The NBA in February is a wonderful time of year - when things start to come back to normal after the normal (or actually abnormal) start to the season by some teams. Frauds are exposed and the real competitors come to the spotlight after struggling in the early stages of the season. Let’s dive on into this one.

30. Orlando Magic (11-40)

The Magic are a mess. They need help at just about every position and front office job. It is clear that first year coach Jamahl Mosley cannot rally this excuse for a basketball team, and it may be time to rebuild the rebuild. The only hope they have is that point guard, Cole Anthony, and rookie forward Franz Wagner have a crazy talent spurt out of nowhere. Good luck Orlando, you’re a disaster.

29. Detroit Pistons (12-37)

Okay so yes, they do not have a good record, but things actually look better than I thought in the Motor City. After a frustratingly slow start from rookie Cade Cunningham, he and his team have slowly found a little bit of rhythm. Now they are not close to being a contender or even considered a good team yet but if they can draft another stud in this upcoming draft there may be hope to bring Detroit out of their sports misery. (I know, crazy thought!)

28. Houston Rockets (14-36)

Okay so it is rebuild time in Houston but I seriously have no idea what your plan is, and I don’t think you do either. Rookie Jalen Green is a nice piece, but I’m confused on where you are trying to go in the future. In all seriousness though, John Wall still holds a roster spot and I think the Rockets just need to trade him for whatever they can at the deadline. If they can draft another nice piece next to Green there may be a future but as of now, I am worried about what this team will try to build. At least Jalen can jump high though!

27. Indiana Pacers (19-33)

The Pacers seem to be in a toxic relationship with themselves and it is officially time to blow things up. Former Rookie of the Year, Malcolm Brogdan never developed into the star they were hoping for, Myles Turner reportedly is frustrated, and Lance Stephenson’s return is the only other piece of notable news. That my friends, is what you call a bad situation that needs a fresh start. Domantas Sabonis has been playing very well but it just doesn’t seem enough to be sustainable. I wouldn’t bet much on this team figuring things out.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (15-34)

With the recent news of young stud Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s injury, the Thunder have a hard 2-3 weeks upcoming, but I wouldn’t count this young group out of it. They have a promising future with every draft pick for the next 40 years it seems and their prospects they have now seem to be playing off of each other. This is a team that has the possibility to come together and surprise some people in the second half of this year even without SGA.

25. Sacramento Kings (18-34)

The Kings have a promising future like Oklahoma City, but they just haven’t reached that peak yet. They have been underperforming recently and it seems like they need to trade for another superstar if they want to try to win with this core, but in order to do that they need to give up someone they want to build around, so they are stuck in this awful endless cycle. It all depends on what they choose to do with crafty point guard De'Aaron Fox, but we can only evaluate their future after they make a major move. Until then they remain a bottom feeder in this league.

24. New York Knicks (24-27)

The New York Knicks have done it again. They invested in the wrong players, and it came back to bite them. Power forward, Julius Randle looks like a shell of his former self, (aka his one fluke season) and the rest of the team seems to be falling apart around him. The only players who seem to be playing to expectations are RJ Barrett and a few young guys like Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley. This team needs an identity and until then they are going to flail and struggle to move towards where they want to be. I think they need to move on from Randle and rebuild personally but a jolt in the arm after a trade deadline move or some improvements from Randle could change things.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (18-32)

This team needs their star big man Zion Williamson back desperately. They seem to be playing okay without him, but they clearly are not the same team. Players like center Jonas Valančiūnas, Brandon Ingram, and new point guard Jose Alvarado have stepped up in his absence, but with Zion’s injury history, I am worried that he could end up being the biggest “what-if” story in the league’s history. I do not hope he has a Greg Oden like career, but the stars are starting to align that way. If we were to find out that Zion would not be in their future, I assume this team would enter a hard rebuild sooner rather than later.

22. San Antonio Spurs (19-32)

The Spurs have one of the most oddly built rosters in the league in my opinion. They have three talented guards in Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, and Derrick White. After that there isn’t much talent besides some veteran bigs and role players you probably have never heard of. It seems this team is close to a rebuild as Dejounte Murray has been in trade talks and with coach Greg Popovich probably close to retirement, I do not see this team making any moves to improve in the short term. It seems this is the end of the Spurs’ dominance in the 2000s era.

21. Washington Wizards (23-26)

The Wizards are another team that could use some help. The culture there doesn’t seem to be meshing well as point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal have both been rumored to be in trade talks. They had a very strong start to the year but after forward Kyle Kuzma came down to earth this team’s true struggles began to show. They do not have a dominant big man and Beal clearly is not ready to carry a team on his own. He can score the ball, but he doesn’t seem like a true winner in my eyes. After the Clippers game where they blew a 35pt lead, I lost all faith in this organization. Hopefully they can move Beal to make him a secondary option and let him reach his potential. On the bright side G-Wiz is a really cool mascot.

20. Portland Trail Blazers (21-30)

Oh no. Do I really need to discuss this mess? Okay let’s do it. A Damian “Lillard-less” Blazers team would work about as well as a train without tracks and that is the best way to describe this season. A train wreck. When healthy Lillard has underperformed, his side-kick CJ McCollum has been hurt as well, and the surrounding core is just not all that great. New coach Chauncey Billups can only do so much. This team is not going anywhere. They need to trade everyone and move on. It is clear this duo in Lillard and McCallum have peaked and trying to force this pair to win just isn’t helping.

19. Los Angeles Clippers (26-27)

Okay this team surprised me. When Paul George went down, I assumed this team would fall apart, but I was wrong. This scrappy core wants to win, and Reggie Jackson has turned back the clock to 2015-16 and has been playing very well. He is averaging just over 16ppg and has been an amazing leader in the offense. I do not think this is a sustainable place to look for wins but I think this team could still grab a play in tournament bid even without either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard.

18. Los Angeles Lakers (24-27)

Well. You got Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook and this is what you have to show for it? Wow let’s get into this mess. So, Westbrook has been underperforming for the majority of this season and neither AD nor Lebron can stay healthy. Even when they all play the floor spacing and lack of coaching from puppet of a head coach, Frank Vogel, impede this highly talented roster from succeeding. I do not believe in this team, and I don’t think many people do. What LeBron is doing at this point in his career is unheard of and absolutely insane, but it just is not enough to carry a roster this problematic. Let’s get ready to watch reality TV in LA at its finest cause it seems to be more drama than basketball there these days.

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-25)

This team is starting to look like a team again for the first time since forward, Jimmy Butler, was in town. Karl-Anthony Towns is doing what he usually does averaging 24.4ppg and with guards, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell, this team looks like they have a promising future if these guys can mesh with another superstar. I believe this team is missing that late game difference maker. I think that the wolves need to make a move like the Bulls and get a closer like DeMar DeRozan.

16. Atlanta Hawks (24-26)

Trae Young is doing everything he can and that is about all that is happening in the A. The loss of center, Clint Capella, was becoming more detrimental than expected but with him back in the lineup as of recently they no longer need to rely on backup, Onyeka Okongwu. I think this team is prime for a very strong second half of the year and behind the coaching of Nate McMillan, anything is possible. This team made it to the Conference Finals last year and I feel they can do it again if Trae Young’s back can handle carrying that much weight.

15. Boston Celtics (27-25)

The Boston Celtics had a lot of questions surrounding this team after their slow start but as of recently they have looked a lot more like the Boston Celtics we know. They have won four out of their last five games including a huge win against the Miami Heat. If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can truly play alongside each other than this team is scary and absolutely, like the Hawks, could make some noise late in the year.

14. Toronto Raptors (25-23)

This team is prime and ready. Well for a rebuild that is. I do not feel that the duo of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet is enough to win a championship anymore and building around, rookie, Scottie Barnes is looking more like the correct move every game. He is averaging over 14ppg, and his defensive and offensive impact are not always seen in the stat sheet. This kid is the real deal and trying to win with the guys they have now would be a waste of Barnes’ talent.

13. Charlotte Hornets (28-23)

Since he came to the NBA, LaMelo Ball has silenced every hater and is one of the most elite guards in the game today. His vision, shooting ability, leadership, and overall basketball IQ is almost unbelievable at times. This team around him is built perfectly so far and I think with a potential free agent signing, this team could instantly become contenders. Adding just one more all-star to this well-oiled machine could really put this team over the top. I only worry about coaching, as I feel that coach, James Borrego, may not be the long term answer this Charlotte team is looking for.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-20)

Okay so this is going to be controversial, I am aware, but this team is over-performing, and we all know it. Point guard
Darius Garland has been playing the best basketball of his career and Kevin Love looks like he went back in time to save his career, but this team clearly isn’t built for long term success. I see a hard collapse coming and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be coming back to Earth in the near future.

11. Dallas Mavericks (29-22)

I feel like this team should be much better than they are right now. But for some reason it seems like there is an imaginary speed bump they just can’t get over. Every time this team looks like they are gaining traction they slow down just a little bit and then get back to looking decent. They seem to need one more piece, especially a small forward, to bring them over the top and back to championship contenders. I believe in Luka Dončić and this Mavericks team, but I need to see more of a consistency out of them before I would place any bets on this team.

10. Utah Jazz (30-21)

The Jazz have been destroyed by injuries and Covid-19 Protocol disasters and have been underwhelming to say the least. The loss of stars, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the short term and the torn ACL of Joe Ingles will prove to be a difficult challenge to overcome. But I think after the all-star break, this team will bounce back and be ready to win in the second half of the season. The only area to address is finding out who is replacing Ingles in that sharpshooter role.

9. Denver Nuggets (28-21)

Nikola Jokić is one amazing basketball player. His ability to run the offense like a point guard as a 7ft tall center is something this league has never seen and clearly is not ready for. The Nuggets are a great team who has been ruined by long term injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. If both of these guys come back healthy in April or May this team can make serious noise in the playoffs. They do not need to worry about the seed they get. This Denver team fully healthy can compete with the best.

8. Brooklyn Nets (29-20)

The Nets have a very unique team. Well, I guess unique is the nice way of putting it. They have three of the leagues most talented players and remarkably, they have only played 10 regular-season games together for a total of 234 regular-season minutes, including just 32 this season. (Bontemps) If this team does not figure this situation out then it does not look good for the future. Players will want to leave including former 2018 MVP, James Harden and this team will fall to bits leaving a huge “what-if” story. You have one chance Brooklyn, don’t blow it.

7. Memphis Grizzlies (35-18)

Well, we finally found out the answer to the question: who will be better Ja Morant or Zion Williamson. The answer is Ja Morant with ease. He is finally tapping his full potential and is one of the most amazing players we can watch on a daily basis. This young Grizzlies core seems just a year or two away from dominating but after this first half of the year they seem way ahead of schedule. I think Ja is the right guy to lead his troops to battle against the top-heavy West.

6. Milwaukee Bucks (31-21)

The Bucks have a generational talent in Giannis Antetokounmpo and have decided not to waste time using him to his full potential. They have built one of the most well-rounded teams this league has to offer and using Giannis as the center piece is the cherry on top. Guards, Kris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have been amazing additions and seem to play off of Antetokounmpo’s ability to drive to the basket. Even without center, Brook Lopez, this team is performing at a very high level. This Bucks team is prime for another championship run that much is clear, but it is a matter of doing it now. Show us what you got Milwaukee.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (31-19)

The Sixers have impressed me immensely this season. Even with all the off-court drama (no I will not grant him the satisfaction and say his name) they managed to put together a remarkable season so far this year. Lead by MVP favorite Joel Embiid, this team is one trade away from being title contenders. Guards, Seth Curry and Tyrese Maxey have both stepped up immensely this year to help Embiid on offense and on the defensive end Matisse Thybulle looks like he could be the Defensive Player of the Year. I’m very excited to see what this team does. Let's just hope they can at least get past the second round for once.

4. Chicago Bulls (31-18)

The Bulls have struggled to gain traction for the last few years and seemed like they needed just one more piece to solve this puzzle. That final piece’s name is DeMar DeRozan. DeMar DeRozan’s ability to score the ball in close games has been the key factor to the Bulls success this year. Playing him alongside Zach Lavine and Lonzo Ball before he was hurt was a the recipe for winning games. Once Ball comes back and this team is fully healthy for the playoffs, we may finally see the Bulls this franchise is known for: Champions.

3. Miami Heat (32-19)

The Heat surprised me a lot this year. I thought they would be good but not this good. Jimmy Butler is clearly the leader Miami needed to get the ball rolling and bringing in point guard Kyle Lowry was the finishing touch to this amazingly well-oiled machine. The Heat somehow find a way to turn nobody players into fairly decent role players. Someone like guard, Gabe Vincent, showed up out of nowhere and if they can continue to get good production out of guys like Vincent this year, then who knows how far this team can go. Let’s just not see another first round exit Miami.

2. Golden State Warriors (38-13)

Sound the alarms! It’s happening! The splash brothers are back and just as scary as ever. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are both healthy again and this Warriors team is ready to try to win another championship. The Warriors have been absolutely on fire recently and show no signs of stopping. Not only are the normal guys doing their jobs, but forward Andrew Wiggins has also finally tapped into the potential everyone knew was there from the minute he was drafted. Not much more to say here. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy watching the greatest shooting pair in NBA history go to work and destroy for favorite teams.

1. Phoenix Suns (40-9)

The Phoenix Suns are the real deal. This team, built similarly to Milwaukee, are another team that relies on chemistry for success rather than individual player talent. And man is it working. This team is the number one seed in a very talented western conference even without star center, Deandre Ayton for a period of time. the elite guard combo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker have been playing out of their minds recently and I Believe that if this team can stay healthy and keep the on-court communication and rhythm they are the favorite for the 2022 NBA Finals.