The mid-winter malaise has hit.
Every game, whether it takes place in October, January or April, counts the same. In regard to the standings, playoff seeding and home-court advantage, a loss this week hurts as much as one in late-March. But that doesn’t mean that the stretch between Christmas and the All-Star break can be a slog. And the result is some bad stretches from good teams.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost six of their last 10 games and the Toronto Raptors have lost six of their last seven. The bottom has seemingly fallen out of the playoff picture, as Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee have combined to go 14-27 over the last three weeks.
In the West, the Houston Rockets have lost seven of their last 11 games and the Spurs have let some games slip away, while nobody seems to want the 8 seed. The top 10 teams in last week’s Power Rankings went 19-20 over the last seven days.
Of course, with good teams not playing well, teams lower in the standings can take advantage. The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, three teams who seemed like Lottery locks a few weeks ago, have gone on eye-opening runs to remain relevant.
And with a bunch of good teams losing games and a bunch of bad teams winning games, sorting them out can be difficult. Houston hasn’t dropped in the rankings, because nobody behind them has really earned that No. 3 spot. And some teams in the bottom 10 that have played decently of late are having a hard time moving up, because other teams around them have been similarly improved.
One thing is for sure: the team with the league’s No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense has the No. 1 ranking for a third straight week.
- Last week: Warriors take strong hold of top spot
- This time last year: Warriors make a big statement — The Warriors beat the Spurs by 30 points in their first meeting of the season, but needed Harrison Barnes’ game-winner to beat the Sixers after blowing a 24-point lead. The Suns fired Jeff Hornacek and Blake Griffin broke his hand when he punched the Clippers’ equipment manager. Dwight Howard got ejected from two straight games, Troy Daniels beat the Kings with a three after an uncalled travel, and Jrue Holiday beat the Nets with a fadeaway.
- Plus-minus stud: Willie Reed (MIA) was a plus-70 in four games last week.
- Plus-minus dud: Justin Hamilton (BKN) was a minus-52 in four games last week.
- Hero team of the week: Washington (4-0) — The Wizards seem bound for a top-four seed in the East after a week in which they knocked off the second-place Celtics and fourth-place Hawks.
- Zero team of the week: Charlotte (0-4) — Remember when the Hornets were good? They’re 4-11 since Dec. 31 and lost to the Knicks and Kings last week.
- East vs. West: The West is 151-124 (.549) against the East in interconference games after going 12-9 (0-3 vs. Indiana) last week.
- Toughest schedules through Sunday: 1. Phoenix, 2. Brooklyn, 3. Portland
- Easiest schedules through Sunday: 1. Indiana, 2. Chicago, 3. Golden State
- Schedule strength is based on cumulative opponent record, and adjusted for home vs. away and days of rest before a game.
- High jumps of the week: Miami (+6), Washington (+6), Denver (+4), Sacramento (+4)
- Free falls of the week: Milwaukee (-9), Five teams (-3)
- Team to watch this week: Oklahoma City — Before they finally go home for an extended stay and a big game against the Grizzlies on Friday, the Thunder visit San Antonio on Tuesday for their first of three games against the Spurs.
* * *
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league has averaged 98.7 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 105.8 points scored per 100 possessions this season.
* * *
1) Golden State Warriors
Record: 41-7
Pace: 103.1 (2) OffRtg: 113.7 (1) DefRtg: 101.0 (1) NetRtg: +12.6 (1)
We often talk about the Death Lineup (which has outscored opponents by 25.3 points per 100 possessions in 182 minutes), but the Warriors’ starting lineup has been nearly as dominant – plus-23.0 in 508 minutes, the league’s best mark (by a wide margin) among lineups that have played at least 200 minutes . The group has been outscored in only one of its last 22 games together – this past Wednesday in Charlotte, when small-ball came to the rescue in the fourth quarter. Maybe the fans knew what they were doing and Zaza Pachulia should have been an All-Star with the other four guys.
This week: vs. CHA, @ LAC, @ SAC
2) San Antonio Spurs
Record: 36-11
Pace: 96.4 (25) OffRtg: 111.2 (4) DefRtg: 102.3 (3) NetRtg: +8.9 (2)
The Spurs are 4-0 without Kawhi Leonard, but lost two games upon his return this weekend because they went from being the league’s best second-half team (through Thursday) to getting outscored 127-88 by the Pelicans and Mavs (allowing them to shoot 58 percent) after halftime. Since Pau Gasol broke his hand, David Lee (four games), Dewayne Dedmon (one game) and Davis Bertans (one game) have all had the chance to start next to LaMarcus Aldridge, who has shot just 31 percent from outside the restricted area over the six games.
This week: vs. OKC, vs. PHI, vs. DEN
3) Houston Rockets
Record: 35-16
Pace: 101.6 (4) OffRtg: 111.6 (3) DefRtg: 106.2 (20) NetRtg: +5.4 (4)
The Rockets can be an elite team with a mediocre defense when their offense is sharp. But they’ve ranked 14th offensively as they’ve gone 4-7 over the last 2 1/2 weeks. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson have each missed games in that stretch, but the Rockets have also just gone cold from 3-point range, with Gordon, James Harden and Trevor Ariza combining to shoot just 31 percent from beyond the arc in the 11 games. The schedule has been a little tough and they now play eight of their next 10 games at home, with eight of the next nine against teams with losing records.
This week: vs. SAC, vs. ATL, vs. CHI
4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 32-14
Pace: 99.3 (14) OffRtg: 109.4 (5) DefRtg: 105.6 (15) NetRtg: +3.8 (7)
LeBron James has played 39 or more minutes in more than half (9/17) of his games since Christmas, including three straight losses before the Cavs picked up a couple of wins over the weekend. He now leads the league at 37.5 minutes per game (though he ranks 18th in total minutes) and while his get-us-another-player comments have been directed at the front office and ownership, you would think that Tyronn Lue could extend his rotation a bit to cut down on his star’s minutes. With a four-game lead over the Celtics in the loss column, this team can afford to take its foot off the gas (even more than it already has over the last month).
This week: @ DAL, vs. MIN, @ NYK
5) Washington Wizards
Record: 27-20
Pace: 99.0 (15) OffRtg: 107.2 (9) DefRtg: 105.2 (13) NetRtg: +1.9 (9)
With double-digit road wins in Charlotte, Atlanta and New Orleans last week and having backed up their all-black silliness against the Celtics on Tuesday, the Wizards have graduated from “really good home team” to “really good team.” They have the league’s second best record, sixth best offense and eighth best defense over the last month and a half and, with three games against below-average offenses this week, could soon be the only East team in the top 10 on both ends of the floor for the season. They’ve won 14 straight games at home, where they’ll be for 10 of their next 14.
This week: vs. NYK, vs. LAL, vs. NOP
6) Boston Celtics
Record: 29-18
Pace: 98.6 (17) OffRtg: 109.2 (6) DefRtg: 106.3 (21) NetRtg: +2.9 (8)
The Celtics got their first win over what had been the top six teams (in regard to winning percentage) by keeping Houston’s top-three offense in check on Wednesday. Then, without Al Horford (groin strain) over the weekend (and with Kelly Olynyk shooting 14-for-19), they held two straight opponents under a point per possession for the first time since mid-December to supplant Toronto in the top six. They’re a half game ahead of the Raptors for second place in the East, they host them (with Toronto playing the second game of a back-to-back) on Wednesday, and the team with the better record through next Sunday will send its coaching staff to All-Star Weekend.
This week: vs. DET, vs. TOR, vs. LAL, vs. LAC
7) Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 28-20
Pace: 100.3 (6) OffRtg: 104.4 (18) DefRtg: 104.3 (7) NetRtg: +0.1 (13)
Enes Kanter was playing pretty well and the Thunder picked up a couple of good road wins in Utah (on Russell Westbrook’s game-winner) and New Orleans before Kanter punched a chair and broke his arm on Thursday. His absence means more minutes for Joffrey Lauvergne and maybe more rebounds for Westbrook, who picked up triple-double No. 24 in Cleveland on Sunday and who has shot less than 40 percent in seven of his last nine games. Only Dwyane Wade has a lower effective field goal percentage on at least 200 shots in January. After spending most of the month on the road and finishing it off in San Antonio on Tuesday, the Thunder will play nine of their 11 February games at home.
This week: @ SAS, vs. CHI, vs. MEM, vs. POR
8) Utah Jazz
Record: 30-19
Pace: 93.4 (30) OffRtg: 106.6 (12) DefRtg: 101.6 (2) NetRtg: +4.9 (5)
Rodney Hood is healthy again and Alec Burks is starting to look like himself, scoring in double-figures off the bench in five straight games (shooting 15-for-20 in the paint over that stretch). But with Saturday’s loss at home to Memphis, the Jazz have dropped five straight games against fellow West playoff teams and are 6-11 against the group overall. The good news is that they have just one more game against the group before the All-Star break and that’s against the CP3-less Clippers. So, with just two games (against struggling East teams) in eight days, they’re still in prime position to grab a top-four seed.
This week: vs. MIL, vs. CHA
9) Toronto Raptors
Record: 29-19
Pace: 98.0 (20) OffRtg: 111.9 (2) DefRtg: 105.8 (17) NetRtg: +6.0 (3)
The Raptors have lost six of their last seven games, but went down to the wire without DeMar DeRozan against two good Western Conference teams – San Antonio and Memphis – last week and broke out of their offensive slump with DeRozan’s return in Sunday’s loss to Orlando. They have lost their last five games that were within five points in the last five minutes, going for two when they needed three in the final seconds against the Spurs on Tuesday and missing three threes for the lead in the final minute in Memphis on Wednesday (when maybe they should have gone for two).
This week: vs. NOP, @ BOS, @ ORL, @ BKN
10) LA Clippers
Record: 30-18
Pace: 98.5 (18) OffRtg: 109.2 (7) DefRtg: 104.8 (11) NetRtg: +4.4 (6)
Blake Griffin returned from an 18-game absence on Tuesday, but the Clippers fell to 3-9 without Chris Paul with a loss to the Embiid-less Sixers and a thrashing at the hands of the Warriors (to whom they’ve lost eight straight games). The bigger difference between the Clippers with and without Paul has been on defense, where they held their opponent under a point per possession in each of the last four games he played, and where they’ve allowed 121 per 100 in the five games since (though the Golden State skews that number a bit).
This week: @ PHX, vs. GSW, @ BOS
11) Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 28-21
Pace: 95.1 (28) OffRtg: 103.3 (22) DefRtg: 102.9 (4) NetRtg: +0.5 (12)
The Grizzlies have been treading water against a tough schedule over the last month and a half, going 12-13 in a stretch where 17 of the 25 games were against teams that are currently over .500. They’re just two games into a six-game trip, but they got a big win in Utah on Saturday (with Zach Randolph taking Rudy Gobert and the Jazz to school) and their schedule is about to get easier. Nine of their next 13 games are against teams under .500, a stretch that includes three games against Phoenix and two against Denver.
This week: @ PHX, @ DEN, @ OKC, @ MIN
12) Indiana Pacers
Record: 25-22
Pace: 99.7 (11) OffRtg: 105.1 (16) DefRtg: 105.8 (16) NetRtg: -0.7 (16)
The Pacers have followed a three-game losing streak (in which they scored 99 points per 100 possessions) with a three-game winning streak (in which they scored 115) to stay above the teams struggling to hold onto a playoff spot. The offense has been at its best with Paul George on the floor with C.J. Miles, who was moved into to the starting lineup on Monday and hit six threes (for the third time this season) in Friday’s overtime win over Sacramento. They have a legit chance to extend the winning streak to six games before the schedule gets tougher.
This week: @ ORL, @ BKN, vs. DET
13) Atlanta Hawks
Record: 28-20
Pace: 99.6 (12) OffRtg: 102.9 (25) DefRtg: 103.0 (5) NetRtg: -0.1 (14)
The Hawks needed four overtimes against the Knicks on Sunday to hold onto fourth place in the East after getting thumped by the fifth-place Wizards two days earlier. They still have one of the better benches in the league (with an aggregate bench NetRtg of plus-2.7 in January), but, with Thabo Sefolosha out, only eight guys played more than 10 minutes in what was a 68-minute game on Sunday. Fortunately, they have two full days off before a Miami-Houston back-to-back this week. They’ve swept their last three back-to-backs and are 13-7 (6-4 in the first game, 7-3 in the second game) on back-to-backs thus far.
This week: @ MIA, @ HOU, vs. ORL
14) Denver Nuggets
Record: 21-25
Pace: 100.8 (5) OffRtg: 108.4 (8) DefRtg: 109.9 (28) NetRtg: -1.5 (18)
The Nuggets were able to hold onto eighth place and win for the seventh time in nine games despite Nikola Jokic’s absence in Phoenix on Saturday. The difference between the Nuggets’ offense that ranked 18th through Dec. 14 and the one that has led the league since Dec. 15 (when Jokic was moved back into the starting lineup) has been better shooting from every area on the floor, but also an ability to cut down on turnovers while increasing their assist rate. That No. 1 offense of the last 6 1/2 weeks will face a couple of top five defenses – Memphis and San Antonio – this week.
This week:@ LAL, vs. MEM, vs. MIL, @ SAS
15) Chicago Bulls
Record: 24-25
Pace: 97.2 (23) OffRtg: 103.9 (20) DefRtg: 104.6 (10) NetRtg: -0.6 (15)
It really was an amazing week in Chicago. Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade called out their teammates and Rajon Rondo blasted them both (“If anything is questionable, it’s the leadership.”) on Instagram. They all seemed to put it behind them a day later, but had what Fred Hoiberg called “the worst game we played all year” against Miami on Friday. Still, they came back two days later and Rondo was rather productive (10 assists, plus-14) off the bench in Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. Now it’s time for some real bonding over a six-game, 12-day trip that starts Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
This week: @ OKC, @ HOU
16) Charlotte Hornets
Record: 23-25
Pace: 98.7 (16) OffRtg: 105.9 (14) DefRtg: 104.3 (8) NetRtg: +1.6 (10)
With a three-game trip coming this week, the Hornets have lost seven straight games on the road, allowing 112.6 points per 100 possessions in the seven games. Some home cooking would still have them in a comfortable position in the playoff picture, but they’ve lost three straight at the Spectrum Center for the first time in almost two years. Fourth quarters did them in against against the Warriors and Knicks before Frank Kaminsky came up a foot short on the potential game-winner against Sacramento on Saturday. They’ve been pretty good (plus-18.9 points per 100 possessions) with Roy Hibbert on the floor over the last two weeks, but even with Cody Zeller out the last three games, Hibbert has played just 47 total minutes.
This week: @ POR, @ GSW, @ UTA
17) Sacramento Kings
Record: 19-28
Pace: 96.4 (27) OffRtg: 105.2 (15) DefRtg: 109.0 (27) NetRtg: -3.8 (25)
Each of the Kings’ last five games have been within five points in the last five minutes. DeMarcus Cousins has taken 31 of their 57 clutch-time shots in that stretch and had big buckets against the Pistons, Cavs and Hornets last week, as well as the game-winning assist in Cleveland. If he was only able to control the last-second lob in Indiana on Friday, the Kings would be on a four-game winning streak and just a game out of eighth place. They’re hanging in the playoff race while getting longer looks at Willie Cauley-Stein and rookie Malachi Richardson (who has bumped Ben McLemore out of the rotation).
This week: @ PHI, @ HOU, vs. PHX, vs. GSW
18) Miami Heat
Record: 18-30
Pace: 97.3 (22) OffRtg: 101.8 (27) DefRtg: 104.3 (6) NetRtg: -2.4 (22)
They’re 48 games into the season and the Heat still don’t have a lineup that’s played 100 minutes together. But Erik Spoelstra has crafted a seven-game winning streak (which includes wins over the Rockets and Warriors) out of whatever he’s had available to him from day to day. Goran Dragic (23.3 points and 6.4 assists per game) and Dion Waiters (22.1 and 4.1) have carried the offensive load, Waiters (along with a guy named Okaro White) has hit big shots, and the Heat have been the league’s second best defensive team over the course of the streak.
This week: vs. BKN, vs. ATL, vs. PHI
19) Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 21-28
Pace: 100.0 (10) OffRtg: 106.4 (13) DefRtg: 108.7 (26) NetRtg: -2.3 (21)
After registering a plus-27 in its first four games (as a starting unit), the Blazers’ new lineup got off to a slow start against the league’s best starting lineup on Sunday. But Portland still had a chance to upset the Warriors and extend their winning streak to four games when Kevin Durant lost his balance and Evan Turner had a wide-open three for the win. Turner missed (but not as bad as Frank Kaminsky) and the Blazers dropped to three games in the loss column behind Denver for eighth place in the West. They’ve outscored their opponents by 26.3 points per 100 possessions in 117 minutes with Turner, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum on the floor together since Turner moved into the starting lineup.
This week: vs. CHA, vs. DAL, @ OKC
20) Detroit Pistons
Record: 21-26
Pace: 96.4 (26) OffRtg: 103.5 (21) DefRtg: 105.4 (14) NetRtg: -1.9 (19)
The Pistons ranked seventh defensively through December, but have been a bottom-five team on that end of the floor in January, having allowed the Kings and Heat to score 118 points per 100 possessions last week. Andre Drummond seemingly has all the tools, but hasn’t taken the necessary step as a defensive anchor. He doesn’t rank well as a rim protector and can have lazy feet when trying to defend the perimeter. The Pistons have been 8.7 points per 100 possessions better defensively (and even a better defensive rebounding team) with Drummond off the floor than they’ve been with him on the floor.
This week: @ BOS, vs. NOP, vs. MIN, @ IND
21) Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 17-29
Pace: 100.0 (9) OffRtg: 99.4 (30) DefRtg: 104.9 (12) NetRtg: -5.5 (27)
Nerlens Noel is either getting showcased or showing the Sixers that they need to keep him. With Joel Embiid dealing with a knee contustion, Noel got his first three starts of the season last week, filled the boxscore in the three games, and hit a big jumper in the final minute of Wednesday’s win in Milwaukee. But Noel hasn’t been able to hold the defense together in Embiid’s absence and Sunday’s loss in Chicago put a damper on the Sixers’ playoff hopes.
This week: vs. SAC, @ DAL, @ SAS, @ MIA
22) New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 19-29
Pace: 100.1 (7) OffRtg: 102.3 (26) DefRtg: 104.3 (9) NetRtg: -2.1 (20)
The Pelicans beat the Cavs on Monday without Anthony Davis and beat the Spurs, who had been the league’s best second-half team, with a 71-46 second half on Friday. But they went just 3-3 on their homestand and failed to move up in the standings because they’ve been remarkably inconsistent, from game to game and quarter to quarter. Davis and Donatas Motiejunas played 20 minutes together in Sunday’s loss to Washington after playing just 22 minutes together in Motiejunas’ first 10 games with the Pels. The pair was a minus-7 on Sunday (because the Wizards scored 54 points in the 20 minutes), but Motiejunas has scored in double-figures in four straight games, getting buckets on the move and in the post.
This week: @ TOR, @ DET, @ WAS
23) Dallas Mavericks
Record: 17-30
Pace: 93.4 (29) OffRtg: 103.3 (23) DefRtg: 106.2 (18) NetRtg: -2.9 (23)
The Mavs’ offensive success with Seth Curry in the starting lineup has continued, even with Yogi Ferrell (the diminutive rookie on a 10-day contract) starting for Deron Williams on the road against the league’s third best defense (San Antonio) on Sunday. Curry has averaged 15.1 points and has shot 23-for-46 from 3-point range over the nine January games he’s started. The Mavs have won the last three that Dirk Nowitzki has played in and have allowed less than 90 points per 100 possessions with Nowitzki on the floor (at center) in those three games.
This week: vs. CLE, vs. PHI, @ POR
24) Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 18-29
Pace: 97.1 (24) OffRtg: 106.6 (11) DefRtg: 107.3 (23) NetRtg: -0.7 (17)
Andrew Wiggins hit the game-winner in Phoenix on Tuesday and Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 31.4 points on 63 percent shooting as the Wolves have won four of their last five games to hang around in the West playoff picture. The Wolves’ starting lineup – the most-used lineup in the league – has been pretty mediocre for most of the season, but has outscored its opponents by more than 14 points per 100 possessions in 124 minutes over the last three weeks, showing greater improvement on defense, where the Wolves are a top-10 team over that timeframe.
This week: vs. ORL, @ CLE, @ DET, vs. MEM
25) Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 21-26
Pace: 97.7 (21) OffRtg: 106.7 (10) DefRtg: 106.2 (19) NetRtg: +0.5 (11)
The Bucks’ offense is about attacking the paint and the Bucks’ defense is about protecting it. That’s why only two teams (Memphis and Sacramento) have allowed their opponents to take a greater percentage of their shots from 3-point range. And as they’ve lost eight of their last nine games, the Bucks have been outscored by almost 15 points per game from beyond the arc. Amazingly, their only win in that stretch was Monday’s against the historically three-happy Rockets. They’ve generally been at their best (plus-3.2 points per 100 possessions) in the first quarter, but lost their last two first quarters by a total of 32 points, despite a lineup change and some flashes of potential from Thon Maker on Saturday.
This week: @ UTA, @ DEN, @ PHX
26) New York Knicks
Record: 21-28
Pace: 99.4 (13) OffRtg: 105.1 (17) DefRtg: 108.0 (24) NetRtg: -2.9 (24)
The Knicks have now had six straight games go down to the wire, a chance for Carmelo Anthony to show off his clutchness as Phil Jackson shops him around the league (though the Clippers may be the only potential destination). Anthong is 11-for-23 on clutch-time shots over the six games, hitting the game-winner in Indiana on Monday, the dagger against Charlotte on Friday, and a couple of shots (one, two) to extend Sunday’s four-OT loss in Atlanta. The drive at the end of regulation produced a rare shot at the basket. Anthony has taken less than 15 percent of his shots from the restricted area this season, down from 23 percent last season.
This week: @ WAS, @ BKN, vs. CLE
27) Orlando Magic
Record: 19-30
Pace: 98.3 (19) OffRtg: 101.1 (29) DefRtg: 107.0 (22) NetRtg: -5.9 (28)
Even with Evan Fournier and Jodie Meeks out, Mario Hezonja (the No. 5 pick in the 2015 Draft) can’t get much playing time. In Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, Frank Vogel started Jeff Green at the two, using Hezonja for just 13 minutes. And in two games over the weekend, Vogel went with two point guards for extended minutes, DNP’ing Hezonja in Sunday’s win in Toronto. The Magic have been pretty awful, getting outscored by 15.0 points per 100 possessions, with Hezonja on the floor this season, but you have to wonder if he’ll ever get a real chance to improve on that number.
This week: @ MIN, vs. IND, vs. TOR, @ ATL
28) Phoenix Suns
Record: 15-32
Pace: 101.7 (3) OffRtg: 104.0 (19) DefRtg: 108.6 (25) NetRtg: -4.6 (26)
Eric Bledsoe set new career highs (40 and 41) twice in the last four games and is putting up career-best numbers in points, assists, free throw attempts and free throw percentage. The Suns have scored 113.2 points per 100 possessions with Bledsoe on the floor in January, in part because Devin Booker’s smoth jumper has finally resulted in an above-average effective field goal percentage (54.3 percent) this month. But the Suns rank 27th on the other end of floor in January. Tyson Chandler has been dominating the glass, but has been unable to lift up the defense.
This week: vs. MEM, vs. LAC, @ SAC, vs. MIL
29) Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 16-34
Pace: 100.1 (8) OffRtg: 103.2 (24) DefRtg: 110.2 (30) NetRtg: -7.0 (29)
As the Lakers have lost eight of their last nine games, they’ve matched their league-worst defense with anemic offense, scoring just 97 points per 100 possessions over that stretch. Progress from their young stars has been minimal. D’Angelo Russell has shot 39 percent since Christmas, has missed the last three games with calf and knee injuries, and is somehow still hearing criticism from Byron Scott. Julius Randle has scored in double-figures in just one of his last six games and is dealing with pneumonia, while Brandon Ingram has shot 2-for-23 over the last three. The 1-8 stretch has taken them from the league’s seventh worst record to the third worst, which matters a lot, because they don’t have to send their first round pick to Philly if it lands in the top three.
This week: vs. DEN, @ WAS, @ BOS
30) Brooklyn Nets
Record: 9-38
Pace: 104.1 (1) OffRtg: 101.6 (28) DefRtg: 110.0 (29) NetRtg: -8.3 (30)
The Nets are running away with the worst record in the league, having gone 5-33 since starting the season 4-5. One bright spot has been rookie Caris LeVert (the guy they traded Thaddeus Young for), who has averaged 16.7 points and 4.3 assists per 36 minutes, shooting 53 percent (20-for-23 in the restricted area), over his last 11 games. The Nets haven’t been so bad (minus-2.3 points per 100 possessions) with him on the floor in that stretch and are a plus-4.8 points per 100 possessions in 255 minutes with LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on the floor together this season.
This week: @ MIA, vs. NYK, vs. IND, vs. TOR
