Category: News

Dolly Parton has a catalog full of classic songs and one of the most recognizable is “9 To 5,” which has become a workers’ anthem over the years. On the chorus of the iconic tune, she sings, “Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living / Barely gettin’ by, it’s all taking and no giving / They just use your mind and you never get the credit / It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it.” With all that in mind, people are disappointed in Parton’s new Super Bowl commercial for SquareSpace.

For the ad, Parton re-worked “9 To 5” into a new version called “5 To 9,” which is meant to honor the side hustle. Parton said of the ad, “Well I work 365 [days a year]. I’m always working 5 to 9, 9 to 5. I work all hours of the night and day. Whatever you need to do, you gotta get it done, however many hours it takes.”

That said, since the original song touches on themes of being overworked, it seems to some the new song betrays the point of the original. As one Twitter user wrote, “Dolly Parton’s now made a version of her ‘9 to 5’ song for an ad celebrating… side hustles. Great, we can now all work ‘5 to 9’ on top of the other eight hours.” Somebody else added, “Dolly should not have made that 5 to 9 song for SquareSpace. The original song was to complain about the overwhelming burden of work. This contravenes that by glorifying this ‘work is a virtue, you have to hustle’ narrative.”

Those tweets echo a lot of other reactions people online are having, so check out some more responses to the ad below, and check out the commercial above.

When the Brooklyn Nets acquired James Harden, there was an expectation that their defense would suffer as they assembled one of the great offensive cores in the history of basketball, but we didn’t know exactly how low that defense would dip. There were some who were optimistic that they could hang around the middle of the pack, which, when coupled with an elite offense, would be enough to make them a legitimate contender.

However, what has happened in the nine games since Harden arrived has been a complete cratering of a league-average defense (108.9 DRtg pre-Harden trade) to among the league’s worst with a 118.0 defensive rating, trailing only the woeful Wizards (118.3) and Pelicans (118.1) in that span, per NBA.com/stats. The good news is they have the league’s best offense with a 120.5 offensive rating, as their three-headed monster is scoring at will as planned and only seems to have a brighter offensive future ahead as they get more time on the floor. Those reps will also be critical to the Nets figuring out the defensive end of the floor, but the growth they need to show on that end is even greater than most anticipated.

There are things Brooklyn can do in the immediate to help themselves, namely cutting down on turnovers as they average over 14 per game since acquiring Harden and half of those are live-ball turnovers, which allow teams to get out and run in transition against them. However, this is far more than teams running on the Nets, as they have significant deficiencies that need to be corrected in their set defense.

Sunday night’s loss to the Wizards, which Harden missed due to a thigh contusion, was the shining example of how dramatically poor Brooklyn is on that end of the floor right now. Washington won 149-146, scoring 48 in the fourth quarter of an unbelievable comeback, which Kyrie Irving summed up thusly afterwards.

There’s some small sample size noise to what’s going on, with some unbelievable individual efforts like Collin Sexton’s double OT eruption, but they have consistently allowed teams to pile up the points even as they’ve amassed a 6-3 record. The optimistic view is that it probably can’t get much worse than this, and they’re winning at a 67 percent clip. It makes for an exciting brand of basketball, as Nets games have become must-see TV because no lead is safe as both teams are capable of massive scoring runs, but for a team with championship aspirations, they need more than just incremental improvements. Brooklyn has to figure out how to consistently get stops rather than relying on their offense to bail them out again and again, and that’s going to be quite the tall order for Steve Nash and his coaching staff given their personnel.

It’s not just that Harden and Irving are not known for their defensive prowess, it’s that the Nets simply cannot deploy their best defenders with their star lineups. Take the closing lineup from Sunday, which had Bruce Brown — objectively one of Brooklyn’s best defenders — in place of Harden next to Irving, Kevin Durant, Joe Harris, and Jeff Green. They’ve shown a propensity for closing with that small-ball combination for its switching capabilities and that the way they can go five-out offensively can force the hand of the opposition to likewise go small. However, against Washington that allowed the Wizards to go small and created driving lanes for Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, who knew there wasn’t a shot-blocking threat at the rim.

On this play, Brown is, wisely, playing up on Beal to prevent the pull-up jumper, but Harris, who is on Russell Westbrook and doesn’t need to be out by the three-point line, is too high to create an effective wall to prevent a Beal drive, which allows him to split the perimeter defenders and cruise to the rim before any help from the corners can arrive — and the off-ball action with Mathews and Bertans occupies Durant and Irving on the weakside to prevent them from sinking. Without Jarrett Allen, they simply don’t have the versatility and athleticism in the frontcourt, as DeAndre Jordan is still a shot-blocking threat but can be a liability in pick-and-roll and condenses offensive spacing, while Jeff Green gives them switchability and spacing on offense, but not real rim protection.

On top of roster liabilities with their frontcourt rotation, it is jarring to see how often Nets opponents are able to create great looks off of their initial action. Take this third quarter set from the Wizards, where Moe Wagner runs a lazy dribble-handoff with Westbrook, then fakes a pindown for Bertans and flashes to the paint for an easy dunk past a late contest from the weakside corner.

Jeff Green is slow to react to the handoff action which sets in motion late communication with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot on the pindown switch. TLC is caught off guard by Wagner’s cut and by the time Landry Shamet arrives from the corner, Wagner’s already in the air for the dunk. It is a pattern you see over and over, no matter the combinations on the floor. Some of that will be fixed with more time together and learning how to communicate, of that there’s little doubt, but this is not an issue simply of communication. They have inherent flaws as a unit, namely their propensity for ball-watching, that makes it incredibly easy to manipulate them for good looks.

Take this play from their overtime win over the Hawks, in which a Trae Young baseline drive is enough to draw the eyes of everyone, and most importantly Kyrie Irving on the weakside, to get Kevin Huerter a wide open three in the corner.

Kevin Durant in this situation is playing the five, and is sitting in pretty good position between Clint Capela and the rim to make Young at least make a split-second decision on a layup or a lob should he go up to the rim. However, Irving digs all the way down to the paint to watch Young’s drive, not recognizing that Huerter has shuffled over from the break to the corner to be in Young’s line of sight. He’s not in position to do anything with Capela, either on a lob or to box him out should Young go up and Durant leave Capela to contest, and he’s no longer in position to get a real contest on a strong three-point marksman in Huerter.

The Nets have added Iman Shumpert and Norvel Pelle to their roster with an eye on bolstering their defensive depth, but the issue lies with how they get stops with their closing lineups, which will be hard to alter barring some major moves. Joe Harris’ shooting makes the Nets Big Three so lethal offensively that he figures to be a part of most every closing lineup, and then it’s a matter of whether Jeff Green or DeAndre Jordan are playing, pending who the opponent is. None of those are ideal groupings defensively, and unless they can find a significant defensive upgrade over Green or Jordan, who can replicate some of what they provide offensively — spacing with Green or vertical space with Jordan in the pick-and-roll and operating out of the dunker’s spot on the weakside — they’re likely going to roll with what they have.

Maybe there’s a trade out there to be had that can bring in a defensive talent (as a member of Nerlens Noel hive I think he could do wonders for them just with his activity and versatility) who could anchor the backline better than Jordan, as Pelle will bring them some welcome additional size but won’t cure all that ails them. Right now, the fact is they have two current plus defenders in their main rotation in Bruce Brown — who is tough to play with all three of Harden, Irving, and Durant — and KD, who by himself simply cannot fix everything around him.

Now, there are some signs that they’re starting to understand how to make those units, particularly with Green on the floor, work decently well, depending on the opponent’s philosophy. Against the Hawks, they got just enough stops thanks to a clever deployment that saw them switch Atlanta’s 1-5 screens, but rotated James Harden into the paint to pick up the center, where he’s a solid post defender, and had Kyrie Irving tag out to the corner. It is the first indication of the work that’s going on behind the scenes with Jacque Vaughn — who Nash described as the de facto defensive coordinator — in what is an unenviable job to make this defense work.

Brooklyn certainly has time to figure things out, and I would anticipate them to implement various strategies to try and figure out what can work and what won’t, because this is a team that has the level of talent to use the regular season as a training ground prior to the playoffs. We’ll probably see some more efforts at zone and different coverages for pick-and-rolls and post-ups, because what they’ve tried thus far, mostly, has been a disaster.

It’s because of this that the Nets are endlessly fascinating.

It isn’t a juggernaut, just rampaging through the Eastern Conference, but an insanely talented but flawed team trying to figure this out in real time. It’s what separates them, right now, from the other top teams in terms of drawing interest. The Lakers are quite clearly going through the motions and trying to get to the point where they can ramp things up for the playoffs. The Clippers are on a revenge tour that no one will really care about until the playoffs arrive, and the Bucks are in a similar realm, just with more hiccups thus far.

The Nets, however, have the shine of something new, but also the warts of a team still figuring out how it all works. It’s why six of their nine games with this new construction have been decided by single digits or in overtime. This is a team with a ceiling of a championship contender, but the capability of losing to seemingly anyone on any given night, which is a gift to fans of the NBA — and surely wildly frustrating to fans, specifically, of the Nets. It’s possible that none of this matters, and the offense can will them into becoming the exception to the rule that you can’t win a title with a bottom-10 defense.

It’s also possible that they put it together and cobble together a league-average defense and that’s enough to get the job done or at least out of the East, but how they figure it out or how close to the sun they fly on wings of wax is going to be the story of this NBA season.

Since the release of her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and her major win at the Grammys last year, all eyes have been on Billie Eilish. But film director R.J. Cutler already had Eilish on his radar even before the album’s release. Cutler followed Eilish during her debut album’s recording process and rise to fame for the documentary The World’s A Little Blurry. Ahead of its premiere on Apple TV+, Eilish offers another teaser of the film with a new trailer.

As seen in The World’s A Little Blurry‘s new preview, the documentary will follow Eilish during the ups-and-downs of her teenage years. But unlike normal teenagers, Eilish has spend her late teens in the public eye. Eilish receives a lot of support from her parents, who think their role in her life is paramount. “I honestly don’t know how any artist of any age is doing it without a parent,” Eilish mom says in the trailer. “It is a horrible time to be a teenager. Kids are depressed.”

Elsewhere in The World’s A Little Blurry, Eilish talks about how she sees her fans going through the same struggles as her. “I look into the crowd and I see every single person in there is going through something, and I have the same problem,” she said. “I was like, ‘Why don’t I turn this into art instead of just living with it?’”

Watch Eilish’s The World’s A Little Blurry trailer above.

The World’s A Little Blurry premieres 2/26 on Apple TV+.

(Spoilers from Marvel Studios and Disney+’s WandaVision will be found below.)

While taking a break from its sitcom setting, WandaVision episode 4, “We Interrupt This Program,” revealed that Teyonah Parris’ Geraldine is actually Monica Rambeau, an agent of SWORD who vanished following Thanos’ Snap in Avengers: Infinity War and returned during the events of Avengers: Endgame when Hulk brought everyone back five years later in an event that’s now called the Blip. During Monica’s debriefing after her return, she learns that SWORD has stopped sending people into space thanks to the half of the Earth’s population randomly vanishing and reappearing, which caused some problems for the organization. In the latest episode of his Fatman Beyond podcast, Kevin Smith theorizes that one of those problems could be how the Fantastic Four is introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Via Comic Book:

“Five years ago she was used to going to space, apparently, and now five years, like after the Blip, they’re not letting people go,” Smith said. “Now, when he said ‘we’re concentrating now on the quantum and blah blah blah unmanned missions’, that smells like Fantastic Four, doesn’t it? It smells like they had shut down like manned missions and now they’re out of it, feels like somewhere in there like the Fantastic Four lies.”

Smith’s theory could have some legs to it. The creative team behind WandaVision has been laser-focused on every little detail of the show, so there very well could be a reason for that specific piece of dialogue. Not to mention, Marvel has confirmed that a Fantastic Four movie is the next project from director Jon Watts after he wraps up his Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy with the currently filming Spider-Man 3.

(Via Fatman Beyond)

Are you having a terrible day? It happens. However, any day can be made slightly brighter by spending a few minutes enjoying Cher’s Twitter page and realizing that she, too, sometimes has bad days. And she uses those days to make our days a little bit brighter, like while using chicken and tooth emoji like they’re punctuation while describing a terrible time she with the dentist.

Her emoji game is indeed strong, as are her haphazard decisions to capitalize seemingly random words. I like to think that she intends every keystroke, but this probably happens effortlessly. One thing is certain: Cher trusts in Joe Biden, and she’s got a shamrock and a boot-leather analogy to prove it.

None of Cher’s tweets, though, can live up to this next one. Not only is flag emoji is pinch hitting for “America” and “Americans,” but she’s tossing in a double-coffin move to take aim at this past weekend’s anti-vaxxer demonstration (which took place outside of Dodger Stadium) that was apparently organized on Facebook. Cher isn’t afraid to throw down her harsh judgment with every emoji possible. The “” are particularly telling here when she describes how blocking a few thousands of people can have the domino effect of causing many thousand more deaths.

Yep, Cher rarely pulls a punch, but she did so earlier this month with a mystery deleted tweet. “You know I almost NEVER DELETE MY TWTS,” she wrote. “But Sometimes No Matter how you Feel,Better to keep it to yourself.Doesn’t Make any Difference what Others Do,Or Say.There are lines you can’t Cross.” Her replies yield no clues on the content of the tweet she deleted, but with no emoji present, this was a somber affair.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, I need more Ryan Reynolds, which, let’s face it, we all have at one point or another, then you’ll be pleased to hear that everyone’s favorite self-aware Marvel superhero has his own show coming to Snapchat. And it looks insane (in a fun way!). Sure, absolutely no one asked for a series where a clueless Reynolds tries his hand at ice sculpting, mukbang, nail art, or magic, but that’s what we got and we’re… pleased?

Dubbed, Ryan Doesn’t Know, the 12-part series debuted on Snapchat over the weekend and consists of “actor and stuff learner” Ryan Reynolds meeting a bunch of talented creatives in random fields and trying his hand, usually poorly, at their art.

“You can fill a gymnasium with things that I don’t know,” says Reynolds in the show’s trailer, where we get to see him throw axes, which looks hilarious/ dangerous; gorge himself on crab legs, which looks awesome; wield a chain saw (not terribly proficiently, though he is Canadian), and apply his wry sense of humor to a range of other ridiculous scenarios. Ryan Doesn’t Know joins the ever-growing list of Snapchat Originals, which include shows from the likes of Will Smith, Kevin Hart, and Connor McGregor.

Catch Ryan Doesn’t Know on Snapchat.

This week in the best new pop music saw some captivating collaborations. Selena Gomez teamed up with Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro, FKA Twigs was tapped by producers Fred Again and Headie One, and Marshmello worked on a joyous tune with Benny Blanco and Vance Joy.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Selena Gomez — “Baila Conmigo” Feat. Rauw Alejandro

After officially announcing her Spanish-language EP Revolución, Selena Gomez has shared her project’s second track. “Baila Conmigo” is more upbeat compared to her latest single, featuring hip-shaking, reggaeton-inspired instrumentals and Gomez’s flirtatious lyrical delivery.

Fred Again, FKA Twigs, Headie One — “Don’t Judge Me”

Last year, Fred Again and Headie One released the abbreviated interlude “Told” featuring FKA Twigs‘ vocals, but they decided to revisit the track this week. Expanding on the interlude’s sound, the short track was lengthened into an enthralling single.

Benny Blanco, Marshmello — “You” Feat. Vance Joy

Vance Joy is known for his folksy breakout tune “Riptide,” but this week, the Australian songwriter pivoted to pop. Joining Marshmello and Benny Blanco, Vance Joy belts out a carefree tune which praises the feeling of falling in love.

Anitta — “Loco”

The last we heard from Brazilian pop star Anitta, she was lending her vocals on a playful track with Cardi B. Now, Anitta has returned with all her charm to share “Loco,” her first single of the new year. Over an infectiously rhythmic beat, “Loco” sees Anitta delivering her seductive verses with ease.

Porter Robinson — “Look At The Sky”

Last year, Porter Robinson began teasing his first album in six years. Now, the singer has offered another preview of his upcoming LP Nuture with a joyful single. “‘Look at the Sky is fundamentally a song about hope,” Porter said about the song. “There’s no shortage of fuel for despair, but you can’t take meaningful action to improve things if you don’t have some belief that things might get better. That’s what hope is, and I think it’s an emotion worth nourishing.”

JoJo — “American Mood”

This week, JoJo pivoted from her soaring pop singles to deliver a more folksy tune, “American Mood.” She actually penned the track song a few years ago, but it’s taken on a new meaning as time goes by. In the spirit of giving back, she will be donating all proceeds from “American Mood” to the I Have A Dream Foundation.

Joshua Bassett — “Only A Matter Of Time”

Disney star Joshua Bassett served-up another breakup tune this week with his new single “Only A Matter Of Time.” Speaking about the track, Bassett said: “I wrote this song in the summer of 2020 in a moment in time where social media was bringing a lot of darkness to my life. It was healing to put my phone down, turn off the noise and just write. There’s good that comes from social media, but it’s also become a place where people can say anything about anyone, no matter how false or damaging with no accountability.”

Clairo — “Just For Today”

As quarantine persists, many are struggling with mental heath issues. Clairo knows this all too well, and she wants her listeners to know they’re not alone. Sharing the phone-recorded acoustic track “Just For Today” to Instagram, Clairo said: “not sure about you, but my mental health has taken a major dip since quarantine started- at times I feel like i’ve never felt worse. new medication, hotlines, and one scheduled appointment with a psychiatrist later and i’m feeling more like myself again. I wrote this last night and i feel there’s no real reason I should hold onto it.”

Zuli Jr. — “How To Feel”

Zuli Jr. returned this week to announce his sophomore album Stop It God with the irresistibly-catchy tune “How To Feel.” About the bouncy track, Zuli says he wrote it “about examining the ego from the outside looking in and how that affects the people around you.”

John Splithoff — “Fahrenheit”

John Splithoff is gearing up for his debut album and, judging by his fiery single “Fahrenheit,” it’s sure to be irresistibly smooth. Speaking about the single, Splithoff said: “I wrote ‘Fahrenheit’ from a place of wanting to improve your mental health when you’re stuck in a cycle of trying to fill a void. Producing my new record last year took my mind off the stress of not being able to tour or collaborate. […] It was an amazing feeling to focus on a collaborative, albeit small and masked, group effort after spending so much time on the music in quarantine.”

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The pop world was shocked Sunday to learn of the death of pioneering Scottish producer Sophie. Many musicians and fans alike mourned their collective loss offered their condolences. But those closest to Sophie, including Charli XCX, needed time to process her passing. Charli XCX has now shared a touching statement about Sophie’s impact on her life in a heartfelt open letter.

Sharing a message to social media, Charli XCX said Sophie “completely changed” her life:

“It’s really hard for me to sum up the special connection I felt with such an amazing person who completely changed my life. There are so many memories, so many small details, so many different views and incredible feelings and stories. It’s impossible to summarize the journey I went on with Sophie. Even the most insignificant things felt enormous. I can’t explain how I feel and I can’t encapsulate what a unique person she was in one small social media post. I will honor Sophie in my own time personally, in my grief, through my memories, through my work, through writing things only I will read. But for now, all I can [say] is that I will miss her terribly; her smile, her laugh, her dancing in the studio, her gentle inquisitive voice, her cutting personality, her ability to command a room without even trying, her incredible vision and mind. She taught me so much about myself without even realizing. I wish I had told her more how special she was, not just her music, but her as a person. I love you and will never forget you Sophie.”

After learning of Sophie’s passing, fans tried to console Charli XCX by launching the hashtag #HereForCharli. They shared their love, well wishes, and favorite photos of the singer. However, it didn’t take long for fans of 16-year-old TikTok star Charli D’Amelio to take over the hashtag, and D’Amelio mistakenly thanked her followers for showing her love.

Read Charli XCX’s heartfelt open letter above.

Charli XCX is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Rich The Kid visits a rapper-run burlesque establishment in the video for his Lucky 7 single “Nasty.” Directed by Teyana Taylor — in the guise of Spike Tey, naturally — the video features three of hip-hop’s hottest rising stars in Flo Milli, Mulatto, and Rubi Rose. While Rich gambles at the high-stakes table, the ladies pose as dancers, running through their risque routines and lounging together. At the end of the video, it’s revealed their antics were all a cover for Rich to make off with the contents of the casino’s safe and the quartet escapes in one explosive finale.

Rich had a rougher 2020 than most, riding out a litany of lawsuits from everyone from his landlord to his former managers to Fashion Nova due to his alleged propensity for running off on the plug — the “plug” in this case being anyone he contractually owes money to. All told, he owes several million dollars to a variety of parties, so here’s hoping he lives up to his name.

Meanwhile, the three MCs who joined him on “Nasty” were collectively more fruitful in 2020. Flo Milli shocked the world with her debut mixtape, Ho, Why Is You Here?, while Mulatto landed on XXL’s Freshman cover just before the release of her debut album Queen Of Da Souf. Rubi released a string of singles throughout the year, then closed out strong with her own debut project, For The Streets.

Watch Rich The Kid’s “Nasty” video featuring Flo Milli, Mulatto, and Rubi Rose above.

For weeks, NBA observers were captivated by ongoing trade discussions involving James Harden. While only a handful of teams seemed to have a real chance to land the prolific guard, Harden is one of the best players in the league and, by extension, it is big news when he is on the move. Eventually, the deal transpired in mid-January, with the Houston Rockets sending Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a massive haul of assets. Immediately, the focus shifted to Brooklyn and how Harden would be integrated with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, while only die-hards and Rockets fans centered on the shift transpiring in Houston.

Since the trade, however, the Rockets are on the upswing, and that is especially true in the more recent past. When the Harden trade happened, the Rockets were 3-6 and, with a bit of uncertainty in the immediate aftermath, Houston woke up on the morning of Jan. 21 with a 4-9 record and an uphill battle to come. Fast-forward to Monday evening, and Houston scored 48 (!) points in the first quarter, knocking down 11 three-pointers in the opening period and blowing the doors off the Oklahoma City Thunder. That is just one game, of course, but the Rockets now hold the NBA’s second-longest winning streak of six games.

During the stretch since the trade, the Rockets lead the NBA in defensive rating, allowing only 102.6 points per 100 possessions. Houston is deploying an athletic, flexible defense and, while there is some regression from opponent shooting in the offing, the Rockets aren’t a fluke defensively. All told, Houston is eighth in the NBA in net rating this season while sporting a 10-9 record, and the team’s defense is No. 3 in the NBA.

It would be fair to suggest that the Rockets can’t keep up their torrid recent pace but, at the same time, Houston’s roster does have considerable talent. Christian Wood is perhaps the front-runner for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, averaging 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three-point distance. Victor Oladipo is performing at a high level, averaging more than 20 points per game in his new home, and John Wall has recaptured some pre-injury magic, averaging 17.8 points and 5.8 assists per game. Finally, Eric Gordon seems to be revitalized, putting up 20.4 points per game and shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range since the trade.

Houston is an interesting case study in many ways, including just how much of a “bump” they are benefitting from simply because Harden isn’t there and the team is galvanized as a result. The long run will be more telling but, for now, Stephen Silas is doing tremendous work and the Rockets feel like an actual contender to make the postseason, even without their long-term centerpiece.

Where does Houston fall in our DIME power rankings this week? Let’s take a glance.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (16-6, Last week — 1st)

The Lakers just completed a grueling, seven-game road trip with a 5-2 record, capped by a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. Most of the drama in that particular game centered on a bizarre fan interaction, but the Lakers took care of business on the court. That is more than enough to keep them in the top spot, even if the No. 2 team technically has a better record.

2. L.A. Clippers (16-5, Last week — 2nd)

As discussed in depth last week in this space, the Clippers are absolutely rolling. Their current run includes 10 wins in 11 games, with an elite offense, an improving defense and plenty of star power.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (15-6, Last week — 6th)

Philly is 6-1 in the last seven games, including a 3-0 mark in the last week. Their point differential isn’t quite as dominant as their 15-6 mark indicates, but once again, the 76ers are just dominating at home with a 10-1 record. In a season in which homecourt advantage doesn’t mean as much, you would have a hard time convincing Philadelphia.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (12-8, Last week — 4th)

Milwaukee suffered two losses in two days this week, landing on the wrong end of a back-to-back on the road. Did that keep the Bucks from rising up the board this week? Perhaps. Does that scare me too much? Nope. Milwaukee still leads the NBA in offensive rating and net rating. Until the underlying metrics wobble, there isn’t much to fear.

5. Denver Nuggets (12-8, Last week — 8th)

The slow start seems to be a thing of the past in Denver, with the Nuggets winning six of the last seven games. Nikola Jokic might be the MVP of the league right now, keying a top-five offense, and the Nuggets picked up a very impressive home win over Utah in their last outing.

6. Utah Jazz (15-5, Last week — 3rd)

Speaking of Utah, the Jazz are still playing at a high level, but the Nuggets prevailed in the head-to-head battle. Still, Utah just won 11 straight games and they are 4th in the NBA in net rating through 20 games. If anything, this might be a little bit low.

7. Brooklyn Nets (13-9, Last week — 5th)

The Nets have allowed 123 points or more in seven of the last eight games. In that eight-game run, Brooklyn is yielding nearly 1.19 points per possession to the opposition and, well, that isn’t going to work. Everyone knows how good the Nets already are on the offensive end, but they have to improve at least a little bit on defense, or nothing matters.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (9-6, Last week — 9th)

Memphis may never lose again. The Grizzlies won five in a row, then had five straight postponements, only to come back and win their first two games. Both wins were on the road against a competent Spurs team, which is also impressive. Memphis likely isn’t a top-10 team in the grand scheme, but they haven’t suffered a loss since Jan. 7. I mean, come on.

9. Houston Rockets (10-9, Last week — 17th)

It will be interesting to see if Houston can keep it rolling. The Rockets have four of the next five on the road, but the schedule is also relatively friendly in terms of opponents.

10. Phoenix Suns (11-8, Last week — 11th)

Phoenix just swept Dallas in a two-game set on the road after soundly beating Golden State at home. That’s a nice three-game run, even when acknowledging the Mavericks’ recent struggles.

11. Boston Celtics (10-8, Last week — 7th)

Since a stretch of three postponements earlier in January, the Celtics are just 3-5. Amusingly, Boston actually has a +3.7 net rating in those eight games, with close losses and blowout wins. It’s tough to really figure out what’s going on with the Celtics, though, and they need Marcus Smart healthy.

12. Indiana Pacers (11-9, Last week — 10th)

Maybe some trouble brewing? Indiana’s defense is allowing almost 1.15 points per possession in the last eight contests. They have some roster availability questions, but the Pacers can’t thrive while deploying a bottom-tier defense.

13. Atlanta Hawks (10-10, Last week — 14th)

The Hawks are just pretty solid. Atlanta is 5-3 in the last eight games, and the three losses came to Milwaukee, Brooklyn and the Lakers. To be fair, the wins came against very favorable competition, so the takeaway might be that Trae Young and company just did what they were supposed to do the last two weeks.

14. Toronto Raptors (8-12, Last week — 15th)

Within the confines of this week, the Raptors were 1-2 with two home losses. That isn’t ideal but, in zooming out, Toronto is 6-4 in the last ten games with a top-10 net rating. That qualifies as “baby steps” on the way back to a solid overall baseline, but the Raptors quite obviously aren’t as bad as they were to begin the season.

15. Golden State Warriors (11-9, Last week — 13th)

The positive takeaway is that Golden State is 3-1 in the last four games. The more skeptical takeaway is that the three wins came at home against the Wolves and Pistons. The actual takeaway? Business as usual.

16. San Antonio Spurs (11-10, Last week — 12th)

There is no great shame in losing to Memphis at home, even when it comes on both ends of a two-game set. San Antonio was throttled in both match-ups, though, and that hurts a little bit.

17. Portland Trail Blazers (10-9, Last week — 16th)

We can (and should) discuss the fact that Portland isn’t very good right now, even if explainable due to injuries. Today, though, it is worth mentioning that 2019 lottery pick Nassir Little had the best game of his career on Monday, scoring 30 points in a loss to Milwaukee. It would be helpful if the former North Carolina forward could emerge.

18. Charlotte Hornets (10-11, Last week — 23rd)

Charlotte is riding a three-game winning streak, and that explains the uptick in this space. However, LaMelo Ball is the big story, punctuated by a 27-point, nine-assist, five-rebound explosion in a win over Milwaukee on Saturday. He’s the best prospect in the rookie class.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-11, Last week — 20th)

This is more of a nod to their ability to hang around at 10-11. Metrically, Cleveland is worse than this (24th in net rating) and they’ve lost four of the last six. Hey, at least they’re competitive.

20. Sacramento Kings (9-11, Last week — 27th)

It would be silly to ignore the season-long disaster that is Sacramento’s defense. With that out of the way, the Kings are 4-1 in the last five games and they are only allowing about 1.1 points per possession. That is a huge step up and, at that level, they can survive and potentially even thrive.

21. Chicago Bulls (8-11, Last week — 22nd)

The Bulls are pretty much hovering in the range that most expected. However, Lauri Markkanen just scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games, and that is something to closely monitor. They need him to be aggressive and good.

22. Miami Heat (7-13, Last week — 19th)

Jimmy Butler is back, and that should help. Miami is still 3-9 in the last 12 games, though, and they are not playing at nearly the level they found in the Orlando bubble. Some of that can be explained by roster woes… but not all of it.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (7-12, Last week — 29th)

The Pels stabilized with two home wins to begin the week, only to give it back with home losses to Houston and Sacramento. Fortunately, the Rockets and Kings are just playing better basketball right now, but New Orleans is still underachieving. The trade winds are blowing and the roster just doesn’t work the way it should right now.

24. New York Knicks (9-13, Last week — 21st)

New York is still eighth in defense right now, but the slippage has set in. The Knicks weren’t going to be able to maintain a top-five defense without some very good fortune and, on the other end, New York is 25th in offense. They are still pretty competitive on the whole, which is better than many expected.

25. Washington Wizards (4-12, Last week — 26th)

Things are pretty hideous from this point forward. Washington did out-dual Brooklyn in their last outing, but they needed 149 points to get a three-point victory. That says a lot about the Nets defensively, but it was also a victory that kept the Wizards out of the bottom five this week. Make no mistake, they’re still struggling.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-11, Last week — 24th)

After an encouraging start, reality is setting in for Oklahoma City. They are 3-7 in the last ten games, with a ghastly defensive rating of 117.9 over that span. They did beat Portland Phoenix on the road last week, but followed it up with two (very) lopsided defeats in a row.

27. Orlando Magic (8-13, Last week — 25th)

Orlando has been the worst team in the league over the last 13 games. The Magic are 2-11 in that stretch and, more damningly, Orlando has been outscored by 13.1 points per 100 possessions. The team’s 6-2 start is still making the season-long numbers appear more respectable, but yikes.

28. Dallas Mavericks (8-13, Last week — 18th)

No, Dallas isn’t actually this bad. The Mavericks do have the longest losing streak (six games) in the NBA, though, and they are struggling in a mighty way. It’s been really ugly.

29. Detroit Pistons (5-15, Last week — 28th)

Granted, Anthony Davis didn’t play in the game, but the Pistons beat the Lakers by 15 points this week. That actually happened, and there has never been a bigger endorsement for the weirdest season imaginable.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-15, Last week — 30th)

The Wolves are 3-15 in the last 18 games. That kind of says it all, but the theory of Minnesota’s potential sleeper status this season centered on a high-powered offense. At this moment, the Wolves are dead-last in offensive efficiency.