More than half of the seeding games are in the rear view mirror and the 2020 NBA Playoffs are looming. To this point, all has gone well in the league’s Orlando bubble and, for the most part, the quality of play has been sky-high during the restart. Still, some teams are faring better than others and, while some of that was quite predictable, a few curve balls emerged in the first two weeks of play.
To that end, it is time for the second bubble edition of DIME power rankings. Be gentle and, remember, this is a bubble-focused list.
1. Phoenix Suns (6-0, Last week — 2nd)
The Suns have enjoyed a bit of good fortune, and that might continue in their next game as they face a Sixers team without Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Josh Richardson on Tuesday. Still, there is one undefeated team in Orlando, and it Phoenix. They’ve earned the top spot, and Devin Booker has been unbelievable.
2. Toronto Raptors (5-1, Last week — 1st)
There wasn’t too much to take away from Monday’s Raptors-Bucks tilt, simply because both teams weren’t at full strength. Toronto prevailed, though, and Nick Nurse’s team has the best defense in the bubble by five (!) points per 100 possessions.
3. Houston Rockets (4-1, Last week — 8th)
The Rockets look pretty good to me. Even without Russell Westbrook for the last two games, Houston is playing well and that is on display with the third-best net rating in the bubble. Defensively, they are also doing enough to survive and, well, that’s all you need to do when you have this offense.
4. Boston Celtics (4-2, Last week — 15th)
It isn’t as if Boston has been thoroughly dominant but, when it comes to the bubble-only sample, the Celtics are No. 2 in net rating behind the Suns. The Celtics are rounding into form if nothing else, and they’ve won three straight games.
5. Portland Trail Blazers (4-2, Last week — 7th)
Damian Lillard missed a pair of key free throws and there was an internet fire storm as a result. One day later, the All-NBA guard dropped 51 points to keep Portland on track for the play-in series out West. It was quite a week for the Blazers.
6. San Antonio Spurs (4-2, Last week — 6th)
The Spurs just keep rolling along after back-to-back wins. Unfortunately, San Antonio just can’t afford to lose again but, regardless of what happens, there are positives to take away from the team’s showing in Orlando.
7. Miami Heat (3-3, Last week — 5th)
Jimmy Butler got the upper hand in a highly anticipated battle against T.J. Warren on Monday night. That gave the Heat the edge in pursuit of the No. 4 seed and, while that isn’t a huge deal without the benefit of home-court advantage, they sent a message to Indiana.
8. L.A. Clippers (3-3, Last week — 14th)
We haven’t seen the Clippers at full strength at all in Orlando, with Montrezl Harrell missing the entire run. In drilling down, there are quarters, halves or even full games when L.A. also wasn’t deploying optimal lineups and, honestly, there isn’t all that much to take away. Harrell has made his way back to Orlando, however, and the Clippers figure to arrive at full strength in the relatively near future.
9. Indiana Pacers (4-2, Last week — 3rd)
As noted above, the Pacers didn’t look great against the Heat on Monday, and that is at least somewhat alarming. Indy’s been more than fine in the bubble, though, and it helps to see T.J. Warren operating as a suddenly transcendent force. There has to be a bit of concern for the Pacers that their success has been so tied to Warren’s scalding play, because if he cools down they’ve not shown an ability to score much without his help.
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3, Last week — 9th)
Yes, the Thunder have lost two of the last three games, but a quick look at the available rosters in those contests would tell you not to make much of either result. Oklahoma City is solid, but they do need all of their pieces healthy and in Orlando. Depth isn’t an overwhelming strength.
11. Brooklyn Nets (4-2, Last week — 11th)
Shout-out to the Nets. Brooklyn is 4-2 on the strength of smoke and mirrors and they did what they needed to do to avoid a play-in tournament. In fact, the Nets are somehow going to avoid the Bucks in the first round, even with a highly compromised roster. Good on them.
12. Dallas Mavericks (3-3, Last week — 16th)
Luka Doncic had quite a night in a wildly entertaining victory over Milwaukee this week. The Mavs are still struggling on defense but, if we’re being honest, Dallas didn’t have all that much to play for in the seeding games. There have been moments when that was noticeable.
13. Milwaukee Bucks (2-4, Last week — 13th)
Speaking of teams with nothing to play for, the Bucks really didn’t have to care during the seeding games. Milwaukee did flash some of the same vulnerabilities that worry observers but, at the same time, there isn’t much to dissuade anyone that liked the Bucks before they arrived in Orlando. It’s going to be fine.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (3-2, Last week — 12th)
Ben Simmons is already on the shelf and now Joel Embiid is battling an ankle injury. The Sixers have a winning record in Orlando, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it.
15. Los Angeles Lakers (3-4, Last week — 4th)
Kyle Kuzma knocked down a game-winner on Monday to save the Lakers from another loss, and it was fun. Overall, though, the Lakers really haven’t played well in the bubble. It would be too aggressive to worry about the No. 1 seed in the West, but it hasn’t been an optimal performance.
16. Denver Nuggets (3-3, Last week — 17th)
The Nuggets lost to the Lakers on Monday, so they fall behind them in these rankings. Denver didn’t exactly put their foot to the floor in that game, however, with a lot of Bol Bol, Keita Bates-Diop, and P.J. Dozier in the second half. Your guess is as good as mine with regard to the Nuggets, and Denver needs to be healthy sooner rather than later. Oh, and the Nuggets have easily the worst defense in the NBA since the restart. That’s not going to work.
17. Orlando Magic (2-4, Last week — 10th)
After a good start in their home away from home, the Magic have lost four in a row. Some of that is due to injury management, but the Magic aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire even when their roster looks how it is supposed to look.
18. Utah Jazz (2-5, Last week — 18th)
The Jazz have issues with availability and, with Monday as an example, it isn’t as if Quin Snyder is emptying the bag to try to win seeding games at the end. At the same time, Utah hasn’t been impressive overall and five losses paint that picture.
19. New Orleans Pelicans (2-4, Last week — 19th)
Oof. The expectations were sky-high and, with two games remaining, the Pelicans are already eliminated from playoff contention. It’s been covered ad nauseum, but New Orleans has been a giant disappointment.
20. Memphis Grizzlies (1-5, Last week — 20th)
Because of their strong position prior to the break, the Grizzlies will still have a chance to make the playoffs in the play-in tournament. In Orlando specifically, Memphis has been (quite) bad, even if their net rating (-0.8) doesn’t look as bad as their record. Some of the issues can be tied to the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. but, even before the talented big man went down, there were signs of trouble.
21. Sacramento Kings (1-5, Last week — 21st)
Before the restart, the Kings actually seemed to be undervalued, at least when compared to teams with a similar record. Then, Sacramento had all kinds of roster issues and, with few exceptions, performed at an underwhelming level in Orlando. They somehow aren’t the worst team, but a 1-5 record and defensive challenges lead to an ugly perch this week and any optimism about the future in Sacramento has been dampened.
22. Washington Wizards (0-6, Last week — 22nd)
It’s been predictably rough for the Wizards. Washington is the only win-less team in Orlando and, for good measure, the Wizards have the worst net rating (-11.6) since the restart. It would’ve been fun if Washington made a charge to create a play-in scenario but, quite honestly, this was expected given the roster the team brought to Disney.