Dunkel NBA Rankings

The end of the NBA regular season is just under a month away. Remember - the playoff format looks a little different, which gives additional teams a chance at “getting in.” 

After the recent week of action, the Dunkel NBA team rankings have been adjusted a little bit. Make sure to take a look at them here, and here is a brief recap:

West Runs This Thing

The top three teams in the rankings all come from the Western Conference. There is NO chance at the beginning of the season you would have predicted this—Utah, Phoenix, and then the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Those are the top teams in the rankings, all with 40+ wins on the season. Philadelphia is the top Eastern Conference team to check-in at 4th. The 76ers have a one-game lead on the Nets for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Back to the West real quick - Utah is nearly unbeatable at home. The Jazz have won 26 out of 29 games at home this season. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are studs, and Utah is one of the best-coached teams in the league. 

Phoenix is doing a lot of their damage on the road. The Suns have won 18 out of 25 games away from their home court. For the Clippers, they probably have the most talent and have been fairly balanced. Los Angeles is 40-19 on the season.

Repeats Look in Doubt

The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers played in the NBA Finals a season ago. Those two teams appear to be struggling to get back to the finals this season. 

While the postseason is a who new animal, both teams have seen major struggles. In the East, the Miami Heat are 30-28, which is 7th in the Eastern Conference, just a game ahead of Charlotte. 

In the West - the Lakers, without the services of LeBron and Anthony Davis, hold a 35-23 record. That’s 5th and would take on Denver if the postseason started today. Taking on Nikola Jokic in the first round does not sound like a fun experience. The Lakers are 8th in the updated rankings, while Miami sits at 15th.

Who is at the Bottom?

Well, the bottom of the NBA Rankings is much like you would think if you have followed the league at all. Getting rid of Russell Westbrook and James Harden did the Houston Rockets no favors. Houston is 15-43 on the season and 29th in the latest rankings. 

The only team worse than Houston is the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Minnesota has shown recent flashes of solid play, overall, they are not a good basketball team. Minnesota is also 15-43 on the season. It is going to be quite the losing battle to see which team has the best chance at the ping pong ball for the top pick in the draft. 

Three Eastern Conference teams round out the bottom 5 of the rankings. Cleveland, Detroit, and then Orlando. All teams that are dead ducks when it comes to the expanded playoffs in the East.