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Giannis Antetokounmpo will have 7 straight All Nba First Team Selection if he makes it this season
Giannis
2019 - MVP
2020 - MVP
2021 - 2024 - He was always in 2nd - 4th in terms of MVP Races.
This year 2025, He will likely finish 3rd in MVP Race. And will definitely be a First Team All Nba Member.
If he indeed does, He will make the All Nba First team 7 straight times. (2019 - 2025)
Nope, Jokic was only Second Team back in 2023. Nope, Luka was not an All Nba Team member in his rookie year.
He is inarguably the best Power Forward in the decade.
Jokic and SGA ar having MVP Candidate monster seasons. And they worked hard for it.
But it somehow overshadows Giannis Monster season as well.
Giannis (2025) - 30.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg, and 6.5 apg
https://redd.it/1jy5t6a
@Reddit_NBA
SERIOUS NEXT DAY THREAD Post-Game Discussion (April 12, 2025)
Here is a place to have in depth, x's and o's, discussions on yesterday's games. Post-game discussions are linked in the table, keep your memes and reactions there.
Please keep your discussion of a particular game in the respective comment thread. All direct replies to this post will be removed.
|Away|Home|Score|GT|PGT|
|:--|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|
https://redd.it/1jy612j
@Reddit_NBA
Luka Doncic's 2024-2025 season: 28.2pts, 8.2 rbs, 7.7 asts, 1.8 stls on 45/37/78 splits over 50 games.
With mavericks: 28.1/8.3/7.8/2 on 46/35/77, record 13-9.
With lakers: 28.2/8.1/7.5/1.6 on 44/38/79. record 18-10. In total 31-19 which is on pace of 51-win pace.
Include one game injured before half-time and 3 games coming back from injury/changed new team/on minute restrictions.
Idk for all the talks about how it's tough to build around Luka or how difficult for Luka to be incorporated into a system, I think overall this is still pretty good?
Source: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/doncilu01.html
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Damian Lillard-"It was always like-Steph took off, and I was chasing. I wanted what he had. He's winning championships, everybody's talking about him. So I was very competitive with Steph-especially in those years where I was like, 'No, I can do that too.'"
https://youtu.be/DS4c37pH-2g?si=AJPKCc_-Iw4ZWG0-
https://redd.it/1jxwwdn
@Reddit_NBA
Nikola Jokic on averaging a triple-double for the season: "It's nice. I think I didn't do that before. I don't know. I don't know what to say. It's good."
https://streamable.com/dvo6j4
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@Reddit_NBA
Jordan and the Bulls. Despite the heartbreak, the city celebrated with a parade.
The rest of Barkley’s time here wasn’t as pleasant. He battled injuries. He forced his way out of town after four seasons. And years later, no one cares. The Suns don’t do statues, but they inducted Barkley into their Ring of Honor because of what Barkley did. He lifted the franchise.
They would’ve done the same for Durant had he dribbled a similar path.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6246273/2025/04/11/kevin-durant-phoenix-suns-nba-offseason-trade/
https://redd.it/1jxo7qw
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Anthony Edwards said he might pull his pants down if he were to hit a Game 7 game-winner like Kyrie did
https://streamable.com/ttydkb
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@Reddit_NBA
Defense wins championships. Spot Up shooting defense is the most important to get out of the West. LeBron, Luka, Ant, and Steph will exploit poor defenders. Bottom 15 Percentile: Booker (4.5), Braun (4.7), Jokic (10.2) and Hartenstein (13.2). These starters have been BBQ chicken.
Spot-up shooting has become the most important part of any offense for championship contenders. The elite players target defenders who cannot defend spot-up shots. They do their dancing and just spot-up and shoot over with no hesitation.
Journalists love to say "good defense but better offense."
In reality, it's more like - "you can't teach height, wingspan or athleticism". These are the worst Spot-up defenders in the West
Spot-up Defense with 140 Possessions or more from NBA.com
|Player|PPP|EFG%|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Booker|1.31|68%|
|Braun|1.29|68%|
|Jokic|1.23|61.5%|
|Hartenstein|1.21|61.7%|
These players are the worst defenders at spot-up shooting in the West that have chances to make the playoffs.
It's no surprise that Nuggets have been losing 4 straight. The defense is just getting exploited with easy spot-ups.
I love how most journalists think just because a defender is within 6 feet that it is considered "good defense".
Good defense is actually having the ability to affect the shot.
Braun, Jokic and Hartenstein are the reasons why Denver and OKC will have a good chance to lose to the Lakers, Minnesota or the Warriors.
We have seen the elite offensive players COOK these guys from LeBron, Luka, Ant and Steph Curry.
What's the solution?
Fix your spot-up defense bro. I have been thoroughly impressed with Austin Reaves. He used to be in the bottom 5 defense for spot-up shooting. Now he's average.
Christian Braun is pretty sad just how bad he is. And then we saw IHart get torched the whole time and since the all star break.
https://redd.it/1ju6lif
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[Highlights] Zach LaVine scores 16 straight points for the Kings, inclluding 4 consecutive pullup 3s (with replays).
https://streamable.com/hhbbjg
https://redd.it/1ju2waj
@Reddit_NBA
Starkand Lakers’ injury report vs. OKC tomorrow: Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent are questionable. Rui Hachimura is out.
The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) has been ruled out. Additionally, Luka Doncic (right groin strain), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle effusion), LeBron James (left groin strain), Bronny James Jr. (illness), Austin Reaves (right ankle sprain) and Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion) are all listed as questionable.
Coming off their biggest win of the season in Oklahoma City against the Thunder on Sunday, it appears the Lakers could rest all of their key players in the rematch on Tuesday.
Because some results around the league went their way on Sunday, the Lakers only need to win two of their final four games to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Tuesday’s game is the first night of a back-to-back before the Lakers head to Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Wednesday.
It seems the Lakers will likely sit guys out against the Thunder in order to have their full roster ready to go against the Mavericks, which not only is an easier matchup on paper, but also Doncic’s first time back in Dallas and a game he will surely be motivated to win.
Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-report-vs-thunder-rui-hachimura-out-other-key-players-questionable/
https://redd.it/1jtyx9w
@Reddit_NBA
Al Horford is at the NCAA Finals, watching the college he was playing for 20 years ago, the Florida Gators.
https://streamable.com/ax5t3o
https://redd.it/1ju1xk0
@Reddit_NBA
[Million $ Worth of Game Podcast] Jaylen Brown: “Only person who does weird stuff and talk trash is Dillon Brooks… that’s his gimmick tho. Some players do whatever they need to do to stick in the league”
https://streamable.com/31faly
https://redd.it/1jtu59k
@Reddit_NBA
[Windhorst] explains the crazy tie-breaker scenario in the West if seeds 4-8 all end with the same record
https://streamable.com/xaou0c
https://redd.it/1jtwc9v
@Reddit_NBA
rankings, we had the Heat go on a little win streak. This streak means we're locked into the play-in and will have a little bit of a postseason. With 4 games left, we could improve our play-in position although there's not a big difference between who we get. We're going to have to play 2 match ups and they're all difficult match ups. Tyler Herro and a few other players are also nursing injury, but let's just be happy that we will see some postseason basketball after this tumultuous season. |
21 | (/PHX) Suns | -4 | 35-43 | Those four games showed us what this team could be. Everything else showed us who they really are. This may be the worst season in Suns’ history. With the players brought in, the future we sacrificed, and the money spent, not winning the West would have been a disappointment. The highest payroll in NBA history will end the year with a losing record, not even make the play-ins, and give the Rockets a lottery pick. I stand by what I said that we do have the start of a young foundation, but there will be major consequences. There can be no one left off the table this offseason, not even Booker. The coaching staff and FO are likely to be purged from top to bottom. The organization has lost a lot of faith from an already fickle fanbase, but no consequence can be worse than forcing us to watch this version of the team for another year. |
22 | (/POR) Trail Blazers | -2 | 35-44 | The Blazers have been tanking so hard NASA might draft them. Scoot’s still out after his concussion, but Deni Avdija— has been one of the few bright spots in Portland averaging 23.5 since all star break and 30.4 the past 5 games. At this point it's probably worth sitting him and relying on Blazerman to be their most consistent performer. |
23 | (/SAS) Spurs | -2 | 32-46 | Stephon Castle for ROTY. It's really all we have at this point (though we did nearly have a Houston-over-Duke comeback on the Cavs the other day which was cool). All due respect to Zaccharie Risacher, he's an awesome player (I loved him predraft last year) and I think he's showing all the promise that was hoped that can make him a very worthy #1 overall pick. But I like Castle more (duh, obviously) and most every metric, other than efficiency, is in Castle's favor (and even then, Risacher's .525 EFG/.548 TS% isn't so insurmountable over Castle's .472 EFG/.517 TS% that it wipes out all of Castle's other advantages). They're both really great players, but Castle's been doing more for longer so that's why I'm taking him (and, you know, he plays for my team of course). The Spurs close out the season with @LAC, @GSW, @PHO, and TOR. |
24 | (/TOR) Raptors | -- | 29-50 | There are only three games left in the season. The record may be similar to last year however, we actually have exciting young players to see next year. This isn't the team that started Javon-Freeman Liberty, Jamius Ramsey, Kobi Simmons, Malik Williams, and Muhamadou Gueye. I'm looking forward to next season full of optimism! |
25 | (/BKN) Nets | -- | 25-53 | The Brooklyn Nets have been in a competitive tank since Cam Thomas went down. They win a few to make it look like they aren't tanking but they just aren't good enough. They scraped by with a win over the Mavs, but since then, they've been staying the course for a nice lottery pick. |
26 | (/NOP) Pelicans | +1 | 21-57 | The past two weeks haven’t just been rough for the Pelicans—they’ve been a reminder that the franchise is stuck in neutral. Once hyped as a rising force with Zion at the helm, the team now drifts between failed expectations and unclear direction. They’re not rebuilding, not contending, just existing—burning through seasons, talent, and fan patience. This isn’t just a cold streak; it’s a sign of a franchise with no map, no momentum, and no idea what it wants to be. |
27 | (/PHI) 76ers | -1 | 23-55 | To loosely quote TrillBroDude, Cooper Flagg better get used to seeing those types of meltdowns because he'll have many more in a Sixers jersey. The Sixers have lost an astonishing amount and have managed to put in an
glass on D. The team showed competency taking down some West rivals in Memphis, Houston and OKC, with the latter being handed a pretty dominant blowout thanks to a surgical shooting display. The Lakers' intangibles make their playoff potential so much intriguing specially now having secured tiebreakers over all the teams seeded 4-8 and being 2 wins away from a 3rd seed. However, the team's ugly head rears when they show a lack of urgency and discipline that leads to transition basketball, evident in losses vs Bulls, Warriors, etc. A mentally locked-in Lakers team can legit win the Finals, but their floor could be, to no one's surprise, a first-round exit. A team with such low margin for error is going to certainly wanna hope to get on the right of the bracket as the season draws to a close. |
6 | (/NYK) Knicks | +2 | 50-28 | Brunson is back. He's shaking off rust. In the meantime, we've seen the team really step up offensively. The Bard, writing for the most righteous fae Ariel in The Tempest, uses the term "Lingering Perdition" to cast maleficence unto the antagonists Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian. In modern terms, it emphasizes a curse of slow and frightening ruin. This is how I would describe the rise of OG "The Demon" Anunoby in Brunson's absence. A spirit of vengeance, he has played at a level of basketball completeness we haven't seen since the rise of Kawhi Leonard. Averaging a couple free throws under 50/40/90 for this stretch, all the while playing elite defense on multiple positions, he's emblematic of a team that no longer has to hand Brunson the keys and pray come crunch time. He's been far more fluid with the ball in his hands than before, and this Knicks fan is optimistic that those habits are here to stay. NOTE: I will be visiting the family in France for most of April (Happy Passover) then will be in the Holy Land to visit even more family. If any of you want me to make a prayer for you or yours, feel free to DM me and I'll do so. May peace come in our time. |
7 | (/LAC) Clippers | +4 | 46-32 | At the time of writing, The Los Angeles Clippers, a team who many believed didn't have enough depth left after the loss of Paul George, are currently fifth in the Western Conference. This old ass team, led by a duo of aging stars, have turned this team from potential OKC pick-fodder to one of the sleeper picks to have a deep playoff run. Despite this, we can't celebrate too quickly, because we are one of 4 Western Conference playoff teams that share the same record. With 4 games left in the regular season (including a potentially incredibly important game against GSW on the last day), we can potentially either move all the way up to 3rd in the West, but also can move down all the way to 8th. Like the great Ralph Lawler once said, fasten your sealtbelts, we are going down to the wire this season. |
8 | (/GSW) Warriors | -2 | 46-32 | With the loss last night the Warriors are now locked into a 4 way tie at 46-32 between the 5th and 8th seed with a tie breaker over the Timberwolves and Grizzlies but not the Clippers. Warriors play the Clippers the last game of the seasons which could decide their play in fate. Podz has been on fire the past two games. Maybe Steph's worse game of his career was the last game but the 3 games prior he averaged 41.7 ppg. Hopefully he bounces back these next 4 games to close out the season on a high note and avoid the play in. |
9 | (/DEN) Nuggets | -4 | 47-32 | With just one week left in the season, the Nuggets have entered a tailspin in April, losing their last 4 games. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's watched the Nuggets this year, as the same problems that have plagued the team all season (injuries to starters, zero bench production, poor POA defense, inconsistent production from everyone not named Jokic) have all made themselves apparent in the final stretch. The Nuggets maintain a tenuous grip on the 4th seed, but with just one game separating the 4th and 8th seeds, there's even a chance of the Nuggets falling into the play-in. Despite the recent struggles and
Austin Reaves talks about his surreal journey of going from trolling LeBron James on the internet as a 12 yr old Kobe fan from Arkansas to now being his longest tenured teammate "I owe him a lot for what he's helped me accomplish."
https://streamable.com/7yrk01
https://redd.it/1jy5clw
@Reddit_NBA
James Harden lob to Derrick Jones Jr.
https://streamable.com/lmm8gr
https://redd.it/1jxxj97
@Reddit_NBA
Since 2019, Giannis has gone 24-1 against the Detroit Pistons
Source: https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/giannis-record-vs-pistons-since-2019
He's averaging 29.2/10.1/6.3/1.3/1.6 on 63.1 TS% with a +/- of +14.9 in those games
https://redd.it/1jxtr6a
@Reddit_NBA
With the Lakers clinching the 3rd seed in the West, Luka Doncic is set to have home court advantage in the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Pretty insane output to be honest to get 2 trips to the Western Conference Finals and 1 trip to the NBA Finals for Luka. Like he mentioned in the press conference after the game against the Mavs, they’ve pretty much been the underdog in all of his playoffs series. The one against the Jazz was probably the closest one to 50-50.
https://redd.it/1jxn2hq
@Reddit_NBA
As we near the end of the season, the Lakers record so far under JJ Redick: 50-31 and 3rd seed. The Lakers record last season with Darvin Ham: 46-35 and 7th seed.
Just thought should do one more of these for the end of the season since people, for some reason, stopped posting these a few months ago, and it's fun to revisit some of the old takes early season.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule//name/lal/season/2024 and https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule//name/lal/season/2025
Also, since many of the old threads brought it up, the Lakers under JJ Redick also now have a higher net rating (+1.6) compared to Darvin Ham (+0.6)
https://redd.it/1jxq0j3
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DNVR Russell Westbrook received a warning from the league after avoiding media for 3 consecutive games. In his first postgame interview after the warning, he answered just about every question with "I don't know"
Adam Mares of DNVR also had this to say after Westbrook avoided the media postgame after Warriors loss:
"He's a leader of the team. He's a veteran of the team. This should have nothing to do with 'I don't respect the media'. Go out and face the music and take one for your team. He made somebody else on the team go out and take the bullets for you."
- Source for warning: https://www.youtube.com/live/COe4ucoYdlI?si=AgT9DGmbSlPbBGT-&t=3099
- Westbrook's postgame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb01JsUveck
https://redd.it/1jug9me
@Reddit_NBA
Austin Reaves on his reaction to the Luka trade
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44576943/lebron-james-luka-doncic-one-player-swing-nba-playoffs-lakers-austin-reaves
A CELEBRATORY MOOD carried Austin Reaves down the ramp at Madison Square Garden and into the New York City night after a monumental road win. It was just after midnight on Feb. 2.
The Los Angeles Lakers -- fueled by 60 combined points from Reaves (27) and LeBron James (33) -- had just knocked off a New York Knicks team that was riding a five-game win streak. L.A. had done so without its best player, Anthony Davis, who had left the trip early to receive treatment for an abdominal strain.
"Me and Bron were talking in the locker room after the game," Reaves told ESPN. "It was like, if we play like that and add AD to that, we could be dangerous."
As the Lakers' bus navigated through midtown Manhattan traffic, Reaves pulled out his phone to scroll Instagram. He came across a post citing ESPN Shams Charania's report that the Lakers had just traded Davis and Max Christie -- fresh off 15 points against New York -- to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal for Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic.
"First thing, I was like, 'Oh this is [false]," Reaves said. "'He got hacked.'"
Instantly, Reaves' phone began to flood with incoming texts. "The group message started going crazy," he said. "AD, texting the [team] group message, was like, 'They traded me.' And I was like, 'OK, AD is bulls----ing with us.' He's a kid at heart, had his fun. He literally has a prank TV show. I thought it was one of those."
Then he received a message from Lakers assistant coach Beau Levesque.
"Bro ...," Levesque messaged.
Reaves called Levesque immediately.
"This ain't real," Reaves said, a statement posing as a question.
"Umm ... I think it's real," Levesque said, sitting on the Lakers' last bus to leave MSG, about 15 minutes behind Reaves. "I'm sitting right by Max."
https://redd.it/1jucjls
@Reddit_NBA
SERIOUS NEXT DAY THREAD Post-Game Discussion (April 07, 2025)
Here is a place to have in depth, x's and o's, discussions on yesterday's games. Post-game discussions are linked in the table, keep your memes and reactions there.
Please keep your discussion of a particular game in the respective comment thread. All direct replies to this post will be removed.
|Away|Home|Score|GT|PGT|
|:--|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|
|(/SAC) Sacramento Kings |(/DET) Detroit Pistons | 127 - 117 | Link | Link |
|(/PHI) Philadelphia 76ers |(/MIA) Miami Heat | 105 - 117 | Link | Link |
https://redd.it/1jubsp7
@Reddit_NBA
Duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine against the Pistons combine for 80 PTS 7 REBS 6 ASTS on 30-54 FG 9-17 3PT 11-14 FT
DeMar DeRozan: 37 PTS 4 REBS 2 ASTS 1 BLK on 14-26 FG 1-6 3PT 8-10 FT
Zach Lavine: 43 PTS 3 REBS 4 ASTS 1 STL on 16-28 FG 8-11 3PT 3-4 FT
In the Kings' continuous battle to secure a play-in spot, the duo of DeMar and LaVine take care of business against the Pistons at Little Caesar Arena. Zach specifically had a crazy fourth quarter, where Kings were initially up 3 to start, LaVine scored 17 points on 5 3PMs. He also played 45 minutes tonight
Kings win 127-117
Box Score
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[Highlight] DeMar DeRozan scores the jumper over Dennis Schröder and then doing the "too small" gesture (with replays). Isaiah Stewart throws Domantas Sabonis to the floor, off the ball.
https://streamable.com/qym4wz
https://redd.it/1ju20gk
@Reddit_NBA
Hakeem Olajuwon and Victor Wembanyama at the NCAA Finals stands.
https://streamable.com/epac6m
https://redd.it/1ju23bm
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[KTLA 5 News] A Lakers fan who was beaten and knocked unconscious by security guards outside of Crypto.com Arena and two others are suing the Crypto.com Arena, L.A. Live, the Lakers and Air Jordan
https://streamable.com/9k8b70
https://redd.it/1jtxyvw
@Reddit_NBA
absolutely serious tank job after starting way too late with a "belief" they could still compete. Are the injuries real? Yes. Absolutely. And it is quite curious that the Embiid saga took the surgery route when that seemed to be thrown out originally. He will probably never be the player he was again, but can he go that Bill Walton route and accept a lesser role (assuming the Sixers are able to draft a "ready out of the box" player in this year's draft)? There is still a chance the pick doesn't convey, and that could mean the difference between the death of this Sixers team or its final attempt at a rebirth. |
28 | (/CHA) Hornets | -- | 19-59 | Not sure how much more hornets anyone can take. LaMelo’s out for the season but that's nothing new. The tank is beefy and strong. Only looking forward to the lottery at this point. |
29 | (/WAS) Wizards | -- | 17-61 | "We're still not good. While teams are throwing together their worst line-ups, removing or limiting staters' appearances, we're still doing the same but getting overly excited about the performance of our rookies in the process. I want to be excited about Bub Carrington dropping 32 points against a great defensive team like Orlando. But I know just how quickly Orlando got their act together. This season was solely centered around the team's ability to get the number one overall pick in the NBA draft and when it mattered the most, they beat the Sacramento Kings. Utah has executed the tank to perfection while the Wizards still can't execute a half-court offense." |
30 | (/UTA) Jazz | -- | 16-63 | Before this season, the Utah Jazz were the only team in the history of the league to never lose 60 or more games in a season. Despite the fine we had a couple of weeks ago for benching Markkanen without probable cause, he has only played 4 games since February 23. Jordan Clarkson has been shut down for the season, and Cody Williams looks like a bust. Keyonte George had one of the best games of his career Sunday against Atlanta, going for 35 points on 10-19 shooting. All Jazz fans have to look forward to is the Draft Lottery, held in about 5 weeks. We'll see if the NBA will grant the Jazz with the prize of drafting #1 overall. |
https://redd.it/1jtxhuc
@Reddit_NBA
the ever decreasing odds of a Finals appearance this year, favorable seeding could help the Nuggets make a deep playoff run. |
10 | (/IND) Pacers | -1 | 47-31 | The Pacers are rolling as the playoffs approach. Indiana needs just 2 more combined wins + Milwaukee losses to clinch a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Much has been made about Tyrese Haliburton's play post-All Star Break, but really, he has been sensational since mid-December. Even with his rough start to the season, many advanced metrics have him among the top guards in the league this year, and his impact can truly be seen once the free-flowing offense gets going. Another 3rd team All-NBA selection isn't out of the question at this point. |
11 | (/MIN) TWolves | +1 | 46-32 | Things are wild in the West and the Wolves are locked into this crazy play in set. Despite a 5 game win streak the Wolves have not been able maneuver out of the play in. With 4 games remaining winning likely clears them of the additional play in game, but 1 slip and the Wolves likely playing for they're playoff hopes. |
12 | (/MEM) Grizzlies | -1 | 46-32 | The Memphis Grizzlies have had a rough two weeks—like Ja trying refrain from finger shooting rough. They've dropped 4 of their last 7, including losses to the Lakers, Celtics, and Warriors, and fired coach Taylor Jenkins in the process. Interim coach Tuomas Iisalo’s debut has been less than ideal but they did manage to win their last two. |
13 | (/MIL) Bucks | -- | 44-34 | Will Dame be able to play again this season?? That's kinda all that matters. (Shoutout to KPJ for being surprisingly good and stepping up in Dame's absence) (Shoutout to Giannis for the first ever 35/15/20 game) |
14 | (/DET) Pistons | -- | 43-35 | Detroit has struggled against the West but has played well against the east. Good thing thing there are only East teams in the playoffs...well most of the playoffs. |
15 | (/ORL) Magic | +3 | 38-40 | Locked into a play-in spot, Paolo and Franz putting the team on their back and role players are shooting significantly better post All-Star Break. If they can keep this up, the Magic might have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs but knowing it's starting off against the Cavs or Celtics puts a damper on expectations. Potential revenge series from last season or a matchup against the champs. |
16 | (/SAC) Kings | -- | 38-40 | The Sacramento Kings have been playing mid basketball but they still have a chance at the playoffs. DeRozan, Sabonis, and LaVine are doing everything short of selling popcorn at halftime, while the bench looks like it’s stuck on the loading screen. Sitting 10th in the West, they’re clinging to that play-in spot like it’s a loose ball in Game 7. |
17 | (/ATL) Hawks | -2 | 37-41 | These last couple of games have been rough, as opposing teams have realized that if they pull Okongwu away from the rim the team has no other players that can reliably provide rim defense. Injuries in the frontcourt have really hollowed out the defense, and unless Quin starts trusting Mo Gueye more then I don't really see a world where that improves these last couple of games. The Hawks are currently in 8th, 1 game behind Orlando and 1 game ahead of Chicago. With two of our four remaining games against Orlando, whether the team ends up in the 7/8 or 9/10 game will likely come down to if we can at least split those games. |
18 | (/CHI) Bulls | +1 | 36-42 | The Bulls have been a rollercoaster: the Lakers game was the first loop, the Dallas game was the bottom where you have to get off and wait in line again. Coby White dropped 37 on Charlotte, trying to carry them into the play-in. They’re 9th in the East, they’re clinging to the play-in like it’s 1998 and MJ’s about to walk back in. |
19 | (/DAL) Mavericks | +3 | 38-41 | Luka returns to Dallas this week, which headlines everything Mavs. The play-in is the least anticipated postseason game in franchise history. These two sentences sum up the Mavs season quite well in my opinion. |
20 | (/MIA) Heat | +3 | 35-43 | Since the last time we did
Official /r/nba Power Rankings #12 (04.07.2025)
24/30 rankers reporting this week. /R/NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section.
\# | Team | Δ | Record | Comment |
--: | :-- | :-- | :-: | :-- |
1 | (/OKC) Thunder | -- | 64-14 | I didn't get a chance to watch the most recent Houston or Lakers games. Coincidence? I think not.... |
2 | (/BOS) Celtics | -- | 58-20 | The Celtics are 6-1 since the last rankings and are all but locked into the 2 seed. There technically is a scenario where the Celtics could end up in a tiebreaker with the Cavs if they were to lose-out their remaining games, but the chances of that happening are practically nil. The name of the game at this point in the season is health, and every player for the Celtics will likely get their turn to sit and rest throughout the remaining 4 games on the schedule. They'll face off against the Knicks and the Magic, before back-to-back games against the Hornets to end the regular season for god knows why. This time of season it's always fun to see bench players suddenly get the greenlight and main stage when starters are out, meaning a 20 or 30pt bomb could happen out of nowhere. Those final two games against the Hornets could very well have 4 or 5 Celtics resting and guys getting called up, paving the path for players like Scheierman, Walsh, Davison (who was just named G-League MVP), Peterson, or even Queta to end the regular season with an exclamation point. |
3 | (/CLE) Cavaliers | -- | 62-16 | This is the kind of season that is sad to see come to an end, with 4 games remaining, we could win out and tie our franchise record win streak… or we can continue to do what we’ve been doing: resting an 82-game determined Jarrett Allen in the second half of games while continuing to give other starters and key role players nights off for resting purposes. The cool thing with the extra play for the deeper rotation is seeing guys like Isaac Okoro come alive in the last couple of weeks. He’s seemed like his recent absence has given him a full seasons worth of rest as of late, as he has just been absolutely everywhere all over the court for us. If we get the current Okoro in the playoffs and the rest of the team plays the way we’ve played all year, that’s another key piece to the puzzle. We made the play-in 3 years ago, the first round 2 years ago, and the second round last year. Here’s hoping we manage at least continue that trend, but regardless of how the playoffs go, this Cavs team is here to stay.. with the possible exception of 6MOTY candidate Ty Jerome. Is the combo of his role, team success and his friendships on the team enough for us to extend him on early bird? If so, we’ll be right at this spot in the power rankings for the foreseeable future |
4 | (/HOU) Rockets | -- | 52-27 | Looking poised to enter the playoffs as the 2nd seed, this team has achieved far above what most would have predicted, and yet, it doesn't seem like betting markets and the media are quite ready yet to label this team as a contender. The key to shutting up the doubters will be for Thompson to keep clamping up stars, role players like Brooks and Smith to continue to put up 20 point performances, and for the team to improve in clutch time on close games. |
5 | (/LAL) Lakers | +2 | 48-30 | Austin Reaves is averaging 26.1/5.1/5.5 on 53/42/94 splits in the last 15-game stretch for the Lakers, that ranks him 14th across the league on the scoring list in this period, it's a shame that he isn't even sniffing the MIP conversation cos the league has its plot on that end. The formula is simple, the big 3 takes care of the offense, the role players gotta roll, cut and make their threes on O; communicate, hustle and hit the