1. Boston Celtics (32-9)

The Celtics’ slurpage seems to have cooled down recently. And yet, the C’s have the No. 3 offense, No. 2 defense and the No. 1 net rating at 10.0 — oh, and they are a perfect 20-0 at home.

Tatum is shooting the ball a little bit less this season and it’s fair to wonder if he has a monster post-All Star and postseason run in him. Or has he given up that notion for the greater good of the team?
Jaylen Brown is also shooting less, but he has had some huge games recently, four 30+ point outings in a 5-game stretch.
A stat that’s not talked enough about with the Celtics: No. 1 in the NBA in blocks per game. Porzingis, White and Horford are all averaging at least 1 per game.

The Celtics’ perfect home record gets put to the test in a big way on Friday night with the defending champion Nuggets rolling into Beantown.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (26-13)

The Sixers have won three in a row, most notably a massive win over the Nuggets on Tuesday night on the second night of a back-to-back. They also weathered the storm of Embiid missing seven games after Christmas.

Philly went 3-4 over that stretch and was mighty glad to see JoJo back in the lineup for both the Rockets and Nuggets wins to start the week. Embiid dropped 41 points in both and his unreal run of 16 straight 30-10 games was absolutely absurd. As our his numbers this season, a step up from his MVP campaign of last year.
When Embiid was out, it was Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris leading the way for the Sixers. Maxey’s averaging the most minutes per game in the league at 37.6 and Harris already has 16 games of at least 20+ points compared to 18 all of last season.
Clippers’ castaways Niocolas Batum and Marcus Morris are both still shooting over 40 percent from 3. Actually, they are both still shooting above 44 percent from 3 (!!).

The Sixers are 16-6 at home and 10-7 on the road, where 7 of the next 8 games will take place: at Orlando, at Charlotte, home for the Spurs, at Indiana, at Denver, at Portland, at Golden State and at Utah.

3. Milwaukee Bucks (28-13)

The Bucks are fresh off getting throttled by the Cavs in Cleveland on Wednesday night, but the game before that was the Dame Time walk-off buzzer beater to beat the Kings in OT. And let’s not be quick to forget their shellacking of the Celtics on TNT last Thursday night.

Giannis is currently shooting above 60 percent from the field, something he has never done in is his career. He’s also shooting the fewest 3s since 2015-16 before he was an All-Star.
Leave the 3s to Dame. And Malik Beasley, currently the No. 1 3-point shooter in the NBA based on high-volume percentage.
Going back to Dame, when he scores 25+ points, the Bucks are 19-2. In all other games, they are 9-11.

The Bucks are rocking the No. 2 offense in the NBA, but the No. 22 defense. They are 19-4 at home and 9-9 on the road. They have two more on the road in Detroit before heading back home for two straight against Cleveland, a chance to redeem themselves from Wednesday night’s embarrassment.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (24-15)

The shorthanded Cavs are RED HOT, winners of 6 in a row and 11 of the last 14, rocking the No. 1 defense in the NBA over the last two weeks. The latest being a 40-point beatdown of the Bucks at The Rock.

With Garland and Mobley out, the Cavs no longer have an overlap problem and the roles are more clearly defined. Donovan Mitchell runs the show on offense and Jarrett Allen is the defensive anchor, everything else fills in around them.
Shoutout to Georges Niang, fresh off the best game of his career, dropping 33 points on the Bucks by way of 13-of-14 shooting (!!) from the field.
Sam Merrill also deserves a shoutout, added to the rotation as another sniper and floor spacer, currently shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.

The Cavs are 15-8 at home and 9-7 on the road. The next four are all away from The Rock: at Atlanta, at Orlando and then two at Milwaukee.

5. New York Knicks (24-17)

The OG Anunoby era in The Big Apple has gotten off to a great start: 5-0 off the rip and 7-2 over the first nine games. The Knicks’ defense has already had a huge turnaround from after Mitchell Robinson went down, the No. 2 defense in the NBA over the last two weeks.

The top line here goes to… Isaiah Hartenstein! He has stepped up in the biggest way with Mitch Rob out. Over the last seven games, Hartenstein is averaging 9.6 points and 15 rebounds a game. Dayum!
Julius Randle’s 3-point shot has not been there this season (28.6 percent, woof), but at least he’s shooting less of them (3 less attempts per game this season) and he’s still averaging close to his career-high in points. More 2s, Julius!
Don’t sleep on the acquisition of Precious Achiuwa in the Anunoby deal. The Knicks really needed another big who can do a little bit of everything and Achiuwa fits that bill.

The Knicks are 12-5 at home and 12-12 away from MSG. 10 of the next 12 games are at MSG as the Knicks will look to make a run before the upcoming All-Star Break.

6. Miami Heat (24-17)

The Heat continue to fly under the radar, just minding their own business while being right in the mix in the East. They are fresh off getting stomped by the new-look Siakam-less Raptors, but the Heat didn’t have their stud rookie, JUAN WICK.

Jaime Jaquez suffered a left groin injury on Sunday night and the Heat have missed him dearly, considering that he’s No. 4 on the team in both points and minutes per game.
Jaquez stepped up with Jimmy Butler missing a big chunk of games over the last month (shocker). And it’s Bam who, of course, remains the backbone to this team, both defensively and in minutes played.
Tyler Herro is sneakily shooting 41 percent from 3 on high volume of 8 attempts per game. That would actually be by far a career-high.

The Heat are a perfect 9-0 in their division, which gets put to the test Friday night against the Hawks and then Sunday night in Orlando. A 3-game national TV stretch awaits next week: Celtics, at MSG and back to the Kaseya Center for the Suns.

7. Indiana Pacers (23-17)

Welp, the Pacers did it. They pulled the trigger on the Pascal Siakam trade on Wednesday, sending Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three 1st-round picks north of the border to swing for the fences.

The Hali-Siakam 2-man game will be nice. Siakam thrives in transition with dunks and layups and we know the Pacers love to run and gun like no other. Another weapon for Hali in transition, get your popcorn ready.
This team still has eight players averaging double figures: Hali (23.6), Turner (17.2), Mathurin (14.6), Hield (12.7), Nesmith (11.8), Toppin (11.6), Jalen Smith (10.1) and now Siakam taking the place of Bruce Brown.
Indy is still No. 1 in assists per game at 31.0, so it will be interesting to see how that number fares with Spicy P in the mix.

The Pacers are 13-8 at home and 10-9 on the road. It’s a 3-game West roadie (at Sac, at Portland and at Phoenix) before returning home for a gauntlet: Nuggets, Sixers and Suns.

8. Orlando Magic (22-19)

The Magic have been ravaged by injuries, but the zombie Magic keep on fighting. However, their 3-7 record over the last 10 games isn’t pretty.

Banchero has been nothing short of sensational. He’s had to pick up the slack with Franz Wagner out. The good news is that Franz should return soon.
Wendell Carter Jr. back in the mix is a welcomed sight. WCJ has only played 15 games this season due to left hand surgery but now he’s back in the lineup.
Jalen Suggs deserves his flowers for being a high-energy and hustle player to the max, always willing to put everything on the line. As the kids say, he’s got that dawg in him.

The Magic are 13-5 at home and 9-14 on the road. A very consistent theme across the league. The next three are back down in Orlando but against some tough East foes: Sixers, Heat and Cavs.

9. Chicago Bulls (19-23)

The Bulls are currently four games below .500 and the No. 9 seed in the East, set for another play-in elimination game if the season ended today. It’s important to remember that they started the season 5-14 before flipping the switch, a 14-9 record over the last 23 games.

Coby White already has 18 games of 20+ points after having just three such games last season. Talk about a leap.
The Bulls record with Zach LaVine is 9-15. Without him? 10-8. It sure seems like the Bulls are better off parting ways with LaVine who would be more than happy to bounce.
Shoutout to Andre Drummond who put in WORK when Vooch recently missed a stretch of time. Big Drumm had six games of 15+ rebounds during a 2-week stretch after Christmas, reminding the world of his rebounding prowess.

The Bulls are 13-10 at home and 6-13 on the road. Five of the next six games are away from Chi-town: at Toronto, home for the Grizz, at Phoenix, at Lakers and at Portland.

10. Atlanta Hawks (17-23) prev rank 10

The Hawks have won 3 of the last 5, however, since Dec. 1, Atlanta is just 8-14 with the No. 25 net rating over that span as trade rumors continue to swirl.

After an inefficient start to the season, Trae Young has really turned it around, especially defensively where he’s been playing with strong effort and hustle.
Despite the trade rumors, Dejounte Murray is fresh off hitting a buzzer-beater against the Magic on Wednesday night. Most teams would be jumping for joy to add a 21-5-5 guy shooting 38 percent from 3. But the Hawks could use some more roster balance.
Having Jalen Johnson back in the mix helps this offense and defense immensely. The Hawks are 13-13 with Johnson in the lineup and 4-10 without him.

The Hawks are a rare team that’s pretty much the same at home (8-11) as they are on the road (9-12). They are also the worst team against the spread in the last 30 years. Beware!

11. Toronto Raptors (16-25)

This was it. This was the season that Masai finally pulled the plug on the Siakam-Anunoby Raptors, bringing in RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown and all those first-round draft picks.

Barrett and Quickley have played well North of the border, free from the reigns of Thibs and Julius Randle. Run free lads, run free.
This new iteration and brand of Raptors basketballin’ is fun to watch, aesthetically pleasing with speed and ball movement. They do lack size, though, especially with Siakam now gone.
The last vestige of the NBA Champion Toronto Raptors? Chris Boucher!

The Raps are .500 at home (10-10) and 6-15 on the road. Three of the next four are at home before a long 6-game road trip.

12. Brooklyn Nets (16-24)

Things have gone south in Brooklyn. They got hot after Thanksgiving, but since Dec. 14, the Nets are 3-14, a record only better than the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets over that stretch. And two of those three wins came against the Pistons. But the other W was against the Thunder. Go figure.

What has gone wrong for the Nets? They just have a lack of firepower, something you have to have to compete in today’s game on a nightly basis.
It’s also safe to say that Mikal Bridges is miscast as your No. 1 option. He’s a solid No. 3 or great No. 4, but nowhere close to a No. 1 dude. And don’t get it twisted, Bridges is a fantastic player. But he’s also shooting 34 percent from 3, his worst mark since his rookie season.
Lonnie Walker missed a chunk of time and his absence was notable. The Nets are 10-11 with Walker and 6-13 without him in the lineup. And Ben Simmons has only played 6 games all season…

The Nets are .500 at Barclays (10-10) and 6-14 on the road. The next two are in LA for the Lakers and Clippers, and then it’s back home for five straight: Knicks, T-Wolves, Rockets, Jazz and Suns.

13. Charlotte Hornets (8-29)

For as bad as the Pistons have been, people are not talking enough about the Hornets being 1-17 in their last 18 games… And trying to watch the Hornets game on Wednesday night without Eric Collins on the call (out with an illness) was like trying to breathe without air!

The good news is that LaMelo has returned, scoring 28, 21 and 29 points in his first three games back.
Miles Bridges is quietly back up to averaging 20 points per game, although LaMelo missing nearly six weeks in addition to the litany of other injuries has had everything to do with that.
If you’ve been deep in the trenches of the Hornets this season (like us), then you know all too well about some WHO HE!? characters Nathan Mensah, Leaky Black and Amari Bailey. (But if you watch college ball, you know all about them anyway.)

The Hornets look to end their current 6-game losing streak against the Spurs in Uptown on Friday night, avenging a 36-point loss down in San An last week. Charlotte also has a trip up to D-Town next Wednesday night.

14. Washington Wizards (7-32)

The Wizards recently whooped the Hawks by 28 and then proceeded to lose to the lowly Pistons by 12… so Wizards. The worst defense in the association now lies in our nation’s capital.

Kuzma was asking for it with his “dont be that team” Pistons tweet, giving them bulletin-board material. And it’s not like the Wizards are that much better with just three more wins.
TRADE ALERT, TRADE ALERT: Marvin Bagley, Welcome to D.C! The same goes for you, Isaiah Livers. So long, Rooster and Moose.
Shoutout to Daniel Gafford, top 10 in the NBA in total blocks.

Mark your calendars: The rematch with the Pistons is set for Saturday, Jan. 27. The Wiz also have the Spurs twice in the next two weeks. The battle of the TANKS.

15. Detroit Pistons (4-37)

The losing streak ended at 28 games, tying the NBA record, but it was the record for a single season. But it’s more than past the Pistons now, who also beat the Wizards by 12 on Monday.

It’s like they say: tweet shit about the Pistons, you best not miss.
How many different leading scorers have the Pistons already had the season? That would be nine. NINE. Cade, Bogdanovic, Ivey, Duren, Burks, Wiseman, King Killian, Knox, Umude (WHO HE!?) and Pistons’ legend Marvin Bagley.
Bagley and the hometown kid, Isiah Livers, are out so that Gallinari and Muscala are in. But the second line of Woj’s piece says it all: “The deal unloads $12.5 million in Bagley's guaranteed money for 2024-25 off the books for the Pistons.”

The Pistons have both the Hornets and Wizards over the next two weeks on this season’s TANK WARS.

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