1. Boston Celtics (43-12)

Ho hum, the C’s have won 13 of the last 16 games, including a current 6-game winning streak with a 50-point annihilation of the Nets as the most recent victory.

At the All-Star Break, the Celtics have the No. 1 offense and the No. 3 defense, still good for the No. 1 net rating in the NBA by a wide margin.

The biggest Big-3 in the league? Tatum (27.1), JB (22.0) and Porzingis (20.2) are averaging a very nice 69 points a night.
Porzingis’ shooting range and defensive reach continue to put the C’s over the top. The value of his health cannot be overstated.
The C’s did bring in a little big-man insurance at the trade deadline by way of Xavier Tillman. They also added Jaden Springer, a 21-year-old known for his defensive prowess. Smart moves along the edges could always be the difference.

After a trip to Chicago on Thursday night, the Celtics will play four straight nationally televised games, starting at MSG, then back to TD Garden for the Sixers, Mavs and Warriors.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-17)

The Cavs have been SCORCHING HOT, winning an absurd 18 of the last 20 games.

Over that 20-game stretch, the Cavs have the No. 3 offense and No. 1 defense in the NBA, a ridiculous 15.1 net rating that’s even better than the Celtics’ mark.

Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen held it down while Garland and Mobley both missed huge chunks of time. D. Mitch handled the scoring and facilitating while Jarrett Allen was the Cavs’ rock on the interior.
Garland and Mobley have filled in nicely back into the Cavs rotation. Garland hasn’t shot the ball well since his return but Mobley has, which really opens up everything for Cleveland’s offense.
Speaking of shooting the ball well, holy SAM MERRILL, currently shooting 44 percent from 3 on 5.3 attempts per game for the season. Merrill already has five games of 5+ made 3s and two games with eight.

While it is hard to shake last year’s first-round beatdown by the Knicks when thinking about the Cavs in the playoffs, teams always have to get their playoff battles and scars before they can really flourish.

3. Milwaukee Bucks (35-21)

The Doc Rivers experience has gotten off to a rocky start in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 3-7 with Doc at the helm, most recently losing on national TV to the zombie Grizzlies as -900 favorites.

Even so, we would rather have Doc on the sideline than Adrian Griffin. [insert skull emoji]

The losing certainly is not on Giannis, who continues to do everything for the Bucks on a nightly basis.
It’s Dame who has been streaky on offense and leaky on defense. The Bucks’ point-of-attack defense has been dreadful. Maybe Dame’s All-Star weekend show out will get him going.
Middleton’s health is a big X-factor here. Can he consistently get to 30 minutes a game while staying on the court?

The Bucks have the third hardest remaining schedule according to tankathon.com with a West Coast Cali road trip in the middle of March looking most daunting: at Golden State, at Lakers, at Clippers and at Sacramento.

4. New York Knicks (33-22)

The red-hot OG Anunoby era in The Big Apple came to a screeching halt with injuries to both OG and Julius Randle. The Knicks have lost four in a row going into the break.

The Knicks were active at the trade deadline, however, bringing in Bojan Bodganovic and old boy Alec Burks to bolster the Knicks’ veteran depth.
Jalen Brunson is a most deserved first-time All-Star, averaging 27.6 points per game, taking his leap from last season to a new level with increased usage and consistent efficiency.
Without OG and Randle, Donte DiVincenzo went on a recent scoring rampage to help lighten Brunson’s load, averaging 26.5 points per game over an 8-game stretch, doubling his points per game average on the season. It helps that the Big Ragu was taking 13 3-point attempts a night, but still: he was drilling five of them.

Anunoby and Randle are both expected to return before the end of the month. It will be difficult to get a read on the Knicks’ chances at a playoff run with their new roster until then.

5. Miami Heat (30-25)

The Heat are lurking, right where they want to be, still under the radar and waiting to strike come playoff time. Over the last two weeks, the Heat have the No. 3 defense in the league and have won 6 of the last 8 games.

Bam is the lone Heat All-Star this year, a fill-in starter for injured Embiid. Bam hasn’t missed a game since mid-December and is quietly averaging 20 and 10. Jimmy has missed his usual amount of time and it’s all about having a healthy Jimmy Butler in April and May. (And June…)
Jaime Jaquez deserves more love as an outstanding rookie. When Juan Wick plays more than 32 minutes per game, the Heat are 17-8.
Terry Rozier is in South Beach now. He has yet to really find his footing yet, but Scary Terry seems like a perfect addition to latest line of Heat Culture.

The Heat start their post All-Star break by finishing up a Western road trip: at New Orleans, at Sacramento, at Portland and at Denver. Then it’s back to the shores of Biscayne Bay for the Jazz and Pistons.

6. Indiana Pacers (31-25)

Since acquiring Pascal Siakam, the Pacers have been rather hit or miss, but it’s important to remember that Haliburton was out upon his arrival and on a limits restriction for several games.

The small sample size with Siakam and Hali is just what we thought: another weapon for Haliburton in transition with Siakam thriving with dunks and layups. Something to monitor: Siakam taking away too many shot attempts from Haliburton…
Aaron Nesmith’s season deserves more praise. The dude is shooting 45 percent from 3! Eric Collins could also be heard recently yelling: “Aaron Nesmith’s body is chiseled out of granite!”
Buddy Hield is gone, but Doug McDermott is back. It just feels right that Dougie McBuckets is an Indiana Pacer. (But it also feels like the Pacers could have gotten a lot more for Hield…)

The Pacers are currently 6th in the East standings with just a half-game lead on the Magic and Heat.

7. Orlando Magic (30-25)

If you’re not hip to A. the Orlando Magic song and B. how fun this team actually is, then you are both living under a rock and really missing out. The Magic have won 7 of the last 10 and that catchy tune keeps on playing.

Paolo and Franz have been trading huge scoring games. No, really — Paolo has two 36-point games and Franz has had three games of 34+ points (34, 36 and 38) in the last two weeks. Talk about two young studs.
Jalen Suggs has also been turning up as of late, really dialing in his 3-ball. Suggs is shooting 38 percent from 3 on the season, that’s after 32 percent last year and 21 percent as a rookie. That’s some serious progress and it makes all the difference to this offense.
On the other side of the ball, Jonathan Isaac has played some incredible defense down the stretch of games, most notably against the T-Wolves in Minnesota a couple weeks back. Isaac put on a defensive clinic in crunch time, helping lead the Magic to a huge win on the road.

The Magic have the No. 1 easiest remaining schedule according to tankathon.com, including two dates with the Pistons in the next two weeks.

8. Philadelphia 76ers (32-22)

Since Jan. 24, the Sixers are 3-9 with a net rating only better than the Hornets and Raptors.

The ship here has been SINKING.

Of course, it all went downhill as soon as Embiid went down and out with his meniscus injury that required surgery. Embiid was having an unbelievable MVP-campaign season before going down and the Sixers are toast without him.
Amidst the staggering free fall, we cannot let Tyrese Maxey’s sensational 51-point performance in Utah get swept under the rug. Maxey drilled 7-of-9 3s to carry the Sixers to one of their few recent wins. It was Maxey’s second 50-point game of the season.
Fresh new Sixer Buddy Hield has been having some big games at the start of his Philly tenure. It’s only been four games, but Hield has scored 20+ and made at least four 3s in each game. He’s the type of lethal shooter that you want to surround Embiid with.

The upcoming schedule after All-Star for the Sixers is brutal: Knicks, Cavs, Bucks and at Boston. There is also a looming West Coast gauntlet of a road trip waiting in late March, too. Gulp.

9. Chicago Bulls (26-29)

The Bulls are… the same ole Bulls: incredibly mediocre and doing nothing to get off that treadmill.

To do nothing at the trade deadline once again was madness.

Coby White’s game (and his hair) grab the lead line here once again. White now has 27 games of 20+ points after only three all of last season. His ascension looks more real by the day.
LaVine is done for the rest of the season after foot surgery. His future in Chicago is murky to say the least. It seems like the right time for both parties to move on.
That leaves DeRozan and his upcoming free agency as another question. DeRozan can still ball, but what are you gaining by running back the same Bulls season over and over? The Bulls really should have cashed in on their chips while they still had them…

Can we reiterate: No team in the league needs more of a reset button than the Bulls.

10. Atlanta Hawks (24-31)

The Hawks crashed into the All-Star Break with back-to-back losses to the Bulls and Hornets.

It’s pretty much business as usual for the worst team against the spread of all time.

Trae Young’s scoring has dipped lately but his big assist games remain a constant as he leads the league in total assists by a country mile.
Dejounte Murray is still ATL… for now — we have seen a large enough sample size of the Trae-Dejounte backcourt to be fine with not seeing any more of it. It’s not the worst, but it’s certainly not going anywhere.
Jalen Johnson on the other hand continues to impress as a bouncy rim runner and high flyer. Okongwu also held it down as Capela missed time recently. Let the youngin’s loose.

The Hawks do have a favorable schedule out of the post-All-Star gate, including the Raptors, Jazz and Nets twice in their first five games.

11. Brooklyn Nets (21-33)

The Nets are currently the next team up outside of the play-in, just 2.5 games back of the Hawks.

Should they go for it? Eh… That’s all you really need to know.

Cam Thomas is averaging 17 shot attempts per game and honestly it feels too low. Just let him chuck it, man.
The Nets did trade one of their redundant pieces at the deadline, sending Royce O’Neal to the desert. Dinwiddie was also sent packing once again. Dennis Schroder is here!
And… Ben Simmons is playing basketball? It’s true, Simmons has played 6 of the last 9 games. Say what you will about Ben Simmons, but he always raises the level of intrigue for any game he’s involved in.

The Nets first-round pick is headed to Houston, so there is no tanking incentive here. Something to keep in mind over the last two months of the season.

12. Charlotte Hornets (13-41)

The new-look post-trade deadline Hornets are reinvigorated, frisky and seriously so much fun.

It’s been a radical 180 with a 10-game losing streak immediately turning into a 3-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Break.

The hometown kids are HOME. Seth Curry and Grant Williams have made a triumphant return to Charlotte, providing shooting and spacing off the bench. And there is no denying that Grant Williams has brought some attitude to Uptown.
The Thunder castaways — Tre Mann, Davis Bertans and Micic — have also fit in very nicely. Tre Mann has flourished and flirted with triple-doubles while Micic keeps the ball moving and sets up plays like the 30-year-old vet that he is.
The influx of new energy has set off Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges in the best way. Miller has turned a rookie corner and Bridges scored back-to-back 40-point games a couple of weeks back.

It took until mid-February for the Hornets to get their first non-clutch win of the season. It just goes to show what good vibes, team chemistry and a spirited locker room can do for a squad. As Eric Collins would say: The proof is in the pudding!

13. Toronto Raptors (16-25)

Since Jan. 8, the only team in the NBA to lose more games than the Toronto Raptors is the Washington Wizards. The Raptors are 4-15 over that span with numerous blowout losses. The tank has finally arrived north of the border.

RJ Barrett is putting up numbers. The best of which is his field goal percentage on 2s, a crisp 61.3 percent.
The key is to not take away too much from Scottie Barnes’ development. The first-time All-Star is averaging 18/6/6 with Barrett and Quickley in town — good splits but his scoring has dropped.
Quickley is great in spurts, however, 32+ minutes per game can be… too much tuna and detrimental to winning. In other words, just what the tank doctor ordered.

The Raptors are actually only five games back from the play-in, but we know they have their sights set on getting closer to the bottom. Their first-round pick goes to the Spurs if it’s not in the top-6.

14. Detroit Pistons (8-46)

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pistons are out of the power ranks cellar for the first time this season!

DETROITTTTT BASKETBALLLLL.

But seriously, the Pistons recently won two games in a row (!!) and don’t forget that they beat the Thunder on that random Sunday afternoon.
They finally cashed in on the trade chip that was Bojan Bogdanovic. They also sent Killian Hayes to the STREETS.
Let Cade cook. Ivey, too. Ivey’s been hot. And Jalen Duren has had some monster games. Are… the Pistons frisky!?

Mark your calendars: Wed., March 13: Raptors. Friday, March 29: at Washington. And the last game of the season is down in San Antonio. Folks, we could be in store for some tanktastic magic.

15. Washington Wizards (9-45)

The Wizards have lost 8 in a row and guess how many wins they have this season against opponents with an above .500 record… One. The answer is one. That’s also how many games the Wizards are currently “ahead” of the Pistons who set the longest losing streak in NBA history.

Shoutout to Deni Avdija who is fresh off pouring in a career-high 43 points in the last game before the break. Go off, Deni.
Wizards legend Daniel Gafford is gone and Marvin Bagley is IN. This is how you TANK.
All of this and Johnny Davis still can’t get any playing time. The dude was drafted over JALEN WILLIAMS.

Of course, the year that the Wizards bottom completely out, the draft is regarded as mild at best. But it’s only a matter of time until the draft nerds start getting excited about God knows who.

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New Power Rankings dropping every month.

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