NBA Rankings Recap

The National Basketball Association is getting ready to come to a close. There are seven teams locked into their first-round bye position in the postseason, with the additional 13 teams fighting for spots.

Remember, ten teams from both the Eastern and Western Conference make the postseason. The bottom four on each side are to play a mini play-in tournament to decide who the final 16 teams are. This is going to be interesting. Meanwhile, there are seven teams that have been eliminated from any type of postseason play. The latest Dunkel Index NBA rankings are interesting. Let's take a look at them!

Race for the best record

There is a race for the most wins in the NBA this season, and it's coming down to two Western Conference teams. The Utah Jazz have 50 wins, and the Phoenix Suns have 48. Philadelphia is on the outside looking in with 47 wins. The Jazz have three games left, while the Suns and 76ers have 4. You do the math - if the Jazz win all three games, they finish with the most wins in the league. In the Eastern Conference - the 76ers need to win just two of their final four games to seal the top record over Brooklyn. In the latest rankings, Utah, Phoenix and Philadelphia hold the top three spots. The Clippers and Nuggets round out the Top 5. The home-court advantage is a big deal, as the Jazz have won 31 out of 35 at home, and the 76ers are 27-7 on their home court.

Final Postseason Spots

In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks, Hawks, Heat, and Celtics are in the postseason of some sort. What seed they get will be determined these final few days. Those teams come in at 11, 12, 13, and 15th, respectively. The teams that are battling are Charlotte, the Pacers, Washington, and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls look to be the odd man out as they are 2.5 games back of the Wizards with four games to go. Chicago will face Brooklyn twice during the final week of the season.

The Hornets sit 18th, the Pacers 19th, Washington is 21st, and the Bulls are 23rd. In the Western Conference - Dallas, Portland, the Lakers, Warriors, and Grizzlies are in. That leaves just one spot for the Spurs, Pelicans, or Kings. San Antonio is 2.5 games up on New Orleans and three on the Kings. The Spurs check-in at 17th, New Orleans 20th, and the Kings 22nd in the latest Dunkel rankings.

Rockets have Sunk

The Houston Rockets have won just 16 games and are going to finish with the worst record in the NBA. They are below Minnesota and Oklahoma City, who both have just won 21 games. Houston and Oklahoma City are at the bottom, while Minnesota has moved up the rankings. The Timberwolves have won 6 out of their last ten games and moved ahead of Cleveland and Orlando to 26th.

Enjoy the last few games of the 2021 NBA Regular season. It's been an awesome season, and we expect it to be a thrilling postseason. There is no true hands-down favorite. Can the Jazz, Suns, or someone from the East really win 16 postseason games and win the NBA title? We shall find out. But before then, make sure you go view the latest Dunkel NBA Rankings.