Category: News

Former “Blue’s Clues” host and Millennial icon, Steve Burns, 49, made an appearance at Steel City Con in Monroeville, Pennsylvania earlier this month and he had no idea the surprise he was going to get. According to TMZ, Brandon Ragland, 25, stopped by his booth and showed him a photo that brought both men to tears.

It was a shot of Ragland taken in 2000 when he was just 4 years old, hanging out with Burns, who was his favorite TV personality. At the time, Ragland had stage 4 cancer in his kidneys and lungs so he was able to meet Burns through the Make-a-Wish program. The Make-a-Wish experience also included a shopping spree at Toys “R” Us and tickets to see “Blue’s Clues Live.”

After seeing the photo, Burns’ eyes lit up and he said, “I remember this and you!” Burns then told Ragland he remembers he was a bit of a wild child that ran all around the New York City restaurant where they met.

The two then took a reunion photo and both burst into tears. “This made my entire year and I’m so glad you’re here,” Burns told Ragland.

“I could hear his voice crack and get choked up, so I instantly just started to do the same,” Ragland wrote on Facebook. “I thanked him for not only being there today, but meeting me all those years ago.”

“One of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure to meet,” Ragland continued. “I think he might have been more moved than I was over the whole ordeal.”

The great news is that Ragland has been cancer-free and in remission for 23 years.

Burns left “Blue’s Clues” in 2002 for a career in music and voiceover acting. As a musician he’s worked with Steven Drozd from The Flaming Lips and composed the theme song to “Young Sheldon.” He also remained part of the “Blue’s Clues” family, working as a mentor to the show’s current host, Joshua Dela Cruz. He even appears on the show from time to time.

Most of Burns’ post “Blue’s Clues” work has been behind the camera, leaving many who loved him as a child to wonder what happened to him. He addressed his sudden departure from the show in September 2021 by appearing in his “Blue’s Clues” outfit on Nick Jr.’s Twitter account.

u201cSo about that time Steve went off to collegeu2026 #BluesClues25u201d

— Nick Jr. (@Nick Jr.)
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“You remember how when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue and find clues and talk to Mr. Salt and freak out about the mail and do all the fun stuff?” he asked on the video. “And then one day, I was like, ‘Oh hey, guess what? Big news, I’m leaving. Here’s my brother Joe, he’s your new best friend,’ and then I got on a bus and I left and we didn’t see each other for like a really long time?”

Burns then gave a heartfelt “thank you” that brought countless Millenials to tears.

“I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years, I never forgot you. Ever. And I’m super glad we’re still friends,” he said.

Air travel is a hot mess right now, especially with Southwest Airlines apparently in a system-wide meltdown. Thousands of flights have been canceled. Passengers are stranded at airports across the country. Checked bags are nowhere to be found. People are complaining of hours-long customer service lines and no one answering phones.

All of this is immensely frustrating, of course. No one likes having their plans changed without warning and having to scramble to problem-solve on the fly. Traveling is already stressful as it is, especially during the holidays, which is all the more reason to follow the one hard and fast rule for when your travel plans get disrupted.

Be kind to airline employees.

No matter what happened to cause the flight delays or cancelations, none of the desk personnel, gate agents, flight attendants, etc. in the airport or the customer service reps on the phone had anything to do with it. It’s not their fault, they’re not to blame and taking out frustrations on them is both unhelpful and unkind.

I’ve seen a surprising number of people complain to gate agents about a flight being canceled due to weather and outright demand they do something to fix it. If one flight is canceled due to weather in an area, they most probably all are, so demanding a fix to an unfixable problem will only lead to more frustration for all involved.

But even when the problem is something like the current Southwest situation, where it’s clearly not just weather but a bigger issue with the airline itself, it’s still not the fault of the individual airline employees at the airport or the person on the other end of the customer service line who are trying to help. They know passengers are frustrated and they are too. Tensions are high all around. But sometimes there’s simply nothing they can do, and no amount of ranting at them is going to change that.

u201cRemember to be kind to #Southwest airline employees. It is not their fault that their company failed. nThey are just as angry as you are. They have been sworn at for days, some even assaulted by being spit at. nWe are better than that.nI know we are.n#SpreadKindness #Humanityu201d

— Orlando Ribbons (@Orlando Ribbons)
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Airline employees are in the business of getting people where they’re supposed to go. They have no desire to keep anyone stranded in an airport. It’s not fun for them to have to deal with the logistical nightmare of trying to get thousands of tired, cranky customers and their luggage to the correct places. And if you’re stuck someplace due to a canceled flight, there’s a good chance some airline employees are stuck there as well. Southwest crew members report being stranded at airports and unable to get through to their own company. There’s simply never a reason to berate or abuse an airline employee for a flight delay or cancelation.

Passengers can make the argument that they paid the airline money to get them to their destination at a certain time, and the airline isn’t fulfilling its end of the bargain. If it’s the airline’s fault the flight was canceled, most airlines have policies in place for compensating passengers. But weather delays and cancelations are no one’s fault. They just happen. That’s part of the risk of airline travel. And while a flight being canceled due to weather is a bummer, it also keeps people safe.

The current Southwest debacle is another story, but even in that case, it’s no individual employee’s fault. The issues that led to a deluge of canceled Southwest flights start way up the chain, not at the poor person standing in front of the computer at the airport terminal trying desperately to mop up the mess. It’s understandable that people would be upset, but let’s make sure that emotion isn’t unleashed on powerless parties. Vent those frustrations into a strongly worded letter to the company or in a social media post or on a call to a sympathetic friend. Don’t take them out on the Southwest employee who is not only drowning in the flood but probably also wondering whether they’re going to have a job next month.

If you’re stuck at the airport try your best to thank the employees. I just said thanks to the Starbucks manager here and she almost cried. She said her crew has been working nonstop – it’s never ever been this busy or chaotic. Be kind to the airline employees. Not their fault.

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) December 27, 2022

The same goes for any employee at the airport. Anger and frustration are understandable and patience has its limit, but taking it all out on airline or airport employees only makes things worse. A little kindness and empathy can go a long way. The more we can put ourselves into other people’s shoes and treat others the way we would want to be treated in the moment, the better off everyone will be through all of this.

Patrick Xavier Clark, the 33-year-old Houston man accused of shooting and killing Migos rapper Takeoff on November 1 of this year, appeared in court on Tuesday (December 27) as his attorneys moved to have his bond lowered from $1 million to $300,000, according to ABC News. It was set at $1 million after a successful bid to have it reduced from $2 million. Clark’s lawyer feels the $300,000 figure is more appropriate, as the accused’s family can put a home up as collateral to secure his release.

However, prosecutors argue that Clark has hidden some financial assets and constitutes a flight risk if released from jail. This belief stems from a jail phone call in which Clark allegedly claimed that he could pay the $2 million. Of course, should he receive the lowered bond and have a bondsman issue a bond for him, if he does flee, it’ll cost his family their house.

Houston police identified Clark as a suspect using footage from the incident in which he can allegedly be seen holding a gun and firing it, while fingerprints place him at the scene. He also apparently searched for his name online the next day, which could suggest he expected or feared he would be associated with the shooting somehow. Meanwhile, ABC News drew criticism this week after its year-in-review program used a photo of Quavo mislabeled as his nephew Takeoff.

While he may be a self-proclaimed certified lover boy, rap superstar Drake receives plenty of hate in the sports world. Whether he’s pissing off Barcelona soccer club fans or scarring Argentina soccer club fans after playing a bet on the team to win the world cup, it seems the Drake curse, at least in sports, is real.

After attending his hometown team, the Toronto Raptors game versus the Los Angeles Clippers, the curse streak continued. Following their loss at home, the opposing team took to social media to rub it in.

On Instagram, the basketball team shared a clip in which the “Jimmy Cooks” rapper cheerfully greeted the Clippers’ shooting guard Norman Powell and former Raptor-now-Clipper Kawhi Leonard. In the caption, the team wrote, “Kawhi and Norm with a fan.”

Despite being a fan of the pair, the sport, and even having his own recreational league, Drake didn’t take kindly to not being mentioned by name. After the post was uploaded, he quickly jumped into the comment section to write, “Win a ring,” referring to the franchise’s lack of championship wins. In contrast, the Raptors took home their first championship ring in 2019 — ironically, with Kawhi starting at small forward. He left for the Clippers the next season.

Only 52 films have grossed over one billion dollars at the worldwide box office. The latest member of the exclusive club that includes blockbusters both good (The Dark Knight) and may God have mercy on us all (2010’s Alice in Wonderland): Avatar: The Way of Water. Everyone has tulkun fever!

James Cameron’s visually-stunning sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all-time crossed the $1 billion mark on Tuesday, becoming the sixth fastest movie to do so. The only movies to reach the milestone quicker: Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Jurassic World.

In just two weeks, The Way of Water has already passed the global box office tallies of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($800 million), The Batman ($770 million), Thor: Love and Thunder ($760 million), and Minions: The Rise of Gru ($939 million)… Outside of North America, Avatar 2 has enjoyed the strongest turnout in China with $104 million, followed by France with $60 million, Korea with $55.4 million, Germany with $41.5 million, and India with $39.2 million.

Avatar: The Way of Water is already the third highest-grossing movie of 2022, after likely Best Picture nominee Top Gun: Maverick and the instantly forgotten Jurassic World: Dominion, and will keep adding to its total. It could continue to top the box office throughout a slow January, unless M3GAN makes $60 million in its first week (as it should).

The lesson, as always: don’t bet against James Cameron.

(Via Variety)

Kodak Black is tapping into the Latin music market with Anuel AA. The Puerto Rican superstar teamed up with Black and Ñengo Flow for his swaggering “Sufro” video that was released yesterday (December 27).

On his latest album LLNM2, or Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren 2, Anuel AA teamed up with multiple American rap stars. Kodak Black features on the searing “Sufro.” Anuel AA returned to his Latin trap roots while blending in salsa music with sample of Gilberto Santa Rosa’s classic “Me Volvieron A Hablar De Ella.” In his guest verse, Black represents his Haitian roots by rapping a bit in Creole. Ñengo Flow rounds out the collaboration with his fiery verse.

In the video for “Sufro,” Anuel AA performs the song on top of a convenience store. He later parties with Ñengo Flow and Black, who proudly represents and waves his Haitian flag. Other hip-hop stars who feature on Anuel AA’s album include Lil Durk in the song “1ro” and DaBaby for their collaboration “Wakanda.”

Anuel AA’s album includes a whopping 33 tracks. French DJ David Guetta joined him on “Vibra.” Anuel AA’s wife, Yailin La Más Viral, featured on two songs. She teamed up with Anuel AA, Jowell y Randy, and De La Ghetto for the track “La Máquina.” Last week, Ñengo Flow released the song “Gato De Noche” featuring Bad Bunny.

Prepare your resolutions, it’s almost 2023. This also means that Ryan Seacrest is preparing to freeze his butt off in Times Square for another installment of New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which is a relatively wholesome affair compared to what took place on CNN last year. For reference’s sake, Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper knocked back shots, and Andy got pretty darn messy. He went on a series of rants, including the following choice selection about Bill DeBlasio.

As Variety reminds everyone, Cohen also let loose on “Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers that are performing behind us,” which was apparently not lost on Seacrest. Granted, he doesn’t mention Cohen by name, but while speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Seacrest expressed support for how new CNN CEO Chris Licht made the call to cut back on the on-air boozing.

Here’s what Seacrest had to say while alluding to that drunken insult:

“I don’t advocate drinking when one is on the air. I don’t know how that started as a tradition, but it’s probably a good idea [to scale back], CNN. There’s some pretty respectable people or at least one, right? I think there’s a serious journalist and then a friend of mine who has a lot of fun, but it’s probably a good idea…. I think they had something to say about my show at one point, which was I’m sure from the alcohol because, I don’t think they would say what they said about our performers if they weren’t drinking.”

Interestingly enough, Variety‘s original reporting on Licht’s decision did specify that a few hosts (including Cohen and Cooper) would still be allowed to drink (“Anderson Cooper will still be able to imbibe during primetime hours — along with his co-host Andy Cohen — while the duo holds forth in Times Square”), and the cut-back was aimed more at offsite celebrations. That presumably means that Don Lemon won’t be getting wet and wild this year on Bourbon Street, which previously led to an on-air piercing and a faux proposal to Brooke Baldwin.

In other words, we may see more Tipsy Cohen rants after all? We’ll find out soon.

(Via Variety & Entertainment Weekly)

Ciara has dropped some catchy bops this year. With songs like the catchy “Jump,” and the kiss-off anthem “Better Thangs” with Summer Walker, Cici had some hits on her hands. This New Year’s Eve, Ciara will close out the year with a couple of performances of Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve.

Of course, fans can expect her to perform her hits from this year during her set, as she revealed to People.

“It’s been amazing to see the love from my fans for my newest song with Summer Walker called ‘Better Thangs,’ so they’ll definitely get a taste of that,” she said. “And then obviously I put out my song ‘Jump’ before that and so that’s a lot of energy that’s in your face nonstop. So there will be that, a little taste of that too.”

Also in the interview, Ciara teased some new music, of which fans will also get a preview during her performances.

“I’m also going to give my fans something new,” she said. “They’re going to get something exclusive the night of New Year’s, so I can’t wait. Let’s just say that it’s going to be winning energy.”

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve airs Saturday, December 31 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Ariana Grande sent a number of children’s hospitals in Manchester some special gifts over the Christmas weekend. Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity posted a photo of Grande’s message and gifts, which read “Happy Holidays, Love Ariana Grande.”

“Thank you Ariana,” they shared. “We were so excited to receive Christmas gifts for young patients across our hospitals from Ariana Grande.”

In addition, Grande sent patients from North Manchester General Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, and Saint Mary’s Hospital a number of presents, according to Rolling Stone.

“It’s so wonderful that Ariana has once again been so thoughtful and made this special donation to our family of hospitals,” Tanya Hamid, interim director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, wrote on Instagram. “We know Manchester, and in particular Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, holds a special place in Ariana’s heart.”

The gifts continued Grande’s tradition of spreading holiday cheer to Manchester hospitals, as she sent around 1,000 presents to childhood patients.

This May marked the fifth anniversary since the Manchester Arena bombing during Grande’s Dangerous Woman tour, making it all the more significant of a holiday to give back to the community.

“Although grief is ever present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round… I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one,” she shared on an Instagram story last year. “Please know that I am thinking of you today. Manchester, my heart is with you today and always.”

It wasn’t a surprise that the Orlando Magic sat 5-20 on the morning of Dec. 6. That isn’t to pick on Orlando by any means, but the Magic capped a nine-game losing streak with a home loss to Milwaukee and felt destined for another rough season with an eye toward Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. Given the team’s rebuilding nature and the presence of 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, the 5-20 record wasn’t cause for great concern. But since then, Orlando has been one of the best teams in the NBA.

The Magic are 8-2 in the last ten games and, after an ugly offensive start, Orlando is flying high. The Magic are scoring 116.5 points per 100 possessions with a 59.5 percent true shooting clip in the last ten games, bumping Orlando into a different tier from a full-season standpoint. Much of that run took place without starting center Wendell Carter Jr., who was perhaps the second-biggest bright spot behind Banchero to open the season, and he returned for the last two games to give Orlando a more complete roster.

Banchero is the clear centerpiece of Orlando’s rebuild, as he is the front-runner for Rookie of the Year in averaging 21.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. Like most rookies, Banchero will need to boost his efficiency to justify star-level usage in the future, but his flashes are tremendous, and he forms an intriguing bond with fellow forward Franz Wagner. In fact, the Banchero-Wagner combination has a +8.3 net rating in the last ten games, and Orlando’s bench is also functioning well.

There are still questions about Orlando’s future backcourt, particularly with Jalen Suggs remaining sidelined with injury and a bevy of interesting yet unspectacular options like Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, and R.J. Hampton. Banchero and Wagner help to mitigate that with on-ball chops from the forward spots, but the debate is already beginning about whether the Magic are winning so much that it will hurt their odds to get some major backcourt help via the Draft Lottery.

Yes, Orlando might be pricing itself out of the top odds and a real run at Henderson or Wembanyama. That might not be ideal for the future, but it’s not as if Orlando hasn’t been drafting near the top of the board for years and years, including the literal No. 1 pick fewer than six months ago. Don’t look now, but the Magic are just 2.5 games (!) out of the play-in as of Dec. 28. That doesn’t mean Orlando should go out and buy in the trade market with a run at the No. 10 seed as the focus, but the Magic might just be better than expected.

We’ll see if Orlando can keep this rolling but, at the very least, the Magic are jumping up the board in our DIME power rankings. Just how much did Orlando rise? Let’s find out.

1. Brooklyn Nets (22-12, Last week — 2nd)

Brooklyn is the hottest team in the league and also atop the rankings. The Nets have won nine in a row and, during that run, Brooklyn is scoring almost 1.25 points per possession. It’s not as if the Nets have the best season-long profile in the league but, after this stretch, Brooklyn is only 2.5 games behind Boston. That’s wild.

2. Boston Celtics (25-10, Last week — 6th)

The Celtics righted the ship with three straight wins this week. Boston dominated all three games, including a high-profile beatdown of the Bucks on Christmas, and there is a real argument for the Celtics at the top.

3. Denver Nuggets (22-11, Last week — 4th)

Denver is living well right now. The Nuggets are 8-1 in the last nine games, even as Denver’s net rating is “only” +5.1 in that sample. It helps to have Nikola Jokic, who continues to play at an MVP level.

4. New Orleans Pelicans (21-12, Last week — 8th)

We touched on the Pelicans’ dip last week after four straight losses. New Orleans hasn’t lost since and, in the last 14 games, the Pelicans are 10-4 and generally rolling.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (20-13, Last week — 5th)

Philly might’ve been in the top three if the rankings happened a day ago. That isn’t to say that the Sixers losing on the road to Wizards is calamitous, but Philadelphia’s eight-game winning streak came to an end. They will have to settle for a top-five ranking.

6. Milwaukee Bucks (22-11, Last week — 1st)

The Bucks had to drop after three straight losses. Stepping back, Milwaukee’s losses were all on the road against very good teams without Khris Middleton. Of course, the Bucks really need Middleton to get where they want to get, but there is no reason to panic just yet.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-13, Last week — 3rd)

The Cavs actually have to leave home on Thursday. Cleveland just wrapped a two-week homestand and, even after two losses at the end, it was 4-2 and an overall success. The Cavs continue to look like a contender from a metric standpoint as well, with the No. 2 net rating in the NBA.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (20-13, Last week — 7th)

The Grizzlies are 1-4 in the last five, and three of those losses came by double figures. It was pretty embarrassing for Memphis to flop the way they did on Christmas — especially after Ja Morant’s comments about the state of the Western Conference — and a 17-point home loss to Phoenix wasn’t a great follow-up. Is there reason to worry? I’d think not, but the next two games are against the Raptors on the road and the Pelicans at home. Nothing easy there.

9. Dallas Mavericks (19-16, Last week — 15th)

It was the Luka show on Tuesday night. For one, Doncic became the first player in history to post a triple-double with at least 60 points and 20 rebounds in an overtime win over the Knicks. That is ludicrous on its own, but then Doncic also capped off the wildest comeback imaginable with a buzzer-beater in regulation that made the win and his history-making stat line possible.

10. Phoenix Suns (20-15, Last week — 9th)

Phoenix isn’t going anywhere without Devin Booker, which was already obvious but further cemented this week. The Suns did manage to beat the Grizzlies to save a larger drop.

11. L.A. Clippers (21-15, Last week — 11th)

The Clippers have overachieved when comparing point differential to record, but L.A. is also 7-2 in the last nine games after a road back-to-back sweep. Ultimately, the Clippers go as Kawhi goes from an upside standpoint, but L.A. is safely good at this point.

12. Miami Heat (17-17, Last week — 19th)

Miami gets some benefit of the doubt that other teams with the same profile wouldn’t get. I’ll admit that. The Heat also have a very instructive stretch beginning on Friday. Miami kicks off a five-game road trip that starts 2023, and given the competition, a 2-3 mark would be encouraging.

13. Orlando Magic (13-22, Last week — 20th)

The 8-2 run noted above doesn’t have to end. In fact, Orlando has three favorable matchups in a row this week against the Pistons, Wizards, and Thunder. The Magic aren’t huge favorites against anyone, at least for now, but it won’t be shocking if we look up and Orlando wins two or three of those contests.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (18-16, Last week — 13th)

Portland avoided a real dip by winning at home against Charlotte, but road games have been rough. The Blazers are 4-9 in the last 13 on the road, and Portland has four of the next five away from home.

15. Indiana Pacers (18-17, Last week — 21st)

The Pacers beat the Celtics, Heat, and Hawks in the last week. In the middle, Indiana got walloped by New Orleans, but it was a positive stretch overall. The Pacers are firmly in the mix.

16. Utah Jazz (19-17, Last week — 14th)

We’re at the point where it’s probably safe to assume the Jazz are pretty bad defensively. We’re also at the point where it’s probably safe to assume the Jazz are pretty good offensively. The end results is solid enough.

17. New York Knicks (18-17, Last week — 10th)

New York has to drop after four straight losses. We touched on Tuesday’s meltdown against Dallas above, but the Knicks became the first team in two decades to lose when leading by at least nine points with 35 seconds remaining. It was hideous. That’s all I have.

18. Sacramento Kings (17-15, Last week — 16th)

Friday’s home loss to Washington wasn’t great, but the Kings are hanging around. At the time of this post, Sacramento is in a three-way tie for the No. 7 seed, which has to be viewed as an overall success.

19. Golden State Warriors (17-18, Last week — 18th)

In a big-picture sense, the Warriors are unserious without Steph Curry, and everyone kind of knows it. Still, Golden State put together an impressive Christmas win over Memphis and followed it up by beating Charlotte at home. Holding the fort is all they can be asked to do until Curry returns.

20. Oklahoma City Thunder (15-19, Last week — 22nd)

Oklahoma just won’t fade. The Thunder have won four of five, and the only loss was in overtime to the Pelicans. Oklahoma City, like Orlando, is right on the fringe of the play-in race.

21. Toronto Raptors (15-19, Last week — 25th)

We wrote about Toronto in-depth a week ago, ad things were better at 2-1 in the last seven days. The Raptors have eight of the next nine games at home, though that run includes tilts against the Grizzlies, Suns, and Bucks.

22. Chicago Bulls (14-19, Last week — 23rd)

Chicago was going to jump considerably after three straight wins at a good time. Then, the Bulls lost at home to the Rockets by 15 points on Monday. Yikes. We’ll just call it even.

23. Atlanta Hawks (17-17, Last week — 17th)

It’s not as if the Hawks are lighting the world on fire when healthy but, when they aren’t healthy, the results are pretty bad. Atlanta lost (as a favorite) by 15 points in Indiana on Tuesday, and the Hawks now have the joy of hosting the Nets on Wednesday. If that game goes the wrong way, Atlanta will dip below .500 again.

24. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-18, Last week — 12th)

The roller coaster nature in Minnesota is wild. The Wolves have five (!) losing streaks of at least three games already this season. That is very difficult to do in a 34-game sample, but they are in a down period at this time of this post.

25. Los Angeles Lakers (14-20, Last week — 24th)

The Lakers would be even lower than this if not for a nice win over the previously scalding Magic on Tuesday. It’s clear that Los Angeles is flat-out bad without Anthony Davis, which makes sense if you even glance at the available roster. On the more encouraging side, Russell Westbrook is contributing, and LeBron has at least 28 points in eight straight games.

26. Washington Wizards (14-21, Last week — 28th)

Coming off a gross, 10-game losing streak, Washington enjoyed a positive eight-day period with three wins. It’s hard to parse what the Wizards actually are right now, largely due to a modest -2.3 net rating for the season and a roster that is better than this ranking. We’ll learn more at the end of the year, especially with the Wizards continuously trending on the trade market.

27. San Antonio Spurs (11-23, Last week — 26th)

It was an on-brand week. The Spurs beat the Jazz for a nice home win on Monday, but lost the other three games by 45 points combined. The Spurs are still in their own class of ugly net rating (-9.2), but a 5-5 mark in the last 10 games keeps Gregg Popovich’s team out of the bottom three.

28. Charlotte Hornets (9-26, Last week — 27th)

Charlotte has been a little bit better recently, winning two of the last five games. That is the more optimistic way to say that the Hornets have two wins since Dec. 2, and Charlotte ranks dead-last in offense. The Hornets do begin a four-game homestand on Thursday that might help matters.

29. Houston Rockets (10-24, Last week — 29th)

Houston is 1-6 in the last seven games, and the Rockets have the worst record in the West. The defense is the bigger issue, but Houston also has the worst turnover rate in the NBA at a whopping 17.1 percent. That is just hideous.

30. Detroit Pistons (8-28, Last week — 30th)

The Pistons led the Clippers by 14 points with three minutes to go on Tuesday and managed to lose. Detroit has one victory since Dec. 6 and it came in overtime against Charlotte. It’s gross.