10. Utah Jazz (Up 1)

(39-22) Last week: 3-0

If a team ever needed a soft run of games, it’s the Jazz. To their credit, they’ve handled their business against the Wizards, Cavaliers and Knicks to keep themselves in touch with the top four. All of the wins were solid, though none were especially convincing.

Donovan Mitchell’s 19 points against the Knicks halted his streak of 30+ games at 5. The All Star has been electric, but he’s been a sieve at the other end with a personal defensive rating of 119.1 over that span. Mike Conley continues to look solid when the Jazz win, and a liability when they lose.

Getting Conley on track remains a priority, but.... should it be? The Jazz have looked great when Joe Ingles starts. Perhaps Utah should look at the Miami model and have Conley play the Goran Dragic role?

9. Dallas Mavericks (Up 1)

(38-25) Last week: 2-2

Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle labelled his big man Kristaps Porzingis 'the future of the 5 position' after his 38 point, 13 rebound, 4 assist and 5 block and 6 three pointer dismantling of Minnesota. In his past 10 contests, the Unicorn has averaged 26.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 3.6 three pointers. I think Carlisle might be a bit out with his estimation. This isn't the future: Kristaps is the NOW of the centre position.

 

8. Miami Heat (Up 1)

(40-22) Last week: 4-0

The Heat are getting back on track, with a four game win streak that includes victories over the Bucks, Mavericks and Nets. They’ve got five straight games against sub .500 opponents before heading to Milwaukee on March 16th. The Heat could thrust themselves back in the race for second with Toronto & Boston by then.

The bigger hope is that the team can get Andre Iguodala up to speed. The Heat have been dreadful with both Iggy and Butler on the floor, although their defense as a whole has cratered of late. In November, the team was eighth in the league in defensive rating and have steadily regressed to finish 22nd through February.

7. Denver Nuggets (Down 2)

(41-20) Last week: 1-2

The Clippers landed a killer blow in the race for the #2 seed in the West, crushing Denver by 29 points – and that margin flattered the Nuggets, frankly. Coach Michael Malone called his team 'soft'. Their response in the next game against the Raptors was rock hard. Denver put up 40 in the first stanza and controlled the game to run out 15 point winners. Nikola Jokic was dominant with a 23 point, 18 board, 11 assist triple double.

These two games give something to those on both sides of the 'Are the Nuggets Elite' argument. Against the Raptors, the defense was tuned in, the passing was gorgeous, and their shots were dropping. Versus the Clippers, the team looked feeble, unable to do anything other than meekly surrender to a bigger and more powerful opponent. We're still not sure which is the real Denver Nuggets.

6. Boston Celtics (Down 2)

(42-19) Last week: 1-2

The margins are fine at the top end of the NBA. This week, the Celts lost a pair of OT heart breakers. If they beat the Rockets and Nets, they sit a clear second in the conference. As it is, they’re a game behind Toronto with their next 4 contests coming against the Jazz, Thunder, Pacers and Bucks. The Nets game, in particular, will be seen as a missed opportunity. In the race for the second seed, the C’s travel to Toronto on March 20. It’s only one game, but it could be the catalyst for the victor to take the second seed and avoid the dangerous Sixers or Pacers.

5. Houston Rockets (Up 2)

(39-21) Last week: 2-1

Houston was riding a six game winning streak that was finally stopped by....the New York Knicks? Apparently, that actually happened.

Despite the surprise loss, the Rockets small ball gamble is paying off in spades. Russell Westbrook and James Harden both look rejuvenated by the space in which they can now operate. The pair are the only two NBA players to average over 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists since the turn of the new year. The addition of Robert Covington has not only provided space for the offense, he's actually solidified the defense. His rebounding and shot blocking since coming over from the Wolves have been excellent at 8.4 boards and 2.5 blocks – both easily career highs. Perhaps Covington has been miscast through his career and was a power forward all along?

4. Toronto Raptors (Down 1)

(43-18) Last week: 1-2

The Raptors just can't get healthy. Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Fred Vanvleet have all missed time of late, yet they still keep on hanging in. Losses to Milwaukee and Denver, whilst short-handed, were honourable – going down to Charlotte was somewhat less so. The Raptors still have a 1.5 game buffer on Boston, so if they can steady themselves and get players back in uniform the #2 seed is still theirs to lose. One player that did return was Norman Powell, who has scored 22, 24 and 26 points in his three games since returning.

3. Los Angeles Clippers (Up 3)

(42-19) Last week: 3-0

The play-offs are looming and the Clippers are rounding into form.

They've won their past five, but it's the last three victories that have impressed: Denver, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City. The won each game convincingly (only an out of body experience for Shake Milton kept the Sixers score respectable). Their next two opponents are Houston and the Lakers. Should the Clips take those games it will send tremors around the league.

Whilst the concerns about the Clippers' apparent apathy are legitimate, the fact remains that with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the floor, the team have the second best net rating in the NBA, trailing only the rampant Bucks. Coach Doc Rivers still needs to figure out a play-off rotation but now that his team is approaching full health, we'll get to see exactly what this Clippers Giant Death Robot can really do.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (Steady)

(47-13) Last week: 3-1

A shock loss to Memphis is the only blemish on the Lakers record in their last 10 matches – it's safe to say the team are in play-off form.

We've witnessed the first meetings of the present and future of the NBA in the past 8 days, with LeBron's Lakers beating Zion Williamson's Pelicans on both occasions. Despite big performances from the heralded rookie, King James ruled the court with a commanding 40 point game followed by a 34 point, 12 rebound, 13 assist masterclass.

In their next match up, the Lakers host the Bucks, then play the Clippers – those games should give us a good guide of where all three primary Championship contenders are at.

1. Milwaukee Bucks (Steady)

(53-9) Last week: 3-1

The Bucks remain dominant at both ends of the floor. Whilst Dallas’s historic offense gets a lot of acclaim, the Bucks equally remarkable defense doesn’t seem to generate the same levels of praise. A quick measure of the Bucks defensive dominance:

NBA’s best at-rim defenders, measured by opponents field goal %:

  1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks): 41.7%

  2. Brook Lopez (Bucks): 45.6%

  3. Robin Lopez (Bucks): 46.9%

If Giannis (a red hot chance to do the NBA’s third ever MVP/DPY double, joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon) doesn’t get you, the Lopii will. And that’s before we even get to defensive aces in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill at the point of attack and the rangy, versatile Khris Middleton.

They’re not too bad at the other end either these Bucks, coming in at sixth in offensive rating. Giannis stomped all over the Hornets in a 41 points, 20 board and 6 assist performance.