1. Minnesota Timberwolves (39-16)

With the best defense in the league this entire season, that’s how the T-Wolves have the best record in the West at the All-Star Break.

Since Feb. 1, the T-Wolves have also had a top-5 offense. Against an easy schedule, yes, but scoring 120.7 per 100 is solid any way you slice it.

Ant-Man’s scoring has risen ever since KAT’s 62-point performance in that loss to the Hornets at home. Ant has scored 30+ points in half the games since then. The offense should always run through Ant-Man as the primary option.
But KAT deserves major flowers for being the floor-spacing knockdown 3-point shooting big man that he is. 43.7 percent from 3 on 5 attempts per game is just what they need. And even more so: KAT has only missed one game all season.
Props are also in order to head coach Chris Finch for unlocking the twin towers lineups that are working with Gobert anchoring this defense, and also for using Naz Reid as an underrated stealth and incredibly important 6th man.

The Wolves get to start their post-All-Star run with a 7-game homestand, followed by a 6-game road trip. A crazy schedule that does include some softies at home: Nets, Spurs, Grizzlies and Blazers. Minnesota is 16-5 vs. below .500 opponents.

2. Los Angeles Clippers (36-17)

The Clips did have a couple of hiccups recently, losing to the Wolves and Pelicans at home, and we are noticing a trend that they tend to struggle against teams with size. But the Clip Show does still have the best record in the West since Dec. 1 with a top-3 offense for the season.

Kawhi, PG and Harden have all played at least 48 games this season, immense progress for a trio prone to missing time. Kawhi didn’t play in their most recent game against the Warriors in Golden State, an impressive comeback Clippers win.
Here’s a fun fact: Paul George has now made the most 3s in Clippers history, passing the one and only Eric Piatkowski, who was a Clipper for NINE years. This is PG’s fifth season in LA.
Norm Powell and Westbrook off the bench deserve more praise, always changing the dynamic and momentum of the game, knowing their roles and staying in their lanes. For Russ, it’s better late than never.

Something to monitor: the Clippers’ defense over the last couple of weeks has not been good, a bottom-10 mark. It’s funny, defense used to be the Clippers’ calling card but those roles have flipped.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-17)

The Thunder had a pair of back-to-back losses in the last few weeks that raised some eyebrows, however, this is still a team that is 14-6 over the last 20 games and is still rocking both a top-5 offense and top-5 defense for the season.

How many games this season has SGA led the Thunder in scoring? That would be in 46 of the 53 games that he’s played this season. You can’t have an MVP conversation without SGA. He’s currently +210 behind Jokic’s -135.
SGA might be the one carrying the load and averaging 31 points per game, but Jalen Williams has been a fantastic Robin to SGA’s Batman. J-Dub closed out the last two games before All-Star by scoring 32 and 33 points with incredible efficiency.
The Thunder added Gordon Hayward at the deadline and didn’t have to give up too much to get him. If Hayward can get healthy (which, yes, is a gigantic IF), he could be the steady veteran presence they need. Would we have liked them to add another big? Yes, but there is still potential in the buyout market.

A big component to OKC’s surprising top-5 defense is how well they defend in transition. A fast team that hustles on a nightly basis goes a long way. And so does having Chet’s 2.6 blocks per game.

4. Denver Nuggets (36-19)

The Nuggets have not been on top of their A-game, losing 3 in a row going into the break and a measly 5-5 over the last 10. We aren’t worried about them long-term, but we are keeping an eye on it.

With Embiid going down, Jokic is the frontrunner for MVP. It’s crazy that we don’t even blink at his 26/12/9 average stat line, which is absurd. The Joker’s shooting numbers are down a bit, it’s been his worst 3-point shooting season in four years. On the bright side, it’s his fewest turnovers since 2017-18.
Here is a stat for you: when Jamal Murray scores 18+ points, the Nuggets are 24-3. YOWZA. They are 12-16 in all other games. The Blue Arrow might be the bellwether player of the 2023-24 season.
The Nuggets stood pat at the trade deadline, believing in their current roster and their young pieces. (And perhaps the buyout market.) Peyton Watson continues to trend upward and will be heard from in the postseason.

The Nuggets have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way and opening post-All-Star with the Wizards and Blazers might be just what they need. Because then it’s at Golden State, Kings, Heat, at the Lakers and back to Denver for the Suns and Celtics.

5. Phoenix Suns (33-22)

The Suns have started to look a lot more like the Suns that we originally thought we would get, a 14-4 record in the last 18 games with the No. 5 offense and No. 7 defense during that stretch.

The Suns success has coincided with the health of their Big 3. (Surprise!)
There was an insane stretch of six games in a row where the Suns had a 40-point scorer. It was either Booker or Durant: Book 52, KD 40, KD 43, Book 46, Book 62, Book 44. Four games later, Beal scored 43 of his own. Having that kind of firepower is lethal.
The Suns did bring in some reinforcements at the deadline, getting Royce O’Neale from the Nets and David Roddy from the Grizz. The former should see a lot more run, but Roddy will always be an intriguing player.

Who has the toughest remaining schedule in the league? According to tankathon, that would be the Phoenix Suns, who still have to play the following teams twice: Celtics, T-Wolves, Thunder, Cavs, Clippers and Nuggets. Woah.

6. Dallas Mavericks (32-23)

With Kyrie back in the mix, the Mavs won 6 straight heading into the All-Star Break and currently sit right in the middle of the West’s race for the 6-seed.

Luka has taken over as the league’s leading scorer with Embiid down and out. Luka is averaging 34/9/9 and when he scores 40+ points, the Mavs are 9-1.
Kyrie has missed a lot of games, yes, but in the 16 games that he has played since Jan. 1, Kyrie is averaging 28/6/6, shooting 44 percent from 3 and the Mavs are 11-5 in those games. And he’s still yet to cause any kind of ruckus this year. As always, we never know what’s around the next bend…
The Mavs made major moves at the deadline, sending out Grant Williams, Seth Curry and Richaun Holmes (and a 1st-round pick), and bringing in P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, both of whom already look like perfect fits in a Luka-led offense.

Thursday night it’s the latest installment of the rivalry with the Suns at American Airlines Center, then it’s a 4-game East road trip: at Indiana, at Cleveland, at Toronto and at Boston.

7. New Orleans Pelicans (33-22)

The Pelicans have won 7 of the last 8, but when you dig a little deeper, you see that 6 of those wins were against the Spurs, Wizards, Blazers, Grizzlies, Raptors and Rockets. However, there was also that very impressive win in LA over the Clippers two weeks ago.

The healthy Pels are a bunch to be reckoned with. You never really know who is going lead them on any given night. Since Jan. 1, the Pellies have had seven different leading scorers. That’s what happens when you have three players all taking around 15+ shots a night in Zion, Ingram and McCollum.
There is a common discourse that the Pelicans need to choose between Zion and Ingram to find their true identity — and while we do agree with that notion, you have to play the cards in your hand right now.
The fact remains that the Pels have a solid 10-man rotation that won’t go down easy in any playoff scenario: Zion, BI, McCollum, Valanciunas, Murphy, Herb, Dyson, Hawkins, Alvarado, Larry Nance and Naji Marshall to throw in a bonus.

An underrated component of this Pels team is the fact that they are averaging the second most steals per game in the league at 8.4 swipes a night. Something to monitor: the Pelicans are 1-6 in games decides by 3 points or less.

8. Los Angeles Lakers (30-26)

The Lakers are coming. They didn’t make any moves at the deadline, but this was exactly when they turned up last year, roaring into the playoffs all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

The Lake Show has won 6 of the last 7. Against an easy schedule, sure, but let’s not forget that thrilling 2OT win in Golden State on Saturday night primetime and the big road wins in both Boston and Madison Square Garden.
The best news at this point is that both LeBron and AD have not suffered a significant injury this season, and they are ready for the stretch run. (LeBron is Questionable for Thursday night’s game in Golden State, but LeBron is always Questionable.)
D-Lo got hot at just the right time. When D-Lo makes 4+ 3-pointers, the Lakers are 12-4. And seven of those instances were in the past three weeks. Spencer Dinwiddie’s arrival to LA is some added insurance in the shot-creation department.

Darvin Harm has started to really find the right combinations of lineups for the Lakers to get in a groove. It’s worth noting that this recent run has come with Cam Reddish sidelined to an ankle injury, but reports are that he’s ready to go after the break.

9. Sacramento Kings (31-23)

If it seems like it’s been hard to get a good read on this Kings team, it’s because one night they can lose to the Pistons by 13 at home, and the very next game they whip the Nuggets by almost 30.

Both Sabonis and Fox were snubbed from the All-Star team. It will be interesting to see if that fire stays lit the rest of the way. Sabonis is leading the league in total rebounds again — and triple-doubles (!!). And when Fox has 7+ assists, the Kings are 14-1.
The Vegas favorite to win 6th Man of the Year is currently Malik Monk at -115. Monk is averaging a career high in both points and assists per game.
The X-factor here is the shooting between Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter, both of whom regressed from last season. They can still catch fire, but when they go cold it freezes this offense.

The Kings have a rather difficult rest-of-the-season schedule. Their next four games on the road (not consecutively) are as follows: at Clippers, at Denver, at Minnesota and at the Lakers. Playoff atmospheres can be expected.

10. Golden State Warriors (27-26)

The Warriors have fought their way back, clawing to an above .500 record and top-10 spot in the West just before All-Star behind winning 8 of the last 10 games. They did melt against the Clippers, but perhaps that was a blessing in disguise.

Bench KLAY erupted for 35 points in the next game in Utah. Perhaps Klay just needed to come off the bench this entire time? It happens. You adapt and make the best of it and that’s what Klay did last week.
Meanwhile, Steph has dialed things up a notch: he’s scored 37 or more points in half of the last 10 games. They need Supernova Steph for the stretch run.
Kuminga and Podz have been the talk of the Bay recently. And for good reason. The youngin’s are carrying their weight and then some. And if you are really watching the Warriors this season, then you have become familiar with Lester Quinones and Gui Santos. (Did not have that on our bingo card.)

The Warriors fortunately have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way, including not one, not two, but THREE matchups against the Spurs. (Watch Wemby go off.)

11. Utah Jazz (26-30)

The wheels have fallen off the Jazz wagon once again, losing four straight heading into All-Star and just a 4-10 record over the last 14 games. But there is plenty here to be excited about.

Markkanen has proven that last year was no fluke and the fact that he’s still in Utah says a lot. Never count Danny out, but Markkanen is still only 26 years old, plenty of prime left.
Keyonte George has been brilliant lately, lighting the world ablaze with all those 3s and finding consistent scoring efficiency. Nine 3s in one game is ridiculous. NINE.
Here’s to hoping that the Jazz being solidly out of the top 10 means that Will Hardy will give Taylor Hendricks some more run down the stretch. Let the rook loose!

If the Jazz needed any more tanking incentive, they have the 4th-hardest remaining schedule according to tankathon.com. But we would encourage all teams to not take the Jazz lightly, especially out there in Utah.

12. Houston Rockets (24-30)

The Rockets have also lost quite a bit of steam, but they have still taken a giant leap forward this season. This team has made immense progress and now has stability and a clear direction to the future.

Sengun was not an All-Star, but he probably should have been. It’s also crazy that he’s not in more Most Improved Player talks but that was always Maxey’s award to lose.
Jalen Green recently had a stretch of scoring 30+ points in 4 of 7 games. Green’s minutes, shot attempts and 3-point percentage are all down this year, but he looks way more in control and comfortable in an actual NBA offense.
Shoutout to rookie Amen Thompson who is huge a bundle of energy with pronounced speed and rebounding prowess. He’s a fun impact player and has been a walking double-double with FVV missing time recently.

Down the stretch of the season, one thing we know for sure: these Houston Rockets are NOT going to lay down. They have come back to life late in so many games this year. You can never count them out, going down swinging until the clock shows ZEROS.

13. Memphis Grizzlies (20-36)

Don’t let the Grizzlies get hot! Might be too late as the Grizz followed up a 9-game losing streak by getting back-to-back dubs before the break vs. the Rockets and Bucks on TNT.

He got the huge shoutout after his primetime MLK Day performance and he gets another huge shoutout again: GG Jackson, y’all! The Grizz literally ran out a G-League looking team and beat a title contender behind 27 points from GG.
Ziaire Williams poured in 27 points of his own and it’s encouraging to see Ziaire making something of this opportunity to get more run. A former No. 10 overall pick, Williams was drafted over Sengun and Trey Murphy.
At long last… it’s the Memphis return of Yuta Watanabe!

The Grizz are another team that you probably don’t want to take lightly over these last two months. Some teams just carry an inherent toughness about them no matter who is on the court. And believe it or not, the Grizz still somehow have a top-10 defense. (Their offense is dead last, though.)

14. Portland Trail Blazers (15-39)

The Blazers have lost 6 in a row and it’s the third time this season that they’ve put together that long of a losing streak. (The first one ended at 8 and the second one ended at 7.) But let’s not be quick to forget that the Blazers held it down and beat the Bucks in Dame’s return to Portland (!!).

Scoot has started to put some things together. He cooked the Nuggets for 30 points on 15 shots in his best game of the season. It might not have been nearly as pretty this year as we thought it would be for Scoot, but we are in no way giving up on him yet.
Somebody who has missed a lot of games this season that we really miss watching play because of his high-flying power-dunking game: Shaedon Sharpe. Get well soon, Shaedon! (Recovering from a core/abdomen muscle surgery.)
If you are ever looking play a little WHO HE!?, just pull out the 2023-24 Blazers roster: Ashton Hagans, Ibou Badji, Jamaree Bouyea, Rayan Rupert and Taze Moore. Yeah, it’s another WHO HE!? masterclass, a Blazers staple this time of year.

In a race for the bottom with some real competition this year, it will be interesting to see what Joe Cronin has up his sleeve.

15. San Antonio Spurs (11-44)

For as bad as the Spurs have been this season, they actually have three wins of over 20 points. Against the Pistons, Hornets and Raptors — but still!

The Wemby triple-double with 10 BLOCKS will go down in rookie lore. And it’s not going to be the last we see from him either. He’s like a bigger version of Giannis who can shoot the 3 and has YEARS of advancement on him. Get ready.
Well well, Tre Jones as the point guard is the better situation for this team and for Wemby. It just seems like Pop has some long-game chess madness planned here.
It’s crazy that Devonte’ Graham was relegated to playing just 12 games this season and averaging 8.3 minutes a game. Devonte’ was a dude who averaged 18 and 7 for the Hornets one year.

The Spurs have the 2nd-hardest remaining schedule left, setting up for a glorious tank. But why does it feel like Wemby is getting ready to go absolute WET BANANAS.

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