Power Rankings: Pistons? Hornets? Heat? The East's final battle is here
Here we are: the final three days of the 2018-19 regular season. With 15 playoff tickets punched, which East squad -- the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat or Charlotte Hornets -- will be the final team in the tournament?
Our panel (ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz, Tim MacMahon andAndre'Snellings, The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears and FiveThirtyEight's Chris Herring) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which are playing the best basketball and which are looking most like title contenders.
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Record: 60-21
Giannis Antetokounmpo put an exclamation point on his season, logging a 45-point, 13-rebound, six-assist, five-block stat line in a shining, MVP-level performance that led Milwaukee to victory over the Sixers on Thursday. Voters have a fantastic pair of players to choose from in Antetokounmpo and James Harden. But it will be a tough, uphill battle for the reigning MVP Harden, given that the ascending Bucks will finish with the NBA's best record (60 wins as of Monday), with Antetokounmpo highlighting his elite, two-way balance by likely making All-Defensive First Team.-- Herring
Record: 56-24
The Warriors clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a win over the Clippers on Sunday. Even so, Tuesday's game at New Orleans will matter to center DeMarcus Cousins, as he returns to play his former Pelicans squad for the first time since they declined to make him a contract offer when free agency began July 1. When asked if he will be playing at New Orleans, Cousins said: "Oh, for sure."-- Spears
Record: 53-28
Coach Mike D'Antoni has repeatedly said that his biggest regret from his Phoenix tenure is that he didn't push the Suns' 3-point shooting to the extreme. He has made up for that in Houston, as the Rockets have shattered NBA records for 3-pointers made and attempted in each of D'Antoni's three seasons at the helm. The Rockets' league ranks in offensive efficiency in those three seasons: second, first, second. -- MacMahon
Record: 57-24
The Raptors await the outcome of the battle royale being waged among the Eastern Conference second division, all the while finding more reps for their projected playoff starting lineup. The five-man unit of Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol has logged 161 minutes in 14 games together and rates a plus-12.2 points per 100 possessions. The only projected playoff starting lineup that has been better belongs to the Sixers.-- Arnovitz
Record: 53-27
The Nuggets are slotted in as No. 2 in the West, a huge step up for a team that missed the playoffs last season. The Nuggets had an outstanding regular season, led by rising superstarNikola Jokic, whoshould earn his first All-NBA nod this season. The Nuggets enter the postseason favored to win at least one round, with a legitimate chance to make a run to the Western Conference finals. --Snellings
6. Utah Jazz
Record: 49-31
The Rockets are the only team with a better record since the All-Star break than the Jazz, who lost Sunday for only the second time in the past 14 games. But Utah has significant health concerns as the playoffs near. Starters Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors and key reserves Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Raul Neto are nursing nagging injuries. On the other hand, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles and Royce O'Neale have played every game this season.-- MacMahon
Record: 50-30
When asked last week whether the vaunted starting unit has played sufficient minutes together, Sixers coach Brett Brown said no. "Why would anybody expect me to say anything different?" In less than one week's time, Brown and everyone else will get a true sense of whether the Simmons-Redick-Butler-Harris-Embiid quintet, with an impressive plus-17.6 points per 100 possessions in a mere 161 minutes, are truly the East's most dominant lineup.-- Arnovitz
Record: 51-29
The Blazers are sitting on the fourth seed in the Western Conference with two games remaining. Portland got some great news, getting guard CJ McCollum back after he missed 10 games with a knee injury. Even with McCollum out, All-Star Damian Lillard led Portland to an 8-2 record over that span.-- Spears
Record: 48-33
The Celtics won three straight games last week over teams vying for playoff berths, a positive sign that they are playing good basketball entering the playoffs. The Celtics have also defeated their first-round opponents, the Pacers, twice in the past two weeks and have done enough to earn the fourth seed and home-court advantage for that matchup. -- Snellings
10. LA Clippers
Record: 47-34
Setting aside all the acquisitions and departures, this season's Clippers team has one of the more unique roster compositions in the league. If the Clippers have one overriding identity, it might be "competent." Their most frequent tandem and most productive pick-and-roll combo is Lou Williams (zero starts) and Montrezl Harrell (four starts). Although they will likely start three players age 22 and younger in the postseason, the Clippers are a veteran-laden shop that includes Danilo Gallinari, who is having far and away his most efficient season in his 11th campaign. -- Arnovitz
Record: 47-34
The Spurs are trying to avoid going into the playoffs as the West's No. 8, also known as the Warriors' warm-up act. San Antonio will certainly be a significant underdog, putting the Spurs in jeopardy of not winning a playoff series in two straight years for the first time since 1991 and '92.-- MacMahon
Record: 47-33
The Thunder had one of the more perplexing final two months of the regular season, falling from a battle for the No. 2 seed in the West to a fight to stay out of No. 8. They've won their past three games against sub-.500 opponents to try to snap out of their funk, and only one of their remaining games is against a playoff opponent still fighting for seeding. The Thunder will look to string together a couple more wins and build some positive momentum entering the postseason. -- Snellings
13. Indiana Pacers
Record: 47-34
Indiana took care of business in back-to-back games with Detroit but lost to the Celtics for a third time on Friday and fell to Brooklyn on Sunday, ceding the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage to Boston in the first round. The Pacers are a proud, hard-nosed team that won't be afraid, given how they battled LeBron and the Cavs last year in the first round. But given their immense struggles on the road lately -- they've lost 10 of their past 11 away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse -- holding on to home-court would've been a big boost for them.-- Herring
14. Orlando Magic
Record: 41-40
The Magic secured an East playoff spot for the first time since 2012 behind nine wins in their past 11 games. It's a huge milestone for a young squad in what was theoretically a rebuilding season.-- Snellings
15. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 41-40
A team that has been quietly rebuilding without the benefit of its first-round draft picks since 2013 or any recent major free-agency acquisitions has secured a playoff berth for the first time in four years. The Nets will be strong underdogs in their first-round matchup, but this is a Nets team that features depth on the perimeter and has been a strong defensive squad since the All-Star break.-- Arnovitz
16. Detroit Pistons
Record: 39-41
Detroit had a rough week trying to clinch its first playoff berth since 2016, dropping all four of its games, including one against Oklahoma City, even though star forward Blake Griffin returned from injury with a 45-point showing on just 20 shots. The Pistons, who have remaining games against the Knicks and Grizzlies, are still favored to reach the postseason. Should they make it, they'll be one of the two worst offenses in the tournament, putting pressure on secondary players to hit from outside often enough to open up the lane in screen-and-roll action.-- Herring
17.Miami Heat
Record: 38-42
The Heat have lost four straight to put their playoff hopes in serious danger. The most damaging loss of the week came at the hands of the lottery-bound Timberwolves, as the Heat should have been the more motivated team that night. At this point, Miami likely needs to win out and get some help to have a chance to sneak back into that last playoff spot.-- Snellings
Record: 38-42
Don't give up on Hornets playoff hopes just yet! After winning three straight games, the Hornets are one game behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Charlotte hosts a struggling Cleveland squad on Tuesday and is on the road playing another playoff contender in Orlando on Wednesday.-- Spears
19. Sacramento Kings
Record: 39-42
The Kings have failed in their push to reach .500 for the first time since 2006, but they can still reach 40 wins for the first time since 2006 with a victory Wednesday at Portland. While the Kings will miss the playoffs for the 13th straight season, their 39 wins are the most by the franchise since that 2005-06 season, when they had 44.-- Spears
Record: 36-44
The Timberwolves' nearly NBA-worst attendance got a Final Four-assisted boost with a sold-out crowd Sunday that watched them fall to the Thunder. Kentucky head coach John Calipari was also at the Wolves' win over the Heat on Friday, sitting behind the home bench to watch three of his former players -- the Wolves' Karl-Anthony Towns and Derrick Rose and the Heat's Bam Adebayo. -- Spears
Record: 37-44
If the latter weeks of the Lakers' season have produced anything, it's a nice sizzle reel for second-year wing Alex Caruso. Since permanently breaking into the Lakers' rotation on March 6, Caruso has averaged 12.4 points on an impressive true shooting percentage of 59.1. He's also a rare Laker with a positive net rating, a plus-3.5 points per 100 possessions.-- Arnovitz
Record: 33-48
A couple of the Pelicans' bright spots this season probably won't benefit the franchise long-term. Julius Randle has averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, production that makes it likely that he will decline his $9.1 million option for next season. Elfrid Payton has put himself in position to get a significant raise from his $3 million salary by averaging 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists.-- MacMahon
Record: 32-49
The Wizards ousted longtime GM Ernie Grunfeld this past week, meaning a new executive will hold that role in the organization for the first time in 16 years. During that time, Grunfeld oversaw five coaches and a 568-724 record and became the first executive to have three homegrown players signed to max contracts simultaneously. The team had a brief window -- two years at most -- when it looked like John Wall and Bradley Beal could ascend to become LeBron and the Cavs' biggest threat in the East. Beal is an unquestioned star, but figuring out the team's next step -- in light of Wall's long-term recovery -- will be key for whoever replaces Grunfeld.-- Herring
Record: 32-48
That Memphis has a legitimate chance to convey the top-eight-protected pick owed to the Celtics is a credit to J.B. Bickerstaff's coaching. The Grizzlies have an entire eight-man rotation on the injured list, with the preferred starting five of Mike Conley, Avery Bradley, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas as well as key reserves Dillon Brooks, CJ Miles and Joakim Noah all missing extended time, including several whose seasons have ended. It's critical for the rebuilding Grizzlies to give up the pick now, as the protection drops to top-six next year and becomes unprotected in 2021.-- MacMahon
25. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 29-52
If prior to the season you had asked the brass in Atlanta whether they'd be pleased by winning close to 30 games while maintaining bottom-five position for the draft, watching the trajectory of Trae Young's development skyrocket over the final two months, seeing John Collins contend for Most Improved Player and the emergence of a solid culture under the direction of rookie head coach Lloyd Pierce, they'd have gladly played that hand.-- Arnovitz
Record: 32-48
Dirk Nowitzki hasn't officially announced his retirement, but if you need another hint, the publicist with his foundation played a significant role in planning the festivities celebrating his 21-year career during and after Tuesday's home finale. Nowitzki has called this campaign "more frustrating than enjoyable" due to the difficulties of returning from ankle surgery at age 40, but he accomplished a significant goal by getting his first dunk of the seasonon Saturday.-- MacMahon
27. Chicago Bulls
Record: 22-58
The key order of business for the Bulls' front office this summer -- aside from dreaming of getting the No. 1 pick and getting their youngsters healthy -- will be figuring out whether to move forward with coach Jim Boylen, who took over after Fred Hoiberg was fired in December. Executive John Paxson went out of his way to say he wasn't placing an interim tag on Boylen, who signed a revised contract through next season. But only part of his deal is guaranteed next year, which leaves the Bulls some financial flexibility should they decide to hire someone else this summer in the midst of the team's rebuild.-- Herring
28. Phoenix Suns
Record: 19-62
Deandre Ayton's impressive rookie season with the Suns likely would have received much stronger notice if his team did not have the West's worst record. The No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft is averaging 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 58.5 percent shooting from the field entering Tuesday's season finale against Dallas. Ayton should be a strong candidate for the All-Rookie first team with those statistics.-- Spears
Record: 19-62
Cleveland wrapped its five-game West Coast trip winless this past week and lost its ninth straight game on Sunday. The team's defense -- which hasn't allowed fewer than 100 points in more than a month and is on pace to finish as the worst in modern NBA history -- will be the clearest point of emphasis ahead of next season. Until then, the Cavs will bank on continuing their run of lottery success in hopes of speeding up their makeover.-- Herring
30. New York Knicks
Record: 16-64
The Knicks will finish with the worst record in the NBA this season, which will make them one of three teams with the best chance to secure the top draft pick in June. There were reports this weekend that the Knicks have an excellent chance of signing Kevin Durant as a free agent this offseason. Knicks fans can enter the offseason with those types of hopes to buoy them after what was one of the worst NBA seasons of the past decade.-- Snellings
