With just one tweet, J. Cole has validated the hype for his upcoming album in the eyes of many and set social media abuzz with anticipation. Although his Dreamville labelmate Bas teased something coming in two weeks at the end of April, there was always a possibility that the teaser could have been invalid or plans might have changed. However, now that the notoriously social media shy Cole has checked in — even without actually sharing any real information — fans are convinced that the release of his new music is imminent, even though all he wrote was, “Is this thing on?”
Cole, who originally teased a 2020 release date for his new album way back in 2019 at Day N Vegas, pushed back the release as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown of the live entertainment infrastructure like many other big-name artists. He postponed his Dreamville Festival and went more-or-less into seclusion for most of 2020, popping up to offer a handful of singles, including the ill-advised “Snow On Tha Bluff,” which prompted a tesy back-and-forth between J. Cole and Noname. And while members of Cole’s crew, including Earthgang’s Olu, continued to tease Cole’s upcoming project — tentatively titled The Fall Off — he seemed more interested in chasing his hoop dream than rapping.
However, after a long, uncertain wait, Cole crossed off one item from his list after another, and now, here we are. Perhaps the full album will release, or just the video for “The Off-Season,” but it looks like Cole’s fellow Dreamers are going to be watching his newly reactivated account intently for the foreseeable future.
Some parts of the world are slowly starting to awaken from a long pandemic slumber. That means travel restrictions that have been in place since March 2020 are starting to ease. We’re beginning to see headlines like “E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer” from the New York Times or “Greece opens its doors to Covid-free tourists” from CNN.
Those headlines certainly inspire hope for a battered travel industry. But in the light of day, they rarely tell the whole story. The New York Times had to adjust their original headline in a follow-up article about the E.U. with a headline that read, “Vaccinated Tourists May Soon Travel To Europe.” And yes, Greece is open to tourism but there are a lot of “ifs” and regulations for people making that trip from the United States, as of right now (more on that below).
After compiling this list, it became abundantly clear that we’re a long way from the freedom of movement enjoyed since the fall of Communism in Europe. In truth, that might take a fair bit of time to fully return to. The reality of mandatory health declarations, digital or physical vaccine passports, pre-paid accommodations, PCR tests before departure, on arrival, and before returning home, and health insurance requirements are very real and going to be part of traveling abroad for some time.
So what is going on with travel to Europe? Not a whole lot right now if you’re a U.S. citizen. There are a lot of plans from places like Spain, France, and Italy — Europe’s travel mainstays — to reopen summer travel for Americans as soon as possible. We’re likely to see new protocols for travel to those nations arrive within weeks. For now, they’re closed but we’ll be updating this list as new rules roll in.
That said, remember that the E.U. only represents 27 out of 50 European nations. Their rules, recommendations, and regulations will only apply to that economic bloc. Instead of focusing there, today we’re looking at each country in Europe and where they stand on letting in U.S. citizens for tourism. To compile this information, we’ve used the U.S. State Department’s U.S. embassy information from each European country. The U.S. embassies in each nation tend to update their entry/exit requirements for Americans along with COVID details and regulations consistently.
A reminder for the would-be traveler: Just because a country is open to U.S. tourists doesn’t mean it’s a good time to go. While CNN is reporting that Greece is “open” to U.S. tourists, Greece still has a lot of restrictions. Do you want to go all the way to Athen just to sit at a hotel, find most clubs closed, and eat take-out? Looking at the current status of some of the countries that are open to U.S. tourism, it becomes clear that they’re hoping things get much better and lockdowns ease off by the time the heavy summer tourism season arrives (July and August).
It’s like floating a check. They want the bookings now, it hopes that things will unlock soon. If you’re comfortable taking that risk when making your bookings, that’s up to you.
Lastly, we’ve added vaccination rates for each country as they currently stand, according to Reuter’s COVID-19 tracker. The vast majority of the countries that are open have an extremely low vaccination rate. That means that they are nowhere near herd immunity. Since the CDC is very clear that there are a lot of unknowns as to whether vaccinated people can still contract and spread COVID or its variants, there are serious ethical concerns at play (particularly when visiting countries with low vaccination rates). It’s on you to make informed choices that don’t put others at risk, especially in countries with heavily strained resources.
Albania has opened its international borders for now. However, direct flights from the U.S. don’t exist, meaning you’d have to travel via another country in Europe that might be closed to U.S. citizens, vaccinated or not, even if just transitting. Moreover, there’s a nationwide curfew at the moment which has shut bars and restaurants and restricts all public movement between certain hours.
Land borders are still closed and information is sketchy. Add in social tensions on the streets, and it’s unclear if now is the time to go to this very reclusive nation.
There are no direct flights to Croatia, meaning you’ll have to transit through a third country (which may not be accepting U.S. citizens). Moreover, there are a lot of restrictions in place due to ongoing lockdowns.
Negative PCR test required no more than three days before arrival.
Medical document showing you have recovered from COVID-19 90 days before travel or an official certificate showing a final dose of COVID-19 vaccine was taken at least 14 days before arrival.
Test on arrival at traveler’s own expense ($40 to $150 depending on the port of entry).
Documentary evidence of an accommodation paid in advance and in full.
These rules will slightly vary from the Turkish-controlled to Republic-controlled sides of the island. Also, there are some severe lockdown conditions currently in place on both sides of the island.
Iceland is probably the most ahead of the game heading into summer. They’re accepting travelers that are fully vaccinated, have travel plans paid for and fully planned in advance, and are willing to be kept track of during their stay.
Still, most places are operating at 50 percent capacity indoors and outdoors with varying levels of soft lockdowns across the country at the moment.
You can technically travel to Ireland as a U.S. citizen. However, you’ll have to arrive with a negative test and self-quarantine at a pre-paid quarantine hotel for 14 days. Being fully vaccinated does not exempt you from the 14-day quarantine. This is basically Ireland saying to stay away without having to outright ban people.
Moreover, arriving in Ireland without a PCR test (showing you’re negative) and refusing to take a test within 36-hours of arrival will be subject to a €2,500 fine or six months in prison for each offense. Plus, everything is still under severe lockdown restrictions nationwide.
Vaccination does not exempt travelers from any requirements.
The penalty on conviction for not abiding by Irish regulations, including mandatory 14-day quarantine, PCR testing requirement, completing the Passenger Locator Form, and wearing a face covering is up to €2,500 (nearly $3,000) and/or six months in prison.
The State Department has this to say: “The health situation continues to deteriorate. U.S. citizens report equipment shortages and a lack of space available at local and regional hospitals. It is possible that regional and European land and/or air border restrictions could be re-imposed with little notice.”
That combined with Kosovo’s virtually non-existent vaccine status should translate to you not going there even if you technically can.
According to the State Department: “Effective April 29, 2021, The National Public Health Emergency Commission in Moldova has issued a national State of Public Health Emergency. The Chisinau International Airport is open, although service is limited and commercial airlines will make independent decisions about when they will resume service in Chisinau.”
All things considered, you should not be planning to travel to Moldova right now.
Entry into Monaco is based on France’s rules, which are currently restricted for U.S. travelers — with some caveats for family members and essential travel.
While Montenegro is fairly open to U.S. tourists who’ve been fully vaccinated, they remain in a pretty wide lockdown with a long list of restrictions across every sector of the country.
Enter with either an official vaccine card showing you’ve been fully vaccinated at least seven days before arrival or a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival (with 14-day quarantine on arrival) or an official test showing recovery from COVID-19 at least 30 days before arrival.
PCR test upon arrival.
Nationwide curfew from midnight to 5 am.
Intercity travel is banned from Friday at 11 pm to Monday at 5 am.
Masks (indoors and outdoors) and social distancing enforced.
North Macedonia is open with almost no restrictions for entry for U.S. citizens (as long as they’re not entering the country via Africa). However, the country is rolling in and out of curfews and lockdowns currently. Per the State Department: “Parliament has extended the nationwide state of crisis through June 30, 2021, to effectively manage state resources during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Like Monaco above, San Marino has lifted most restrictions for entry. But, since you have to enter the country through Italy, you’re not getting in. When Italy opens up, we’ll update this entry too.
Turkey is fairly open to U.S. travelers. However, there’s a major lockdown/curfew right now. The State Department says there’s a “full-time curfew throughout ALL of Turkey, starting at 19:00 on Thursday, April 29, 2021, and ending at 05:00 on Monday, May 17, 2021, encompassing weekdays and weekends.”
According to the State Department, “Ukraine is under an adaptive quarantine until June 30, 2021.” There isn’t clear information on what “adaptive quarantine” means. But with the extremely low vaccination rates and Russian military buildup, this is probably not a fit for many travelers.
Entry requirements are changing quickly and vary depending on if you’re entering Scotland, Wales, England, or Northern Ireland. Currently, Americans can enter but are still required to quarantine for ten days and take at least two PCR tests while doing so at their own expense. This all could literally change in a matter of weeks or even days.
When Lil Nas X released his internet-breaking “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” he was facing criticism from two sides. Several conservative and religious viewers clutched their pearls at the sight of the musician twerking up on Satan. Another side questioned his queer identity entirely. Prior to coming out, Lil Nas X would have listened to his haters as he used to be concerned about alienating his straight fans, but now, he’s just being his most authentic self.
Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lil Nas X opened up about the recent controversy surrounding his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. The musician knows that those criticizing him and his music weren’t supporters in the first place. “At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans,” he said. “But then it was kind of like, if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head.”
Another aspect that’s changed for Lil Nas X since his rise to fame is how he’s able to playfully confront haters. When he was first blowing up, the musician would simply block anyone trash-talking him online. But now, he has no problem clapping back:
“I’m very much a chaotic, good person. I almost never want to start shooting at somebody who didn’t bring it to my doorstep, you know? But I kind of live for when somebody tries to get me and I’m ready to throw it back at them tenfold. Do I feel bad about it sometimes? Every now and then, but I feel less bad knowing that I didn’t start it. I try to never throw stones, but if somebody throws one at me, I’m throwing an entire house.”
For her directorial debut, Natalie Morales made an R-rated sex comedy. But Plan B isn’t your “typical teen quest movie,” as the Parks and Recreation star explained to EW. Instead of following a white dude as he’s trying to get laid (there’s no 3 Doors Down on the soundtrack), it’s about “two girls who live in South Dakota, and they’re not rich and they’re not white, and one of them loses their virginity and they have to get their asses across the state to the one Planned Parenthood that is open to get the Plan B pill.”
Plan B stars Kuhoo Verma (The Big Sick) and Victoria Moroles (Teen Wolf), who Morales praised as having an instant connection — even though their pandemic-era chemistry test was over Zoom. “You know when you watch Fleabag and the Hot Priest? And you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s chemistry, I’ve just never seen chemistry before’? I was looking for something close to that,” she said. “I mean, without the romance or the sexual energy. I needed people that jump off the screen when they’re together.”
Based on the trailer above, she found the right leads. Here’s the official plot summary:
After a regrettable first sexual encounter, a straight-laced high school student (Kuhoo Verma) and her slacker best friend (Victoria Moroles) have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in America’s heartland.
Plan B, which was written by Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy and produced by Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald along with Dina Hillier, premieres on May 28 on Hulu.
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
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Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks Of God
Manchester Orchestra has gone through many evolutions over the last fifteen years. What started as an emotive and volatile post-hardcore outfit has become what Steven Hyden called for Uproxx “expansive and philosophical indie rock.” The Million Masks Of God features the outfit’s grandest vision to date, delivering an ornate collection of a songs inspired by the death of guitarist Robert McDowell’s father.
Matt Sweeney & Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Superwolves
The last time Matt Sweeney and Bonnie “Prince” Billy collaborated, the world was very different. Yet 2005’s Superwolf had the staying power to remain relevant as the planet continued to spin. With Superwolves, the duo “maintained the same singular mood of the first record, even as they’ve opened up their partnership, on three tracks, to the thrilling Tuareg guitar hero Mdou Moctar and his crack band,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.
Origami Angel – Gami Gang
After finding some breakthrough success with their debut 2019 LP Somewhere City, Washington, DC-based emo duo Origami Angel widened their lens and set their sites on a new project that would surely take them to the next level. Gami Gang is a punk masterpiece, fraught with intricate guitar insanity and impressive vocal hooks that forecast massive potential for the band’s growth.
Charlie Martin – Imaginary People
Charlie Martin is one-half of the excellent lo-fi indie project Hovvdy, and his debut solo album fills the gap we’ve felt since the band’s last studio release in 2019. “I want people to hear the songs and feel comforted or lifted up,” Martin said in a statement. “That’s always my goal.” The thirteen tracks that make up Imaginary People certainly achieve the goal.
WILLOW – “transparent soul” (ft. Travis Barker)
Willow is just 20 years old, but she already has four albums to her name. Her latest track “transparent soul” marks a stylistic shift in the direction of artists like Paramore and Avril Lavigne, and gets a little help from Travis Barker, who knows a thing or two about pop punk. “With expressive vocal delivery, Willow leans on raucous guitars to serve up a scathing critique of someone’s character,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Half Waif – “Swimmer”
Just over a year after releasing the excellent album The Caretaker, Nandi Rose is back with another brand new album called Mythopoetics. After a string of standalone singles over the last few months (all of which are featured on the album), “Swimmer” marks the LP’s first proper single. It’s a massive and dramatic electro-pop track that was written after Rose visited her aunt, who has Alzheimer’s and can only truly be reached through the power of music.
Squid – “Pamphlets”
Buzzy experimental UK outfit Squid are gearing up to release their new album Bright Green Field, and “Pamphlets” is the final single before the full album drops. At over eight minutes, the track protests the proliferation of propaganda being placed in people’s mailboxes, and “establishes a quick and consistent pace early before embarking on a frenetic post-punk journey,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
Mannequin Pussy – “Perfect”
Though Mannequin Pussy previewed their new EP Perfect with the excellent alt-rock track “Control,” they had to make sure that fans didn’t think they lost their edge with “Perfect.” The EP’s title track is a bombastic hardcore punk rocker that clocks in at just over one minute long — the perfect length for a punk song, IMO.
Faye Webster – “Cheers”
Faye Webster’s forthcoming album I Know I’m Funny Haha might have the greatest title of all time, and it doesn’t hurt that the music itself is also pretty great. “Cheers” is the first taste of the new album, which is “grittier than much of the tracks heard on Webster’s breakout 2019 album Atlanta Millionaire’s Club,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx. “It’s held up by grumbling guitar chords which offer an intentional contrast to Webster’s airy vocals.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Part of what makes sports so great is the history that gets passed down from generation to generation, stories told from fathers and mothers to their sons and daughters of the greats they saw. Today, that often means showing highlight reels on YouTube, which has an endless supply of videos of the best from today and compilations put together from yesteryear.
While the generations are often split on the GOAT debates based on who they saw play when they were younger, being able to appreciate greatness is nearly universal among sports fans. Some players, like LeBron James, have careers that span multiple generations and part of what makes his legacy so incredible is that he’s continuing to dominate nearly two decades into his NBA career. That so many have been able to witness his greatness in person or at least live on TV is going to make him a figure discussed, debated, and revered long after he eventually retires.
It also means there’s quite the backlog of LeBron highlights to show this current generation of kids who may only know of Laker LeBron, which is exactly what Drake did with his son Adonis, posting a video of his son absolutely locked in and enthralled by some of James’ best highlights from his younger days.
Drake had to put his son onto some of @KingJames‘ best highlights
It’s they type of thing almost every sports fan can immediately relate to, that sense of awe and disbelief as a child watching the very best do seemingly superhuman things. It’s what folks of my generation born in the early 90s had the first time we saw Michael Jordan, surely having similar “OMG” moments as we, knowing the late-career Jordan, first got introduced to some of his early highlights via VHS tapes. Drake’s love of basketball and sports in general is not a secret, and part of the joy of parenthood is finding things to share and enjoy with your kids, which it seems he and Adonis will be able to do with hoops.
Zack Snyder, who recently released his four-hour cut of Justice League on HBO Max, has a new zombie film, Army of the Dead, on the way later this month for Netflix. He appeared on Justin Long’s podcast this week and gave a candid hour-long interview. Snyder spoke to the family tragedy that initially led to his departure of Justice League, and while he didn’t speak to the controversy surrounding Joss Whedon, he reiterated that he still hasn’t seen Whedon’s version after his wife and Christopher Nolan warned him off of it, fearing it would turn him into a “disgruntled employee.”
Interestingly, he did speak to why he had enough footage to make a four-hour cut, and some of that had to do with the backlash he received from “bloggers” and social media from Batman vs. Superman. He explained to Long that Warner Brothers had wanted Snyder to make nice with the new generation of “bloggers” or “gate keepers” on Twitter by inviting them onto the set “and get them to like you by showing them that you’re making it funnier.” It was a “dog and pony” show that he “hated,” but he went along with it because that’s what the studio wanted. However, he “passive aggressively” continued to shoot additional scenes for his own version of Justice League, which is why he had so much footage from which to choose when he put together the Snyder Cut.
Another “passive aggressive” addition he made to Justice League, meanwhile, were a number of Easter Eggs referencing Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead, a novel that Snyder has long loved.
Thematically speaking, Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead is about individualism versus collectivism, which provided the seed to Rand’s Objectivist movement, which is “the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” It is not a particularly popular movement in 2021 among the “bloggers” and “gatekeepers,” of which Zack Snyder spoke, which is why Snyder won’t be directing the movie anytime soon.
“It’s a book that is so politically charged,” Snyder said to Long, “that we need a more liberal government to do The Fountainhead so that everyone won’t freak out or something.” Here’s more:
“To me, it’s like, if you’re a filmmaker, you sort of understand if you’re looking at it from that lens, building a building (the subject of The Fountainhead) and making a movie are very similar. You’re making little compromises constantly. Maybe one story less, and it’ll be very good. Does it really need all those fancy window frames? Maybe just make the windows. You wanted a mansion, and you end up with something that sort of looks like a house. For me, that’s always what The Fountainhead was about. For a lot of people, it’s a big political thing, but for me it’s not so much about that.”
In making Justice League, Snyder compared himself to Howard Roark, the intractable protagonist of The Fountainhead, “only we said yes. We compromised. We’re the least Roarkian filmmakers ever. And that’s fine. That’s reality.”
The other reality, of course, is that the political climate right now cannot sustain a big studio-backed version of The Fountainhead and until there is a more firmly established liberal government, progressive America is not ready for a film based on a novel that espouses individual happiness at the expense of the collective.
Andrew Garfield has finally spoken about the persistent rumors that his version of Spider-Man will make an appearance alongside Tobey Maguire in the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home, which has been believed — but never confirmed — to contain some form of multiverse shenanigans. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, a very animated Garfield did his best to downplay the rumors, at least as far as he’s aware
After being asked about the Far From Home rumors by host Josh Horowitz who didn’t want to “ruin” the surprise, Garfield immediately stopped him and said, “There isn’t anything to ruin, bro!” before revealing that he has a secret Twitter account where he’s been watching Marvel fans get themselves worked up about Garfield’s alleged cameo.
“It’s so crazy. Dude, it’s f*cking hilarious to me,” Garfield said. “I have this Twitter account, and I see how often Spider-Man is trending and it’s people freaking out about a thing. I wish I could just say to everyone, ‘I recommend that you chill.’”
“I ain’t got a call,” Garfield said before likening the experience to the childhood games Werewolf or Mafia, where you have to convince someone that you’re not a werewolf or in the Mafia. When asked point blank by Horowitz if the rumors are true, Garfield responded, “I feel like I’ve already said that” before further clarifying, “I did not get a call.” He did, however, (jokingly?) leave a smidge of room that some call might happen down the road. “Maybe they’re going to call me and say, ‘Hey, people want this!’ Maybe it’s a market research thing,” Garfield offered.
Jay-Z fans on Twitter are debating one of the rapper’s biggest hits a tweet from The Source‘s account asserted that Jay “regrets” making “Big Pimpin’,” the third single from his 1999 album Vol. 3… Life And Times Of S. Carter. The Source‘s tweet linked to an article on the magazine’s website which interpreted a quote from a 2010 Wall Street Journal interview to mean that Jay took a negative view of his old song. However, upon realizing the quote in question was over a decade old, fans quickly decried the article and the tweet as “clickbait.”
This is being reported as new when it’s actually from a 2010 Wall Street Journal interview where JAY-Z talked about his book Decoded and his songwriting. No where did he say he regrets making “Big Pimpin'”
However, that didn’t stop the tweet from generating conversation, as Jay’s fans chimed in on his imagined reaction to his own lyrics, as well on The Source‘s out-of-context reporting. Some compared Jay’s older lyrics to his new ones, stating they preferred when Jay was “Big Pimpin’” alongside Bun B and Pimp C of UGK to the Jay-Z who makes deals with the NFL and raps about his big business moves like selling Tidal to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Others agreed with the sentiment that Jay’s view must have changed over time. As one pointed out, since 2000, Jay has gotten married, had three kids, and changed his outlook on everything from fashion to his role in politics. Some thought “cancel culture” had finally come for him.
Jay-Z is 51 year old married father of 3 kids, it makes sense for him to regret Big Pimpin. It’s still my favorite hit single from him though.
And while the quote in question is still difficult to put into context — after all, it’s just a written quote, and Jay’s notoriously sarcastic in interviews, besides his rapper’s penchant for using metaphorical language to describe a point of view that can get lost in translation in a different format — it’s still proof positive that Jay is still one of the most foremost figures in hip-hop. See more of the polarized responses to Jay’s old quote below, and read the full interview here.
Thug em, fuck em, love em, leave em cuz I dont fuckin need em is poetry ok https://t.co/5Ec6JLIZIK
Jay-Z while performing “Big Pimpin'” on his next arena tour: “I can’t believe I’m saying this, again. Make some noise for misogyny, y’all.” https://t.co/7UrmwyhS6t
The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets will meet for the second time in three days on Tuesday evening, with a national TV audience taking in the festivities. Even without James Harden active and available, the matchup should be highly intriguing and, if nothing else, the Bucks and Nets are jockeying for playoff positioning as the stretch run of the regular season arrives. In fact, the Bucks-Nets doubleheader doubles as a pivot point for discussion on the top of the East, as a trio of teams have separated from the pack for quite some time.
The Philadelphia 76ers join the Bucks and Nets at the top of the heap, and those three squads have almost fallen out of the consciousness in some circles, especially as the race for the No. 4 through No. 10 spots in the conference emerges. Still, conventional wisdom dictates that the East’s representative in the 2021 NBA Finals is (highly) likely to come from this group, and as they jockey for position down the stretch, securing the top spot will help ensure one of them that they won’t have to deal with both of the others.
Philadelphia is on an active five-game winning streak to secure the top spot in the East with seven games to go. The team’s recent winning binge has not come against high-level competition but, at the same time, the 76ers are seemingly rounding into form. On top of that, Philadelphia’s peripheral statistics are very encouraging when they have all of their key pieces available, headlined by an on-court net rating of more than 11 points per 100 possessions when Joel Embiid plays. On paper, they’re the favorites to take the 1-seed if for no other reason than a soft closing schedule with only the Heat as a top-8 team in either conference remaining.
Milwaukee got the best of Brooklyn in their Sunday matchup and, if the Bucks win the rematch, they could potentially chase down the Nets for the No. 2 spot. More practically, though, the Bucks seem destined for the No. 3 seed, and they have spent large portions of the 2020-21 season stepping out of their comfort zone. There is no question that a group featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, coached by Mike Budenholzer, can win at a high level in the regular season. However, the addition of Jrue Holiday raises Milwaukee’s playoff ceiling, and they have tinkered with switching defenses and approaches that vary from Budenholzer’s oft-criticized “Moneyball” approach on both ends.
Finally, the Nets are essentially on pace to set the record for offensive rating, putting up more than 1.17 points per possession through 65 games. That is a clear indication of Brooklyn’s ridiculously potent attack, but things get even scarier when realizing Kevin Durant (28 games), Harden (34 games) and Kyrie Irving (48 games) have been in and out of the lineup. It would be unwise to even pretend to concern troll on Brooklyn’s offense, but injury questions are real and, even with the most efficient offense in history, the Nets could be theoretically vulnerable on the defensive end in a playoff environment when teams can scheme against them with vigor.
From a regular season standpoint, much of the attention is on the non-elite teams in the East as they battle for positioning. On one hand, teams like Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Milwaukee might want to avoid the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat, simply because those teams are proven entities that could be dangerous in the postseason. In contrast, the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks have been better than Boston and Miami this season and, well, things are weird in 2020-21. Still, this isn’t a scenario in which the top three are trying to avoid a team like West contenders may want to do with the Los Angeles Lakers, so mostly it’s about the long game and trying to have homecourt as deep into the playoffs as possible.
The Nets, Bucks and Sixers are now firmly in “nothing matters but the playoffs” mode, and that extends to the health of their key pieces. In the meantime, there is a race for pole position, and all three teams are near the top of our DIME power rankings this week.
1. Phoenix Suns (46-18, Last week — 3rd)
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The last eight days have been stellar for Phoenix. They beat the Knicks on the road, then came home to beat the Clippers and Jazz in pretty impressive fashion. Sunday’s win over the Thunder was more in the “taking care of business” variety, but a four-game winning streak sends Phoenix to the top spot this week. They also have the tiebreaker over the Jazz, which could come in handy in the race for the top seed in the West.
2. Philadelphia 76ers (44-21, Last week — 4th)
To say that Philadelphia is in a good spot would be an understatement. The Sixers put together a stellar, unblemished week, and they now face the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. Considering they are already atop the East, Philly has to be the frontrunner for the No. 1 seed.
3. Utah Jazz (47-18, Last week — 6th)
Utah lost to Phoenix in decisive fashion earlier this week, which obviously matters when determining the pecking order. On the whole, though, the Jazz have done a solid job weathering injury absences to Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. Oh, and they still have the NBA’s best record.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (40-24, Last week — 7th)
After Tuesday’s showdown with Brooklyn, the schedule lightens considerably for the Bucks. If they can beat the Nets again, the door will crack open for a push to No. 2 in the East.
5. Brooklyn Nets (43-22, Last week — 2nd)
Everything is still in front of the Nets, and there is no shame in losing to the Bucks in a one-possession game without James Harden. If anything, it could be argued Brooklyn was more impressive than Milwaukee, even in the loss. If the Nets can respond with a win on Tuesday, it should be smooth sailing to the top two.
6. Denver Nuggets (43-22, Last week — 5th)
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Monday’s loss to the LeBron-less Lakers wasn’t great for Denver, but they did win five in a row before that. Nikola Jokic is now the overwhelming betting favorite to win NBA MVP, and they’ve hardly missed a beat without Jamal Murray. That absences almost assuredly will matter more in the playoffs, but it’s a credit to the Nuggets that they’ve been rolling.
7. L.A. Clippers (43-22, Last week — 1st)
Kawhi Leonard has played only once since Apr. 18, but his return on Saturday at least signals positivity in the future. The Clippers lost that game to Denver, though, and they are now on a three-game skid. There is no reason to panic, but it explains the drop.
8. New York Knicks (37-28, Last week — 8th)
This is an unbelievable run by the Knicks. They are 12-1 in the last 13 games, and the only loss came to the No. 1 team on this list. New York still has work to do to secure home-court in the first round of the East playoffs, but it can’t be overstated how impressive this stretch has been. The work only gets tougher for the Knicks from here, as they enter a week or road games with the Nuggets, Suns, Clippers, and Lakers.
9. Atlanta Hawks (36-30, Last week — 9th)
Atlanta was absolutely housed in a two-game set by Philadelphia, but injuries played a big part in that destruction. The Hawks are now healthier than they’ve been in months, and they beat the Blazers pretty comfortably on Monday to keep pressure on the Knicks in the race for No. 4.
10. Miami Heat (35-30, Last week — 16th)
After sitting at .500 in mid-April, the Heat are 7-2 in the last nine games. That shouldn’t be overly noteworthy for the reigning East champs, but Miami finding traction is different (read: better) than what was happening before.
11. Dallas Mavericks (36-28, Last week — 14th)
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Dallas is really good unless they play Sacramento. I know that sentence makes no sense, but the last three losses for the Mavericks have come against the lowly Kings. Fortunately, those defeats are sandwiched between six wins, so Dallas still moved up in the pecking order to 6th out West, but it’s definitely odd.
12. Los Angeles Lakers (37-28, Last week — 10th)
The Lakers salvaged things with an important win over Denver on Monday to jump from 7 to 5 in the West momentarily. Now, they get two days off before a showdown with the Clippers on Thursday, and LeBron James could be back after he missed the win over the Nuggets. Unleash Marc Gasol.
13. Golden State Warriors (33-32, Last week — 12th)
Golden State visits New Orleans (again) on Tuesday. From there, the Warriors finish the season with the final six games at home, which puts them in a good position to be at least the No. 8 seed in the West after moving ahead of Memphis on Monday. Being in that 7/8 game is a notable advantage over the 9/10, and they’ve still got Steph Curry.
14. Washington Wizards (30-35, Last week — 17th)
Russell Westbrook is completely out of his mind. He’s averaging 23.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 12.5 assists per game since the All-Star break, punctuated by a 14-21-24 game on Monday. Washington generated fifty assists in defeating Indiana, and they are playing extremely well. The 8-seed suddenly isn’t completely out of reach for the Wizards.
15. Portland Trail Blazers (36-29, Last week — 22nd)
The Blazers ran into a schedule loss on Monday night in Atlanta, as they simply couldn’t stop the Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back with travel. Before that, though, Portland won four in a row to strengthen their playoff position. They are just a half-game behind Dallas for the No. 6 spot with a three-game cushion over the Warriors for No. 7. Still, they want out of the play-in and their game with the Lakers on Friday in Portland is for the tiebreaker between those two.
16. Boston Celtics (34-31, Last week — 11th)
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Boston is truly baffling. They technically went 2-2 this week, but one of those losses came at home to the Thunder (!?) and the other was a disappointing home showing against Portland. It’s just hard to trust much right now as they slide into the play-in.
17. Memphis Grizzlies (32-32, Last week — 15th)
Memphis remains in solid shape through the lens of the play-in, but it was a rough week. The Grizzlies have lost four of the last five, and the only win came against Orlando… right before Memphis lost the rematch to the Magic.
18. Charlotte Hornets (31-33, Last week — 18th)
It seems for all the world as if the Hornets will stay in the No. 8 slot in the East. That means a play-in challenge, but they do have LaMelo Ball back with at least faint optimism about Gordon Hayward. For now, they are largely treading water, but with a game advantage on Indiana and 1.5 games on Washington, that’s what’s needed.
19. Toronto Raptors (27-38, Last week — 20th)
Because the Wizards keep winning and winning, the Raptors’ latest surge is going largely unnoticed. They are still three games out of the play-in, meaning they have a tall hill to climb, but the Raptors are 6-4 in the last ten games. It’s not impossible they could be playing meaningful games next week.
20. New Orleans Pelicans (29-36, Last week — 23rd)
New Orleans still trails San Antonio (see below) for the final play-in spot, and they aren’t likely to close that gap. The Pelicans are 4-3 in the last seven games, though, and Zion Williamson continues to be out of his mind. If they get hot, it’s not impossible to catch the Spurs if for no other reason than scheduling.
21. San Antonio Spurs (31-33, Last week — 13th)
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The Spurs have lost four in a row. The Spurs also have the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA. That is an ugly combination, but San Antonio does have a cushion to fall back on as they pursue the play-in. That helps considerably, but they have to find a couple wins somewhere, which is going to be hard to do.
22. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-45, Last week — 26th)
Minnesota came within a whisker of an active five-game winning streak, dropping an overtime decision to New Orleans on Saturday. There is certainly a debate on whether it’s good for the Wolves to win right now for draft purposes, but they are a lot more competitive lately. Perhaps that signals optimism for the future.
23. Sacramento Kings (27-37, Last week — 25th)
The Kings beat the Mavericks (twice) and Lakers in the last eight days. That is already noteworthy, but Sacramento won those three games without De’Aaron Fox. Good luck figuring that out.
24. Indiana Pacers (30-34, Last week — 19th)
This week was wild for the Pacers. On the positive side, they beat the Thunder by approximately 200 points. That’s helpful for the net rating. From there, though, Indiana lost its other three games by 21, 17 and 13 points, respectively. Defensively, it was a bloodbath, with the Pacers allowing 139 (!!) points per game in the trio of losses. What in the world?
25. Chicago Bulls (26-39, Last week — 21st)
When the Bulls traded for Nikola Vucevic, they did not expect to be four games out of the play-in with seven games to go. After four straight losses, that is exactly where they are. Even if it’s explainable due to Zach LaVine’s absence and an injury to Vucevic himself, it’s been brutal.
26. Orlando Magic (21-44, Last week — 29th)
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Monday’s Magic-Pistons game was one of the bleakest of the season in the NBA, with both teams missing myriad pieces from depleted rosters. Still, the Magic won that contest, and they are 3-1 in the last four games. That may not help them in their lottery pursuits, but it helps them in this space.
27. Detroit Pistons (19-46, Last week — 24th)
It would be unwise to make too much of this result, but the Pistons losing to the Magic at home on Monday dropped them a slot or two. Detroit has been consistently more competitive than their record indicates, but they seem to be in something approaching shut-down mode down the stretch.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-43, Last week — 27th)
The NBA’s longest active losing streak belongs to Cleveland. The Cavs have dropped six in a row, including three straight at home to end the week, and one of those was a home loss to Orlando. Not ideal.
29. Houston Rockets (16-49, Last week — 28th)
Kevin Porter Jr. put on a show in leading the Rockets to a win over the Bucks this week, and it was a history-making effort. That was a fun night for Houston, but they followed it up by losing to Golden State and New York by a combined 51 points at home. The Rockets have more talent than this ranking dictates, but the results are still not great.
30. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-44, Last week — 30th)
When the Thunder beat the Celtics in Boston on Tuesday, the stage was set for them to potentially escape the basement. That victory stopped a four-game losing streak and all was right with the world. Since then, Oklahoma City is 0-3 and they set the NBA record for the worst home loss with a 152-95 drubbing against the Pacers. We’re going to leave them here.
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