NBA Power Rankings Update: The Orlando Magic Are Making a Push
Teams Ranked 20th to 11th
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.
