NBA Power Rankings: Postseason positions taking shape

The NBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore’s basketball editors.

This week, we’re sizing up the Association as the playoff and play-in races in both conferences begin to take shape.

1. Boston Celtics (57-15)

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Nine-game winning streaks on either side of two early March losses are just another example of how Joe Mazzulla’s squad has been head and shoulders above the rest of the league. The Celtics’ 11.8 net rating is nearly double that of the second-place Thunder (7.1).

2. Denver Nuggets (51-22)

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The Nuggets are bringing back old-school basketball – sort of. Over 65% of Denver’s shots are 2-pointers, the league’s highest percentage. Despite the throwback style, the team still has the league’s seventh-best offensive rating.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22)

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Jalen Williams continues to have a breakout year for the Thunder. In his last six games, the 22-year-old is averaging 21.3 points while shooting 52% from the field.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22)

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The Timberwolves have been able to withstand a meniscus injury to star big Karl-Anthony Towns, going 7-3 with wins over the Clippers, Warriors, and Cavaliers.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (46-26)

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After a shaky start to Doc Rivers’ tenure, both he and the Bucks appear to have adjusted. Milwaukee is 11-5 since the All-Star break and now has Khris Middleton back from a month-long absence with an ankle injury.

6. New Orleans Pelicans (44-28)

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The Pelicans have gone 18-7 since a three-game skid in January and now own the fourth-best net rating in the Association, due in large part to some of the best ball Zion Williamson has played as a pro.

7. Los Angeles Clippers (45-27)

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With Russell Westbrook sidelined by a hand injury, the Clippers’ slide was more severe than expected. They lost five of their last eight games before the veteran guard came back, then lost to the Pacers in his return.

8. New York Knicks (44-28)

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Jalen Brunson is willing the injury-riddled Knicks to victory. Averaging 29.8 points in his last eight contests, New York’s star guard dropped back-to-back 40-point performances during a stretch of seven wins in eight games.

9. Orlando Magic (42-30)

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Just two years removed from a 22-60 campaign, Jamahl Mosley’s squad is within sniffing distance of an unlikely first-round home-court advantage and Orlando’s highest win total since the 2010-11 season. Do you believe in Magic?

10. Dallas Mavericks (43-29)

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The Mavs have won nine of 10, and while Luka Doncic’s absurd offensive numbers get much of the credit, an improved supporting cast featuring field-goal percentage savant Daniel Gafford and Dante Exum has helped plenty.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29)

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Evan Mobley’s return from an injury-related nine-game absence couldn’t have come at a better time for a Cavaliers team sliding down the Eastern Conference standings after an embarrassing 37-point defeat to the Miami Heat.

12. Phoenix Suns (43-30)

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Grayson Allen is going to get paid this summer. The 28-year-old is shooting a blistering 47.8% from deep on 5.8 attempts per game. Allen, and his floor-spacing, will be Phoenix’s X-factor this postseason.

13. Sacramento Kings (42-30)

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The Kings’ 3-point shooting has generally been about league average, but they’ve hit a bad slump in March. They’ve been the fourth-worst team from deep (33.3%), only outdone by the Pistons, Hornets, and Raptors.

14. Miami Heat (39-33)

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Here’s a summary of the Heat’s March: three wins against the Pistons, two against the Cavaliers, one against the Jazz, and seven losses against everyone else. Not the most convincing stretch.

15. Indiana Pacers (41-33)

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While Tyrese Haliburton has struggled since returning from his hamstring injury, Pascal Siakam has been as good as expected since arriving in January, averaging 21.4 points with a 58.3% effective field-goal percentage.

16. Houston Rockets (37-35)

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The Rockets have had to rely on their defense since Alperen Sengun went down with an ankle injury. Houston has won 10 in a row and has a top-five defensive rating in March.

17. Los Angeles Lakers (41-32)

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The play of Anthony Davis has kept the Lakers competitive in the Western Conference playoff race. L.A. has rattled off five straight wins with AD averaging 28.8 points, 18.3 rebounds, and four stocks (steals and blocks) per game.

18. Philadelphia 76ers (39-34)

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After being a top team in the conference to begin the season, the Sixers now look anything but, sitting eighth with a 39-34 record. They need Joel Embiid in order to compete.

19. Chicago Bulls (35-38)

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It’s almost impossible for the Bulls to climb out of the ninth seed with a four-game deficit, but Chicago has a relatively straightforward schedule remaining. Don’t count out a final push.

20. Golden State Warriors (38-34)

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This will be a tense stretch for the Warriors, who can’t shake off the Rockets. And if Golden State doesn’t make the postseason, we could be in for the Bay’s biggest offseason of change in a long time.

21. Atlanta Hawks (33-39)

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Thanks to the bumbling teams below them in the standings, the mediocre Hawks are lucky to essentially be guaranteed a spot in the play-in tournament despite their unspectacular play.

22. Utah Jazz (29-44)

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Trying to find a positive for a struggling Jazz team that has lost nine of its last 10 games? Utah has the league’s second-best offensive rebounding percentage at 32.5%.

23. Brooklyn Nets (28-45)

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A six-game skid halted only by a win over the Raptors provides a solid microcosm of the Nets’ status. If it’s true that they rebuffed the Rockets’ offer of multiple first-rounders plus Jalen Green for Mikal Bridges, they may be ruing the decision now.

24. Memphis Grizzlies (24-49)

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GG Jackson continues to impress during his rookie campaign, averaging 17.8 points per game since March 1. Jackson, who doesn’t turn 20 until mid-December, will be a fascinating piece for Memphis when Ja Morant returns next season.

25. San Antonio Spurs (17-56)

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The Spurs love sharing the ball: They have the league’s best assist rate at 70.9%. San Antonio does not, however, have anyone capable of creating a shot for themselves when the offense stalls.

26. Portland Trail Blazers (19-54)

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In their last three outings, Scoot Henderson, Duop Reath, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, and Rayan Rupert helped the Trail Blazers become just the second team in 50 years to start five rookies.

27. Charlotte Hornets (18-54)

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Yet another rough season for the Hornets. At least they get to close the season against easy opposition like …. actually, maybe just enjoy April weather in Charlotte, Hornets fans.

28. Washington Wizards (14-59)

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The Wizards have won five of 11. That’s no small feat for a team whose longest winning streak of the season is three games, established during this recent spell of unexpected mediocrity.

29. Toronto Raptors (23-50)

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The Raptors have lost 12 straight, the franchise’s first double-digit stretch of ineptitude in 13 years. On the plus side, they’re closer to retaining the protected top-six pick that changed hands in the Jakob Poeltl deal.

30. Detroit Pistons (12-61)

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Detroit has lost eight straight games – all but one by double digits. Good thing the Pistons gave coach Monty Williams a six-year, $78.5-million deal in the summer.