The Philadelphia 76ers make our biggest leap of the week, the Minnesota Timberwolves take a tumble, the Golden State Warriors continue to struggle, and the Toronto Raptors inch a little closer to the top.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Portland Trail Blazers | 46-29 | 55.1 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 43-33 | 56.9 | 7 | -2 |
| 8 | Utah Jazz | 42-33 | 58.2 | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | San Antonio Spurs | 43-32 | 59 | 6 | -1 |
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers | 44-30 | 59.5 | 9 | 3 |
| 5 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 44-31 | 60.1 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics | 52-23 | 60.8 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Golden State Warriors | 54-20 | 71.4 | 2 | -1 |
| 2 | Toronto Raptors | 55-20 | 71.7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1 | Houston Rockets | 61-14 | 74.4 | 1 | 0 |
Risers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been the laughing stock of the NBA for years, but all of a sudden they’re 44-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference, sixth in our rankings, and officially playoff bound for the first time in six years. And they’re not only in line to host a postseason series right now, but they also have a legitimate shot at finishing third in the conference with only half a game separating them and the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers. Props to those who trusted the process.
The Toronto Raptors have lost a bit of momentum over the last couple weeks, going 3-3 over their last six, but the overall body of work still stands as one of the best produced this season. The 55-20 Raptors now rank second in the Association in nERD, third in offensive rating, sixth in defensive rating, third in net rating, and second in average margin of victory. People still don’t trust them as championship contenders because of past playoff failures, but this season, they have played every bit as well as the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors on paper, and that’s why they have our second-best title odds at 23.2% (trailing only the Rockets at 26.8% and ahead of the Warriors at 19.3%).
Fallers
The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to slide, having gone 2-2 this week and 5-7 over their last 12. Their playoff chances are coming into question a little with a mere game-and-a-half lead on the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers, but we still give them a fairly definitive 93.7% chance of making it. When Jimmy Butler returns to action, it won’t be a moment too soon for the T’Wolves.
Three straight trips to the NBA Finals might be catching up with the Golden State Warriors. They’re limping into the playoffs with all four of their All-Stars missing multiple games due to injuries ranging from troubling to serious, and having lost six of their last nine contests.Of course, they remain championship contenders and the team to beat, but their winning it all seems way less like a foregone conclusion (at least for now).