The Detroit Pistons climb up into the middle tier, while the Orlando Magic leapfrog the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, and Brooklyn Nets in one shot.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Detroit Pistons | 37-34 | 46.5 | 22 | 2 |
| 19 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 32-40 | 47.4 | 18 | -1 |
| 18 | New Orleans Pelicans | 31-43 | 48.2 | 17 | -1 |
| 17 | Brooklyn Nets | 37-36 | 49.1 | 16 | -1 |
| 16 | Orlando Magic | 34-38 | 49.2 | 19 | 3 |
| 15 | Miami Heat | 35-36 | 51.4 | 14 | -1 |
| 14 | Sacramento Kings | 35-36 | 51.5 | 15 | 1 |
| 13 | Los Angeles Clippers | 42-30 | 52.7 | 13 | 0 |
| 12 | San Antonio Spurs | 42-30 | 55.9 | 12 | 0 |
| 11 | Houston Rockets | 45-27 | 56.2 | 11 | 0 |
Risers
The Detroit Pistons have had the second-best record in the Association since January 31st at 16-6, and they're now up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference as a result. They've been stuck in our bottom tier for a while, but they finally climbed out of it after a solid 3-1 week.
The Orlando Magic are 14-7 since January 31st with the league's best net rating over that span at 8.1. They've now won three in a row to boot, keeping them very much in the hunt for their first playoff berth in seven years. They now sit 1.5 games back of the eighth-place Miami Heat, and we give them a 38.6% chance of making it.
Fallers
The Minnesota Timberwolves have lost five in a row and are on the verge of being statistically eliminated from playoff contention. It's safe to say that this year has been a letdown for them on the heels of breaking a 13-year playoff drought last season.
The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of a brutal seven-game road trip, which they've started 1-3. We still give them a fairly comfortable 89.9% chance of making the postseason, but with only 2.5 games separating them from the ninth-place Miami Heat, they had better be careful.