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New York Times
25-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA Power Rankings: Thunder claim top spot; Warriors join contenders; Pacers rise
The Power Rankings have made it through the winter! On to spring, as March nears the end! For most of this month, teams have made it clear who they are. Some are pretty much safe to prepare for the postseason. Some are safe to prepare for the draft lottery — or try to protect their chances of keeping their pick. And some are already in survival mode with the Play-In Tournament being either a threat or a promise, depending on which side of .500 you're on. Advertisement This week, we will look at how each team has changed its rotations since the end of October, both in terms of players on and off the roster as well as players in and out of lineups. Now, rotations change multiple times a week for one reason or another. We're done with trades and the buyout market, but there are injuries, coaches making tweaks to see which lineups they want to workshop and interpretations of the Player Participation Policy. Also, we're going to rank, like we always do. Shout out to everyone who knows this isn't just a standings update. Let it all play out! A reminder: These Power Rankings won't just rank every team. We will retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers every week: • Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league • In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams. • The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack. • Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do. • Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear. Let's get Week 22 of the Power Rankings into the rotation. Win/loss records and statistics are through Monday's games. Last ranking: 2 In the last week: W vs. PHI, W vs. CHA, W at LAC Offensive rating: 118.9 (fourth) Defensive rating: 106.2 (first) New players added after Week 1: C Branden Carlson (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: PF Alex Reese As you can see, the Thunder are thriving with a rotation of players who were already on the team in July. That doesn't mean there hasn't been a wide range of lineups. Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams didn't begin this season healthy, then Chet Holmgren got hurt by the time Hartenstein debuted. The Holmgren-Hartenstein starting front line got a very late start, but Oklahoma City is 9-2 when the two bigs start together and outscoring foes by 14.2 points per 100 possessions in the 204 minutes the duo has shared the floor. Advertisement Last ranking: 1 In the last week: L at LAC, L at SAC, L at PHO, W at UTA Offensive rating: 121.5 (first) Defensive rating: 111.4 (eighth) New players added after Week 1: PF De'Andre Hunter, SF Javonte Green, PF Nae'Qwan Tomlin (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Caris LeVert, PF Georges Niang, PF JT Thor (two-way) Cleveland went from a season-best 16-game win streak to a season-worst four-game losing streak to squander its lead on home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Hunter gives Cleveland a big wing, but the Cavs actually began the season starting 6-foot-9 Dean Wade while Max Strus recovered from a preseason ankle injury. Now, Wade basically takes the role Niang had, while Ty Jerome's emergence helped make LeVert expendable. Last ranking: 3 In the last week: W vs. BRK, W at UTA, W at POR, W at SAC Offensive rating: 119.4 (second) Defensive rating: 110.3 (fifth) New players added after Week 1: PF Torrey Craig, PF Miles Norris (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SG Jaden Springer, PF Anton Watson (two-way) All eyes turn to Jayson Tatum after he injured his left ankle Monday in Sacramento. Tatum has played in 66 games this season, securing his award eligibility. It is a reminder that Boston has rarely used its ideal starting lineup this season. Kristaps Porziņģis didn't debut until late November, and the Celtics are 15-6 in only 21 games with Tatum, Porziņģis, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White playing together. That five-man lineup has actually been outscored this season by 13 points. Last season, Boston went 28-9 with that five-man lineup in the regular season while outscoring foes by 150 points in that group's minutes. Last ranking: 4 In the last week: W at ORL, W at MIA, L vs. DEN Offensive rating: 114.3 (12th) Defensive rating: 109.7 (fourth) Advertisement New players added after Week 1: PF David Roddy (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: None Yes, Houston lost at home to a visiting Denver Nuggets team playing without reigning MVP Nikola Jokić (and with a scorching Jamal Murray). And, yes, Houston hasn't beaten a team with a winning record in a month. But that was a nine-game win streak the Rockets put together, and now they have some cushion for second in the Western Conference. They also have some continuity, as every player on a standard contract has been with the team all season. In fact, every player in Ime Udoka's rotation was on the roster at the end of last season as well. The biggest change has been Houston committing to Amen Thompson as a starter while Jabari Smith Jr. comes off the bench. Last ranking: 7 In the last week: W vs. MIL, W vs. TOR, L at ATL Offensive rating: 113.6 (17th) Defensive rating: 111.2 (seventh) New players added after Week 1: PF Jimmy Butler, SF Kevin Knox II, PF Braxton Key (two-way), PG Taran Armstrong (two-way), SF Jackson Rowe (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SG Andrew Wiggins, SG De'Anthony Melton, PF Kyle Anderson, SG Lindy Waters III, PG Reece Beekman (two-way) The headliner here is how the Warriors took multiple cracks at improving a roster that was not good enough around Stephen Curry, especially after De'Anthony Melton tore his ACL. Melton was traded to Brooklyn to get Dennis Schröder, but that didn't quite work out, and Golden State's depth plan wasn't adequate. So the Warriors traded Schröder, Wiggins (who was starting with Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis early in the season), Anderson and Waters to acquire Butler. The Warriors are 15-2 when Curry and Butler play together this season, as opposed to 17-20 when Curry and Wiggins played together. GO DEEPER With the Warriors, Jimmy Butler is winning and unbothered: 'I'll take being the bad guy' Last ranking: 5 In the last week: W vs. DEN, L vs. MIL, L vs. CHI, L at ORL Offensive rating: 114.2 (14th) Defensive rating: 113.5 (14th) New players added after Week 1: PG Luka Dončić, SF Dorian Finney-Smith, PG Jordan Goodwin (two-way), C Alex Len, SG Shake Milton, PF Markieff Morris, PF Maxi Kleber, C Trey Jemison III (two-way), C Christian Koloko (two-way) Advertisement Departed players from Week 1: PG D'Angelo Russell, C Anthony Davis, SG Max Christie, SF Maxwell Lewis, PG Jalen Hood-Schifino, C Christian Wood, PF Armel Traoré (two-way), SG Quincy Olivari (two-way) The Lakers, like the Warriors, weren't good enough around LeBron James. They tried to start Darvin Ham's best starting five from last season to begin this season, but Russell played himself out of favor before being flipped for Finney-Smith. Christie replaced Russell as a starter before the Finney-Smith trade, but then came the blockbuster of the decade, with Davis sacrificed for Dončić. The Lakers tried to trade Dalton Knecht but wound up rescinding a trade with Charlotte and settling on Jaxson Hayes as a starting center. Los Angeles was rolling for a while, but James' groin injury, a stretch of six games in eight days and James' convenient return after that stretch has given the Lakers losing streaks of four and currently three games. Last ranking: 11 In the last week: W vs. DAL, W vs. BRK, W vs. BRK, W vs. MIN Offensive rating: 114.8 (ninth) Defensive rating: 113.6 (15th) New players added after Week 1: C Thomas Bryant, C Tony Bradley, PG RayJ Dennis (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: C James Wiseman, PG Tristen Newton (two-way) Back to extreme continuity, as Bryant is the only Pacer close to rotation minutes who wasn't on the team this time last year. Indiana is getting healthier and has won seven of eight games despite playing five of those games in seven days. The highlight has been two wins over the other team that lost in the conference finals last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last ranking: 8 In the last week: L at SA, L at CHA, W vs. WAS Offensive rating: 117.4 (fifth) Defensive rating: 113.4 (13th) New players added after Week 1: SF Landry Shamet, SG Delon Wright, PF PJ Tucker, PF Anton Watson (two-way), SF MarJon Beauchamp (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: C Jericho Sims, PF Jacob Toppin (two-way) Advertisement Shamet would have been on the team to begin the season, but he injured his shoulder at the end of the preseason and was waived until he recovered two months later. Both Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa were injured to begin the season, which put Sims in position to be in the rotation; Sims was later traded for Wright. New York is now trying to navigate Jalen Brunson's injury, which has thrust Miles McBride into the starting lineup. Tucker (and Tucker's sneakers) also is here now. GO DEEPER Pop Quiz: P.J. Tucker recalls his career, tells Kevin Durant story and talks sneakers Last ranking: 6 In the last week: L at LAL, L at POR, W at HOU, L vs. CHI Offensive rating: 118.9 (third) Defensive rating: 115.3 (22nd) New players added after Week 1: none Departed players from Week 1: none Not only have the Nuggets not made any transactions this season, but the only player in the rotation now who wasn't on the team last season is Russell Westbrook. Denver stopped playing Dario Šarić by the time daylight saving time ended. What has been different currently is that this is the longest absence Nikola Jokić has had since December 2017. The fact missing five straight games sets that bar is another credit to Jokić's career durability, but it is getting shaky in the Rockies. Last ranking: 9 In the last week: L at POR, L at LAC Offensive rating: 117.3 (sixth) Defensive rating: 112.3 (11th) New players added after Week 1: PF Marvin Bagley III, SF Lamar Stevens, SG Zyon Pullin (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Marcus Smart, SF Jake LaRavia Smart began the season as a starter next to Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. But he got injured before October ended, and then he got Wally Pipped by second-round rookie Jaylen Wells. Fast forward to the trade deadline, and Smart wound up getting traded instead of Luke Kennard, who began the season injured. All the Grizzlies currently in the rotation were with the team to begin the season, but Morant is on his fourth multi-game absence while backup center Brandon Clarke is out for the season with a knee injury. Advertisement Last ranking: 10 In the last week: L at GS, W at LAL, W at SAC, L at PHO Offensive rating: 114.1 (15th) Defensive rating: 111.9 (10th) New players added after Week 1: SF Kyle Kuzma, PG Kevin Porter Jr., C Jericho Sims, PG Jamaree Bouyea (two-way), C Pete Nance (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: PG Delon Wright, C Liam Robbins (two-way), SF MarJon Beauchamp, SF Khris Middleton, SG AJ Johnson Middleton didn't debut until December, was taken out of the starting lineup in January and was traded for Kuzma in February. Milwaukee began the season starting both Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince and now is committed to the jumbo wing starting tandem of Prince and Kuzma. The suspension of Bobby Portis and injury to Jericho Sims have left Milwaukee comically thin behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Pat Connaughton has also faded from the rotation in favor of Trent, AJ Green and trade acquisition Porter. GO DEEPER Giannis unplugged: On MVP slights, Bucks' struggles and what's 'better than intimacy' Last ranking: 12 In the last week: W at MIA, L at DAL, W vs. NO Offensive rating: 114.2 (13th) Defensive rating: 111.8 (ninth) New players added after Week 1: PG Dennis Schröder, SG Lindy Waters III, C Tolu Smith (two-way), SF Ron Harper Jr. (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Wendell Moore Jr., PF Cole Swider (two-way), PG Alondes Williams (two-way) When the season started, Jaden Ivey was starting while Ausar Thompson was still recovering from the blood clot that ended his rookie season prematurely. Now, the roles are reversed, with Ivey sidelined by a broken leg while Thompson is starting with All-Star Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and veterans Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris. Adding Schröder gave Detroit a veteran ballhandler for the second unit and balanced out the team. This was another exciting week for Pistons fans, with Cunningham hitting a game-winning 3 in Miami and rookie Ron Holland II breaking out against the New Orleans Pelicans while Thompson dealt with foul trouble. A COAST-TO-COAST THROWDOWN! — Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 23, 2025 Last ranking: 14 In the last week: W vs. CLE, W vs. MEM, L vs. OKC Offensive rating: 113.0 (19th) Defensive rating: 109.5 (second) New players added after Week 1: SG Bogdan Bogdanović, PG Ben Simmons, C Drew Eubanks, PG Patty Mills, PF Patrick Baldwin Jr. (two-way), SG Seth Lundy (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Terance Mann, C Kai Jones (two-way), PG Kevin Porter Jr., PG Bones Hyland, C Mo Bamba, PF PJ Tucker Advertisement The Clippers had Mann in the starting lineup to begin the season, but that arrangement was canceled by mid-November with the emergence of Kris Dunn, whom LA valued as a point-of-attack defender and secondary ballhandler next to James Harden. It took Kawhi Leonard until January to get healthy, but he's playing at a star level again. Mann was traded for Bogdanović and essentially replaced as a multi-positional defender by Simmons, while Bogdanović made Porter expendable. LA is hoping Harden can play on its final East Coast road trip after he injured his foot against the Thunder; he at least made the flight to New York. Last ranking: 13 In the last week: L vs. NO, W vs. NO, L at IND Offensive rating: 114.8 (10th) Defensive rating: 110.6 (sixth) New players added after Week 1: PG Tristen Newton (two-way), SG Bones Hyland (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF PJ Dozier, PG Daishen Nix (two-way) Minnesota made its big move right before camp with the trade that brought in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns. Other than that, Minnesota has stood pat, and that includes the rotation. If DiVincenzo didn't injure his toe in January, there's a good chance he'd be starting in Mike Conley's spot. But now that everyone is healthy this month, the rotation looks the same now as it did in Week 1, though 2023 second-round pick Jaylen Clark deserves a mention for continuing to earn minutes after getting promoted from a two-way contract. Last ranking: 16 In the last week: W at CHA, W vs. GS, W vs. PHI Offensive rating: 112.8 (20th) Defensive rating: 114.4 (17th) New players added after Week 1: PG Caris LeVert, PF Georges Niang, SG Terance Mann, PF Jacob Toppin (two-way), SF Daeqwon Plowden (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF De'Andre Hunter, PG Bogdan Bogdanović, SF David Roddy, C Cody Zeller, SF Seth Lundy (two-way) The Hawks made two trades that reshaped their bench, acquiring LeVert and Niang from Cleveland in exchange for Hunter while trading Bogdanović to the Clippers for Mann. But Hunter was starting at small forward next to Jalen Johnson before a multi-week injury opened the door for top pick Zaccharie Risacher. Now, Atlanta is dealing with a slew of injuries. Johnson is out for the season after shoulder surgery, center Clint Capela (who was replaced in the lineup by Onyeka Okongwu) is dealing with a multi-week injury to his left hand, and Kobe Bufkin's shoulder surgery has forced the Hawks to approach Trae Young's backup by committee yet again. Mouhamed Gueye has taken Johnson's place as the starting power forward. The good news is that Atlanta has won eight of 11 games so far in March. Advertisement Last ranking: 19 In the last week: W vs. CHI, W vs. CLE, W vs. MIL Offensive rating: 115.4 (eighth) Defensive rating: 116.4 (26th) New players added after Week 1: C Nick Richards, SF Cody Martin, PG Vasilije Micić Departed players from Week 1: C Jusuf Nurkić, SF Josh Okogie The Suns have had a whale of a time trying to put decent lineups around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker this season. They started with Nurkić, Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones starting. Nurkić was unceremoniously benched then traded at the deadline; before he was moved, Phoenix brought in Richards to start. Phoenix tried to trade Beal after benching him as well, but his no-trade clause shut that down; now Beal is missing games with injury. Jones was also benched, and now two-way contract Collin Gillespie is starting. The good news for the Suns is that Durant is still here and destroying teams, and Phoenix is finally stringing wins together, including notable ones against winning teams like the Cavaliers and Bucks. Last ranking: 18 In the last week: L at PHO, W at SAC, W at LAL, W at DEN Offensive rating: 113.0 (18th) Defensive rating: 115.4 (24th) New players added after Week 1: SF Kevin Huerter, C Zach Collins, PG Tre Jones, PF Emanuel Miller (two-way), PG Jahmir Young (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Zach LaVine, PF Torrey Craig, SG Chris Duarte, C Adama Sanogo (two-way), PG DJ Steward (two-way) LaVine began the season starting at small forward next to guards Josh Giddey and Coby White, with Patrick Williams at power forward. Chicago broke up LaVine's contract into Huerter, Collins and Jones. Huerter is now starting next to rookie Matas Buzelis, with Williams coming off the bench. Collins is the backup center behind Nikola Vučević instead of Jalen Smith. And before Jones sprained his foot, he had assumed a role in the rotation with Lonzo Ball missing time because of injury and Ayo Dosunmu out for the season. The Bulls aren't really about making sense, so of course they're putting together their best stretch of play all season, winning eight of 10 games while beating three straight West teams in postseason contention on the road while looking very entertaining in the process. Last ranking: 17 In the last week: L vs. HOU, W at WAS, W vs. LAL Offensive rating: 108.4 (28th) Defensive rating: 109.5 (third) Advertisement New players added after Week 1: SG Ethan Thompson (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: none The Magic are never interested in changing their roster during the season, and the one player on the team now who wasn't when the season started is Thompson, who was in camp with them. Unfortunately for Orlando, health has prevented it from fielding its best squad. Starting point guard Jalen Suggs is done for the season with a knee injury, while top backup big Moritz Wagner tore his ACL in December. The wheel has landed on veteran Cory Joseph to start at point guard with Cole Anthony missing time with injury. Orlando hasn't lost consecutive games in three weeks. Last ranking: 15 In the last week: W vs. CLE, L vs. CHI, L vs. MIL, L vs. BOS Offensive rating: 115.7 (seventh) Defensive rating: 115.1 (20th) New players added after Week 1: SG Zach LaVine, SF Jake LaRavia, C Jonas Valanciunas, PG Markelle Fultz, PF Terry Taylor, PF Jae Crowder Departed players from Week 1: PG De'Aaron Fox, SG Kevin Huerter, C Alex Len, PG Jordan McLaughlin, SF Colby Jones, C Orlando Robinson This season has been the transition from the Fox era to the LaVine era, as well as going from coach Mike Brown to interim coach Doug Christie. The results have been disappointing, especially considering how good the Kings look when they put it all together, like they did last Wednesday against the visiting Cavaliers. Then they turn around and get humiliated by a vengeful Kevin Huerter the following night, spoiling LaVine's revenge game and DeMar DeRozan reaching the 25,000-point plateau. Last ranking: 22 In the last week: L at IND, W vs. DET, W at BRK Offensive rating: 114.6 (11th) Defensive rating: 114.9 (19th) New players added after Week 1: PF Anthony Davis, C Kai Jones (two-way), SF Max Christie, SF Caleb Martin Departed players from Week 1: PG Luka Dončić, PF Maxi Kleber, SG Quentin Grimes, PF Markieff Morris, PG Jazian Gortman (two-way) Advertisement No, really, these are the defending Western Conference champions. The last team to miss the playoffs after an NBA Finals appearance was the Golden State Warriors in 2019-20, and that was after losing Kevin Durant to injury/free agency. The Mavs didn't have to lose Dončić — they just decided to let him go while he was injured to bring in an injured Davis, who wound up aggravating his injury. It wasn't Dallas' only regrettable trade in the short term, as Quentin Grimes is thriving in an expanded role in Philadelphia while Caleb Martin has been injured. There have been more injuries in Dallas involving players who weren't traded, as All-Star Kyrie Irving tore his ACL and both Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II are still out. At least Davis is back now, returning to play and starting next to Kai Jones on Monday in Brooklyn. The result was Dallas winning back-to-back games for the first time after the All-Star break. Last ranking: 20 In the last week: W vs. MEM, W vs. DEN, L vs. BOS Offensive rating: 111.4 (22nd) Defensive rating: 114.3 (16th) New players added after Week 1: SF Sidy Cissoko (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SG Taze Moore (two-way) The Trail Blazers haven't been a particularly aggressive team when it comes to changing their roster midseason the last couple of years, and every standard contract player on the team began the season with them. Injuries have done the most to change how Portland looks. Jerami Grant has had a rotten season, but his blend of injury and ineffectiveness has been countered by how much better Deni Avdija looks now compared to the beginning of the season when he was benched following some rough minutes. Shaedon Sharpe was injured to begin the season, but he has emerged as a starter. Ayton hasn't played since the All-Star break, allowing massive rookie Donovan Clingan to take up the middle, while Duop Reath is the current backup center with Robert Williams III sidelined for the rest of the season with his troublesome knee. Last ranking: 21 In the last week: W vs. NY, W vs. PHI, W at TOR Offensive rating: 114.1 (16th) Defensive rating: 115.7 (25th) New players added after Week 1: C Bismack Biyombo, PG Jordan McLaughlin, PG De'Aaron Fox Departed players from Week 1: PF Tre Jones, C Zach Collins, SF Sidy Cissoko San Antonio won the sweepstakes to get Fox, but the Spurs only got five games of Fox and Victor Wembanyama playing together before deep vein thrombosis ended Wembanyama's season. Fox's season also ended prematurely after surgery to repair a finger on his shooting hand. The Spurs had to trade Jones and Collins to acquire Fox, and now Biyombo is the starting center. Of course, the absence of coach Gregg Popovich has been a major challenge. This week was San Antonio's best work on the floor since January began, and the Spurs are on their longest win streak since the end of November. Advertisement Last ranking: 23 In the last week: L vs. DET, L vs. HOU, W vs. CHA Offensive rating: 111.1 (23rd) Defensive rating: 112.7 (12th) New players added after Week 1: SF Andrew Wiggins, PG Davion Mitchell, PF Kyle Anderson, PG Isaiah Stevens (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Jimmy Butler, C Thomas Bryant Miami finally won a game to break the longest Erik Spoelstra losing streak at nine games. Even in beating the Hornets, the Heat lost another fourth quarter. The Heat have been outscored by 108 points in fourth quarters this season. Since the trade deadline, Miami has been outscored by 129 points in the fourth quarter; the next worst team since then is the Brooklyn Nets, and they've been outscored by 'only' 78 points in that span. In Butler's minutes with the Heat this season, Miami outscored opponents by 47 points in fourth quarters. That basically sums it up. Miami had a closer to begin this season, and the Heat don't have that player now despite acquiring Wiggins, Mitchell and Anderson. Last ranking: 24 In the last week: L at GS, L vs. SA, W at WAS Offensive rating: 109.4 (26th) Defensive rating: 114.5 (18th) New players added after Week 1: C Orlando Robinson, SG AJ Lawson (two-way), C Colin Castleton, SF Brandon Ingram, SF Jared Rhoden (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: PG Davion Mitchell, C Bruno Fernando, PG DJ Carton (two-way), SF Bruce Brown, PF Kelly Olynyk Brown and Olynyk began the season injured, and now Ingram (ankle) is likely going to wait until next season to debut with Toronto after being traded from New Orleans in exchange for them. RJ Barrett was also injured to begin the season, and now starting shooting guard Gradey Dick (knee) is likely done for the rest of the season. Toronto is just playing out the string, albeit with a roster that looks relatively similar to the team that came out of camp. The ideal starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, Dick and Barrett only played 107 minutes together this season while going 2-6. Last ranking: 25 In the last week: L at BOS, L at IND, L at IND, L vs. DAL Offensive rating: 108.7 (27th) Defensive rating: 115.2 (21st) New players added after Week 1: PG D'Angelo Russell, SG Maxwell Lewis, PG Reece Beekman (two-way), SG De'Anthony Melton, PF Tosan Evbuomwan (two-way), SG Tyson Etienne (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: PG Dennis Schröder, PF Ben Simmons, C Dorian Finney-Smith, PG Shake Milton, SF Bojan Bogdanović, SF Jaylen Martin (two-way), SG Cui Yongxi (two-way) Advertisement Brooklyn began the season with a respectable veteran lineup of players: Schröder, Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Simmons, and Finney-Smith. All those players are in different situations now. Schröder was traded twice. Thomas' season is over after only 25 games, mostly due to recurring hamstring issues. Johnson somehow is still here. Simmons was bought out after the trade deadline, along with Bojan Bogdanović. Finney-Smith was traded in the deal that brought back Russell, who is the only rotation player on the Nets who did not begin the season with the team. The talent drain has shown, as Brooklyn is only 3-15 since the All-Star break. Last ranking: 28 In the last week: W at MIN, L at MIN, L at DET, W vs. PHI Offensive rating: 110.5 (24th) Defensive rating: 119.1 (30th) New players added after Week 1: PF Kelly Olynyk, SF Bruce Brown, PG Elfrid Payton, PF Keion Brooks Jr. (two-way), SG Lester Quiñones (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Brandon Ingram, C Daniel Theis, SF Javonte Green, C Trey Jemison III (two-way) This was a rough season from the jump, as Daniel Theis started games until Yves Missi was ready at center, while both Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III were hurt by the end of the first week of the regular season. Unfortunately, Murray and Murphy returned only to suffer serious season-ending injuries. Ingram injured his ankle and wound up getting traded. Herbert Jones also suffered a season-ending injury. Theis and Green wound up moving on. Zion Williamson has been a force when he has played, but he still hasn't reached 1,000 minutes on the season. Last ranking: 26 In the last week: L at OKC, L at SA, L at ATL, L at NO Offensive rating: 111.5 (21st) Defensive rating: 117.2 (27th) New players added after Week 1: PG Jared Butler, SG Quentin Grimes, PF Chuma Okeke, PF Chuma Okeke, PG Jalen Hood-Schifino, PF Alex Reese, SG Lonnie Walker IV Departed players from Week 1: PF Caleb Martin, PF KJ Martin, PG Reggie Jackson, SG Lester Quińones (two-way) The Sixers are so banged up that they have 20 players on the roster. Joel Embiid and Paul George began the season injured, and that's how they will end the season. Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond were all starters when the season began; neither has played in the last dozen days, at least. Eric Gordon and Jared McCain were in the rotation to start the season; both are out for the season. Caleb Martin was in the starting lineup to begin the season; at least Philadelphia got Grimes out of it. KJ Martin rounded out Philadelphia's rotation to begin the season, and he wound up getting traded as well. The only Sixer playing now who was even remotely supposed to be playing in October is Guerschon Yabusele. Advertisement Last ranking: 29 In the last week: L vs. ATL, W vs. NY, L at OKC, L at MIA Offensive rating: 107.3 (29th) Defensive rating: 115.4 (23rd) New players added after Week 1: C Jusuf Nurkić, SF Wendell Moore Jr. (two-way), SF Josh Okogie, PG Damion Baugh (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: SF Cody Martin, C Nick Richards, PG Vasilije Micić, SF Jared Rhoden (two-way) The only player in the current Charlotte rotation who did not begin the season with them is Nurkić, although Josh Okogie may be nearing a return soon. Cody Martin actually began the season as a starter until Josh Green was ready to take over after Week 1; Martin and Micić were included in the trade to bring over Nurkić from Phoenix, while Okogie was acquired for Richards in a previous trade with the Suns. Injuries have decked the Hornets, with Brandon Miller (wrist), Tre Mann (back) and Grant Williams (ACL) missing months. Mark Williams began the season injured and was nearly traded to 'the other team' in February. Last ranking: 30 In the last week: W vs. WAS, L vs. BOS, L vs. CLE Offensive rating: 110.4 (25th) Defensive rating: 118.1 (29th) New players added after Week 1: PF KJ Martin, SG Jaden Springer, PG Elijah Harkless (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: PG Patty Mills, C Drew Eubanks, PG Jason Preston (two-way) For as bad as Utah has been this season, the roster has been relatively stable. No player who has played more than 600 minutes joined the team after Week 1 or left the team since Week 1. The first major injury of the season was to second-year power forward Taylor Hendricks, who broke his leg; John Collins was coming off the bench to begin the year. Keyonte George now comes off the bench behind rookie Isaiah Collier, who was injured to begin the season. Utah has been aggressively tanking, with Collins, Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen being rested often over the last several weeks. But the Jazz were unable to lose to the Wizards, so they get out of the cellar for now. GO DEEPER The Wizards and Jazz raced their way to the bottom Wednesday. It wasn't pretty Last ranking: 27 In the last week: L at UTA, L vs. ORL, L at NY, L vs. TOR Offensive rating: 105.9 (30th) Defensive rating: 117.5 (28th) New players added after Week 1: PF Khris Middleton, PG Marcus Smart, SG AJ Johnson, SF Colby Jones, SF Jaylen Martin (two-way), PF JT Thor (two-way) Departed players from Week 1: PF Kyle Kuzma, C Jonas Valančiūnas, PF Marvin Bagley III, PG Jared Butler (two-way), PF Patrick Baldwin Jr., SG Johnny Davis Advertisement The Wizards are back at the bottom after a critical loss in Utah as part of a five-game losing streak. Washington actually added helpful veterans to their team in Middleton and Smart, while Kuzma and Valančiūnas are in rotations now for teams making playoff pushes. Bilal Coulibaly was starting, with Corey Kispert leading the bench, but both have suffered season-ending injuries. Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey began the season injured; Brogdon has only played 24 games this season (none since the All-Star break), while Bey has yet to play after tearing his ACL last season. Other than that, this is a team led by Jordan Poole and four 2024 first-round picks. Sign up to get The Bounce, the essential NBA newsletter from Zach Harper and The Athletic staff, delivered free to your inbox. (Top photo of Obi Toppin: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
DNP-Rest, quiet quitting and death threats: The current state of tanking for Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg hasn't worn an NBA uniform yet, but make no mistake about it, his presence is being felt all across the league. The 18-year-old is making his NCAA tournament debut on Friday against Mount St. Mary's, fighting through an ankle injury that knocked him out for most of the ACC tournament. You can be sure that the stands will be peppered with NBA scouts and executives getting a closer look at the loaded Duke Blue Devils, but they know what they're getting with Flagg. The 6-foot-9 forward has long been considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick while leading the ACC and the entire NCAA field in just about every advanced metric. We can take a guess at how NBA teams feel about Flagg because the league has launched multiple investigations into teams for purposely sitting good players on bad teams: i.e. tanking. This problem isn't new as the NBA has wrestled with the black eye of tanking for decades. It's clear that tanking practices are alive and well. Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $100,000 for violating the league's Player Participation Policy involving 2023 All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who sat against the Washington Wizards earlier in the month (league investigators determined that Markkanen was fit to play). The league has also reportedly launched an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a top-6 protected first-round pick in the 2025 draft, for sitting their stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. However, there are more subtle tanking practices that have taken hold across the NBA that seem to be, at the very least, tolerated by the league office. And it has created a problematic climate that staffers around the league worry could get dangerous quickly. @NBA the @utahjazz are rigging the system, they are purposely losing games, sitting out Lauri Markkanen, a serious investigation it's be conducted this is rigged — Obandjó Kulébéndú (@CiprisB) March 15, 2025 More recently, the NBA has installed three major guardrails in place to try to curb the integrity-threatening practice of tanking. In 2019, the league office agreed to flatten the lottery odds for the worst teams, capping the chances of winning the No. 1 overall pick at 14 percent each for the bottom three teams. Until then, the league incentivized a race to the bottom by rewarding the biggest loser with a 25 percent chance at securing the top selection, much higher than the second-worst team at 19.9 percent and the third team at 15.6 percent. Secondly, the NBA implemented a play-in tournament designed to encourage more teams to compete for a playoff spot and dissuade them from gunning for lottery balls. Instead of 30 teams fighting for 16 spots, there are now 20 spots to entice more losing teams to try to win. Lastly, in 2023, the NBA established the Player Participation Policy which was aimed at every team, not just the basement-dwellers, to play its best players as much as possible. The league has used the PPP to open investigations into the Oklahoma City Thunder for sitting their starting five against the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this month. The PPP came on the heels of the Dallas Mavericks violating the league's previous player resting policy in 2023 and being fined $750,000 for tanking. 'The Mavericks' actions,' NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars stated at the time, 'failed our fans and our league.' But even after six-figure fines, teams continue to exploit loopholes in ways that expose unintended consequences of the PPP. Fans hoping to watch Cam Johnson on Thursday were undoubtedly left disappointed. And utterly confused. The Nets starter, who is averaging a career-high 18.9 points and establishing himself as a serious front-facing talent on the Young Man And The Three podcast network, isn't injured or dealing with an illness. Nonetheless, the Nets announced he wouldn't be suiting up in Thursday's game against the Indiana Pacers. Instead, he'd be in street clothes due to what the team is designating as 'Rest.' The curious thing is that the Nets were resting Johnson even though the Nets did not play on Wednesday. A look at the schedule reveals the Nets are not playing on Friday either. This, it turns out, isn't a back-to-back situation. There is no crosscountry flight for their next game. Actually, the Nets aren't even traveling between Thursday and Saturday's game, playing a two-game set against the Pacers both in Indianapolis. Alas, the Nets deemed that Johnson, who played in 19 straight games sandwiched around the All-Star break, needed to sit out the game for recovery purposes. In related news, the Nets entered Thursday tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for fifth-best odds in the lottery sweepstakes, a team that's already under investigation for removing multiple star players from the floor. Without their best shooter, the Nets shot 28 percent from downtown and lost in overtime against Indiana, giving them a better chance at more ping-pong ball combos for lottery night. The healthy scratch, also known as the DNP-Rest, used to be a button that teams pressed during back-to-back sets. In these scenarios, a team and its medical staff determined that a player wouldn't be subjected to injury risk associated with playing two games in as many days. But now it's bled into games outside of back-to-back sets. It appears that there's a contagious quality to this practice because more and more teams are adopting the strategy. This is the NBA. Once one team figures out a loophole, others will soon follow. On the tanking scoreboard, the Nets seem to be merely keeping up with the Joneses. The Nets have assuredly seen the Toronto Raptors shamelessly pulling the same lever and skirting any league investigations. The Raptors, who were tied on Thursday in the loss column with Brooklyn, have led the NBA with nine DNP-Rests this month, topping the loss-leading Jazz, who have five listed DNP-Rests. The Toronto cases seem to fit a rotational pattern. On March 20 against Golden State, RJ Barrett was a DNP-Rest with an off day on both sides. On March 14 against Utah, Jakob Poeltl was a DNP-Rest with an off day on both sides. On March 12 against Philadelphia, Immanuel Quickley was a DNP-Rest with an off day on both sides. On March 10 against Washington, Poeltl was a DNP-Rest … you get the idea. The Raptors have rested a key player — whether it's Barrett, Quickley or Poeltl — for each of the last eight games. All scot-free from any league punishment. So why are Jazz getting hammered for sitting Markkanen — a guy who's averaging 19.0 points and 5.9 rebounds — while the Raptors can legally sit Barrett, who's averaging 21.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds? It comes down to the letter of the law. The league deems Markkanen a 'star player' because he has been named to an All-Star or All-NBA team during the previous three seasons, which is the designated criteria for 'star player' status in the Player Participation Policy. The same goes for the Sixers' star trio of Embiid, Maxey and George who are the subjects of the league's investigation. It's likely why the Raptors have not included Scottie Barnes, a 2024 All-Star, in those DNP-Rest games. But a closer look at Barnes' substitution patterns reveals a subtle tanking strategy that has caught the eye around the league. The Jazz have evidently taken notice because they've followed the same blueprint. If the Jazz and Raptors can't sit their stars for the entire game, they've resorted to a half-measure: quiet-quitting in the middle of the game. Dawg @Raptors benched their best player Scottie Barnes for the entire fourth quarter. In a close game ...Wtf is going on @nba 😂😂😂 — K.P👑 (@Karlitoswave) March 17, 2025 It was 2019 when the New Orleans Pelicans had a 7-foot problem on their hands. The face of their franchise, Anthony Davis, wanted out of the franchise, but still wanted to play basketball. In order to protect Davis from injuring himself and ruining trade value, in addition to maximizing their upcoming first-round draft pick, the Pelicans sat Davis in their games down the stretch. The league stepped in and reminded the Pelicans of the league's competitive integrity rules that required a healthy Davis to play. The ensuing compromise created a mockery of the competition. Davis played, but the team would bench its best player in fourth quarters even when wins were within grasp. Scottie Barnes is no Anthony Davis, but like Davis, he is today deemed a star by the NBA's Player Participation Policy and the Raptors are quietly following the Davis blueprint by sitting Barnes and other key players in clutch situations. Against the Blazers on Sunday, Barnes checked out at the 8:40 mark in the fourth quarter with 16 points, six steals, six rebounds and six steals and never returned. Barnes and Poeltl watched crunchtime from the bench as the Raptors blew a six-point lead with 5:22 left remaining. The Raptors lost by three. That was a mild tank-job attempt compared to the shenanigans that transpired two days earlier against the Jazz. In that game, the Raptors held an 11-point lead with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter. Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic signaled for Jamison Battle, Colin Castleton and Jamal Shead to check in for the team's three best players Barrett, Quickley and Barnes. As the game began to tighten to a two-possession game, the Raptors' trio never checked back in. The Raptors held on to win by eight. Part of the reason why the Raptors didn't feel compelled to play their best players down the stretch? The Jazz engaged in some shenanigans of their own, playing their star, Markkanen, for only 19 minutes in the game. Markkanen started the game but didn't play in the entire second half. He joined his fellow backcourt mate Walker Kessler, who suited up, but coach Will Hardy never called him into the game. This was Utah's response after the league fined them $100,000 for sitting Markkanen. And one of the NBA's closest partners is voicing their concern: the betting community. The @Raptors not putting Scottie Barnes in with the game on the line is bogus…. Tanking for Cooper Flagg but ruining slips everywhere! CONGRATS sports books! — Man of Steele (@SteeleProject22) March 17, 2025 NBA players leaving games early for mysterious reasons might seem like harmless gamesmanship. Hey, we're talking about a bunch of extra ping-pong balls bouncing around a plastic container, what's the big deal? But this is not all fun and games. A former NBA player, Jontay Porter — a Toronto Raptor no less — could face up to 20 years in federal prison for doing that very thing — leaving games early under dubious circumstances. Porter was charged with conspiring with a group of bettors to fix his over/under player props for financial gain. It's the first NBA fixing scandal since 1954. Here we are, less than a year later, watching key Raptors players mysteriously sit in the game's biggest moments, raising all sorts of eyebrows in the betting community and beyond. The unfortunate residue of the Porter scandal casts a dark shadow on every late-game benching in the NBA. Was he really hurt? Did he just pull a Porter? What were his pregame props? But the true danger goes beyond cynical hunches. Throughout the season, multiple staffers from NBA teams at various levels have reported to Yahoo Sports that sports bettors have increasingly made death threats in person and on social media channels, going as far as invoking family members and personal information, a leaguewide trend that The Athletic covered last month. And it's only gotten worse with the tanking teams. More recently, teams at the bottom of the standings have been trapped in the convoluted web of the NBA's contradictory incentive structure. By giving the worst teams the best odds at landing a franchise-changing talent like Cooper Flagg in the draft, it incentivizes teams to lose games at the end of the season. On one hand, these teams acting in their own self-interest could choose to be transparent, sit their best players and play the long game of increasing their odds at winning the Flagg sweepstakes. But that, as we've seen with the Jazz and others, would incur fines from the league office. The alternative strategy — quiet-quitting in the middle of games — hasn't been the subject of any ongoing investigations, sources tell Yahoo Sports. But it already comes at a potentially grave cost: getting flooded with death threats. Around the league, sources have said they've dealt with toxic messages in recent weeks that have become so commonplace that they've tried to become numb to it, shrugging it off as the unfortunate cost of doing business with sportsbooks. Because of how much money players, coaches and executives are making these days, few are willing to speak openly about the growing undercurrent of gambling-related allegations that are difficult to discern what's serious and what's not. Some aren't willing to be quiet about it. A year ago, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said, 'To half the world, I'm just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever … I'm the prop." Last season, J.B. Bickerstaff, then coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers, revealed that he received gambling-related death threats from bettors in 2022-23 and reported it to the league office. 'They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff,' Bickerstaff said. 'So it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we're walking for sure.' If it wasn't for Bickerstaff speaking up, we might not have ever known about it. The story wasn't reported until Bickerstaff shared it in a postgame press conference a year later. He said the gambler who made the threats was found. 'I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it,' Bickerstaff said. 'But I mean, it is something that I believe has gone too far.' Making everything trickier and potentially more dangerous is that coaches, who are often the subject of these death threats, have inside information about player availability strategies on a specific game. If the Raptors know before a particular game that they're going to sit Barnes, Quickley and Poeltl down the stretch, that strategic information would be particularly valuable to bettors and sportsbooks. By rule, teams have to disclose who's on the injury report in the lead-up to tipoff, but not whether they're going to play a full game — and thus have a better chance at hitting their player prop overs. We'll see if the quiet-quitting continues during March Madness, and which team wins the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in May. In 2018-19, after weeks of shenanigans with Davis, the Pelicans ended up shutting down their star for the final two weeks of the season and, for their efforts, landed with the seventh-best odds at No. 1. One month later, the Pelicans won the draft lottery, earning the right to draft Zion Williamson, a Duke big man who was considered the best prospect in years.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul George officially out for season after injections in troublesome knee, groin
Teams around the league took notice after Utah was hit with a $100,000 fine for not playing Lauri Markkanen in violation of the NBA's Player Participation Policy. It's not that teams are going to stop tanking, they are just going to make sure it looks legitimate when they do it. Which brings us to Philadelphia. The Philadelphia 76ers announced Monday that Paul George "has received injections in both his left adductor muscle and left knee" and will be out through the end of the season. This was expected when it was reported last week George was consulting with physicians. — Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 17, 2025 It seems a fitting end to a disappointing season for the nine-time All-Star. George has been out since March 6 due to a groin injury. He's been playing through knee issues all season — he hyperextended his knee in the preseason and again in November, which is why he's been limited to 41 games this season. With Joel Embiid out for the season and the 76ers tanking — trying to hold on to their top-six protected pick — getting George these shots and sitting him for the rest of the season is the smart move, both short and long-term. George signed a four-year, $212 million max contract to come to Philadelphia last summer. However, he has not lived up to that contract due to injuries and is averaging 16.2 points a game (his fewest since 2012) and struggling with other aspects of his game. Philly is locked into the massive contracts of George and Embiid and will run it back next season. The best thing Sixers fans can hope for is for that duo to get healthy and come in next season ready to look like the contender everyone expected them to be this season.
NBC Sports
17-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Paul George officially out for season after injections in troublesome knee, groin
Teams around the league took notice after Utah was hit with a $100,000 fine for not playing Lauri Markkanen in violation of the NBA's Player Participation Policy. It's not that teams are going to stop tanking, they are just going to make sure it looks legitimate when they do it. Which brings us to Philadelphia. The Philadelphia 76ers announced Monday that Paul George 'has received injections in both his left adductor muscle and left knee' and will be out through the end of the season. This was expected when it was reported last week George was consulting with physicians. It seems a fitting end to a disappointing season for the nine-time All-Star. George has been out since March 6 due to a groin injury. He's been playing through knee issues all season — he hyperextended his knee in the preseason and again in November, which is why he's been limited to 41 games this season. With Joel Embiid out for the season and the 76ers tanking — trying to hold on to their top-six protected pick — getting George these shots and sitting him for the rest of the season is the smart move, both short and long-term. George signed a four-year, $212 million max contract to come to Philadelphia last summer. However, he has not lived up to that contract due to injuries and is averaging 16.2 points a game (his fewest since 2012) and struggling with other aspects of his game. Philly is locked into the massive contracts of George and Embiid and will run it back next season. The best thing Sixers fans can hope for is for that duo to get healthy and come in next season ready to look like the contender everyone expected them to be this season.
NBC Sports
15-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
NBA reportedly investigating Thunder, 76ers for Player Participation Policy violations
With a month to go in the NBA season, there are eight teams (conservatively, you could argue 10) more focused as an organization on lottery odds than winning games. Or, to put it bluntly, they are tanking with their eyes on Cooper Flagg. That means a lot of good players are missing games for dodgy reasons. The NBA is pushing those teams to keep their best players on the court. The league already fined the Utah Jazz $100,000 for not playing Lauri Markkanen against the Wizards and in other games — and, shockingly, he was suddenly available for the next game after the fine. Now, Shams Charania of ESPN reports that both the Thunder and 76ers are being investigated for violating the league's Player Participation Policy. The Thunder are not tanking — they have run away with the West at 54-12 — but on March 7 they sat six key players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace) in what was still a home win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Only two of those players, Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, meet the NBA's qualifications for a star player under the league's Player Participation Policy (an All-Star the last three years), but sitting that many players raised eyebrows. Still, this was a home game that was not nationally televised, so it's a little difficult to get worked up over OKC's decision. The league is investigating Philadelphia 'for the recent absences of players such as Paul George (knee, back, finger) and Tyrese Maxey (back, finger),' according to the ESPN report. George has admitted he is playing through pain and, with the 76ers season all but over, he will be meeting with doctors about treatment for his knee and groin/back issues. It seems challenging to blame him for not playing through pain. Don't expect to see a lot of Maxey, either. Philadelphia has real motivation to tank. Its first-round pick this year belongs to Oklahoma City but is top-six protected. Philly is trying to tank its way into keeping that pick, the 76ers are currently tied with the Nets for the 5th/6th worst record in the NBA. If the Sixers can hold on to the fifth-worst spot, they have a 62.1% chance of retaining that top-six pick after the lottery. It would be shocking if we see George again this season, Embiid is already out for the season to get treatment on his knee (although no definitive plan has been released) and expect Maxey to be limited. Again, is that worth the league's fine? Where is that line? The first fine for violating the league's Player Participation Policy is $100,000 — enough to get a team's attention, but this is the cost of a 10-day contract to teams, so it will not break them. However, a second violation is $250,000 and the third $1 million — teams can live with the first fine but want to avoid climbing that ladder. Which will make the final month of the season interesting for teams such as Toronto (Scottie Barnes qualifies for the Player Participation Policy) and others trying to tank but avoid a fine. It's a fine line everyone is trying to walk.
