The Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets head back in the right direction, while the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks trend the opposite way.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Miami Heat | 32-29 | 47.1 | 20 | 0 |
| 19 | Detroit Pistons | 29-32 | 48.1 | 17 | -2 |
| 18 | Denver Nuggets | 33-28 | 48.5 | 18 | 0 |
| 17 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 36-24 | 48.7 | 19 | 2 |
| 16 | Portland Trail Blazers | 35-26 | 51.5 | 16 | 0 |
| 15 | Milwaukee Bucks | 33-28 | 51.8 | 11 | -4 |
| 14 | New Orleans Pelicans | 35-26 | 52.0 | 15 | 1 |
| 13 | Utah Jazz | 31-30 | 52.1 | 13 | 0 |
| 12 | Los Angeles Clippers | 32-28 | 52.4 | 12 | 0 |
| 11 | Charlotte Hornets | 28-34 | 53.8 | 14 | 3 |
Risers
We haven't been able to call the Cavaliers "risers" for quite some time, but they move up two spots this week to land in 17th. They've gone 4-2 since completely revamping their roster at the trade deadline and are playing with a renewed energy. We still only give them a 1.3% chance of winning the title at this point, but at least they're getting back on track after an ugly month and a half.
The Hornets were on a five-game winning streak before dropping last night's contest to the Boston Celtics. They still sit a fairly substantial 4.5 games out of a playoff spot, and we only give them a 19.5% chance of making it at this point, but they continue to be an anomaly in our rankings, consistently ranking in or around our top-10 despite a pedestrian 28-34 record.
Fallers
The Detroit Pistons looked revitalized following the Blake Griffin trade, winning their first four games after the acquisition, but they've since come crashing back down to earth, losing six of their last eight contests. They've been flirting with the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference all along, but they now sit three games back of the eighth-place Miami Heat and we only give them a 14.2% chance of sneaking in.
It's been a roller-coaster season for the Bucks. Following the Jason Kidd firing, they managed to rattle off nine wins in their first 11 games under interim head coach Joe Prunty, but they've been in a funk since their final game before the All-Star break, losing four of their last five. Seeds three through eight in the Eastern Conference are only separated by 4.5 games, so the Bucks will have to get things back on track soon if they hope to come out near the top of that pile.