Eastern Conference Power Rankings: Early April Edition

1. Nets (35-16) — prev. rank #2

Harden was playing some serious MVP-level ball prior to tweaking his hammy. It’s concerning that he re-injured it in the first quarter Monday night, and the Nets will likely proceed with caution. Speaking of, we haven’t seen KD play in an NBA game since February 13th. He is supposedly going to play again soon, possibly this week, and while we are all for being extra cautious, at some point these guys are going to need to play together. There are a lot of new faces. The buyouts, Blake and LMA, have looked useful in their Nets uniforms so far. Were they washed in their previous roles as #1 or #2 options making 30 and 20 times as much money as they are now? Yes, they were. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be helpful in much smaller roles as far down as the #5 option when even on the court at all. It’s obviously going to help playing with Harden, Kyrie, KD and even Joe Harris. The Beard and Uncle Drew will feed them easy buckets and they can always kick it out to KD or Joey H for 3. Even if we are still skeptical of Brooklyn’s defense (specifically the interior D and rim protection), we can’t discount how well the Nets have played, 11-3 since the All-Star break, all without Durant. And when the Nets keep opponents under 113 points, they are a staggering 19-1.

2. Sixers (34-16) — prev. rank #1

In those ten games that Embiid missed, the Sixers went 7-3 with the three losses being to the Bucks, Clippers and Nuggets. The Sixers defense actually improved over that 2-week stretch to a staunch defensive rating of 101.7, more than 5 points per 100 possessions better than their current mark of 107.2 for the season. Philly’s leading scorer sans Embiid was primarily Tobias Harris, as expected, but Shake Milton, Danny Green and even the rookie Tyrese Maxey finished games with the most points scored. (Pop quiz: How many games this season has Ben Simmons led the 76ers in points? The answer is a surprising two times. TWICE.) This is all to say that what we have here is a T-E-A-M with a strong defensive foundation that should bode well when it’s needed most in the playoffs. The Sixers still very much prefer playing at home with a 20-5 record at Wells Fargo and a 14-11 record away. Makes you wonder if they might take chasing the #1 seed a little bit more seriously than most. A fun wrinkle is that the Nets home and away record is almost identical: 21-6 at Barclays and 14-10 away.

3. Bucks (32-17) — prev. rank #3

Milwaukee has signed Jrue Holiday to a $135 million extension over the next four years (with incentive bonuses that could see it go as high as $160 million), so the Bucks Big 3 is set. Holiday has been everything the Bucks hoped and dreamed he would be. In crunch time, he’s a playmaker and shotmaker they had been lacking on offense, and he is still a premier perimeter defender. The Bucks are 27-11 with Holiday in the lineup and 5-6 without him. Giannis won’t win the MVP for a third straight year due to voter fatigue, but he is putting up ridiculous numbers yet again. He’s averaging a career-high in assists and everything else across the board is on par with last season. The Bucks play at the second fastest pace in the NBA, and their offense is just a shade behind the Nets (117.2 vs. 116.4 rating) while also sporting a top-10 defense that has improved dramatically from the first month of the season. It sure seems like the Bucks would rather fly under the radar going into the playoffs rather than having heavy-set expectations on the moon.

4. Heat (26-24) — prev. rank #5

The Heat won four in a row after the All-Star break against a soft schedule and then proceeded to lose six straight, all to teams that should make the playoffs (or at least the play-in). The Heat have regained their footing since then, winning four more in a row and now with a new-look roster that features Oladipo, Ariza and Bjelica. This offense as a whole has still yet to find its rhythm, but Dipo can be a spark when he’s not trying to do too much, and Bjelica offers shooting and spacing to replace Olynyk. Watching some Heat games with Miami’s swarming defense and sluggish offense has been like getting into a time machine to the 90’s, final scores of 94-80, 89-85 and 92-87 over the last month. The reason why nobody wants to face the Heat in the playoffs is because the Heat are still very much built for the postseason. They’re tough, and they still have Jimmy Butler, Bam and Spo. Expect the Heat to level up down the stretch when it matters most.

5. Hawks (26-24) — prev. rank #10

Nate McMillan has turned this ship around, 12-4 since taking over, but let’s not forget that this roster finally got to full health. Except now John Collins is out for a week and Hunter has been hurt again, not to mention that Reddish is still weeks away after a non-surgical procedure on his Achilles on March 8th. The Rondo Experiment was a failure, but it turned into Lou Williams who can still get some Sweet Lou buckets off the bench as always. Bogdanovic and Gallo are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time, and the Hawks offense is up to 6th in efficiency since the All-Star break. The defense has been better lately, too, middle of the road at 14th compared to their 22nd rank on the season. Clint Capela deserves a lot of credit, offering rim protection and size the Hawks did not previously have. It would be quite the accomplishment for Atlanta to finish in the top 6 of the East (currently 4th) and avoid the play-in after being 14th last season.

6. Celtics (25-25) — prev. rank #4

For as unlucky as the Celtics have been this season (Kemba’s knee, protocol problems, Marcus Smart’s injury, Danny Ainge as the GM), the C’s recently caught a break, getting to play Charlotte without Hayward or LaMelo and even Monk. We clamored in this space a month ago that things would be different when the Celtics got their onion back, but Marcus Smart has not been very good since returning from injury, and the Celtics have remained consistently inconsistent with an offense that’s trending upward (8th since the All-Star break) and a defense that’s trending downward (18th). Despite his rocky start, Fournier should ultimately aid this team, but this roster seemed like it needed a real jolt at the deadline and they remain unjolted. That said, we did get to see Romeo Langford play for the first time all season on Saturday night. Perhaps the jolt can be organic from within.

7. Hornets (25-24) — prev. rank #6

If we had put together these power rankings last week, the Hornets would probably be as high as 4th, but the injury bug has arrived at the most inopportune time. Hayward’s foot sprain and missing of four weeks is a detrimental blow on top of LaMelo already being out, and Monk is supposed to miss two weeks as well with a sprained ankle. When it rains, it pours. Hayward is pivotal to the Hornets offense, and between Hayward, LaMelo and Monk, the Hornets will be missing almost 50 points per game, but don’t expect our beloved Hornets to just roll over, no way. The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the league in the clutch this season. That’s Terry Time! Rozier in the 4th quarter is cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. He’s got gravel in his guts. (Eric Collins is the absolute BEST.) We foresee more 3’s for Devonte Graham, cause why not? And let’s give P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges more usage, too. Oh, and Waterburger to the rescue!?

8. Knicks (25-26) — prev. rank #8

Why is it so hard to believe in the Knicks? Cause they are the Knicks! They have been sliding recently, too, losing four out of the last five games. But the Knicks defense is still very real and does not appear to be going anywhere. Also real is the improvement from R.J. Barrett who seems to be making more and more timely buckets. The Mitchell Robinson fractured foot injury sucks. Did you know that Nerlens Noel is 4th in the league in blocks per game? Speaking of blocks, the Knicks have picked up Norvel Pelle, somebody we previously thought could help the Nets. D-Rose’s shooting numbers are free falling, and we still wish Thibs would give more of his minutes to Quickley. When Quickley makes 3 or more three-pointers in a game, the Knicks are 8-6.

9. Pacers (22-26) — prev. rank #9

The Pacers weathered the storm that was their brutal opening 2nd half of the season schedule. A recent three-game slide was followed by a classic pesky Pacers OT win in San Antonio without Sabonis, Brogdon or Jeremy Lamb. T.J. Warren is officially done for the season after undergoing foot surgery, which leaves us asking why he waited until late March to have the surgery when he hadn’t played since December 29th… LeVert’s arrival to the lineup has yielded janky results with a high ceiling but low floor. His style is a little more iso-laden than your typical Pacers unit, but his scoring is beneficial nevertheless. LeVert shoots a lot, but he can fill it up. The good news is that the Pacers have the second easiest schedule the rest of the way.

10. Raptors (20-30) — prev. rank #7

How many games did the Raptors win during the entire month of March? A startling one game. ONE! Maybe Gary Trent’s buzzer beater on Monday night can get the Raptors back on track. Come to think of it, Toronto is actually undefeated in April (2-0), and there was the 53-point shellacking they handed the Warriors, letting out all of their March demons at once. Siakam has sure appeared extra spicy lately. Oh, Kyle Lowry is still here! Who leads the Raptors in Win Shares this season? Yup, Chris Boucher (!!) despite only averaging 23 minutes per game. Boucher has started five games this season, and the Raptors are 4-1, including the last two.

11. Bulls (20-28) — prev. rank #11

The Vooch Trade accelerated the timeline for a team on the play-in fringe. It can take some time for players to gel, so we wouldn’t read too much into the 0-4 start with Vooch that included losses to four current Western Conference playoff teams. A five-game road trip beginning tonight will be crucial with every game counting more and more from here on out. If you have not tuned into Bulls games since the deadline, we will give you the heads up that #44 is Pat Willy, rookie Pat Williams who let Vooch have his #9. We mentioned the 0-4 start, but Vooch is still scoring 20+ in the Windy City like he was in Orlando. The two-man game with LaVine, flanked by Pat Willy, Coby White and Markkanen is a lineup we look forward to seeing develop.

12. Cavs (18-32) — prev. rank #13

Woah now… the Cavs… the Cavs are 3 games back from the play-in!? And according to tankathon.com, they have the easiest remaining schedule. And guess who is back just in time? Kevin Love! He still plays basketball. A 24-point beatdown of the Spurs (without Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance) saw Garland score a career-high 37 points, and this rendition of the Cavs reminded us of the beginning of the season version that looked like a potential young surprise team. The defense has improved after some fatal regression in February. Yet it’s the offense that’s been last in the NBA in efficiency for pretty much the entire season.

13. Wizards (17-32) — prev. rank #12

Westbrook had the renowned 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds triple-double in a big win against the Pacers, and he’s averaging a triple-double for the season (again, this will be his fourth time) — both are commendable, but the problem is that the Wizards stink. They are 13th in the East now, a half game behind the Cavs and only a half game in front of the Magic! They’ve been without Bradley Beal for a week, currently on a four-game losing streak and with a 3-15 record since the All-Star break. The play-in is slipping away, but this season is so wild that they still have a chance, 3.5 games back from 10th place. Rui Hachimura, the Japanese Jordan himself, had some very impressive performances before a recent shoulder injury has sidelined him a couple of games.

14. Magic (17-33) — prev. rank #14

The post trade deadline Vooch-less, Gordon-less and Fournier-less new-look Magic have sure been a lot more feisty than we thought. Color us surprised after Magic W’s against the Clippers and Pelicans, and with an 18-point lead at halftime Sunday night in Denver. Yes, there was the obliteration handed to them by the Jazz, but those kinds of nights are going to happen to teams like this. It can benefit Wendell Carter Jr. down the road to be The Guy for a while. R.J. Hampton is absolutely somebody to keep an eye on. And don’t forget about Chuma Okeke!

15. Pistons (15-35) — prev. rank #15

The Pistons are 3-2 over their last five games which ties their best five-game stretch of the season. A 43-point embarrassment of a loss at home to the Knicks was followed by a Jerami Grant and Hami Diallo revenge game over the Thunder on Monday night. Speaking of revenge games, Grant gets his first shot at Denver tonight after the first game was postponed. Jerami Grant is low-key one of the best drivers in the league, putting his shoulder down and plowing through people, and it helps that he can make his free throws at 86 percent. It’s really nice to see Killian Hayes back out on the court after being on the shelf for 3 months. Since the All-Star game, the Pistons actually have the 11th best defense in the league.

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