NBA Power Rankings Update: The San Antonio Spurs Are Falling Apart
Teams Ranked 10th to 1st
The Los Angeles Clippers move into the top tier, the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder rise within it, and the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, and Minnesota Timberwolves all deal with their own slumps.
| Ranking | Team | Record | nERD | Last Ranking | Plus/Minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Los Angeles Clippers | 37-29 | 55.4 | 11 | 1 |
| 9 | Philadelphia 76ers | 36-30 | 55.6 | 8 | -1 |
| 8 | Utah Jazz | 38-30 | 56.7 | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | San Antonio Spurs | 38-30 | 57.7 | 6 | -1 |
| 6 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 40-29 | 58.8 | 5 | -1 |
| 5 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 41-29 | 59.9 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics | 46-22 | 61.2 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Toronto Raptors | 50-17 | 73.8 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | Houston Rockets | 53-14 | 74.1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | Golden State Warriors | 52-16 | 74.3 | 1 | 0 |
Risers
The Los Angeles Clippers have won 5 of their last 6 and are 14-5 since late January. The Blake Griffin trade originally seemed like the start of a rebuild, but now, the Clippers find themselves legitimately in the middle of the playoff race. They are currently in a three-way tie for seventh place in the Western Conference with a 56.1% chance of making it in, according to our algorithm.
The Utah Jazz have really become the stars of this column, getting mentioned on a weekly basis. And with good reason, too, considering the fact that they've gone 21-4 since mid-January and now sit in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a record of 38-30. They started the season 17-26 and now improbably hold a 76.0% chance of making the postseason in their very competitive conference, according to our algorithm. For the record, that's better odds than the 7th-place Los Angeles Clippers (56.1%), the 9th-place San Antonio Spurs (69.0%), and the 10th-place Denver Nuggets (29.7%) -- all teams that sit within a game of each other in the standings.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have won four in a row and nine of their last 12, and look to be peaking at exactly the right time. They've moved up to fourth in the Western Conference and currently sit only a game and a half back of the third-place Portland Trail Blazers. With the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves slipping as of late (more on that in a minute), the Thunder are well positioned to potentially host a first-round playoff series when all is said and done.
Fallers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the hottest teams in the Association since Christmas, but they've sputtered over their last 10, going 5-5. They're still sixth in the Eastern Conference, however, and still have a commanding 99.8% chance of making the postseason after a five-year drought.
The San Antonio Spurs are absolutely reeling. They've lost 11 of their last 15 games and now sit on the outside of the playoff picture looking in from ninth place. For a team that's made the postseason for all but four of their 41 NBA seasons, including 20 consecutive appearances, that's kind of a big deal. Kawhi Leonard is sniffing a return, but with the Spurs only having a 69.0% chance of making the playoffs with 14 games remaining, one can't help but worry that it might end up being too late.
The Minnesota Timberwolves miss Jimmy Butler (knee), and now Andrew Wiggins is reportedly unhappy with his role on the team. As if all that weren't bad enough, the T'Wolves have also lost three of their last five contests and are suddenly in sixth place in the Western Conference with only a game-and-a-half lead on the ninth-place Spurs. We still give them a fairly convincing 95.8% chance of making it, but Timberwolves fans are starting to sweat while watching their solid campaign lose momentum after 13 consecutive years without a playoff appearance.
