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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Big Thief — Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Big Thief’s new double album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You may be a mouthful to say, but it’s well worth a listen. The 20-track release was recorded in several locations across the country and is a perfect showcase of the group’s intimate and entrancing songwriting and vocalist Adrianne Lenker’s heart-tugging lyricism. Though ambitious, Big Thief executed the LP with conviction and Uproxx’s Steven Hyden called it a “masterpiece.”
Spoon — Lucifer On The Sofa
After being mainstays in indie music for more than two decades, Spoon prove they’re here to stay with the new album Lucifer On The Sofa. It’s their first full-length project in five years and with revved-up songs like “The Hardest Cut” and “Wild,” the new album was well worth the wait. Spoon’s goal in recording the project was to keep up the high energy they would bring to the stage on tour — and they definitely succeeded.
Orville Peck — Broncho: Chapter 1
Orville Peck‘s music has been killing it on TikTok lately thanks to an inclusion in HBOMax’s Euphoria, but the masked cowboy also just dropped the new EP Broncho: Chapter 1. The four-track project sees Peck leaning further into his country music-inspired twang while combining atmospheric production with catchy riffs.
Empath — Visitor
Philly four-piece Empath shared their highly anticipated album Visitor this week, taking their sound in a more fuzzy, synth-heavy direction. Incorporating samples taken everywhere from Minecraft to an air conditioner, Empath show off their innovative songwriting on the 11-track effort. “We never want to be tied down to one type of song or sound, and we love all kinds of improvisational music,” lead singer Catherine Elicson said about the LP.
Sharon Van Etten — “Porta”
Dropping her first new solo music of the year, Sharon Van Etten returned with the electrifying track “Porta.” Layered with resonating synths and a groove-driven beat, “Porta” marks a departure from her previous guitar-driven discography. Contrasting the buoyant beat, Van Etten said the song was actually written in 2020 at one of her “lowest lows,” speaking to experiencing “bouts of depression and anxiety and coping mechanisms” for much of her adult life.
Father John Misty — “Q4”
Father John Misty kicked off his new era of music with the cinematic track “Funny Girl,” and now he offers another look at his upcoming LP Chloë And The Next 20th Century with the triumphant track “Q4.” Draped with a dramatic string section, the song is heavily inspired by classical Hollywood and revolves around the story of a film adaptation of a book.
Mxmtoon — “Mona Lisa”
Armed with her sing-song lyrical delivery and a ukulele, Mxmtoon returns with the earnest tune “Mona Lisa.” The song Mxmtoon’s version of an empowering anthem as she sings of prioritizing her self-worth. “‘Mona Lisa’ is about wanting to be the subject of the art for once instead of being the creator,” she said about the track.
The Beths — “A Real Thing”
After making waves with their sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers, The Beths are back with a song that’s sure to make you smile. “A Real Thing” is a breezy and rollicking tune which lead singer Liz Stokes describes as “muddled, a bit frantic, a bit sinister” and was written directly following New Zealand and the US’ 2020 election. The song is meant to be a shining beam of optimism with a healthy dose of dread.
Chris Farren — Death Don’t Wait (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
While we were all picking up new hobbies like crocheting or an unhealthy TikTok addiction in lockdown, Chris Farren was hard at work. In just under three months, the musician wrote an entire score to a made-up movie, which he surprise released this week. Death Don’t Wait (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) pulls inspiration from iconic films like the Bond series with influences of surf rock and ’60s French pop. The LP is mostly instrumental with the exception of the album opener, which features stunning vocals by Laura Stevenson.
Orion Sun — “Dirty Dancer”
Kicking off a new era of music with the soulful track “Dirty Dancer,” Orion Sun proves she’s definitely one to watch. After finding success on her 2020 Mom+Pop records debut Hold Space For Me, Orion Sun continues her with her intimate songwriting and breathtaking vocals on “Dirty Dancer,” a song about pushing past insecurities and holding onto self-love.
Sunflower Bean — “Who Put You Up To This?”
New York trio Sunflower Bean dropped off the fluttering tune “Who Put You Up To This?” this week, officially announcing the group’s upcoming LP Headful Of Sugar. The soaring and euphoric single, much like the album as a whole, deals with the impermanence many have learned over the last few years. If nothing truly lasts, then “why not make what you want to make on your own terms?” vocalist/bassist Julia Cumming notes.
Pillow Queens — “Hearts & Minds”
Dublin four-piece Pillow Queens have made a name for themselves by touring with the likes of IDLES, Pussy Riot, and Future Islands. After creating buzz around their 2020 album, Pillow Queens are back with a new single heralding their upcoming LP Leave The Light On. Armed with resonating vocals and electrifying riffs, “Hearts & Minds” proves Pillow Queens should most definitely be on your radar.
During the penultimate episode of Peacemaker, which has been a breakout hit for HBO Max, John Cena’s title character squares off against his own father, the villainous and super racist, White Dragon (Robert Patrick). As the family drama that has been ratcheting up through the first season comes to a head, it’s revealed that Peacemaker — real name: Christopher Smith — is bisexual, much to the revulsion of his bigoted father. It was a surprising piece of character development given Peacemaker has aggressively portrayed himself as a straight white all-American male. Of course, that outward persona comes from years of being under his father’s thumb.
In a new interview with Empire magazine, Peacemaker creator James Gunn reveals that it was Cena who pushed for the complicated anti-hero to be sexually open. Via /Film:
Peacemaker is an interesting character because he’s so f*****-up in so many ways, and then in other ways, he is kind of weirdly forward-thinking. John does improv all the time, and he just turned Christopher Smith into this hyper-sexualized dude that is open to anything sexually. I was surprised by that. But I thought, ‘I guess it makes sense that this guy isn’t one-dimensional.’
According to Gunn, as long as it doesn’t involve animals, Peacemaker is into it. “He’s pretty open. And yet other things he’s completely close-minded on.”
Brett Goldstein, the human man who plays Roy Kent (he’s here, he’s there, he’s every-f*cking-where) on the Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso, is a big fan of the Muppets. It’s one of the many reasons why we love him. And the Muppets. In 2017, he sang a medley of songs from The Muppets Christmas Carol, including bangers “Marley and Marley” and “It Feels Like Christmas,” and he broke out the mind blown and heart eyes emojis when Muppet legend Frank Oz called Ted Lasso a great show. So I can’t even imagine how excited Goldstein was to appear on Sesame Street — but I’ll have to imagine it, because he’s a big ol’ in-character sourpuss in the clip released.
“Grouches gonna grouch on Sesame Street. Thanks for visiting our neighborhood @BrettGoldstein! We love you!” Sesame Street‘s official Twitter account tweeted, along with 16 perfect seconds of Goldstein hanging out with Oscar the Grouch in side-by-side trash cans. (He has experience in there.) “Isn’t it a beautiful day?” Big Bird asks Goldstein and Oscar, who turn to each other with sullen looks and agree: “[grumble].”
Ted Lasso season three does not have a premiere date, but co-creator Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) did confirm to TVLine that “we are definitely starting later this year than in season two, that’s for sure. So I would be surprised if our delivery dates were the same. That’s above my pay grade, I don’t know for sure, but I do have a vague understanding of the limits of this dimension we call time, and I would say it seems pretty unlikely that we would [premiere] as early this year.” If they need Goldstein, they can find him renovating an old Studebaker.
It’s one of the best times of the year — time for the Hollywood Bowl to announce their schedule for 2022. As one of the premier venues in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Bowl dropping their lineup isn’t just another venue announcing live shows, it’s a chance for a lot of local music aficionados to truly plan out their live music input for 2022. Luckily, the Bowl has delivered yet another stellar lineup for 2022, with a packed schedule that includes stars like Diana Ross, TLC — opening for Boyz II Men, no less — and Sheryl Crow herself.
Because the Bowl is such a classic venue for locals, their schedule of in-house shows is always a highly anticipated event. Kicking off this June, the Bowl’s lineup will include stars like Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina, Ricky Martin, John Fogerty, Polo And Pan, Trombone Shorty, Flying Lotus and Kaiyote performing with the LA Philharmonic orchestra, The Gipsy Kings, Grace Jones and Chvrches, Herbie Hancock, and more.
Check out the venue’s entire lineup right here, and stay tuned for all the other bookings that aren’t necessarily in-house shows, this venue is well known for making both in-house and external shows entirely worth your while. If you’ve been craving live music, this outdoor venue is a great place to make a return.
Megan Thee Stallion’s never been shy about sharing her wealth or using her platform to advocate for improvements to society. Now, though, she’ll be doing so in her parents’ names after launching the Pete And Thomas Foundation to uplift and help women, children, senior citizens, and underserved areas in Houston.
The Foundation, which will primarily offer financial assistance to similarly aligned organizations, will have three major areas of focus: education, health, and housing. To address the first, Thee Stallion plans to offer scholarships and resources for underserved communities, while for health, the foundation will provide assistance for cancer care, food insecurity, and mental health. In housing, the foundation will address the issues facing seniors and single mothers affected by “financial emergencies and natural disasters.”
In a press release, Megan said, “Launching the Pete and Thomas Foundation is easily one of the most significant endeavors that I’ll ever be part of in my career. My family raised me to help others and give back, so I’m incredibly proud to be in a position to accomplish that goal. I have a responsibility to use my platform to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who may not have access to resources and support services.”
This year saw as wild an NBA trade deadline as we’ve seen in some time, with a genuine blockbuster that saw divisional rivals swap stars and a few shocking trades that saw some big names change teams.
Every team approaches the deadline trying to advance their cause for the rest of the season, which for some means selling off and positioning themselves for the future, while others are desperate to bolster their roster for a playoff push. Here, we’re going to look at that latter group as we head into the closing stretch of the season and highlight the 10 players that made their way to a new team that will have the biggest impact on this year’s postseason chase in both the East and the West.
10. Serge Ibaka (MIL): The Bucks’ title defense hasn’t been particularly impressive on a season-long sample, as they’re 35-22, good for fourth in the East, but this is a team that knows all they want to do is get to the postseason as healthy as possible. They are currently down a key contributor in Brook Lopez, who is still on the mend from back surgery and won’t be back until close to the end of the regular season, so they made the decision that center depth was the most important thing for them to close out the regular season and dealt Donte DiVincenzo, Semi Ojeleye, and Rodney Hood for Serge Ibaka in a four-team deal. Ibaka wasn’t playing much in L.A., but Milwaukee will hope he can keep their frontcourt rotation afloat and provide some spacing as a stretch five (something they value greatly with Giannis Antetokounmpo needing space to work inside). Sending out DiVincenzo hurt backcourt depth and it’s a bit of a gamble on Ibaka finding a snug fit in a comfortable role for him in Milwaukee, but they’ll need to be able to ease Lopez back into the lineup and Serge ought to help them do that.
9. Robert Covington (LAC): Covington came to L.A. alongside Norman Powell, who figured to be the bigger impact player before he fractured his foot. The Clippers still have hopes of getting through the play-in and making the playoffs in the West, and while they aren’t expected to get Kawhi Leonard back, it’s not ruled out entirely that he and Paul George might be able to return by the end of the regular season and make this Clippers team the most dangerous play-in team we’ve seen. Covington’s versatility fits with what the Clippers do with their bigs and wings well, and he provides Ty Lue with the option to play more defensive-minded frontcourt combinations when he sees fit. If the Clippers are going to hold onto the 8-seed and earn a crack at two chances to make the playoffs, Covington figures to play a part in their egalitarian approach to basketball with their two top stars out.
8. Domantas Sabonis (SAC): Sabonis is a better player than some of the guys above him on this list, but the Kings are just so far back that it’s going to be quite the task to claw their way into the mix in the West. They’re just two games back but have two teams between them and the 10 seed, and they’re still learning how to play together. Still, you can see how Sabonis fits nicely with this Kings group when things are rolling, as his passing has stood out in his first games with Sacramento. It’s going to be a work in progress and that might keep the Kings from reaching the play-in, but they are a team now more capable of a run thanks to their new All-Star big man.
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7. CJ McCollum (NOP): Ahead of the Kings in the hunt for the last play-in spot out West are the Pelicans, who likewise made a win-now move at the deadline by taking CJ McCollum off of the Blazers hands. McCollum gives them the perimeter, downhill creator they’ve lacked between Devonte’ Graham and Brandon Ingram, and the early returns have been encouraging. Team defense remains the big question mark in New Orleans, but the talent level has certainly risen with McCollum, Graham, Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas now leading a very lively scoring starting lineup. With just the Blazers in front of them for that final play-in spot, New Orleans is likely the favorites to nab that 10-seed in the West and give themselves a shot at the postseason.
6. Spencer Dinwiddie (DAL): The Mavericks made the most surprising move of the deadline when they sent Kristaps Porzingis to Washington for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, as they were clearly done with the Porzingis-era. Luka Doncic seemed pleased with that move, dropping 51 in his first post-deadline game, but going forward it is going to be fascinating to see how this Mavs team handles a sustained run with their new lineup. Dallas had been getting the job done on the defensive end to a rather shocking degree this season in their push to the 5-spot out West, and Porzingis’ rim protection was certainly a factor in that. Now they add another scorer and creator between Doncic and Jalen Brunson, which could be a boost for a team that absolutely leans on Doncic for creation far too much for a contender’s liking, but if Dinwiddie’s struggles from Washington persist, Doncic will still be carrying a huge weight and Dallas will have lost some important rim protection as they look to secure a top-6 seed.
5. Seth Curry (BKN): This might be too low for Seth Curry, who led Brooklyn to a win in his first game with the Nets. He fits a role the Nets desperately need, particularly in home games without Kyrie Irving but also with Joe Harris’ continued absence. His shooting is the obvious headliner, but in his time in Philly he became a much more capable on-ball creator and threat off the dribble. That will serve the Nets well during this stretch while they’re still waiting to get healthy, but also provide them some lineup flexibility when at full strength as Curry can lead some bench lineups when the stars get a breather.
4. Derrick White (BOS): The Celtics have been red-hot of late and I thought they had a really good deadline, dealing some guys who weren’t going to be there long-term in Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder for some help in the short and long-term. Boston knows exactly what Daniel Theis will bring them, but Derrick White arrives from San Antonio with the type of skillset that certainly appears to fit snugly alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. White is a very good defender and has the size to allow Ime Udoka to continue switching on the perimeter with all of the length and versatility on Boston’s roster. Offensively, he’s a good connector and solid secondary creator, but it’s his off-ball savvy from his time in San Antonio that figures to help him play with ball-dominant wings like Tatum and Brown the most. His three-point shooting will be what can take this deal from a nice move to a steal for the Celtics, but he figures to get even better looks in Boston playing alongside his new star teammates. For a team in the 6-seed, trying to avoid the play-in, White is the type of addition that can absolutely help them do that and keep them on this upward trajectory of late.
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3. Caris LeVert (CLE): The Cavaliers made their move in the week leading up to the deadline, pouncing on the fire sale in Indiana to nab Caris LeVert without having to give up any of their current rotation, sending out the injured Ricky Rubio and a first in the deal (along with Houston’s second). LeVert’s already shown what he brings to the Cavs in terms of added juice on the perimeter, something they were severely lacking next to All-Star Darius Garland, and the overall floor balance they now have with Garland and LeVert working on the outside with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the interior is terrific. Whether playing on a better team can get him to cut some of the bad shots out of his diet is going to be interesting to watch, particularly once the playoffs arrive, but for a team that was facing serious backcourt depth issues, they’ve solidified that in a big way as they look to lock down a top-4 seed in the East.
2. Ben Simmons (BKN): On paper, Simmons seems like a damn near perfect fit in Brooklyn: he defends, he rebounds, he pushes the ball in transition, and he’s obviously a terrific facilitator. Still, there’s a wild card factor with Simmons in that we don’t know exactly where his level of play is at in the immediate and whether he can find the level of engagement and aggression is needed from him come playoff time on a consistent basis. Still, once he hits the floor — and he’s already with the team and it certainly seems like it shouldn’t be too long after the All-Star break — he immediately raises the level for the Nets on both ends and Brooklyn certainly isn’t out of the hunt for a top-6 seed in the East, which could push someone surprising into the play-in.
1. James Harden (PHI): We saw Harden sandbag it to get out of a situation and then flip the switch to be an All-NBA caliber performer again last year in Brooklyn prior to his hamstring injury, and now we’ll see if he can make that happen again going from Brooklyn to Philly. His health is, to me, the biggest question for this year, because I have no doubt that he’ll be fully engaged and bought in for at least the rest of this season. If he’s able to shake this hamstring issue for good after the All Star break, the Sixers absolutely have a chance to make a run at the top seed in the East with the way Joel Embiid is playing. There will be some work to do in learning who takes the lead where and the two stars will have to learn where the other likes to be in order to maximize their partnership, but it’s not hard to see how dynamic Harden can make this Sixers offense.
It’s hard to imagine a less sympathetic human being than George Zimmerman—the man who, on the night of February 26, 2012, shot and killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in what he claimed was an act of self-defense, and got away with it. Zimmerman’s 2013 acquittal was met with outrage, and sparked a larger conversation about gun violence and racism. Though he walked out of court a free man, Zimmerman has hardly attempted to stay out of the spotlight.
In 2019, Zimmerman filed a more than $100 million suit against Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s parents, their lawyer Ben Crump, and others, claiming, according to NPR, that “he was the victim of a conspiracy, along with malicious prosecution and defamation.” Reminder: He was acquitted. Of killing an unarmed teen!
Shortly after Zimmerman filed suit, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson claimed in an op-ed that “George Zimmerman’s lawsuit doesn’t stand a chance.” Fortunately, as Florida Politics reports, Jackson was right. Earlier this month, Judge John Cooper dismissed Zimmerman’s suit, claiming that the former neighborhood night watch coordinator had failed to show “any fraudulent representation,” making any further arguments on the matter moot. “There can be no claim for conspiracy to defraud if there is no adequately stated claim for fraud,” Cooper wrote.
According to Florida Politics, “The lawsuit claimed that Trayvon Martin’s parents, along with Crump, participated in the conspiracy in an effort to get charges filed against Zimmerman, have him tried and ‘destroy his good will and reputation in the community.’”
If anyone has actively worked to “destroy” Zimmerman’s reputation, it would probably be George Zimmerman himself. Rather than attempt to quietly blend back into society following his trial, Zimmerman has continued to make headlines over the past decade—and for all the wrong reasons. Between 2013 and 2015, Zimmerman faced domestic violence charges on three separate occasions (in two of the incidents, he had allegedly threatened someone with a gun); he was never charged in the first incident, and the charges in the latter two cases were dropped.
In September 2014, a road rage incident turned into a months-long battle, which eventually ended when Matthew Apperson—the driver with whom Zimmerman had originally engaged—reportedly shot at Zimmerman in 2015, and claiming self-defense.
Many other tasteless incidents and behaviors followed, including Zimmerman’s turn as an artist painting Confederate flags, and his 2016 attempt to profit off the death of Martin by selling the gun he used to kill Martin and dubbing it “an American Firearm icon.” If history is any indication, this won’t be the last time we hear Zimmerman’s name.
Almost exactly two years ago, Rage Against The Machine announced a massive reunion tour with Run The Jewels called “The Public Service Announcement Tour,” that, like everything announced in early 2020, did not happen. In April of last year, it was postponed to this spring, set to run from March 31 to August 14; so we named it one of our most anticipated tours of 2022. Last month, however, the band announced a postponement for the West Coast swing without yet offering rescheduled dates. Today, they’ve posted the new dates, moving that first half, from March 31 to May 23, to next year, running from February 22 to April 2 instead.
“All tickets for the moved dates will be honored. Fans who would like a refund have until March 15th, 2022 and should contact your point of purchase,” the statement said.
02/22 – Las Cruces, NM @ Pan American Center
02/24 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
02/26 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
02/28 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
03/03 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/05 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/07 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
03/09 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
03/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
03/13 – Calgary, AL @ Scotiabank Saddledome
03/15 – Edmonton, AL @ Rogers Place
03/17 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre
03/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
03/20 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
03/22 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
03/28 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
03/30 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
04/01 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesar’s Arena
04/02 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesar’s Arena
07/9 – East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07/11 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/12 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/15 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/16 – Quebec City, QC @ Festival D’Ete De Quebec
07/19 – Hamilton, ON @ First Ontario Centre
07/21 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/23 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/25 – Buffalo, NY @ Keybank Center
07/27 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
07/29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
07/31 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/02 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena
08/03 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena
08/08 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/09 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/11 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/14 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
In early January, the Boston Celtics were a mess. The Celtics were 18-21 through the first 39 games of the season, and tensions were seemingly running high within Boston’s infrastructure. Since that point, however, Boston has played at an elite level, reeling off five wins in six games to set the tone and putting together a 15-4 overall mark since Jan. 8.
That 15-4 mark includes an active eight-game winning streak for Boston, a streak that is the longest in the NBA as of Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t a murderer’s row from a scheduling perspective, but the Celtics did knock off the Hawks, Nuggets, Heat and Nets, and Boston’s numbers over the last 19 games paint an appealing picture.
The Celtics have the best net rating (+13.3) and the best defensive rating (99.4) in the NBA, pushing the team’s overall net rating to +4.8 points per 100 possessions for the season. The wins helped to thrust Boston into the top six of the East, but the Celtics are beginning to look the part of a real contender, headlined by the NBA’s No. 2 defense. The Celtics made a shrewd investment in Derrick White at the trade deadline, fortifying the backcourt and providing much-needed support in shot creation. White isn’t the perfect player in that he is an inconsistent shooter, but his defensive chops are unquestioned, and Boston is truly terrifying on that end of the floor.
Furthermore, the Celtics have been very good when their key pieces are available on the floor. Boston’s top four players — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams — each sport a net rating of +8.0 or better when on the floor this season. Things are even scarier for the opposition when that quartet is deployed together, with Boston posting an obscene +20.2 net rating in 558 minutes. That kind of success likely isn’t sustainable, but with those four players paired with either White, Al Horford or Grant Williams, the defensive versatility speaks for itself and the Celtics project to be effective in a playoff setting.
It must be noted that nothing is assured for Boston at this stage, with only a slim margin between the Celtics and the play-in race in the East. Still, a lot has changed for the Celtics in about six weeks, and optimism now reigns in Boston.
Where do the Celtics stack up in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s dive in.
1. Phoenix Suns (46-10, Last week — 1st)
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There is some real separation between Phoenix and everyone else. The Suns have a five-game lead on the field in the standings, and Phoenix’s statistical profile indicates that isn’t a fluke. They made minor moves at the deadline to improve depth and, barring something unforeseen, Phoenix is a true force.
2. Golden State Warriors (42-16, Last week — 2nd)
Golden State’s 1-3 week was nearly enough to drop them out of this spot. The Warriors still have the second-best overall profile, but Golden State got blasted in Utah last week and then dropped a game to the Clippers by double-digits on Monday. Let’s just say they’re going to need Draymond Green to be healthy.
3. Memphis Grizzlies (40-18, Last week — 3rd)
The Grizz could be No. 2 in this week without issue. Memphis is 8-1 in the last nine games, and the Grizzlies are 5-0 in February. Memphis has been making waves with athleticism and physicality all season, but the Grizzlies are scoring well over 1.2 points per possession during this winning streak. If they can even pretend to maintain that offensive pace, the Grizzlies are terrifying.
4. Boston Celtics (33-25, Last week — 9th)
Boston has a showcase road game in Philadelphia on Tuesday, and the 76ers won’t have James Harden. If they can steal that game, only a home date with Detroit stands in the way of a 10-game winning streak before the All-Star break.
5. Miami Heat (37-20, Last week — 7th)
The schedule wasn’t difficult at all, but Miami is on a five-game winning spree. That makes up for a three-game hiccup at the end of January and the start of February, and the Heat lead the East by a half-game.
6. Utah Jazz (36-21, Last week — 14th)
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All is well in Salt Lake City again. After a disastrous stretch that tanked Utah’s place in the standings, the Jazz have won six in a row. Beyond that, Rudy Gobert returned from a three-week absence on Monday, and the Jazz have outscored opponents by 18.5 points per 100 possessions in those six games.
7. Chicago Bulls (37-21, Last week — 12th)
DeMar DeRozan has scored 30 points or more in seven straight games, becoming the first Bulls player since Michael Jordan to accomplish that feat. From there, DeRozan has at least 35 points in six straight, all on over 50 percent shooting from the field matching a record only Wilt has accomplished, and he was masterful in leading Chicago to a win over San Antonio on Monday without Zach LaVine.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (34-22, Last week — 6th)
Philadelphia has a pair of TNT games before the break, and they are both real tests against Boston and Milwaukee. The Sixers won’t have James Harden just yet, but Joel Embiid put up a 40-14-10 in a win over Cleveland on Saturday that sent quite a message.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (35-23, Last week — 5th)
There is no shame in getting smoked in Phoenix, because that seems to happen to everyone, and Milwaukee lost on Monday without Giannis to a depleted but scrappy Blazers team. Still, those are double-digit losses in succession, and there is a power rankings penalty to that kind of hiccup. Alas, no one should be worried about Milwaukee.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22, Last week — 4th)
The Cavs lost by double digits in Philly on Saturday, but that result shouldn’t overshadow a tremendous run, their drop here is more about leaps taken by those ahead of them. Cleveland is still 13-4 in the last 17 games, and the Cavs now have two All-Stars with Jarrett Allen getting the call. A road test in Atlanta on Tuesday will be quite interesting as a measuring stick.
11. Denver Nuggets (32-25, Last week — 11th)
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Nikola Jokic is from another planet. The Nuggets have a +10.2 (!!) net rating when he’s on the floor this season, even with the absences of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray. When he heads to the bench, Denver plays at a rock-bottom level, posting a -10.4 net rating. That pretty much tells the story.
12. Dallas Mavericks (33-24, Last week — 10th)
Dallas was two points shy of a five-game winning streak to close the week, and Luka Doncic has 96 points in the last two games. That doesn’t paper over the bizarre nature of the Kristaps Porzingis trade and the fact that Dallas doesn’t have a clear path to a long-term No. 2, but they are still pretty good.
13. Toronto Raptors (31-25, Last week — 8th)
The Raptors weren’t going to win every game the rest of the way, but they did win eight in a row. The streak was snapped with a one-point loss to Denver, which is a perfectly acceptable result, but the Raptors then got blitzed by 30 in New Orleans on Monday. That wasn’t great.
14. L.A. Clippers (29-30, Last week — 17th)
This isn’t “the year” for the Clippers, simply due to the injuries for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. It is worth nothing that the Clippers are basically playing .500 ball without two superstars, though, and that is pretty impressive. A win over the Warriors on Monday also helps to justify this boost in the rankings.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-27, Last week — 13th)
Minnesota dips a bit this week, but it wasn’t a disaster by any means. The Wolves went 2-2, but both losses came by double figures. Quietly, Minnesota’s offense has unsurprisingly improved from the beginning of the season, but the defense has also unsurprisingly regressed. Finding the water level will be interesting here.
16. Brooklyn Nets (30-27, Last week — 15th)
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The long national nightmare is over, with the Nets finally winning a game on Monday. That snapped a comical 11-game losing streak for Brooklyn, but the Nets are still in the play-in mix. Ben Simmons might play pretty soon, which would help in theory, but Kevin Durant is who the Nets really need.
17. Atlanta Hawks (26-30, Last week — 16th)
Atlanta still has the feel of a team that is better than its record, but the results just aren’t consistently matching up. The Hawks won seven games in a row in late January, but Atlanta gave most of that back with five losses in seven games. There’s a chance this is just what this team is, which would be an enormous disappointment following a conference finals appearance.
18. Charlotte Hornets (29-29, Last week — 20th)
For the first time since early January, the Hornets are back to .500. Charlotte is 1-7 in the last eight games and, in a shocking twist, it is the offense letting the Hornets down. They have scored only 1.04 points per possession during that stretch, and that won’t be enough to sustain prosperity alongside a spotty defense.
19. San Antonio Spurs (22-36, Last week — 21st)
San Antonio likely got worse with the Derrick White trade, but they stocked the cupboard for the future with an unexpected flurry of pre-deadline activity. The Spurs’ long-term goals remain at least slightly unclear, but they followed up the deadline with nice road wins over Atlanta and New Orleans before competing valiantly in Chicago on Monday.
20. New Orleans Pelicans (23-34, Last week — 19th)
The Pelicans are behind the Spurs due to a home loss to San Antonio this week. Other than that, it’s been really positive for New Orleans with five wins in the last seven games. The Pels are a half-game out of the play-in, and New Orleans is exactly .500 since the hideous 1-12 start. CJ McCollum’s addition gives them some more scoring juice next to Brandon Ingram and there’s reason for optimism in the Big Easy.
21. Portland Trail Blazers (24-34, Last week — 25th)
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The Blazers are riding a three-game winning streak, including a very positive road win in Milwaukee on Monday. Granted, Giannis Antetokounmpo was unavailable in that spot, but Portland was still a significant betting underdog and played quite well. The Anfernee Simons breakout continues and, for now, they still cling to the last play-in spot out West.
22. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31, Last week — 18th)
Los Angeles is 5-12 in the last 17 games. It’s really ugly, especially when remembering the Lakers didn’t do anything at the trade deadline and will seemingly rely on the buyout market for an infusion of talent. Los Angeles also has one of the more difficult schedules remaining in the NBA, in part due to the backloaded nature of the league’s national television contract.
23. Sacramento Kings (22-37, Last week — 24th)
The Kings were nearly in line for a big rise in this space. Then, Sacramento got walloped by the Nets on Monday to take some of the fuel out of the plane. Still, the Domantas Sabonis era seems to be reinvigorating De’Aaron Fox, and that is a positive takeaway in the early going.
24. Washington Wizards (26-30, Last week — 23rd)
It was actually a winning week for the Wizards at 2-1. Those victories came at home against the shorthanded Nets and Pistons, though, and the loss came by 13 points to the Kings. That’s not exactly fantastic.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-39, Last week — 27th)
From a full-season perspective, there is no argument for the Thunder over the Knicks. Oklahoma City upset New York on the road on Monday, though, so they get a bump here. Also, the Thunder currently have a top-10 defense in the NBA. That is fairly wild.
26. New York Knicks (25-33, Last week — 22nd)
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A month ago, the Knicks were 22-21 and coming off a three-game winning streak. New York is 3-12 since then, including six losses in the last seven games. Monday night was particularly brutal, with the Knicks giving one away (at home) against the Thunder in memorable fashion.
27. Orlando Magic (13-45, Last week — 28th)
A road win in Portland this week helps the Magic to climb a spot. The rest of the week didn’t go well with three double-digit road losses, but Orlando will take progress as it comes. One example is the recent play of Wendell Carter Jr., who has scored in double figures in 17 of his last 18 games.
28. Indiana Pacers (19-39, Last week — 26th)
The early returns on Tyrese Haliburton in a Pacers uniform are strong. That’s the positive takeaway. On the floor, Indiana is clearly scuffling with six straight losses and, for the first time in a very long time, the Pacers are likely to pick in the top half of the lottery.
29. Houston Rockets (15-41, Last week — 29th)
Houston is on a five-game losing skid with nine losses in the last ten games. The Rockets’ last eight losses have been by double digits, and there isn’t a lot of competitiveness happening right now, as evidenced by a bloodbath in Utah on Monday. It’s also a bit weird to hang on to both Eric Gordon and Dennis Schroder, but Houston also isn’t winning games to provide any urgency to clear the decks.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-45, Last week — 30th)
With the Nets finally winning a basketball game on Monday, the Pistons now hold the NBA’s longest active losing streak at eight games. Detroit also has the worst record in the league and the worst net rating in the league. The Pistons ended up holding on to Jerami Grant, which is a curious decision, but losses aren’t so bad for Detroit with the team’s current incentives.
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, the live-action/CGI hybrid adaptation of the Disney animated series from director Akiva Schaffer (Hot Rod, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) is going for the same pop culture-mashing vibe as Roger Rabbit, with references to Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Cats. There’s no Christopher Lloyd terrorizing a poor shoe, but there is John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as the voice of the chipmunks, and Seth Rogen as a early-2010s character from a video game cut scene.
Here’s the official plot summary:
In Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Chip and Dale are living amongst cartoons and humans in modern-day Los Angeles, but their lives are quite different now. It has been decades since their successful television series was canceled, and Chip (Mulaney) has succumbed to a life of suburban domesticity as an insurance salesman. Dale (Sandberg), meanwhile, has had CGI surgery and works the nostalgia convention circuit, desperate to relive his glory days. When a former cast mate mysteriously disappears, Chip and Dale must repair their broken friendship and take on their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save their friend’s life.
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which also features the voices of KiKi Layne, Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Flula Borg, Dennis Haysbert, Keegan-Michael Key, Tress MacNeille, Tim Robinson, J.K. Simmons, and Chris Parnell, premieres on Disney+ on May 20.
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