Can you believe that the NBA season will end in just three weeks? We have gotten to this point so fast. With only three weeks left, we are going to discuss who I think are the top 10 best teams in the league currently. After missing last week, I had extra time to monitor all the teams more and see how well they were playing. So let’s get to it!
MISSED THE CUT
Wizards – We have to start giving the Wizards credit now. They had been doing horrible in the season prior to just a few weeks ago. Out of nowhere, this team just exploded and has now won nine out of their last ten games! Prior to the season, many people had the Wizards in their playoff standings. They ended up disappointing everyone; however, they are now at the 10th seed in the East. This would put them in the play-in tournament. This team is playing to its full potential and they are surprisingly a very fun team to watch.
Now onto the top 10…
10. Lakers – I believe this is the absolute best spot for the Lakers at this moment. They are not playing bad enough to be out of the rankings. However, they also aren’t playing great for them to rise anywhere in the list. Anthony finally returned from his calf injury after being out since February 14th. He had a few rough games, but he did seem to get his groove back against the Wizards despite the loss. With Lebron’s return imminent, I believe the Lakers will definitely avoid the play-in spot and also avoid the 6th seed. They will hold on to the 5th seed and play against the Nuggets most likely in the first round or maybe even the Clippers.
9. Mavs – The Mavs had great wins and tough losses in the last three weeks. They were able to sweep the Lakers in the miniseries and went crazy against the Warriors as they exploded for a 28-0 run in the first quarter. However, they dropped two games to the De’Arron Fox-less Kings. The remaining schedule is fairly easy and they are going to try their best to avoid the play-in tournament, especially since Luka Doncic isn’t very fond of it. They are dealing with injuries from Porzingis so they are going to hope that he will be ready for the playoffs, unlike last year where he missed three games in the series against the Clippers.
8. Knicks – The Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They were already having a very successful season for Knicks standards considering how bad their team has been since 2013. However, this team really showed its full potential as they went on an amazing NINE game-winning streak! Randle has been absolutely spectacular this year and in my opinion, deserves to be a top-five MVP candidate. He has elevated the Knicks to where they are right now and nobody expected him to lead a team the way he has been doing. RJ Barrett is having an underrated year as well. Also, the Knicks record is 18-7 when Derrick Rose is playing so that trade definitely helped them out. If we get a Knicks vs Hawks first-round matchup, I definitely believe that the Knicks will move on to the second round.
7. Nuggets – The Nuggets have been very impressive ever since they lost Jamal Murray for the season due to an ACL tear. They have a record of 42-21 and are only 0.5 games behind the 3rd seed in the Western conference! Jokic has been phenomenal and continues to show every night why he is to favorite to win the MVP this year. The nuggets also signed Austin Rivers for the rest of the season. I really like this signing for them as he will fill in the role of Murray and help out the team a lot. Obviously, he is not as skilled as Murray, but the Nuggets will be a dangerous team to play against in the playoffs.
6. Clippers – The Clippers had a pretty good month in April. Their team seemed to be clicking and they are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league. However, they have struggled in their last two games and got destroyed by the Pelicans and lost to the Suns. A concern for this team may be the injuries they are dealing with as Kawhi has been out for about two weeks. This team can potentially go far if their team is fully healthy and ready to go in the playoffs.
5. Bucks – The Bucks have been comfortably holding onto their #3 spot in the East for pretty much the whole season. This is another team that has to make sure they are healthy in the postseason. Giannis played just 25 seconds against the Rockets last night as he was sidelined with an ankle sprain. They have to be very cautious as the playoffs are just around the corner. However, when this team is healthy, they are extremely dangerous and deadly. They definitely have the potential to reach the finals and I believe they have a much better chance this year than last year. They will have to prove that they are capable of winning on the big stage.
4. Suns – The 11-year drought is finally over and the Phoenix Suns are back in the playoffs! This is a very exciting time for Suns fans. They have been waiting for this moment for a very long time and it is a reality for them now. The Suns are an extremely competitive team and Chris Paul showed just how good he is in clutch time in that intense game against the Knicks. He scored seven straight points as he closed them out and ended their nine-game winning streak. I believe the CP3’s leadership will put this team as far as the WCF this year. They are only 1 game behind the first seed so they definitely be aiming for that as there are still 10 games left in the season.
3. Jazz – The Jazz dropped two spots because of their losses in the last few weeks. They lost two straight games to the Timberwolves and got swept in the season series 3-0. They have only had four losses at home and two of them have been the Wolves. Those two recent losses are inexcusable especially because of how well this team is expected to play in the playoffs. There is still no timetable for return for Mitchell as he remains out with a low ankle sprain. He will be re-evaluated in one week and JAzz fans are hoping for great times as he will definitely be needed if Utah wants to go on a deep playoff run.
2. Sixers – The Sixers are one of the four teams that have clinched a playoff spot in the league thus far. As Joel Embiid continues his bid for MVP, the Sixers have a slight problem of inconsistency. They recently went on a four-game losing streak, one of them a 38 point loss to the Bucks. While Embiid and Simmons were out that game, it is still no excuse for them to lose by that big of a margin. These are the teammates that are supposed to be there for Embiid in the playoffs and if they play like this when it matters, it will be the same story for the Sixers and the process will continue.
1. Nets – The Nets are a team that has been dealing with injuries since the very beginning of the season. Harden has now almost been out for a whole month while KD and Kyrie have missed quite a few games this season due to their own injuries. However, despite all that, they are still the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference at a record of 43-20. That shows you how good this team is and why they are the favorites to come out of the East this year. Questions still remain about their injuries. Harden is still out indefinitely and KD keeps missing games as a different injury hits him every week. If this continues to happen in the playoffs, the Nets can wave goodbye to their championship hopes. However, I am hoping every star player on every team is healthy so we can have an exciting and competitive postseason this year!
