Powerless Rankings: 4/6

It’s April, and the NBA Playoffs begin next Saturday. Given their cushy schedules over the final 10 days, Portland and Houston are in position to move up the standings. Over in the East, the Bulls are in an all-out sprint to sneak into the postseason while the Pacers and Pistons hope to maintain their minimal leads.

Lottery Locks

1. Philadelphia 76ers (9-68) Tuesday’s home game versus the Pelicans might be the best shot this team has to avoid tying for the worst record in NBA history.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (16-60) Six more games of Kobe Bryant, folks. The next two will be weird since the Clippers are gearing up for the playoffs and might not show much mercy. The one winnable game on the schedule for the Lakers is Friday’s bout with the Pelicans.

3. Phoenix Suns (20-57) The Suns take on New Orleans on Saturday before next Monday’s matchup with Sacramento. Ping-pong balls are in the air here.

4. Brooklyn Nets (21-56) Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez have been shut down, which is wise for both Brooklyn and Boston.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-52) Karl Anthony-Towns out here dropping triple-doubles. Well almost. If Kevin Durant likes lakes, look out league.

6. New Orleans Pelicans (29-47) Tim Frazier is emerging. With winnable games against the Sixers, Lakers, and Suns on tap this week, let’s see if he somehow helps the hapless Pelicans avoid 50 losses only to see NOLA lose out on ping-pong balls.

7. New York Knicks (31-47) Jerian Grant is finally starting!

8. Sacramento Kings (31-46) When Donald Trump loses the election, the Kings should hire him to help make Sacramento great again.

9. Denver Nuggets (32-46) While this team may very well finish with as many losses as the Knicks and Kings, Denver’s season has been an inspiring one.

10. Milwaukee Bucks (32-45) Jabari Parker is a savant.

11. Orlando Magic (33-44) Playing with nothing to lose has pumped new life into this team down the stretch. They played the role of spoilers well last week, with wins against Chicago, Indiana, and Memphis. Up next is Detroit and a home-and-away with Miami.

Playoff Race

East

7. Indiana Pacers (41-36) Paul George’s late-game heroics on Sunday, a reasonable schedule ahead, and ownership of the tiebreaker over Detroit has the Pacers looking like favorites to land the seventh seed.

8. Detroit Pistons (41-36) An important back-to-back in Florida is slated for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tobias Harris’ return to Orlando is must-watch as far as I’m concerned.

9. Chicago Bulls (39-38) After losing to the Pistons on Saturday, the Bulls might need to win out if they hope to make the playoffs. If Chicago can somehow muster up three straight wins this week against the Grizzlies, Heat, and Cavaliers, they close the season with NOLA and Philly.

10. Washington Wizards (37-40) The Wizards need so much more than a minor miracle to make the playoffs, and it just ain’t happening.

West

5. Memphis Grizzlies (41-36) It’s all slipping away. Six straight losses, with three coming against the Lakers, Nuggets, and Magic, has Memphis in position to potentially slide out of the playoff race. The Grizzlies take on the Bulls, Mavericks, and Warriors this week before taking on the Clippers and Warriors again to close the season. If Memphis doesn’t win one of its next two, it’s time for everyone to panic.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (41-37) Pencil Portland in for three more wins this season over the Kings, Wolves, and Nuggets. Trail Blazers versus Clippers in round one should be fun.

7. Dallas Mavericks (39-38) It’s going to be mayhem in Dallas over the next week and a half. This week features the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Clippers, followed by battles with the Jazz and Spurs. Dallas wins the tiebreaker over Memphis if they beat them on Friday.

8. Utah Jazz (39-38) Entering the week in eighth, losses to the Spurs and Clippers would likely sink the Jazz back into ninth by Saturday morning. Then it’s Denver, Dallas, and the Lakers to close the season. Utah owns the tiebreaker over Memphis, but needs to beat Dallas next Monday to hold that tiebreaker. I’ve gone back and forth on this, but right now my gut says only two of Memphis, Dallas, and Utah makes the playoffs.

9. Houston Rockets (38-39) Sunday’s win over the Thunder behind James Harden’s 41 points and nine dimes was absolutely massive. A win on Wednesday against the Mavericks gives Houston the tiebreaker and puts them in prime position to finish the season sixth in the West thanks to six straight victories, as the Suns, Lakers, Wolves, and Kings should theoretically be W’s.