. Los Angeles Clippers (31-23)
The Clippers have flown under the radar all year, but Ty Lue has done as good of a coaching job as anyone. If Kawhi is healthy for the posteason, they could win a series or two. That’s a big if.
10. Indiana Pacers (30-23)
Last year’s Eastern Conference runners-up are coming on strong as Tyrese Haliburton has started to rebound from an early-season slump. They remain a very dangerous team in the Eastern Conference with their length and shooting.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (32-20)
If you thought the Lakers received too much coverage before, the trade for Luka Doncic is going to put that into overdrive. But, can they defend well enough to be a true contender?
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (31-25)
If Minnesota can find a way to better integrate Julius Randle, there’s no reason why they can’t make a return trip to the Western Conference Finals.
7. Houston Rockets (34-21)
The Pistons are the most-improved team in the league, but the Rockets aren’t far behind. Amen Thompson is one of the most fun players in the league to watch, as he’s a menace on both sides of the ball.
6. Memphis Grizzlies (36-18)
Ja Morant has stayed out of trouble, the rest of the core has stayed healthy, Zach Edey is a solid NBA player, and the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the NBA’s best teams once again after a poor year last year.
5. Denver Nuggets (36-19)
Nikola Jokic is probably going to lose out on MVP honors to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But, this is probably the best season of his career. Are people ready to talk about Jokic as a top-ten player of all-time? He’s got a great argument for it.
4. New York Knicks (36-18)
If the Knicks can stay healthy, they’re going to be a very tough out in the playoffs, as Mitchell Robinson should shore up their defense. But, given the amount of stress Tom Thibodeau puts on his starters, staying healthy is a big challenge.
3. Boston Celtics (39-16)
The Celtics haven’t quite hit the heights of their dominant championship team from a year ago. But, they’re still a top-flight title contender, maybe even the favorite.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10)
The Cavaliers have been magnificent all year, and responded to a three-game losing streak at the end of January by winning seven of eight heading into the All-Star Break. Evan Mobley is fulfilling his massive potential.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (44-10)
The Thunder are the most complete team in the NBA, and it may not be close. The biggest threat to them isn’t another team. Rather, it’s their own inexperience in a deep playoff run. That’s not enough for me to pick against them winning it all, that’s for sure.